TEXT: PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31000
  31000
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  INTERIOR ART: LINDA PITMAN
  INTERIOR ART: LINDA PITMAN
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring tales of adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  TO END ALL WARS & CHAOS IN CRETE
  TO END ALL WARS & CHAOS IN CRETE
  0101
  
  2
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains two pulp tales based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  xxx.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  This means you can use the character sheets at con-
  ventions and run adventures of any Rank without having 
  to create your own characters from scratch. It also means 
  you can run these tales as pick-up games without any 
  preparation!
  Better yet, you’ll know that when you buy one of our 
  adventures, you can guarantee the adventurers will have 
  all the skills and abilities they need to win the day!
  PULP RULES
  PULP RULES
  Pulp adventures require both a certain mindset from 
  the GM and players and a few tweaks to the base rules.
  The majority of these rules exist for one reason—to 
  mimic pulp ﬁ lms. While player characters are virtually 
  immortal and can face most challenges without fear of 
  injury, the fun of pulp is playing up that fact by taking 
  more extreme risks and performing daring stunts. GM’s 
  who want more risk should ignore whatever rules they 
  wish.
  ACTING BAD IS BAD
  ACTING BAD IS BAD
  The heroes of our adventures are Heroes and should 
  be played that way. Anytime one commits an evil or mor-
  ally ambiguous act he loses a benny immediately. This 
  benny counts as reducing his permanent pool for the 
  rest of the session (it returns to full at the start of the 
  next session). If he has run out of bennies, he can’t earn 
  anymore from any source for the remainder of the ses-
  sion.
  The GM should always warn a player about to take a 
  step onto the anti-hero road. If the GM is in doubt about 
  an action, he should ask himself whether Indiana Jones, 
  Doc Savage, the Rocketeer, or Rick O’Connell would 
  ever perform such an act in the movies. If the answer is 
  “no,” then it’s a bad act.
  BENNIES
  BENNIES
  Bennies are a pulp hero’s best friend. Give each Wild 
  Card player character a benny at the start of every com-
  bat. This can’t take a character above his permanent pool 
  value, but it does mean the heroes can freely spend a 
  single benny in every ﬁ ght with the certain knowledge 
  they’ll get it back before the next encounter kicks off.
  Pulp heroes will, thanks to the nature of these setting 
  rules, generally end up with bennies left. The GM should 
  not use the old rule that leftover bennies convert to Ex-
  perience Points—the heroes get enough breaks.
  CINEMATIC DEATH
  CINEMATIC DEATH
  In pulp stories, no one bleeds profusely despite being 
  shot, stabbed, or punched, nor do their clothes necessar-
  ily show signs of these wounds. Anyone poisoned simply 
  drops dead, rather than writhing while choking and gag-
  ging. People still die—it's just not a messy death (even 
  when cut to pieces by a propeller it’s just a brief spray of 
  blood we see, not chunks of ﬂ esh being minced).
  CONTACTS
  CONTACTS
  In Raiders of the Lost Ark™ Indy gets in contact with 
  his old friend Salah, who in turn leads him to the astrolo-
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  3
  ger. In The Mummy,™ Rick O’Connell uses his friendship 
  with Winston to get hold of an airplane. In a movie it’s 
  very easy for the writer to insert these allies and create 
  a backstory of how the hero knows the person. In an 
  RPG, having the GM create such characters takes a lot of 
  creativity away from the players.
  Although the Connections Edge could be used to 
  represent such individuals, our pulp rules introduce 
  a new concept just for these sorts of characters—Con-
  tacts.
  Contacts, unlike Connections, are a unique indi-
  vidual who exists in a ﬁ xed location. Players who want 
  allies with greater resources or who can be contacted 
  anywhere should invest in the Connections Edge.
  Limits: Once per adventure, one player may invent 
  a Contact. An individual player may invent a new con-
  tact for his hero only once per character Rank. Thus, 
  in a typical group of four players, every player gets 
  chance to create a friend at each Rank. For smaller 
  groups, the GM may alter or waive this rule.
  The player should ﬁ rst seek his fellow players’ 
  approval, since they might have ideas for a Contact 
  they wish to use as well. He must then come up with a 
  name, a reason the hero knows the Contact, and why 
  the contact is in the area. The GM has ﬁ nal approval 
  and may tweak a few facts to better ﬁ t the adventure.
  For instance, let’s imagine the heroes are lost in 
  the jungle and suffering from a lack of rations. Lady 
  Amelia’s player decides to use a Contact to get them 
  out of trouble. She invents a missionary, Father Mat-
  thew, whose mission was funded by her father. She 
  remembers he is currently working with a native tribe 
  in the area.
  Usage: As individuals, Contacts are not as re-
  sourceful as the Connection Edge. In general, they 
  can provide small items (a few magazines for a gun, 
  digging equipment, or a vehicle) or aid (informa-
  tion, or healing). What they never supply is an army 
  of Extras—pulp adventures are all about the heroes. 
  The player can ask his Contact for whatever he wants, 
  but the GM makes the final decision on what is avail-
  able.
  Continuing our example, the heroes stumble in 
  Father Matthew’s mission. He provides the party with 
  food. Since the adventurers are lost the GM wants to 
  get the adventure back on track, he also knows the 
  route to the ruined temple the group seeks. He might 
  even provide a non-combatant guide.
  In short, Contacts exist to provide a useful piece 
  of gear or information, and to help parties who are 
  struggling to solve clues.
  HENCHMEN
  HENCHMEN
  Sometimes a Wild Card is too much of a threat and 
  an Extra not threatening enough. In these instances, 
  the GM should use a Henchman. Henchmen have three 
  wound levels just like a Wild Card, but they don’t have a 
  Wild Die or get their own bennies.
  HEROIC COMBAT
  HEROIC COMBAT
  Did Doc Savage or Indiana Jones ever die or lose a 
  limb? Of course not! They may get beaten to a within an 
  inch of their lives, but they always come back for more. 
  As such, several special rules apply in pulp games.
  Extras’ Damage: Wild Cards are expected to mow 
  down swathes of Extras without pausing for breath. In 
  order to make Extras less of a threat and the heroes more 
  heroic, Extras’ damage rolls never Ace. That’s right, the 
  best a Nazi soldier with an SMG (2d6) can do is cause 12 
  damage, which equates to a wound or two at most.
  Soaking: Pulp characters are expected to risk life and 
  limb and escape virtually unharmed. Whenever a player 
  character Wild Card Soaks all the damage from an attack, 
  his benny is instantly returned. While there are no guar-
  antees in life, this rule helps encourage the heroes to 
  remove single wounds as quickly as possible before they 
  accumulate into bigger penalties and without worrying 
  too much about benny expenditure.
  The GM should work within the framework of the 
  story to describe how these “wounds” were actually 
  near-misses or left a hero’s jacket with a new hole or his 
  favorite hat badly crumpled.
  Nonlethal: All damage inﬂ icted on a player character 
  Wild Card is treated as being nonlethal. Characters can 
  die, but it requires a villain to perform a deliberate Fin-
  ishing Move. Such dastardly curs deserve what is coming 
  to them.
  Rapid Recovery: Every Wild Card hero recovers one 
  wound automatically at the start of each new Act. Uncon-
  scious heroes wake up with 2 wounds just before the Act 
  begins. No one is ever left out of a new Act or carrying 
  round crippling wound penalties from the beginning of 
  the adventure.
  Injuries: While characters still suffer injuries, they are 
  never lasting ones. A hero only ever suffers the effects of 
  rolls on the Injury Table until the wounds are healed, as if 
  he rolled a success on the Incapacitation Table. In short, 
  heroes are never left with injuries for long even if they roll 
  a Failure or Critical Failure on the Incapacitation Table.
  NEVER ENDING AMMO
  NEVER ENDING AMMO
  At the end of every Scene, the heroes recover all their 
  spent ammunition and Power Points. This means the 
  heroes are never short of bullet and spells.
  OBSTACLES IN CHASES
  OBSTACLES IN CHASES
  Rather than simply listing Obstacles as a category with 
  a ﬁ xed modiﬁ er and having a collision as the only oc-
  currence, many of our Chase scenes include a table of 
  events. The text will tell you when these rules apply.
  When a participant draws a Club as his ﬁ rst initiative 
  card, you just check the card value against the table and 
  run the mini-scene. The number in parentheses after the 
  card value is a modiﬁ er to the driver’s initial Trait roll 
  that round.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  4
  Failure can lead to no additional effect beyond not 
  gaining any ground due to the failed roll, cause a hero to 
  lose Range Increments, being Shaken, or taking damage, 
  depending on the nature of the Chase. Success and rais-
  es are generally handled as normal, though sometimes 
  there are additional beneﬁ ts.
  This type of expansion to the Chase rules will be a 
  recurring part of our pulp adventures and is something 
  the GM can easily work into his own tales.
  POLICE INTERFERENCE
  POLICE INTERFERENCE
  No matter how much gunplay is involved, the cops 
  never turn up. The same applies if they borrow a vehicle. 
  OK, that's not entirely true. So long as the characters 
  strive to foil the dastardly plot and aren't murdering 
  innocent bystanders, the cops leave them alone. Pulp 
  heroes rarely have to explain themselves to the police.
  PULP FISTED
  PULP FISTED
  Pulp heroes often take on sword-wielding cultists 
  or knife carrying thugs with their bare hands and win. 
  To simulate this, Wild Card characters using their bare 
  hands never count as Unarmed Defenders.
  RECURRING VILLAINS
  RECURRING VILLAINS
  Pulp villains have a habit of coming back (though 
  rarely more than once). In order to ensure a villain sur-
  vives the GM can use a few tricks.
  First, all villains the GM wants to return for a sequel 
  are treated as having the Harder to Kill Edge with 100% 
  chance of survival. Even a villain seen to fall into lava 
  may survive and return, albeit with hideous scars and a 
  terrible thirst for revenge.
  Second, by spending a benny the villain may guarantee 
  his escape. He doesn’t suddenly vanish into thin air, but 
  he ignores all die rolls and action limits. What he can’t 
  do during this time is perform actions he was normally 
  incapable of taking (like running move than his Pace + 
  running die) or make any attacks—it’s escape or noth-
  ing. For example, Doctor Destructo might sprint his full 
  Pace plus running die maximum, start his rocket-powered 
  airplane, and blast off into the sky before the heroes can 
  react. Heroes on Hold cannot interrupt this escape.
  This second technique is especially useful during the 
  early stages of an adventure, when the villain might make 
  a brief appearance but must escape to ﬁ ght the heroes in 
  the climax.
  SURRENDERING
  SURRENDERING
  To some gamers surrendering is a form of defeat. In 
  pulp games, it’s often a vital part of the plot and leads 
  the story forward.
  As such, anytime the heroes surrender at the dramatical-
  ly appropriate spot and go along with the villains demands 
  (it’s usually obvious because of the number of Extras pres-
  ent or the villain holding a gun to someone’s head and 
  shouting, “Drop your weapons!”), they earn a benny.
  WEIRD SCIENCE TWEAK
  WEIRD SCIENCE TWEAK
  Rocket boots and jet packs are a staple of pulp adven-
  tures. As such, Doc Davenport has the ﬂ y power before 
  reaching Veteran.
  
  The date is 1936, and Europe stands on the brink 
  of war. As the European superpowers struggle to ﬁ nd 
  a peaceful solution to the escalating threat of Nazism, 
  America quietly goes about her own business.
  Doctor Henry Starkweather, a renowned chemical 
  scientist, has recently being ridiculed by the scientiﬁ c 
  community and branded insane by the US Government 
  because of his latest invention—an odorless and color-
  less nerve gas that kills in seconds. He had hoped his in-
  vention would be seen as a way to avert the coming war 
  and make all future wars futile. Instead, he was branded 
  a “madman” and “butcher.” Infuriated at his treatment, 
  Starkweather has vowed to show those who mocked 
  him, the error of their ways.
  The Nazis—who learned of his invention through 
  agents in the American government—see the gas as the 
  ultimate weapon in Hitler's coming war. Through subtle 
  manipulation by a beautiful agent, they have persuaded 
  the doctor to seek revenge against those who ridiculed 
  him. The death of the entire US government at the hands 
  one of its own scientists would likely result in the US 
  staying neutral in the forthcoming war. The President and 
  the whole of Congress will suffer their terrible fate when 
  it next gathers, a day after the start of the adventure.
  For ideas on how to run the zeppelin scene, take a 
  look at the movie The Rocketeer, on which part of this 
  adventure was loosely based.
  Characters: 20 XP (use the basic sheets).
  ACT 1: DEATH ON THE STREETS
  ACT 1: DEATH ON THE STREETS
  The adventure begins in a smokey café in Boston. 
  All the heroes know each other from previous exploits, 
  though the player should spend a few minutes roleplay-
  ing their characters, so everyone gets into the mood. 
  for the adventure which is about to unfold. Once the 
  players have had a chance to settle into the setting and 
  are ready to play out the adventure, read the following 
  text to them all.
  SCENE 1: AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
  SCENE 1: AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
  Brent and his friends are sat in the window of 
  Ma's Diner, a small café on the east side of town. 
  Only an hour ago, Jim Black, an old college friend 
  that Brent hadn't seen for years, telephoned to 
  arrange the meeting. He said he had something 
  important to tell, something he dare not say over 
  the wires. Intrigued, you agreed to meet him.
  Brent talked about Jim a lot, and all the heroes know 
  Jim studied chemistry in college. A success on a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll allows a hero to recall a company 
  by the name of Starkweather Labs paid part of his tuition 
  fees.
  Carry on with the text.
  As the waitress pours you all a third cup of hot 
  java, you see Jim crossing the street. It looks like he 
  gained a few pounds since Brent last saw him. He 
  recognizes Brent, and waves, quickening his step.
  Suddenly, there is the screech of tires and a car 
  swerves round the corner. As it pulls level with 
  Jim, it slows slightly. A back window opens, and 
  a burst of automatic gunﬁ re cuts Jim down. With-
  out stopping, the car speeds away. People begin to 
  scream and panic. 
  What happens next depends on the characters. Some 
  may immediately go to give chase, while others may draw 
  weapons and start shooting at the ﬂ eeing car.
  The characters only have one chance to ﬁ re at the car 
  before it turns the corner. The range depends on how 
  quickly the characters open ﬁ re. The distance is 8” if they 
  immediately declare they are rushing out and ﬁ ring or 
  16” if they hesitate for a round or perform another quick 
  action (such as checking Jim). Since it is driving directly 
  away from the heroes, there is no movement penalty.
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  5
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  6
  Either way, the car screeches round the next bend 
  before they can ﬁ re again. The Innocent Bystander rules 
  do not apply in this situation.
  Whatever happens, the vehicle should get away (for 
  now), to force the chase scene that follows. Should the 
  characters hesitate at following, have them hear the 
  sound of a car horn—something has slowed the murder-
  ers' escape.
  No matter how fast they get to Jim, it's too late—sev-
  eral bullets from a Tommy gun hit him in the back. A suc-
  cessful Healing roll at +2 reveals that he will not survive 
  more than a few minutes. Let the characters try to save 
  him if they want—all attempts are futile, however.
  Jim's eyes ﬂ utter open. He smiles at you in recog-
  nition. He tries to lean forward, coughing as he 
  does. With his dying breath, he speaks two words 
  to you, “Starkweather… Nazis.” With that, Jim 
  slumps back, dead. You hear screech of tires as 
  the shooters' car turns the corner at the end of the 
  street. Amelia's roadster is parked nearby.
  SCENE 2: CHASE THROUGH BOSTON
  SCENE 2: CHASE THROUGH BOSTON
  Hopefully the heroes give chase to the ﬂ eeing villains. 
  Stopping the thugs is important to the adventure, but 
  regardless of this fact, the heroes shouldn't be willing to 
  let them get away with the murder of a friend.
  The only car available is Amelia's Roadster. A charac-
  ter can ride on the running board if he so wishes. Any 
  time the driver makes a Driving roll, the hanger-on must 
  make an Agility roll with the same modiﬁ er as the Driving 
  roll or fall off. Use the standard rules for Falling from 
  Vehicles.
  Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack in the chase, 
  but it’s assumed he’s ﬂ ying at street level (because ﬂ ying 
  above the action is just not the way of pulp action.) If 
  he moves at his regular Pace, he suffers a –1 penalty to 
  Piloting rolls (because his Range Increment is only 1” 
  compared to the thugs’ 5”). Moving at twice his Pace 
  negates this, but burns more Power Points.
  Heroes who elect to give chase on foot have a –1 pen-
  alty to the Agility for the same reason as above.
  This scene uses the Chase rules and our alternate 
  Obstacles rules (page 6). The Range Increment is 5” and 
  the chase begins at Medium Range.
  The villains initially try to ﬂ ee by increasing the dis-
  tance from their pursuers. If this proves to be impos-
  sible, they instead try to wreck the heroes’ car. Two thugs 
  in the back, both armed with Tommy guns, take shots at 
  the pursuers during the chase. Remember the penalty 
  for ﬁ ring from an unstable platform.
  Eventually, the chase ends. While it is possible they 
  will escape, the preferred solution is to have their badly 
  shot up car screech to a halt, smoke pouring from under 
  the hood, or the heroes force them to a halt. Any surviv-
  ing villains leap from the car, using it as Medium Cover 
  (–2, + 3 Armor), and continue the gun battle. Two of the 
  thugs have Tommy guns—the two in the front have Colt 
  pistols.
  The scene ends when all of the thugs have been 
  killed—they will not surrender—or if they escape.
   Thugs (4): See page 13.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10(3); Crew: 1+2
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Since the vehicles are racing through crowded streets, 
  assume they are moving at half their Top Speed for dam-
  age calculations in collisions.
  Deuce (–4) A Parade: A street parade looms into 
  view as the car turns a corner! Success means the car 
  turns down a side street and emerges back in the chase. 
  Failure causes the car to inch forward while the street 
  clears, costing it 2 Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Pot Hole: The vehicle must avoid a large 
  pot hole in the road. With failure, the car takes 2d6 dam-
  age.
  Four (–2) Slow Trafﬁ c: Slow-moving trafﬁ c forces 
  the car to dodge and weave to make any progress. On 
  a failure, the vehicle is blocked in and drops back one 
  Range Increment.
  Five (–2) Child in the Road: A young kid runs into 
  the road, right in front of the car! A failed Driving roll 
  means the car had to brake heavily to avoid the child, 
  losing one Range Increment. Even the thugs try to avoid 
  the child, though more by instinct than because they give 
  a hoot.
  Six (–2) No Brake Lights: The vehicle in front sud-
  denly comes to a complete stop, forcing the car to swerve 
  to avoid a collision. A failure leads to a collision with a 
  hard obstacle.
  Seven (–2) Newspaper Stand: In order to avoid a 
  truck the car must mount the pavement. Doing so puts 
  a newspaper stand right in its path! Failure causes a 
  collision with a soft obstacle and scatters papers every-
  where.
  Eight (–1) Leaky Hydrant: A faulty hydrant has left 
  a deep pool on the part of the road the car is driving 
  along. A failed Driving roll causes the vehicle to go Out 
  of Control as it skids on the standing water.
  Nine (–1) Blocked Windshield: Part of a newspaper 
  lands on the windshield, blocking the driver’s view. A 
  failed roll means the car drops back one Range Incre-
  ment while the obstruction is cleared.
  Ten (–1) Trafﬁ c Jam: Heavy trafﬁ c forces the car onto 
  the pavement, scattering pedestrians. Failure has no ad-
  ditional effect beyond the vehicle making no progress.
  Jack (–1) Window Washer: As the car stops at a junc-
  tion a windshield washer makes his move. Unfortunately, 
  
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  7
  the car pulls away with him clutching the wipers and 
  obscuring the driver’s view. With failure, the car loses 
  one Range Increment due to erratic maneuvers before 
  the man leaps clear.
  Queen (0/–2) Red Light: The trafﬁ c signal turns red. 
  Characters have the choice of stopping or running the 
  light. The thugs always try to run the light.
  Stopping causes the car to drop back two Range In-
  crements due to the delay. Running the light requires a 
  Driving roll at –2. Failure leads to a collision with another 
  vehicle. Since this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed 
  of the vehicle involved in the Chase counts.
  King (0) Dangerous Overtaking: A truck pulls out 
  to avoid a parked car right into the path of the oncoming 
  vehicle! Failure leads to a head-on collision. The truck is 
  moving 10” per round.
  Ace (0/–2) A Ramp: A truck is parked with its rear 
  tailgate down, forming a handy ramp. Ask the players 
  whether they want to drive around it or aim for the ramp. 
  The thugs always take the safe option.
  Going around the truck gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to hit the ramp gives the driver a –2 penalty 
  to his Driving roll, but if successful he gains an extra 
  Range Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) stacks 
  with the Push maneuver. Failure causes him to ram the 
  truck, which is a stationary heavy obstacle.
  ACT 2: WHAT A BRAVEHEART
  ACT 2: WHAT A BRAVEHEART
  Once the chase is over, the characters may search the 
  thugs. This requires a Notice roll. On a success, they 
  ﬁ nd a business card and a piece of paper with the Stark-
  weather Labs header.
  The business card belongs to Valerie Braveheart, a 
  reporter at the Boston Herald. It lists the newspapers 
  address and telephone number.
  The paper has a handwritten note scrawled across it. 
  It reads, “Help load tanks at 4 p.m. Starkweather Labs.” 
  There is no way of identifying who wrote the message.
  SCENE 1: BACKGROUND CHECKS
  SCENE 1: BACKGROUND CHECKS
  STARKWEATHER LABS
  STARKWEATHER LABS
  Characters planning on checking out Starkweather 
  Labs have several options open to them.
  A character making a successful Common Knowledge 
  check knows that Starkweather Labs is a big chemical 
  company in the Boston area, but not where they are 
  located.
  Characters visiting the library, Hall of Records, or 
  similar public building, may make an Investigation roll. 
  Each roll takes four hours. A success reveals the company 
  specializes in the manufacture of medical drugs. The 
  owner is one Doctor Henry Starkweather. On a raise, 
  the character learns the company uses plants and insects 
  from the Amazon to make its drugs.
  The address and telephone number can be found 
  from the phone book, a suitable public ofﬁ ce, or from 
  the letterhead. Trying to phone the company elicits no 
  response.
  THE BOSTON HERALD
  THE BOSTON HERALD
  Driving to the Boston Herald takes 30 minutes through 
  the trafﬁ c—telephoning takes only a few minutes. There 
  is a call box in a nearby drug store and the number can 
  be found on Miss Braveheart's business card.
  Asking for Valerie Braveheart elicits only the answer, 
  “She's on a job.” Finding out more information requires 
  an Intimidation or Persuade roll. If the characters have 
  visited the ofﬁ ces, a bribe grants a bonus to Persuasion 
  rolls equal to +1 per $20 (to a maximum of +4).
  On a success, they are told she is visiting the Stark-
  weather Labs building on some espionage story. On a 
  raise, they are also told that she should have been back 
  several hours ago.
  SCENE 2: STARKWEATHER LABS
  SCENE 2: STARKWEATHER LABS
  Starkweather Labs is on the main industrial estate and 
  can be reached in an hour. When the heroes arrive, they 
  see three trucks emblazoned with the Starkweather Labs' 
  logo and a tan coupe in the car park. Six workers are 
  loading crates onto the trucks. Regardless of how long 
  the characters take to get here, it is ten past four.
  The crates contain canisters of nerve gas. Any char-
  acter passing a Notice roll can spot the label “Medical 
  Supplies” stuck on the side. If approached, the workers 
  (actually thugs rather than ofﬁ cial employees) ignore 
  them unless spoken to ﬁ rst. They know nothing of any 
  Valerie Braveheart, nor do they know who owns the car. 
  If asked if Mr Starkweather is present, they say he is away 
  on business and is not due back for a week. They don’t 
  try to stop the heroes entering the building—they have 
  to load the crates and meet their delivery schedule.
  On the off chance the heroes start a ﬁ ght, such as by 
  trying to open a crate or drawing weapons, the thugs 
  ﬁ ght back with their guns, which are stowed in the 
  trucks. Before the heroes can win the ﬁ ght, they hear 
  a woman's scream from inside the building (the trucks 
  have to escape).
  Any Shooting die that comes up 1, regardless of the 
  Wild Die, hits a crate and shatters a gas canister, which 
  releases the deadly contents. The gas immediately ﬁ lls a 
  Large Burst Template. Anyone inside the Template must 
  make a Vigor roll at –2 penalty or take a wound. Any sur-
  viving thugs pull gasmasks from under their coats and don 
  them—they then drive away in the confusion and panic.
  If the heroes check the coupe, there is nothing iden-
  tiﬁ able from the outside. The characters can open the 
  car with a Lockpicking check or simply smash a window. 
  In the glove compartment, they ﬁ nd a notebook bearing 
  the name Valerie Braveheart.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  8
  Inside the building, the entrance leads straight up a 
  ﬂ ight of stairs to an ofﬁ ce. The ofﬁ ce is glass fronted and 
  the heroes can see onto the shop ﬂ oor below.
   Thugs (6): See page 13.
  A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
  A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
  Looking out the windows, you see a large ﬂ oor 
  space ﬁ lled with vats, large canisters, pipes, tubes, 
  and workbenches.
  In the middle of the ﬂ oor, you see an attractive 
  woman tied to a chair. A brute, his biceps as wide 
  as a man's thighs, is slapping her. Several other 
  goons stand nearby, weapons clutched in their 
  hands.
  The woman is Miss Braveheart and her interrogator 
  is a vicious Nazi thug by the name of Klaus Adler. Brave-
  heart was caught snooping around and taking pictures. 
  Adler is interrogating her to learn what she knows, 
  which, unfortunately for her, isn't much. Adler doesn't 
  believe her and suspects she is an American secret agent. 
  The distance between the ofﬁ ce and the group is 20”. 
  Firing from the ofﬁ ce provides Medium Cover (–2) and 
  +2 Armor because of the thin wooden wall.
  If the heroes try to sneak up on the group, the defend-
  ers count as inactive. The machinery provides Medium 
  Cover (+2) and grants a similar bonus to Stealth rolls, 
  and the warehouse is in Dim Lighting (+1).
  As soon as ﬁ ring starts, the seven thugs dive behind 
  crates and barrels for protection. Adler crouches behind 
  Braveheart, using her as a human shield. She counts as 
  Heavy Cover (–4). Any shot missing because of the cover 
  modiﬁ er strikes Braveheart.
  Whatever happens, there will be a ﬁ ght at some point. 
  If he characters are hesitant, prompt them into action by 
  having Adler draw a gun and aim it at Miss Braveheart.
  During the ﬁ ght, any Shooting die that comes up a 1 
  hits the nearest gas cylinder to the target, which explodes 
  for 4d6 damage in a Medium Burst Template. 
     Valerie Braveheart: See page 13.
   Klaus Adler: See page 13.
   Thugs (3 per hero): See page 13.
  Once the bugs have been dealt with, the remaining 
  thugs realize they have been left behind and throw 
  grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6, Medium Burst 
  Template) to cover their escape. The resulting explosions 
  set off a chain reaction. Characters still in the warehouse 
  three rounds later are caught in a huge explosion and 
  take 6d6 damage.
  Once safely away from the burning warehouse, Brave-
  heart thanks the heroes profusely. She explains that she 
  was investigating reports leaked to her by an employee, 
  Jim Black. He claimed Nazis had kidnapped Doctor 
  Starkweather. She was caught snooping around the 
  warehouse before she could learn anything of interest.
  She has yet to locate Starkweather himself, but was 
  planning on visiting his mansion next to search for clues. 
  Now she needs to get back to the ofﬁ ce and ﬁ les her 
  story before the deadline. She asks the characters to visit 
  Starkweather Mansion and check things out, and prom-
  ises to meet them in a few hours.
  ACT 3: A VERY PRIVATE SECRETARY
  ACT 3: A VERY PRIVATE SECRETARY
  The Starkweather mansion is located 40 miles from 
  the warehouse, in a private and secluded part of town. 
  Reaching it takes an hour. As the heroes approach, they 
  notice lights on inside the house. 
  SCENE 1: STARKWEATHER MANSION
  SCENE 1: STARKWEATHER MANSION
  If the heroes snoop around and look in a window, 
  read them the following.
  You appear to be looking into a dining room. 
  Aside from the furniture, the only thing of interest 
  is an attractive though bookish woman. 
  She is wearing a black dress. She moves with an 
  air of conﬁ dence and grace. She ﬂ icks her hair 
  as she moves toward a large cabinet, where she 
  selects a bottle of wine and places it on the table.
  Having the heroes break in is certainly an option, but 
  they have no proof that Starkweather has actually been 
  kidnapped, regardless of what happened at the ware-
  house. If they decide to follow this course of action, do 
  not try to stop them. Let them explore the house. Sooner 
  or later they confront the woman—use the following sec-
  tion with whatever changes you deem necessary.
  If they choose to ring the bell, the same woman an-
  swers the door a few moments later, after alerting her 
  thugs—Adler warned her by telephone that there may 
  be visitors.
  The door opens to reveal an attractive woman. 
  DRAMATIC INTERLUDE
  DRAMATIC INTERLUDE
  On the fourth round of combat, a stray shot from 
  a thug hits a sealed container, releasing a swarm of 
  ﬂ esh hungry Amazonian bugs. Have a nearby thug 
  attacked ﬁ rst to show the heroes how deadly the 
  beasts are.
  There are plenty of props around to use against the 
  swarm, such as luring them toward a gas cylinder 
  and blowing it up, or using a ﬁ re hose to disperse 
  them. While this is going on, Adler makes good his 
  escape (using the Recurring Villains rule if neces-
  sary), along with the trucks loaded with nerve gas. 
  For good measure, he shoots the tires on the he-
  roes' car. Whatever happens, Adler must escape.
  
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  9
  She is wearing a black dress that clings to her ﬁ g-
  ure and knee-high boots. She moves with an air of 
  conﬁ dence and grace. She ﬂ icks her blonde hair, 
  looking you up and down with her pale blue eyes.
  “May I help you?” she says, her silky voice reveal-
  ing her as a New York native.
  You may need to remind the heroes that pointing 
  guns in a woman's face is downright rude, not to men-
  tion against the Pulp tradition. If asked, she introduces 
  herself as Claudia Knight, Doctor Starkweather's personal 
  secretary. She politely enquires as to who the heroes are 
  and what business they have at the house.
  Heroes inquiring as to the whereabouts of the good 
  doctor are informed that he is upstairs dressing for din-
  ner. He has only recently returned from a trip to Brazil. 
  She invites the heroes to join them for dinner, once she 
  knows who they are.
  SCENE 2: THE VILLAIN REVEALED
  SCENE 2: THE VILLAIN REVEALED
  If the heroes accept the invitation to dinner, they are 
  shown into the dining room.
  A large table surrounded by a dozen chairs domi-
  nates the large dining room. Paintings adorn the 
  walls, two suits of armour stand by a staircase 
  leading to a gallery, and several cabinets hold 
  ﬁ ne china and bottles of wine.
  Miss Knight gestures for you to be seated. She sits 
  near the head of the table. Moments later, a white-
  haired man in a wheelchair rolls into the room. 
  Miss Knight stands and introduces the stranger. 
  “Ladies and gentlemen,” she croons, “this is Doc-
  tor Starkweather, your host for the evening.”
  Starkweather draws his wheelchair to the head 
  of the table and nods. “Forgive me for not stand-
  ing,” he says. “An industrial accident many years 
  ago left me without use of my legs.” He picks up 
  a small silver bell and rings it. “I hope you like 
  venison,” he smiles.
  With that, two servants emerge from the kitchen 
  carrying your dinner. Miss Knight delicately 
  sprays her slender neck from a small perfume bot-
  tle while winking at Brent.
  The characters now have chance to talk with Doctor 
  Starkweather. This is handled through a question and 
  answer format, based on likely lines of enquiry.
  Q: We heard you’d been kidnapped.
  A: “Indeed? As you can see, I am here in person and 
  very much in good health. No, I had been out of the 
  country on business.”
  Q: We just had a ﬁ ght with some thugs at your ware-
  house.
  A: “What? At my warehouse? I shall have one of the 
  servants call the police immediately. Thank you for 
  whatever assistance you provided in apprehending 
  them.”
  Q: What are you working on?
  A: “A new form of chemical weapon designed to end 
  all wars. Yes, that is right, a weapon that will end war. 
  No one will dare to start a conﬂ ict once all nations are 
  armed with my new weapon.”
  Q: Who is funding this?
  A: “Not the American government! I offered them my 
  services, but they mocked me, called me insane! No, 
  this work of genius is privately funded from my own 
  resources. But I shall demonstrate my work to the gov-
  ernment. In a matter of hours, the world will see the 
  results of my work. The American government will cease 
  to exist once my zeppelin releases its cargo of nerve gas 
  over the capital!”
  At this point, the heroes begin to feel decidedly 
  woozy. Miss Knight’s perfume (which she sprayed ear-
  lier, remember) is a neurotoxin designed to temporarily 
  incapacitate victims. She and Starkweather are immune, 
  having taken the antidote.
  It’s quite possible the characters will try to draw guns 
  or make a lunge for the villains. Unfortunately, the drug 
  is very potent and fast-acting. Limbs feel like lead and vi-
  sion is heavily blurred. Within seconds, they are helpless, 
  though conscious.
  SCENE 3: BOOM
  SCENE 3: BOOM
  The section is the traditional “trap of doom and vil-
  lain soliloquy” made famous in pulp stories. When the 
  have been Incapacitated, read the following text.
  You are stripped of your gear, dragged to the base-
  ment, and tied to chairs. Miss Knight moves over 
  to Brent, stroking his face with a leather-gloved 
  hand.
  “I'm afraid this is where you meet your demise. 
  I have a little surprise in store for you. I would 
  like to say that you were worthy opponents, but 
  sadly you were not.” One of the servants brings 
  RAILROADING?
  RAILROADING?
  Hang on, the heroes are being incapacitated with-
  out a chance to resist? Why not allow a Vigor roll?
  Well, ﬁ rst because this is a pulp staple—heroes in-
  evitably end up captured one way or another. While 
  we could overwhelm the characters with thugs, it 
  may also lead to a lot of injuries we don’t want the 
  adventurers carrying forward.
  Second, the nuances of dice in Savage Worlds allow 
  for any roll to succeed. Even slapping on a -6 pen-
  alty isn’t necessarily going to produce the desired 
  result.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  1010
  out a large, covered silver dish and sets it down 
  on a crate situated in the center of the room. Miss 
  Knight removes the lid to reveal a large bomb! The 
  timer is rapidly ticking toward zero!
  Starkweather stands at the top of the stairs. It 
  seems he can walk! “Sorry for the ruse,” he smirks, 
  “but being helpless in a wheelchair is an excellent 
  cover story. Do enjoy the explosion—it’s likely to 
  raise the roof!”
  With that, the villains leave the room, locking the 
  door behind them.
  The characters have a mere 8 rounds to defuse the 
  bomb. In order to do so, they must complete the follow-
  ing steps in strict order. Should the bomb detonate (or if 
  someone tries to disarm it by shooting it), it causes 3d10 
  damage to everyone in house (this is Wild Card damage, 
  so it likely hurts plenty.)
  • They need to work free of their bonds. This requires 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –2 (hero’s choice). One 
  roll can be made each round. Once a character is free, 
  he may untie one other person in a round. This al-
  lows for no other actions.
  • A character must determine whether the outer cas-
  ing is booby trapped. This requires a Smarts roll at 
  –4 or a Repair roll at –2. Success allows a character to 
  detect and disarm the trap. With failure, the hero can 
  progress, but he fails to spot the booby trap.
  • The casing must be removed. There are four screws to 
  remove. A successful Agility roll removes one screw. 
  Until all four are removed, the adventurers cannot 
  proceed to the next step. With four heroes and four 
  screws, they make take one each.
  If the booby trap went undetected, it automatically acti-
  vates once the cover is released. Reduce the number 
  of rounds until the bomb detonates by one as the 
  clock mechanism speeds up.
  • The adventurer must deduce the inner workings and 
  ﬁ gure out how to safely deactivate the device. Again, 
  this requires a Smarts roll at –4 or a Repair roll at no 
  penalty.
  • He must make an Agility roll to reach into the mecha-
  nism, avoiding any potential booby traps, rip the right 
  wire out.
  An alternative escape plan is to bash down the door. 
  This requires a Strength roll at –2 (once the characters 
  have escaped their bonds). Success earns a hero a single 
  token and a raise two tokens. Once 6 tokens have been 
  gained, the door cracks open, allowing the characters to 
  ﬂ ee. Getting clear of the house takes two rounds and 
  assumes the characters are running.
  The villains, fully expecting their captives to die, have 
  left the adventurers’ gear on the dining hall table. Grab-
  bing the equipments takes a round, though this is only 
  important if the bomb is still ticking.
  Once outside, the characters see the dastardly villains 
  have let the air out of their car tires. Pumping them back 
  up causes a lengthy delay (and allows the villains to pro-
  ceed to the next phase of their operation unhindered).
  Miss Braveheart doesn’t keep her appointment. A call 
  to the newspaper ofﬁ ce reveals she left the building an 
  hour ago. Should the party track down her home num-
  ber (Persuasion via the ofﬁ ce or Streetwise with access to 
  a telephone directory) they get no reply. Poor Braveheart 
  has been grabbed by the villains again, this time for use 
  as a hostage!
  Where do the heroes go from here? Hopefully they 
  head straight to the local airﬁ eld, where Brent can bor-
  row a plane large enough to seat everybody. A spare pilot 
  comes along (he’ll come in handy once everyone else 
  jumps out, which they will).
  Should the adventures try to call Washington and alert 
  them to the menace, their story is disbelieved, despite 
  assurances from the person on the other end that, “We'll 
  look into it, pal.”
  ACT 4: AERIAL SHOWDOWN
  ACT 4: AERIAL SHOWDOWN
  Even ﬂ ying at top speed, the heroes only catch up with 
  the airship when it is already ﬂ ying low over Washington. 
  If they decide to just shoot it out of the air, have them 
  spot the ﬁ gure of Miss Braveheart through the gondola 
  window. Shooting down innocent reporters, especially 
  attractive ones, is not the pulp way. True heroes would 
  launch a daring plan to rescue her.
  SCENE 1: BOARDING THE ZEPPELIN
  SCENE 1: BOARDING THE ZEPPELIN
  Getting aboard the zeppelin is relatively easy. It moves 
  considerably slower than the airplane and has a ﬂ attish 
  top surface. Of course, the plane can't land on the zeppe-
  lin, but it can ﬂ y low over the top and drop people off.
  Jumping from the plane ﬁ rst requires the pilot to 
  make a Piloting roll to ﬂ y in low and steady. Actually get-
  ting on top of the balloon requires an Agility roll at –2. 
  There is a +2 bonus if the pilot scored a raise on his 
  roll. A service hatch on the top allows access through the 
  balloon into the gondola.
  A failure means the jumper has misjudged his leap 
  and is now slipping down the balloon. A second Agility 
  roll, also at –2, allows them to grab onto a cable. Two at-
  tempts may be made before the jumper becomes a free-
  faller (see page 12). Once grabbed, a successful Strength 
  roll hauls them back up to safety.
  Once everyone is out, the plane heads home.
  SCENE 2: CONFRONTING THE VILLAIN
  SCENE 2: CONFRONTING THE VILLAIN
  Once atop the airship, the characters can enter the 
  envelope through a service hatch. Unfortunately for 
  them, this triggers an alarm in the gondola, so the vil-
  lains aren’t caught by surprise.
  Once inside the zeppelin, the heroes quickly make 
  their way to the gondola, the nerve centre (pardon the 
  pun) of the airship.
  
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  1111
  Standing in the gondola is a number of 
  people. Three are dressed in ﬂ ight suits 
  and attend the controls. Also present are 
  Starkweather and the Nazi thug, Klaus 
  Adler. The last person, her hands tied 
  behind her back, is Valerie Braveheart! 
  The gas-masked person is speaking, 
  though the noise of the engines makes it 
  impossible to hear what he is saying.
  Adler and two of the thugs have weap-
  ons drawn and pointed at the stairwell. 
  Don’t deal action cards yet—dramatic pulp 
  moments demand a villainous act at this 
  point in time.
  “Well, well,” Starkweather sneers, “it 
  looks like your rescuers have returned, 
  Miss Braveheart. Let us see just how 
  heroic they are!” With that, he shoves 
  the plucky reporter out the door. Her 
  scream drowns out the engines as she 
  plummets toward the earth.
  Deal action cards!
  The gondola measures 3” wide by 8” 
  long. The steering mechanism is at one 
  end in the center, while the stairwell the 
  heroes used in as the opposite end. Mark a 
  1” square on the tabletop near the controls 
  as the open door.
  Two of the thugs ﬁ re their pistols—the 
  third, the pilot, is doomed to a quick death 
  (see below). Adler uses every trick up his 
  sleeve against the heroes, Starkweather 
  draws a small can of stun gas from his coat 
  pocket, and Miss Braveheart falls to certain 
  death. Rescuing Miss Braveheart is handled 
  as per the sidebar Freefall on page 12.
  When Starkweather is Incapacitated (don’t bother 
  rolling on the Incapacitation Table), move immediately 
  to the next scene, Death of a Villain.
  DRAMATIC EVENTS
  DRAMATIC EVENTS
  In order to ensure the ﬁ ght is not merely a routine en-
  counter, a number of events occur at the start of certain 
  rounds, before any action cards are drawn.
  Round Two: The pilot has misjudged his altitude and 
  the gondola bounces across the roof of the Lincoln Me-
  morial. Everyone must make an Agility roll or fall prone. 
  The pilot automatically fails his roll and tumbles through 
  the open door! Unbeknownst to the heroes, the accident 
  rips open several gas cells and damages the steering 
  controls.
  Round Three: The zeppelin heads toward the tower-
  ing obelisk of the Washington Monument. A hero who 
  reaches the controls may make a Piloting roll at –2 to 
  avoid collision. With failure, the airship continues on 
  its collision course! Adler diverts his attention toward a 
  heroic pilot in an attempt to stop him altering course.
  Round Four: Unless a hero makes a Piloting roll at –4, 
  the envelope scrapes across the top of the monument. A 
  loud hissing can be heard as hydrogen escapes from rup-
  tured cells. Whether the roll is made or not, the zeppelin 
  now turns toward another Washington landmark…
  Round Five: Starkweather lunges toward a large red 
  lever. This is the nerve gas release button. Stopping him 
  should be the characters' main priority. If he somehow 
  manages to get to the lever without opposition, it releas-
  es nerve gas on the next round. Unless it is switched to 
  the off position very quickly, thousands of people below 
  die a horrible death.
  Well, that’s not quite the truth—the gas dispersal sys-
  tem is jammed, but neither Starkweather nor the heroes 
  knows that (you didn’t think we’d really let innocent 
  people die, did you?)
  Should a character try to turn the lever off, he must 
  win an opposed Strength versus Strength roll with Stark-
  weather and score a success.
  Round Six: The jammed controls are taking the zep-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  1212
  pelin round in a slowly widening circle over the center 
  of the city. The circle will soon bring it over the White 
  House!
   Doctor Starkweather: See page 12.
   Klaus Adler: See page 13.
   Thugs (3): See page 13.
  SCENE 3: DEATH OF A VILLAIN
  SCENE 3: DEATH OF A VILLAIN
  “You fools!” Starkweather gasps, “You will never 
  stop me! My nerve gas could end all wars and 
  bring peace to the world. But no! Our beloved 
  government did not want that! They mocked me, 
  called me insane. I'll show them insanity! I was 
  going to prove to the world that war is futile from 
  now on!”
  He pulls something from his coat! It’s a ﬂ are 
  pistol. Before you can react it squeezes the trig-
  ger. As if in slow motion, the ﬂ are ﬂ ies out of the 
  door and ignites in the hydrogen stream from the 
  ripped envelope. A wave of heat washes over the 
  gondola and a series of explosions can be heard 
  from above!
  “This ship is going to plummet straight into the 
  White House and there is nothing you can do 
  to stop it. You have failed.” A brief smile passes 
  crosses his face before he dies.
  All is not lost, however. Have the heroes make a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll. With success, they realize they 
  can alter the zeppelin’s course by venting gas from the 
  remaining sections.
  A successful Piloting roll at –2 (one chance only) 
  changes the airship’s course back toward the Potomac. 
  Failure means it misses the White House by a fraction of 
  an inch and crashes into Lincoln Park.
  The zeppelin is low enough right now for the heroes 
  can leap to safety without risk of severe injury, whether 
  or not the airship is heading for the White House. They 
  suffer 2d6 damage on landing (as if from an Extra).
  END CREDITS
  END CREDITS
  Talk about leaving things to the last second! As 
  you get to your feet you see the ﬂ aming zeppelin 
  crash. It begins to crumple, folding in on itself life 
  a paper model.
  Suddenly, there is an explosion, followed by an-
  other, and another. White-hot ﬂ ames engulf the 
  zeppelin. The heat from the blasts washes over you 
  as a massive ﬁ reball ﬁ lls the Washington sky. With 
  any luck, the ﬂ ames have vaporized the nerve gas. 
  Washington is saved and democracy still reigns 
  in America.
  A loud tapping at a large window nearby causes 
  you to look round. Standing there, ﬂ anked by 
  men in dark suits, is the President of the United 
  States. He raises a hand and salutes you!
  It should be noted that Miss Knight is not onboard 
  the zeppelin. She is thus able to return in the future as 
  a recurring villain, should you wish to run your own 
  adventures based around the characters presented here.
  FEATURE 1 CAST OF CHARACTERS
  FEATURE 1 CAST OF CHARACTERS
  DOCTOR HENRY STARKWEATHER
  DOCTOR HENRY STARKWEATHER
  Starkweather sees a quick way of ending the war 
  before it starts. Thus saving millions of lives—using his 
  nerve gas to force a ceaseﬁ re. Ridiculed by the US gov-
  ernment, he has gone mad and plans, with some Nazi 
  prompting, to destroy the government, so opening the 
  way to a new America.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d6, Knowl-
  edge (Biology) d8, Knowledge (Chemistry) d10, Notice 
  d6, Repair d10, Shooting d8, Taunt d6, Throwing d6
  FREEFALL
  FREEFALL
  There are several ways to save a free-falling charac-
  ter. First, Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack to 
  swoop down and pick them up. 
  Rescuing a faller requires a series of rolls. First, the 
  Doc must activate his rocket pack. This requires a 
  Weird Science roll and an action. Second, he must 
  maneuver to reach the hapless victim, which re-
  quires a Piloting roll. Third, he must make an Agility 
  check to actually grab him or her.
  Maneuvering into position beneath the faller takes 2 
  rounds, each grab attempt takes another full round 
  (and is assumed to involve some repositioning af-
  ter a failed catch), and getting back to the zeppelin 
  takes 2 rounds plus one extra per failed Agility roll. 
  Fuel is ﬁ nite, so pray the Doc is quick!
  Second, the pilot of the plane can attempt a dar-
  ing maneuver—he can try to position the plane be-
  neath the faller so they land inside. This requires a 
  Piloting roll at –2. Even if successful, the faller suf-
  fers 2d6 damage and the pilot must make a Piloting 
  roll or the plane goes Out of Control.
  Third, the Earth will eventually stop the fall if no 
  one else intervenes. This is not the most ﬁ tting end 
  for a hero, who while he’ll survive thanks to a han-
  dy hay cart or stretch of water is now out of the rest 
  of the adventure.
  
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  FEATURE 1: TO END ALL WARS
  1313
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Delusional (Major: thinks his nerve gas can 
  end all wars), Stubborn, Vengeful (Major)
  Edges: Improved Dodge, Level Headed, Quick, Scholar
  Gear: Colt M1911 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 2, Semi-auto), canister of stun gas (Everyone 
  with a 3” line in the direction of the spray must make 
  a Vigor roll at –2 or be Shaken. The canister contains 
  enough gas for six shots)
  CLAUDIA KNIGHT
  CLAUDIA KNIGHT
  Claudia Knight, an American Nazi sympathizer, heard 
  of Starkweather's new gas through agents in the US 
  government. She was duly sent to subvert Starkweather 
  to their way of thinking. Through her seductive prompt-
  ings, and his own rage, she has convinced him to use his 
  gas on his own leaders. She is stunningly beautiful, and 
  she knows it.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation 
  d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d10, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, 
  Taunt d8
  Charisma: +6; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Delusional (Minor: dedicated 
  Nazi), Quirk (ﬂ icks her hair), Vengeful (Minor)
  Edges: Acrobat, Charismatic, Connections, Quick, Quick 
  Draw, Very Attractive
  Gear: Walther PPK (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, Shots 
  7, AP 1, Semi-auto), knife (Str+d4)
  KLAUS ADLER
  KLAUS ADLER
  Adler is actually working for Grüppenschtep, but 
  has been acting as Starkweather's right hand man, lead-
  ing his operation from a practical point of view. He is a 
  violent thug, but one who has the advantage of being 
  well-trained. He is actually the heroes' main nemesis as 
  far as combat goes.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d6, Fighting d10, Guts d8, 
  Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Shooting d10, Stealth d8, 
  Throwing d8
  Charisma: –8; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Bloodthirsty, Mean, Overconﬁ -
  dent, Ugly (long scar down left cheek)
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Frenzy, Im-
  proved Nerves of Steel, Level Headed
  Gear: Luger P08 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 1, Semi-auto), large knife (Str+d4), two 
  throwing knives (Range: 3/6/12, Str+d4)
  MISS VALERIE BRAVEHEART
  MISS VALERIE BRAVEHEART
  Miss Braveheart is a reporter for the Boston Herald. 
  Young and inexperienced, she is very keen to make her 
  name in the world of journalism, taking whatever risks 
  she feels are necessary to get a good story. Her good 
  looks often allow her access to information her male col-
  leagues can't get.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d4, Investigation d6, Knowl-
  edge (Journalism) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Street-
  wise d6, Taunt d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Curious, Stubborn
  Edges: Attractive
  Gear: Camera, ﬁ lm plates, notepad, pencil, press id
  THUGS
  THUGS
  Typical low intelligence thugs hired by Starkweather 
  to do as they are told. None are independent thinkers.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Piloting d4, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Colt M1911 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 2, Semi-auto) or Tommy gun (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, RoF 3, Shots 30, AP 1)
  HUNGRY AMAZONIAN FLESH EATING INSECT SWARM
  HUNGRY AMAZONIAN FLESH EATING INSECT SWARM
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities: 
  • Bite: The swarm automatically hits for 2d4 damage to 
  everyone within a Medium Burst Template.
  • Split: When the swarm is ﬁ rst wounded, it splits into 
  two Small Burst Template swarms. The Toughness of 
  each swarm is lowered by –2 (i.e. to 5). When these 
  swarms take a wound they are dispersed and become 
  ineffective.
  • Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed 
  of hundreds of tiny bugs, cutting, piercing, and en-
  ergy weapons do no real damage. Area-effect weap-
  ons work normally. Stomping does Str damage each 
  round.
  
  GM OVERVIEW
  GM OVERVIEW
  The year is 1936. Hitler and his legions are slowly 
  preparing for war while the European superpowers try 
  to appease him. In America, however, life continues as 
  normal, and for the Boston Metropolitan Museum that 
  means funding archaeological research expeditions.
  One such expedition was sent to Crete to investi-
  gate old ruins tentatively linked to the Labyrinth. The 
  Palace of Knossos has already been discovered, but 
  the team leader, Professor Harrison Munroe, believes 
  the true Labyrinth lies elsewhere. Their latest report 
  is almost a month overdue. Enter the heroes, who 
  are hired by the Metro to investigate the mysterious 
  silence.
  The villain of the piece is a Cretan criminal mas-
  termind, Stefan Andropolous, with delusions of 
  grandeur. He knows that Daedalus, the creator of the 
  maze, supposedly hid a book of wondrous inventions 
  inside, where it could never be used for evil. Professor 
  Munroe uncovered the book and was subsequently 
  kidnapped by Andropolous, who had paid informers 
  among the diggers. Andropolous intends to use the 
  designs to make himself ruler of Crete.
  On arriving, the heroes rescue an antiques dealer 
  known to Munroe. In return, he gives them an enve-
  lope Munroe left with him for safekeeping. Inside is a 
  clue to escaping the Labyrinth. During the journey to 
  the expedition's camp, the characters are attacked by 
  thugs and captured.
  They are then thrown deep into the Labyrinth. Their 
  only hope of escaping the maze is to avoid the traps 
  and ﬁ nd the exit before the Labyrinth's sole inhabitant, 
  the Minotaur, ﬁ nds them. Contrary to the legends, the 
  Minotaur isn't a creature of ﬂ esh and blood, but a me-
  chanical construct created by Daedalus, the designer 
  of the Labyrinth.
  After escaping, the characters track down the vil-
  lain's motor yacht and launch a daring rescue.
  Characters: 25 XP.
  ACT 1: WELCOME TO CRETE
  ACT 1: WELCOME TO CRETE
  This adventure takes place a few weeks after the end 
  of the previous tale. Any wounds from the previous tale 
  are fully healed.
  SCENE 1: INVITE TO ADVENTURE
  SCENE 1: INVITE TO ADVENTURE
  Yesterday Lady Amelia received a telegram from 
  the Boston Metropolitan Museum, asking you all 
  to attend a meeting. On arriving, you were led 
  straight to the director's ofﬁ ce, where you are now 
  seated.
  “Very good of you to attend, Lady Valentine,” says 
  the curator, a portly man in his mid-ﬁ fties. “Your 
  recent donations have allowed us to extend our 
  expeditions as far as Crete. In fact, that's why I've 
  called you and your friends here.
  “Our expedition hasn't reported in for several 
  weeks and we're getting a bit concerned. Professor 
  Munroe, the team leader, is usually very prompt 
  with his communiqués. Since you have invested 
  in the project, and because your more daring 
  adventures are public knowledge, we wondered if 
  you'd investigate the problem.”
  The director goes on to explain that Munroe was 
  convinced the Palace of Knossos was not the legendary 
  Labyrinth. By studying the ancient texts, he became con-
  vinced that the true site lay several miles from the palace. 
  Such a discovery would make worldwide headlines, and 
  the archaeological ﬁ nds would make the museum rich, 
  so it funded the trip.
  Munroe telegraphed back every week for a month 
  then, suddenly stopped communicating. His last telegram 
  read simply, “Believe site discovered Stop Investigating 
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  1414
  
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  1515
  in morning Stop Munroe.” The director recommends 
  the group contact Andros Akretis, an antiques dealer the 
  professor was acquainted with, as soon as they arrive.
  The expedition consisted of Professor Munroe, his as-
  sistant, and niece, Miss Gloria Drake, and photographer 
  Lance Armitage. The diggers were hired locally.
  SCENE 2: AKRETIS'S ANTIQUES
  SCENE 2: AKRETIS'S ANTIQUES
  Andros and the professor have been communicating 
  for years and struck up a close friendship. Munroe would 
  bring goods to Andros for evaluation, and sold small 
  pieces to provide additional research funds. When the 
  characters arrive, however, all is not well. As the charac-
  ters approach the shop, they hear raised voices inside.
  Voice 1: “Where is it, old man! We know Munroe 
  gave it to you!”
  Voice 2: “He gave me nothing! I swear! Ow! Please, 
  stop beating me!”
  Voice 3: “Shoot him. We can search the shop with-
  out him.”
  Unless the characters act quickly, they hear a single 
  gun shot. The characters bursting in on the scene sur-
  prises the thugs—have them check for Surprise as nor-
  mal. Three thugs, in the employ of the villain, are beating 
  up Andros in the main shop while a fourth, armed with a 
  Tommy gun, riﬂ es through the back room.
   Thugs (1 per hero): See page 21.
  A GIFT
  A GIFT
  Once saved, Andros thanks the characters. If they de-
  layed their entry until after the shot was ﬁ red, he has a 
  ﬂ esh wound in the leg but is conscious. Andros asks the 
  characters about their business and how he can repay 
  them. Mentioning Professor Munroe's name makes him 
  a little uneasy—he's unsure if the characters are rival 
  thugs—but mentioning Lady Amelia or the Metro by 
  name eases his fears.
  “Ah, yes! Munroe spoke of the Metro often, and the 
  lovely Lady Valentine, who sponsored his excava-
  tions here. Sadly I have not seen the professor for 
  many weeks, but I have been away on the main-
  land on business. He came to my shop late one 
  night, several weeks ago now, very excited about 
  a recent discovery. He left something with me, 
  an envelope. He said to keep it in case anything 
  happened to him. Whatever is in there must be 
  important—those thugs were after it.”
  The envelope contains a scrap of paper with the fol-
  lowing words written on it… “Choose to start thought-
  fully.”
  Don't worry too much at this stage if the characters 
  can't make head or tail of the text. Its purpose only 
  becomes clear later on. Andros is of no help—he never 
  opened the envelope and doesn't recognize the words if 
  shown the contents.
  “Professor Munroe was excavating a few miles 
  east of Knossos. We don't have many cars here—
  the land is very rugged. I can arrange for my 
  cousin to lend you some horses or donkeys. Meet 
  me back here tomorrow morning, and I will have 
  provisions ready.”
  ACT 2: ENTER THE VILLAIN
  ACT 2: ENTER THE VILLAIN
  Andros provides horses and mules (the characters 
  choice), provisions for several days, torches, blankets, 
  and rope. He also gives them directions to the site—he 
  can't leave his shop, or he'd go with them.
  SCENE 1: JOURNEY TO THE SITE
  SCENE 1: JOURNEY TO THE SITE
  As the characters near the end of their long journey, 
  they see a truck parked by the side of the track. The hood 
  is up and a man is leant over the engine, apparently try-
  ing to ﬁ x it. Should the group stop to talk to him (or if 
  they simply ride by), he draws a pistol and orders them to 
  surrender. Goons appear from behind nearby boulders, 
  also sporting pistols. The truck driver is the villain's chief 
  assassin—a dangerous man known only as Mr. Scar.
  Should a ﬁ ght start, the goons use the boulders as 
  cover while Mr Scar darts behind the truck. If the ﬁ ght 
  starts to go against the goons, Mr Scar ﬂ ees, either in the 
  truck or across country. His escape isn't vital to the plot, 
  however, so don't worry if he is gunned down.
  The characters are mounted, and may try to make a 
  break. At this point, the thugs leap into the truck, which 
  obviously isn't really broken, and give chase. Only one 
  character can ride well, so this isn't the best option for 
  them. Heading across country slow the truck to just half 
  its normal Top Speed and gives the driver a –1 penalty to 
  his Driving rolls.
  Assuming the characters win, they can continue on 
  their journey unmolested. They reach the camp in an-
  other two hours.
  If the characters actually surrender, they are stripped 
  of their gear, tied up, and shoved in the back of the truck. 
  Mr Scar drives; the goons sit in the back with the charac-
  ters. Go straight to Scene 3 (p.16).
   Mr Scar: See page 21.
   Thugs (3 per hero): See page 21.
  SCENE 2: SEARCHING THE CAMP
  SCENE 2: SEARCHING THE CAMP
  Munroe's camp consists of several small tents and a 
  large, central tent. The small tents are sleeping quarters 
  for the Americans and contain cots, small travel trunks, 
  fold up chairs, and personal belongings. The large tent 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  1616
  serves as a workshop for cleaning and conserving arti-
  facts. It is currently empty of any ﬁ nds save for a few 
  pieces of pottery.
  Every tent shows signs of having been ransacked, 
  though the ﬁ ne layer of sand reveals nothing has been 
  disturbed for at least two weeks.
  Shortly after the group ﬁ nishes their exploration, 
  twenty goons ride into camp on horses and surround 
  the area. Half have pistols, half have Tommy Guns. They 
  call on the group to surrender and drop their weapons. 
  Should the heroes try to put up a ﬁ ght, have more thugs 
  turn up.
   Thugs (unlimited): See page 21.
  SCENE 3: VILLAINOUS PLANS
  SCENE 3: VILLAINOUS PLANS
  The group is disarmed, but the thugs do not remove 
  small items, like lighters, or small, concealed weapons 
  (like a knife or catapult). They are then led to the ruins of 
  a small shrine just over the hill from the camp. Standing 
  there is a well-dressed Greek man, Mr. Scar (if alive), and 
  an attractive young woman of European stock.
  “Greetings,” says the Greek man. “My name is 
  Stefan Andropolous. You are friends of Professor 
  Munroe, yes? I am afraid the good professor is 
  currently indisposed and can't be here to meet 
  you. This, “he gestures to the woman, “is his niece. 
  She has been my guest for these past few weeks.
  “I expect you are wondering what is going on, yes? 
  Put quite simply, Professor Munroe found the fa-
  bled Labyrinth of Crete. He also found something 
  else, a scroll of cunning devices once belonging to 
  the great architect Daedalus.
  “Ah, if only you could see what wonders it beholds. 
  Invincible mechanical men, ﬂ ying machines, ray 
  guns. It really does put Da Vinci to shame. The 
  good professor is currently translating it for me, 
  and when it s ﬁ nished I shall rule Crete. Who 
  knows, I may go on to rule the whole of Greece 
  one day.
  “A pity you won't be around to witness this, but 
  your death will be poetic.” He turns to his men 
  and snarls, “Throw them in the Labyrinth.”
  With that, six of the goons lift a heavy stone ﬂ agstone 
  to reveal a small set of steps leading into the darkness be-
  low. The characters and Gloria Drake are roughly shoved 
  down the steps. Andropolous appears at the head of the 
  stairs.
  “It's very dark down there, but I'd hate for you to 
  miss what lives there.” With that, he throws two 
  ﬂ aming torches at your feet. “Give my regards to 
  the Minotaur.” He laughs maniacally before giv-
  ing his ﬁ nal order. “Seal them in.”
  The slab is moved back into place, and with a resound-
  ing thud seals the entrance. The narrow stairs prevent 
  more than one character trying to lift the slab, which 
  weighs over half a ton. It seems the only way is forward.
  GLORIA DRAKE
  GLORIA DRAKE
  Gloria, if asked, recounts the tale of how the expedi-
  tion team were captured several weeks ago. Andropolous 
  approached the professor shortly after the discovery of 
  Daedalus' book and offered to buy it. When her uncle re-
  fused, they were kidnapped at gunpoint. They were taken 
  to a motor yacht moored off the coast. She was brought 
  back to the mainland a few days ago, after Andropolous 
  received a telegram from the mainland informing him 
  the characters were on their way. As far as she knows, her 
  uncle and Lance are still aboard the yacht.
  She doesn't know much about the Labyrinth outside 
  of the legends—Munroe refused to allow her access on 
  account of “hidden dangers.” She does know, from an 
  obscure legend, that Daedalus, the creator of the maze, 
  supposedly built in a means of escape in case he was 
  ever imprisoned there.
  As for the piece of paper given to Andros, she has 
  never seen it before. Later, when the situation gets more 
  dangerous (and the characters need a clue), she remem-
  bers her uncle telling her, “Words are the secret.” She has 
  no idea what it means, however.
  ACT 3: INTO THE LABYRINTH
  ACT 3: INTO THE LABYRINTH
  The Labyrinth of Crete is very real, and so is the 
  Minotaur. Actually, the beast is a mechanical construct 
  created over two thousand years ago for the amusement 
  of the mad king, who would throw prisoners into the 
  maze. The beast is still operational and still follows its 
  orders—to kill anything it encounters.
  Disarmed, the heroes stand little chance of defeating 
  the Minotaur in a fair ﬁ ght. Fortunately, the adventur-
  ers were not the ﬁ rst explorers to brave the Labyrinth. 
  Numerous skeletons in corroded ancient Greek armor 
  lie around the maze, all missing their heads.
  Allow the party to grab a variety of bronze weapons 
  (typically spears, short swords, or long swords). These 
  inﬂ ict one less point of damage than standard weapons. 
  For instance, a bronze short sword causes Str+d6–1 
  damage. Before they encounter the Minotaur, every hero 
  should be armed in some way.
  SCENE 1: HIDE AND GO SEEK
  SCENE 1: HIDE AND GO SEEK
  This section covers the exploration of the Labyrinth, 
  a vast, confusing array of passages and small chambers. 
  Rather than use a map, it makes use of a variant of the 
  Chase rules.
  In order to escape, the heroes have to navigate to the 
  exit. This is no easy task, and much of their time is spent 
  following dead-end passages and retracing steps.
  
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  1717
  Each “round” (approximately ten minutes of 
  exploring), the heroes get to make a Cooperative 
  Smarts roll. This equates to their trying different 
  plans and making group decisions. If individuals 
  want to make the Smarts roll, the group must split 
  up and try alternate routes. The downsides are 
  that one group may ﬁ nd the exit before their com-
  rades (which could be deadly) or, perhaps worse, 
  encounter the Minotaur!
  To locate the exit, they must advance to 11 in-
  crements (thus putting ten spaces between them 
  and the entrance). Success advances them one in-
  crement and a raise two increments. Failure grants 
  no increments as progress is minimal. A critical 
  failure causes them to lose one increment as they 
  walk round in circles.
  Deal each separate group of explorers (not 
  every individual in the party) a single card every 
  round. A Joker acts as normal, giving +2 to the 
  lead characters Smarts roll (and only his). The 
  bonus perhaps indicates scratch marks pointing 
  toward the exit, a trail of old coins left behind by 
  some ancient explorer, and so on. A club suit in-
  dicates an encounter. Check the card value on the 
  list below to see what the heroes bump into.
  Passages: The passageways are all 4 yards wide 
  (2”) and 4 yards high (2”).
  Ambient Lighting: There is no light in the 
  Labyrinth except the torches the party carries. The 
  torches illuminate a Medium Burst Template (6” 
  radius). Within a 12” radius the lighting penalty is 
  –1, and within an 18” radius the penalty is as per 
  Dark Lighting (–2). Beyond this is Pitch Darkness.
  ENCOUNTERS
  ENCOUNTERS
  If the heroes have not encountered the Mino-
  taur by the time they reach the exit, they encounter it 
  there. Fate, and the rules of pulp, demands the Minotaur 
  be faced in deadly combat. Check The Exit for an ex-
  cellent point at which to launch his attack. If this event 
  doesn’t occur, make sure he arrives before the characters 
  escape.
  Although it makes no attempt at stealth, the echoes 
  in the maze are confusing. The Minotaur can be heard 
  more clearly when it gets within 20 yards (10”) of the 
  characters. Characters trying to detect which direction 
  the clanking noise is coming from must score a raise on 
  a Notice roll.
  Since exploring a maze can be rather dull, the GM 
  should not dally during this section. Keep the Smarts 
  rolls and encounters coming thick and fast.
  2–4: A LENGTH OF STRING
  2–4: A LENGTH OF STRING
  Lying on the ﬂ oor is a length of string, which stretches 
  off into the distance. The value of the card indicates how 
  useless the string is to the party.
  Deuce: The trail takes them deeper into the maze 
  before it suddenly ends halfway down a passage. Their 
  next Smarts roll is made at –2. 
  Three: The string ends suddenly in the hands of a 
  long-dead, headless Greek warrior armed with a bronze 
  weapon of the GM’s choice. 
  Four: Following the string leads them nearer the 
  exit, granting them a +2 bonus to their next Smarts roll! 
  Again, the string then ends in the middle of a corridor.
  5–10: TRAPS GALORE
  5–10: TRAPS GALORE
  The Labyrinth isn't just a maze of passages—it is also 
  heavily trapped. Check the value of the card against the 
  table below.
  Detecting the traps is impossible—Daedalus was 
  a master crafter and used ﬁ nely weighted press plates 
  rather than tripwires. If the characters state they are be-
  ing careful, moving slowly, and checking for such devices 
  they get +2 to their Notice rolls to avoid the trap.
  When the trap activates, every hero in the group 
  must make a Notice roll. A failure means the character 
  is caught unawares and suffers damage as below. Those 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  1818
  who succeed must make an Agility roll opposed by the 
  trap’s Agility of d8 to avoid damage. Success means they 
  take appropriate evasive action and are unharmed. Fail-
  ure means they are affected by the device.
  Traps are treated as Extras for the purpose of damage 
  rolls.
  Card Trap
  5 
  Spear Trap: Spears erupt from both walls. 
  These generate one Fighting d6 attack against 
  every character in the corridor. Each successful 
  attack causes 1d6+1d4 damage.
  6 
  Pit: A deep pits opens beneath the characters’ 
  feet. Those who avoid the trap manage to leap 
  clear. Those who fail take 2d6 damage when 
  they hit the bottom.
  7 
  Loose Ceiling: Triggering the trap drops a pile 
  of stones from the ceiling. The stones cause 2d8 
  damage to everyone in the corridor.
  8 
  Flesh Eating Beetles: A swarm of ﬂ esh eating 
  beetles drops from the ceiling. Use the statistics 
  for the insect swarm on page 13. Torches inﬂ ict 
  Str+1d6 ﬁ re damage against the swarm.
  9 
  Caustic Salts: A blast of caustic salts sprays from 
  both walls, inﬂ icting 2d8 damage to everyone in 
  the corridor who is caught by the trap.
  10 
  Greek Fire: A pot of Greek ﬁ re, ignited by a 
  ﬂ int striking a lump of iron ore, empties from 
  the ceiling, causing 2d10 damage to the unlucky 
  victim. Victims catch ﬁ re on a roll of 4-6.
  JACK: SECRET DOOR
  JACK: SECRET DOOR
  Daedalus, the wily old dog, included several secret 
  doors in the maze as a way of ensuring he knew a quick 
  and safe escape route should Minos ever decide to throw 
  him into the maze.
  Have each hero make a Notice roll at –2. With success, 
  the character spots the outline of the door. It is opened 
  simply by pushing hard (no roll required). Using the se-
  cret door might lead them nearer the exit or back toward 
  the entrance!
  If the Jack is red, they are in luck and make their next 
  Smarts roll at +2. A black suit Jack means the roll is made 
  at –2 instead.
  QUEEN: TREASURE!
  QUEEN: TREASURE!
  Minos stored some of his treasure in the Labyrinth. In 
  a small chamber stand a dozen chests containing a small 
  haul of treasure.
  To keep things Fast, Furious, and Fun, any treasure 
  the heroes take is measured solely in terms of whole 
  Load Limits worth, rather than calculated as individual 
  pounds. For instance, an unencumbered hero taking a 
  full Load Limit worth of loot is treated as if he were carry-
  ing more than 5 x his Strength in pounds. If he takes two 
  Load Limits, he is now carrying double that amount and 
  suffers penalties accordingly. Thus, the most any hero 
  can carry is three Load Limits of booty.
  Each Load Limit is worth $2d6 x 100 back in the world. 
  Taking less than a single Load Limit (so an adventurer is 
  ﬁ gured as not being encumbered) nets them $1d4 x 100 
  in loot.
  Note that a character can’t elect to take a Load Limit 
  and a little extra beside. For these purposes he can take 
  either a little treasure (no increased encumbrance pen-
  alty) or a whole Load Limit worth.
  KING–ACE: THE MINOTAUR
  KING–ACE: THE MINOTAUR
  The Minotaur doesn't sit around waiting for hapless 
  victims to ﬁ nd him. Instead, he actively patrols the maze. 
  The layout is “programmed” into him, so he can't get lost 
  and he avoids the traps by jumping over them, even in 
  pitch-black conditions.
   Clockwork Minotaur: See page 20.
  SCENE 2: THE EXIT
  SCENE 2: THE EXIT
  Two Doric pillars carved out of the wall mark the exit. 
  Carved on the left hand pillar is a square divided into 
  grid of 24 squares. Each square contains a single Greek 
  letter. Give the players Handout #1 at this time.
  Careful examination reveals the squares are actually 
  buttons and can be depressed with little effort. Now the 
  adventurers have to solve the mystery of the lock.
  This is where the piece of paper they found earlier 
  comes in to play. If they haven't solved the puzzle them-
  selves, let them experiment with the lock for a bit. After 
  a few wrong goes, let them make a Smarts roll. With a 
  success, tell them the instructions on which buttons to 
  press are based around the words and the number four. 
  They should then be able to do the rest.
  Once a button is pressed, it stays in that position until 
  a fourth button is pressed. This indicates each button 
  can only be used once in the sequence. What happens 
  on pressing the fourth button depends on how many 
  correct ones they have pressed. After any traps activate, 
  the buttons click back into place, allowing them to be 
  pressed again.
  Daedalus, fearing that the king would imprison him in 
  the Labyrinth after its creation so as to protect the secret, 
  had the exit built in secret during construction. He placed 
  the traps in case the king discovered its existence—Daeda-
  lus could claim it was merely another trap.
  Four Wrong: Dozens of stones drop out of the ceiling 
  through the Labyrinth. Sand pours through—thousands 
  THE CLUE
  THE CLUE
  The piece of paper from Andros provides the meth-
  od of escape from the Labyrinth, though the char-
  acters won't realize this yet. The secret exit is pro-
  tected by a press-button combination lock.
  To crack the code, the characters simply have to 
  read the ﬁ rst Greek letter equivalent of each word 
  and hit the right letter on the lock. In this case, the 
  letters are CH, T, S, and TH.
  
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  1919
  and thousands of tons of sand. The characters have just 
  ten rounds to escape to escape before they are buried 
  alive. This is an excellent time to have the Minotaur ap-
  pear!
  Starting on round three, the sand reaches knee 
  height—Pace is reduced by 2, and all Agility and linked 
  skill rolls suffer a –2 penalty. On round six, it reaches 
  chest height and the penalty increases to –4 (including 
  Pace). On subsequent rounds, the characters must make 
  a Strength roll each round or begin drowning.
  The buttons are covered at the start of round seven. 
  A character wishing to reach them must make a Strength 
  roll to clear the sand, with a cumulative penalty of –1 
  per round (to a maximum of –4). With a success, the 
  character clears enough sand to press the buttons. On a 
  failure, the sand reﬁ lls the hole too quickly.
  Three Wrong: Poison gas sprays down from the 
  ceiling, ﬁ lling the corridor. The characters must make a 
  Vigor roll at –2 penalty or suffer an automatic wound. 
  The gas disperses after one round.
  If all the heroes end up Incapacitated because of this trap, 
  the Chase in the next scene begins at Very Long Range.
  Two Wrong: A bell begins to sound, its deep tones 
  echoing through the maze. If the Minotaur has yet to 
  arrive, now is a good opportunity to bring it into play. 
  Should the creature have already been defeated and the 
  heroes still relatively undamaged, have an insect swarm 
  (use the stats on page 13) respond to the summoning.
  One Wrong: A pit opens up in front of the buttons. 
  The character must make an Agility roll at –2 penalty or 
  fall 20 feet, suffering 2d6 damage. The pit closes after ten 
  rounds, trapping the victim in the cavity. Fortunately, it 
  can easily be opened by characters on the surface, who 
  need only repeat the same combination.
  Although the heroes lack rope, they hopefully have a 
  spear to hand to help a comrade escape the pit. Don’t 
  bother having them make Climbing rolls unless the Mi-
  notaur decides to appear on the scene, at which point 
  escape should be imperative!
  All Correct: The wall between the pillars slides across, 
  revealing a ﬂ ight of steps heading up. Once the last char-
  acter is through the gap, it closes, crushing any objects left 
  to wedge it open—there is no way to reenter the Labyrinth 
  from this side. If the Minotaur has turned up, the beast fol-
  lows them outside before the door seals shut.
  Following the stairs leads to a short passage. This 
  emerges on a scrubby slope a few hundred feet from the 
  Labyrinth. Parked nearby is a battered old truck owned 
  by a local shepherd. He is happy to lend it to the charac-
  ters for a few drachmas.
  As luck would have it, the villains have dumped the 
  characters’ gear on the side of the road leading to the 
  docks. This enables them to head into the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght with 
  their ﬁ rearms locked and loaded.
  ACT 4: MOTORBOAT MAYHEM
  ACT 4: MOTORBOAT MAYHEM
  No matter how long it takes the characters to reach 
  the docks, Andropolous' motor yacht, Icarus, is just leav-
  ing port. A pair of unattended motorboats is tied up on 
  the wharf.
  SCENE 1: MARITIME CHASE
  SCENE 1: MARITIME CHASE
  Run the chase as normal, with a Range Increment of 5” 
  and beginning at Medium Range, the chase area has Light 
  Obstacles. One thug uses each machinegun, though only 
  one of them can ﬁ re each round due to the positions of 
  the two craft. A further three thugs armed with Tommy 
  guns stand on the rear diving platform and blast away at 
  pursuers. The boats count as Unstable Platforms.
  Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack in this chase. 
  If he moves at his regular Pace, he suffers a –1 penalty 
  to Piloting rolls (because his Range Increment is only 
  1” compared to the thugs’ 5”). Moving at twice his Pace 
  negates this, but burns more Power Points.
  While the characters may be tempted to blast the 
  yacht out of the water, Gloria reminds them that Profes-
  sor Munroe and Lance are prisoners onboard.
  Boarding the yacht requires the characters to draw 
  level (i.e. be at the same range increment) and make a 
  successful Force maneuver. With a success, the motorboat 
  comes alongside, allowing the passengers, and driver 
  with a multi action penalty, to jump across. Because of 
  the swell, jumping requires an Agility roll.
  A success means the character has made the jump, 
  though he must spend the next round climbing over 
  the railing. A raise allows the character to clear the rail-
  ing and be ready for immediate action. With a failure, 
  the character fails the jump and lands back in the mo-
  torboat. Only on a critical failure does he end up in the 
  water.
   Thugs (5): See page 21.
  ICARUS
  ICARUS
  Andropolous' motor yacht is his permanent base of 
  operations. Machineguns are mounted on swivels fore 
  and aft, but are not displayed except under unusual cir-
  cumstances. The crew are noncombatants (treat as Thugs 
  with no Fighting or Shooting, but add Boating d6).
  THEY’VE ESCAPED!
  THEY’VE ESCAPED!
  What happens if the villains escape during the 
  chase? Well, the adventurers have failed this mis-
  sion, but all is not lost!
  Andropolous spends a few months researching the 
  book and then sets to work on building his crime 
  empire. In short, it’s the perfect chance for the Gm 
  to write an exciting follow on adventure!
  Since the villain has Daedalus’ book, he should be 
  given the Arcane Background (Weird Science) Edge, 
  two gizmos of the GM’s choice, 10 Power Points, 
  and Weird Science d8 when encountered in the 
  showdown.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  2020
  Acc/Top Speed: 3/9; Toughness: 15 (3); Crew: 10+10
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  2 x M1919 0.30 machinegun (bow and stern)
  MOTORBOATS
  MOTORBOATS
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/13; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 1+5
  Notes: —
  SCENE 2: BOARDING ACTION
  SCENE 2: BOARDING ACTION
  There are a total of 3 thugs per hero onboard, less 
  any killed in the chase. Spread the thugs out as you see 
  ﬁ t, based on the current strength of the party but with 
  one caveat—three of them must be in the lounge (see 
  below).
  If the characters are relatively unscathed (no character 
  with two or more wounds), have them work in groups 
  of two or three, using doors and other bits of scenery 
  for cover. Half the thugs have Tommy guns, the rest use 
  pistols.
  A bad trip through the Labyrinth may have resulted 
  in serious wounds, in which case be gentle and have the 
  thugs operate alone or in pairs and with no tactical use 
  of scenery. Only one in three thugs has a Tommy gun.
  The prisoners are being held in the lounge, below 
  decks. Andropolous, Mr Scar, and at least one thug per 
  Wild Card are with the prisoners. If Mr Scar has been 
  killed, replace him with a Wild Card thug (same stats, 
  just he’s a Wild Card). When the characters enter the 
  lounge, continue with the next section.
   Stefan Andropolous: See page 21.
   Mr. Scar/Thug: See page 21.
   Thugs (3 per hero): See page 21.
  EXPLODING PRISONERS
  EXPLODING PRISONERS
  The professor and Lance are tied up and strapped 
  with dynamite, the fuse of which is lit. Andropolous, in 
  typical egomaniac fashion, gloats as the characters enter 
  the lounge.
  “So you escaped the Labyrinth?” he sneers. “No 
  matter. As you can see, the good professor and his 
  assistant are strapped with dynamite, the fuse of 
  which is burning. By my reckoning, the fuse will 
  take no longer than a minute or two to reach 
  them.
  “Now, I want all of you to drop your weapon, go 
  back upstairs, under guard of course, and jump 
  overboard. Once you are in the water, I shall stop 
  the fuse and sail away. You will have lost, as is to 
  be expected, but you may be able to reach land 
  before drowning.”
  Of course, if the characters agree and actually jump 
  overboard they have lost. Andropolous goes on to fulﬁ ll 
  his dreams of kingship using a variety of powerful inven-
  tions.
  More likely, the characters will try to overpower their 
  foes and stop the fuse. They have ten rounds before 
  the dynamite explodes. Trying to shoot the fuse is not 
  easy—targeting the small taper requires a Shooting roll 
  at –6 penalty. Trying to grab it requires a successful Fight-
  ing roll against Parry 4, but the thugs make reaching it 
  difﬁ cult. Because of the cramped conditions and the 
  existence of the prisoners, use the Innocent Bystander 
  rules.
  Should the characters not have defused the dynamite 
  on round eight, the ﬁ ght becomes a dramatic interlude 
  and the characters get a benny. In the unlikely event the 
  dynamite explodes, it causes 5d6 damage to everyone 
  in a Medium Burst Template—and instantly kills both 
  hostages.
  Once Andropolous has been dealt with, the adventure 
  is over. Professor Munroe and Lance are very grateful for 
  the rescue. Munroe realizes Daedalus' book is too dan-
  gerous and decides to destroy it. He puts it in one of the 
  motorboats along with the dynamite, lights the fuse, and 
  sets it adrift. Moments later, it explodes. If the heroes try 
  to stop him, he pleads with them to listen to reason—
  men have already died to ﬁ nd the book, and countless 
  more will die if it ever falls into the wrong hands.
  Is the ancient and priceless book really destroyed? 
  Well, that depends if you want to run a sequel or not. 
  A villain armed with a variety of Weird Science devices, 
  perhaps using mechanical creatures like the Minotaur 
  for thugs, would make a great follow on adventure.
  FEATURE 2 CAST OF CHARACTERS
  FEATURE 2 CAST OF CHARACTERS
  All the characters, villains and creatures featured in 
  this adventure are listed here.
  MINOTAUR
  MINOTAUR
  Greek legends tell us that Theseus slew the Mino-
  taur—they were wrong. Well, sort of. Daedalus, the 
  designer of the Labyrinth, was also a skilled artiﬁ cer and 
  created a true immortal creature—a bronze mechanical 
  Minotaur! It's still just as deadly as the “real thing” and 
  knows the maze like the back of its hand.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d12, Intimidation d12, Notice 
  d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Gear: Great axe (Str+d10, AP 1, –1 Parry, requires two 
  hands)
  Special Abilities:
  • Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken. No ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. No wound penal-
  ties. Immune to poison and disease.
  • Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  • Fleet-Footed: The Minotaur rolls a d10 as its running die.
  
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  FEATURE 2: CRISIS ON CRETE
  2121
  • Frenzy: The Minotaur makes two attacks per round 
  at –2 penalty. This cannot be used with Sweep.
  • Gore: The Minotaur uses the Charge maneuver to 
  gore its opponents with their long horns. If it can 
  charge at least 6” before attacking, it adds +4 to its 
  damage total.
  • Horns: Str+d6.
  • Size +2: The Minotaur stands over 7' tall.
  • Sweep: The Minotaur may attack all adjacent charac-
  ters at –2. This cannot be used with Frenzy.
  • Thermal Vision: Halves penalties for darkness against 
  living creatures.
  STEFAN ANDROPOLOUS
  STEFAN ANDROPOLOUS
  Stefan Andropolous runs a criminal gang on Crete, 
  but wants more power. Daedalus’ book is the key to his 
  future criminal empire.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Minor: can be ruler 
  of Crete), Stubborn
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Rich
  Gear: Colt M1911 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 2, Semi-auto)
  MR. SCAR
  MR. SCAR
  Mr. Scar is an assassin by trade, and very good at this 
  job. He has no particular belief in his master's cause, but 
  he is well paid and gets to do what he does best—kill 
  people.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d10, Guts d6, Intimidation 
  d8, Notice d8, Shooting d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Ugly (heavily scarred)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Level Headed, Marksman, 
  Quick Draw, Steady Hands
  Gear: Colt M1911 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 2, Semi-auto)
  GLORIA DRAKE
  GLORIA DRAKE
  Gloria works for her uncle as secretary and research 
  assistant. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Boating d6, Driving d6, Fighting d4, Guts d6, 
  Investigation d8, Knowledge (History) d8, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d4, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Yellow
  Edges: Attractive, Investigator
  Gear: None.
  THUGS
  THUGS
  Typical low intelligence thugs hired to do as they are 
  told. None are independent thinkers.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d6, Driving d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Pi-
  loting d4, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Colt M1911 (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Shots 8, AP 2, Semi-auto) or Tommy gun (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, RoF 3, Shots 30, AP 1)
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #01
  2222
  PLAYER’S HANDOUT #1
  PLAYER’S HANDOUT #1
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31000
  31000
  $6.99
  $6.99
  When a friend says he has 
  important information he wants 
  to discuss, you know it’s the start 
  of something big! Nazi agents, 
  deadly Amazonian ﬂ esh eating 
  insects, a kidnapped reporter, and a 
  daring raid on Washington D.C. are 
  all in a day’s work for heroes who 
  want To End All Wars!
  A missing scientist, a villain with 
  plans of becoming a king, ancient 
  puzzles, a deadly maze, a mythical 
  creature that is not all the legends 
  say it is, and a book whose contents 
  could spell the end of mankind all 
  mean its Chaos on Crete!
  Daring Tales™ #01 marks the start of a new line of pulp adventures 
  for Savage Worlds. Each adventure is designed for four characters 
  with a wide-range of skills. Pre-generated characters designed for 
  this adventure are available free online from the Triple Ace Games 
  website.
  This adventure also contains Triple Ace Games’ unique pulp setting 
  rules, designed to make two-ﬁ sted adventures more exciting and 
  truer to the source than ever before!
  Tales of daring adventure!
  Tales of daring adventure!
  Is your hero up to the challenge?
  Is your hero up to the challenge?
  
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31002
  31002
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  0202
  
  2
  The year is 1936, though our story begins long 
  ago, back in the mists of time.
  Many centuries ago, the Aztec Empire dominated 
  central and southern Mexico. Among the many dei-
  ties they worshipped was Tzitzimime, a minor god-
  dess whose name means, “Monsters descending from 
  above.” Scholars believe Tzitzimime was a celestial 
  god, whose name likely referred to meteors. In truth, 
  Tzitzimime was a gigantic spider worshipped as a 
  goddess.
  The worshippers of Tzitzimime, like their brethren 
  elsewhere in the Empire, practiced human sacrifice. 
  Whereas the sun worshippers flayed victims alive and 
  cut out their hearts, the followers of the spider god-
  dess gave victims to their living god, who sucked out 
  their vital fluids amid the victims’ terrible screams.
  When Cortez conquered the Empire, the spider 
  cultists met a similar fate to the majority of Aztecs. 
  Though they lived in remote areas they were hunted 
  down and exterminated for “devil worship.” For a 
  century their pyramid complex remained silent. The 
  goddess sank into torpor to conserve her energy 
  reserves, and the jungle began to swallow up her 
  home.
  The bloody cult was shattered, but it was not totally 
  destroyed. Years became decades, which in turn be-
  came centuries. All knowledge of the spider cult was 
  lost, except to those descended from Tzitzimime’s 
  worshippers.
  Slowly but surely, the cult rekindled their barbaric 
  practices, returning to their former place of power 
  only 50 years ago. Reinstating the age-old practice of 
  human sacrifice, they awoke the spider-queen from 
  her slumber to resume her position as a living god. 
  Since then the cult has grown larger, spreading its 
  tendrils throughout Mexico and the southern USA. 
  Operating in total secrecy, the cultists grow stronger 
  each year.
  Unfortunately, an archaeological expedition to 
  southern Mexico stumbled across the cult’s head-
  quarters. While several members of the party were 
  sacrificed to the spider goddess (and a few were 
  eaten), the Aztecs kept the leader alive and tried to 
  corrupt his mind with a special drug. Their plan was 
  to send him back to the civilized world to dissuade 
  other explorers from visiting the area.
  The explorer proved resistant to the drug and es-
  caped before he could be sacriﬁ ced. Informing their 
  American members, the cult immediately prepared to 
  hunt down the archaeologist before he could reveal 
  their existence.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at 
  www.tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 30 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones (15 of one color 
  and 5 of a different color), and the pulp setting rules 
  from the TAG website.
  ACT 1: BOSTON BRAWLS
  ACT 1: BOSTON BRAWLS
  The heroes have been out of town for a few weeks 
  and have just returned to America. Lady Amelia, who 
  owns a large townhouse in Boston, has invited the 
  adventurers back for a celebratory drink. The ad-
  venture begins as the characters approach her front 
  door.
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  3
  SCENE 1: FIVE FOR DRINKS
  SCENE 1: FIVE FOR DRINKS
  After time abroad you all look forward to a bit 
  of rest and relaxation. Although her servants are 
  away for a few more days, Amelia has invited you 
  all to stay at her townhouse, an invitation you 
  were keen to accept. But your rest may already be 
  in jeopardy, for as you approach the front door, 
  you notice it is ajar!
  Any hero checking the lock can see it has been 
  smashed open. Calling out elicits no response. After a 
  quick search of the house, the characters discover the 
  intruder in the study, slumped over a desk!
  Sprawled across the study desk is a man dressed 
  in rough clothing. From his facial expression it 
  is obvious he died a painful death. One hand 
  clutches at his neck, while the other is locked 
  around something golden. The study window is 
  open. A quick glance through reveals no signs of 
  activity in the garden.
  A cursory inspection reveals no signs of blood on 
  the man, save for a few drops on the hand clutching his 
  neck. His body is still very warm, and the blood has yet 
  to congeal!
  Have the characters make a Common Knowledge roll 
  at this point. With success, they recognize the man as 
  Doctor Ernest Brakespear, a notable explorer. Lady Ame-
  lia recalls funding one of his expeditions to Peru a few 
  years ago, while the other characters recognize him from 
  photos in Boston Museum and the local papers.
  Checking his neck reveals a small dart, about an 
  inch long. Though innocuous, it is the only injury to 
  Brakespear. A hero who removes it and checks the end 
  discovers a thin, sticky paste. A successful Healing roll 
  identiﬁ es it as quick-acting poison, though the exact type 
  cannot be determined.
  In his other hand he clutches a golden disc about the 
  size of a silver dollar. Eight semi-circular notches, spaced 
  at regular intervals, cut into the rim. In the center is a 
  series of Aztec glyphs.
  Jimmy, if shown the amulet, identiﬁ es the glyphs as 
  a name—Tzitzimime. A Knowledge (History) roll re-
  veals the name relates to a minor celestial goddess of 
  the ancient Aztecs. Jimmy doesn’t know anything else 
  about the deity. If you’re not using the pre-generated 
  characters, a Common Knowledge roll can be used, 
  instead.
  Checking Brakespear’s jacket, the heroes ﬁ nd a 
  weather-beaten diary. Many pages are ruined by water 
  stains, but from what remains the characters quickly de-
  duce the explorer had been in Mexico recently, working 
  on behalf of the Boston Museum. A ticket stub, used as a 
  bookmark, shows he arrived in Boston only this morning 
  on a transfer ﬂ ight from New York.
  A successful Tracking roll made in the garden reveals 
  some plants have been disturbed recently, but there are 
  no clues as to the source.
  With everything pointing to the Boston Museum, it 
  should be a logical place for the heroes to visit.
  Brakespear: Brakespear was captured by the Az-
  tecs in Mexico, but managed to escape. As he ﬂ ed he 
  snatched the golden disc, ﬁ guring it was a way to prove 
  the existence of the cultists. Knowing the museum was 
  likely being watched, he made for the only address he 
  knew—Lady Amelia’s house. Alas, he was being tailed the 
  moment he left the airport and was killed just minutes 
  before the characters entered the scene.
  SCENE 2: MUSEUM MAYHEM
  SCENE 2: MUSEUM MAYHEM
  Whether they phone ahead or turn up unexpectedly, 
  Doctor Oswald Hibbert, the Curator of Aztec Exhibits, 
  has time to see them. The museum is still open when the 
  characters arrive.
  Once they are shown to his ofﬁ ce, Hibbert asks why 
  the heroes, whom he knows by reputation, need to see 
  him. If, in telling their story, the heroes don’t mention 
  the golden disc, prompt Jimmy’s player to bring up the 
  subject through his Big Mouth Hindrance.
  After they have told their story, Hibbert sits back in 
  his chair and bridges his ﬁ ngers together in front of his 
  nose.
  “Poor Brakespear,” he mutters. “A good man, both 
  academically and in the ﬁ eld. He’ll be sorely 
  missed by the academic community.
  “I must say, though, this isn’t the ﬁ rst strange 
  occurrence relating to Mexico we’ve had lately. 
  Three nights ago, someone broke into the Aztec 
  exhibits and stole some items. Nothing really 
  valuable, though, which is all the more curious, 
  don’t you think? Security checked the building, 
  but there was no sign of a break-in. It occurred 
  the same day those packing creates arrived in the 
  basement. Still, we’ll open them soon enough.
  “Anyway, may I see this golden disc? It’s obviously 
  important, perhaps important enough to kill 
  for.”
  The instant the disc is in Hibbert’s hands, the ofﬁ ce 
  door slams open with a loud bang. Bursting in through 
  the door is a group of Aztec warriors armed with obsidian 
  hand axes and blowguns! Have the heroes make Notice 
  rolls to avoid Surprise.
  Run the ﬁ ght as normal. Hibbert sinks beneath his 
  desk and stays there for the entire ﬁ ght. The Aztecs want 
  the golden disc, but it is imperative they fail in their at-
  tempt.
  After the last Aztec is dispatched, the characters 
  hear a noise of breaking glass from outside the of-
  ﬁ ce. Moving to the door, they spy a lone Aztec run-
  ning away through the exhibit hall. Unfortunately, the 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  4
  visitors assume he’s part of some living exhibition and 
  make no attempt to stop him ﬂ eeing. It’s time to move 
  to Scene 3.
   Aztec Warriors (1 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 3: NO RUNNING IN THE MUSEUM
  SCENE 3: NO RUNNING IN THE MUSEUM
  The chase through the Museum uses Agility as the 
  default trait. The Aztec has a head start and is at Medium 
  Range. For these purposes, the Range Increment is 3”. If 
  necessary, warn the heroes that ﬁ ring guns in a crowded 
  public building is not a wise move! Any ranged attacks 
  suffer a –2 penalty due to the pedestrians.
  The Aztec can’t escape the heroes, no matter what 
  happens. If he moves more than 10 Range Increments 
  away he enters the basement. Fortunately for the heroes, 
  he is spotted by a passerby, who alerts them to his where-
  abouts. See Scene 4 (page 5) for details.
  A lot of interesting things can occur, and this scene 
  should be played for fun. Always remember to portray 
  events as you would as a ﬁ lm director of a big budget 
  pulp movie. The players are both the actors and the 
  audience, and they want to be thrilled, not given dull 
  descriptions of movement through the museum. This 
  Chase uses the alternate Obstacles rules (page 4).
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) School Party: A school party crosses the 
  hero’s path. On a failure, he is caught in the surge of 
  children and swept back two Range Increments.
  Three (–2/0) Falling Valuables: A valuable exhibit is 
  bumped and begins to teeter. The character can either 
  let it fall or try to catch it. Inform the player of his choices 
  before he knows the modiﬁ ers and penalties for failure. 
  (The Aztec suffers a –2 penalty as he stumbles into an 
  exhibit.)
  A hero wishing to save the priceless relic must make his 
  Agility roll at –2. On a failure, it smashes into a thousand 
  pieces and the hero drops back a Range Increment as he 
  tries to explain to onlookers it wasn’t his fault. Making no 
  attempt to catch the artifact gives no penalty to the Agility 
  roll, but it costs the hero a benny for being unheroic.
  Four (–2) Tight Turn: The runner must attempt a 
  tight turn at full speed. On a failure, he runs into the 
  wall, crashes through a door, or slips down stairs oppo-
  site. All result in the hero being automatically Shaken.
  Five (–2) Wet Floor: A janitor has just mopped the 
  ﬂ oor, and it’s still wet. With a failure, the adventurer slips 
  and falls. He is automatically Shaken.
  Six (–2) Left or Right: A rotund gentleman blocks the 
  hero’s path. As the character goes left, so does the man. 
  The same thing occurs when the adventurer ducks to the 
  right. This could take a while! Failure means the hero 
  drops back one Range Increment due to the added delay.
  Seven (–2/0) Lost Child: A young girl has lost her 
  mother and is wailing loudly. Ask the character if he 
  wants to stop and help or ignore her. (The Aztec runs 
  into a crowd and suffers a –2 penalty.)
  Helping the girl gives a –2 penalty, as the character 
  must locate the mother and reunite the pair. Failure 
  means the task takes longer than anticipated and the 
  hero drops back a Range Increment. Ignoring her gives 
  no penalty, but it does cost the uncaring cad a benny.
  Eight (–2/0) Spare Some Change: An elderly nun 
  asks the hero for a donation. Ask the hero if he wants to 
  donate to a worthy cause or ignore the nun. (The Aztec 
  suffers a –2 penalty as he is accosted by the nun for his 
  “lack of manners.”)
  If he stops and gives a few coins, he suffers the Agil-
  ity penalty due to having to fumble around for some 
  change. Failure means the coins scatter across the ﬂ oor 
  and the hero fails to gain any distance. Ignoring the nun 
  gives no penalty, but it costs the character a benny for his 
  uncharitable act.
  Nine (–1) Mistaken Identity: The hero loses sight 
  of the Aztec in the crowd and chases after a young boy 
  before he notices his mistake (the Aztec gets momentar-
  ily lost and backtracks). Failure means the hero drops 
  back one Range Increment.
  Ten (–1) Door to Nowhere: A heavy door slams shut 
  just as the hero tries to dart through. On a failure, he 
  runs straight into it and is automatically Shaken.
  Jack (–1) Crowds: A small crowd has gathered 
  around an exhibit, blocking the only clear route. Failure 
  causes the hero to drop back one Range Increment.
  Queen (0) Excuse Me, Ma’am: A lady backs into the 
  hero, threatening to block his path. Failure causes the 
  hero to drop back one Range Increment.
  King (0/–2) Leap for Glory: A ladder lying across a 
  packing crate makes a great seesaw. Even better some-
  one is about to sit on the far end! The character has 
  two choices—trying to run around it or time his run to 
  perfection so it catapults him forward as the man takes a 
  seat. (The Aztec always tries to avoid the plank.)
  If he tries to go around and fails the roll, he knocks his 
  shin. He makes no progress as he clutches his bruised leg.
  Should he try to make the jump and succeed, he gains 
  an extra Range Increment. This does not stack with a Push 
  maneuver, however. Failure causes the character to ﬂ y 
  backward and land badly, costing him a Range Increment.
  Ace (0/–2) Trolley Surﬁ ng: Porters are pushing a trol-
  ley through the gallery. Ask the hero whether he wants to 
  run around the trolley or try to surf it down the hall.
  Going around the trolley gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to use it as a giant roller skate gives the char-
  acter a –2 penalty to his Agility roll, but if successful he 
  gains an extra Range Increment. This bonus (and the 
  penalty) stacks with the Push maneuver. Failure causes 
  him to move out of control. He smashes into a wall and 
  is Shaken. The trolley can be used for this round only.
  CAPTURED AZTEC
  CAPTURED AZTEC
  If the adventurers manage to catch the Aztec alive, 
  they quickly discover he doesn’t speak English or Span-
  
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  5
  ish. He jabbers on for a few moments, seemingly cursing 
  them, before his face contorts in intense pain, and he 
  drops dead. Crawling out from his clothing is a small 
  spider! Killing it requires only a declaration of intent by 
  a character. A successful Survival roll identiﬁ es the spider 
  as a Mexican black widow, a very deadly species.
  Aside from his weapons, the Aztec has only two items 
  of interest. The ﬁ rst is a map of the museum from a tour-
  ist guide. A route is highlighted in red ink leading from 
  the basement to the Aztec exhibition. The second is a 
  spider tattoo on the back of his right hand. (All the Aztecs 
  warriors have the same marking.)
  SCENE 4: HIDDEN SURPRISES
  SCENE 4: HIDDEN SURPRISES
  If the ﬂ eeing Aztec escaped his pursuers, he is hiding 
  in one of the crates. Increase the number of attackers by 
  one when the little devils make their presence known.
  The museum’s basement is used to store exhibits 
  awaiting display, old exhibits stored away for future use, 
  and a few conservators’ workbenches. Amid the jumble 
  of artifacts are half a dozen large packing crates. All 
  the crates carry the same sticker, indicating they were 
  shipped from the Riverside Warehouse Company, New 
  Orleans. The contents are listed as assorted pieces of 
  pottery.
  The crates don’t contain any artifacts. The warehouse 
  company is a front for the spider cult, and the Aztecs 
  were shipped here in a hurry to steal small objects of in-
  terest to the cult and locate the golden disc (the villains 
  knew it would end up in the museum sooner, rather 
  than later).
  Inside the boxes are a number of Aztecs (hiding, since 
  they only come out at night, normally), remnants of 
  discarded meals, water gourds, and the stolen artifacts. 
  Knots of wood attached to short bits of string allow the 
  Aztecs to create air holes as required and plug up the 
  hole to avoid detection.
  Any hero who opens a box causes the occupants to 
  let out a loud yell. Check for Surprise if the characters 
  have made any noise above a whisper while in the base-
  ment or the pursued Aztec escaped (he has alerted his 
  compatriots). Otherwise both sides are equally surprised 
  and the GM deals initiative cards as normal. Run the ﬁ ght 
  as standard.
  There are plenty of props the heroes and Aztecs can 
  use to perform Tricks.
   Aztec Henchman (1): As Aztec warrior. He has 3 
  wound levels, but no Wild Die or bennies.
   Aztec Warriors (1 per hero): See page 10. The 
  Aztecs are spread among the boxes and emerge at the 
  same time.
  NO HELP FROM HIBBERT
  NO HELP FROM HIBBERT
  Hibbert remained in his ofﬁ ce during the chase. 
  Hopefully the heroes go back and inform him of events 
  in the basement. The curator doesn’t know much more 
  about Tzitzimime beyond the basic facts the party already 
  knows. His knowledge of the cult indicates it was very 
  small and located somewhere in the southern jungle. 
  He’s sincerely apologetic that he can’t help further.
  Fortunately for our intrepid heroes they already 
  have the next clue—the warehouse company in New 
  Orleans.
  ACT 2: NEW ORLEANS
  ACT 2: NEW ORLEANS
  How the heroes reach New Orleans is completely un-
  important to the plot. Just grab an old atlas, draw a red 
  line to indicate the party’s travel, and then get straight 
  back into the adventure.
  SCENE 1: THE CULTISTS’ LAIR
  SCENE 1: THE CULTISTS’ LAIR
  The Riverside Warehouse Company is actually based 
  just outside New Orleans in a small industrial park on the 
  banks of the bayou. A Streetwise roll reveals company is 
  owned by Manuel Ortega, a Mexican businessman. On 
  a raise, the character learns that all the employees are 
  Mexican.
  Regardless of when the characters reach the ware-
  house, it is shut. However, the heroes spot dim light 
  coming from the grimy windows. Unfortunately, the dirt 
  is on the inside, so the heroes can’t get a clear view. A 
  Notice roll (–2) picks up faint, indecipherable chanting 
  coming from within. Searching around, the adventurers 
  ﬁ nd an open window. Climbing through brings the party 
  onto a metal catwalk 2” above the ﬂ oor. 
  The warehouse measures 14” long by 10” wide. Box-
  es, crates, and barrels, all excellent Cover, are stacked 
  around the edges. A small, glass-fronted ofﬁ ce (3” by 3”) 
  occupies the northeast corner. In the outer wall next to 
  the ofﬁ ce is a single door (which leads to the bayou). A 
  set of double doors (locked) is in the center of the north 
  wall.
  In the center of the ﬂ oor is a large reed mat (the size 
  of a Medium Burst Template) decorated with the image 
  of a huge spider. Standing around it, is a group of Aztec 
  cultists. One wears a large headdress and seems to be 
  the leader.
  An overhead crane holding a large crate hangs toward 
  the south end of the warehouse. The control box is 
  clearly visible across the other side of the building. Once 
  a hero has reached the crane he can operate it as an ac-
  tion.
  The crane moves 4” per round and can move in 
  any direction. Using the emergency release handle (an 
  action) causes the crate to drop. It shatters to cover a 
  Medium Burst Template. Anyone beneath must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or suffer 3d6 damage. Picking up a new 
  crate requires 2” of movement by the crane and requires 
  an action by the operator.
  There’s a ladder nearby. Characters who want a quick 
  descent can grip the sides and slide down as a free ac-
  tion. This requires an Agility roll to avoid landing heavily 
  and being Shaken. Climbing down the traditional way 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  6
  uses 4” of movement (as difﬁ cult ground) but carries no 
  risk.
  Ortega is not very brave. Once he takes a single 
  wound he tries to dart through the backdoor and jump 
  into a waiting airboat. To ensure this occurs, you may 
  need to spend a benny and use the Recurring Villains 
  rule (see the Triple Ace Games pulp rules availble free 
  from our website).
   Manuel Ortega, Cult Leader: See page 10.
   Aztec Warriors (2 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: RIVER RACING
  SCENE 2: RIVER RACING
  Although he has ﬂ ed the scene, Ortega can still be 
  caught. All it requires is for the heroes to hop into an 
  airboat and give chase! Whether they do this before or 
  after dealing with the goons is up to them.
  The initial distance is one Range Increment for each 
  round that passes between the heroes hopping into their 
  airboat and the villain’s escape from the previous scene 
  (to a maximum of 5 Increments). 
  Each Range Increment represents 10”. There are Light 
  Obstacles in the water. These work as per 
  the standard Savage Worlds rules. Typically 
  these are logs, alligators, and other boats 
  on the water. This Chase also introduces a 
  new rule—Event Stages (see below).
  All the cult leader wants to do is escape, 
  though he’ll ﬁ re his SMG if the heroes get 
  within Short Range. He hasn’t got Steady 
  Hands, so the Unstable Platform applies.
  AIRBOAT
  AIRBOAT
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 10 (2); 
  Crew: 1+8
  Notes: —
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has 
  ﬁ xed encounters along the route as the 
  airboats move through the bayou. Space 20 
  markers in a line along the table to present 
  the bayou. Place a different color marker at 
  the 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th positions. 
  These are the Event Stages. If the Chase car-
  ries on beyond the 20th position the GM 
  may either elect to create his own events 
  or assume the waterway is clear (except for 
  regular Obstacles).
  Move each airboat’s playing piece along 
  the track each time it moves one or more 
  Range Increments. This way it is very easy 
  to see where an individual airboat is in rela-
  tion to the events.
  When an airboat reaches a Stage it must 
  deal with an event. These are detailed be-
  low. Modiﬁ ers to Boating rolls apply to the 
  roll made at the start of each round. Unlike 
  Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events affect 
  all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, canyons, 
  ancient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create 
  a few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  6th Increment: A tight turn in a strong current faces 
  the airboat. The pilot must attempt a Tight Turn. Failure 
  means the airboat goes Out of Control.
  9th Increment: A morass of logs and debris is ﬂ oating in 
  the bayou. The pilot must decide whether he wants to take 
  things easy or stay at full throttle. He can also Push as normal. 
  The cult leader uses the fast option only if the heroes are 
  within three Range Increments. Otherwise, he goes slowly.
  If he decides for the slow option, he makes his Boat-
  ing roll at –1. Success avoids any collision but doesn’t 
  increase the Range Increment this round. A raise moves 
  him one Range Increment. Failure means he suffers a 
  collision with a soft obstacle at half his Top Speed.
  The fast option roll is made at –2. Success and raises 
  
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  7
  work as normal. On a failure, the boat suffers a collision 
  with a soft obstacle at its Top Speed.
  12th Increment: A long bend in the river gives the 
  pilot two choices—he can elect to follow the bayou or 
  he can try to cut the corner by taking his airboat through 
  people’s gardens. The cult leader uses the shortcut only 
  if the heroes are within three Range Increments. Other-
  wise, he takes the long route.
  Taking the bayou route requires only a normal Boat-
  ing roll. The shortcut requires a Boating roll at –2. With 
  success, the airboat moves one extra Range Increment 
  this round due to cutting the corner. Failure causes the 
  airboat to plow into a shed or hedge. The crew must ma-
  neuver the boat out and around the obstacle, meaning 
  they don’t get to make a Boating roll next round.
  15th Increment: Mixing currents from several bayous 
  have formed a small whirlpool. The Boating roll is made 
  at –2. With failure, the airboat goes Out of Control.
  18th Increment: The route takes the airboats into 
  a stretch of bayou crossed by a levy (the water ﬂ ows 
  through small channels). The pilot makes his Boating 
  roll at –2. Success and raises work as normal. A failure 
  means the airboat goes Out of Control as it lands badly. 
  A critical failure causes a collision with a stationary hard 
  object.
  SCENE 3: CHECKING THINGS OUT
  SCENE 3: CHECKING THINGS OUT
  Once the cult leader has escaped or been killed, the 
  heroes can return to the warehouse and search for clues. 
  Any conscious goons left behind have ﬂ ed the scene.
  The biggest clue, a map detailing North and Central 
  America, is found on the wall of the ofﬁ ce. White string 
  radiates out from a point in the Yucatan to cities across 
  the region. Further lines link cities to other cities, result-
  ing in what looks like a spider web spanning the conti-
  nent! The center of the map marks the location of the 
  cult’s true headquarters—a ruined Aztec temple. This 
  should be the adventurers’ next port of call.
  A notebook hidden in a ﬁ ling cabinet contains names 
  of cultists across America. Once the adventure is ﬁ nished, 
  it’s assumed the heroes contact the FBI or local police 
  and arrange to have the members arrested.
  ACT 3: THE DANGERS OF MEXICO
  ACT 3: THE DANGERS OF MEXICO
  Again, the nitty-gritty of arranging travel to Mexico 
  should be swept aside in favor of continuing the action. 
  If you’ve got your atlas handy, draw a red line to the city 
  of Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula.
  SCENE 1: BOARDING ACTION
  SCENE 1: BOARDING ACTION
  The jungle in the area indicated on the cultists’ map 
  is too dense to allow a plane to land. In order to reach 
  it, the heroes hire a riverboat at Merida.
  The captain, Juan Santiago, knows the river systems 
  well. Captain Santiago informs the heroes he can take 
  them only so far. After that, the river branch they need 
  to reach their destination is too shallow and narrow. 
  However, he agrees to loan them a small motor launch 
  for that leg of the journey.
  After loading supplies, the riverboat steams off into 
  the jungle. The ﬁ rst leg takes three days with the boat 
  traveling day and night. Accommodation is basic, but 
  the cook, Pablo, is excellent at making use of the ingre-
  dients he has on-hand.
  During the third night, a particularly dark night 
  due to heavy clouds, Aztec warriors, who learned of 
  the heroes’ arrival through cultists in Merida, launch 
  an attack. After paddling canoes silently up alongside 
  the riverboat, they clamber aboard to hunt down the 
  interlopers.
  Any character who speciﬁ cally states he is on watch 
  during the night can make a Notice roll opposed by the 
  Aztecs Group Stealth roll to detect them as they begin 
  to board. Otherwise, the explorers are alerted when 
  one of the crew spots an Aztec and manages to ﬁ re a 
  warning shot before he is cut down.
  The riverboat deck is lit by storm lanterns, which 
  negate darkness penalties. As well as making attacks, 
  the heroes can make use of the ropes, chairs, lifebelts, 
  and such on the deck to perform Tricks.
  In the ﬁ rst round, one of the Aztecs smashes a lantern 
  on the deck. A ﬁ re quickly ignites. Captain Santiago and 
  his crew don’t take part in the ﬁ ght—they spend their 
  time preparing two motor launches and hastily ﬁ lling 
  them with what supplies they can salvage.
  On any round a Joker is drawn, the ﬁ re inﬂ icts a 
  wound on the riverboat. When it reaches Wrecked, it 
  explodes, throwing everyone into the river and inﬂ ict-
  ing 3d6 damage as an Extra. Any remaining Aztecs are 
  automatically slain. If the ﬁ ght ends before this, inform 
  the characters the vessel is about to blow. They have 
  one round to declare they are abandoning ship before 
  it goes up in ﬂ ames as above.
   Aztec Warriors (2 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: IS THAT LIFE-SIZE?
  SCENE 2: IS THAT LIFE-SIZE?
  Santiago and his crew haul the characters from the 
  river. After provisions are switched between launches, 
  the skipper tells the heroes the branch they need to take 
  is only a few miles up stream. He and his men are head-
  ing back to Merida to make an insurance claim. Under no 
  circumstances will they accompany the expedition.
  Before he goes, Santiago warns the characters there 
  are big insects, snakes, spiders, and crocodiles lurking in 
  the deep jungle.
  Don’t worry about how much food and water the 
  characters are carrying—this is a pulp game! Any spent 
  magazines for guns are also reﬁ lled, bringing the heroes 
  back to their starting amounts.
  Sure enough, the river branch is exactly where 
  Santiago said it would be. The launch is slow, but 
  its obvious from the jungle scenery chugging by 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  8
  that it’s much faster than walking. The day passes 
  quietly.
  As the sun sink near to the horizon, you spy a stone 
  jetty, perhaps centuries old, jutting out from the 
  bank. Beyond, you can see the channel narrows 
  to a width unsuitable for the launch. It looks like 
  the rest of your journey has to be made on foot.
  A hero who enters the jungle soon notices vine-cov-
  ered buildings. These are long abandoned, but were 
  once an outpost for the spider cult. Tonight they provide 
  the characters shelter from the weather.
  Further exploration requires a Notice roll. With a suc-
  cess, the character hacks away some vines to reveal part 
  of a wall. Carved into it are images of Aztec warriors and 
  what appear to be captives. Dangling over the captives is 
  a gigantic spider. Assuming the images are all to the same 
  scale, the spider would be at least three times as wide as 
  a man is tall!
  While the explorers might be wary of spending the 
  night here, there is no danger. This scene serves to pro-
  vide a big clue as to what they will face later on.
  SCENE 3: THE CHILDREN OF TZITZIMIME
  SCENE 3: THE CHILDREN OF TZITZIMIME
  This scene comprises three linked areas. The ﬁ rst is 
  a tangle of spider webs blocking the trail. Fleeing the 
  swarms, which quickly appear, the characters then come 
  across a “rope” bridge spanning a deep gorge. Finally, 
  they must make their way up the sheer sides of a pla-
  teau.
  Don’t let the players pause for breath once the ﬁ rst 
  spider makes an appearance. Keep the action cards ﬂ ow-
  ing thick and fast until the adventures are at the top of 
  the plateau!
  BLOCKED TRAILS
  BLOCKED TRAILS
  After several miles, the trail widens into a small 
  clearing. Three paths lead from here, but each is 
  covered by a gigantic spider web. Looking round, 
  you see the webs stretch across all the trees. The 
  jungle, on either side is a knotted mass of dense 
  undergrowth and tightly packed trees. It seems 
  the only way forward involves hacking through 
  a web.
  The jungle to either side is impassable. No amount of 
  hacking will open a trail.
  Tampering with a web (whether with a hand, weapon, 
  bullet, or lighting a ﬁ re beneath one) causes a giant spi-
  der to emerge from the canopy from that web. Check for 
  Surprise even if the heroes are alert to the danger of an 
  ambush.
  At the start of subsequent rounds, one spider scuttles 
  down from each outer web, while a swarm of tiny spi-
  ders comes down the central one. The giant spiders and 
  swarms use separate action cards. There is an unlimited 
  number of spiders—the aim is to force the heroes to ﬂ ee 
  through the webs!
  The webs have Toughness 8 and split to leave a size-
  able hole if dealt a single wound. A character using a 
  melee weapon or his hands to hack through the webs 
  ﬁ nds his weapon or limb stuck fast if his Fighting die 
  comes up 1, regardless of the Wild Die. A successful Wild 
  Die still indicates a hit and damage should be rolled, but 
  the object is stuck afterward. Freeing a weapon or limb 
  requires a Strength roll as an action.
  Once through any web, the explorers quickly realize 
  the trails rejoin into a single path. The distance between 
  the webs and the next obstacle is just 12”. Any spiders 
  still alive when the adventures decide to make a break 
  for it follow them along the path, but no new spiders 
  appear from the webs.
   Giant Spiders (unlimited): See page 12.
   Spider Swarm (unlimited): See page 12.
  THAT’S NOT ROPE!
  THAT’S NOT ROPE!
  Charging through the undergrowth, you burst 
  through the vegetation and quickly grind to a 
  halt. You stand scant inches away from a dizzying 
  drop to a dry valley ﬂ oor below. A few yards to 
  your left is what you at ﬁ rst assume to be a rope 
  bridge. Only with a second glance do you realize 
  the ropes are in fact strands of spider webbing! 
  There’s no other way across the valley.
  The bridge is 12” long, 1” wide, and counts as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. Allied characters can pass through each 
  other, but doing so costs an extra 2” of movement. The 
  drop to the valley ﬂ oor is 100 feet. Due to the swaying 
  motion, it counts as an Unstable Platform as well.
  When the ﬁ rst hero moves 6” across the bridge, his 
  movements disturb a nest of giant spiders sleeping 
  beneath the structure. They clamber up the webbing 
  at the start of the next round. The GM should place 
  one adjacent to each hero.
  Remember, any spiders not slain in the previous 
  area are following the characters! They move onto the 
  bridge in an effort to stop the characters reaching the 
  temple.
  Once all the heroes safely reach the far side they 
  can hack away the support ropes. Each supporting line 
  has Toughness 8. Only when both lines are cut does 
  the bridge fall, dooming the spiders to certain death. 
  Until then, they move across the remaining strand as 
  difﬁ cult ground.
  SCALING THE PLATEAU
  SCALING THE PLATEAU
  Across the far side of the bridge rise the sheer walls 
  of a high plateau. A vast network of sticky webs 
  covers the surface. Looking left and right, you see 
  
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  9
  the cliff merges with the valley walls. Looks like 
  there’s only one way up, and that’s by climbing!
  The open ground at the base of the plateau is 3” deep 
  and a mere 6” wide. The cliff face is 24” high. Deal action 
  cards every round as normal. Each time a Club suit is 
  drawn one giant spider scuttles down from the top of the 
  web. The spiders stop coming once someone reaches 
  the top of the plateau.
  Movement: The heroes’ Pace while climbing the web 
  is equal to half the character’s Strength die and no run-
  ning is permitted. Heroes want to increase their Pace 
  may make a Strength roll as an action. Success allows the 
  hero to move his full Strength die this round
  On a critical failure, the victim’s efforts cause him to 
  slip. He must make an Agility roll (as a free action) to 
  grab hold of something or fall back 2d4”. Rather than 
  hitting the ﬂ oor, he becomes snared in the web, and so 
  suffers no damage.
  Spiders move their normal Pace and can even run on 
  the webs.
  Fighting: The web counts as an Unstable Platform. 
  A character cannot use two-handed weapons or wield a 
  weapon in both hands in the same round they move. 
  If he remains stationary and the terrain allows, he can 
  use a two handed ranged weapon (by looping one arm 
  around a rope at the elbow to secure himself). However, 
  he suffers a –2 penalty to attack rolls in addition to the 
  Unstable Platform modiﬁ er.
  Falling Off: Characters Shaken or wounded by an at-
  tack must make a Strength roll to retain their grip (after 
  Soaking). With failure, the hero falls 2d4” before he is 
  caught in the web.
  ACT 4: LAIR OF THE SPIDER-GODDESS
  ACT 4: LAIR OF THE SPIDER-GODDESS
  The trail continues atop the plateau. Unlike before, 
  the path is welltrodden and the vegetation freshly cut 
  back. Progress through the steamy jungle is swift.
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  Hacking through the dense vegetation, you are 
  suddenly met with a wondrous site. The vegeta-
  tion thins to scrub grass and the occasional tree 
  as the valley ﬁ nally reaches its end.
  Before you runs a ceremonial pathway, its twin 
  roads of cracked bricks and stones divided by a 
  water channel. Beyond this is a low, three-tiered, 
  stepped pyramid. 
  A set of stairs cuts through the stones, leading 
  from the jungle ﬂ oor to the top platform. A pair of 
  Aztec warriors, similar to those you have encoun-
  tered before, stand at the bottom like sentinels. 
  On the corners, on each tier, is a brazier. Ghastly 
  purple ﬂ ames and thick smoke belch forth from 
  each one.
  Atop the pyramid stand ﬁ ve ﬁ gures. Two are Aztec 
  warriors of the sort you have faced before, judging 
  by their garb. A third wears a shimmering black 
  cloak and a small headdress of brightly-colored 
  feathers, while the fourth has a large headdress 
  and carries a long spear, which he is waving at 
  the sky. The ﬁ fth person is a white woman. She 
  struggles helplessly against the warriors holding 
  her.
  TERRAIN NOTES
  TERRAIN NOTES
  Ceremonial Path: The processional way is 3” across. 
  It comprises two cracked and overgrown stone paths 
  (each 1” wide) with a shallow channel (also 1” wide) 
  running between them.
  Temple Overview: The temple comprises a low, 
  stepped pyramid. The bottom step measures 16” across 
  and is 1” above the ground. The second tier is 12” across, 
  and the third tier, which forms the top, is 8” across. Each 
  tier is 1” higher than the one below and 2” in width.
  A set of steps is cut into the center of each face and 
  leads from ground level to the top. Each set is 2” wide.
  Top Platform: In the center of the top tier, invisible 
  from ground level, is a wide hole (4” across). A stone 
  shaft leads down into the earth to the lair of Tzitzimime.
  Climbing: Avoiding the stairs and climbing the steep 
  sides requires 3” of movement per tier. Characters can-
  not run while scaling the temple in this manner.
  Braziers: At the corners on each tier stands a brazier 
  ﬁ lled with ﬂ ame. Treat movement through a square 
  containing one as difﬁ cult ground. The braziers can be 
  tipped over with a Strength (–1) roll. 
  Place the thin end of a Cone Template on edge of the 
  square containing the toppled brazier and rotate it to 
  point in the direction the container was tipped. The area 
  under the template is ﬁ lled with burning oil, causing 
  2d10 damage to anyone who fails an Agility roll at –2. 
  Victims also have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  The braziers cannot be tipped so as to affect higher 
  tiers, but the oil obviously ﬂ ows downhill. The Aztecs 
  will use this tactic to prevent the heroes from reaching 
  the top of the structure.
  OTHER DETAILS
  OTHER DETAILS
  The distance between the heroes and the base of the 
  pyramid is 24”. Unfortunately, the jungle does not en-
  croach any closer on any side of the structure.
  The ﬁ gures atop the low pyramid are Achelotl, an 
  Aztec chieftain, and Quenunga, the shaman and true 
  power in the tribe. Between them, bound at the wrists 
  and ankles by rope, is Marion Darlington, the last survi-
  vor of Brakespear’s expedition. Holding the captive by 
  the elbows are two Aztec warriors. A pair of Aztec war-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  1010
  riors stands at the base of the four staircases, their axes 
  cradled in their arms.
  The sooner the ﬁ ght begins the better, at least for 
  poor Miss Darlington. If the heroes delay more than 
  a few rounds, Quenunga gestures at the pit with his 
  spear. The following round, the poor girl is thrown in 
  by the Aztec warriors.
  She doesn’t actually fall to her death, though she 
  makes enough noise. Instead, the ropes on her wrists 
  catch on a broken stone and leave her dangling. Time 
  for a heroic rescue! Note that she is knocked clear by 
  Tzitzimime in Scene 2 if she hasn’t been rescued—the 
  heroes shouldn’t be directly responsible for her 
  death.
  Once the combat begins, Quenunga casts deﬂ ection 
  as his ﬁ rst action (he knows about ﬁ rearms). On the 
  next round he launches one of his bolt spells. He fol-
  lows up with bolt, entangle, and fear spells, assuming 
  the attackers are within range. He casts armor when 
  his deﬂ ection ends or the explorers reach the base of 
  the pyramid, which ever comes ﬁ rst.
   Achelotl, Aztec Chieftain: See page 11.
   Quenunga, Aztec Shaman: See page 11.
   Aztec Warriors (10): See page 10.
   Spider Swarm: See page 12.
  SCENE 2: THE GODDESS AWAKENS!
  SCENE 2: THE GODDESS AWAKENS!
  This scene occurs immediately after Quenunga is 
  slain. Stop the fight, read the description, and carry 
  on the initiative card count from where you left off. 
  Tzitzimime acts as if on Hold.
  A terrible noise fills the air, a mix between a 
  human scream of anguish and something alto-
  gether unholy. Suddenly what appears to be a 
  thick, hairy vine juts out from the hole atop the 
  pyramid. Then comes another, and another, 
  and another. Eight of them!
  Rising slowly from the pit is a truly monstrous 
  spider, three times as wide as a man is tall, 
  with eight glittering eyes, and wickedly pointed 
  pincers longer than a man’s arm. This must be 
  Tzitzimime!
  With unholy malevolence, the creature casts 
  its gaze in your direction, seemingly sizing 
  you up, though you can’t whether that is as 
  a potential threat or a potential meal. Then, 
  without warning it moves to strike, its pincers 
  gnashing, venom dripping from the beast’s 
  vast maw.
  Have everyone make their Spirit rolls to avoid Fear 
  at this point. The character are not Surprised (though 
  they may be shocked) at Tzitzimime’s arrival.
  If the party is exceptionally strong or unwounded, 
  feel free to throw in a few giant spiders as well. As 
  always, the aim is to produce a memorable fight, not 
  massacre the party.
   Tzitzimime, the Living Goddess: See page 11.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Without their goddess to venerate and shaman to 
  guide them, the cult quickly falls into ruin and the few 
  survivors cease their worship. Like before, though, the 
  cult is not totally destroyed. There is always a chance 
  that one of Tzitzimime’s surviving children might grow 
  to monstrous size and become a focus of worship in the 
  future.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  AZTECS
  AZTECS
  MANUEL ORTEGA, CULT LEADER
  MANUEL ORTEGA, CULT LEADER
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6, Taunt d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Delusional (Major: believes Tzitzimime is 
  a god)
  Edges: Command, Combat Reﬂ exes, Level Headed, Rock 
  and Roll
  Gear: SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6), 3 maga-
  zines
  AZTEC WARRIOR
  AZTEC WARRIOR
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8+2, Survival d6+2, Throwing 
  d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Illiterate
  Edges: Woodsman
  Gear: Obsidian axe (Str+d6), blowgun (Range: 2/4/8, 
  Damage: 1d6+1 plus poison)
  Special Abilities:
  * Lethal Poison (0): Anyone successfully hit, whether 
  injured or not, must make a Vigor roll or suffer a 
  wound. This is in addition to any damage inﬂ icted by 
  the dart and is treated as a separate injury for Soak 
  rolls.
  * Paralysis Poison (0): Anyone successfully hit, wheth-
  er injured or not, must make a Vigor roll or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue for an hour (in addition to any dam-
  age the dart inﬂ icted). This can cause Incapacitation, 
  but not Death.
  
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  WEB OF THE SPIDER CULT
  1111
  ACHELOTL, AZTEC CHIEFTAIN
  ACHELOTL, AZTEC CHIEFTAIN
  Achelotl is the nominal head of the cult, 
  though he actually answers to Quenunga, 
  the shaman. The chief knows he treads a 
  dangerous path if he questions Quenunga’s 
  decisions openly, for the superstitious war-
  riors fear the shaman and his dark powers. 
  Achelotl is no less savage than his rival, but 
  he is far more level headed.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Intimida-
  tion d10, Notice d6, Stealth d8+2, Survival 
  d6+2, Swimming d6, Throwing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Bloodthirsty, Il-
  literate
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, 
  Fervor, Frenzy, Level Headed, Woodsman
  Gear: Obsidian battle axe (Str+d8), spider 
  cloak (see below)
  Special Abilities:
  * Spider Cloak: The chief’s cloak is actu-
  ally a swarm of spiders clinging to his 
  body. Releasing the swarm is a free ac-
  tion but must be done at the start of a 
  round, before initiative cards are dealt. 
  The spiders are dealt in immediately and 
  begin adjacent to the chief. If the chief is 
  slain, the swarm automatically activates 
  at the start of the next round. Should 
  the chief be hit by an area effect weap-
  on, check for damage against the swarm 
  as well—they may be killed before they 
  even get into play!
  QUENUNGA, AZTEC SHAMAN
  QUENUNGA, AZTEC SHAMAN
  Quenunga is the true power behind the cult of the 
  spider god, and he knows it. Arrogant and savage, he 
  views all those not of Aztec blood as weak, ﬁ t only to feed 
  his monstrous mistress unholy appetite.
  Special Rule: Rather than mess around tracking Pow-
  er Points for the villain, Quenunga can cast each spell 
  a certain number of times during the adventure. Once 
  he’s used his allotment he can’t cast any more spells. Ar-
  mor, deﬂ ection, and obscure last for three rounds each 
  (track these by using gaming stones). His power list is 
  the equivalent of 20 Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d4, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6, Swim-
  ming d6, Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Arrogant, Bloodthirsty, Over-
  conﬁ dent
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Command, New 
  Powers, Quick
  Gear: Spear (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6, +1 Parry)
  Powers: 1 x armor (small spiders cover his body), 3 x 
  bolt (two missiles for 2d6 damage each; launches small 
  spiders), 1 x deﬂ ection (spidery arms block blows), 1 x 
  entangle (Medium Burst Template; webs), 2 x fear (vic-
  tims believe spiders are crawling over their skin), and 1 x 
  obscure (bloated, ephemeral spider of darkest night).
  SPIDERS
  SPIDERS
  TZITZIMIME, THE SPIDER GODDESS
  TZITZIMIME, THE SPIDER GODDESS
  While not actually a deity, the bloated, bulbous spider 
  is certainly a fearsome opponent. She has lived in the 
  temple for countless centuries, and fed on Aztec sacri-
  ﬁ ces.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d8, Notice d10, Shooting 
  d10 Stealth d8
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  1212
  Pace: 10; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d6.
  * Combat Reﬂ exes: +2 to recover from being Shaken.
  * Fear (–2): Characters make a Spirit roll at –2 or suffer 
  a –1 penalty to all trait rolls during the scene.
  * Improved Frenzy: Can make two Fighting attacks 
  each round at no penalty.
  * Large: Attackers are +2 to attack rolls.
  * Poison (0): Anyone Shaken or wounded by her ven-
  omous bite must make a Vigor roll or suffer an ad-
  ditional wound. This is a separate injury for the pur-
  poses of Soak rolls.
  * Size +4: 20’ across.
  * Spawn: Can release two Small Burst Template-sized 
  spider swarms or a single Medium Burst Template 
  swarm as an action at the start of any round. Deal in 
  the swarm/s immediately. This is usable once during 
  the adventure.
  * Wall Walking: Can move at Pace and run up walls 
  and over ceilings.
  * Webbing: The goddess can cast webs from her thorax 
  that are the size of Medium Burst Templates. This is 
  a Shooting roll with a range of 5/10/20. Anything in 
  the web must be cut or broken free (Toughness 7). 
  Webbed characters can still ﬁ ght, but all physical ac-
  tions are at –4.
  GIANT SPIDER
  GIANT SPIDER
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d12+2, Fighting d6, Notice d10, Shoot-
  ing d6, Stealth d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Poison: Anyone Shaken or wounded must make a 
  Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue for an hour. This 
  can cause Incapacitation, but not Death. One level of 
  Fatigue is removed every hour of rest.
  * Size –1: Giant spiders are the size of small dogs.
  * Webbing: The spiders can cast webs from their tho-
  rax that are the size of Small Burst Templates. This 
  is a Shooting roll with a range of 3/6/12. Anything in 
  the web must be cut or broken free (Toughness 7). 
  Webbed characters can still ﬁ ght, but all physical ac-
  tions are at –4.
  SPIDER SWARM
  SPIDER SWARM
  A normal swarm ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template. Small 
  Burst Template swarms are Toughness 5.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7/5
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Spider swarms inﬂ ict dozens of tiny bites ev-
  ery round to their victims, hitting automatically and 
  causing 2d4 damage to everyone covered by the tem-
  plate.
  * Distracting: Any hero attacked by a spider swarm 
  must make a Spirit roll or be Shaken due to distrac-
  tion as the spiders crawl over his body. This is a non-
  physical effect.
  * Swarm: Parry +2; Cutting and piercing weapons do 
  no real damage. Area-effect weapons work normally, 
  and a character can stomp to inﬂ ict his damage in 
  Strength each round.
  
  Whether fanatical Thuggee cultist paying homage to 
  Kali, followers of Apep, the Egyptian snake-demon, or 
  deranged worshippers of Michtlantecuhtli, the Aztec god 
  of death, cults are popular in pulp settings. While most 
  cults are portrayed as evil, there’s nothing to say you 
  can’t have a good cult, dedicated to similar goals to the 
  heroes, make an appearance.
  This section takes a brief look at cults (used in place 
  of evil organization for brevity), and presents a quick cult 
  generator using a few dice rolls. The ﬁ nal two sections 
  discuss arcane matters.
  1. ORIGINS
  1. ORIGINS
  Cults don’t appear from thin air. Whether they were 
  formed in the last few years by a cabal of businessmen 
  intent on dominating the global markets or carry on the 
  worship of some ancient deity, all cults have an origin.
  A cult’s origins affect many things. How members 
  dress, the weapons or spells they employ, their organi-
  zational structure and members’ titles, and even the ritu-
  als they enact. Ancient cults operating in the “civilized” 
  world tend to be adaptable. After all, they have existed 
  for centuries or millennia.
  One thing to remember is that the old pulps were 
  written in a very different age. Cultural stereotypes were 
  the norm, whereas today they are seen as offensive and 
  politically incorrect. Care should always be taken not to 
  offend your players while still keeping to the basic tenets 
  of the pulp stories.
  ORIGINS TABLE
  ORIGINS TABLE
  2d6 
  Result
  2 
  African
  3 
  Arabic
  4 
  Celtic
  5–6 
  Egyptian
  7 
  European
  8 
  Fictional
  9 
  Greco-Roman
  10 
  Indian
  11–12 Oriental
  African: The Dark Continent, sub-Saharan Africa was 
  long viewed as a wild and mysterious place. In most pulp 
  games, large parts of Africa still remain unexplored, or at 
  least unmapped. Voodoo has its origins here. Spellcast-
  ers, likely shamans or witchdoctors, draw their power 
  from a variety of spirits, and thus the cults tend to be 
  animistic.
  Arabic: The Assassins are probably the most-widely 
  known Arabic cult. Although they were wiped out in 
  the Middle Ages, in a pulp game there is no reason they 
  could not have survived. You could use pre-Islamic ideas, 
  instead. A cult could spring up around the worship of the 
  jinn (or genies as written in English). Typically associated 
  with ﬁ re, the cult could be particularly destructive.
  Celtic: Roman military might shattered the druidic 
  faith around 61 AD, but it underwent a corrupted revival 
  in the Victorian era. Roman historians accused the Celts 
  of bloody sacriﬁ ces, which is perfect for a pulp game. Tra-
  ditionally these sacriﬁ ces were to ensure good harvests, 
  but a cabal of London gentry could well be invoking the 
  old rites to ensure business success.
  Egyptian: Egypt had a plethora of deities. Among 
  those regarded at one point or another are Sobek, Set, 
  and Apep. Sekhmet, goddess of destructive force, also 
  makes a great pulp deity. Other cults may revolve around 
  a central ﬁ gure, perhaps a resurrected pharaoh seeking 
  to replace the country’s current government and culture 
  with that of ancient Egypt.
  European: Cults in Europe might draw their inﬂ u-
  ence from witchcraft, but never forget the numerous 
  secret societies which sprang up during and after the 
  Renaissance. Freemasons, the Illuminati, and the Knights 
  Templar (often linked in conspiracy theories) are clichéd 
  villains, but clichés exist because the core idea remains 
  popular.
  If Nazis play a large part in your game, the Thule So-
  ciety makes for a good adversary. You could even use the 
  CULTS & EVIL ORGANIZATIONS
  CULTS & EVIL ORGANIZATIONS
  1313
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  1414
  Ahnenerbe. Historically, the organization was founded 
  to “prove” German racial superiority, but a pulp game 
  might see them as relic hunters, searching out occult 
  artifacts for Hitler.
  Fictional: Unless you intend to start selling your ad-
  ventures, don’t be afraid to use cults from other RPGs 
  or works of ﬁ ction. The cults of the Cthulhu Mythos are 
  perfect for pulp stories, and the names of the various 
  deities and monsters are likely known to many players, 
  which adds an instant element of recognition. Maybe 
  Thoth-Amon, one of Conan’s adversaries, makes an ap-
  pearance as a villain.
  Greco-Roman: Another culture with a wealth of 
  gods, the Romans (who borrowed most of their deities 
  from their Greek neighbors) has plenty of mystery cults. 
  Both Mithras and Isis were mystery cults, allowing initi-
  ates to learn more of the cult’s secrets as they advanced 
  through the ranks. 
  Dionysus and Bacchus were popular cults, and their 
  rituals were often described as depraved. Hades/Pluto, 
  as god of the underworld, could form the basis of a cult 
  seeking to animate the dead, while Morpheus or Hypnos, 
  both Greek deities associated with sleep and dreams, 
  might have worshippers who use subliminal implants or 
  kill victims through intense nightmares.
  Indian: The most popular Indian cult is, of course, 
  the Thuggee. Historically, they ceased to operate during 
  the later years of the 19th century, but their method of 
  dispatching victims (strangling) ensured they stayed alive 
  in the public imagination. Kali worship was part of their 
  creed, but not every Thuggee was a fanatical worship-
  per.
  Oriental: The Chinese civilization is thousands of 
  years old, and in that time could have spawned count-
  less cults. Pulp classics were ﬁ gures like Fu Manchu, a 
  criminal mastermind. He’s a great example of a non-
  supernatural cult led by a powerful ﬁ gure. Other pos-
  sible cults include the Tongs, Triads, and Yakuza. For 
  those who prefer more arcane villains, look no further 
  than the character Lo-Pan from Big Trouble in Little 
  China™
  Oriental cults don’t have to be limited to the Ori-
  ent, of course. Limehouse in London had a large Chi-
  nese population, and “Chinatowns” exist in many US 
  cities.
  2. MOTIVE & METHOD
  2. MOTIVE & METHOD
  Cults don’t operate in a vacuum, idly waiting for the 
  heroes to come along and break them. They exist for a 
  reason. Depending on their nature, a cult might have 
  a universal goal shared by all members, or be nothing 
  more than pawns for the leader’s desires.
  The pulps usually contain a twist. For instance, while 
  a cult may be stealing valuable gemstones (indicating a 
  lust for base material wealth), it actually transpires the 
  gems are merely components required for a powerful 
  death ray, through which they hope to achieve world 
  domination.
  MOTIVE TABLE
  MOTIVE TABLE
  d6 
  Result
  1 
  Power (Arcane)
  2 
  Power (Economic)
  3 
  Power (Political)
  4 
  Power (Territorial)
  5 
  Religious
  6 
  Concealment
  Concealment: Since we’re dealing with evil cults, 
  concealment doesn’t cover hiding the organization’s 
  existence. Instead, the cult might be guardians of a pow-
  erful secret, a doomsday weapon, a supposedly mythical 
  place, or an ancient relic. When someone discovers the 
  nature of their ward, they take steps to ensure silence.
  Power (Arcane): Magic is a powerful weapon, ca-
  pable of destroying or controlling one’s enemies. Such a 
  cult might seek ancient relics, places of power, or simply 
  details of ancient rituals.
  Power (Economic): Achieving economic power re-
  quires more than robbing a few jewelry stores or swiping 
  priceless artifacts from a museum. Villains might manip-
  ulate stock markets, destroy rivals’ business concerns, 
  or poison the world’s grain supply, enduring only their 
  crops are immune, and so on.
  Power (Political): The cult seeks to dominate the lo-
  cal government, or maybe create a New World Order.
  Power (Territorial): Villains seeking power may sim-
  ply want to increase their territory, either to gain natural 
  resources or subjugate neighboring populations. The 
  Nazis had both in mind when they began World War 2 
  (these weren’t their only motives, of course).
  Religious: Religious cults exist, in most instances, 
  purely to serve their deity. Sometimes this motive co-
  incides with another one, like worshippers of Sekhmet 
  wishing to rain destruction across the globe, but often 
  keeping the faith it is its own reason for existence.
  METHOD TABLE
  METHOD TABLE
  d4 
  Result
  1 
  Murder
  2 
  Deception/Manipulation
  3 
  Fear
  4 
  Corruption
  Corruption: Everyone has secret desires or urges. 
  The cult is adept at manipulating them to achieve its 
  results. Bribery, drugs, and prostitution are all weapons 
  in their arsenal.
  Deception/Manipulation: Deception and subtle 
  manipulation are great weapons, for they allow a cult 
  to operate in the shadows. Such organizations may even 
  manipulate the heroes into helping achieve their goals 
  without the party’s knowledge.
  Fear: Fear can be a powerful weapon. Overt threats 
  are generally used by militant cults, whereas a more 
  subtle one might prefer the threat of revealing a dark se-
  cret the victim would rather be kept under wraps. Their 
  victims obey the cult’s commands out of intimidation.
  
  CULTS & EVIL ORGANIZATIONS
  CULTS & EVIL ORGANIZATIONS
  1515
  Murder: The cult gets what it wants through the per-
  manent elimination of foes or their loved ones.
  3. HIERARCHY
  3. HIERARCHY
  Cults require an organizational structure. At mini-
  mum, there should be a leader and followers. Larger 
  or more organized cults might operate on many levels, 
  with a leader, multiple henchmen, and numerous foot-
  soldiers. Cults may be strictly organized, with named 
  ranks or titles, operate in a cell structure, oblivious of 
  the identity of their true masters, or fall somewhere in 
  between.
  Stats should be created for both important members, 
  who should be Wild Cards, or Henchmen at the least, 
  and the rank-and-ﬁ le members.
  Large, organized cults might have several layers of 
  thugs. The ﬁ rst batch might average a d6 in their skills 
  and be lacking many Edges, but elite troops could have a 
  d8 or higher in key skills, and possess numerous Combat 
  Edges to provide a challenge to the party.
  For example, the Thuggee had a few ranks, though 
  they were never strictly deﬁ ned. A jemadar was the lead-
  er of a thug gang (a Henchman in Daring Tales’ terms), 
  and a subadar was a senior leader (a Wild Card). Both 
  terms were borrowed from the ranks of the Indian army. 
  Common members had no rank title, and were simply 
  branded Thugs by the British. In a pulp game, you can 
  add in an acolyte of Kali (Henchman) and priest of Kali 
  (Wild Card), to provide arcane elements.
  In historical terms, the Thuggee were not an orga-
  nized brotherhood, but rather operated in independent 
  gangs. Members could recognize each other through cer-
  tain words or phrases, but there was no supreme leader 
  or rigid organizational structure. For pulp, they should 
  have a temple of Kali as their headquarters.
  Obviously, villains should have abilities in keeping 
  with the basics of the cult and the needs of the adven-
  ture. A cult might only use swords as weapons, but if the 
  story requires a car chase, then make sure they have the 
  Driving skill.
  VILLAIN & HENCHMAN TABLE
  VILLAIN & HENCHMAN TABLE
  d6 
  Villain 
  Henchman
  1 
  Arcane 
  Arcane
  2 
  Soldier 
  Soldier
  3 
  Scientist 
  Brute
  4 
  Zealot 
  Assassin
  5 
  Mastermind 
  Femme Fatale
  6 
  Warlord 
  Inquisitor
  Arcane: Any of the five Arcane Backgrounds from 
  Savage Worlds—magic, miracles, psionics, superpow-
  ers, and weird science—can be used to represent the 
  villain’s core abilities. Chief villains are always more 
  powerful than their Henchmen, and the two may use 
  different forms of arcane powers.
  Assassin: Like soldiers, assassins are powerful 
  combatants. They combine their martial abilities 
  with cunning and subterfuge, often striking from the 
  shadows and vanishing as quickly as they appeared. 
  Unless cornered, they try to avoid stand-up fights.
  Brute: The brute is a mountain of muscle, but 
  usually with limited intellect. His role is to enforce 
  his master’s will and crush the cult’s enemies. And 
  he loves his job.
  Femme Fatale: A pulp staple, the femme fatale 
  is more dangerous than a loaded gun. Beautiful and 
  seductive, she knows how to make her victims talk 
  without resorting to crude methods. Some femme 
  fatales may be romantically entwined with the villain, 
  whereas others simply enjoy the thrill of chasing new 
  victims.
  Inquisitor: An inquisitor specializes in informa-
  tion retrieval. While he may be a bookish scholar, 
  content to use libraries or his silver tongue to get 
  answers, he could just as easily be the sort of thug 
  who enjoys torture.
  Mastermind: While he lacks combat or technical 
  skills, the mastermind is still a genius. He plans sev-
  eral moves ahead, and always has a contingency plan. 
  He covers his existence in a web of deceit, and rarely 
  gets his hands dirty.
  Scientist: A scientist uses his brains and skills, 
  not his fists. Unlike weird scientists, this chap is very 
  much rooted in the science of today. He might spe-
  cialize in the destructive arts, crafting new poisons or 
  weapons, or he could be an archaeologist, economist, 
  or even a medical practitioner.
  Soldier: Highly skilled in the use of weapons or 
  martial arts, soldiers are not dumb thugs. They un-
  derstand tactics and possess some leadership quali-
  ties.
  Warlord: A warlord may not be an excellent sol-
  dier, but his leadership qualities are second to none. 
  He may hold his position through charisma, wealth, 
  or threats. While he may not stand and fight directly, 
  he isn’t afraid to send his vast horde of expendable 
  footsoldiers into battle.
  Zealot: Every villain has a cause, but this one is 
  a fanatic. Whether political, ideological, or religious, 
  he believes his views are the right ones, and therefore 
  the only ones. Zealots can be unpredictable, and of-
  ten all too willing to become martyrs to their cause.
  4. LAIR
  4. LAIR
  Every cult needs at least one lair. Lairs should make 
  sense in relation to the cult and the story. A low-ranking 
  gang of Triad gangsters might meet in a Chinese laundry, 
  opium den, or restaurant, but there’s little reason them 
  to meet in Lincoln Park or inside a library. Likewise, their 
  leaders should favor a Chinese temple or opium reﬁ ning 
  factory over a European castle.
  Try to save the most notable lair for the last Act in 
  your story. If the ﬁ rst ﬁ ght takes place inside Alcatraz, 
  having the ﬁ nal encounter occur in a warehouse full of 
  ﬁ sh is a bit of a letdown.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #02
  1616
  LAIR TABLE
  LAIR TABLE
  2d6 
  Result
  2–3 
  Religious
  4–6 
  Exotic Structure
  7–9 
  Business
  10–11 
  Mobile
  12 
  Famous Place
  Business: This category includes country clubs, bars, 
  casinos, warehouses, laundries, restaurants, shops, 
  banks, builders’ merchants, and so on. In general, a busi-
  ness is open to the public and lacks the grandeur of an 
  exotic structure.
  Where possible, always liven up the locale as much as 
  possible. A warehouse storing teddy bears stuffed with 
  drugs may ﬁ t James Bond, but pulp works better in say 
  a ﬁ reworks factory, where the heroes can cause lots of 
  explosions. In a restaurant, for instance, there should 
  always be live crabs or lobsters for a character to use in a 
  Trick, food-laden skewers to stab foes with, and plentiful 
  crockery to smash and throw around.
  A ﬁ ght at a country club may sound a little dull, but 
  what if there’s a golf course and the heroes are battling it 
  out on the driving range while having to avoid golf balls, 
  or the goons are riding polo ponies and intend to crack 
  skulls with their mallets? Now it’s not quite so dull.
  Exotic Structure: Covers both manmade locales 
  (palace, mansion, military base, museum, castle, or lost 
  city) and natural ones (inside a volcano, a labyrinthine 
  cave system, or a lost valley).
  Famous Place: The world has plenty of these. The 
  monuments of Egypt or Rome, Empire State Building, 
  Alcatraz, Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Lib-
  erty, Kremlin, or Mount Rushmore.
  Mobile: Having a cult based in a sedan isn’t very excit-
  ing, but a zeppelin, submarine, train (surface or subway), 
  battleship, or luxury liner makes for a great villain’s lair.
  Religious: This might be an ancient temple in the 
  jungle or desert, a monastery high in the mountains, a 
  mausoleum or tomb complex, or a well-known locale, 
  like Stonehenge or the Parthenon. There is some cross-
  over with Famous Places, but the site in this category 
  should always have a religious them, and preferably 
  related to the cult.
  SPELL LISTS
  SPELL LISTS
  Every cult which has access to arcane powers should 
  have a ﬁ xed spell list. You don’t need to detail the entire 
  list, especially if a single NPC with a limited repertoire 
  makes an appearance, but you should have a good idea 
  of the type of spells he can invoke.
  For instance, Thuggee priests of Kali are very unlikely 
  to have healing, but given they strangle victims, invis-
  ibility is probably on their list, as it enables hem to sneak 
  up on victims. As you’re deciding which spells to hand 
  out, think about the trappings as well.
  It is possible for cultists to use spells like healing 
  and light, but in pulp, you should really be concentrat-
  ing on making your villainous spellcasters as nasty a 
  possible.
  SPELL TRAPPINGS
  SPELL TRAPPINGS
  Not every pulp game needs a supernatural element 
  to be enjoyable, but when magic is included it should 
  be ﬂ avorsome. In Savage Worlds, trappings are how 
  the default spell names come alive.
  Generally, trappings don’t have any game mechan-
  ics. A ray of energy, biting swarm of spiders, or flying 
  dagger can all be trappings of the bolt spell and don’t 
  alter how the raw mechanics function. Of course, the 
  system is flexible enough that you can tinker with 
  the way spells function to produce new effects with 
  ease.
  Let’s look at an example. The blast spell is a vari-
  able result area effect power. Let’s assume the caster 
  worships a rat god. He could just ﬁ re off the spell in its 
  base form, with the trapping off a swarm of rats brieﬂ y 
  appearing and savaging everyone under the template. 
  Simple and yet ﬂ avorsome. 
  Alternatively, the trapping could change the way the 
  spell actually functions. Instead of a brief appearance, 
  the rat swarm is permanent until slain. In this case, 2 
  Power Points might equate to a Small Burst Template-
  sized swarm (Toughness 5), 4 Power Points a Medium 
  Burst Template swarm (Toughness 7), and 6 Power 
  Points a large Burst Template swam (Toughness 9).
  Now instead of doing 2-3d6 damage in a ﬂ ash, the 
  spell produces a foe which causes 2d4 damage every 
  round. It’s a more powerful version, but NPCs should 
  never be constrained by the rules.
  A second option is to use the base rules, but give 
  the spell a duration. Since blast is quite powerful, 
  giving it Duration 3 (2/r) wouldn’t be amiss. Again, 
  it’s still a big improvement over the original, but the 
  template doesn’t move, unlike with a swarm, so it can 
  be avoided, and the caster can be disrupted.
  At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong 
  way to alter spells. Our NPC spellcasters already break 
  the rules—most don’t have any Power Points, instead 
  having a ﬁ xed number of castings available in an en-
  counter—and we’ll be using variations of spells as best 
  ﬁ ts the adventure.
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31002
  31002
  $5.50
  $5.50
  When you ﬁ nd a dead body in your 
  house, especially one which belongs 
  to a notable explorer, you know it’s 
  not going to be an ordinary day. Web 
  of the Spider Cult takes the heroes 
  from the corridors and galleries of 
  the Boston Museum, to the bayou 
  of Louisiana, and onto the dark 
  jungles of Mexico. There, amid the 
  ruins of a centuries old temple, 
  the adventurers face their greatest 
  enemy so far in their extraordinary 
  adventures.
  As well as a complete adventure designed for four characters 
  (pregen characters are available from our website especially 
  designed for the Daring Tales of Adventure), Daring Tales #02 
  - Web of the Spider Cult also includes a special appendix for the 
  GM. Delving into cults and evil organizations, the appendix helps 
  uncover the mysteries of these malevolent groups and provides a 
  quick organization generator, allowing the GM to determine the 
  origin of the cult, it’s motive and methods, its leaders and their 
  henchmen, and their lairs with just a few rolls of the dice.
  Mayhem in mexico!
  Mayhem in mexico!
  will your hero be caught in a web?
  will your hero be caught in a web?
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31004
  31004
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK & LINDA PITMAN
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK & LINDA PITMAN
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  0303
  
  2
  The city of Alexandria, Egypt, was founded by Alexan-
  der the Great sometime around 331 BC. Its Lighthouse 
  was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, 
  while its fabled Library was one of the greatest centers of 
  learning ever devised.
  Founded by Pharaoh Ptolemy II, the Library quickly 
  grew, gathering texts from across the known world. In 
  48 BC, Julius Caesar was forced to torch his own ships 
  in the harbor at Alexandria. The ﬁ re spread through the 
  docks and ravaged parts of the Library. Although history 
  records the Library as surviving until the 8th century AD, 
  it was a pale imitation of its former glory.
  Fearful of further destruction and wary of some of the 
  knowledge being stored falling into the wrong hands, a 
  small group of scholars arranged for many of the most 
  important and dangerous texts to be smuggled out of the 
  city and placed in a secret location, deep in the desert. 
  The Library suffered attacks by Christian Roman emper-
  ors (and later, Muslim invaders), before ﬁ nally vanishing 
  from history.
  Only a handful of souls ever knew of the existence 
  of the secret library, but as bloodlines thinned so, too, 
  did its true location and secrets fade into mythology and 
  hearsay.
  During the First Crusade, a brotherhood of knights, 
  known as the Knights Templar, uncovered documents 
  in Jerusalem alluding to the secret library’s existence. 
  At great personal risk they journeyed into the deserts of 
  Egypt in search of the fabled building. Their quest was 
  successful, and the Templars dedicated their order to 
  preserving the secret knowledge.
  Unwilling to let the greatest treasure on Earth remain in 
  Muslim lands, the documents were smuggled back to south-
  ern France and placed in a vault beneath a Templar strong-
  hold. Here the texts remained until September, 1307.
  King Philip IV of France, who had learned of the ex-
  istence of “a great treasure (though he did not know its 
  true nature),” sought to take possession of the Templar 
  riches. In collusion with Pope Clement V, the king had 
  the Templars charged with heresy and arrested en masse. 
  Forewarned by a spy in the royal court, the Templars 
  hurriedly moved the treasure to a new location, one far 
  beyond the reach of the king or the Church. Thirteen 
  knights were given the sacred task of guarding the an-
  cient books.
  Many legends regarding the fabled “treasure of the 
  Templars” grew up as the centuries passed. Most told of 
  a fabulous haul of gold and silver from the ancient world. 
  A few even supposed the Templars were secret guardians 
  of the Grail or the Ark of the Covenant. Few scholars in 
  the 1930s take the stories seriously, however.
  But one erudite academic, Professor Hamilton Dickinson, 
  believed the stories must have had a kernel of truth. After 
  decades of research, he is close to discovering the truth, but 
  there are those who want the secret to remain hidden and 
  those who want the treasure for their own vile purposes.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 35 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: WASHINGTON D.C.
  ACT 1: WASHINGTON D.C.
  Our fearless heroes have been invited by Professor 
  Hamilton Dickinson, an old acquaintance, to attend a 
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  3
  lecture he is giving in Washington D.C. The adventure 
  begins as the heroes maneuver their car through the 
  Washington trafﬁ c.
  SCENE 1: TWO WHEELED CHAOS
  SCENE 1: TWO WHEELED CHAOS
  The decision to drive from Boston to Washington to 
  attend the lecture of your old acquaintance, Pro-
  fessor Dickinson, was a bad one. A quick glance at 
  your watches reveals the worst—you’re very late.
  The trafﬁ c clears enough for you to pull over to-
  ward the front of the hotel where the lecture is tak-
  ing place. It seems the lecture is already over, for 
  Professor Dickinson is standing on the sidewalk, 
  looking up and down the road impatiently.
  The old man’s eyesight must have improved since 
  you saw him last, for he spots the roadster. He 
  waves frantically and smiles broadly. In his right 
  hand he holds a small box, which he waves in 
  your direction.
  Your attempt to pull to a halt is rudely interrupted 
  by a motorcyclist, screaming past on the inside. 
  Helpless, you can only watch as he snatches the 
  box from the startled professor and guns off down 
  the street, weaving through the dense trafﬁ c.
  Professor Dickinson, his face ashen, points after 
  the bike and begins shouting, “Get the package! 
  Get the package! Meet me back here with it!”
  Run this scene as a Chase, using the additional Ob-
  stacles rules (p. 3). The motorbike begins at Medium 
  Range. The Range Increment is 5”. Using guns in a 
  crowded street is a bad idea—the heroes should be wary 
  of hitting innocent bystanders.
  Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack in the chase, 
  but it’s assumed he’s ﬂ ying at street level (because ﬂ ying 
  above the action is just not the way of pulp action.) If 
  he moves at his regular Pace, he suffers a –1 penalty to 
  Piloting rolls (because his Range Increment is only 1” 
  compared to the thugs’ 5”). Moving at twice his Pace 
  negates this, but burns more Power Points. Note that 
  regardless of the actual distance a Chase covers, you pay 
  Power Points per round of action, as normal.
  Heroes who elect to give chase on foot have a –1 pen-
  alty to the Agility for the same reason as above.
  The biker is a member of the modern Knights Tem-
  plar. The organization had been keeping an eye on the 
  professor, who was coming dangerously close to uncov-
  ering the secret they guard. An honorable group, they 
  seek only to rob the scholar of his research, not harm 
  innocents. As such, the Templar won’t use his pistol, but 
  he will draw his sword and have a go at the characters if 
  they move onto the same Range Increment. This requires 
  the use of the Parallel maneuver.
  On round two, two more motorbikes join the Chase. 
  These begin two Range Increments behind the charac-
  ters’ car. They draw separate action cards.
  Unlike the ﬁ rst biker, these are Nazis and they’re not 
  afraid to use their pistols. They want the box for their 
  own fell purposes. Although they’ll take a few shots at 
  the adventurers, they’re more interested in stopping the 
  Templar.
  Whatever happens, the heroes must end up with the 
  stolen package. This means any Out of Control rolls 
  which would cause the character to go out of the Chase 
  (Roll Over or Flip) should be altered to a Slip, Spin, or 
  Skid. The players don’t know if there are any modiﬁ ers 
  to the roll, so just make one up if the need arises. Should 
  the Templar be on the verge of getting away, simply have 
  him lose control of his bike. He makes his escape, but 
  he drops the package. Likewise, the Nazis cannot escape 
  with the box.
  The Templar, if caught, only knows that he has to 
  deliver the box to a post ofﬁ ce box. No amount of sur-
  veillance or information gathering will reveal the owner. 
  The Nazis are simply under orders to acquire the box 
  and wait for a phone call giving them further instruc-
  tions. Of course, they’re under covert surveillance, so 
  the call never comes.
   Templar Biker: As Modern Templar, page 18. 
   Nazi Bikers (2): As Nazi Pilot/Motorcyclist, page 19.
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10 (3); Crew: 1+2
  MOTORBIKES
  MOTORBIKES
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Due to the Washington trafﬁ c, the vehicles are counted 
  as moving half their Top Speed for the purposes of col-
  lisions. Collisions count as Extras, so damage rolls don’t 
  Ace against the heroes’ car.
  Deuce (–4) Fire Engine: A ﬁ re engine attending a 
  blaze comes thundering up the street, weaving through 
  the trafﬁ c right into the vehicle’s path! A failed roll causes 
  a collision with a hard obstacle moving 10” per round.
  Three (–2) Road Works: Trafﬁ c forces the vehicle 
  into a lane closed for road workers. The construction 
  workers leap clear, but there’s still the matter of the 
  wooden fencing blocking off the site! A failed roll causes 
  a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Four (–2) Garbage Bins: Garbage bins line the 
  sidewalk. The driver can elect to knock into them, scat-
  tering the bins and their contents behind his vehicle. 
  This requires a Driving roll at –2. Both the Templar 
  and the Nazis will use this tactic if ahead of the heroes’ 
  roadster.
  Success forces the next vehicle behind to make an im-
  mediate Driving roll at –2 or collide with a soft obstacle. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  4
  On a failure, the vehicle striking the bins suffers damage 
  with a soft obstacle, instead.
  Five (–2) Dangerous Drivers: A car pulls out right 
  into the path of the vehicle, forcing it to take evasive ac-
  tion. A failed Driving rolls means a collision with a soft 
  obstacle and the loss of one Range Increment, as the 
  vehicle reverses and maneuvers around the obstruction.
  Six (–2) Manhole Cover: For some reason, a man-
  hole cover elects to pop off, leaving a gaping hole in the 
  street. A failed Driving roll causes the vehicle to go Out 
  of Control.
  Seven (–2) The White Stuff: A milk tanker has sprung 
  a leak, making the road slippery. With a failed roll, the 
  vehicle goes Out of Control.
  Eight (–2) Laundry: A laundry line strung across the 
  street snaps. A failed roll means the laundry lands on the 
  windshield or driver’s face, causing the vehicle to go Out 
  of Control.
  Nine or Ten (0) Trafﬁ c Jam: Heavy trafﬁ c forces the 
  car onto the pavement, scattering pedestrians. Failure 
  has no additional effect beyond the vehicle making no 
  progress.
  Jack (0/–2) Let’s Off-Road: A nearby park makes 
  the perfect opportunity to cut a corner. Ask the heroes 
  if they want to stay on the road or take the shortcut. 
  The Templar only tries the shortcut if the characters are 
  within two Range Increments. The Nazis try the stunt if 
  the nearest enemy is more than three Range Increments 
  away.
  Success while taking the shortcut gives the vehicle an 
  extra Range Increment (so it gains 2 on a normal suc-
  cess). Failure causes the vehicle to go Out of Control.
  Avoiding the park doesn’t have any special effect.
  Queen (0) Shoot Out: Washington is obviously a 
  dangerous place—the Chase passes through a shoot out 
  between cops and bank robbers! A failed roll indicates 
  the vehicle drives through a barrage of hot lead. Roll 
  three d6. Each roll of 1 indicates a stray bullet has struck 
  the vehicle for 2d6 damage.
  King (0/–2) Crushed: Two trucks, one on either side 
  of the vehicle, decide to switch lanes toward each other 
  without checking their mirrors. Ask the heroes if they 
  want to brake hard or push forward. The Templar only 
  tries to go through the closing gap if the characters are 
  within two Range Increments. The Nazis try the stunt if 
  the nearest enemy is more than three Range Increments 
  away.
  Success when braking hard avoids scratching the 
  paintwork, but the vehicle drops automatically back two 
  Range Increments (regardless of the die roll). Failure 
  causes a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Failure while attempting to go through the rapidly 
  narrowing gap causes a collision with a hard obstacle.
  In both instance, the trucks are moving at 5”. Subtract 
  this from the vehicle’s speed in the event of a collision.
  Ace (0/–2) This is Crazy: A semi has jackknifed across 
  the road! Both the bikes and roadster can go under, but 
  it requires precision driving. Ask the heroes if they want 
  to go around or try to drive under. The Templar only 
  tries to go under if the characters are within two Range 
  Increments. The Nazis try the stunt if the nearest enemy 
  is more than three Range Increments away.
  Going around the truck doesn’t give a penalty, but the 
  vehicle moves one less Range Increment than normal. A 
  failure means it loses one Range Increment due to the 
  detour or waiting for the vehicle to move aside.
  Failure to drive under causes a collision with a sta-
  tionary hard obstacle. In the event of a Chassis Critical 
  Hit to the roadster, the roof is ripped off! This should 
  apply for cinematic reasons even if the damage is 
  Soaked.
  THE BOX RECOVERED
  THE BOX RECOVERED
  Curious characters have little choice but to open 
  the box. Inside is a pair of stone ﬁ ngers, carved as a 
  single piece, representing an extended index and 
  middle ﬁ nger. At the base, before the knuckle joint, is 
  a small, round, stone peg. It’s obvious the ﬁ ngers ﬁ t 
  into something. There are no markings beyond natural 
  weathering.
  Returning to the hotel, the characters see no sign 
  of Professor Dickinson. When they pull up, the hotel 
  doorman immediately rushes over to open the doors, 
  thinking the heroes are guests. If asked, he says he saw 
  Professor Dickinson get into a car along with two men 
  dressed in long, black coats who approached him on few 
  seconds earlier. The car, a black sedan, drove away to the 
  north (the opposite direction of the chase). There is no 
  chance of catching it.
   “Are you the Hardcastle party by any chance?” 
  the doorman asks, scratching his chin. “You are! 
  That’s great. I was speaking to the professor after 
  his lecture, when he came out to look for you. He 
  said that if he missed you, you were to go to his 
  house and remind yourself of the time you spent 
  in Paris. Guess you folks go back a bit.”
  As old friends of the eccentric scholar, the characters 
  know the whereabouts of his Washington home.
  SCENE 2: HIDDEN WORDS
  SCENE 2: HIDDEN WORDS
  Professor Dickinson lives in a small house outside 
  the city. No one is home, nor is there any sign of a 
  break-in.
  Among the stacks of papers, books, and worthless 
  artifacts inside is a photo of the heroes with the Profes-
  sor. This was taken a few years ago,  in France, when 
  the party accompanied him on a research expedition. 
  The doorman’s clue should enable the characters to ask 
  whether there are any souvenirs of that trip present. On 
  the chance they fail, prompt them through a Common 
  Knowledge roll.
  The picture is nothing special. Hopefully the charac-
  ters will dig deeper by removing it from its frame. Behind 
  the photo is a folded piece of paper.
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  5
  Dear friends,
  After years of research I am close to uncovering 
  the fabled treasure of the Templars. Some have 
  called me mad or crazy, but I know I am close 
  to the truth! Unfortunately, I feel my research has 
  not gone unnoticed. I believe I am being followed, 
  and my life is in danger. In the event anything 
  untoward happens to me before I can speak with 
  you, go to the auction house on Tuesday and bid 
  on Lot 1307. I believe it holds a vital clue!
  Your friend,
  Professor Hamilton Dickinson
  Today is Tuesday! A copy of the auction guide lies on 
  a nearby table. Lot 1307 is ringed in red pen and listed 
  as, “A small statuette of two knights onf a single horse, 
  possibly of Templar origin.” It has a starting bid of $50.
  The heroes aren’t exactly carrying a lot of money with 
  them, but Lady Amelia has an excellent credit reference 
  through her noble status. She’ll be able to have funds wired 
  to the auction house in the event the bidding gets high.
  SCENE 3: THAT’S YOUR LOT
  SCENE 3: THAT’S YOUR LOT
  The auction house is located in downtown Washing-
  ton. A popular place, the main auction room is crowded 
  by the time the characters arrive. A few minutes after they 
  take their seats Lot 1307 comes up for sale.
  The auctioneer has only just ﬁ nished announc-
  ing the lot when a voice from near the front calls 
  out, “$200!” The accent is unmistakably German. 
  Peering through the crowd, you spy a man with 
  menacing features in a long, leather coat and 
  wide-brimmed hat with his hand raised.
  Run the auction for a few minutes, with the heroes 
  bidding against the Nazis. The Nazis have beaten the 
  poor professor into revealing the existence of the auc-
  tion, hence they’re here. The Templars, despite their 
  contacts, failed to learn of the auction in time to make 
  an appearance.
  The German has only $1,500 at his disposal, whereas 
  Lady Amelia can run as high as $2,500 by tapping into 
  her next year’s allowance.
  The heroes must win the auction. Once they do, they 
  are expected to approach the front desk and pay before 
  receiving their item. As Lady Amelia arranges a credit 
  transfer, the group notices burly men standing in front 
  of every door out of the room, except one. Hopefully, 
  they’ll take the hint and head for the unguarded door. 
  Any member of staff can inform the characters the door 
  leads to the storage basement, but there is an emergency 
  exit into the alley. Likewise, asking someone if there is 
  any other way out of the building results in the same 
  information.
  The basement, actually a number of basements com-
  bined into one, is huge, measuring 24” to a side. Half the 
  ﬂ oor space is taken up with a maze of tall shelves holding 
  valuable objects. These require the party to take a long 
  route to reach the emergency door. Allow the characters 
  to move their normal Pace and then read the text below.
  Bursting through door come the goons you saw 
  above! Without pausing to admire the artifacts, 
  they raise their weapons and open ﬁ re!
  Deal action cards and let mayhem commence!
  Templemann is not a combatant, by nature. He’ll ﬁ re 
  a few shots while it’s safe to do so, but he quickly makes 
  a run for it (use the Recurring Villains rule if needed) as 
  soon as he becomes a target.
  Emergency Door: The rear door is locked. It can 
  be battered down (Toughness 10), or the lock can be 
  smashed (Toughness 8) or picked (Lockpicking at –2, 
  due to the haste required).
  Shelves: The shelves provide Medium Cover to targets 
  on the other side. Firing through two or more shelves 
  gives Heavy Cover. Any missed shots automatically de-
  stroy an artifact (see below). Each section of shelving is 
  2” wide and 1” high.
  Shelves can be tipped over. This requires a Strength 
  roll at –2. With success, the shelf falls either to the ﬂ oor 
  or lands against an adjacent shelf. Victims under the shelf 
  suffer 2d6 damage. The squares it covers are now treated 
  as difﬁ cult ground. On a raise, a shelf hitting another 
  shelf causes a domino effect. Shelves keep falling into 
  one another in a straight line, their contents smashing, 
  until a shelf either hits a wall or there is only empty ﬂ oor 
  adjacent.
  Props Galore: The storage room is stacked full of 
  breakable objects, such as vases, furniture, and paintings. 
  Any missed attack roll automatically destroys something. 
  This is purely for cinematic effect, but the GM should 
  take the time to add a little ﬂ avor text—just imagine the 
  scene is in a movie!
  Describe how a Ming vase shatters as a bullet hits 
  home, how a wild sword swing cuts through an 18th 
  century oil painting, splinters of wood ﬂ y from a Regency 
  period wardrobe as an SMG burst rips into it, and so 
  on.
  There are a few objects which can be used as weap-
  ons. These cause Str+d4 damage, can be thrown 3/6/12, 
  but give a –1 penalty to attack rolls.
  The Statuette: The statuette of the knights should 
  break during the ﬁ ght. This may be the result of a Soak 
  roll by the character carrying it (the ﬁ gurine takes the hit 
  instead of the hero) or perhaps the holder drops it if any 
  physical trait die comes up a 1, regardless of the Wild 
  Die. If all else fails, a missed shot smashes the artifact.
  When the statuette breaks, a small glass ball the size 
  of a marble rolls free and onto the ﬂ oor. Strangely, and 
  for cinematic purposes, it lands somewhere between the 
  heroes and the Nazis (it can roll under the shelves)!
  Detecting the tiny sphere requires a successful Notice 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  6
  roll as a free action. Of course, for the plot to succeed, 
  the characters have to be successful in retrieving it.
  Grabbing the tiny ball during the ﬁ ght requires 
  a Fighting roll at –4. On a failure, the ball is knocked 
  across the ﬂ oor by fumbling ﬁ ngers. Secretly roll 1d4” 
  for the number of inches it travels and a d8 for the direc-
  tion. Agree which direction is “1” and count clockwise 
  from there. Again, don’t reveal it’s location until a Notice 
  roll is made.
   Herr Templemann: See page 19.
   Nazis (2 + 2 per hero): See page 19. Two carry 
  SMGs and two are armed with pistols (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6) and knives (Str+d4).
  SCENE 4: IMAGES OF THE PAST
  SCENE 4: IMAGES OF THE PAST
  Upon reaching safety, the characters can study the 
  glass ball. A character that looks into it sees a very fuzzy 
  image inside. Placing the ball in front of a strong source 
  of light, such as a ﬂ ashlight or a cinema projector, causes 
  the image to be projected onto the nearest wall.
  “As if by magic, an image appears on the nearby 
  wall. The image appears to be a photograph, 
  though the statuette which contained the ball 
  is obviously of medieval origin. What ancient 
  knowledge could produce such an image?
  Portrayed is an image of a great temple. A row 
  of ibis-headed sphinxes stand on either side of a 
  stone path, leading to the massive pylon gates. 
  Between the pylons is the dark opening into the 
  sacred interior. In the background, atop a high 
  hill, are the ruins of a small tower.
  A Common Knowledge roll reveals the temple is 
  similar in design to those of Ptolemaic temples (the last 
  dynasty of Egypt and of Greek descent). However, the 
  character has never seen this particular ediﬁ ce in any 
  books. What he can identify, however, is the watchtower 
  on the hill. This, he knows, is an old Pharaonic fort that 
  lies far into the western desert of Egypt.
  Should this roll fail, an Investigation roll made at the 
  local library imparts the same information.
  ACT 2: EGYPT
  ACT 2: EGYPT
  It’s time to pack the sun cream and head across the 
  Atlantic to the land of the pharaohs. As usual, don’t wor-
  ry about the travel arrangements. Assume the characters 
  reload any weapons back to their starting ammunition 
  levels before they leave.
  SCENE 1: FRIENDS IN NEED
  SCENE 1: FRIENDS IN NEED
  Egypt, ancient land of the pharaohs, a realm of 
  towering pyramids and colossal statues. It’s also 
  a land of endless desert and blistering heat. But 
  those dangers don’t bother you, not ﬂ ying over the 
  sands in a hired plane. At least they didn’t until a 
  few moments ago!
  A sudden sandstorm has arisen and blanketed out 
  the horizon. It’s impossible to tell the land from the 
  sky. A red light begins blinking on the dashboard—
  the port engine has stalled—not a good sign. Brent 
  wrestles with the controls, but the plane is harder 
  to control than a bucking bronco.
  A second red light begins ﬂ ashing. From outside, 
  all you can hear is the sound of the wind—both 
  engines have stalled! She’s going down!
  The party has two choices—grab parachutes and bail out 
  or try to land the plane in a howling wind and zero visibility.
  Attempting a crash landing requires a Piloting roll at 
  –4. Success brings the plane down with a jolting impact, 
  but without any major harm to the passengers. Repairing 
  the engines requires a major overhaul—they’re choked 
  with sand. Failure is treated as normal.
  Parachuting requires an Agility roll to avoid taking 
  2d6 damage, as if from an Extra, due to a hard landing. 
  As the last character touches down, the airplane, spin-
  ning wildly, impacts into the sand and explodes, sending 
  a plume of smoke high into the sky.
  Whether the plane landed or the heroes bailed out, 
  they’re short of water (the impact smashed the spare wa-
  ter bottles). They carry enough water in their personal 
  canteens for a day each, and that’s with strict rationing. 
  Worse still, they don’t have a radio (the plane didn’t have 
  one installed).
  The only option is to head toward the temple, which 
  the characters estimate is two days away, and pray they 
  ﬁ nd an oasis or Bedouin camp.
  WATER
  WATER
  Two days of relentless heat during the day and 
  freezing nights have taken their toll on your bod-
  ies. Your lips are baked from lack of water, your 
  skin is lobster-red, and your clothes are drenched 
  with sweat.
  Reaching the top of yet another sand dune, you 
  are met by a wondrous sight—an oasis. The small 
  pool glitters like a lake of diamonds, and a lone 
  date palm, ripe with succulent fruit, sways gently 
  in the breeze.
  Give the heroes chance to drink, maybe grab a few 
  dates, and enjoy the cool shade. Then carry on with the 
  following text.
  You aware you are not alone! Looking up, you spy 
  a dozen camel-mounted nomads sat on the crest 
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  7
  of the nearest dune, their long riﬂ es cradled in 
  their arms. Long scarves cover their faces save for 
  their eyes, which look rather menacing.
  One of the riders, apparently a young man but 
  one with authority, urges his camel forward. “You 
  have not asked permission to drink our water,” 
  he snarls in Arabic. “You must come with us to 
  meet our chief. He will decide your fate. Hand 
  over your weapons.”
  The nomads don’t want a ﬁ ght. They are observant 
  enough to spot the party’s lack of water canteens and 
  provisions. If the heroes refuse (even knowing Professor 
  Dickinson’s life may be in peril) to comply, the nomads 
  simply ride off. They return each day there after and re-
  peat the message. Sooner or later the heroes will decide 
  facing the chief is the least of their problems and sur-
  render.
  THE CHIEF
  THE CHIEF
  The nomads escort the characters back to their camp. 
  They don’t offer camels to the strangers, but do share 
  their food and water. Neither do the nomads have any 
  desire to engage in small talk. Any questions are met 
  with stony silence or the simple reply, “The chief will 
  speak with you.”
  After a day’s march, the troupe reaches a larger oa-
  sis. Brightly colored tents surround the water, pots of 
  bubbling liquid hang over campﬁ res, and all around the 
  nomads watch silently as the characters are lead to the 
  largest tent.
  Inside, on a pile of silk cushions, sits a well-built 
  man in his mid-40s. He wears traditional Bedouin 
  dress and carries a scimitar in his belt. Knelt 
  beside him is an attractive girl in her late teens, 
  her face only partly covered by a thin veil. As you 
  enter, the man dismisses the girl, who slinks off 
  behind a partition, though not before giving a 
  quick smile at someone in the party.
  The nomad who led you here speaks with his 
  chief, telling the story of how you were found at 
  the oasis. After the nomad has ﬁ nished, the chief 
  orders him to sit at his right hand.
  “Well,” the chief says to you in perfect English, “it 
  seems you’ve run into a spot of bother, what? Care 
  for a cup of coffee while you tell me your side of 
  the story? My brother, Jusef,” he gestures to the 
  nomad at his side, “can be a frightful bit rude. 
  Please forgive him.”
  The chief, Ismail ibn-Gazi, was educated in English 
  public schools from the age of ﬁ ve. As a result, he’s more 
  upper-class gent than Bedouin nomad. Play him with a 
  posh English accent and slightly eccentric mannerisms.
  Ismail orders refreshments for the group. Pots of 
  thick, steaming coffee, plates of dates and honey-dipped 
  nuts, bowls of rice, and slices of cold lamb wrapped in 
  ﬂ atbread are soon arranged in front of the thirsty and 
  hungry characters.
  The chief listens intently to their story. He’ll ask a 
  few pertinent questions as required, but it’s assumed 
  the heroes (being pulp heroes) tell the true story in de-
  tail—they have nothing to lose.
  “On yes, I know the fort. I’ve never heard of a tem-
  ple in that region, but the sands conceal many 
  secrets. Still, probably best to warn you that my 
  people believe the area is cursed—genies and that 
  sort of thing.
  “According to our legends, one of the Caliphs of 
  Egypt sent an expedition of 1,000 men to these 
  parts, but none ever returned. Napoleon, you 
  know, that French general, sent 2,000 men to ﬁ nd 
  some buried treasure. Tales have been passed 
  down that the desert rose to swallow them with-
  out a trace.
  “Bit too superstitious for my blood, but where 
  there’s smoke there’s ﬁ re, eh? I do believe the local 
  tribe is rather barbaric as well. No love of outsid-
  ers, especially Americans.
  “Tell you what, you stay here for the night and get 
  a good rest, and in the morning, I’ll have Jusef and 
  a few chappies guide you to the fort. It might help 
  to have them around if the locals decide to make 
  an appearance, as well. That okay with you?”
  Characters who want to engage in a bit of small talk 
  should feel free to do so. Ismail studied politics and Mid-
  dle Eastern history at Oxford College, played rugby for 
  the college, and met his wife there. She died of disease 
  a few years ago. His daughter, Fatima, was the attractive 
  girl present when the party entered the tent.
  If you want to add a light-hearted interlude before 
  the next scene, have Fatima make an appearance during 
  the evening. She begins making eyes at Brent and asking 
  questions about his life. That should stir up some inter-
  party roleplaying.
  SCENE 2: STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
  SCENE 2: STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
  After saying farewell to Ismail the next morning, the 
  characters, Jusef, and half a dozen Bedouin head into the 
  desert. Two days later, they reach the old fort, perched on 
  a hill overlooking an endless expanse of barren sand. It’s 
  late afternoon when the party ﬁ nally steps foot inside.
  The Bedouin set up camp, giving the adventurers a 
  chance for brief exploration. The fort shows signs of its 
  Pharaonic origins, but much of the surviving structure 
  dates from the early Muslim period. There are no hidden 
  passages or secret rooms. The gatehouse has no gates, so 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  8
  barring the entrance is impossible. Much of the interior 
  is rubble-choked, making the courtyard the only viable 
  spot for a camp.
  LIGHTING UP THE SKY
  LIGHTING UP THE SKY
  In the middle of the night, the adventurers are awo-
  ken by the sounds of shouting. One of the Bedouin tents 
  is on ﬁ re. A hero on guard duty spots the blaze, but it 
  takes hold quickly and is soon lighting up the night sky. 
  Fortunately, no one was in the tent, but most of the sup-
  plies are now crispy. None of the Bedouin know how it 
  started.
  Jusef is the culprit. Resentful of his brother’s popular-
  ity, he struck a deal with Nazi agents several years ago. 
  He feeds them information on lost temples and rumors 
  of artifacts, and in return they have promised to help him 
  become chief in the future. The sneaky ﬁ ends alerted all 
  their agents across the globe after the auction house 
  debacle.
  Using a concealed radio, the traitorous Bedouin in-
  formed the local Gestapo about the Americans and their 
  story of lost treasure. Jusef’s tent ﬁ re, which is visible for 
  miles, is a beacon to guide the Germans (who have an 
  airplane) to the heroes.
  RIDERS IN THE DARK
  RIDERS IN THE DARK
  Unfortunately, the ﬁ re has also alerted the local 
  Bedouin tribe to the presence of trespassers. Within the 
  hour, a band of nomads, mounted on camels, thunders 
  into the camp. Time to deal action cards!
  The nomads begin by ﬁ ring their muskets, but switch 
  to scimitars afterward—they don’t waste time reload-
  ing. The heroes supposed allies don’t provide any sup-
  port—as soon as the ﬁ ghting begins, they mount up and 
  ride off at full pelt. Jusef has done his bit for the Nazis 
  and wants to live to become chief, and his men aren’t 
  very brave.
  The courtyard measures 8” wide and 12” long. The 
  gatehouse, through which the attackers ride, is 2” wide 
  and located in the center of the eastern wall. The GM 
  should place a few piles of stone and one or two pillars to 
  give the characters some Cover and scenery they can use.
  Two campﬁ res provide good lighting in a 
  Medium Burst Template. At double this dis-
  tance the lighting is Dim (–1). Beyond this 
  the lighting is Dark (–2) due to a clear sky.
  Although dedicated to protecting the 
  temple site, the Bedouin aren’t suicidal. 
  Once they are reduced to two riders, their 
  morale fails, and they try to escape. Before 
  they leave, one shouts back, “You shall be 
  cursed, come morning!”
   Hostile Bedouin (2 per hero): See 
  page 19.
  SCENE 3: HISTORY IS SILENT
  SCENE 3: HISTORY IS SILENT
  The sun breaks the eastern horizon, its 
  vast, shimmering globe marking the 
  start of another day. Across the east 
  you notice the sand has picked up into 
  a miniature cloud, hovering just above 
  the surface. Then the sand begins to 
  bubble and boil!
  Suddenly the top of a pillar emerges from 
  beneath the surface, then another, and an-
  other! Walls, broken and cracked, become 
  visible, seeming to shake off the grains as 
  a waking sleeper shakes his head to clear 
  it of the last residues of sleep.
  As you watch in wonderment, an enor-
  mous, ruined temple surrounded by 
  trees rises from the endless sand!
  Reaching the temple takes an hour. The 
  structure covers a large area, but there is 
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  9
  little of interest—the hieroglyphs are faded beyond rec-
  ognition, and the few buildings are empty.
  Have the characters make Notice rolls. Whoever rolls 
  the highest (even if it’s a failure) discovers a faint engrav-
  ing resembling two men on a single mount scratched on 
  one of the blocks. Templars scratched this many centuries 
  ago to highlight the entrance to the secret library (it took 
  more than one expedition to remove the contents).
  Removing the stones reveals a staircase descending 
  into eerie darkness. The sound of running water can be 
  clearly heard.
  After what seems like an eternity, the stairs end. 
  As you step forward, a vast chamber is brilliantly 
  illuminated, your torchlight reﬂ ecting off a highly 
  polished golden ceiling and ampliﬁ ed by concave 
  indentations of silver in the walls.
  Before you, lies a huge chamber. A dozen wide 
  pillars of Egyptian design stretch up like colossal 
  ﬁ ngers, supporting the gilded ceiling. Carved into 
  the chamber walls, are many niches, each con-
  taining a plain stone sarcophagus.
  Against the far wall is a towering statue of an ibis-
  headed man—Thoth, the Egyptian god of knowl-
  edge. At its feet, stands a small, golden box.
  Running through the center of the chamber is a 
  river, its dark, fast-running waters sparkling in 
  the light.
  Standing on both sides of the river are tall, stone 
  shelves, dozens and dozens of them. It’s hard to 
  tell the ones on the far side of the chamber, but 
  they appear empty. Perhaps the treasure has al-
  ready been stolen?
  Looking down, you see an inscription carved into 
  the ﬂ oor. Jimmy quickly translates it—it reads, 
  “Let the Returned Eye be your passage to safety.”
  BATTLEFIELD TERRAIN
  BATTLEFIELD TERRAIN
  Chamber: The chamber measures 24” long and 16” 
  wide. The stairs emerge in the southeast corner.
  Gold Box: The gold box is not locked. Inside is a 
  piece of parchment, the contents of which are revealed 
  on page 10.
  Pillars: A dozen pillars, each 1” wide, support the 
  ceiling at irregular intervals. At least two stand in the 
  river. Characters cannot move through squares contain-
  ing a pillar.
  River: Treat movement through it as difﬁ cult ground. 
  The water is dark enough to conceal anything beneath 
  the surface. Several shelves lie in the water, a clear indi-
  cation the watercourse was not here when the chamber 
  was carved.
  Shelves: Each section of shelves is 2” wide and 3” 
  high. These can be tipped over like the ones in the auc-
  tion room basement (page 5). They also provide Cover 
  (and are impenetrable to weapons). Climbing a book-
  shelf counts as difﬁ cult ground.
  Sarcophagi: The stone sarcophagi cannot be opened, 
  at least not from outside. For game purposes, they are 
  immune to damage.
  THE GUARDIAN AWAKES
  THE GUARDIAN AWAKES
  The ﬁ rst adventurer to cross more than halfway across 
  the river awakens an ancient guardian. Stop the game at 
  this point and read the following text.
  The water isn’t particularly deep, but it’s darn 
  cold. Without warning the water nearby erupts in 
  a seething, boiling plume. Shooting out from the 
  dark surface is a gigantic serpent, its skin glitter-
  ing like metal. Long, sharp spines protrude from 
  its body. With horror, you see skeletons stuck to 
  the spines—knights of old in rusted chain armor.
  The serpent casts its baleful gaze upon you, its 
  one eye a sickly shade of glowing green. The other 
  socket is dark and empty.
  With lightning reﬂ exes it lunges toward you!
  Have the heroes check for Surprise, then deal action 
  cards as necessary. The guardian begins on Hold. The 
  serpent does not have to be defeated in combat. Plac-
  ing the glass ball in its vacant socket causes the creature 
  to retreat back beneath the water. A character on the 
  serpent’s head can perform this with a Called Shot (–4) 
  Fighting roll. The hard part is getting onto the head!
  Leaping onto the serpent’s back simply requires an 
  adjacent hero to make a successful Fighting roll as an 
  action. Jumping onto the head can be achieved one of 
  three ways.
  First, the character must go on Hold, wait until the 
  serpent attacks him, successfully interrupt, and then suc-
  ceed in a Called Shot to the head on a Fighting roll.
  Second, the character can leap from a bookshelf. 
  Again, this requires a Called Shot, but the character 
  can be up to 2” away (although this distance requires 
  a Strength roll as normal). Attacks made by the serpent 
  against a rider are made at an additional –2.
  Third, a hero on the beast’s back can try to climb up 
  to the head. This requires an Agility roll as an action.
  The creature makes an opposed Strength roll each 
  round as a free action. With success, the rider is dis-
  lodged. He lands on his feet adjacent to the beast. On a 
  raise, the unfortunate jockey is prone and Shaken.
  A hero on the ground must go on Hold as above. 
  His Called Shot penalty is –6, since he doesn’t have the 
  luxury of being able to feel around for the socket. Alter-
  nately, the sphere can be thrown or ﬁ red from Jimmy’s 
  catapult (both at –6), but a missed shot causes it to scat-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  1010
  ter as an area effect weapon. Should the ball land in the 
  water, it requires an action and a Notice roll at –4 from 
  an adjacent character to retrieve it.
   Serpent of Set: See page 20.
  THE GOLD BOX
  THE GOLD BOX
  The parchment reads as below.
  Let it be known that in this, the 1214th year of 
  our Lord, I, Raymond de Savoir, Knight Templar 
  in good standing, oversaw the removal of the last 
  treasure from this sacred place. In keeping with 
  the instructions of my forbearers, it was deemed 
  this treasure was too great for mankind and thus 
  has been taken for safekeeping to the Castle of 
  Our Lady of Mercy in the land of France. This tes-
  tament I do swear, in the name of our Lord.
  SCENE 4: NEW FOES, OLD FOES
  SCENE 4: NEW FOES, OLD FOES
  While the characters are having fun with the giant 
  snake, the Nazis, alerted by Jusef’s ﬁ re, have arrived on the 
  scene. They quickly locate the entrance to the stairwell.
  They arrive at the base of the stairs immediately after 
  the characters read the parchment or, if they decide to 
  take the box without opening it, before the party crosses 
  the river to escape. Being typical goons, they open ﬁ re 
  on the characters without giving fair warning.
  Deal action cards. The serpent doesn’t make a return 
  appearance, but some new guardians, alerted by the gen-
  eral nastiness of the Nazis, decide to join the fray.
  At the start of round 2, the sarcophagus’ lids explode 
  outward at the beginning of the round (before action 
  cards are dealt). Shambling out from eight of them are 
  ibis-headed mummies! The mummies consider everyone 
  in the temple an enemy. They head for the nearest living 
  creature and attack.
  Joker: The ﬁ rst time a Joker is drawn, the underground 
  river running adjacent to the temple ﬁ nally breaks through 
  the wall. A torrent of water surges into the cavern from the 
  eastern wall. Anyone standing in the river when the wall 
  breaks must make a Strength roll at –2 or be swept 1d6” in 
  the direction of the water and knocked prone.
  The surge knocks down the two pillars in the water-
  course, causing part of the ceiling to collapse. Place a 
  Medium Burst Template centered on each pillar. Anyone 
  beneath the template must make an Agility roll at –2 (–4 
  if prone) or suffer 2d6+2 damage from the masonry (as 
  if from an Extra). Fallen masonry remains on the battle-
  ﬁ eld and is treated as difﬁ cult ground.
  Crossing the river, as opposed to using the collapsed 
  masonry or any toppled shelves as a bridge, requires a 
  Strength roll (–2 if the person runs) to avoid being swept 
  1d6” and knocked prone.
  Trying to stand in the deluge requires a Strength roll 
  as a free action. A failure means the hero can only crawl 
  this round (and it’s still difﬁ cult ground).
  Count the remaining pillars each time a Joker is 
  drawn from hereon and roll the nearest available die. 
  Place a Medium Burst Template over the indicated pillar 
  as above. If both Jokers are drawn in the same round, 
  two pillars collapse.
   Herr Templemann: See page 19.
   Nazis (3 per hero): See page 19.
   Ibis-Headed Mummies (8): See page 19.
  A WATERY GRAVE
  A WATERY GRAVE
  Water laps at your heels as your rush headlong up 
  the stairs. Sounds of bubbling water and crash-
  ing masonry echo up the stairwell as the ancient 
  temple succumbs to the power of nature. A brief 
  pause for breath at the top of the stairs is swiftly 
  cut short—the water doesn’t stop rising!
  Your lungs burn as you sprint through the ruins, 
  which are beginning to collapse. Finally you clear 
  the temple area. Looking back, you see the desert 
  sand is rapidly turning to bubbling quicksand. 
  Walls, which have stood for millennia, begin to 
  crumble, and pillars topple. Within minutes all that 
  remains is a dark mass of rubble and swampland.
  Luckily for the heroes, the Nazis parked their truck 
  outside the temple. It’s even got enough gas, water, and 
  food to last the drive back to civilization!
  Have the characters make Investigation or Knowledge 
  (History) rolls (it’s assumed these are made back in Cai-
  ro). Success reveals the location of the Templar castle in 
  question. Otherwise, the characters learn of the location 
  from a tourist book when they arrive in France.
  ACT 3: SOUTHERN FRANCE
  ACT 3: SOUTHERN FRANCE
  After escaping Nazis and a collapsing temple, the he-
  roes head to Europe. Draw the red line on the map to 
  any point in southern France. On arriving, the characters 
  hire a car and quickly head off into the hills in search of 
  treasure. Any spent ammunition is recovered.
  SCENE 1: A TWO-FINGERED GESTURE
  SCENE 1: A TWO-FINGERED GESTURE
  Badly damaged by the elements, war, and inept 
  archaeologists, the castle nonetheless remains an 
  imposing monument of older days. It seems hard 
  to imagine that the fabled treasure of the Templars 
  could lie here somewhere, in a castle now open to 
  tourists, but the manuscript was quite speciﬁ c.
  After exploring the surface, you head down a 
  ﬂ ight of stairs into the sub-chambers.
  Descending deeper, you suddenly reach a dead 
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  1111
  end. Brushing away cobwebs and dust, you ﬁ nd 
  an indentation in one of the stones—an indenta-
  tion vaguely shaped like a pair of ﬁ ngers.
  The dead end is actually a secret door. Placing the 
  stone ﬁ ngers in the indentation causes part of the wall to 
  swing inward, revealing a long, dark corridor.
  Ahead, at the end of a long corridor ﬂ anked by 
  badly defaced statues of knights, you spy a lone 
  statue, possibly of a saint. Its right hand is raised, 
  perhaps in blessing, three ﬁ ngers curled inward 
  and the index and middle ﬁ nger…missing!
  The unmistakable sound of stone grating on stone 
  reverberates down the corridor. Four statues, their 
  stone swords held aloft, stagger ungainly from the 
  most distant alcoves and advance in formation!
  The corridor is 14” long and 4” wide. The foot of the 
  stairs is at one end and the ﬁ ngerless statue at the other. 
  Spaced every other inch along the walls are tall alcoves, 
  each holding a statue of a knight. The guardians occupy 
  the middle pairs of alcoves.
   Animated Statues (1 per hero): See page 19.
  THE BLESSING COMPLETE
  THE BLESSING COMPLETE
  Once the guardians are defeated, the heroes can ap-
  proach the statue. A Latin inscription carved on the base 
  reads: “My blessing will point the way.”
  The ﬁ ngers easily insert into a small hole just above 
  the knuckles, but nothing untoward happens. Careful 
  inspection of the statue’s hand reveals the two knuckles 
  below the ﬁ ngers are hinged. Pulling the ﬁ ngers down-
  ward causes a section of wall to slide open. Behind the 
  wall is another set of stairs.
  Unfortunately, there is no way to shut the wall be-
  hind the party—removing the ﬁ ngers from the statue 
  causes the portal to seal shut before any hero can leap 
  through.
  SCENE 2: VOICES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT
  SCENE 2: VOICES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT
  The stairs emerge in a vaulted crypt. Rows of 
  stone efﬁ gies mark the ﬁ nal resting place of fallen 
  knights. Each efﬁ gy shows the knight, clad in 
  armor, his sword by his side, with hands clasped 
  together in prayer.
  Let the party examine the graves as they wish. Three 
  are slightly different from the others.
  The ﬁ rst has the knight not with his hands in prayer, 
  but grasping a stone cup (the Holy Grail). The second 
  has the knight resting his head on a large box topped 
  with two cherubim (the Ark of the Covenant). GMs are 
  free to create their own clues within the sepulchers if 
  they want to use these relics in a future adventure of 
  their own devising. The third knight holds in his hand, a 
  scroll engraved with an ibis—this is the one the heroes 
  need.
  Inside is a skeleton clad in rusted chain armor. Around 
  its neck is a silver medallion engraved with the image of 
  two knights on a single horse, against the backdrop of a 
  mountain peak. Encourage the heroes to take this if they 
  appear apprehensive. On the back of the disc, in Latin, 
  is a message.
  My brethren have gone to the land of ﬁ re and ice, 
  but this secret I take to the grave. While my breth-
  ren sailed away, I was left to guard the key to the 
  great secret. I have done my duty. May God accept 
  me into his grace. Amen.
  The “land of ﬁ re and ice” refers to Iceland, renowned 
  for its volcanic activity and glaciers. Allow the characters 
  a Common Knowledge roll to deduce this. On a failure, 
  they can use Investigation once they get back to a town 
  or city.
  FRIEND OR FOE?
  FRIEND OR FOE?
  A single pistol shot rings out once the characters have 
  ﬁ nished reading the back of the medallion. Standing by 
  the stairs are a dozen men armed with pistols.
  One of the men steps forward. “Nazi devils!” he spits. 
  “Always trying to steal what is not rightfully yours. 
  Make peace with whatever gods you have, but prepare 
  to face God’s judgment.”
  This is the characters cue not to start ﬁ ring, but to 
  parley with the man, Pierre de Molay, a commander in 
  the modern Templars. Should the heroes decide ﬁ sts and 
  bullets are more powerful than words, the Templars will 
  defend themselves with lethal force (as they assume the 
  treasure seekers are Nazis).
  De Molay listens to the characters’ story in silence. 
  He already knows about Professor Dickinson’s kidnap-
  ping and has learned of the existence of the statuette. 
  However, he is ignorant about the glass ball and temple 
  in Egypt.
  Assuming the heroes are honest and forthright, de 
  Molay orders his men to holster their weapons. Any hint 
  of deception, and he orders them to attack. His decision 
  is all down to the characters.
  “I apologize for threatening you,” the man says, 
  walking forward and extending a hand in friend-
  ship. “I am Pierre de Molay, a commander in 
  the Templars. Yes, you heard right, the Knights 
  Templar. History records my order as having been 
  abolished, but there is much of the past that has 
  never been recorded.
  “The order is small, but our goal remains the 
  same—to protect the Templar treasure from those 
  who do not deserve to possess it. Alas, I cannot 
  tell you what the treasure is, nor where it can 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  1212
  be found. Some secrets have a way of remaining 
  secret.
  “What I can tell you is this—the Nazis must never 
  be allowed to ﬁ nd it. Your friend, Professor Dick-
  inson, is at this very minute on a train bound for 
  Berlin. The Nazis will not care if he does not know 
  the location of the treasure—they will torture him 
  regardless.
  “I have no doubt you will continue in your quest 
  to ﬁ nd the treasure. Perhaps the time has come for 
  it to be found by men, and women, of good heart. 
  I wish you luck and hope, when the time comes, 
  you will make the right decision.
  “Now we should leave. The Nazis have spies eve-
  rywhere and our presence may already have been 
  reported.”
  De Molay then gestures toward the exit. There’s noth-
  ing left here for the characters, so hopefully they’ll fol-
  low the Templars out.
   Pierre de Molay, Templar Com-
  mander: See page 18.
   Modern Templars (2 per hero): See 
  page 18.
  SCENE 3: MY BEAUTIFUL BALLOON
  SCENE 3: MY BEAUTIFUL BALLOON
  The castle courtyard is quiet, perhaps 
  a little too quiet. That proves to be the 
  case when a squad of Nazi soldiers ap-
  pears atop the ruins, their guns pointed 
  down at you. Floating into view, above 
  the battlements to which it is tethered, 
  is a zeppelin.
  “Hello Americans!” an ofﬁ cer shouts. 
  “The Third Reich thanks you for retriev-
  ing whatever clue was down in the 
  cellars. Do not worry about surrender-
  ing. We’ll take what we need from your 
  corpses! Open ﬁ re!”
  Deal action cards. Divide the Templars 
  up among the players to control, and hand 
  out Ally Sheets. Let the players decide who 
  gets to run de Molay.
  The courtyard measures 10” to a side 
  and it littered with broken walls and arch-
  ways the characters can use for Cover. The 
  Nazis are 3” above the ground, standing 
  on ruined walls. Any soldier Shaken must 
  make an Agility roll or fall to his death.
  The zeppelin plays no part in the ﬁ ght. It 
  can’t escape because it’s securely tethered 
  to the battlements. Should the heroes start ﬁ ring at it or 
  attempt to cut the mooring lines, de Molay shouts out, 
  “Stop! Stop! We can use that to rescue the Professor! We’ll 
  board her after we ﬁ nish with this lot!”
   Pierre de Molay, Templar Commander: See page 18.
   Modern Templars (2 per hero): See page 18.
   Nazis Ofﬁ cer: Henchman Nazi soldier (p. 19) but 
  armed with a pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6)
   Nazis (4 per hero): See page 19.
  UP. UP, AND AWAY
  UP. UP, AND AWAY
  The zeppelin crew begins waving white ﬂ ags from the 
  gondola windows once the soldiers are slain. They have 
  no particular desire to follow their comrades to an early 
  grave.
  De Molay, assuming he survived, orders his men to 
  take the Nazis prisoners and hold them for 48 hours. He 
  plans to accompany the heroes and provide navigation 
  information to ensure the zeppelin catches up with the 
  Professor’s train before it enters Germany.
  In true pulp style, things never go smoothly. An hour 
  into the ﬂ ight, three German ﬁ ghters swoop out of the 
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  1313
  clouds, guns blazing. (After failing to hear a report from 
  the castle, the Nazis assume the worst and decide to take 
  down their own zeppelin.)
  Run this battle using the regular Chase rules. The zep-
  pelin is at Long range and each Range Increment equates 
  to 10”. Deal each Nazi his own action card.
  There are no Obstacles, but on a Club suit card the 
  pilot must make a Piloting roll to avoid crosswinds, 
  unexpected thermals, the occasional unlucky bird, and 
  such like. Failure gives the pilot a –2 penalty to his next 
  Piloting roll and the vehicle drops back one Range Incre-
  ment.
  Special Rules: Since the Wild Cards are in a vehicle, 
  damage caused by Extras doesn’t Ace. Chassis Critical 
  Hits are assumed to strike the envelope. This has no ef-
  fect in play, but the heroes will notice a drop in altitude.
  As this a pulp game, ignore the Speed Kills rule—the 
  focus should be on two-ﬁ sted action and daring stunts, 
  not realism.
   Nazi Pilots (2): See page 19.
  ZEPPELIN
  ZEPPELIN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/120; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 
  1+10 (in combat)
  Notes: Only one weapon per round may ﬁ re at an indi-
  vidual target.
  Weapons:
  * 1 x MG34, left gondola (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3)
  * 1 x MG34, right gondola (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3)
  FIGHTERS (3)
  FIGHTERS (3)
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/180; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 4 x machineguns (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d8+2, 
  ROF 3)
  SCENE 4: TICKET TO RIDE
  SCENE 4: TICKET TO RIDE
  Minutes after the last plane nose dives into French 
  soil, the train comes into view. De Molay informs the 
  adventurers there are no more stops before the Ger-
  man border. If the characters don’t come up with the 
  daring plan to lower themselves onto the train by rope, 
  the Templar suggests it. He’s a competent pilot and can 
  maneuver the zeppelin into position.
  Have the heroes make Agility rolls. With success, they 
  drop onto the rear carriage of the train. Failure causes 
  them to fall prone. A critical failure means they are prone 
  and Shaken.
  No sooner have the heroes landed then Nazis begin 
  climbing out of the windows onto the roof. There are 
  a total number of goons equal to three per hero. Each 
  round, before action cards are dealt, roll 1d4+2 for the 
  number of soldiers making an appearance. Spread these 
  as equally as possible along the train, beginning with the 
  rear carriage. Climbing onto the roof counts as an action, 
  but doesn’t take any movement.
  Deal one action card for each carriage—all the Nazis 
  who begin the round on that carriage use that action 
  card. This prevents all the Nazis going at the same time 
  and breaks up the ﬂ ow of the combat more equally.
  Falling Off: Any character Shaken or wounded must 
  make an Agility roll as a free action. With success, they 
  remain on the train. Extras who fail fall from the train to 
  their deaths. Wild Cards are left dangling by one hand 
  as the train thunders through the countryside. Climb-
  ing back onto the roof requires a Strength roll as an 
  action.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  Rail Cars: The train comprises an engine, a coal car, 
  and two cars. Each car is 8” long, the coal car is 3” long, 
  and the engine is 6” long. All are 2” wide.
  Separating a car from the train requires a character to 
  drop into the gap (2” of movement) and make a Strength 
  roll as an action. With success, the car separates from 
  the train. At the start of the next round it drops back 
  1” from the compartment to which it was attached (so 
  the gap between them is 2”). The distance widens to 3” 
  on the round after. After this the gap is too far to jump, 
  though someone with a pair of rocket boots could clear 
  the gap.
  The Professor is in the passenger car nearest the coal 
  cart, so the heroes should feel free to release the other 
  cars. Any Nazis who crawl onto the roofs of these cars are 
  out of sight (thanks to a handy bend in the track) on the 
  third round after their carriage is set free.
  Movement: Movement on top of the train counts as 
  difﬁ cult ground if a hero is standing, due to the buffeting 
  winds. The swaying motion and constant wind means 
  the train counts as an Unsteady Platform.
  The gap between cars is 1”. Leaping from car to car 
  on a stationary train is fairly easy. On a moving train, it 
  requires an Agility roll unless the character makes a run-
  ning jump of at least 2”. Failure causes the jumper to fall, 
  as noted above.
  HAZARDS & SCENERY
  HAZARDS & SCENERY
  Fighting atop a moving train can be very cinematic, 
  but at the same time it’s also rather mundane. To spice 
  up the ﬁ ght, there are a number of hazards and obsta-
  cles. Check the table below whenever a deuce is dealt as 
  a character’s ﬁ rst action card (so Level Headed heroes 
  aren’t affected more than others and Quick characters 
  aren’t immune). Yep, lots of things can occur in the same 
  round if multiple deuces are dealt!
  Suit 
  Result
  Club 
  Overhang: A water hose or tree branch is 
  hanging over the train. A hero who uses 
  the overhang to perform a successful Agility 
  Trick, can either move up to 6” toward the 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  1414
  rear of the train for free (it doesn’t count 
  against his Pace for the round) or make a 
  free Fighting roll (no multi action penalty) 
  as if he had the Sweep Edge against all 
  adjacent foes, as part of the Trick. Shaken 
  foes are simply left stunned at the charac-
  ter’s audacity and pluck.
  Diamond 
  Duck: The train rounds a bend and speeds 
  into a tunnel, under trees, or beneath a 
  low bridge. Have every person atop the 
  train make an Agility roll (grab a handful of 
  dice for the Nazis—a Group roll is no fun 
  in this event).
   
  With success, the character is placed prone. 
  Failure causes the character to suffer 2d6 
  damage and be knocked 1d6” toward the 
  rear of the train. Survivors are automatical-
  ly prone. Any Extra carried over the back of 
  the train dies. Wild Cards are left hanging 
  by one hand. Climbing back onto the train 
  requires a Strength roll and takes an action.
  Heart 
  Wild Gunﬁ re: Someone inside the train 
  opens ﬁ re with an automatic weapon. 
  Roll a d6 for each person on the car of the 
  character that drew the deuce. A roll of 1 
  indicates a character is hit for 2d6 damage.
  Spade 
  My Foot: The foot of the poor sap that 
  drew the deuce breaks through the roof. 
  Releasing it requires an Agility or Strength 
  roll (character’s choice). Until he is freed, 
  he cannot move.
   Nazis (3 per hero): See page 19.
  INSIDE THE TRAIN
  INSIDE THE TRAIN
  With the goons now out of the game, the characters can 
  clamber down into the carriages. When the heroes reach 
  the carriage nearest the engine, read the following text.
  Standing at the back of the carriage is Professor 
  Dickinson. He looks pleased to see you, but the 
  gun at his head, held by a cruel-faced Nazi in a 
  black uniform, has rather dampened his jubila-
  tion. Behind the Nazi are four goons.
  “Americans!” the Nazi spits. “Always coming to the 
  rescue like the proverbial cavalry. Pathetic! Hand 
  over whatever you found at the castle and I shall 
  release Professor Dickinson unharmed. Refuse…” 
  He pulls back the hammer on his pistol.
  Everyone begins on Hold. He also has Medium Cover 
  from the professor’s body—any shots that miss by 1 or 2 
  hit the unfortunate scholar! Remind the players, if neces-
  sary, about the rules for the Drop, because Kempler has 
  the Drop on Dickinson. Tell them Dickinson is only an 
  Extra—if he gets shot, he’s likely to die.
  It’s time for Jimmy’s character to shine, not by perform-
  ing some cool Trick, but rather by using his Big Mouth 
  Hindrance to reveal the location of the treasure! Forgetful 
  players should be prompted. Sure, it gives the bad guys 
  everything they need to know, but it’s a pulp staple and 
  Hindrances are hindrances, not optional devices.
  Of course, a ﬁ ght is going to break out sooner or later. Once 
  Kempler has the information, he takes the time to gloat.
  “What a good little boy!” the Nazi laughs. “A good 
  German would have kept his mouth shut to pre-
  serve such knowledge, but you Americans are al-
  ways so happy to talk,” he continues, waving his 
  pistol around. “Unfortunately, now I have what I 
  need to know. All of you are expendable.”
  Kempler’s arrogance has caused him to move his pis-
  tol away from the Professor’s head, meaning he no lon-
  ger has the Drop. This is the heroes’ chance! Remember, 
  everyone is on Hold, so this round everyone rolls Agility 
  and acts in that order, instead of being dealt cards.
  Professor Dickinson is no ﬁ ghter, but he’s smart. Once 
  the shooting starts, he hits the deck and crawls under a 
  seat.
  Kempler is the major villain and he has to be there at 
  the climax of the adventure. If he’s badly wounded, use 
  the Recurring Villains rule (see the generic pulp rules 
  download from www.tripleacegames.com) to ensure his 
  escape, by leaping from the train and down a mud bank.
  The seats in the train can be used for Cover. They 
  provide Armor +2.
   Professor Dickinson: See page 17.
   Sturmbahnführer Kempler: See page 19.
   Nazis (4): See page 19.
  THE PROF RESCUED
  THE PROF RESCUED
  Professor Dickinson is delighted to see the heroes and 
  greets them all with handshakes and hugs. Unless a hero 
  thinks to do it, he suggests they pull the emergency cord 
  and get off the train before it crosses the German border.
  Locating a friendly peasant, the characters catch a 
  lift to the nearest railway station. En route, Dickinson 
  asks for a full update on what has happened since his 
  abduction. He interrupts the conversation with cries of, 
  “I should have guessed” and, “Of course! It’s obvious 
  now!” He studies the medallion (assuming he’s shown 
  it) and points excitedly to the image of the mountain 
  behind the knights.
  “I know this peak!” he shouts excitedly, thumping 
  the table in joy. “Yes, yes, I can lead you there! 
  Quick, we must get to Iceland before the Nazis. 
  Time is against us! Our prize awaits!”
  ACT 4: ICELAND
  ACT 4: ICELAND
  After securing a ﬂ ight to Iceland (get that atlas out!) 
  and arranging supplies, which includes winter clothing, 
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  1515
  rope, and all the other basic supplies necessary, the 
  heroes and Professor Dickinson quickly head into the 
  unexplored mountainous hinterlands.
  SCENE 1: THE CASTLE OF ICE
  SCENE 1: THE CASTLE OF ICE
  Howling wind, driving snow, and sub-zero tem-
  peratures have been you constant companions 
  since you climbed into the high mountains. Snow 
  and mist have plagued your every step, and more 
  than once the ropes tying you together have saved 
  your lives.
  Passing through a narrow ravine, you emerge on 
  the end of a narrow ice bridge. A glance down 
  reveals your deepest fears are conﬁ rmed—the 
  bridge has no supports and spans a very deep 
  valley.
  Across the ice bridge, through the thinning mist, 
  you catch your ﬁ rst sight of a wondrous creation. 
  Carved from solid ice is a Crusader-style fort, 
  complete with towers and battlements. Two colos-
  sal ice statues, both depicting knights, form what 
  can only be described as a gatehouse. Each knight 
  has one arm stretched across to grasp his com-
  rade’s wrist. Beneath, where one would expect the 
  gate, is a solid wall of frost-covered ice.
  The bridge measures 2” and spans a vast distance. 
  There is no support beneath, only a thousand-foot drop 
  into a mist-ﬁ lled valley. Lack of maintenance and frequent 
  earth tremors have left the bridge fragile. It begins to col-
  lapse and buckle from the end the heroes start at as soon 
  as they begin to cross.
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules. Place 
  10 markers in a line on the table. Character miniatures 
  should be placed at one end of the line, behind the ﬁ rst 
  marker. To reach the far end, the heroes must travel be-
  yond the ﬁ nal token. An Agility roll is made each round, 
  with a success moving the adventurer one marker toward 
  safety and a raise shifting him two markers.
  A hero may push harder by taking a –2 penalty. In 
  this instance, a success moves the character two spaces 
  and a raise means he advances four spaces. However, on 
  a failure he slips and falls. Next round he suffers a –2 
  penalty to his Agility roll.
  On the round after the ﬁ rst character reaches the third 
  token the collapse increases enough to become a real 
  danger. The crumbling bridge has Agility d8 and uses the 
  same rules as above. It can push for extra distance, but 
  only to ensure the characters feel under constant pres-
  sure—don’t push if a character is within 3 markers of the 
  shattering ice. As the bridge collapses, remove tokens 
  from the end of the bridge where the party started.
  A character standing next to a marker which is re-
  moved due to the collapse must make an Agility roll 
  at –2. With a success, he manages to leap forward one 
  space. A failure means he is hanging onto the end of the 
  ice by his ﬁ ngernails—ice which could crumble away 
  soon! The hero can make a Strength roll as an action to 
  haul himself back onto the structure. His comrades can 
  assist, but only if they are adjacent.
  Obviously this scene isn’t meant to kill the characters. 
  Should a hero be Shaken and standing on the edge of the 
  bridge, fudge the die roll so the collapse doesn’t spread 
  this round. Describe how the ice is cracking and ﬂ ak-
  ing away beneath his feet, though—the explorer should 
  believe he could plummet to his death any second.
  THE ENTRANCE
  THE ENTRANCE
  Blocking the entrance into the frozen fortress is a 
  towering door of solid, blue-white ice, covered in a thin 
  layer of snow and frost crystals. It’s impervious to any 
  weapons the heroes have on-hand. A small indentation 
  can be found if the snow is wiped away. It matches the 
  size and design of the silver amulet found in the Templar 
  castle.
  As soon as the medallion is placed in the indenta-
  tion, it begins to glow with a ﬁ erce heat. It changes 
  from yellow, to orange, to red, to brilliant white 
  in a matter of seconds.
  Thin strands of molten metal begin seeping from 
  the amulet across the ice wall. As they spread, the 
  ice begins to melt, slowly at ﬁ rst, then with ex-
  ponentially growing speed. Within a few minutes, 
  the door and the amulet have vaporized.
  THE ICE IS ALIVE!
  THE ICE IS ALIVE!
  Passing between the statues, you step into a winter 
  wonderland. Statues, chairs, tables, and stairs are 
  all made out of solid ice. Even the doors are made 
  of ice, swinging silently on ice hinges held in place 
  by pegs of near-black ice. Everything looks clean 
  and crisp, as if it were carved only yesterday, but 
  there is a smell of decay pervading the air.
  Exploration of the upper stories reveals nothing 
  of interest. Progressing deeper into the mam-
  moth structure you reach a pair of double doors 
  marked with the Templar seal.
  Behind the doors is a wide, colonnaded corridor, 
  some 20” long and 4” wide. Four ice columns, 2” in 
  width, stand in the center of the room, spaced at 4” in-
  tervals. Another set of identical doors stand closed at the 
  far end.
  Read the following text when the party reaches the 
  halfway point.
  The doors ahead seem to bulge and writhe. No, 
  not the doors! Something is moving through the 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  1616
  closed doors! Two beings, short yet broad, and 
  seeming made of solid ice, step out of the ice as if 
  it were thin air.
  Each has cold-blue eyes, a mouth ﬁ lled with 
  churning ice that reminds you of molten lava, and 
  cracked, icy skin of the deepest blue. A cracking 
  sound behind you causes you to glance around. 
  Two more of the creatures block your escape!
  Start dealing action cards. Each pair of ice genies re-
  ceives its own action card.
  The ﬂ oor is made of highly polished ice and is as hard 
  as marble. While the ice genies have no trouble moving, 
  the heroes slip and slide, even in their spiked boots. 
  Treat the surface as difﬁ cult ground. A hero who rolls a 1 
  on his running die slips and falls. Any Agility rolls involv-
  ing movement, such as dodging an area-effect weapon or 
  performing an Agility Trick, suffer a –2 penalty.
  The double doors at either end won’t open until the 
  creatures are destroyed.
   Ice Genies (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: DEPOSITORY OF KNOWLEDGE
  SCENE 2: DEPOSITORY OF KNOWLEDGE
  Through the doors is a massive cavern of ice, so 
  big it must extend back into the heart of the gla-
  cier. All along the walls are deep niches contain-
  ing wooden boxes. In the center is a round table. 
  Seated around it are thirteen men in armor, their 
  heads bowed as if in prayer.
  Suddenly one stands, drawing his sword. “I am Sir 
  Richard of Toulouse, Knight Templar, and sworn 
  to protect this sanctuary with my life!” he shouts 
  in Latin. “Speak now your reasons for deﬁ ling this 
  holy ground, or die!”
  Sir Richard isn’t an ogre. If the characters explain who 
  they are and why they are here (and especially if they play 
  up the Nazis), Sir Richard lowers his sword. He’s an excel-
  lent judge of character and can tell the adventurers (assum-
  ing they don’t lie too often) are people of good heart.
  “I knew this day would come. Nothing can remain 
  secret forever. I have watched over this sanctuary 
  for six centuries. I have read works of unbeliev-
  able beauty and unimaginable cruelty to pass the 
  long years.”
  He gestures back to the other knights. “Six hundred 
  years alone. We thought others would come for us, 
  but it became obvious our fate was to be eternal 
  guardians. God forgive us, we used ancient magic 
  to build this fortress, create the ice guardians you 
  must have defeated, and to preserve my life. Aye, 
  my brothers gave of theirs, freely, so that one of us 
  might survive.”
  Slowly he walks over to one of the niches and pulls 
  free one of the boxes. Taking a key from around 
  his neck he unlocks the box and throws the lid 
  open. Inside are books and scrolls.
  “The treasure of the Templars,” he sighs. “The 
  collected wisdom of a thousand ages. Egypt, Ba-
  bylon, Greece, Rome, Assyria, and others which 
  came before and are now forgotten.” The knight 
  casts a wry smile in your direction. “You were 
  expecting gold and silver, perhaps? This is true 
  treasure.”
  Professor Dickinson can barely contain his de-
  light! He squeals loudly, and then holds his hand 
  to his mouth, as his face turns deep red. “Sorry. 
  Got a bit excited.”
  “Come,” the knight smiles, let me show you the 
  wonders of mankind, and its evils, for all knowl-
  edge is precious if our race is to evolve.”
   Sir Richard of Toulouse: See page 18.
  SCENE 3: LAND OF FIRE AND ICE
  SCENE 3: LAND OF FIRE AND ICE
  As soon as the characters are near the knight, a loud 
  crack echoes through the chamber. Whirling round, the 
  heroes spot a horde of Nazis fanning out into the room, 
  led by Sturmbahnführer Kempler.
  “You Americans really are the bane of my life. It 
  seems I am always one step behind you,” snarls 
  Kempler in contempt. “But I must congratulate 
  you for ﬁ nding the treasure.”
  The major casts an eye at the books in Sir Rich-
  ard’s hands. “No,” he smiles, seemingly reading 
  your minds, “I am not surprised by the nature 
  of the treasure. Did you think the Fuhrer would 
  care about gold and silver? Petty baubles of the 
  corrupt upper classes! With this knowledge, the 
  Third Reich will grow stronger than any empire 
  beforehand. We shall rule the world!” The soldier 
  looks almost insane, his face contorted in a bi-
  zarre smile.
  Then he signals his men to attack!
  The cavern measures 36” to a side. The table is the 
  size of a Medium Burst Template and provides excellent 
  Cover (the ice has Armor +6). The chairs can be tipped 
  over as an action, causing the seated skeleton to collapse 
  to the ﬂ oor.
  Divide the Nazis into groups of ﬁ ve for initiative pur-
  poses.
  On Round 2, Sir Richard attempts to awaken his dead 
  comrades. Hand out Ally Sheets for the skeletal Templars 
  when he succeeds.
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  1717
  THE END IS NIGH
  THE END IS NIGH
  Things don’t look good for the heroes. They’re out-
  numbered and outgunned, even with the skeletal Tem-
  plars on their side.
  On Round 4, before action cards are dealt, Sir Richard 
  points to a small lever on one of the walls (place it within 
  reach of a player character) and calls out, “My friends! We 
  must protect the treasure. Pull the lever. Have faith in 
  God, and pull the lever!”
  Pulling the lever is an action, but requires no die roll. 
  Nothing untoward happens, at least not for awhile. How-
  ever, Sir Richard has a few more words to say once the 
  lever has been yanked.
  “I’m sorry,” the elderly knight says, a wistful smile 
  on his lips. “I cannot allow this knowledge to fall 
  into the wrong hands. While it can be a force for 
  good, it can also be a tool of terrible evil. Run now. 
  Escape while you can. I have lived longer than my 
  allotted time. I must now face the Almighty and 
  explain my actions. May God go with you!”
  The lever is actually part of a massive trap designed 
  by the Templars to destroy the treasure rather than let it 
  fall into the wrong hands. Deep beneath the ﬂ oor, huge 
  stone slabs holding back a magma chamber collapse, al-
  lowing the molten rock to boil upward!
  Read the following at the start of the next round.
  You sense things are about to get really bad, really 
  quickly. A deep rumbling ﬁ lls the chamber, and 
  everything begins to shake violently. WHOOSH! A 
  jet of steam shatters the ice ﬂ oor. CRASH! Part of 
  the ceiling collapses. CRACK! A section of ﬂ oor gives 
  way to reveal an orange glow beneath—lava!
  Beginning on the next round, any character drawing 
  a card of the Club suit as his ﬁ rst card (so Level Headed 
  heroes aren’t affected more than others) is in for a nasty 
  surprise. Check the value against the table below.
  Since a lot of the Nazis go on the same card, they’re 
  all affected equally. The skeletal Templars aren’t affected 
  unless the card value indicates a Burst Template effect 
  and they’re under it—keep the focus of the player’s 
  cards ﬁ rmly on the heroes.
  All the heroes need do now is escape! Characters who 
  want to grab a box from a niche may do so, but each 
  can carry just one. Professor Dickinson deﬁ nitely makes 
  a grab for one, claiming he can’t allow all of this wisdom 
  to be destroyed.
  Value Result
  2–4 
  Collapsing Ceiling: The ceiling above the hero 
  collapses. He must make an Agility roll at –2 as 
  a free action or suffer 3d6 damage (as from an 
  Extra). The collapsed ice ﬁ lls the square for the 
  rest of the battle and counts as difﬁ cult ground.
  5–6 
  Steam Vent: The ice beneath the explorer’s feet 
  gives way as a vent of steam breaks through. A 
  character who fails an Agility roll (free action) 
  at –2 suffers 2d6 damage as from an Extra. The 
  vent remains in play for the remainder of the 
  ﬁ ght. Anyone crossing the steam takes 2d6 
  damage.
  7–8 
  Collapsing Floor: The ﬂ oor under the charac-
  ter gives way, revealing the rising river of lava 
  below. Have the adventurer make an Agility 
  roll at –2 as a free action. With success, he can 
  move to any adjacent square. Extras who fail, 
  plummet to their death. A Wild Card who fails is 
  left hanging by one hand (yep, even Kempler). 
  He can make a Strength roll each round to drag 
  himself clear of the lava. The square remains 
  open to the lava for the rest of the encounter.
   
  Anyone who falls in suffers 2d10 damage per 
  round. Treat this as damage from a Wild Card 
  attack.
  9 
  As Collapsing Ceiling, except the area affected is 
  a Small Burst Template centered on the hero.
  10 
  As Steam Vent, except the area affected is a 
  Small Burst Template centered on the character.
  Jack 
  As Collapsing Floor, except the area affected is a 
  Small Burst Template centered on the victim.
  Queen As Collapsing Ceiling, except the area affected is a 
  Medium Burst Template centered on the poor sap.
  King 
  As Steam Vent, except the area affected is a Me-
  dium Burst Template centered on the explorer.
  Ace 
  As Collapsing Floor, except the area affected 
  is a Medium Burst Template centered on the 
  unlucky character.
   Sir Richard of Toulouse: See page 18.
   Skeletal Templars (12): See page 18.
   Sturmbahnführer Kempler: See page 19.
   Nazis (4 per hero): See page 19.
  HOW DO WE GET BACK?
  HOW DO WE GET BACK?
  Fleeing the ice castle, the characters ﬁ nd themselves 
  on the wide ledge outside the main gates. The fortress 
  slowly sinks into the ground, melting from the heat of 
  the lava. Within a few minutes, all that is left is a crater 
  half-ﬁ lled with hissing and rapidly cooling lava.
  A Nazi plot has been stopped and, hopefully, a little of 
  the ancient knowledge of mankind saved. All in all, it was 
  a successful endeavor and one worthy of true heroes.
  Now all they have to do is ﬁ nd a way to get down the 
  mountain!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  PROFESSOR HAMILTON DICKINSON
  PROFESSOR HAMILTON DICKINSON
  Beneath the wild white hair, thick glasses, and doddery 
  mannerism, lurks an astute mind. Professor Dickinson is 
  widely regarded as an authority on the Knights Templar, 
  though some of his theories have seen him labeled as a 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  1818
  kook and crackpot. Nonetheless, the professor is closer 
  than he thinks to unveiling one of the greatest treasures 
  of mankind.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Investigation d8, Knowledge (His-
  tory) d10+2, Knowledge (Occult) d8+2, Notice d4
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes, Clueless (forgetful), Curious, 
  Quirk (always checking the time)
  Edges: Scholar
  Gear: Glasses, pipe
  KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
  KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
  PIERRE DE MOLAY, MODERN TEMPLAR COMMANDER
  PIERRE DE MOLAY, MODERN TEMPLAR COMMANDER
  De Molay is the head of the modern Templars. Al-
  though fanatical in his devotion to the cause, he is a man 
  of honor. He commands his organization to discredit 
  scholars who come close to the truth, rather than killing 
  them, though he is not beyond ordering research mate-
  rial destroyed.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Death Wish (protect treasure), Loyal
  Edges: Command, Improved Dodge, Level Headed
  Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  MODERN KNIGHT TEMPLAR
  MODERN KNIGHT TEMPLAR
  Descendants of the ancient Knights Templar, the 
  modern knights protect the long-lost secret of their fore-
  fathers’ treasure. They have no knowledge of the loca-
  tion of the treasure, but rather act to thwart those who 
  seem close to unlocking the secret of the location.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal, Vow (Major; protect the treasure)
  Edges: Dodge
  Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  SIR RICHARD OF TOULOUSE, ANCIENT TEMPLAR
  SIR RICHARD OF TOULOUSE, ANCIENT TEMPLAR
  Sir Richard was one of thirteen Templars entrusted 
  with the true treasure of the Templars. The last survivor, 
  and now over 600 years old, Sir Richard remains steadfast 
  in his vow to protect the treasure from an undeserving 
  world.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d10, Knowledge (History) d6, 
  Knowledge (Occult) d8, Riding d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 5; Parry: 9; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Elderly, Heroic, Loyal, Vow (Major; protect 
  the treasure)
  Edges: Block, Dodge
  Gear: Chain hauberk (+2), medium shield (+1 Parry), 
  long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Awaken the Dead: Sir Richard can use an action to 
  awaken his dead comrades to serve him again. This 
  requires a Spirit roll at –2, but can be attempted each 
  round. With a success, all the Templar skeletons ani-
  mate for the next hour.
  * Blood of the Brethren: When Sir Richard is dealt a 
  Joker, the spirit of one of his brethren temporarily pos-
  sesses him. For this round, he gains an extra action.
  SKELETAL TEMPLARS
  SKELETAL TEMPLARS
  The former comrades of Sir Richard, these pious and 
  loyal men gave their lives so that he might live to guard 
  the treasure. They answer solely to his command, ﬁ ght-
  ing with their rusty swords, to preserve the collected 
  knowledge of the ancient world.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
  Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Gear: Rusty chain hauberk (+1); medium shield (+1 
  Parry), rusty long sword (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from Shaken; 
  Called Shots do no additional damage; immune to 
  poison and disease
  NAZIS
  NAZIS
  STURMBAHNFÜHRER HEINRICH KEMPLER
  STURMBAHNFÜHRER HEINRICH KEMPLER
  Ruthless and fanatical, Kempler is a model member of 
  the SS. A former archaeologist, his view of history is now 
  slanted in favor of Nazi idealism. He cares little for the 
  cultural aspects of the treasures Hitler sends him to ﬁ nd, 
  seeking instead only to return them to their “rightful” 
  place in Berlin.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d10, Intimidation d10, Knowl-
  edge (History) d10, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Taunt d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6/7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Major; believes in 
  Nazi superiority), Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Fervor, Improved 
  Nerves of Steel, Level Headed, Strong Willed
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), 
  sword cane (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  TREASURE OF THE TEMPLARS
  1919
  HERR RUDOLPH TEMPLEMANN, GESTAPO OFFICER
  HERR RUDOLPH TEMPLEMANN, GESTAPO OFFICER
  Kempler’s chief lackey is Herr Templemann, a member 
  of the feared Gestapo. He’s a true stereotype, complete 
  with long leather coat, wide-brimmed hat, spectacles, 
  and limp. He has no interest in history or riches—he 
  simple wants to please his master, like the loyal lapdog 
  he is.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d10, Notice 
  d8, Shooting d6, Taunt d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 4; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Lame, Mean
  Edges: Command, Strong Willed
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  TYPICAL NAZI SOLDIER
  TYPICAL NAZI SOLDIER
  These aren’t fanatical and bloodthirsty SS stormtroop-
  ers, but they are dedicated to Hitler’s cause. They follow 
  Kempler’s orders without question.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Helmet (+3), SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP 1) or riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, AP 2), dagger (Str+d4), 1 grenade (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 3d6–2, Medium Burst Template)
  NAZI PILOTS/MOTORCYCLISTS
  NAZI PILOTS/MOTORCYCLISTS
  Skilled vehicle operators, these young men will one 
  day be a vital part of Hitler’s blitzkrieg tactics. Right now, 
  they’re more interested in obeying orders and making 
  sure Germany gains the fabled Templar treasure.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d6, Piloting d8, Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Leather (+1), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, AP 1)
  BEDOUIN
  BEDOUIN
  The Bedouin, in whose land the old fort stands, are 
  descendants of the secret library’s guardian. Over time, 
  the truth of what they guard has been distorted. These 
  days, they believe they watch over a cursed site (hence 
  they have never explored it).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d6, Riding d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Scimitar (Str+d6), musket (Range: 10/20/40, Dam-
  age: 2d8, AP 1)
  CAMEL
  CAMEL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Kick: Str.
  * Ornery: Characters must subtract 1 from their Riding 
  rolls when riding them.
  * Sand Walker: Camels treat deserts as normal terrain.
  * Size +2: Camels are only slightly larger than riding 
  horses.
  MONSTERS
  MONSTERS
  ANIMATED STATUES
  ANIMATED STATUES
  These statues of knights were animated using magic 
  found in the vast collections of books and scrolls that 
  make up the Templar treasure. They have but one goal—
  to protect the crypts beneath the castle.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Gear: Stone long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 to trait rolls to resist magic 
  and +2 Armor against damage-causing arcane ef-
  fects.
  * Armor +3: Statues are made of solid stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken. No ad-
  ditional damage from Called Shots. Immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: Statues are immune to Fear and Intimida-
  tion.
  IBIS-HEADED MUMMIES
  IBIS-HEADED MUMMIES
  Former guardians and librarians, these protectors 
  were mummiﬁ ed wearing ibis-headed masks.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Gear: Bronze sword (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Beak: Str+d4.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: Mummies roll a d4 running die.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #03
  2020
  * Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken. No additional damage from Called Shots. Im-
  mune to disease and poison.
  ICE GENIES
  ICE GENIES
  Ice genies manifest as ﬁ ve-foot tall, vaguely man-
  shaped collections of compacted snow and ice. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Icy hide.
  * Bash: Str+d6.
  * Burrowing (6”): Ice genies can meld into and out of 
  the ground or walls so long as it is made of snow or 
  ice.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; Immune to disease and poison.
  * Ice Strike: Ice genies can spit a freezing blast of ice 
  using the Cone Template. Characters within the Cone 
  must beat the genie’s Shooting roll with Agility or suf-
  fer 2d10 damage.
  * Wall Walker: Can move over ice and snow as normal 
  ground, even running up walls or along ceilings.
  * Weakness (Fire): Take double damage from heat or ﬁ re.
  SERPENT OF SET
  SERPENT OF SET
  Created by the great Greek artiﬁ cer Heron on the or-
  ders of the secret guardians of the temple and its treasure, 
  the Serpent of Set is actually a clockwork construct set in 
  place to watch over the vaults, which once contained the 
  true treasures of the Library of Alexandria.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d12, Swim-
  ming d10
  Pace: 10; Parry: 6; Toughness: 15 (4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +4: Metallic scales. This is not Heavy Armor.
  * Bite/Tail Slam: Str+d6.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; No 
  additional damage from Called Shots; Immune to 
  disease and poison; No wound penalties.
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 Armor versus 
  magic, and +4 to rolls made to resist magic effects.
  * Large: Attackers are +2 to attack rolls against the 
  creature due to its size.
  * Poison (–2): Victims must make a Vigor roll at –2 or 
  suffer a temporary one die reduction in Agility and 
  Agility-linked skills. Effects are cumulative. A skill 
  dropping below a d4 means the victim cannot use 
  the skill. Agility cannot drop below a d4. One die is 
  recovered every Scene.
  * Quick: May discard action cards of 5 or lower and 
  draw another.
  * Size +4: 30’ long.
  * Spines: 2d6 damage. A hero adjacent to the guard-
  ian who rolls a 1 on any physical trait roll (regardless 
  of Wild Die) has been stabbed by one of the spines.
  * Tail Lash: The serpent can sweep all opponents in 
  its rear facing in an area 3” wide and 4” long. This 
  is a standard Fighting attack. Damage is 1d12.
  * Weakness (Eye): The serpent will not attack some-
  one presenting the glass ball. Placing the glass ball in 
  its empty eye socket causes the serpent to retreat back 
  into the water, taking the ball with it. See page 9.
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31004
  31004
  $6.99
  $6.99
  An invitation to Washington to 
  attend a lecture seems innocuous 
  enough, but nothing is ever 
  straightforward when the heroes 
  are around. 
  When a mysterious motorbike 
  rider makes a daring theft and 
  snatches a small wooden box 
  from the hands of the noted 
  historian, Professor Dickinson, 
  it starts the heroes on a deadly 
  quest. You soon discover that the Nazis are behind the theft—
  but what do the Nazis want with this small wooden box?
  Daring Tales of Adventure #03 takes the characters on a 
  whirlwind ride from the streets of Washington to the baking 
  sands of Egypt, onto a Crusader castle, and ﬁ nally to a vast ice 
  fortress in the frozen north, and all in search of a treasure that 
  men have killed to acquire and killed to protect—The Treasure 
  of the Templars.
  the race is on! 
  the race is on! 
  can you ﬁ nd the templar treasure? 
  can you ﬁ nd the templar treasure? 
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31005
  31005
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: MAGGIE WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: MAGGIE WADE-WILLIAMS
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  0404
  
  2
  Shi Huang Di, First Emperor of China, brought many 
  advances to his people, but it is also said he was an au-
  tocratic tyrant and extremely paranoid. And not without 
  good reason, for the Emperor had many enemies, not 
  the least of which was a powerful and evil dragon called 
  Lo-Peng.
  Legends speak of the Emperor becoming fascinated 
  with immortality in his latter years, but history was not 
  recorded correctly. Shi Huang Di sought not for eternal 
  life, but to rid his people of Lo-Peng’s malevolent inﬂ u-
  ence.
  After countless years and a search that spanned much 
  of the world, Shi Huang Di’s magicians ﬁ nally found a 
  solution—a scroll, written long before the pyramids of 
  Egypt were raised, contained an incantation that would 
  turn Lo-Peng into a human being. Through trickery, the 
  dragon was lured to the Imperial palace and the incanta-
  tion recited.
  Lo-Peng was transformed into a man, but he gained 
  the power of immortality and still retained many of his 
  fearsome powers. Enraged, the Emperor ordered Lo-
  Peng’s heart removed. No beating muscle lay in his chest, 
  though, for Lo-Peng’s heart was a lump of pure jade. 
  Alive but crippled, devoid of his most potent abilities, 
  Lo-Peng was thrown into jail.
  Shi Huang Di, like all men, died. He was buried in a 
  great tomb, concealed beneath a hill and protected by an 
  army of terracotta statues. He took with him to the grave 
  two items of note—a scroll and a lump of jade. At least, 
  that was his dying belief.
  Alas, Lo-Peng still had allies, and the jade was stolen 
  before the Emperor was entombed. The dragon’s min-
  ions had hoped to return their lord to full strength so 
  he could enact his revenge, but their cult was discovered 
  and its members put to death. The jade was broken into 
  three segments through powerful spells, but no magic 
  could reduce it to dust. Instead, it was ordered they be 
  kept under lock and key and heavily guarded.
  Centuries passed and still Lo-Peng languished in jail, 
  all-but forgotten. Under a general amnesty in the 7th 
  century AD, all prisoners were released, among them 
  Lo-Peng, whom the current administration mistook for 
  a beggar. Without his heart, Lo-Peng was but a shadow 
  of his former self, and it would be over a millennium 
  before he gathered enough strength to begin the search 
  for his heart.
  With his heart intact, he knew he could ﬁ nd the Em-
  peror’s tomb, the location of which had been forgotten. 
  There he would ﬁ nd the scroll that caused his fall, and 
  with it he planned to reverse the magic and once more 
  take ﬂ ight as a full dragon.
  Lo-Peng tracked down one piece of the amulet to a 
  remote temple in Tibet, for the three pieces had become 
  separated and lost after the Mongol’s conquered China. 
  But Lo-Peng was not the only treasure hunter after the 
  shard…
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 40 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones of two different 
  colors, and the pulp setting rules from the TAG website: 
  www.tripleacegames.com.
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  This Act begins in the characters’ not-too-distant past 
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  3
  and introduces them to the nefarious villain. For the 
  opening sequence, the players should use the 20 XP ver-
  sions of their characters. As soon as the main adventure 
  begins, they switch back to their current XP.
  SCENE 1: IN THE BEGINNING…
  SCENE 1: IN THE BEGINNING…
  It’s 1935. After a long search, you ﬁ nally located 
  the Jade Talisman, supposedly a mystical artifact 
  dating back to the time of the ﬁ rst Chinese em-
  peror, in an abandoned temple in Tibet. It isn’t 
  much to look at, but the Boston Museum is paying 
  you well.
  The only thing between you and a successful mis-
  sion is some crazy Chinese wizard named Lo-Peng 
  and his army of skeletal warriors who turned up 
  just as you were trying to leave! The acid pool 
  traps don’t help, either.
  Deal the action cards straight away!
  The aim of this ﬁ ght is simply to introduce Lo-Peng, 
  the main villain of the story, and signify the importance 
  of the relic. This is important for the next scene. As soon 
  as the ﬁ ght ends, cut to the next section—don’t go into 
  any more details about this ﬂ ashback.
  The temple measures 8” wide and 16” long. A set of 
  double doors at one end mark the only exit. Our heroes 
  begin at the other end of the hall. Between them and 
  victory stand Lo-Peng, his skeletal minions, and several 
  pools of acid.
  Across the center of the temple is a strip of weak stone 
  measuring 4” wide. Mark a dozen squares at random with 
  a gaming stone or other marker. These are acid pools. 
  Stepping in one causes 2d6 damage as an Extra. The 
  other squares in this narrow belt are extremely fragile 
  and liable to collapse. Each time someone steps on one, 
  roll a d6. A roll of 1 indicates the stone has broken. The 
  victim must make an Agility roll to step back or plunge 
  knee-deep into the acid!
  Whatever happens, Lo-Peng must appear to die. Ide-
  ally, when he reaches Incapacitated he stumbles into 
  one of the acid pools, face down. The pool immediately 
  begins boiling and spitting wildly. The skeletal warriors 
  crumble lifeless to the ﬂ oor.
   Lo-Peng: See page 17.
   Skeletal Warriors (2 per hero): See page 19.
  PRESENT DAY, BOSTON
  PRESENT DAY, BOSTON
  Boston Museum, 1936. The sun is barely in the sky 
  and you’re all standing in the Chinese Wing of the 
  Boston Museum, summoned by the curator, Doc-
  tor Barneswell.
  “Sorry to call you in so early,” Barneswell says 
  apologetically, “but I ﬁ gured you’d have a certain 
  interest in what happened here tonight. Someone 
  broke in and stole that jade talisman you found 
  in Tibet. Swines killed a guard as well. I won’t 
  go into details, but we found this burned into his 
  skin.”
  Barneswell hands you a piece of paper, on which 
  is inscribed an unusual Chinese pictogram super-
  imposed over three lighting bolts. Brent’s knowl-
  edge of Mandarin is a little rusty, but he’s sure it 
  translates as, “He who lives forever.”
  “We’ve been doing a little research recently on 
  that piece. It seems it does indeed date back to the 
  uniﬁ cation of China. According to legend, it was a 
  dragon’s heart, ripped from an evil dragon on the 
  orders of the Emperor. Poppycock superstition, of 
  course, but it might be important.
   “The local police,” he whispers conspiratorially, 
  “aren’t really up for this. I need you to investigate. 
  We’ll pay all your expenses as normal.”
  There aren’t any clues at the Museum. Fortunately, 
  Brent knows a guy in Boston’s Chinese district, Eddie 
  Chang, who might be able to help. The pair go way back 
  to Brent’s days as a mercenary pilot and are as thick as 
  thieves, or so Brent recalls. Eddie always had an interest 
  in Chinese mysticism and became quite an expert during 
  his tour with Brent.
  SCENE 2: BIG TROUBLE
  SCENE 2: BIG TROUBLE
  Eddie works as a chef at the Golden Bowl Chinese 
  restaurant, a popular eatery and meeting place for Chi-
  nese immigrants. Eddie’s at work in the back, but comes 
  out if the heroes ask the waiter for him.
  Eddie emerges from the back, wiping his hands 
  on his apron. He looks up, his smile fading as he 
  sees Brent! “Oh no,” he says in English, backing 
  away, his hands in the air, “not Brent Hardcastle! 
  I haven’t forgiven you for that time in Shanghai! 
  Whatever you want, its trouble, and I want no 
  part of it!”
  The details of the “Shanghai episode” are left for the 
  player to improvise—really, it can be anything he wants. 
  Sample ideas include Brent leading Eddie on some fool-
  hardy and perilous mission for gold, an encounter with 
  a tattoo artist while drunk, getting arrested, or even an 
  incident with the general’s daughter Eddie had to cover 
  for.
  The aim is introduce Eddie as a friend, but one with a 
  few bad memories of Brent’s crazy antics. Obviously Ed-
  die will help the characters—he just needs some friendly 
  persuasion.
  Eddie is a happy-go-lucky sort. He immediately takes 
  an interest in Lady Amelia, but only because he suspects 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  4
  she’s Brent’s girl and hasn’t heard all his exploits. He’s 
  happy to inform her of Brent’s days in China as a mer-
  cenary, unless Brent stops him. Again, this requires pure 
  off-the-cuff roleplaying. Let the characters have some 
  fun—things are about to get a lot hotter.
  Once convinced the group needs his help, Eddie 
  shows them to a table and orders several plates of food. 
  He listens attentively to their tale. If shown the piece of 
  paper he studies it for a few moments before his eyes 
  widen.
  “Five years and you haven’t changed! Trouble is 
  your shadow! This symbol,” he whispers, tapping 
  the paper, “is Lo-Peng’s glyph. Yeah, I heard you 
  met him in Tibet, but I assumed that was wild 
  talk. He’s a sort of Chinese bogeyman, used to 
  scare children into being good. My father told me 
  he’s immortal and feeds on children. Man, that 
  tale kept me on the straight and narrow, at least 
  until I met you! Anyway, the lightning bolts repre-
  sent his “talons.” No one is sure what that means, 
  though.
  “Weird thing is, the stories might actually be true. 
  I’ve seen images in books of several Chinese phi-
  losophers and magicians, and they all appear to 
  show the same man.”
  WHOOSH! The piece of paper inscribed with 
  Lo-Peng’s name suddenly bursts in bright green 
  ﬂ ames. You think you catch a glimpse of a pair 
  of eyes in the smoke, but it could be a trick of the 
  light.
  Suddenly, the patrons begin screaming. Looking 
  around, you see them rushing toward the door 
  as rising through the ﬂ oor are a bunch of pale, 
  almost translucent, Chinese wearing martial arts 
  robes. Eddie shouts out, “Spirit warriors!” and 
  then dives for cover.
  Deal action cards.
  The dining area of the restaurant is 8” square. There’s 
  a 2” long counter at the back, a single door at the front, 
  and plenty of glass windows to break. The dining area is 
  littered with tables and chairs knocked over by the ﬂ eeing 
  patrons. Treat all movement as over difﬁ cult ground.
  Eddie has seen these creatures before and knows 
  their weakness. Unfortunately, it takes him a few rounds 
  to prepare.
  On the ﬁ rst round, Eddie dives behind the counter at 
  the back of the restaurant. None of the spirit warriors pay 
  him any attention. On round three, he pokes his head up 
  and throws a bundle of bamboo chopsticks, enough for 
  a pair per adventurer, toward the nearest hero, shouting, 
  “Use these! Magic chopsticks I picked up in Shanghai!” 
  He looks rather embarrassed at what he has just said.
  The chopsticks land 1” away and require an action to 
  pick up. They really are enchanted, and allow the charac-
  ters to do Str+d4 damage when using them against the 
  spirit warriors.
  Eddie keeps a pair of chopsticks for himself. Starting 
  on round 4, give an Ally Sheet for Eddie to one of the 
  player’s (not Brent’s). The chef isn’t reckless, but he’s 
  quite tough.
  In between Eddie vanishing and the chopsticks ap-
  pearing, the heroes don’t have a lot of combat options. 
  At best, they can keep the spirit warriors Shaken, and 
  they’re likely not carrying guns in a restaurant (at least 
  they shouldn’t be).
  However, there are a lot of props lying around—big 
  serving plates (both full and empty) which count as a 
  buckler, chopsticks (not bamboo), plates to throw 
  (range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), skewers (Str+d4) to 
  use as daggers, chairs, candles, and table clothes, to use 
  in Tricks, and so on.
   Eddie Chang: See page 17.
   Spirit Warriors (2 per hero): See page 19.
  MY RESTAURANT!
  MY RESTAURANT!
  After the ﬁ ght, Eddie gets up from behind the coun-
  ter.
  “You’ve wrecked my restaurant! Man, my wife 
  is going to kill me! Listen, I’ve seen a few guys 
  a block or two down sporting tattoos like that 
  symbol. I didn’t think much of it until now, but 
  it might be worth checking up on them. Try the 
  Dragon Pagoda, it’s a small martial arts school 
  on East and 15th.”
  Eddie let’s the characters keep the chopsticks. They’ll 
  need them later (and enterprising players will always 
  ﬁ nd a good use for them elsewhere).
  SCENE 3: SHAOLIN SHOWDOWN
  SCENE 3: SHAOLIN SHOWDOWN
  Lo-Peng may have only recently regained his powers, 
  but he didn’t spend the centuries twiddling his thumbs. 
  He has a network of agents across the world looking out 
  for the jade pieces (and making him rich through crimi-
  nal activities).
  No matter what time of day the heroes visit the kung-
  fun school, there are students training. The visible part 
  of the school measures 10” by 10”.
  As you enter, the students in the center of the room 
  stop their activities and look at you with steely 
  eyes. All have the same tattoo on their right fore-
  arm—the mark of Lo-Peng!
  The school seems quite bare, aside from racks of 
  martial arts weapons, a huge brass gong against 
  the far wall, and a big box in the back corner 
  labeled ﬁ reworks.
  One of the martial artists takes a step toward the ad-
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  5
  venturers and says, in Mandarin, “Get out!” You’re not 
  welcome here.” He cracks his knuckles for added effect.
  Should the characters refuse, begin asking questions, 
  or mention Lo-Peng by name, the thugs immediately at-
  tack. One, chosen at random, makes a run for the gong. 
  As an action, he can strike it. This summons Ti-Lung, 
  one of Lo-Peng’s lieutenants, from the back 
  room. Should he fail to strike (maybe 
  he’s shot), Ti-Lung hears the 
  ruckus anyway and comes to 
  investigate.
  Once the ﬁ ght begins, 
  split the mooks into two 
  groups of four. It’s easiest to 
  stick numbers 1–4 in one group and 
  5–8 in the other. This lessens the 
  chance of them all going ﬁ rst or last, 
  and so helps break up the action 
  more realistically.
  Ti-Lung: Ti-Lung enters the 
  fray at the start of the fourth 
  round, 
  crashing 
  through the back 
  wall into the main 
  room. 
  Read 
  the 
  text below when he 
  appears. He gets his 
  own card.
  The back wall smashes inward 
  in a cloud of bricks and dust, 
  Stepping through is a huge, 
  bald man carrying a great 
  hammer 
  like 
  a 
  child 
  waves around a sugar 
  cane. Sticking out from 
  his belt is an ivory scroll 
  case. With a bellow he rushes 
  forward, swinging his hammer 
  in a sweeping arc, while shouting in 
  Mandarin.
  Ti-Lung shouts the words, “Prepare to die 
  at the hands of Ti-Lung, Third Talon of Lo-
  Peng.” This not only gives the heroes a name for their 
  foe, but also reveals the nature of Lo-Peng’s “talons.”
  Ti-Lung is not a subtle man. He always uses Sweep, 
  regardless of any allies in the vicinity. He’s as much a 
  danger to friend as he is foe, but it looks great cinemati-
  cally.
  PROPS
  PROPS
  There are two major props available for use, in ad-
  dition to the collection of martial arts weapons (all 
  Str+d4).
  Huge Gong: The gong has several uses. First, it makes 
  great Cover. It has Armor +6.
  Second, the striker can be used as a two-handed 
  weapon causing Str+d6. The wielder suffers –1 Parry 
  due to its imbalance as a weapon.
  Third, the gong should break free at some point 
  during the ﬁ ght and begin rolling across the room. The 
  GM should decide when, but a stray thrown weapon, 
  bullet, exploding ﬁ rework, or even a missed Fighting 
  roll could cause it to break loose.
  It moves 4” per round at the start of 
  each round, before actions are 
  taken, until it hits a solid object. 
  Any character in its path (not 
  a solid object) must make 
  an Agility roll at –2 or suf-
  fer 2d6 damage and be 
  knocked prone, as it runs 
  him over.
  Fourth, a hero suc-
  ceeding in a grapple 
  while adjacent to the 
  gong has the option 
  of breaking the hold 
  and instead ramming 
  the victim’s head into it. 
  This causes Str+d4 damage 
  and makes a very satisfying bong.
  Fireworks: The ﬁ reworks are for a 
  major Chinese festival approaching soon. 
  However, they make great improvised 
  weapons.
  A character that spends an action 
  rummaging through the ﬁ reworks, as 
  opposed to just grabbing what comes to 
  hand, ﬁ nds two items of interest—a set of 
  ﬁ recrackers and a massive ﬁ rework.
  Although not harmful, ﬁ recrackers 
  can be used as part of a Trick to fool a 
  foe into thinking he’s under gunﬁ re. This 
  uses Agility (to throw them out of sight) 
  versus Smarts (to spot them for what they 
  are). The big ﬁ rework causes 2d6 dam-
  age in a Medium Burst Template when it 
  ignites.
  Lighting a standard ﬁ rework takes an 
  action. They can be ﬁ red (Shooting) or 
  thrown to a range of 3/6/12. Anyone struck 
  must make a Vigor roll or be Shaken. (Fire-
  works can be dangerous, kids, but this is 
  pulp and they’re more of a nuisance).
  Stufﬁ ng a lighted ﬁ rework into the box 
  causes an explosion at the end of the same 
  round. Anyone within a Large Burst Tem-
  plate centered on the box takes 2d6 dam-
  age. It also causes a swarm of ﬁ reworks to 
  begin whizzing randomly around the room. Any 
  character drawing a deuce from here on automatically 
  suffers a hit and must make a Vigor roll or be Shaken 
  before he gets to take an action.
   Ti-Lung: See page 18.
   Martial Artists (2 per hero): See page 19.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  6
  THE SCROLL
  THE SCROLL
  Read the following when the heroes examine the 
  scroll.
  The scroll, which is written in Mandarin, pro-
  vides two important pieces of information. First, 
  it seems the piece of jade you found is actually 
  one of three identical shards, which together form 
  something called the Jade Heart. Lo-Peng has obvi-
  ously retrieved one piece, but he’s still looking for 
  the other two. Second, the crazy sorcerer requires 
  the Jade Heart to lead him to a scroll which will, 
  “give him back his true life.”
  While there are no other clues to be found here, the 
  characters do know the Boston Library has a fantastic 
  collection of old history books. Maybe something there 
  can lead them to the next piece of the Jade Heart?
  SCENE 4: QUIET, PLEASE
  SCENE 4: QUIET, PLEASE
  The Boston Library has a huge collection of books. It 
  has some very rare historical tracts, but they are very few 
  in number.
  Have the characters make a Cooperative Investiga-
  tion roll. With success, they discover all three parts of 
  the Jade Heart were stolen from China, but there is a 
  vague mention of the Mongols taking one piece to 
  Afghanistan. According to the Mongol Secret History, 
  a jade stone matching the description of the piece the 
  characters found was placed in a secret room behind the 
  tallest Buddha of Bamyan. On a raise, they learn the Jade 
  Heart was once known as the Dragon’s Heart and was 
  deliberately broken.
  Read the following text aloud once the information 
  has been learned.
  The peaceful silence of the library is shattered by 
  the crashing of a door and raised voices. A glance 
  up is quickly followed by you ducking for cover, 
  as two Chinese open ﬁ re with Tommy guns! Bullets 
  thud into the tables and tear apart books, send-
  ing paper ﬂ ying everywhere. A loud cry indicates 
  they have friends—martial artists by the look of 
  them. It’s going to be one of those days!
  The main library measures 12” by 10”. Place mark-
  ers, indicating long tables, rows of tall bookshelves, and 
  chairs, liberally around the tabletop.
  Each round after the third, a number of martial art-
  ists equal to the party size enter the fray. It’s hoped this 
  encourages the characters to ﬂ ee, not stand and ﬁ ght im-
  possible odds. Although the adventurers should escape 
  safely, they have inadvertently left behind a valuable clue 
  for the villains to ﬁ nd—the mention of Afghanistan!
  The goons with guns always use autoﬁ re, even though 
  they don’t have Rock and Roll. They’re present to cause 
  mayhem, not gun down the heroes! It also looks great 
  in the player’s imagination when you describe bullets 
  blowing books apart and ripping through tables, mere 
  inches from the characters’ heads.
  Various props include the following. Encourage he-
  roes to use what is around rather than instantly going for 
  their guns by awarding bennies for clever use of props. 
  Due to a recent spate of accidents elsewhere in Boston, 
  the bookshelves are ﬁ rmly bolted to the ﬂ oor!
  * Books. Light tomes have Range: 3/6/12 and cause 
  Strength damage, whereas thicker volumes are Range: 
  2/4/8. cause Str+d4, but give –1 to Throwing
  * Rubber stamps (if a hero uses one and knocks out a 
  foe, it should say, “Overdue”)
  * Ink pots for use as part of an Agility Trick.
  * Furniture. Chairs inﬂ ict Str+d6 damage but give –1 to 
  Fighting. Tables can be tipped over as an action and 
  used for Cover (Armor +3).
   Goons with Guns (2): See page 18.
   Martial Artists (unlimited): See page 19.
  ACT 2: AFGHANISTAN
  ACT 2: AFGHANISTAN
  Tickets are quickly booked on a ﬂ ight for Afghanistan, 
  with stopovers at Lisbon and Istanbul. Don’t forget the 
  atlas trick we recommended in our earlier adventures—it 
  gets players in the right mood and probably humming a 
  certain theme song!
  SCENE 1: HOW MANY PARACHUTES?
  SCENE 1: HOW MANY PARACHUTES?
  The ﬁ nal leg of the journey from Istanbul to Ka-
  bul, capital of Afghanistan, sees just the four of 
  you and a few goats and chickens as passengers. 
  The steady thrum of the twin propellers soon lulls 
  you into a sleep ﬁ lled with dreams of dragons.
  Suddenly, you waken with a start. Through bleary 
  eyes you catch sight of the two pilots. Why are both 
  sneaking out of the cockpit wearing parachutes? 
  And why can you see a mountain zooming into 
  view?
  Lo-Peng’s agents bribed the pilots in Istanbul. The 
  devious curs have dumped all the fuel and are now pre-
  paring to abandon the heroes to a messy death!
  There are just seconds before the plane hits the 
  mountain! Unfortunately, the plane isn’t very wide and 
  reaching the cockpit is not an easy task. Assume for the 
  sake of combat the plane is 3” wide and 6” long. The left 
  and right sides contain seats and cargo, and count as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. The pilots are at one end, just outside the 
  cockpit, while the characters are near the back.
  The only door out of the plane is at the back on the 
  left hand side. If the pilots can somehow reach it, it takes 
  an action to open. Stepping out is a free action.
  It’s time for a ﬁ ght! Grab the action deck and deal!
  Just to make the ﬁ ght a little more interesting, the 
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  7
  chickens escape and begin ﬂ apping around in a panic. 
  All Trait rolls are made at –1 due to the feathers and 
  squawking birds getting in the way. A chicken could also 
  be used as a Trick.
  It may occur to the characters to grab the chutes off 
  the dead pilots and leap, with two characters sharing one 
  chute. Although the livestock are only animals, true pulp 
  heroes don’t let poor, defenseless creatures die a need-
  less death. Encourage them to be heroic!
  Once in control of the plane, the pilot has just one 
  chance to avoid a collision. No matter how long the ﬁ ght 
  took, there is always just enough time to pull up. Have 
  him roll Piloting at –2. With success, the plane skirts over 
  the mountain-top by mere inches. A failure causes a se-
  vere tremor in the doomed plane, as the undercarriage 
  is ripped off!
  With no fuel left, the engines sputter and die seconds 
  later. Fortunately, there’s a wide expanse of dusty plain 
  ahead. Landing requires a Piloting roll at –2, –4 if the 
  undercarriage is missing. Failure causes 3d6 damage to 
  all the occupants and wrecks the airplane (not that it was 
  going very far, anyway).
   Pilots (2): Treat as Goons with Guns (p. 18), but 
  armed with pistols (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6).
  SCENE 2: IT’S COMPETITION TIME
  SCENE 2: IT’S COMPETITION TIME
  The plane has crashed in the middle of nowhere. As 
  far as the eye can see there is nothing but sand, rock, and 
  a few scrawny bushes. It doesn’t matter which way the 
  characters start walking—they encounter the same event.
  After a day of walking, the repetitive scenery has 
  become boring. Fortunately, the plane had plenti-
  ful food and water. Even the goats and chickens 
  you rescued seem content with their rations. 
  Up ahead, through the haze, you see something in 
  the sky. Could it be vultures, circling eagerly in 
  anticipation of your deaths? No, they’re not birds, 
  they’re kites! Someone is ﬂ ying kites!
  An hour later, the character crest a small hill and spy 
  an Afghan village in the dry valley below. Judging by 
  the throng of people, far more than could ﬁ t in the few 
  houses, and colored ﬂ ags ﬂ apping in the wind, some sort 
  of celebration is taking place.
  The wastes can’t support large towns, so everyone 
  lives in small villages. Every year, the various families 
  meet up for a huge festival, to hold a market, swap sto-
  ries, and arrange marriages. Fortune has delivered the 
  characters right into such a gathering.
  THE LOCALS
  THE LOCALS
  The locals are rather surprised to see Westerners 
  walking through the desert with goats and chickens, but 
  they’re friendly enough. A small few speak good Arabic, 
  but most speak Dari, a form of Persian.
  The local headman, Malyar, greets the strangers 
  warmly, offers them food, drink, and a smoke from his 
  pipe, and inquires as to why they have chosen to walk 
  through the wilderness. While they tell their tale, the 
  characters can’t help but notice that not everyone is so 
  friendly—most of the menfolk are armed with riﬂ es, 
  which they hold menacingly.
  Assuming the characters don’t make themselves 
  sound like a threat, Malyar announces loudly that the 
  strangers are friends. Everyone immediately relaxes and 
  begins shaking hands with the characters.
  Malyar, if asked, says he knows where the Buddha of 
  Bamyan is, although his people do not go there because 
  they believe evil spirits haunts the site. However, before 
  he hands over the location he says his new guests must 
  prove themselves by entering the competitions. To re-
  fuse, he adds, would be a great insult to him as their host 
  and greatly upset his other guests.
  Heroes who perform well are rewarded with slaps on 
  the back, happy smiles, and a prize goat. Offering the 
  goat to the villagers, results in even warmer smiles and 
  heartier slaps.
  Once the competitions are over, Malyar lives up to 
  his word and provides directions. He even offers to loan 
  them his prized jeep for the journey, which would take 
  several days on foot. Food, water, rope, lanterns, and 
  other basic supplies are stored in the back of the jeep.
  COMPETITION
  COMPETITION
  There are four competitions, and each hero must 
  enter a different one. Read out the competition names 
  in a random order and let the characters sort out among 
  themselves who enters. 
  Although the competitions are described only very 
  brieﬂ y, the GM is encouraged to add his own ﬂ avor and 
  descriptions. Pulp games don’t suffer from a little social 
  interaction.
  Horse Riding: The horse race is a ﬂ at out race. Place 
  10 counters in a line on the table, then grab a handful of 
  different colored markers to represent the riders. Each 
  “round,” the riders make a Riding roll, advancing one 
  marker with success, and two with a raise. Use four d4, 
  two d8, and a single d10 to represent the tribesmen.
  Everyone rolls and moves simultaneously. In the event 
  multiple riders pass the 10th marker simultaneously, the 
  highest roll wins by a nose.
  Kite Flying: Flying a kite is child’s play, and the Af-
  ghans have been doing so since they were knee high! 
  The hero makes an Agility roll. Grab four d6, one d8, and 
  one d10 for the locals and roll them. Whoever rolls the 
  highest, wins.
  Shooting: The tribesmen are armed mainly with 
  old British riﬂ es. Most are bolt-action with a ﬁ ve-round 
  magazine, but some are very old single shot weapons 
  left over from the Victorian age! The competition takes 
  place over three ranges (short, medium, and long). Every 
  contestant has a single shot at each range bracket.
  Pick up ﬁ ve d6, three d8, and two d10 to represent 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  8
  the heroes’ rivals. The two tribesmen with d10 Shooting 
  also have Marksman so they get +2 to their rolls.
  Roll all the dice for the short-range shot. Anyone 
  who fails to get 4+ fails to hit a target, and is disquali-
  ﬁ ed—discard their dice. Then roll the remaining dice 
  for the medium-range shot (–2). Again, failures result in 
  the shooter dropping out. Finally, roll at –4 for the long-
  range targets. In the event at least two people hit the 
  ﬁ nal target, keep rolling off until one misses.
  Wrestling: The wrestling is handled very abstractly, 
  so as not to keep one character in the limelight too long. 
  Each bout, the hero rolls his Fighting in an opposed roll 
  against a local. Highest roll wins the bout and progresses. 
  The hero faces a d4 Fighting in the ﬁ rst round, d6 in the 
  next, and so on up to a d12. If he beats this guy, the local 
  champion, he wins.
  SCENE 3: DRIVE FASTER!
  SCENE 3: DRIVE FASTER!
  Equipped with Malyar’s jeep, you speed across the 
  desert, quickly eating up the miles. It’s not exactly 
  a smooth ride, but it’s a darn sight better than 
  walking.
  The jeep barrels into a narrow, steep-sided valley, 
  bouncing and creaking as it tears over small boul-
  ders. A sharp crack causes you to wonder whether 
  you’ve broken the suspension, but it seems okay. 
  Must be those half dozen Afghan tribesmen on 
  horses that just emerged from a side valley ﬁ ring 
  wildly then!
  This scene is run as a Chase. Each Range Increment 
  represents 10”. The horses have Pace 8, though they are 
  far more maneuverable and travel better over the rough 
  terrain. The characters begin three Range Increments 
  from the Afghan horsemen.
  There are Light Obstacles along the valley. These work 
  as per the standard Savage Worlds rules. Typically these 
  are boulders, extremely rough ground, or potholes. This 
  Chase also uses a new rule—Event Stages (see below).
  The Afghans are ﬁ ercely territorial and don’t mince 
  around—they shoot as often as they get a chance. Divide 
  them into two groups for initiative purposes.
  Should the jeep break down or be shot to pieces, 
  switch to a standard tabletop ﬁ ght at the beginning of the 
  next round. The heroes’ destination isn’t far from here.
   Afghan Tribesmen (6): See page 18.
   Riding Horse (6): See Savage Worlds.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/20; Toughness: 9 (2); Crew: 1+3
  Notes: —
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the participants move through the 
  valley. Space 20 markers in a line along the table to rep-
  resent the valley ﬂ oor. Place a different color marker at 
  the 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 16th, and 19th positions. These 
  are the Event Stages. If the Chase carries on beyond the 
  20th position the GM may either elect to create his own 
  events or assume the valley is clear (except for regular 
  Obstacles).
  Move each combatant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual participant 
  is in relation to the events.
  When a vehicle reaches a Stage it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Driving or 
  Riding rolls apply to the roll made at the start of each 
  round. Unlike Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these 
  events affect all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, rivers, an-
  cient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create a 
  few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  References to Driving should be replaced with Riding 
  in the text below. Other text should be tweaked accord-
  ingly.
  5th Increment: A hidden turn marks the true course 
  of the valley—overshooting it leads to a dead-end. The 
  driver must make a Driving roll at –2 or overshoot the 
  turning. He doesn’t get to make a roll next round as he 
  has to spend time turning around.
  8th Increment: Large boulders ﬁ ll the valley ﬂ oor, 
  forcing the vehicle to swerve to avoid them. A failed Driv-
  ing roll causes a collision with a hard obstacle. Assume 
  the horses collide while trying to jump the obstacles.
  11th Increment: A choking dust devil is sweeping 
  through the valley. The Driving roll is unaffected. Every-
  one in the vehicle must make a Vigor roll or be Shaken 
  from inhaling dust.
  14th Increment: A landslide threatens to engulf the 
  vehicle. A failed Driving roll causes a collision with a 
  hard object. Since the landslide is doing the ramming, 
  the damage is 4d6.
  16th Increment: It seems the chasing Afghans don’t 
  own the entire valley. Snipers along the valley wall begin 
  taking potshots at everyone below. Roll three d6 for each 
  vehicle on this marker. A roll of 1 indicates a hit for 2d8 
  damage.
  19th Increment: A shallow crack in the ﬂ oor causes 
  everyone to hold on tight as the vehicle goes airborne! A 
  failed Driving roll causes the vehicle to go Out of Control 
  when it lands.
  SCENE 4: GRAB AND SMASH
  SCENE 4: GRAB AND SMASH
  A short while later, the explorers reach the site of the 
  Bamyan Buddhas. Carved from the cliff walls, the colos-
  sal statues measure 180’ and 120’ respectively.
  Their majesty is marred by holes made by cannons 
  during the reign of Nadir Shah (1698–1747). Some claim 
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  9
  he was attempting to remove all traces of the older face 
  from the now-Islamic Afghanistan.
  A fanatical devotee of Ghengis Khan’s military genius, 
  Shah was actually searching for the jade shard, which 
  local legends said was concealed inside one of the Bud-
  dhas. The fanatical king believed Ghengis Khan had once 
  owned the crystal and, as his successor (in his own mind), 
  it was his destiny to inherit it. He was assassinated before 
  he could uncover the relic.
  What Shah never tried was good-old-fashioned explo-
  ration. Reaching the head of the tallest statue requires 
  three successful Climbing rolls (or the Doc to ﬂ y up us-
  ing his rocket boots with a length of rope he can then 
  lower down). Failure on the ﬁ rst roll cause 2d6 damage 
  from the fall, the second inﬂ icts 3d6 damage, and the 
  third a hefty 4d6 damage. This damage is as from a Wild 
  card (so it hurts!)
  The climber quickly discovers that the head is not ac-
  tually attached to the rock behind. Rather, a dark, narrow 
  opening leads into the cliff face.
  SUSPENDED BELIEF
  SUSPENDED BELIEF
  Crawling through a narrow tunnel, you arrive 
  on a narrow ledge. In front of you are a series 
  of wooden catwalks suspended by heavy chains 
  over what appear to be a bottomless pit! Looking 
  up, the chains vanish into absolute darkness. Co-
  lossal statues rise from the pit like petriﬁ ed gods. 
  Each holds a mace in one hand, its head the size 
  of a large automobile, and a curved sword four 
  times the height of a man in the other. The cavern 
  is so vast you can’t see the other side.
  The catwalks sway when walked over, but they are 
  very sturdy and easily support the heroes’ combined 
  weight. They count as Unstable Platforms, though.
  On the far side of the cavern is another small ledge. 
  On this stands a gold box, decorated with strange writing 
  (Mongolian). It’s not locked. Inside is a single piece of 
  MAP OF CHAMBER BEHIND BAMYAN BUDDHAS
  MAP OF CHAMBER BEHIND BAMYAN BUDDHAS
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  1010
  jade, identical to the one the characters recovered from 
  Tibet. The moment a character states he is reaching for 
  the jade, read aloud the text below.
  “Kill them!” crackles a voice like lightning with 
  a Chinese accent. Spinning round, you see you’re 
  too late! Lo-Peng’s goons have tracked you down.
  Standing at the edge of your vision are a handful 
  of thugs, some armed with guns, others brandish-
  ing martial arts weapons. Behind them, dressed 
  in electric blue robes, stands a tall, thin man with 
  piercing eyes. Electricity crackles the length of his 
  long nails.
  The instant the jade shard is touched, proceed to the 
  scene below.
   Shen-Lung: See page 18.
   Goons with Guns (1 per hero): See page 18.
   Martial Artists (2 per hero): See page 19.
  A SMASHING TIME
  A SMASHING TIME
  Victory! Well, almost—just Lo-Peng’s goon squad 
  to beat now and you’re home and dry—or maybe 
  not. With a terrifying screech, the statues raise 
  their weapons and begin swinging them! One of 
  the massive maces swings across the adjoining 
  catwalk, knocking a gun-wielding goon into the 
  abyss. His scream seems to rebound off the walls 
  forever.
  While it might seem like a good idea for the heroes to 
  sit still on the ledge and wait for the statues to smash the 
  mooks, there’s a very good chance the catwalks won’t be 
  in place by the time they want to vacate the cavern! You 
  might want to mention this after a few missed blows, 
  before they get trapped.
  Special Stunt: A hero on Hold next to a foe might de-
  cide to use a cool stunt (or a variant on this theme). He 
  waits until the nearest statue attacks him, ducks, and lets 
  it sweep his enemy off the catwalk instead. This would 
  deﬁ nitely look good on a big screen, and it’s a classic 
  pulp move, but it should only be allowed once. Encour-
  age your players to think up new stunts, not repeat old 
  ones—that’s boring!
  TRAP (HUGE STATUES)
  TRAP (HUGE STATUES)
  Towering hundreds of feet high and weighing thou-
  sands of tons, the statues are a hazard to avoid, not a 
  monster to ﬁ ght. Nothing the characters can do can put 
  more than a scratch on their surface. Deal each statue 
  its own action card. The statues aim for the closest tar-
  get with each weapon, whether that’s a hero or villain. 
  They go on Hold if no targets are close when their card 
  is called.
  Skills: Agility d8, Fighting d8
  Special Abilities:
  * Huge: Due to their size they have a –4 penalty to 
  strike man-sized objects. If a Fighting roll comes up 1 
  or less due to modiﬁ ers, the statue has destroyed a 1” 
  section of catwalk adjacent to the target. Whether it is 
  in front or behind the character depends on relative 
  locations. If in doubt, roll a d6: odd means front, and 
  even means behind the target.
  * Powerful Blow: Anyone wounded or Shaken must 
  make an Agility roll or be knocked back 1d4” (yep, 
  even ﬂ ying over gaps between catwalks) and fall 
  prone. Hitting a solid object immediately ends the 
  knockback but doesn’t cause any additional damage.
   
  Heroes knocked into the abyss are instead left hang-
  ing by their ﬁ ngertips from the closest catwalk to 
  where they fell. A Strength roll is required as an action 
  to climb back onto the catwalk.
  * Two Weapons: 2d12+4, Reach 3. Each weapon may 
  make one attack per round, ignoring off-hand and 
  multi action penalties.
  THE THIRD PART REVEALED
  THE THIRD PART REVEALED
  Lo-Peng’s thugs have totaled Malyar’s jeep, but they’ve 
  left a brand new car in its place. If the heroes have any 
  sense of honor, they deliver the car to the headman to 
  replace his old one.
  Malyar is positively overjoyed with his new vehicle 
  and wastes no time driving it round the village to show 
  off. Once he’s had his fun, he hosts an impromptu feast 
  for his new best friends. During the feast, Malyar pulls 
  out a map (ex-British Army issue) and lays it out on the 
  table, planning to show them the route to Kabul, from 
  where they can arrange transport out of the country.
  As the map hits the table, the hero carrying the jade shard 
  feels it tugging inside his clothing. When it is removed (as 
  any curious hero would), read the following text.
  The jade shoots out of your hand and lands on the 
  map. It begins spinning wildly, going faster and 
  faster. After a few seconds it starts inching across 
  the map, ending up on Venice, Italy. It seems the 
  gem knows where its missing sister is located! Of 
  course, Lo-Peng may already have discovered this 
  for himself!
  Strangely, it can’t detect the piece Lo-Peng already 
  has. This is because he has shielded it from detection.
  ACT 3: VENICE
  ACT 3: VENICE
  Pick up your atlas and draw a line from Afghanistan to 
  Istanbul, and then onto Venice. On arriving at the near-
  est airport, the characters ﬁ nd they are expected. The 
  ﬁ rst scene runs at a slower pace, at least until the end, 
  and is designed to allow the players some opportunities 
  to roleplay and catch their breath after the dangers they 
  have faced so far.
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  1111
  SCENE 1: ARRIVAL
  SCENE 1: ARRIVAL
  Ah, Italy, a land of ﬁ ne food, excellent wine, and 
  stunning vistas! Pity you’re not here to sightsee.
  Stepping down from the plane and squinting 
  through the low, evening sun, you catch sight of 
  a smartly dressed man pushing through the other 
  passengers. As he approaches, a broad grin crosses 
  his face.
  “Lady Amelia Valentine, I presume? I am Luigi 
  Giovanni, manager of the Grand Hotel, a very 
  ﬁ ne establishment used by nobility from across 
  Europe. I see you have brought your butler,” he 
  says nodding at Brent. “And who is this young 
  chap?” He rufﬂ es Jimmy’s hair. “And your personal 
  chef?” He tilts his head toward Doc Davenport. 
  “Believe me, your ladyship, we have excellent 
  chefs at the hotel.
  “The airline telegraphed us of your impending 
  arrival. In gratitude for your father’s recent do-
  nation to our ﬁ nest museums, we have arranged 
  a suite for you. Please, follow me, I have a car 
  waiting.” 
  He whispers in Amelia’s ear, “We can arrange 
  some rooms for your staff, as well. No charge!”
  Suspicious as this may seem, Giovanni is who he says 
  he is and the hotel suite really is free of charge. Lady 
  Amelia can conﬁ rm the truth of her father’s donation 
  with a simple phone call or telegram.
  Should the heroes mention their quest, Giovanni 
  thinks for a few moments and then shakes his head.
  “No, no, I do not know of any such item. But we 
  have some very ﬁ ne museums and libraries. Per-
  haps in the morning you can begin your search 
  there, yes? Or maybe at the tourist ofﬁ ce. 
  “What am I saying?” He slaps his forehead hard. 
  “Would you like me to phone ahead to the chief 
  librarian or tourism minister and arrange an 
  appointment? A complimentary service for distin-
  guished guests.” The man really is smarmy.
  A PEACEFUL NIGHT
  A PEACEFUL NIGHT
  No amount of cajoling, bribery, or threats is going to 
  get the heroes any meetings or information this time of 
  night. All they can do is settle down in their suite and 
  enjoy the hospitality. Since it is well-known Lady Amelia 
  isn’t married, the hotel arranges a single adjacent room 
  for Amelia’s “staff.” There are only two beds, and neither 
  looks very comfortable.
  Ask the characters how they intend to spend their 
  evening. At some point Lady Amelia should be on her 
  own (perhaps she wants a bath), or at worst with a 
  single other character (paranoid characters doubling up 
  for security). When this occurs, there is a knock at Lady 
  Amelia’s door and a call of, “Room service! Compliments 
  of the management!”
  A character peeping through the spy hole sees a 
  waiter with a trolley. A large, silver dome indicates some 
  sort of food (there’s lobster beneath if a paranoid hero 
  needs to check). There’s also a bottle of champagne in 
  an ice bucket.
  Alas, the waiter isn’t alone! Lurking round the corner 
  is a number of Lo-Peng’s goons. They’ve caught wind 
  that the group is in town, and plan to eliminate them. 
  As soon as the door opens, they storm in. Check for Sur-
  prise and deal action cards.
  Characters not in the room can make Notice rolls at 
  the start of each round after the ﬁ rst. With success, they 
  hear the commotion and are dealt a card. So long as one 
  succeeds, he can alert his companions.
  Señor Giovanni arrives shortly after the ﬁ ght ends, 
  having been alerted by other guests. He is extremely 
  apologetic and promises a full investigation. He also of-
  fers the group $200 for not mentioning the “unfortunate 
  incident” to anyone.
   Goons with Guns (2): See page 18.
   Martial Artists (1 per hero): See page 19.
  WE WANT INFORMATION
  WE WANT INFORMATION
  In the morning the characters may begin their hunt 
  for the last jade shard. Venice isn’t a huge city, but it’s 
  large enough, and has plentiful historical buildings, to 
  make a house-by-house search all-but impossible. There 
  are three primary avenues of approach, though the play-
  ers may surprise you with ideas of their own.
  First, the characters can visit one of the many libraries 
  and begin searching for references to lumps of jade. This 
  requires an Investigation roll (it can be made Coopera-
  tively). For an “in-joke,” have part of the library sealed 
  off for repair work—apparently an American tourist 
  smashed a ﬂ oor mosaic of a large “X” while searching for 
  buried treasure.
  Second, they can ask at the various tourist information 
  ofﬁ ces regarding works of art or buildings renowned for 
  containing jade.
  In both cases, success reveals that the Palazzo 
  Malipiero, located on the Grand Canal, has an im-
  pressive display of statues in its garden (a rarity in 
  Venice). One of these, the Blind Angel of Venice, has 
  a large jade shard over its heart. The shard, suppos-
  edly brought back from China by Marco Polo, was 
  subsequently sold to the Cappello family, who in 
  turn became joined with the Malipiero clan through 
  marriage.
  Should the group elect to create a Contact at this 
  point, he or she automatically knows the information 
  above.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  1212
  SCENE 2: GREEN FINGERS
  SCENE 2: GREEN FINGERS
  The gardens are open to the public from dawn until 
  dusk. Assuming the characters arrive during these hours, 
  read the following text aloud. (If they arrive after dusk, 
  perhaps to sneak in, they ﬁ nd the jade shard has already 
  been stolen. However, Lo-Peng appears to them as de-
  tailed in Lo-Peng’s Demand.
  The guide at the door gave you directions to the 
  garden, where he said you’d ﬁ nd the statue, but he 
  neglected to mention there’s a hedge maze topped 
  with ﬂ ower-covered trelliswork! You’re about to 
  search for a more helpful ofﬁ cial when you spot 
  a large group of Chinese entering the maze from 
  another direction. Lo-Peng’s goons must have 
  tracked down the shard!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules. In order 
  to reach the statue they seek, the heroes need to accu-
  mulate ten tokens (move to The Statue as soon as this 
  occurs). The tokens represent both time and distance in 
  an abstract manner.
  Each round, characters make an Agility roll to deter-
  mine their pace. Success nets them one token, and a 
  raise two tokens. Characters who want to stay in a single 
  group use the lowest roll of the party to determine their 
  progress.
  Note that while Doc Davenport can ﬂ y, the sneaky 
  Venetians have topped the maze in ﬂ ower-covered 
  trellises to stop nosy neighbors in adjoining buildings 
  peering down on courting couples. The Doc can’t see 
  a thing through the ﬂ owers. Still, he can elect to ﬂ y 
  through the maze if he so chooses, swapping Piloting 
  for Agility.
  Don’t roll dice for Lo-Peng’s minions—this scene fo-
  cuses squarely on the heroes, not the Extras.
  Deal each group of characters a card for each round 
  of the Chase. If the party split, each character gets his 
  own card. Check the Events section below if a Club is 
  drawn.
  Although all of Lo-Peng’s goons enter the maze to-
  gether, they quickly divide their forces into small groups. 
  As you’ll see below, the Chinese reach the statue ﬁ rst. 
  However, some thugs may be encountered during the 
  search, and numerous ﬁ ghts can break out. When a ﬁ ght 
  starts, break from the Chase scene and concentrate on 
  the combat.
  Split Parties: If the party has split, those with more 
  tokens than the one being attacked may backtrack to aid 
  their comrades. They must give up tokens at the rate of 
  one per round until their total matches that of their com-
  rades. The round after the tokens are equal, they enter 
  the ﬁ ght.
  Groups lagging behind gain tokens to bring them up 
  to the total of the characters in the ﬁ ght, and each token 
  gained involves a one round delay.
  Should two or more groups be on equal tokens but not 
  moving together (i.e. they are making separate Agility rolls), 
  they are assumed to have temporarily encountered each 
  other or be close enough to provide immediate assistance.
   Goons with Guns: See page 18.
   Martial Artists: See page 19.
  EVENTS
  EVENTS
  Dotted through the maze are numerous statues, 
  benches, ﬂ ower pots (Range: 2/4/8, Damage: Str+d4), 
  gardening implements (Str+d6, –1 Parry, requires 2 
  hands), and so on. Encourage the use of props in the 
  ﬁ ghts—guns should be considered a bad idea!
  Deuce (Crushed): The heroes round a corner to see 
  a child lying on the ﬂ oor crying. It’s obvious the kid just 
  fell from a statue she was climbing. Worse still, the statue 
  is wobbling badly and about to crush the girl!
  Saving the girl requires an Agility or Strength roll 
  (character’s choice). On a success, he saves the child, but 
  in doing so gives up the opportunity to make an Agility 
  roll to gain tokens. On a raise, he can make an Agility roll 
  at –2 to gain some distance. Failure doesn’t crush the 
  girl—she scampers to one side in the nick of time—but 
  she gives her failed rescuers a scowl as she runs off.
  Ignoring the girl costs the character a benny for un-
  heroic behavior.
  Three (Convenient Gap): A gap high up in the 
  hedge has a bench positioned just right for a ﬂ ying leap 
  through! Characters who want to make the jump have 
  –2 to their Agility roll, but success or a raise grants them 
  an extra token. Failure causes them to lose one marker 
  as they waste valuable time extracting themselves from 
  the thicket.
  Four (Rat-a-tat-a-tat): This is an encounter with a 
  number of Lo-Peng’s goons with guns (p. 18) equal to 
  one per two characters (minimum of 1) in the group that 
  drew this card. Let the ﬁ ght begin!
  Five (Rake): A gardener has accidentally left a rake 
  lying on the ﬂ oor, just around a blind bend. If the hero 
  fails his Agility roll he steps on the rake, which swings up 
  and smacks him in the nose, causing him to be Shaken.
  Six (Wrong Turn): The character has taken a wrong 
  turn and has doubled back on himself. He automatically 
  loses a token, but he can make an Agility roll this round 
  to gain more.
  Seven (Kung-Fu Fighting): This is an encounter with a 
  number of Lo-Peng’s martial artists (p. 19) equal to one per 
  hero in the group drawing this card. Let the ﬁ ght begin!
  Eight (Crowded Maze): A group of tourists are trying 
  to move through the maze in the opposite direction of 
  the hero. His Agility roll is made at –2 this turn.
  Nine (Mistaken Statue): A statue with a green smear 
  on its chest causes the adventurer to stop and check it 
  out. Unfortunately, it’s just moss. The delay gives the 
  character a –4 penalty to his Agility roll this round.
  Ten (Mixed Bunch): This is an encounter with a 
  number of Lo-Peng’s martial artists (p. 19) and goons 
  with guns (p. 18). The martial artists number 1 per hero, 
  and the gun-totting thugs one per 2 heroes (minimum of 
  1) in the group receiving this card.
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  1313
  Jack (Do You Have a Light?): A high society lady 
  stops the character and asks if he has a light for her ciga-
  rette. Providing a light (everyone caries a lighter in the 
  1930s) means the character makes his Agility roll at –2 
  due to the delay. Refusing to stop costs the hero a benny 
  for being ungentlemanly.
  Queen (Making a Hole): The hero spots a thin sec-
  tion of hedge. Ask if he wants to push through or carry 
  on his current path.
  If he elects to push through, draw a card from 
  the deck. On a red card, he gains one token imme-
  diately thanks to the handy shortcut and may make 
  an Agility roll for more. A Joker means he gains 2 
  tokens (and can roll Agility at +2 as normal). A black 
  card means the “shortcut” has sent him further back, 
  costing him one token, but still allowing him to roll 
  Agility.
  Staying on the path allows an Agility roll as normal.
  King (Pushing Daisies): A section of trellis collapses. 
  He must make an Agility roll as a free action. With suc-
  cess, he may make his Agility roll to gain markers, but at 
  –2. A raise gives no penalty. On a failure, the character 
  is treated as being Shaken. Instead of using Spirit, he 
  makes a Strength roll to push off the trelliswork he is 
  caught under.
  Ace (Tripped): The explorer either gets tripped by 
  mistake or perhaps runs into a fellow navigator com-
  ing around a bend. His Agility roll is made at –2. On a 
  failure, he falls over. His next Agility roll is also made 
  at –2.
  THE STATUE
  THE STATUE
  This section begins as soon as one group of characters 
  reaches the center of the maze. Parties who have split 
  use the rules above for catching up.
  “There it is! The Blind Angel of Venice! But you’re 
  too late. A tall Chinese man in red robes and with 
  orange hair already has the shard in his hand. 
  A number of goons, some with guns, others with 
  martial arts weapons, stand between you and 
  your prize!”
  Deal action cards! The statue actually stands at the 
  far end of the maze, against the back wall. A nearby gate, 
  placed within 2” of the chief villain, leads to a nearby 
  canal. The area is 5” wide and 8” long. The thugs begin 
  4” away from the ﬁ rst character to arrive on the scene.
  Fu-T’sang-Lung, the orange-haired man, must escape 
  this Scene, so save a benny for the Recurring Villains rule. 
  It’s important the goons delay the heroes for at least a 
  few rounds after his escape, so it’s best to have the villain 
  escape after half the Extras are out of the ﬁ ght. Much as 
  he’d love to stay and ﬁ ght, Lo-Peng’s orders were explicit, 
  and he’s the only person Fu-T’sang-Lung fears.
   Fu-T’sang-Lung: See page 17.
   Goons with Guns (1 per hero): See page 18.
   Martial Artists (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: HERE TODAY, GONDOLA TOMORROW
  SCENE 3: HERE TODAY, GONDOLA TOMORROW
  By the time the heroes defeat the goons, Fu-T’sang-
  Lung has already ﬂ ed to the waterside. Grabbing a gon-
  dola, the ﬁ end sets off onto the canals toward the lagoon 
  as fast as his arms allow.
  As the characters reach the wharf, a seaplane with 
  Lo-Peng’s symbol on the tail touches down further out 
  on the lake. A ﬁ gure appears at the door and begins 
  waving frantically to the Chinese villain. There are two 
  more gondolas at the wharf. Each holds a maximum of 
  six people. These are the only vehicles available.
  Run this scene using the Chase rules, but without any 
  Obstacles. It’s really more of a standard ﬁ ght in an un-
  usual location, as the vehicles play little part other than 
  cinematically. They do count as an Unsteady Platform, 
  though. The skill used to power the boats is Strength. 
  Poling takes an action, and up to two characters can pole 
  simultaneously. Treat this as a Cooperative roll. 
  The Doc can ﬂ y if he so chooses, using Piloting and 
  burning Power Points accordingly. Unless he elects to 
  move at double Pace, he’s deemed no faster than the 
  gondolas (due to having to avoid low bridges and ﬂ ag 
  poles). At double Pace, he gains +1 to his Piloting rolls 
  because he’s faster.
  Place ten markers along the tabletop to represent 
  the Range Increments. Each Range Increment repre-
  sents 5”. The villain begins next to the third marker, 
  while the heroes are not on the chain on the ﬁ rst 
  round.
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has a ﬁ xed duration 
  and ending. If Fu-T’sang-Lung passes the ﬁ nal marker, he 
  leaps into the waiting seaplane. The seaplane then takes 
  off, carrying the jade shard and the villain to safety. It 
  can’t be shot down!
  Should the mystic be stopped, the plane immediately 
  takes off without him, leaving him to face the characters 
  in one ﬁ nal battle—Lo-Peng does not tolerate failure. Fu-
  T’sang-Lung ﬁ ghts to the bitter end. In the event of his 
  death, he simply sinks beneath the surface, allowing the 
  GM to use him again in a future scenario.
  : Fu-T’sang-Lung: See page 17.
  LO-PENG’S DEMAND
  LO-PENG’S DEMAND
  Whether the characters successfully stop Fu-T’sang-
  Lung or not, Lo-Peng appears before them in spirit form. 
  He’s impervious to all damage and laughs at adventurers 
  who try to harm him.
  “You cannot defeat me, mortals,” he sneers. 
  “Bring the pieces of the Jade Heart you possess 
  to the Great Wall of China in one week or your 
  friend, Eddie Chang, dies. His death will be on 
  your hands if you refuse.”
  An image of Eddie, his face swollen and bruised, 
  appears next to the sorcerer. “Hi guys,” Eddie 
  smiles weakly. “Lo-Peng is serious. In case you 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  1414
  think this is some sort of trick, Brent, I know you 
  kept a photo of a pretty girl tucked into your ﬂ y-
  ing boots. Some secret, eh?”
  The sorcerer claps his hands and the image of 
  your friend disappears. “Do not try any tricks,” 
  Lo-Peng says. “Not unless you wish your friend to 
  meet a most horrible death. One week!” With that, 
  the image vanishes.
  Brent’s character did indeed keep a “lucky” photo in 
  his boots during his mercenary days. Exactly whom the 
  photo was of is left to the player to decide. 
  Should the characters require further conﬁ rmation of 
  Eddie’s fate, a phone call to the restaurant reveals Eddie 
  was grabbed several days ago by a gang of Chinese thugs 
  and hasn’t been seen since.
  ACT 4: CHINA
  ACT 4: CHINA
  It’s time for the ﬁ nal trip of the adventure. Draw a red 
  line from Venice to Peking (modern Beijing). No matter 
  how quickly the characters reach China, they ﬁ nd Lo-
  Peng waiting for them on the Great Wall. This prevents 
  them from being able to set up an ambush, which isn’t a 
  very pulp way of behaving, anyway.
  SCENE 1: THE HANDOVER FROM HELL
  SCENE 1: THE HANDOVER FROM HELL
  The Great Wall of China, one the great wonders 
  of the world. Shame you’re not here to enjoy the 
  sights, though. Standing outside one of the many 
  towers is Lo-Peng, his long nails resting across the 
  neck of Eddie Chang. Eddie looks extremely weak 
  and pale.
  There are no signs of any goons, but the interior of 
  the tower beyond is concealed in deep shadows.
  “Welcome to China,” Lo-Peng grins, “welcome to 
  what will soon be my empire! Now, let us dispense 
  with formalities. You will hand over the jade piec-
  es, or your friend will die. After his death, yours 
  will follow quickly afterward.”
  Lo-Peng is many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. 
  He can sense the power of the jade pieces at this range, 
  and instantly knows if any trickery is being used. He uses 
  his death touch on Eddie (who already has 2 wounds) if 
  any fakes are handed over, or if the heroes stall for time, 
  just to spur them along.
  Don’t worry if the heroes have one of Lo-Peng’s lieu-
  tenants or goons prisoner—the evil mystic simply blasts 
  them to oblivion with a casual wave of his hand, remov-
  ing the characters’ bargaining chip.
  Whether or not the adventurers comply with his de-
  mands is up to them, but Eddie’s life is at stake. If the 
  jade pieces are offered to him, the sorcerer simply raises 
  a single ﬁ nger—the shards ﬂ y across to his hand.
  Once he has the jade pieces, continue with the text 
  below. Just like in the movies, the characters can’t inter-
  rupt his actions.
  “At last!” the sorcerer shouts. “At last I shall be 
  free. You have been most gracious in your gener-
  osity, and so very trusting.” He runs a nail across 
  Eddie’s neck drawing a thin line of blood.
  “Did you know,” he continues, “that when the 
  Emperors had this wall built, any workers who 
  failed to meet their standards were executed and 
  entombed beneath the stones. Yes, they lie here 
  still, their spirits protecting the wall and helping 
  drive back intruders. I am Chinese,” he smirks, 
  “but you are not!”
  With that he utters a few words and stamps his 
  foot hard. Suddenly stones begin to explode up-
  ward. Withered shapes clamber out shakily. Lo-
  Peng calls out to them, “Fulﬁ ll your duty! Kill the 
  foreign intruders!”
  The zombies begin shufﬂ ing forward. Lo-Peng 
  laughs again, shoves Eddie to the ground, steps 
  back, and vanishes!
  Deal action cards. Divide the zombies into two groups 
  for initiative purposes. Lo-Peng has used a special form 
  of teleport to disappear back to his lair.
  The wall is 3” wide. This segment of causeway is 33” 
  long—8” in front of the party (whereupon stands the 
  tower) and 25” behind, where there is another tower. 
  The zombies begin the ﬁ ght 6” in front of the charac-
  ters.
   Lo-Peng: See page 17.
   Zombies (2 per hero): See page 19.
  NOW WHAT?
  NOW WHAT?
  All being well, Lo-Peng has the jade shards and has 
  vanished into thin air, leaving the characters with no clue 
  where to go next. Fortunately, the sorcerer has made a 
  fundamental mistake. What until someone raises this 
  point, and then read the following text.
  Eddie smiles a wide grin and slaps Brent heavily 
  on the back. “You never did think much! Lo-Peng 
  might be a powerful magician, but he’s too preoc-
  cupied with his goal.
  “Don’t look so vacant, buddy. When his goons 
  snatched me and took me to Shanghai they forgot 
  I knew the city inside out. Judging by the sounds 
  and smells, I reckon Lo-Peng’s lair is somewhere 
  near the waterfront, in a laundry. All we need to 
  do is track down which one and we’ve got him!”
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  1515
  SCENE 2: SORCERER’S LAIR
  SCENE 2: SORCERER’S LAIR
  After catching a ride from a passing peasant, the 
  heroes reach Shanghai. After a brief search of the wa-
  terfront, they locate a laundry displaying Lo-Peng’s mark 
  above the door. The workers are all innocents and make 
  no attempt to stop the characters moving through the 
  building. Read the following text aloud when they reach 
  the back room.
  You’re too late! A shimmering, golden portal indi-
  cates Lo-Peng has already performed his ritual.
  Eddie quickly moves over to the glowing void in 
  space and begins chanting. A few minutes later, 
  the portal glows green. “Hopefully I’ve managed 
  to twist the path for Lo-Peng. It won’t stop him 
  for long, but it should cause a delay. Now, get 
  through quickly. I’ll stay here and make sure the 
  portal doesn’t disappear. Good luck!”
  Unfortunately, getting through isn’t quite as easy as 
  Eddie hoped. His magic has summoned a number of Lo-
  Peng’s spirit warriors. Hopefully the characters still have 
  those enchanted chopsticks!
  Once the initial four are dealt with, another four ap-
  pear, and so on. Eddie urges the heroes to use the portal 
  before it’s too late, saying he’ll hold back the ghostly war-
  riors. This is a classic pulp scene, where the characters 
  are forced to choose between completing their goal and 
  saving an ally. Eddie isn’t in any real danger, of course, 
  but the heroes shouldn’t know that.
   Spirit Warriors (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: THE EMPEROR’S TOMB
  SCENE 3: THE EMPEROR’S TOMB
  Stepping into the portal, you feel a wave of 
  dizziness come over you. Peripheral images of 
  clawed beasts and strange symbols ﬂ icker in the 
  darkness, which encompasses you like a burial 
  shroud. Then the sensations fade, and you feel 
  solid ground beneath your feet. Quickly checking 
  your watches, you see several hours have passed 
  in what felt like the blink of an eye.
  Your ﬂ ashlights reveal a large chamber. The walls 
  and ceiling are lined with bronze plates; wooden 
  statues of Chinese warriors armed with wooden 
  swords and spears leer from the gloom; streams 
  of what appear to be liquid silver cut through the 
  ﬂ oor of a wooden platform, and ahead stands a 
  jade sarcophagus.
  After a few breaths, you begin to feel light-headed 
  and slightly nauseous. Could some sort of trap 
  have been activated?
  Have the heroes make a Vigor roll. Those who fail suf-
  fer a level of Fatigue for the remainder of this Act. The 
  rivers aren’t actually silver—they’re mercury, and the 
  deadly vapors ﬁ ll the tomb!
  For now, the adventurers are free to explore as they 
  wish. However, as soon as one crosses one of the bridges 
  (see below) onto the wooden platform, read the follow-
  ing text to the players.
  Setting foot on the wooden platform causes the 
  sea and river of liquid metal to begin bubbling. 
  Without warning, humanoid forms, each the color 
  of silver, rise up from the liquid. Their lower legs 
  merge with the rivers and make no ripples as they 
  glide toward you!
  Place the mercury elementals in any of the rivers and 
  sea in the chamber. They should be spaced as evenly as 
  possible and not within 8” of any hero. Deal the action 
  cards. Divide the elementals into two groups of four for 
  initiative purposes.
  Proceed to Scene 4 immediately after the jade sar-
  cophagus is opened.
   Mercury Elementals (2 per hero): See page 19.
  THE CHAMBER
  THE CHAMBER
  The circular chamber measures 36” across. From 
  above, it resembles three concentric circular areas. The 
  inner most region is a wooden platform measuring 24” 
  across. In the center, measuring 2” by 1”, lies the jade 
  sarcophagus. A wooden statue stands at each corner of 
  the sarcophagus. These occupy a 1” square.
  Cutting through it are a number of quicksilver rivers. 
  The GM should place these as he wishes to divide the 
  central area into sections. One quick way is to connect 
  four rivers, each 1” wide, to the edge of the platform. 
  They don’t have to be the same length, so you can have 
  large wooden areas and smaller ones.
  The second circle is a 3”-wide “sea” of mercury. Eight 
  wooden bridges, spaced evenly around the chamber, al-
  low access onto the central region from the outer zone.
  The outer region, on which the heroes begin, is 3” 
  and made of bronze panels. There are no apparent ways 
  out of this chamber.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  Jade Sarcophagus: The sarcophagus is engraved 
  with the name Shi Huang Di. A Knowledge (History) roll 
  reveals he was the ﬁ rst Chinese emperor.
  During combat, when time is pressing, removing 
  the lid requires a Strength roll at –4. (After combat, the 
  characters have enough time to eventually remove the 
  lid without a roll.) Inside lies the ﬁ rst Emperor, clad from 
  head to toe in jade armor. Clutched in one hand is an 
  ivory scroll case, and in the other a jade-tipped spear 
  Opening the scroll case takes an action. Inside is a 
  parchment scroll, on which are written several incanta-
  tions in ancient Chinese. The longest of these is labeled, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  1616
  “Reforming the Shape and Severing the Bonds of Im-
  mortality.”
  These are gibberish to the party, though Brent can 
  recite the words. This requires three actions. The words 
  have no effect until spoken in Lo-Peng’s presence.
  The jade spear has regular stats (Str+d6, Parry +1, 
  Reach 1, requires 2-hands), except when used against 
  Lo-Peng. Damage against the sorcerer is Str+d10 dam-
  age. This ignores the minimum Strength rule. Grabbing 
  is as per drawing a weapon.
  There is a chance a character might want to wear the 
  Emperor’s armor. In combat, it takes 2 actions to remove 
  the armor and two more to don it. It grants the wearer 
  the Improved Arcane Resistance Edge and +3 Armor.
  Mercury Rivers: The rivers are 1” wide and 1” deep. 
  Moving through them counts as difﬁ cult terrain, but also 
  requires the character to make a Vigor roll or gain a level 
  of Fatigue. This can lead to Incapacitation, but never 
  Death.
  Any character investigating the silver rivers can make a 
  Common Knowledge roll. Success reveals the metal is mer-
  cury. Failure leads to the continued belief they are silver.
  Statues: Although the adventurers might suspect the 
  statues are going to animate and attack, they don’t—
  they’re just statues. Each statue holds a wooden long 
  sword (Str+d8) and spear (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 
  2-hands). Grabbing one is treated as drawing a weapon.
  SCENE 4: IMMORTALITY AND BUST
  SCENE 4: IMMORTALITY AND BUST
  Your hand reaches into the jade sarcophagus, 
  inching closer and closer, when…ROOOOAR! A 
  deafening scream of deﬁ ance echoes through the 
  chamber. Looking round, you see Lo-Peng and a 
  number of his martial artist goons have ﬁ nally 
  arrived.
  “You would dare defy me!” he snarls, raising his 
  hands in anger. “My destiny cannot be stopped by 
  mere mortals! Kill them! Kill them all!”
  It’s time for the climax of the adventure. The villains 
  begin adjacent to the portal, which gives the heroes a 
  ﬁ ghting chance to remove the mooks with 
  their guns. Lo-Peng is still immortal, and 
  remains that way until the scroll is read in 
  his presence.
  At the start of the round after the 
  scroll is read, Lo-Peng transforms into his 
  dragon guise. Although he believes he can 
  now achieve his goal, he is in fact in dire 
  straits—his dragon form is mortal! He 
  has two key weaknesses—the Jade Heart, 
  which he wears around his neck, and the 
  Emperor’s jade spear.
  Once he changes form, allow the he-
  roes a Notice roll as a free action each 
  round until someone succeeds. With suc-
  cess, they spot the Jade Heart is beating 
  steadily. On a raise, they detect it slowly 
  being absorbed into the sorcerer’s scales! 
  Unless they act quickly, it will be totally 
  absorbed.
  The heart is completely reabsorbed at 
  the end of the ﬁ fth round. Although the 
  heart can still be targeted with a Called 
  Shot (–4) and Lo-Peng cannot make Soak 
  rolls, damage is rolled against the dragon’s 
  full Toughness. The characters have lost 
  their biggest advantage.
   Lo-Peng: See page 17.
   Lo-Peng, Dragon Form: See page 17.
   Martial Artists (2 per hero): See 
  page 19.
  ESCAPE TO VICTORY
  ESCAPE TO VICTORY
  As soon as Lo-Peng is dead the por-
  tal that led the characters here begins 
  to shrink. Eddie’s voice comes wafting 
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  1717
  through the ether, urging them to escape before they 
  are sealed in the tomb forever! The characters have ﬁ ve 
  rounds to make their escape—plenty of time to grab a 
  few souvenirs and run to the portal.
  Should the characters fail, the GM has two choic-
  es—he can create an adventure covering their escape 
  from the trap-ﬁ lled crypt (which covers a vast area) or 
  he can have them pass out from the mercury fumes, 
  only to awaken a short while later in Lo-Peng’s hide-
  out (having been rescued by Eddie, who formed a new 
  portal).
  Once through, they ﬁ nd themselves in the Chinese 
  laundry. Eddie is beaten up badly, but he remains in 
  good spirits. As the scene ends, Eddie says he’ll take 
  them all out for a Chinese meal at this great restaurant 
  he knows.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  EDDIE CHANG
  EDDIE CHANG
  Brent’s long-time friend and ﬂ ying buddy, Eddie is 
  now happily married, runs a restaurant, and avoids ex-
  citement. Still, whenever Brent appears, trouble is close 
  behind and Eddie won’t let his friend down when he’s in 
  a tight spot. Treat Eddie as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Healing d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8, 
  Taunt d8 (shouldn't he also have some sort of vague Chi-
  nese magic skill?)
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Loyal
  Edges: Alertness, Charismatic, Frenzy
  Gear: Cleaver (Str+d6)
  LO-PENG
  LO-PENG
  Lo-Peng was once a mighty dragon. In his bid to 
  become ruler of all China, he warred against the ﬁ rst 
  Emperor. Alas, his arrogance caused his downfall, and 
  he has spent two millennia locked in human form with 
  only a small fraction of his powers at his disposal. But 
  now he is close to securing his release and fulﬁ lling his 
  ancient dream.
  Lo-Peng is an immensely powerful sorcerer. Spells 
  that can be maintained automatically last for the entire 
  scene. His spells are the equivalent of many dozen Power 
  Points. He also has other powers, which are described, 
  and used, in the adventure purely in textual terms.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d10, Spell-
  casting d12+1, Taunt d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Arrogant, Mean
  Edges: Command, Improved Dodge, Improved Level 
  Headed, Strong Willed
  Gear: Long, sharp ﬁ ngernails (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Death Touch: Lo-Peng may make a Touch Attack (+2) 
  Fighting. Each success and raise inﬂ icts an automatic 
  wound.
  * Powers: During any scene in which he appears, Lo-
  Peng can use the following spells: 1 x armor (drag-
  on scales); 3 x bolt (3 bolts for 3d6 damage; huge, 
  immaterial claws); 3 x dispel (dragon snatches spell 
  in mouth); 2 x entangle (Medium Burst Template; 
  wrapped in dragon’s tail); 1 x ﬂ y (hovers); 1 x quick-
  ness (martial arts); 3 x stun (powerful shout)
  LO-PENG, DRAGON FORM
  LO-PENG, DRAGON FORM
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength 
  d12+6, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d10, Spell-
  casting d12+2, Taunt d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 20 (4)
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Arrogant, Mean
  Edges: Command, Improved Dodge, Improved Level 
  Headed, Master (Spellcasting), Strong Willed
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +4: Thick scales.
  * Claws: Str+d6. Anyone Shaken or wounded is 
  knocked back 1d4” and falls prone.
  * Huge: Attackers are +4 to attack rolls due to the 
  beast’s size.
  * Powers: During any scene in which he appears, Lo-
  Peng can use the following spells: 1 x armor (drag-
  on scales); 3 x bolt (3 bolts for 3d6 damage; huge, 
  immaterial claws); 3 x dispel (dragon snatches spell 
  in mouth); 2 x entangle (Medium Burst Template; 
  wrapped in dragon’s tail); 1 x ﬂ y (hovers); 1 x quick-
  ness (martial arts); 3 x stun (powerful shout)
  * Size +8: Lo-Peng’s dragon form is 30’ long.
  * Weakness (Jade Heart): For the ﬁ rst ﬁ ve rounds of 
  combat, it can be targeted with a Called Shot (–4). 
  Damage inﬂ icted on the amulet ignores the dragon’s 
  size (Toughness 12 (4)). Lo-Peng cannot Soak this 
  damage.
  * Weakness (Jade Spear): The jade spear causes 
  Str+d10 damage (ignoring the minimum Strength 
  rule) to Lo-Peng or the Jade Heart.
  FU-T’SANG-LUNG
  FU-T’SANG-LUNG
  Fu-T’sang-Lung’s specialty is ﬁ re. Possessed of a ﬁ ery 
  temper and pyromaniac tendencies, Lo-Peng’s chief lieu-
  tenant is a dangerous foe.
  His spells are the equivalent of 30 Power Points (with 
  no maintenance).
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Spell-
  casting d12, Taunt d6
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #04
  1818
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Level Headed
  Gear: Flaming sword (Str+d8, anyone Shaken or wound-
  ed has a chance of catching ﬁ re)
  Special Abilities:
  * Power Surge: Double spell damage when dealt a 
  Joker.
  * Powers: During the encounter, Fu-T’sang-Lung can 
  use the following spells: 2 x barrier (creates 3” of ﬁ re), 
  1 x blast (Large Burst Template, 2d6 damage; ﬂ ames), 
  2 x bolt (3 bolts for 2d6 damage; ﬂ aming spheres), 2 x 
  burst (jet of ﬂ ame), 2 x deﬂ ection (heat shimmer), 2 x 
  obscure (thick smoke), 1 x smite (intensiﬁ es ﬂ ame of 
  sword. Spells that can be maintained are instead ﬁ xed 
  at 3 rounds per casting.
  SHEN-LUNG
  SHEN-LUNG
  Shen-Lung carries within him the power to use the 
  element of air and, through that, the weather in general. 
  Nimble of hand and foot and with lightning reﬂ exes, 
  Shen-Lung tries to outsmart, not outﬁ ght, his enemies.
  His spells are the equivalent of 25 Power Points (with 
  no maintenance).
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Spell-
  casting d10, Stealth d10, Taunt d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant
  Edges: Acrobat, Fleet Footed, Improved Dodge, Quick
  Gear: Whip (Str+d4, Reach 1, allows grapple at range)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fleet Footed: Rolls a d10 running die.
  * Power Surge: Double spell damage when dealt a 
  Joker.
  * Powers: During the encounter, Shen-Lung can use 
  the following spells: 2 x bolt (2 bolts for 3d6 damage; 
  lightning), 2 x deﬂ ection (swirling wind), 1 x entan-
  gle (Medium Burst Template; whirlwind), 1 x ﬂ y (Pace 
  8; carried on winds), 1 x quickness (Trapping?), 1 x 
  stun (sonic boom). Spells which can be maintained 
  are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per casting.
  * Stomach Drum: As an action, Shen-Lung can drum 
  his ﬁ ngers on his stomach. This projects a powerful 
  sonic wave in a Cone Template. Anyone struck must 
  make a Strength roll or be knocked back 1” and fall 
  prone.
  TI-LUNG
  TI-LUNG
  Ti-Lung has been imbued with the powers of the ele-
  ment of earth. He’s a hulk of a man, completely bald, and 
  never goes anywhere without his great hammer. Slow-
  witted but strong and with a will of iron, he’s happiest 
  when beating Lo-Peng’s enemies to a pulp.
  His spells are the equivalent of 20 Power Points (with 
  no maintenance).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Spell-
  casting d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Block, Sweep
  Gear: Big hammer (Str+d10, –1 Parry, can use 1-hand-
  ed)
  Special Abilities:
  * Hardy: Successive Shaken results do not cause a 
  wound.
  * Mighty Blow: Double melee damage when dealt a 
  Joker.
  * Powerful Blow: Anyone wounded or Shaken by his 
  hammer must make an Agility roll or be knocked back 
  1d4” and fall prone. Hitting a solid object immedi-
  ately ends the knockback but doesn’t cause any ad-
  ditional damage.
  * Powers: During the encounter Ti-Lung can use the 
  following spells: 3 x armor (rock hard skin), 1 x bar-
  rier (creates 3” of earth bank), 1 x burrow (sinks into 
  ﬂ oor), 1 x burst (spits rocks), 3 x stun (smashes ham-
  mer on ﬂ oor). Spells that can be maintained are in-
  stead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per casting.
  * Size +1: He’s 8’ tall and extremely well-muscled.
  * Tough: When Ti-Lung makes a Soak roll, he rolls two 
  Vigor dice and a Wild Die and takes the highest.
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  Fiercely loyal, highly territorial, and distrustful of 
  outsiders, the tribesmen defend their lands the old-fash-
  ioned way—with violence.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Riding d8, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8), sword 
  (Str+d6), riding horse
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  These thugs aren’t exactly crack marksmen, but with 
  a Tommy gun accuracy isn’t as important as how much 
  lead you can ﬁ re!
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3)
  
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  THE TALONS OF LO-PENG
  1919
  MARTIAL ARTIST
  MARTIAL ARTIST
  These thugs know a variety of martial arts. The GM is 
  free to mention speciﬁ c styles he knows about, or he can 
  just refer to them as using kung-fu.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Taunt d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Acrobat (and see below)
  Gear: Hand (Str+d4), feet (Str+d4), assorted martial 
  arts weapons (Str+4)
  Each of the martial artists knows one special move. The 
  number on the goon’s ﬁ gure ﬂ at tells you his Edge.
  No. 
  Edge/Special Ability
  1 
  Block (Parry 7)
  2 
  Frenzy (two attacks at –2)
  3 
  Sweep (attacks all adjacent characters at –2)
  4 
  First Strike (may attack one foe who moves 
  adjacent)
  5 
  Powerful Blow (anyone wounded or Shaken 
  must make an Agility roll or be knocked back 
  1d4” and fall prone)
  6 
  Flying Kick (if he moves at least 4”, he causes 
  +1d6 damage)
  7 
  Two-Fisted (ignores multi action penalty when 
  using two weapons—can use his hands and feet 
  with this)
  8 
  Florentine (+1 Fighting against foes with 
  single weapons, ignores 1 point of Gang Up 
  bonuses—can use his hands and feet with this)
  MERCURY ELEMENTALS
  MERCURY ELEMENTALS
  Humanoid in form but composed of quicksilver, these 
  guardians have orders to destroy anyone entering their 
  lord’s tomb.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Camouﬂ age: Gain +4 to Stealth rolls when in mercury.
  * Elemental: Called Shots do no additional damage; 
  immune to poison and disease
  * Fearless: Immune to Intimidation and Fear.
  * Invulnerability: Can be Shaken but never wounded 
  by non-wooden mundane attacks.
  * Malleable Form: Mercury elementals can alter their 
  shape to avoid blows, giving them the Block and 
  Dodge Edges.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  * Teleport: Once per round, a mercury elemental can 
  sink into the river and reappear instantly in a mercury 
  river square anywhere within 12” as a free action. This 
  does not count as the creature’s movement.
  * Weakness (Wood): Can be harmed by wooden weap-
  ons as normal. When moving over wood, the elemen-
  tals treat it as difﬁ cult ground and cannot run.
  SKELETAL WARRIORS
  SKELETAL WARRIORS
  Animated warriors of an age long past, these mindless 
  servitors obey Lo-Peng’s every order to the letter.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6
  Pace: 7; Parry: 6 Toughness: 7
  Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), small shield (+1 Parry)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; No addition-
  al damage from Called Shots.
  SPIRIT WARRIORS
  SPIRIT WARRIORS
  Spirit warriors aren’t ghosts, but they are otherwordly 
  beings.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Gear: Pair of short swords (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Invulnerability: Can be Shaken but never wounded 
  by non-bamboo mundane attacks.
  * Kick/Punch: Str+d4.
  * Two-Fisted: Spirit warriors ignore the multi action 
  penalty when using two weapons. Still suffer the –2 
  off-hand penalty.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; No addition-
  al damage from Called Shots.
  * Weakness (Bamboo): Can be harmed by bamboo 
  weapons as normal.
  ZOMBIES
  ZOMBIES
  Former workers entombed within the Great Wall for 
  failing in their duties, they are now bound to protect 
  China from outsiders.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5 Toughness: 7
  Gear: Small weapons (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; No addition-
  al damage from Called Shots (see below).
  * Weakness (Head): Called Shots to a zombie’s head 
  cause an additional +2 damage.
  
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31000
  31000
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31002
  31002
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31004
  31004
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  Daring Tales of Adventure are a series 
  of Savage Worlds adventures in the best 
  tradition of cinematic pulp adventure. 
  Each episode is packed full of action—ﬁ ght 
  crazed cultists, take the wheel in an epic car 
  chase or discover ancient tombs! Whatever 
  your poison you’ll ﬁ nd it here.
  These special adventures also make use of 
  Triple Ace Games’ unique pulp setting rules, 
  designed to make two-ﬁ sted adventures 
  more exciting and truer to the source than 
  ever before!
  For more information and to download our 
  pre-gen characters to help you get into the 
  action quicker visit our website.
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  
  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. 
  Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com/DaringTales.php
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31005
  31005
  $6.99
  $6.99
  1935: The heroes uncover part 
  of an ancient Chinese artefact 
  in the mountains of Tibet, an 
  artefact sought by a Chinese 
  mystic by the name of Lo-Peng.
  1936: Someone has stolen the 
  relic from Boston Museum. A 
  strange Chinese pictogram left 
  at the crime scene leads the 
  adventurers on rollercoaster 
  ride from Boston to 
  Afghanistan, onto Venice, and 
  ﬁ nally to China and the tomb of the ﬁ rst Emperor.
  Martial artists, ancient Chinese warriors with supernatural 
  powers, deadly traps, and ﬁ erce Afghan tribesmen stand 
  between the heroes and victory. 
  The evil Talons of Lo-Peng stretch far and wide—can the 
  heroes thwart his plans?
  Can the heroes escape 
  Can the heroes escape 
  the talons of lo-peng?
  the talons of lo-peng?
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31008
  31008
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEVE RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEVE RENWICK
  DEDICATION: TO VERONICA “DREAD PIRATE VERN” BLESSING, FOR TALKING LIKE A PIRATE.
  DEDICATION: TO VERONICA “DREAD PIRATE VERN” BLESSING, FOR TALKING LIKE A PIRATE.
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  0505
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: DAVE BLEWER, RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEVE RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEVE RENWICK
  DEDICATION: TO VERONICA “DREAD PIRATE VERN” BLESSING, FOR TALKING LIKE A PIRATE.
  DEDICATION: TO VERONICA “DREAD PIRATE VERN” BLESSING, FOR TALKING LIKE A PIRATE.
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  0505
  
  The Devil’s Triangle, which only gains the nickname 
  the Bermuda Triangle in the 1960s, isn’t that well known 
  to the public in 1936. Of course, that changes when Flight 
  19 mysteriously vanishes, but that is a few years to go yet. 
  Planes and ships do go missing in the region, but with 
  radar not yet invented, no one is tracking their move-
  ments. Most likely wandered off course and ran aground 
  or were sunk in storms. But that was until recently.
  In recent months a surprising number of cargo planes 
  and ships have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle area. 
  With trouble brewing in Europe and the shipping own-
  ers unwilling to start raising an alarm, what with the 
  economy still fragile after the Great Depression, the 
  public remains blissfully unaware of anything suspicious 
  taking place.
  The cause is not aliens, nor methane bubbles (a mod-
  ern day theory), nor even a rip in time and space. Rather, 
  the culprits are a gang of sky pirates operating from a 
  very advanced ﬂ ying airﬁ eld. Flying high above the cloud 
  layer, they use weird science to scramble magnetic com-
  passes and jam radios before swooping down in ﬁ ghter 
  planes to attack (armed with torpedoes to sink ships). 
  Unlike pirates of olden times, they don’t even bother 
  looting the cargo from their victims.
  The mastermind behind this devious strategy is Doc-
  tor Werner Schmutzig, an aeronautical genius and a 
  loyal crony of Adolf Hitler. The Nazi plan is to keep the 
  American economy weakened for as long as possible, 
  and so prevent them from interfering in Hitler’s plans 
  for Europe.
  Schmutzig has agents in all the major shipping com-
  panies and airlines in America, who keep him fed with 
  timetables and cargo manifests. One such agent is Emily 
  Brown (real name Amelia Braun), an American-German 
  who switched her name to better blend unobtrusively 
  into society.
  She has been feeding information about her em-
  ployer, Rutger Van Gulden, a notable shipping magnate, 
  to Schmutzig. Van Gulden suspects someone in his orga-
  nization is a traitor, but he needs more proof. With that 
  in mind, he hires a group of adventurers to ﬂ y a cargo 
  plane to Cuba, in the hope they are attacked. Once his 
  sacriﬁ cial lambs have been attacked, they’re sure to want 
  to help him.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 45 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: TROUBLE IN THE TROPICS
  ACT 1: TROUBLE IN THE TROPICS
  The adventure begins in media res. The heroes are 
  cruising at 5,000 feet over the waters between Bermuda 
  and Cuba. All has been well since refueling in Bermuda, 
  but things are about to get a little strange.
  SCENE 1: AERIAL BANDITS
  SCENE 1: AERIAL BANDITS
  A routine cargo-hauling trip to Cuba with the 
  promise of a week’s paid vacation at the other 
  end was too much for you to resist. Rutger Van 
  Gulden, the renowned and exceptionally wealthy 
  shipping magnate, asked for you personally. And 
  who were you to turn down his generous offer?
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  2
  The Devil’s Triangle, which only gains the nickname 
  the Bermuda Triangle in the 1960s, isn’t that well known 
  to the public in 1936. Of course, that changes when Flight 
  19 mysteriously vanishes, but that is a few years to go yet. 
  Planes and ships do go missing in the region, but with 
  radar not yet invented, no one is tracking their move-
  ments. Most likely wandered off course and ran aground 
  or were sunk in storms. But that was until recently.
  In recent months a surprising number of cargo planes 
  and ships have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle area. 
  With trouble brewing in Europe and the shipping own-
  ers unwilling to start raising an alarm, what with the 
  economy still fragile after the Great Depression, the 
  public remains blissfully unaware of anything suspicious 
  taking place.
  The cause is not aliens, nor methane bubbles (a mod-
  ern day theory), nor even a rip in time and space. Rather, 
  the culprits are a gang of sky pirates operating from a 
  very advanced ﬂ ying airﬁ eld. Flying high above the cloud 
  layer, they use weird science to scramble magnetic com-
  passes and jam radios before swooping down in ﬁ ghter 
  planes to attack (armed with torpedoes to sink ships). 
  Unlike pirates of olden times, they don’t even bother 
  looting the cargo from their victims.
  The mastermind behind this devious strategy is Doc-
  tor Werner Schmutzig, an aeronautical genius and a 
  loyal crony of Adolf Hitler. The Nazi plan is to keep the 
  American economy weakened for as long as possible, 
  and so prevent them from interfering in Hitler’s plans 
  for Europe.
  Schmutzig has agents in all the major shipping com-
  panies and airlines in America, who keep him fed with 
  timetables and cargo manifests. One such agent is Emily 
  Brown (real name Amelia Braun), an American-German 
  who switched her name to better blend unobtrusively 
  into society.
  She has been feeding information about her em-
  ployer, Rutger Van Gulden, a notable shipping magnate, 
  to Schmutzig. Van Gulden suspects someone in his orga-
  nization is a traitor, but he needs more proof. With that 
  in mind, he hires a group of adventurers to ﬂ y a cargo 
  plane to Cuba, in the hope they are attacked. Once his 
  sacriﬁ cial lambs have been attacked, they’re sure to want 
  to help him.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 45 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: TROUBLE IN THE TROPICS
  ACT 1: TROUBLE IN THE TROPICS
  The adventure begins in media res. The heroes are 
  cruising at 5,000 feet over the waters between Bermuda 
  and Cuba. All has been well since refueling in Bermuda, 
  but things are about to get a little strange.
  SCENE 1: AERIAL BANDITS
  SCENE 1: AERIAL BANDITS
  A routine cargo-hauling trip to Cuba with the 
  promise of a week’s paid vacation at the other 
  end was too much for you to resist. Rutger Van 
  Gulden, the renowned and exceptionally wealthy 
  shipping magnate, asked for you personally. And 
  who were you to turn down his generous offer?
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  2
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  3
  Since refueling in Bermuda, you’ve made your 
  way steadily toward your destination, cruising 
  along smoothly at 5,000 feet, well below the cloud 
  layer. The only thing that’s been bugging you is 
  why he made sure three long, slim crates were 
  placed in the passenger compartment with orders 
  only to open them in an emergency. What could 
  possibly go wrong up here?
  Well, having the compass suddenly start spinning 
  wildly isn’t a promising sign!
  In an age without GPS or even radar, losing your com-
  pass isn’t a good sign. Any hero who goes to check out 
  a window can make a Notice roll. With success, they spy 
  a trio of ﬁ ghter planes with skull and crossbones motifs 
  screaming down from the clouds behind them! A failure 
  means they are Surprised.
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, but without 
  any Obstacles. The Range Increment is 10” and the ﬁ ght-
  ers begin at Medium distance. Check out the rules on 
  page 14 as well—you’ll need them for this encounter.
  Only three choices are available to the 
  heroes—ﬁ ght, ﬂ ee, or get shot down. The 
  enemy isn’t interested in discussing sur-
  render.
  Any hero who checks the mysterious 
  crates ﬁ nds each contains a heavy ma-
  chinegun and a long belt of ammunition. 
  Mr. Van Gulden obviously was expecting 
  trouble. Opening up a crate and getting 
  the machinegun ready to use takes an 
  entire round. The cargo plane isn’t built 
  for combat. Only one gun can be targeted 
  at an individual enemy.
  Unfortunately, the villain of the adven-
  ture already knows they are aboard and 
  has sabotaged them. On a roll of 1 on a 
  Shooting die, regardless of Wild Die, the 
  gun jams badly enough that not even a 
  Doc Davenport can ﬁ x it. Note that a suc-
  cessful Wild Die means the weapon jams 
  after the shot was ﬁ red.
  Calling for help on the radio reveals 
  the airwaves are full of static on all the 
  standard frequencies! However, all is not 
  lost. Doc Davenport, technical genius that 
  he is, can use an action to try and retune 
  it to avoid the interference. This requires 
  a Repair roll. During this time he’s in the 
  cockpit, and there’s no room to ﬁ re a gun 
  from there.
  Success means he can just about tune 
  out the interference, but the signal is 
  weak and erratic. A mayday should get 
  through, but it means repeating it several 
  times and twiddling knobs to keep the 
  signal locked. Whoever wishes to call for 
  help must use an action each round. Call-
  ing for help doesn’t actually achieve anything, beyond 
  giving the adventurers a bit of hope.
  With a raise, he actually manages to tune into the 
  frequency used by the ﬁ ghter planes! Listening in to the 
  information being passed between the pilots gives the 
  heroes a slight edge. Deal the pilot an extra action card. 
  He has the option of keeping it himself or giving it to an-
  other character, who uses it in place of their own card.
  Even with three machineguns and listening into 
  enemy broadcasts, the heroes are doomed. This scene 
  requires them to be shot down! In the event the enemy 
  is defeated or the heroes ﬂ ee beyond 10 Range Incre-
  ments, have a few more planes arrive—the enemy has 
  plenty to spare.
  Eventually the cargo plane is going to crash. Check-
  ing the parachutes reveals they’ve all been slashed open, 
  rendering them useless. So, the only option is for the 
  pilot to try and avoid a disastrous landing. Fortunately, 
  there is a small airstrip looming into view on a small 
  tropical island. It looks overgrown and disused, but it’s 
  that or hit the jungle!
  Roll as normal to avoid a crash landing, roll any dam-
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  3
  Since refueling in Bermuda, you’ve made your 
  way steadily toward your destination, cruising 
  along smoothly at 5,000 feet, well below the cloud 
  layer. The only thing that’s been bugging you is 
  why he made sure three long, slim crates were 
  placed in the passenger compartment with orders 
  only to open them in an emergency. What could 
  possibly go wrong up here?
  Well, having the compass suddenly start spinning 
  wildly isn’t a promising sign!
  In an age without GPS or even radar, losing your com-
  pass isn’t a good sign. Any hero who goes to check out 
  a window can make a Notice roll. With success, they spy 
  a trio of ﬁ ghter planes with skull and crossbones motifs 
  screaming down from the clouds behind them! A failure 
  means they are Surprised.
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, but without 
  any Obstacles. The Range Increment is 10” and the ﬁ ght-
  ers begin at Medium distance. Check out the rules on 
  page 14 as well—you’ll need them for this encounter.
  Only three choices are available to the 
  heroes—ﬁ ght, ﬂ ee, or get shot down. The 
  enemy isn’t interested in discussing sur-
  render.
  Any hero who checks the mysterious 
  crates ﬁ nds each contains a heavy ma-
  chinegun and a long belt of ammunition. 
  Mr. Van Gulden obviously was expecting 
  trouble. Opening up a crate and getting 
  the machinegun ready to use takes an 
  entire round. The cargo plane isn’t built 
  for combat. Only one gun can be targeted 
  at an individual enemy.
  Unfortunately, the villain of the adven-
  ture already knows they are aboard and 
  has sabotaged them. On a roll of 1 on a 
  Shooting die, regardless of Wild Die, the 
  gun jams badly enough that not even a 
  Doc Davenport can ﬁ x it. Note that a suc-
  cessful Wild Die means the weapon jams 
  after the shot was ﬁ red.
  Calling for help on the radio reveals 
  the airwaves are full of static on all the 
  standard frequencies! However, all is not 
  lost. Doc Davenport, technical genius that 
  he is, can use an action to try and retune 
  it to avoid the interference. This requires 
  a Repair roll. During this time he’s in the 
  cockpit, and there’s no room to ﬁ re a gun 
  from there.
  Success means he can just about tune 
  out the interference, but the signal is 
  weak and erratic. A mayday should get 
  through, but it means repeating it several 
  times and twiddling knobs to keep the 
  signal locked. Whoever wishes to call for 
  help must use an action each round. Call-
  ing for help doesn’t actually achieve anything, beyond 
  giving the adventurers a bit of hope.
  With a raise, he actually manages to tune into the 
  frequency used by the ﬁ ghter planes! Listening in to the 
  information being passed between the pilots gives the 
  heroes a slight edge. Deal the pilot an extra action card. 
  He has the option of keeping it himself or giving it to an-
  other character, who uses it in place of their own card.
  Even with three machineguns and listening into 
  enemy broadcasts, the heroes are doomed. This scene 
  requires them to be shot down! In the event the enemy 
  is defeated or the heroes ﬂ ee beyond 10 Range Incre-
  ments, have a few more planes arrive—the enemy has 
  plenty to spare.
  Eventually the cargo plane is going to crash. Check-
  ing the parachutes reveals they’ve all been slashed open, 
  rendering them useless. So, the only option is for the 
  pilot to try and avoid a disastrous landing. Fortunately, 
  there is a small airstrip looming into view on a small 
  tropical island. It looks overgrown and disused, but it’s 
  that or hit the jungle!
  Roll as normal to avoid a crash landing, roll any dam-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  4
  age required (treat this as from an Extra), and proceed 
  to the next scene.
  As the plane descends, the heroes catch sight of pow-
  erful, bright lights, ﬂ ashing red, green, and blue, just 
  above the cloud layer.
   Average Sky Pirate (3): See page 19.
  C12 STORK (CARGO PLANE)
  C12 STORK (CARGO PLANE)
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/100; Toughness: 16 (3); Crew: 1+6
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  JU-26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  JU-26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Built for speed and ﬁ repower, the Ju-26 is a decent 
  warplane. Each is also ﬁ tted with a powerful magnetic 
  generator, which scrambles compasses and radios in a 
  mile radius around the plane. Fortunately, the Ju-26’s 
  radio is protected from this effect by weird science 
  shielding.
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Ceiling: High; Toughness: 14 
  (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 2: MEALS ON LEGS
  SCENE 2: MEALS ON LEGS
  Well she’s down, and she won’t be ﬂ ying again. 
  You didn’t see any settlements as you plummeted 
  to earth, but you did notice a boat at the far end 
  of the island. Whether it’s seaworthy or not is an-
  other matter, but with the radio fried you don’t 
  have much choice but to set off into the jungle.
  Characters who want to take a machinegun from the 
  wreckage, assuming any didn’t jam, are out of luck—they 
  all got smashed during the crash landing.
  The airstrip once served to support a missionary post, 
  deep in the jungle. Due to the native’s preference for 
  “bipedal pork,” the mission was abandoned years ago. 
  It’s been a while since the cannibals tasted “white meat,” 
  so to speak, and they didn’t fail to spot the plane ditch. 
  A small band begins stalking the explorers through the 
  jungle.
  Read the following text aloud after a few hours of 
  travel in the sweltering heat.
  Only the sudden realization that the birds have 
  stopped squawking alerts you to the fact some-
  thing is wrong. Emerging from the undergrowth 
  ahead is a group of natives. While their spears 
  look wickedly sharp, it’s the skulls and bones on 
  their belts, and their strangely pointed teeth, that 
  look most disconcerting.
  Deal action cards. The natives begin 16” away from 
  the heroes.
  The locals are hungry, but they’re not suicidal. Once 
  they are reduced to half their number, have each survivor 
  make a Spirit roll. Success means the native ﬁ ghts to the 
  bitter end, his survival instinct overridden by his urge to 
  dine. On a failure, he tries to ﬂ ee.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  General Setup: The battleﬁ eld covers an area 12” 
  wide by 24” long. The long sides are bordered by ex-
  tremely dense jungle, which can’t be penetrated easily. 
  Any hero entering it moves just 1” per round, which 
  requires an action to hack a path, and can’t run.
  The GM should place six smaller patches of vegeta-
  tion and trees on the tabletop. Each measures 3” by 4” 
  and counts as difﬁ cult ground. It also blocks line of sight. 
  Numerous vines hang from the canopy.
  Also position three Small Burst Templates face down 
  on the tabletop. These represent pools of quicksand (see 
  below), although until a hero enters one or makes a No-
  tice roll as an action they look like clumps of fallen leaves. 
  The natives know the area and so avoid the quicksand.
  Quicksand: Any character entering quicksand im-
  mediately ends his movement for the round. Escape 
  requires a Strength roll as an action. A failure means the 
  hero begins to sink deeper. His Strength die is reduced 
  one step for the purposes of escaping. When it drops 
  below a d4, he begins drowning. Note that quicksand 
  is actually much denser than water—if you don’t move, 
  you don’t sink.
  Vines: These can be used to swing around the battle-
  ﬁ eld. Grabbing one requires a character to be adjacent 
  to one of the patches of vegetation. This counts as the 
  character’s movement and requires an Agility roll. If suc-
  cessful, he moves to any other area within 8”. He may 
  not move further this action even by “running.”
  An adventurer can use Frenzy and Sweep while on a 
  vine, but for the latter all targets must be adjacent at the 
  point the hero declares his attack. If he swings further 
  than 4” and strikes home, his foe is also knocked back 
  1” and sent prone. Vines can also be used as part of an 
  Agility Trick.
  Swingers can be struck while in ﬂ ight by foes in their 
  path who are on Hold or who haven’t acted yet this 
  round. A would-be Tarzan who takes a hit in ﬂ ight must 
  make an opposed Strength roll versus the damage total 
  or lose his grip and fall prone.
  Aiming for a vine is a Small Target (–6). They have 
  Toughness 6. A hero on a cut vine automatically drops 
  and falls prone.
   Cannibal Natives (2 per hero): See page 19.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  4
  age required (treat this as from an Extra), and proceed 
  to the next scene.
  As the plane descends, the heroes catch sight of pow-
  erful, bright lights, ﬂ ashing red, green, and blue, just 
  above the cloud layer.
   Average Sky Pirate (3): See page 19.
  C12 STORK (CARGO PLANE)
  C12 STORK (CARGO PLANE)
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/100; Toughness: 16 (3); Crew: 1+6
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * Heavy machinegun (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  JU-26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  JU-26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Built for speed and ﬁ repower, the Ju-26 is a decent 
  warplane. Each is also ﬁ tted with a powerful magnetic 
  generator, which scrambles compasses and radios in a 
  mile radius around the plane. Fortunately, the Ju-26’s 
  radio is protected from this effect by weird science 
  shielding.
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Ceiling: High; Toughness: 14 
  (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 2: MEALS ON LEGS
  SCENE 2: MEALS ON LEGS
  Well she’s down, and she won’t be ﬂ ying again. 
  You didn’t see any settlements as you plummeted 
  to earth, but you did notice a boat at the far end 
  of the island. Whether it’s seaworthy or not is an-
  other matter, but with the radio fried you don’t 
  have much choice but to set off into the jungle.
  Characters who want to take a machinegun from the 
  wreckage, assuming any didn’t jam, are out of luck—they 
  all got smashed during the crash landing.
  The airstrip once served to support a missionary post, 
  deep in the jungle. Due to the native’s preference for 
  “bipedal pork,” the mission was abandoned years ago. 
  It’s been a while since the cannibals tasted “white meat,” 
  so to speak, and they didn’t fail to spot the plane ditch. 
  A small band begins stalking the explorers through the 
  jungle.
  Read the following text aloud after a few hours of 
  travel in the sweltering heat.
  Only the sudden realization that the birds have 
  stopped squawking alerts you to the fact some-
  thing is wrong. Emerging from the undergrowth 
  ahead is a group of natives. While their spears 
  look wickedly sharp, it’s the skulls and bones on 
  their belts, and their strangely pointed teeth, that 
  look most disconcerting.
  Deal action cards. The natives begin 16” away from 
  the heroes.
  The locals are hungry, but they’re not suicidal. Once 
  they are reduced to half their number, have each survivor 
  make a Spirit roll. Success means the native ﬁ ghts to the 
  bitter end, his survival instinct overridden by his urge to 
  dine. On a failure, he tries to ﬂ ee.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  General Setup: The battleﬁ eld covers an area 12” 
  wide by 24” long. The long sides are bordered by ex-
  tremely dense jungle, which can’t be penetrated easily. 
  Any hero entering it moves just 1” per round, which 
  requires an action to hack a path, and can’t run.
  The GM should place six smaller patches of vegeta-
  tion and trees on the tabletop. Each measures 3” by 4” 
  and counts as difﬁ cult ground. It also blocks line of sight. 
  Numerous vines hang from the canopy.
  Also position three Small Burst Templates face down 
  on the tabletop. These represent pools of quicksand (see 
  below), although until a hero enters one or makes a No-
  tice roll as an action they look like clumps of fallen leaves. 
  The natives know the area and so avoid the quicksand.
  Quicksand: Any character entering quicksand im-
  mediately ends his movement for the round. Escape 
  requires a Strength roll as an action. A failure means the 
  hero begins to sink deeper. His Strength die is reduced 
  one step for the purposes of escaping. When it drops 
  below a d4, he begins drowning. Note that quicksand 
  is actually much denser than water—if you don’t move, 
  you don’t sink.
  Vines: These can be used to swing around the battle-
  ﬁ eld. Grabbing one requires a character to be adjacent 
  to one of the patches of vegetation. This counts as the 
  character’s movement and requires an Agility roll. If suc-
  cessful, he moves to any other area within 8”. He may 
  not move further this action even by “running.”
  An adventurer can use Frenzy and Sweep while on a 
  vine, but for the latter all targets must be adjacent at the 
  point the hero declares his attack. If he swings further 
  than 4” and strikes home, his foe is also knocked back 
  1” and sent prone. Vines can also be used as part of an 
  Agility Trick.
  Swingers can be struck while in ﬂ ight by foes in their 
  path who are on Hold or who haven’t acted yet this 
  round. A would-be Tarzan who takes a hit in ﬂ ight must 
  make an opposed Strength roll versus the damage total 
  or lose his grip and fall prone.
  Aiming for a vine is a Small Target (–6). They have 
  Toughness 6. A hero on a cut vine automatically drops 
  and falls prone.
   Cannibal Natives (2 per hero): See page 19.
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  5
  SAIL AWAY
  SAIL AWAY
  No other natives harass the heroes on their journey. 
  A few hours later they reach the boat they spied. It’s old 
  but seaworthy. The outboard motor even has a full tank 
  of gas. By nightfall, the heroes can make land in Cuba 
  and arrange for a ﬂ ight home.
  SCENE 3: APOLOGIES & EXPLANATIONS
  SCENE 3: APOLOGIES & EXPLANATIONS
  Once back in civilization, the characters are likely to 
  want a word or two with Mr. Van Gulden. After all, he 
  put the machineguns on board, so he knew there was 
  going to be trouble. But who slashed the parachutes and 
  screwed up the radio and compass? Something stinks.
  Van Gulden doesn’t speak to the characters person-
  ally, but his secretary arranges a meeting at Brent’s home 
  on the local airﬁ eld in ﬁ ve days. This gives the party 
  enough time to return to Boston and make a Natural 
  Healing roll.
  One of the young lads who work at the airﬁ eld 
  informs you that Mr. Van Gulden’s private plane 
  is just touching down. Sure enough, a small pas-
  senger plane is taxiing to a halt nearby.
  The door opens. First out is a rotund man, maybe 
  in his mid-50s. His sharp suit and stern demeanor 
  is slightly offset by a few day’s facial growth and 
  bags under his eyes. Behind him comes a taller 
  man, much thinner, and with dark, beady eyes. 
  His suit probably costs as much as most families 
  earn in a year.
  Next down the steps is a young man, maybe in 
  his twenties. He wears a ﬂ ying jacket, which is 
  slightly too small for his large frame. Finally, a 
  blonde of average beauty emerges form the plane. 
  She stumbles on the bottom step and drops a fold-
  er, which spews papers everywhere. None of her 
  fellow passengers pay her any attention beyond a 
  brief look and sigh.
  The portly gent steps forward. “I’m Van Gulden,” 
  he says. “This is Mr. Jacobs, my accountant,” he re-
  marks, indicating the sharply dressed man. “The 
  other fellow is Dan Matthews, my wife’s cousin 
  and my personal pilot. 
  “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a word with you 
  somewhere out of the wind and preferably where 
  they serve strong drink.”
  Van Gulden makes no mention of the clumsy woman 
  unless asked. Seemingly with reluctance he introduces 
  her as Emily Brown, his secretary. A male chauvinist of 
  the worst kind, Van Gulden thinks all women should be 
  in the kitchen and preferably gagged. Make sure during 
  this scene he answers any questions put to him by any 
  female adventurer to a male hero. Better yet, have him 
  tell a female to pour the drinks.
  Once everyone is comfortable, the men anyway, Van 
  Gulden demands to know exactly what happened to his 
  plane. After hearing the heroes’ story, he reveals his rea-
  sons for hiring the characters in the ﬁ rst place.
  “I wasn’t entirely straight with you when I hired 
  you. I knew something strange was happening 
  on and over the waters around Bermuda. I’ve 
  lost nearly half a dozen planes over the last few 
  months and three cargo ships! It’s ruining me and 
  damaging our country’s economy. And I’m not 
  the only one suffering. Plenty of other craft have 
  vanished into thin air. Thanks to your work I at 
  least know what is happening.
  “But I still don’t know who’s behind the disap-
  pearances, and it is something I intend to ﬁ nd 
  out. Now that’s where you come in, seeing as how 
  you have a score to settle as well. There’s this guy 
  being held in an ultra-maximum security prison 
  out in the boondocks. I had my suspicions air-
  planes were involved in these shenanigans, so I’ve 
  already arranged for you to meet him and ﬁ nd 
  out what he knows. In return for his cooperation, 
  he’ll get a reduced sentence.
  “Now this prison really is hard to get into. The 
  only way into it is through a canyon. Try to ﬂ y 
  in above the walls and you’ll be shot down auto-
  matically, regardless of whom you are.
  “In order to see you get there safely and quickly, 
  I’ve arranged for you to borrow two twin-seat 
  planes. They’re fast and armed, and damned ex-
  pensive, so try to keep them in one piece.”
  The heroes likely have a few questions of their own. 
  Possible questions, and Van Gulden’s answers, are de-
  tailed below.
  Q: Why did you put the guns on the plane?
  A: “Like I said, someone, not something, is behind 
  this. I suspected you might be attacked, but I didn’t 
  want to broadcast the fact by having you go up in a 
  bomber.”
  Q: Who sabotaged the guns and parachutes?
  A: “I’ll be frank. I suspect someone in my organi-
  zation is a traitor. Likely someone in the shipping 
  department, but it could be any one. We tried to keep 
  a tight lid on your mission, but word obviously got 
  out.”
  Q: Could the traitor be in this room?
  A: “I doubt that. Jacobs squeezes enough money from 
  me as it is, and Dan’s got no ambition beyond ﬂ ying me 
  around and collecting a wage each month.”
  Q: Maybe it’s Miss Brown?
  A: “Miss Brown has been with me for years. Anyway,” 
  he whispers none too quietly, “she’s a little dizzy. Heck, 
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  5
  SAIL AWAY
  SAIL AWAY
  No other natives harass the heroes on their journey. 
  A few hours later they reach the boat they spied. It’s old 
  but seaworthy. The outboard motor even has a full tank 
  of gas. By nightfall, the heroes can make land in Cuba 
  and arrange for a ﬂ ight home.
  SCENE 3: APOLOGIES & EXPLANATIONS
  SCENE 3: APOLOGIES & EXPLANATIONS
  Once back in civilization, the characters are likely to 
  want a word or two with Mr. Van Gulden. After all, he 
  put the machineguns on board, so he knew there was 
  going to be trouble. But who slashed the parachutes and 
  screwed up the radio and compass? Something stinks.
  Van Gulden doesn’t speak to the characters person-
  ally, but his secretary arranges a meeting at Brent’s home 
  on the local airﬁ eld in ﬁ ve days. This gives the party 
  enough time to return to Boston and make a Natural 
  Healing roll.
  One of the young lads who work at the airﬁ eld 
  informs you that Mr. Van Gulden’s private plane 
  is just touching down. Sure enough, a small pas-
  senger plane is taxiing to a halt nearby.
  The door opens. First out is a rotund man, maybe 
  in his mid-50s. His sharp suit and stern demeanor 
  is slightly offset by a few day’s facial growth and 
  bags under his eyes. Behind him comes a taller 
  man, much thinner, and with dark, beady eyes. 
  His suit probably costs as much as most families 
  earn in a year.
  Next down the steps is a young man, maybe in 
  his twenties. He wears a ﬂ ying jacket, which is 
  slightly too small for his large frame. Finally, a 
  blonde of average beauty emerges form the plane. 
  She stumbles on the bottom step and drops a fold-
  er, which spews papers everywhere. None of her 
  fellow passengers pay her any attention beyond a 
  brief look and sigh.
  The portly gent steps forward. “I’m Van Gulden,” 
  he says. “This is Mr. Jacobs, my accountant,” he re-
  marks, indicating the sharply dressed man. “The 
  other fellow is Dan Matthews, my wife’s cousin 
  and my personal pilot. 
  “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a word with you 
  somewhere out of the wind and preferably where 
  they serve strong drink.”
  Van Gulden makes no mention of the clumsy woman 
  unless asked. Seemingly with reluctance he introduces 
  her as Emily Brown, his secretary. A male chauvinist of 
  the worst kind, Van Gulden thinks all women should be 
  in the kitchen and preferably gagged. Make sure during 
  this scene he answers any questions put to him by any 
  female adventurer to a male hero. Better yet, have him 
  tell a female to pour the drinks.
  Once everyone is comfortable, the men anyway, Van 
  Gulden demands to know exactly what happened to his 
  plane. After hearing the heroes’ story, he reveals his rea-
  sons for hiring the characters in the ﬁ rst place.
  “I wasn’t entirely straight with you when I hired 
  you. I knew something strange was happening 
  on and over the waters around Bermuda. I’ve 
  lost nearly half a dozen planes over the last few 
  months and three cargo ships! It’s ruining me and 
  damaging our country’s economy. And I’m not 
  the only one suffering. Plenty of other craft have 
  vanished into thin air. Thanks to your work I at 
  least know what is happening.
  “But I still don’t know who’s behind the disap-
  pearances, and it is something I intend to ﬁ nd 
  out. Now that’s where you come in, seeing as how 
  you have a score to settle as well. There’s this guy 
  being held in an ultra-maximum security prison 
  out in the boondocks. I had my suspicions air-
  planes were involved in these shenanigans, so I’ve 
  already arranged for you to meet him and ﬁ nd 
  out what he knows. In return for his cooperation, 
  he’ll get a reduced sentence.
  “Now this prison really is hard to get into. The 
  only way into it is through a canyon. Try to ﬂ y 
  in above the walls and you’ll be shot down auto-
  matically, regardless of whom you are.
  “In order to see you get there safely and quickly, 
  I’ve arranged for you to borrow two twin-seat 
  planes. They’re fast and armed, and damned ex-
  pensive, so try to keep them in one piece.”
  The heroes likely have a few questions of their own. 
  Possible questions, and Van Gulden’s answers, are de-
  tailed below.
  Q: Why did you put the guns on the plane?
  A: “Like I said, someone, not something, is behind 
  this. I suspected you might be attacked, but I didn’t 
  want to broadcast the fact by having you go up in a 
  bomber.”
  Q: Who sabotaged the guns and parachutes?
  A: “I’ll be frank. I suspect someone in my organi-
  zation is a traitor. Likely someone in the shipping 
  department, but it could be any one. We tried to keep 
  a tight lid on your mission, but word obviously got 
  out.”
  Q: Could the traitor be in this room?
  A: “I doubt that. Jacobs squeezes enough money from 
  me as it is, and Dan’s got no ambition beyond ﬂ ying me 
  around and collecting a wage each month.”
  Q: Maybe it’s Miss Brown?
  A: “Miss Brown has been with me for years. Anyway,” 
  he whispers none too quietly, “she’s a little dizzy. Heck, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  6
  she got lost in a warehouse for three hours only last 
  week.”
  Q: Who is this prisoner, and what did he do?
  A: “His name is Jed Bullock. He ﬂ ew in the war with 
  the Brits for a while, before he switched to a life of 
  crime. He and his gang of sky pirates tried a crazy stunt 
  to gas the guards at Fort Knox and steal all our gold 
  reserves. Some say he’s the best pilot in the world. As far 
  as I’m concerned, he’s a piece of scum with information 
  I need.”
  SCENE 4: THEY’RE ONTO US
  SCENE 4: THEY’RE ONTO US
  After concluding the meeting, Van Gulden checks his 
  pocket watch. He then tells the characters to follow him 
  out to the runway to see their planes landing.
  No sooner have you stepped out than two planes 
  roar overhead. Sleek and fast, they pull up at the 
  end of the runway and perform a series of agile 
  maneuvers. A pair of machineguns protrudes 
  from the wings, and a second pair sticks out from 
  the rear of the double cockpit.
  “I called in a favor with Howard Hughes,” Van 
  Gulden smiles. “He calls these babies the M37A. I 
  prefer to call them ‘Stallions.’”
  As you watch, the planes maneuver to a landing 
  position. The ﬁ rst one begins its approach, but is 
  forced to pull up suddenly to avoid collision with 
  a car, which has appeared from nowhere and is 
  barreling down the airstrip toward you. Two pas-
  sengers stick their torsos out of the back windows 
  and let rip with a burst from a Tommy gun! Bul-
  lets kick up dirt around you as Van Gulden and 
  his aides dive for cover.
  Already fearing Van Gulden was onto her, Miss 
  Brown arranged, via a network of contacts, to have 
  a squad of local hoods visit the airﬁ eld and ﬁ ll her 
  employer and his hirelings with lead. The thugs have 
  no idea who hired them, so they can’t reveal anything 
  if captured.
  The thugs begin 30” from the characters, but their car 
  is moving at Top Speed. Their plan is to perform a drive-
  by shooting, then stop and blast away at any survivors 
  from behind the safety of the car. They’ll change their 
  plan accordingly if the vehicle is forced to stop.
  Deal action cards.
  The part of the airﬁ eld where the action takes place is 
  24” wide and 40” long. The characters begin somewhere 
  near one end, while the car is at the opposite end. The 
  heroes’ half is littered with crates (the contents are left 
  to the imagination of the players and GM), barrels (see 
  below), and planes, providing them plenty of Cover and 
  props for Tricks. For cinematic reasons, any missed shots 
  pepper the scenery with holes.
  Oil Barrels: Three of the barrels (determined by the 
  GM) contain oil. If the heroes don’t check the contents, 
  have a missed shot cause a small leak.
  Pushing them over is an action, but requires no Trait 
  roll. Place the thin end of a Cone Template on the barrel 
  and rotate it to match the direction of its fall. Thick, black 
  oil coats the ground beneath the template.
  Anyone entering the oil on foot treats it as difﬁ cult 
  ground. Any roll of 1 on an Agility die or running die 
  while in the spill means the character slips and falls 
  prone. Standing up requires an Agility roll as an action. 
  Vehicles must make a Driving roll or go Out of Control 
  when they enter the oil and at the start of each round 
  they begin in the slick.
   Goons with Guns (2 + 1 per hero): See page 20.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  SCENE 5: INFORMATION
  SCENE 5: INFORMATION
  With the thugs dispatched, the two planes can land 
  safely. Van Gulden provides the party with travel instruc-
  tions and reminds them again about the prison’s de-
  fenses. He adds that they’ll be contacted by the prison as 
  they approach over the radio. It’s in their best interests 
  to answer any questions honestly.
  Any character making a Piloting roll can tell the planes 
  will live up to Van Gulden’s claim they are fast. They’re 
  certainly more advanced than anything on the market 
  right now, and even the military aren’t yet ﬂ ying crates 
  of this caliber.
  JED BULLOCK
  JED BULLOCK
  Curious heroes have time to investigate Bullock a 
  little further if they do desire. This requires a trip to the 
  local library’s newspaper archives and records depart-
  ment, and an Investigation roll. There are only so many 
  papers available containing news of Bullock, so other 
  heroes can only provide Cooperative help.
  Success reveals everything Van Gulden has already 
  told them, plus the news that Bullock is supposedly 
  in Alcatraz. This is somewhat puzzling to the research-
  ers, since Alcatraz is an island and its location is well 
  known.
  With a raise, they learn that Bullock ﬂ ew a dozen 
  combat missions during the Great War and received 
  medals for his bravery. After the war ended, he joined 
  a bunch of renegade German pilots and operated as a 
  mercenary, before turning to crime. Most notable of 
  his successes was the daring raid of a zeppelin carrying 
  an ancient Carthaginian silver idol from Libya to Is-
  tanbul. The newspaper concludes with the interesting 
  fact that the idol was never recovered after Bullock’s 
  capture.
  GMs who want to devise their own pulp tales can use 
  this last snippet of information as a hook. Getting its lo-
  cation out of Bullock won’t be easy, and should require 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  6
  she got lost in a warehouse for three hours only last 
  week.”
  Q: Who is this prisoner, and what did he do?
  A: “His name is Jed Bullock. He ﬂ ew in the war with 
  the Brits for a while, before he switched to a life of 
  crime. He and his gang of sky pirates tried a crazy stunt 
  to gas the guards at Fort Knox and steal all our gold 
  reserves. Some say he’s the best pilot in the world. As far 
  as I’m concerned, he’s a piece of scum with information 
  I need.”
  SCENE 4: THEY’RE ONTO US
  SCENE 4: THEY’RE ONTO US
  After concluding the meeting, Van Gulden checks his 
  pocket watch. He then tells the characters to follow him 
  out to the runway to see their planes landing.
  No sooner have you stepped out than two planes 
  roar overhead. Sleek and fast, they pull up at the 
  end of the runway and perform a series of agile 
  maneuvers. A pair of machineguns protrudes 
  from the wings, and a second pair sticks out from 
  the rear of the double cockpit.
  “I called in a favor with Howard Hughes,” Van 
  Gulden smiles. “He calls these babies the M37A. I 
  prefer to call them ‘Stallions.’”
  As you watch, the planes maneuver to a landing 
  position. The ﬁ rst one begins its approach, but is 
  forced to pull up suddenly to avoid collision with 
  a car, which has appeared from nowhere and is 
  barreling down the airstrip toward you. Two pas-
  sengers stick their torsos out of the back windows 
  and let rip with a burst from a Tommy gun! Bul-
  lets kick up dirt around you as Van Gulden and 
  his aides dive for cover.
  Already fearing Van Gulden was onto her, Miss 
  Brown arranged, via a network of contacts, to have 
  a squad of local hoods visit the airﬁ eld and ﬁ ll her 
  employer and his hirelings with lead. The thugs have 
  no idea who hired them, so they can’t reveal anything 
  if captured.
  The thugs begin 30” from the characters, but their car 
  is moving at Top Speed. Their plan is to perform a drive-
  by shooting, then stop and blast away at any survivors 
  from behind the safety of the car. They’ll change their 
  plan accordingly if the vehicle is forced to stop.
  Deal action cards.
  The part of the airﬁ eld where the action takes place is 
  24” wide and 40” long. The characters begin somewhere 
  near one end, while the car is at the opposite end. The 
  heroes’ half is littered with crates (the contents are left 
  to the imagination of the players and GM), barrels (see 
  below), and planes, providing them plenty of Cover and 
  props for Tricks. For cinematic reasons, any missed shots 
  pepper the scenery with holes.
  Oil Barrels: Three of the barrels (determined by the 
  GM) contain oil. If the heroes don’t check the contents, 
  have a missed shot cause a small leak.
  Pushing them over is an action, but requires no Trait 
  roll. Place the thin end of a Cone Template on the barrel 
  and rotate it to match the direction of its fall. Thick, black 
  oil coats the ground beneath the template.
  Anyone entering the oil on foot treats it as difﬁ cult 
  ground. Any roll of 1 on an Agility die or running die 
  while in the spill means the character slips and falls 
  prone. Standing up requires an Agility roll as an action. 
  Vehicles must make a Driving roll or go Out of Control 
  when they enter the oil and at the start of each round 
  they begin in the slick.
   Goons with Guns (2 + 1 per hero): See page 20.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  SCENE 5: INFORMATION
  SCENE 5: INFORMATION
  With the thugs dispatched, the two planes can land 
  safely. Van Gulden provides the party with travel instruc-
  tions and reminds them again about the prison’s de-
  fenses. He adds that they’ll be contacted by the prison as 
  they approach over the radio. It’s in their best interests 
  to answer any questions honestly.
  Any character making a Piloting roll can tell the planes 
  will live up to Van Gulden’s claim they are fast. They’re 
  certainly more advanced than anything on the market 
  right now, and even the military aren’t yet ﬂ ying crates 
  of this caliber.
  JED BULLOCK
  JED BULLOCK
  Curious heroes have time to investigate Bullock a 
  little further if they do desire. This requires a trip to the 
  local library’s newspaper archives and records depart-
  ment, and an Investigation roll. There are only so many 
  papers available containing news of Bullock, so other 
  heroes can only provide Cooperative help.
  Success reveals everything Van Gulden has already 
  told them, plus the news that Bullock is supposedly 
  in Alcatraz. This is somewhat puzzling to the research-
  ers, since Alcatraz is an island and its location is well 
  known.
  With a raise, they learn that Bullock ﬂ ew a dozen 
  combat missions during the Great War and received 
  medals for his bravery. After the war ended, he joined 
  a bunch of renegade German pilots and operated as a 
  mercenary, before turning to crime. Most notable of 
  his successes was the daring raid of a zeppelin carrying 
  an ancient Carthaginian silver idol from Libya to Is-
  tanbul. The newspaper concludes with the interesting 
  fact that the idol was never recovered after Bullock’s 
  capture.
  GMs who want to devise their own pulp tales can use 
  this last snippet of information as a hook. Getting its lo-
  cation out of Bullock won’t be easy, and should require 
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  7
  some roleplaying. Of course, the idol won’t be where 
  Bullock stashed it (where’s the fun in that?). Otherwise, 
  Bullock admits the idol was melted down and sold off as 
  silver ingots.
  ACT 2: PRISONERS & PUNCH UPS
  ACT 2: PRISONERS & PUNCH UPS
  Reaching the prison from Boston takes two days, 
  since it’s already late by the time Van Gulden hands over 
  the planes to the heroes. The next scene begins just after 
  midday.
  SCENE 1: THE CANYON OF DEATH
  SCENE 1: THE CANYON OF DEATH
  The sightseeing trip is over. After endless miles 
  zipping above the Arizona desert, you were con-
  tacted by the prison, and, after your ﬂ ight details 
  were conﬁ rmed, ordered into a narrow canyon, 
  with strict instructions not to deviate from your 
  course or rise above the canyon walls.
  The high walls slip by as you maneuver slowly 
  toward your destination, the planes only occa-
  sionally buffeted by unexpected thermals, and 
  crosswinds from side canyons.
  A glint of light reﬂ ecting off glass and metal a 
  distance behind, coupled with the sudden loss 
  of your radio, can only mean one thing…you’re 
  about to receive unwanted company!
  Run this encounter using the Chase rules. Don’t for-
  get to use our new rules, starting on page 14. Each Range 
  Increment is 10”, and the villains appear at Far Range. 
  Obstacles are Sparse (–1) and represent ﬂ ying too close 
  to outcroppings of rock or being buffeted sideway and 
  down by thermal updrafts and winds.
  The Chase takes place at low altitude. Any aircraft 
  climbing above a few hundred feet ignores the Obsta-
  cles rules, but is subject to concentrated ﬁ re from bat-
  teries of heavy machineguns. The rules of engagement 
  are very strict—any plane above the canyon walls is a 
  target for destruction! Roll four d6 at the beginning 
  of each round. Every roll of 1 indicates a hit for 2d8 
  damage.
  Should the heroes extend their Range beyond 10 
  Increments, they have reached the safety of the prison. 
  Their pursuers give up the chase and turn back.
  Sure enough, heroes checking the tail planes of their 
  pursuers spot the skull and crossbones emblem! How-
  ever, these pilots are more skilled that those previously 
  encountered.
  GM’s should run this scene with plenty of descrip-
  tion. Bullets don’t just miss; they rip up the canyon walls 
  and stitch along the ground in a shower of dust. A close 
  call on a Piloting roll to avoid an Obstacle doesn’t re-
  sults in a simple near-miss—instead, the wing scrapes a 
  canyon wall, or the plane suddenly rolls 90 degrees, the 
  underside just grazing the surface in a shower of stones 
  and sparks.
   Good Sky Pirate (4): See page 19.
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  A Howard Hughes design, the M37 is a dual-cockpit 
  design with fore and aft weaponry. The gunner, who sits 
  facing away from the pilot, controls the rear guns.
  Acc/Top Speed: 40/160; Toughness: 15 (3); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: +1 to Piloting rolls due to advanced aerodynamics
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked heavy MGs, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  50/100/150; Damage: 2d10+1; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * 2 x linked light MGs, gunner (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  WE LOST!
  WE LOST!
  In the unfortunate event one or more player charac-
  ters are shot down, continue the Chase for two more 
  rounds. (Don’t forget all the modiﬁ ers because the 
  planes are moving more than twice fast as the ﬁ gures on 
  the ground.)
  These few moments allow for some cinematic effects 
  as the characters dive for cover behind rocks to avoid 
  lines of bullets, and maybe even get a few shots off with 
  their personal weapons as a ﬁ ghter roars overhead.
  After this time, a ﬂ ight of planes from the prison ar-
  rives (alerted by sentries along the canyon) and drives 
  away the enemy vehicles. A jeep is dispatched to collect 
  the stricken characters.
  SCENE 2: HELL’S GATE
  SCENE 2: HELL’S GATE
  With the enemy planes defeated, you make your 
  way to the end of the canyon. Ahead, a vast metal 
  door set into the end of the canyon grinds labori-
  ously open, allowing you just enough room to en-
  ter. Inside is a huge cavern containing a complete 
  airstrip. Fighter and transport planes are parked 
  along the edge. Peering down from catwalks 
  as you taxi are a dozen guards, each manning 
  a heavy machinegun, which they train on your 
  vehicle.
  As you climb down from the cockpit, a stern-faced 
  man with close-cropped hair and tattoos up his 
  exposed forearms walks across to you. It seems 
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  7
  some roleplaying. Of course, the idol won’t be where 
  Bullock stashed it (where’s the fun in that?). Otherwise, 
  Bullock admits the idol was melted down and sold off as 
  silver ingots.
  ACT 2: PRISONERS & PUNCH UPS
  ACT 2: PRISONERS & PUNCH UPS
  Reaching the prison from Boston takes two days, 
  since it’s already late by the time Van Gulden hands over 
  the planes to the heroes. The next scene begins just after 
  midday.
  SCENE 1: THE CANYON OF DEATH
  SCENE 1: THE CANYON OF DEATH
  The sightseeing trip is over. After endless miles 
  zipping above the Arizona desert, you were con-
  tacted by the prison, and, after your ﬂ ight details 
  were conﬁ rmed, ordered into a narrow canyon, 
  with strict instructions not to deviate from your 
  course or rise above the canyon walls.
  The high walls slip by as you maneuver slowly 
  toward your destination, the planes only occa-
  sionally buffeted by unexpected thermals, and 
  crosswinds from side canyons.
  A glint of light reﬂ ecting off glass and metal a 
  distance behind, coupled with the sudden loss 
  of your radio, can only mean one thing…you’re 
  about to receive unwanted company!
  Run this encounter using the Chase rules. Don’t for-
  get to use our new rules, starting on page 14. Each Range 
  Increment is 10”, and the villains appear at Far Range. 
  Obstacles are Sparse (–1) and represent ﬂ ying too close 
  to outcroppings of rock or being buffeted sideway and 
  down by thermal updrafts and winds.
  The Chase takes place at low altitude. Any aircraft 
  climbing above a few hundred feet ignores the Obsta-
  cles rules, but is subject to concentrated ﬁ re from bat-
  teries of heavy machineguns. The rules of engagement 
  are very strict—any plane above the canyon walls is a 
  target for destruction! Roll four d6 at the beginning 
  of each round. Every roll of 1 indicates a hit for 2d8 
  damage.
  Should the heroes extend their Range beyond 10 
  Increments, they have reached the safety of the prison. 
  Their pursuers give up the chase and turn back.
  Sure enough, heroes checking the tail planes of their 
  pursuers spot the skull and crossbones emblem! How-
  ever, these pilots are more skilled that those previously 
  encountered.
  GM’s should run this scene with plenty of descrip-
  tion. Bullets don’t just miss; they rip up the canyon walls 
  and stitch along the ground in a shower of dust. A close 
  call on a Piloting roll to avoid an Obstacle doesn’t re-
  sults in a simple near-miss—instead, the wing scrapes a 
  canyon wall, or the plane suddenly rolls 90 degrees, the 
  underside just grazing the surface in a shower of stones 
  and sparks.
   Good Sky Pirate (4): See page 19.
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  A Howard Hughes design, the M37 is a dual-cockpit 
  design with fore and aft weaponry. The gunner, who sits 
  facing away from the pilot, controls the rear guns.
  Acc/Top Speed: 40/160; Toughness: 15 (3); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: +1 to Piloting rolls due to advanced aerodynamics
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked heavy MGs, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  50/100/150; Damage: 2d10+1; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * 2 x linked light MGs, gunner (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  WE LOST!
  WE LOST!
  In the unfortunate event one or more player charac-
  ters are shot down, continue the Chase for two more 
  rounds. (Don’t forget all the modiﬁ ers because the 
  planes are moving more than twice fast as the ﬁ gures on 
  the ground.)
  These few moments allow for some cinematic effects 
  as the characters dive for cover behind rocks to avoid 
  lines of bullets, and maybe even get a few shots off with 
  their personal weapons as a ﬁ ghter roars overhead.
  After this time, a ﬂ ight of planes from the prison ar-
  rives (alerted by sentries along the canyon) and drives 
  away the enemy vehicles. A jeep is dispatched to collect 
  the stricken characters.
  SCENE 2: HELL’S GATE
  SCENE 2: HELL’S GATE
  With the enemy planes defeated, you make your 
  way to the end of the canyon. Ahead, a vast metal 
  door set into the end of the canyon grinds labori-
  ously open, allowing you just enough room to en-
  ter. Inside is a huge cavern containing a complete 
  airstrip. Fighter and transport planes are parked 
  along the edge. Peering down from catwalks 
  as you taxi are a dozen guards, each manning 
  a heavy machinegun, which they train on your 
  vehicle.
  As you climb down from the cockpit, a stern-faced 
  man with close-cropped hair and tattoos up his 
  exposed forearms walks across to you. It seems 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  8
  the dress code isn’t up to much. Two burly guards, 
  US Marines judging by their uniforms, ﬂ ank him, 
  SMGs held at the ready arms position.
  “Welcome to Hell’s Gate,” he drawls. “I’m Major 
  O’Connor, duty warden of this facility. If you’ll 
  follow me, you’ll be briefed on security here and 
  the various dos and don’ts. Then you can see the 
  prisoner.”
  O’Connor is a career ofﬁ cer, and knows better than to 
  ask questions of visitors to America’s top security prison. 
  He has his orders, the heroes have the proper clearance, 
  and that’s all he needs to know.
  The brieﬁ ng is short and doesn’t contain any major 
  shocks. Visitors are forbidden from bearing arms, no 
  talking to other inmates, no asking questions about the 
  prisoners, no wandering off alone, and so on. Major 
  O’Connor asks the characters if they understand the 
  rules. Assuming they reply positively, they are thoroughly 
  checked for weapons before being escorted through the 
  prison by two burly Marines.
  THE PRISONER
  THE PRISONER
  After descending deep into the earth via eleva-
  tor, you are led through a dozen checkpoints, all 
  manned by heavily armed guards, and along 
  countless corridors.
  Row upon row of identical metal doors carry 
  the names of those incarcerated in this desolate 
  place. You can’t help but be shocked at some of the 
  prisoners—Al Capone, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker, 
  Clyde Barrow, Arthur “Doc” Barker, George “Ma-
  chinegun” Kelly, Professor James Moriarty, Doctor 
  Nikola Tesla, Shiwan Khan…
  One of your escorts notices your looks of amaze-
  ment and cracks a brief smile. “Don’t believe 
  everything you read in the media,” he says con-
  spiratorially. “This place exists for a good reason. 
  Now eyes front and keep walking.”
  Finally your escorts stop outside a door labeled 
  “Jed Bullock.” One of your escorts opens a view-
  ing plate and stares inside. Satisﬁ ed all is well he 
  slides the panel shut. Both escorts produce keys 
  and slip them into locks. With practiced synchro-
  nization they turn them, producing an audible 
  click. The door swings inward as both guard level 
  their guns into the room beyond.
  “Take as long as you need,” one sneers loudly. 
  “He ain’t going anywhere. Knock when you want 
  out.”
  Once all the heroes enter the cell, the door is slammed 
  shut and locked behind them. The cell is extremely 
  Spartan, containing just a few pieces of furniture and a 
  cramped toilet cubicle.
  Sitting on the edge of the bed is a man of indetermi-
  nate age. His long, ash-blonde hair gives him a boyish 
  appearance, but his face resembles that of a man who 
  has seen, and lived through, many unpleasant things. He 
  stubs out the cigarette he just ﬁ nished, stands up, and 
  bows in a ﬂ owery, mock gesture.
  “Well now, this is a surprise,” he grins broadly 
  as he straightens up. “I thought O’Connor was 
  winding me up when he said I was going to have 
  visitors.” Bullock pulls a cigarette from behind 
  his ear and sticks it in his mouth. “Got a light? 
  I just used my last match and won’t get issued 
  any more until tomorrow.” He gestures toward a 
  line of spent matches on the table. “Everything is 
  accounted for in here,” he laughs.
  Bullock won’t talk about his backstory, except to con-
  ﬁ rm anything the characters already know. He pays close 
  attention to their story, though, prodding for as much 
  information as he can. Having spent several years locked 
  up in Hell’s Gate, Bullock is keen to cooperate and earn 
  an early release.
  “Well,” Bullock sighs, “I’m a little out of touch with 
  the real world right now, but if anyone can help 
  you it’s Shanghai Harry. Get down to Havana 
  and ask for Harry at the Blue Oyster Club. Ap-
  pearances change, so you’re best asking around. 
  Just mention, ‘The weather in Honolulu is very 
  pleasant this time of year.’ Harry’s reply is, “Yes, 
  and the dancing girls are lovely, as well.’ Harry’s 
  a little paranoid, so don’t go shouting this out 
  around other folk.”
  Shanghai Harry is actually a woman. However, this 
  piece of information should not be imparted to the he-
  roes at this time. Bullock has nothing more to say on the 
  matter.
  When the characters are ready to leave they are es-
  corted back to their aircraft, which have been refueled, 
  and sent on their way. Wrecked aircraft have been re-
  placed following a call to Howard Hughes (his details 
  were on the wreckage).
  SCENE 3: HAVANA
  SCENE 3: HAVANA
  The Blue Oyster Club is a tango bar in a respectable 
  part of Havana and easily located. When the characters 
  arrive, there’s a dance taking place. The smoky club is 
  crowded with locals and tourists.
  Asking for Shanghai Harry, the characters are pointed 
  toward a smooth looking gentleman in a crisp white suit, 
  who is dancing a perfect tango with an attractive, dark-
  haired woman in the middle of the dance ﬂ oor.
  Shanghai Harry is actually the woman (short for Har-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  8
  the dress code isn’t up to much. Two burly guards, 
  US Marines judging by their uniforms, ﬂ ank him, 
  SMGs held at the ready arms position.
  “Welcome to Hell’s Gate,” he drawls. “I’m Major 
  O’Connor, duty warden of this facility. If you’ll 
  follow me, you’ll be briefed on security here and 
  the various dos and don’ts. Then you can see the 
  prisoner.”
  O’Connor is a career ofﬁ cer, and knows better than to 
  ask questions of visitors to America’s top security prison. 
  He has his orders, the heroes have the proper clearance, 
  and that’s all he needs to know.
  The brieﬁ ng is short and doesn’t contain any major 
  shocks. Visitors are forbidden from bearing arms, no 
  talking to other inmates, no asking questions about the 
  prisoners, no wandering off alone, and so on. Major 
  O’Connor asks the characters if they understand the 
  rules. Assuming they reply positively, they are thoroughly 
  checked for weapons before being escorted through the 
  prison by two burly Marines.
  THE PRISONER
  THE PRISONER
  After descending deep into the earth via eleva-
  tor, you are led through a dozen checkpoints, all 
  manned by heavily armed guards, and along 
  countless corridors.
  Row upon row of identical metal doors carry 
  the names of those incarcerated in this desolate 
  place. You can’t help but be shocked at some of the 
  prisoners—Al Capone, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker, 
  Clyde Barrow, Arthur “Doc” Barker, George “Ma-
  chinegun” Kelly, Professor James Moriarty, Doctor 
  Nikola Tesla, Shiwan Khan…
  One of your escorts notices your looks of amaze-
  ment and cracks a brief smile. “Don’t believe 
  everything you read in the media,” he says con-
  spiratorially. “This place exists for a good reason. 
  Now eyes front and keep walking.”
  Finally your escorts stop outside a door labeled 
  “Jed Bullock.” One of your escorts opens a view-
  ing plate and stares inside. Satisﬁ ed all is well he 
  slides the panel shut. Both escorts produce keys 
  and slip them into locks. With practiced synchro-
  nization they turn them, producing an audible 
  click. The door swings inward as both guard level 
  their guns into the room beyond.
  “Take as long as you need,” one sneers loudly. 
  “He ain’t going anywhere. Knock when you want 
  out.”
  Once all the heroes enter the cell, the door is slammed 
  shut and locked behind them. The cell is extremely 
  Spartan, containing just a few pieces of furniture and a 
  cramped toilet cubicle.
  Sitting on the edge of the bed is a man of indetermi-
  nate age. His long, ash-blonde hair gives him a boyish 
  appearance, but his face resembles that of a man who 
  has seen, and lived through, many unpleasant things. He 
  stubs out the cigarette he just ﬁ nished, stands up, and 
  bows in a ﬂ owery, mock gesture.
  “Well now, this is a surprise,” he grins broadly 
  as he straightens up. “I thought O’Connor was 
  winding me up when he said I was going to have 
  visitors.” Bullock pulls a cigarette from behind 
  his ear and sticks it in his mouth. “Got a light? 
  I just used my last match and won’t get issued 
  any more until tomorrow.” He gestures toward a 
  line of spent matches on the table. “Everything is 
  accounted for in here,” he laughs.
  Bullock won’t talk about his backstory, except to con-
  ﬁ rm anything the characters already know. He pays close 
  attention to their story, though, prodding for as much 
  information as he can. Having spent several years locked 
  up in Hell’s Gate, Bullock is keen to cooperate and earn 
  an early release.
  “Well,” Bullock sighs, “I’m a little out of touch with 
  the real world right now, but if anyone can help 
  you it’s Shanghai Harry. Get down to Havana 
  and ask for Harry at the Blue Oyster Club. Ap-
  pearances change, so you’re best asking around. 
  Just mention, ‘The weather in Honolulu is very 
  pleasant this time of year.’ Harry’s reply is, “Yes, 
  and the dancing girls are lovely, as well.’ Harry’s 
  a little paranoid, so don’t go shouting this out 
  around other folk.”
  Shanghai Harry is actually a woman. However, this 
  piece of information should not be imparted to the he-
  roes at this time. Bullock has nothing more to say on the 
  matter.
  When the characters are ready to leave they are es-
  corted back to their aircraft, which have been refueled, 
  and sent on their way. Wrecked aircraft have been re-
  placed following a call to Howard Hughes (his details 
  were on the wreckage).
  SCENE 3: HAVANA
  SCENE 3: HAVANA
  The Blue Oyster Club is a tango bar in a respectable 
  part of Havana and easily located. When the characters 
  arrive, there’s a dance taking place. The smoky club is 
  crowded with locals and tourists.
  Asking for Shanghai Harry, the characters are pointed 
  toward a smooth looking gentleman in a crisp white suit, 
  who is dancing a perfect tango with an attractive, dark-
  haired woman in the middle of the dance ﬂ oor.
  Shanghai Harry is actually the woman (short for Har-
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  9
  riett). However, it’s more amusing to have the characters 
  believe Harry is the man. This should hopefully lead to 
  some comic roleplaying.
  When giving the code phrase, “Harry” responds with, 
  “Yes, so I hear.” Obviously this is the wrong answer. His 
  English is very poor, though. A Common Knowledge roll 
  reveals his accent is not Spanish, the local lingo, but Portu-
  guese. Still, Bullock never revealed Harry’s nationality.
  Try to maintain the illusion the man is Harry as long 
  as possible. Milk this scene! The gent is actually just a lo-
  cal Casanova, who considers himself slicker than oil and 
  the most attractive man alive. He deﬁ nitely hits on any 
  female characters, and repeatedly—no to him means, 
  “Try harder!”
  YOU’RE HARRY?
  YOU’RE HARRY?
  Sooner or later the fun must end, and the characters 
  can talk to the real Harry. She replies exactly as Bullock 
  said Harry would. Harriett leads the party to a small table 
  in a booth and orders a round of drinks. As the drinks ar-
  rive, Harry suddenly leans over and kisses a male charac-
  ter on the check. At that exact instant, a man in a Panama 
  hat pops up from behind the waiter, takes a photograph, 
  and vanishes into the crowd.
  Harry stops the adventurers from giving chase if they 
  try to detain him. “Let him go,” she croons. “He takes 
  tourist photos for a living. No doubt you’ll get asked for 
  money outside. We have business to discuss.”
  The ﬁ rst thing Harry wants to know is how they found 
  her. She knows Bullock was arrested, but she doesn’t 
  know where he is incarcerated. She tries to get this in-
  formation out of the characters, but won’t press if told 
  to drop the matter.
  Once convinced Bullock really did send them, she 
  asks to know why they needed Jed’s help. This is the 
  explorers’ chance to tell the story so far. When they ﬁ n-
  ish, Harry replies as follows.
  “I might be able to help,” she muses, pouting her 
  luscious, red lips. “I need to check a few details. 
  Meet me at 19 Flamingo Road at 7 p.m. sharp.” 
  With that, she rises to leave. “Until then, enjoy the 
  Club. Drinks are on the house.”
  As she sways across the dance ﬂ oor, her hips 
  swinging a mesmerizing to and fro, a burly man 
  grabs her and pulls her close to him. It’s obvious 
  he’s far stronger than Harry, and has no inten-
  tion of letting her go.
  In the event the characters phoned Van Gulden to 
  tell him of their trip to Havana, the thug is a Nazi agent 
  (alerted by Miss Brown). Otherwise, he’s just a drunken 
  sailor on shore leave. Approaching the man and asking 
  him to let Harry go, results in a gruff retort for the heroes 
  to mind their own business. Persistence results in a ﬂ ying 
  ﬁ st, which allows Harry to slip out of the club.
  Deal action cards.
  The bar is littered with small, improvised weapons, 
  such as bottles and glasses. They cause Str+d4 damage 
  (and can be thrown; Range 3/6/12). Chairs and similar 
  sized objects can be used as medium improvised weap-
  ons, inﬂ icting Str+d6 damage (Range 2/4/8). Any charac-
  ter wanting to wield a table can cause Str+d8 damage, 
  but takes a –1 penalty to his Parry and must use two 
  hands.
  The bar is crowded. Use the Innocent Bystander 
  rule for ranged weapons. Fists and improvised weap-
  ons cause nonlethal damage. Assume any bystander hit 
  drops unconscious. If you’re using minis, place a dozen 
  tourists in and around the melee. These folk just run 
  around like headless chickens and generally get in the 
  way.
  Captives don’t know anything of use. Drunken sail-
  ors are just that, while Nazi thugs are hired as needed 
  and only receive instructions by mufﬂ ed voice over the 
  telephone.
   Bar Tough Leader: See page 19, but he’s a Hench-
  man.
   Bar Toughs (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: HAVANA BY NIGHT
  SCENE 4: HAVANA BY NIGHT
  The address Harry gave the characters is in a well-to-
  do part of town. Knocking at the front door causes it to 
  swing open silently. All is dark inside.
  Harry isn’t home. After leaving the club she went 
  to see some of her contacts. They managed to ﬁ nd out 
  some information for her, but it left Harry scared. So she 
  left a clue for the characters and then went on the run. 
  She makes a return appearance in a future Daring Tale 
  of Adventure.
  Sticking out from a large mirror in the front room is 
  a photograph. It shows Harry kissing a character on the 
  cheek! Written on the back in red lipstick are the words, 
  Monastery San Angelo, Argentina and Abbot Delgado.
  Checking the rest of the house, the characters ﬁ nd 
  Harry’s wardrobe open and the contents missing. It 
  should be obvious she’s left town.
  On leaving the house, the heroes are caught in the 
  headlights of two cars, which ﬂ are into life further down 
  the street. The sound of gunning engines quickly follows 
  and the cars begin moving forward!
  Run this as a Chase using the standard Obstacles 
  rules. Initially, the characters are on foot and must roll 
  Agility. The two cars begin at Far Range, but have a mas-
  sive speed advantage (+2 to Driving rolls). The Range 
  Increment is 5”. Each enemy car has one driver and three 
  passengers.
  Fortunately, a limousine pulls up a little further down 
  the street at the start of the second round. The driver 
  gets out and opens the back doors, but leaves the engine 
  running. Hopefully the characters do the pulp thing and 
  steal the car, leaving the intended passengers, who come 
  out from their house, standing speechless as it roars off 
  into the night.
   Goons with Guns (4 per car): See page 20. 
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  9
  riett). However, it’s more amusing to have the characters 
  believe Harry is the man. This should hopefully lead to 
  some comic roleplaying.
  When giving the code phrase, “Harry” responds with, 
  “Yes, so I hear.” Obviously this is the wrong answer. His 
  English is very poor, though. A Common Knowledge roll 
  reveals his accent is not Spanish, the local lingo, but Portu-
  guese. Still, Bullock never revealed Harry’s nationality.
  Try to maintain the illusion the man is Harry as long 
  as possible. Milk this scene! The gent is actually just a lo-
  cal Casanova, who considers himself slicker than oil and 
  the most attractive man alive. He deﬁ nitely hits on any 
  female characters, and repeatedly—no to him means, 
  “Try harder!”
  YOU’RE HARRY?
  YOU’RE HARRY?
  Sooner or later the fun must end, and the characters 
  can talk to the real Harry. She replies exactly as Bullock 
  said Harry would. Harriett leads the party to a small table 
  in a booth and orders a round of drinks. As the drinks ar-
  rive, Harry suddenly leans over and kisses a male charac-
  ter on the check. At that exact instant, a man in a Panama 
  hat pops up from behind the waiter, takes a photograph, 
  and vanishes into the crowd.
  Harry stops the adventurers from giving chase if they 
  try to detain him. “Let him go,” she croons. “He takes 
  tourist photos for a living. No doubt you’ll get asked for 
  money outside. We have business to discuss.”
  The ﬁ rst thing Harry wants to know is how they found 
  her. She knows Bullock was arrested, but she doesn’t 
  know where he is incarcerated. She tries to get this in-
  formation out of the characters, but won’t press if told 
  to drop the matter.
  Once convinced Bullock really did send them, she 
  asks to know why they needed Jed’s help. This is the 
  explorers’ chance to tell the story so far. When they ﬁ n-
  ish, Harry replies as follows.
  “I might be able to help,” she muses, pouting her 
  luscious, red lips. “I need to check a few details. 
  Meet me at 19 Flamingo Road at 7 p.m. sharp.” 
  With that, she rises to leave. “Until then, enjoy the 
  Club. Drinks are on the house.”
  As she sways across the dance ﬂ oor, her hips 
  swinging a mesmerizing to and fro, a burly man 
  grabs her and pulls her close to him. It’s obvious 
  he’s far stronger than Harry, and has no inten-
  tion of letting her go.
  In the event the characters phoned Van Gulden to 
  tell him of their trip to Havana, the thug is a Nazi agent 
  (alerted by Miss Brown). Otherwise, he’s just a drunken 
  sailor on shore leave. Approaching the man and asking 
  him to let Harry go, results in a gruff retort for the heroes 
  to mind their own business. Persistence results in a ﬂ ying 
  ﬁ st, which allows Harry to slip out of the club.
  Deal action cards.
  The bar is littered with small, improvised weapons, 
  such as bottles and glasses. They cause Str+d4 damage 
  (and can be thrown; Range 3/6/12). Chairs and similar 
  sized objects can be used as medium improvised weap-
  ons, inﬂ icting Str+d6 damage (Range 2/4/8). Any charac-
  ter wanting to wield a table can cause Str+d8 damage, 
  but takes a –1 penalty to his Parry and must use two 
  hands.
  The bar is crowded. Use the Innocent Bystander 
  rule for ranged weapons. Fists and improvised weap-
  ons cause nonlethal damage. Assume any bystander hit 
  drops unconscious. If you’re using minis, place a dozen 
  tourists in and around the melee. These folk just run 
  around like headless chickens and generally get in the 
  way.
  Captives don’t know anything of use. Drunken sail-
  ors are just that, while Nazi thugs are hired as needed 
  and only receive instructions by mufﬂ ed voice over the 
  telephone.
   Bar Tough Leader: See page 19, but he’s a Hench-
  man.
   Bar Toughs (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: HAVANA BY NIGHT
  SCENE 4: HAVANA BY NIGHT
  The address Harry gave the characters is in a well-to-
  do part of town. Knocking at the front door causes it to 
  swing open silently. All is dark inside.
  Harry isn’t home. After leaving the club she went 
  to see some of her contacts. They managed to ﬁ nd out 
  some information for her, but it left Harry scared. So she 
  left a clue for the characters and then went on the run. 
  She makes a return appearance in a future Daring Tale 
  of Adventure.
  Sticking out from a large mirror in the front room is 
  a photograph. It shows Harry kissing a character on the 
  cheek! Written on the back in red lipstick are the words, 
  Monastery San Angelo, Argentina and Abbot Delgado.
  Checking the rest of the house, the characters ﬁ nd 
  Harry’s wardrobe open and the contents missing. It 
  should be obvious she’s left town.
  On leaving the house, the heroes are caught in the 
  headlights of two cars, which ﬂ are into life further down 
  the street. The sound of gunning engines quickly follows 
  and the cars begin moving forward!
  Run this as a Chase using the standard Obstacles 
  rules. Initially, the characters are on foot and must roll 
  Agility. The two cars begin at Far Range, but have a mas-
  sive speed advantage (+2 to Driving rolls). The Range 
  Increment is 5”. Each enemy car has one driver and three 
  passengers.
  Fortunately, a limousine pulls up a little further down 
  the street at the start of the second round. The driver 
  gets out and opens the back doors, but leaves the engine 
  running. Hopefully the characters do the pulp thing and 
  steal the car, leaving the intended passengers, who come 
  out from their house, standing speechless as it roars off 
  into the night.
   Goons with Guns (4 per car): See page 20. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1010
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  LIMOUSINE
  LIMOUSINE
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/16; Toughness: 13 (3); Crew: 1+8
  WHERE ARE WE GOING?
  WHERE ARE WE GOING?
  A successful Investigation roll at any library reveals the 
  Monastery San Angelo is in the mountains of Argentina 
  and is home to an order of monks known as the Order of 
  Constant Vigilance. The monks are near-hermits, spend-
  ing their time in meditation and prayer.
  Streetwise can also be used, but there is a –4 penalty 
  outside of Argentina.
  ACT 3: THE MONASTERY
  ACT 3: THE MONASTERY
  The monastery is actually a Nazi front. It’s really a 
  covert listening station for spying on the Americans and 
  the British Atlantic ﬂ eets. Harry’s mention of the name 
  gives no indication anything is wrong with the monas-
  tery, though, and the GM should not give any clues that 
  it’s a nest of villains.
  It’s impossible to land close to the monastery due to 
  the mountains. The best the heroes can do is land ten 
  miles away and hire a local to escort them to the foot 
  of the winding path leading to the monastery. Unfortu-
  nately, the disguised Nazis maintain a close watch on all 
  the approaches. The appearance of the distinctive air-
  planes has already been broadcast to Nazi agents across 
  the globe by Miss Brown.
  Close to the monastery, lies a small village. The locals 
  are all farmers, tending crops growing on terraces cut 
  into the hillside. If questioned, they are very positive 
  about the monks, praising them for providing extra man-
  power at harvest time and for healing their sick. Mention 
  is made of the monk’s vow of silence (to help conceal 
  those obvious accents). The locals aren’t Nazis agents or 
  sympathizers—they’re devoutly religious innocents who 
  have been duped.
  SCENE 1: MEETING THE ABBOT
  SCENE 1: MEETING THE ABBOT
  Spying on the monastery elicits no useful informa-
  tion. Monks come and go into the village at sporadic 
  intervals, a few villagers enter the monastery for prayers, 
  and everything about the area feels perfectly normal. 
  Thus, the adventurers must approach the monastery 
  sooner or later.
  Entering openly, they are met by a monk in a gray robe. 
  He listens to any requests and, without saying a single 
  word, leads them into the building to see the abbot.
  The monk knocks at a stout wooden door, pauses, 
  and enters. He gestures for you to follow.
  Sitting behind a large desk is a bald man in gray 
  robes similar to those of your escort. Slim of build 
  and of middling years, the man rises, closing the 
  Bible he was reading as he does. The young monk 
  approaches him and whispers into his ear. The 
  older gentleman nods once or twice, and then dis-
  misses his subordinate with a wave of his hand.
  “The brother tells me you wish to speak with me? 
  I am Abbot Joachim.” Abbot Joachim’s accent is 
  familiar—not German, but something similar.
  Joachim claims to be an Austrian, if asked. He says he 
  left his homeland in 1932 to come here, partly to seek 
  solitude and continue God’s work, and partly because 
  events in neighboring Germany were taking a sinister 
  turn.
  The abbot has only just heard about Shanghai Harry 
  from his comrades in Havana, but he isn’t about to reveal 
  that! Instead, the crafty spy plays along as best he can, re-
  vealing little about himself but trying to gather as much 
  information as a possible. Curious heroes are going to 
  ask how the monk can help, so some stock questions 
  and answers are provided to help the GM.
  Q: How do you know Shanghai Harry?
  A: “Our acquaintance goes back many years. Really, 
  it is a personal matter, but Harry is a close and trusted 
  friend.”
  Q: Is Harry a man or woman?
  A: “My child, Harry is a woman, and one of ﬁ ne 
  beauty. Truly God made man, ﬁ guratively speaking, in 
  His image.”
  Q: So how can you help us?
  A: “Ah, now I am forced to reveal to you a secret. 
  This monastery is actually a listening station, capable 
  of picking up radio communications across thousands 
  of miles. We are all men of the cloth, but I am also an 
  American government agent. But I am afraid I cannot 
  say more on this part of our operation.”
  Once he is sure the heroes know too much (basically 
  any reference to them investigating the disappearances 
  around Bermuda), he springs his trap (remember, he 
  received advanced warning they were in the area).
  “Yes, Shanghai Harry was right. We can help you.” 
  The abbot rings a small bell on his desk and sits 
  back. “Most disturbing affair, these sky pirates,” 
  he smiles. “And one you will never resolve!”
  The door crashes open! Monks armed with Sch-
  meisser SMGs burst into the room and surround 
  you. “Please, hand over your weapons,” remarks 
  the abbot casually, drawing a pistol from under 
  his robes. “There is no need to spill blood on holy 
  ground.”
  This is the party’s cue to surrender in traditional pulp 
  style. In the event of a ﬁ ght, treat the monks as Goons 
  with Guns (page 20). There are a dozen to begin with, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1010
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  LIMOUSINE
  LIMOUSINE
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/16; Toughness: 13 (3); Crew: 1+8
  WHERE ARE WE GOING?
  WHERE ARE WE GOING?
  A successful Investigation roll at any library reveals the 
  Monastery San Angelo is in the mountains of Argentina 
  and is home to an order of monks known as the Order of 
  Constant Vigilance. The monks are near-hermits, spend-
  ing their time in meditation and prayer.
  Streetwise can also be used, but there is a –4 penalty 
  outside of Argentina.
  ACT 3: THE MONASTERY
  ACT 3: THE MONASTERY
  The monastery is actually a Nazi front. It’s really a 
  covert listening station for spying on the Americans and 
  the British Atlantic ﬂ eets. Harry’s mention of the name 
  gives no indication anything is wrong with the monas-
  tery, though, and the GM should not give any clues that 
  it’s a nest of villains.
  It’s impossible to land close to the monastery due to 
  the mountains. The best the heroes can do is land ten 
  miles away and hire a local to escort them to the foot 
  of the winding path leading to the monastery. Unfortu-
  nately, the disguised Nazis maintain a close watch on all 
  the approaches. The appearance of the distinctive air-
  planes has already been broadcast to Nazi agents across 
  the globe by Miss Brown.
  Close to the monastery, lies a small village. The locals 
  are all farmers, tending crops growing on terraces cut 
  into the hillside. If questioned, they are very positive 
  about the monks, praising them for providing extra man-
  power at harvest time and for healing their sick. Mention 
  is made of the monk’s vow of silence (to help conceal 
  those obvious accents). The locals aren’t Nazis agents or 
  sympathizers—they’re devoutly religious innocents who 
  have been duped.
  SCENE 1: MEETING THE ABBOT
  SCENE 1: MEETING THE ABBOT
  Spying on the monastery elicits no useful informa-
  tion. Monks come and go into the village at sporadic 
  intervals, a few villagers enter the monastery for prayers, 
  and everything about the area feels perfectly normal. 
  Thus, the adventurers must approach the monastery 
  sooner or later.
  Entering openly, they are met by a monk in a gray robe. 
  He listens to any requests and, without saying a single 
  word, leads them into the building to see the abbot.
  The monk knocks at a stout wooden door, pauses, 
  and enters. He gestures for you to follow.
  Sitting behind a large desk is a bald man in gray 
  robes similar to those of your escort. Slim of build 
  and of middling years, the man rises, closing the 
  Bible he was reading as he does. The young monk 
  approaches him and whispers into his ear. The 
  older gentleman nods once or twice, and then dis-
  misses his subordinate with a wave of his hand.
  “The brother tells me you wish to speak with me? 
  I am Abbot Joachim.” Abbot Joachim’s accent is 
  familiar—not German, but something similar.
  Joachim claims to be an Austrian, if asked. He says he 
  left his homeland in 1932 to come here, partly to seek 
  solitude and continue God’s work, and partly because 
  events in neighboring Germany were taking a sinister 
  turn.
  The abbot has only just heard about Shanghai Harry 
  from his comrades in Havana, but he isn’t about to reveal 
  that! Instead, the crafty spy plays along as best he can, re-
  vealing little about himself but trying to gather as much 
  information as a possible. Curious heroes are going to 
  ask how the monk can help, so some stock questions 
  and answers are provided to help the GM.
  Q: How do you know Shanghai Harry?
  A: “Our acquaintance goes back many years. Really, 
  it is a personal matter, but Harry is a close and trusted 
  friend.”
  Q: Is Harry a man or woman?
  A: “My child, Harry is a woman, and one of ﬁ ne 
  beauty. Truly God made man, ﬁ guratively speaking, in 
  His image.”
  Q: So how can you help us?
  A: “Ah, now I am forced to reveal to you a secret. 
  This monastery is actually a listening station, capable 
  of picking up radio communications across thousands 
  of miles. We are all men of the cloth, but I am also an 
  American government agent. But I am afraid I cannot 
  say more on this part of our operation.”
  Once he is sure the heroes know too much (basically 
  any reference to them investigating the disappearances 
  around Bermuda), he springs his trap (remember, he 
  received advanced warning they were in the area).
  “Yes, Shanghai Harry was right. We can help you.” 
  The abbot rings a small bell on his desk and sits 
  back. “Most disturbing affair, these sky pirates,” 
  he smiles. “And one you will never resolve!”
  The door crashes open! Monks armed with Sch-
  meisser SMGs burst into the room and surround 
  you. “Please, hand over your weapons,” remarks 
  the abbot casually, drawing a pistol from under 
  his robes. “There is no need to spill blood on holy 
  ground.”
  This is the party’s cue to surrender in traditional pulp 
  style. In the event of a ﬁ ght, treat the monks as Goons 
  with Guns (page 20). There are a dozen to begin with, 
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1111
  but plenty more are on hand to ensure the heroes coop-
  erate eventually.
  GM Tip: Hint to the heroes their struggle will end 
  badly. If they surrender now, they avoid taking wounds 
  for the next scene, and actually gain a benny to help 
  them escape whatever fate awaits them.
  SCENE 2: DEATH TRAP
  SCENE 2: DEATH TRAP
  Disarmed and securely bound, you are led to the 
  monastery’s basement. A monk pulls sharply on a 
  torch sconce in a back part of what appears to be 
  an ammunition bunker! A section of wall slides 
  open, and you are roughly shoved inside.
  Behind the secret door is a large room. A crane 
  hangs over a large, still pool of water. You are 
  dragged onto a circular metal platform, to which 
  your ropes are fastened. The crane is maneuvered 
  over your position, and the hook is attached. 
  Slowly the platform is winched until it is suspend-
  ed over the center of the room.
  Abbot Joachim waves to the crane op-
  erator, who pulls a lever downward. 
  Inch by inch, the platform begins to 
  descend toward the calm water.
  “This facility,” he says, waving his 
  hands vaguely, “is obviously not an 
  American listening post. No, this was 
  built by the ﬁ nest minds. German 
  minds! From here we coordinate the 
  activities of our ﬂ ying airbase, the 
  Luftschloss, and its sky pirates.”
  He walks to the water’s edge and 
  peers in. “Although I am a loyal ser-
  vant of Germany, do not think me a 
  monster,” he sneers. “I am by train-
  ing a biologist, and am fascinated 
  by vicious creatures. Within the pool 
  are my pets—piranhas. I keep them 
  hungry, very hungry. That way I ﬁ nd 
  they are more willing to perform for 
  me when required. I shall return later 
  to make sure my babies have enjoyed 
  their meal.”
  The Nazi then leaves the room with 
  his escort, leaving you to your fate. A 
  handful of goons are left to make sure 
  you don’t escape!
  The chamber is square, and measures 
  9” to each side. The pool is 5” wide and 
  is located in the center. The platform on 
  which the hapless adventurers are bound 
  is 1” wide and hangs over the center of the pool. It be-
  gins at a height of 3”, and drops 0.5” per round. The 
  control panel is located on one wall chosen by the GM. 
  One guard stands in each corner of the room.
  The characters have a mere 6 rounds to escape before 
  they become piranha bait. In order to do so, they must 
  complete the following steps in strict order. At the end 
  of round 6, the platform plunges into the water, leaving 
  any characters still on it up to their waist. They suffer 2d4 
  damage at the start of each round thereafter (from a Wild 
  Card source).
  Any adventurer who falls or is shoved into the pool, 
  takes 2d4 from the vicious ﬁ sh, immediately. At the start 
  of each round he is in the drink, he takes another 2d4 
  damage. Climbing out requires an Agility roll as an ac-
  tion. Failure means the hero fails, but can try again next 
  round.
  * They need to work free of their bonds. This requires 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –2 (hero’s choice) each 
  round until successful. One roll can be made each 
  round. Once a character is free, he may untie one 
  other person in a round. This allows for no other ac-
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1111
  but plenty more are on hand to ensure the heroes coop-
  erate eventually.
  GM Tip: Hint to the heroes their struggle will end 
  badly. If they surrender now, they avoid taking wounds 
  for the next scene, and actually gain a benny to help 
  them escape whatever fate awaits them.
  SCENE 2: DEATH TRAP
  SCENE 2: DEATH TRAP
  Disarmed and securely bound, you are led to the 
  monastery’s basement. A monk pulls sharply on a 
  torch sconce in a back part of what appears to be 
  an ammunition bunker! A section of wall slides 
  open, and you are roughly shoved inside.
  Behind the secret door is a large room. A crane 
  hangs over a large, still pool of water. You are 
  dragged onto a circular metal platform, to which 
  your ropes are fastened. The crane is maneuvered 
  over your position, and the hook is attached. 
  Slowly the platform is winched until it is suspend-
  ed over the center of the room.
  Abbot Joachim waves to the crane op-
  erator, who pulls a lever downward. 
  Inch by inch, the platform begins to 
  descend toward the calm water.
  “This facility,” he says, waving his 
  hands vaguely, “is obviously not an 
  American listening post. No, this was 
  built by the ﬁ nest minds. German 
  minds! From here we coordinate the 
  activities of our ﬂ ying airbase, the 
  Luftschloss, and its sky pirates.”
  He walks to the water’s edge and 
  peers in. “Although I am a loyal ser-
  vant of Germany, do not think me a 
  monster,” he sneers. “I am by train-
  ing a biologist, and am fascinated 
  by vicious creatures. Within the pool 
  are my pets—piranhas. I keep them 
  hungry, very hungry. That way I ﬁ nd 
  they are more willing to perform for 
  me when required. I shall return later 
  to make sure my babies have enjoyed 
  their meal.”
  The Nazi then leaves the room with 
  his escort, leaving you to your fate. A 
  handful of goons are left to make sure 
  you don’t escape!
  The chamber is square, and measures 
  9” to each side. The pool is 5” wide and 
  is located in the center. The platform on 
  which the hapless adventurers are bound 
  is 1” wide and hangs over the center of the pool. It be-
  gins at a height of 3”, and drops 0.5” per round. The 
  control panel is located on one wall chosen by the GM. 
  One guard stands in each corner of the room.
  The characters have a mere 6 rounds to escape before 
  they become piranha bait. In order to do so, they must 
  complete the following steps in strict order. At the end 
  of round 6, the platform plunges into the water, leaving 
  any characters still on it up to their waist. They suffer 2d4 
  damage at the start of each round thereafter (from a Wild 
  Card source).
  Any adventurer who falls or is shoved into the pool, 
  takes 2d4 from the vicious ﬁ sh, immediately. At the start 
  of each round he is in the drink, he takes another 2d4 
  damage. Climbing out requires an Agility roll as an ac-
  tion. Failure means the hero fails, but can try again next 
  round.
  * They need to work free of their bonds. This requires 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –2 (hero’s choice) each 
  round until successful. One roll can be made each 
  round. Once a character is free, he may untie one 
  other person in a round. This allows for no other ac-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1212
  tions.
  * The escapee must climb up the rope to reach the 
  crane. This requires a Climbing roll or a Strength roll 
  at –2. Failure means the character makes little head-
  way, but can roll again next round. On a critical fail-
  ure, the climber falls into the piranha pool, adjacent 
  to the platform. He takes falling damage as if from 20’, 
  and 2d4 damage from the hungry ﬁ sh.
  * To reach safe ground, the character has to clamber 
  along the crane boom. This is a Climbing roll to shim-
  my over or an Agility roll at –2 to walk across. Failure 
  and critical failure are as above.
  * Once over dry ground, the character must stop the 
  crane. The lever is extremely rusty and very stiff. Mov-
  ing it requires a Strength roll. With success, the crane 
  stops descending. A raise, or second success on a sub-
  sequent round, is required for it to elevate. Moving 
  the crane over dry ground takes an action from the 
  operator. It moves 3” per round.
  The guards, while not geniuses, aren’t simply going 
  to stand by and let the characters escape. They open 
  ﬁ re with their guns, but only at heroes making a break 
  for it—those tied to the platform are never targeted. 
  Characters climbing the rope or moving along the crane 
  who take a hit must make an Agility roll opposed by the 
  damage, or fall.
   Goons with Guns (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 3: HUE & CRY
  SCENE 3: HUE & CRY
  Activating the secret door, the heroes can now escape 
  into the monastery. Their gear is lying in the next room—
  the ammunition bunker. Destroying the monastery, and 
  so crippling the vile Nazis’ intelligence gathering facili-
  ties, is likely on their minds, right now.
  There are plenty of explosives and timers. Unfor-
  tunately, the timers are all pencil fuses (which rely on 
  acid to eat through a wire and activate the detonator), 
  so they’re not very accurate. Still, the room is big, the 
  explosives powerful, and there is no ticking noise to 
  alert guards. Setting a fuse is extremely simple—crack 
  the fuse to release the acid, and stick it into a lump of 
  explosive. Then run and wait.
  Characters concerned about injuring the locals have 
  no worries—the village lies well outside the predicted 
  blast radius.
  Most of the monks are currently in the refectory, so 
  there are few guards on patrol. As the heroes sneak past 
  a room with an open door, they hear a voice over a radio. 
  It’s female and speaking ﬂ uent German.
  “Congratulations on apprehending those med-
  dling fools,” a female voice says. “I shall contact 
  Herr Doctor Schmutzig and inform him Opera-
  tion Headless Eagle can proceed as planned.” The 
  voice, although distorted and crackly, is familiar. 
  Yes, it’s deﬁ nitely Emily Brown, van Gulden’s 
  secretary!
  Some characters might wish to search the monastery 
  for Abbot Joachim. Remind them that ﬁ rst the abbot is 
  likely to be well guarded, and second, the Nazis obvi-
  ously have some dastardly plan that needs foiling—any 
  time spent on personal grudges may cost innocent 
  lives.
  On reaching the courtyard to make their final 
  escape, the characters run into a guard patrol. The 
  courtyard is 10” long and 8” wide. A set of double 
  gates, currently open, are in the center of the op-
  posite wall. Four guards are stationed on the ground 
  and four up on wooden walkways. Some crates and 
  barrels provide the characters with opportunities to 
  seek Cover.
  The gunﬁ re attracts a lot of attention. Within seconds, 
  an alarm klaxon sounds, and the bells begin ringing out. 
  Hanging around for long is not a wise option. As soon as 
  the last hero vacates the courtyard, move immediately to 
  the next section.
   Goons with Guns (2 per hero): See page 20.
  RUN!
  RUN!
  As the characters run from the monastery, a large 
  group of monks give Chase. Don’t worry about exactly 
  how many—there are enough to make running the sen-
  sible option.
  They begin at Far Range. This is a longer distance 
  Chase, so the Range Increment is 10”. Since they don’t 
  wish to blow their cover just yet, the Nazis don’t use 
  guns. They intend to capture the characters and beat 
  them senseless. The characters don’t have to worry about 
  such things, and so can use their guns as they wish.
  There are no Obstacles. Instead, any hero who draws 
  a Club must make his Agility roll or fall. He gains no dis-
  tance this round, and makes his next Agility roll at –2 (to 
  account for the time spent getting to his feet).
  At the start of round 4, the Chase enters the village. 
  The monks begin shouting loudly, accusing the ﬂ eeing 
  adventurers of stealing their sacred cross. Well, that gets 
  the locals suitably riled, and they join the Chase as well! 
  They begin just two Range Increments behind the last-
  placed character. Treat the mob as having Agility d6 for 
  these purposes.
  The mob makes it very hard to target the Nazis. 
  Ranged attacks are made at –2 so long as the villagers are 
  ahead of the monks, and any roll of 1 or less (regardless 
  of Wild Die) strikes a villager. That should be a deterrent 
  for gun-happy escapees.
  This scene isn’t designed to get the characters cap-
  tured again—it’s about the cinematic visuals of the 
  characters being chased by a mob of angry villagers and 
  a group of monks! Of course, the party should always 
  believe getting caught means a severe beating.
  Should the mob or monks reach the same Range In-
  crement as a character, they launch a fusil of ﬁ sts. Treat 
  this as a swarm attack, but causing 2d6 damage. Since 
  there are dozens of blows landing, this damage is treated 
  as being dealt by a Wild Card. If escape looks unlikely, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1212
  tions.
  * The escapee must climb up the rope to reach the 
  crane. This requires a Climbing roll or a Strength roll 
  at –2. Failure means the character makes little head-
  way, but can roll again next round. On a critical fail-
  ure, the climber falls into the piranha pool, adjacent 
  to the platform. He takes falling damage as if from 20’, 
  and 2d4 damage from the hungry ﬁ sh.
  * To reach safe ground, the character has to clamber 
  along the crane boom. This is a Climbing roll to shim-
  my over or an Agility roll at –2 to walk across. Failure 
  and critical failure are as above.
  * Once over dry ground, the character must stop the 
  crane. The lever is extremely rusty and very stiff. Mov-
  ing it requires a Strength roll. With success, the crane 
  stops descending. A raise, or second success on a sub-
  sequent round, is required for it to elevate. Moving 
  the crane over dry ground takes an action from the 
  operator. It moves 3” per round.
  The guards, while not geniuses, aren’t simply going 
  to stand by and let the characters escape. They open 
  ﬁ re with their guns, but only at heroes making a break 
  for it—those tied to the platform are never targeted. 
  Characters climbing the rope or moving along the crane 
  who take a hit must make an Agility roll opposed by the 
  damage, or fall.
   Goons with Guns (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 3: HUE & CRY
  SCENE 3: HUE & CRY
  Activating the secret door, the heroes can now escape 
  into the monastery. Their gear is lying in the next room—
  the ammunition bunker. Destroying the monastery, and 
  so crippling the vile Nazis’ intelligence gathering facili-
  ties, is likely on their minds, right now.
  There are plenty of explosives and timers. Unfor-
  tunately, the timers are all pencil fuses (which rely on 
  acid to eat through a wire and activate the detonator), 
  so they’re not very accurate. Still, the room is big, the 
  explosives powerful, and there is no ticking noise to 
  alert guards. Setting a fuse is extremely simple—crack 
  the fuse to release the acid, and stick it into a lump of 
  explosive. Then run and wait.
  Characters concerned about injuring the locals have 
  no worries—the village lies well outside the predicted 
  blast radius.
  Most of the monks are currently in the refectory, so 
  there are few guards on patrol. As the heroes sneak past 
  a room with an open door, they hear a voice over a radio. 
  It’s female and speaking ﬂ uent German.
  “Congratulations on apprehending those med-
  dling fools,” a female voice says. “I shall contact 
  Herr Doctor Schmutzig and inform him Opera-
  tion Headless Eagle can proceed as planned.” The 
  voice, although distorted and crackly, is familiar. 
  Yes, it’s deﬁ nitely Emily Brown, van Gulden’s 
  secretary!
  Some characters might wish to search the monastery 
  for Abbot Joachim. Remind them that ﬁ rst the abbot is 
  likely to be well guarded, and second, the Nazis obvi-
  ously have some dastardly plan that needs foiling—any 
  time spent on personal grudges may cost innocent 
  lives.
  On reaching the courtyard to make their final 
  escape, the characters run into a guard patrol. The 
  courtyard is 10” long and 8” wide. A set of double 
  gates, currently open, are in the center of the op-
  posite wall. Four guards are stationed on the ground 
  and four up on wooden walkways. Some crates and 
  barrels provide the characters with opportunities to 
  seek Cover.
  The gunﬁ re attracts a lot of attention. Within seconds, 
  an alarm klaxon sounds, and the bells begin ringing out. 
  Hanging around for long is not a wise option. As soon as 
  the last hero vacates the courtyard, move immediately to 
  the next section.
   Goons with Guns (2 per hero): See page 20.
  RUN!
  RUN!
  As the characters run from the monastery, a large 
  group of monks give Chase. Don’t worry about exactly 
  how many—there are enough to make running the sen-
  sible option.
  They begin at Far Range. This is a longer distance 
  Chase, so the Range Increment is 10”. Since they don’t 
  wish to blow their cover just yet, the Nazis don’t use 
  guns. They intend to capture the characters and beat 
  them senseless. The characters don’t have to worry about 
  such things, and so can use their guns as they wish.
  There are no Obstacles. Instead, any hero who draws 
  a Club must make his Agility roll or fall. He gains no dis-
  tance this round, and makes his next Agility roll at –2 (to 
  account for the time spent getting to his feet).
  At the start of round 4, the Chase enters the village. 
  The monks begin shouting loudly, accusing the ﬂ eeing 
  adventurers of stealing their sacred cross. Well, that gets 
  the locals suitably riled, and they join the Chase as well! 
  They begin just two Range Increments behind the last-
  placed character. Treat the mob as having Agility d6 for 
  these purposes.
  The mob makes it very hard to target the Nazis. 
  Ranged attacks are made at –2 so long as the villagers are 
  ahead of the monks, and any roll of 1 or less (regardless 
  of Wild Die) strikes a villager. That should be a deterrent 
  for gun-happy escapees.
  This scene isn’t designed to get the characters cap-
  tured again—it’s about the cinematic visuals of the 
  characters being chased by a mob of angry villagers and 
  a group of monks! Of course, the party should always 
  believe getting caught means a severe beating.
  Should the mob or monks reach the same Range In-
  crement as a character, they launch a fusil of ﬁ sts. Treat 
  this as a swarm attack, but causing 2d6 damage. Since 
  there are dozens of blows landing, this damage is treated 
  as being dealt by a Wild Card. If escape looks unlikely, 
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1313
  have them come across a truck parked by the side of 
  the road. The mob gives up the chase as the truck races 
  away.
  Whether the characters outrun the mob (i.e. they ex-
  tend their distance to more than 10 Range Increments) 
  or ﬁ nd a truck, the monastery explodes exactly at that 
  point, ending at least part of the Nazi plot.
  SCENE 4: BACK IN BOSTON
  SCENE 4: BACK IN BOSTON
  The characters are unable to reach Van Gulden by 
  telephone, thus forcing them to ﬂ y to Boston at best 
  speed. Only when they reach his ofﬁ ces can they talk 
  to him. He’s shocked that Miss Brown is a Nazi spy, 
  but he suspects, “nothing less than treachery from a 
  woman.” Miss Brown is currently at one of his ware-
  houses, overseeing some business. Van Gulden pro-
  vides directions.
  Should the characters think to phone ahead, the ware-
  house supervisor answers the telephone. He takes down 
  any details, and promises to have Miss Brown delayed 
  until the characters arrive. Naturally he does nothing of 
  the sort, what with him being a fellow Nazi and all.
  On enquiring at the warehouse, the characters are 
  directed toward an ofﬁ ce. Through the large windows, 
  which face onto the warehouse, they see Miss Brown is 
  on the telephone. She’s actually just receiving a call from 
  a Nazi agent in Argentina telling her the monastery has 
  exploded and the heroes are not among the dead! At that 
  moment, she turns and spots the protagonists!
  Deal action cards.
  A number of the workers in the warehouse are actu-
  ally thugs hired by Miss Brown as her personal army. 
  Her ﬁ rst action is to use the warehouse’s loudspeaker 
  system to call them to her aid. She then whips out a 
  knife and throws it through the window at the nearest 
  hero. Penetrating the glass reduces any damage by a 
  single point.
  Don’t worry if Miss Brown is captured or Incapacitat-
  ed—that’s part of the plan. When the ﬁ ght ends, proceed 
  to the next section—The Traitor Speaks.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  The warehouse is 8” wide and 12” long. Half the ﬂ oor 
  space is covered in stacks of barrels. Gaps between these 
  stacks form a network of “corridors” through the ware-
  house. The ofﬁ ce measures 2” square and is situated in 
  the top right corner. The door the heroes enter by is in 
  the center of the right hand wall.
  Barrels: The stacks can be toppled over. This requires 
  a Strength roll as an action. A toppled stack ﬁ lls two 
  adjacent squares. Anyone in these must make an Agility 
  roll or suffer 3d6 damage. Treat moving through toppled 
  barrels as difﬁ cult ground. The barrels contain large ﬁ sh 
  preserved in oil (Str+d4 damage for a ﬁ sh slap).
  Opening a single barrel and tipping out the contents 
  creates a Small Burst Template of oil and ﬁ sh. Movement 
  through it is difﬁ cult ground. In addition, anyone enter-
  ing the oil or beginning their turn under the template 
  must make an Agility roll or fall prone.
  Fire Hose: This is located outside the ofﬁ ce. It func-
  tions in a manner similar to a ﬂ amethrower. Anyone in 
  the path, who fails to beat the attacker’s Shooting roll, 
  is struck by the spray. Victims make a Strength roll (–2 if 
  prone) opposed by the hose’s “damage” of 2d10”. Failure 
  means the victim is knocked back 1” and sent prone. If 
  he hits a solid object, such as a barrel, he is automatically 
  Shaken as well.
   Miss Brown: See page 18. 
   Bar Toughs (2 per hero): See page 19. They are 
  armed with a variety of hand weapons (Str+d6).
  THE TRAITOR SPEAKS
  THE TRAITOR SPEAKS
  Whether Incapacitated or captured, Miss Brown is 
  capable of speech after the ﬁ ght ends. Indeed, she is very 
  keen to speak.
  “Pah!” she spits. “You think you have won? Right 
  now a plane full of your top economic advisors 
  and businessmen is heading to a conference 
  in Cuba. They will never make it alive. Their 
  deaths will cause economic chaos for decades. 
  You may have thwarted our plans to gas the 
  American government, but you cannot stop us 
  this time!”
  The heroes may have a few questions for Miss Brown. 
  Sample questions and answers are provided below. She’s 
  basically an arrogant and fanatical Nazi who despises the 
  characters if the GM needs other answers.
  Q: Why are you helping the Nazis?
  A: “My real name is Amelia Braun. My parents were 
  both German. I was recruited years ago and placed in a 
  position where I would be useful to the Fatherland. My 
  loyalties lie only with Herr Hitler.”
  Q: What’s a Luftschloss?
  A: “Ignorant savages! It is a marvel of German engi-
  neering, a ﬂ ying airﬁ eld capable of carrying out attacks 
  anywhere in the world. With it we shall reign supreme 
  over the sheep you call humanity.”
  Q: How did you know we foiled your plan?
  A: “Isn’t it obvious? No, maybe you are not as clever 
  as I thought. Miss Knight informed us of your interfer-
  ence. Oh yes, we have been watching you for some time 
  now.”
  Read the following aloud when you’re ready to move 
  the game along.
  Miss Brown suddenly snaps her teeth together. You 
  hear a faint crunch of glass. The traitor spasms, 
  brieﬂ y, then goes rigid and slumps to the ﬂ oor. 
  Poison!
  Miss Brown is dead and there’s no hope of changing 
  that. At that moment, Van Gulden arrives with the local 
  police. Proceed with the ﬁ nal Act.
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1313
  have them come across a truck parked by the side of 
  the road. The mob gives up the chase as the truck races 
  away.
  Whether the characters outrun the mob (i.e. they ex-
  tend their distance to more than 10 Range Increments) 
  or ﬁ nd a truck, the monastery explodes exactly at that 
  point, ending at least part of the Nazi plot.
  SCENE 4: BACK IN BOSTON
  SCENE 4: BACK IN BOSTON
  The characters are unable to reach Van Gulden by 
  telephone, thus forcing them to ﬂ y to Boston at best 
  speed. Only when they reach his ofﬁ ces can they talk 
  to him. He’s shocked that Miss Brown is a Nazi spy, 
  but he suspects, “nothing less than treachery from a 
  woman.” Miss Brown is currently at one of his ware-
  houses, overseeing some business. Van Gulden pro-
  vides directions.
  Should the characters think to phone ahead, the ware-
  house supervisor answers the telephone. He takes down 
  any details, and promises to have Miss Brown delayed 
  until the characters arrive. Naturally he does nothing of 
  the sort, what with him being a fellow Nazi and all.
  On enquiring at the warehouse, the characters are 
  directed toward an ofﬁ ce. Through the large windows, 
  which face onto the warehouse, they see Miss Brown is 
  on the telephone. She’s actually just receiving a call from 
  a Nazi agent in Argentina telling her the monastery has 
  exploded and the heroes are not among the dead! At that 
  moment, she turns and spots the protagonists!
  Deal action cards.
  A number of the workers in the warehouse are actu-
  ally thugs hired by Miss Brown as her personal army. 
  Her ﬁ rst action is to use the warehouse’s loudspeaker 
  system to call them to her aid. She then whips out a 
  knife and throws it through the window at the nearest 
  hero. Penetrating the glass reduces any damage by a 
  single point.
  Don’t worry if Miss Brown is captured or Incapacitat-
  ed—that’s part of the plan. When the ﬁ ght ends, proceed 
  to the next section—The Traitor Speaks.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  The warehouse is 8” wide and 12” long. Half the ﬂ oor 
  space is covered in stacks of barrels. Gaps between these 
  stacks form a network of “corridors” through the ware-
  house. The ofﬁ ce measures 2” square and is situated in 
  the top right corner. The door the heroes enter by is in 
  the center of the right hand wall.
  Barrels: The stacks can be toppled over. This requires 
  a Strength roll as an action. A toppled stack ﬁ lls two 
  adjacent squares. Anyone in these must make an Agility 
  roll or suffer 3d6 damage. Treat moving through toppled 
  barrels as difﬁ cult ground. The barrels contain large ﬁ sh 
  preserved in oil (Str+d4 damage for a ﬁ sh slap).
  Opening a single barrel and tipping out the contents 
  creates a Small Burst Template of oil and ﬁ sh. Movement 
  through it is difﬁ cult ground. In addition, anyone enter-
  ing the oil or beginning their turn under the template 
  must make an Agility roll or fall prone.
  Fire Hose: This is located outside the ofﬁ ce. It func-
  tions in a manner similar to a ﬂ amethrower. Anyone in 
  the path, who fails to beat the attacker’s Shooting roll, 
  is struck by the spray. Victims make a Strength roll (–2 if 
  prone) opposed by the hose’s “damage” of 2d10”. Failure 
  means the victim is knocked back 1” and sent prone. If 
  he hits a solid object, such as a barrel, he is automatically 
  Shaken as well.
   Miss Brown: See page 18. 
   Bar Toughs (2 per hero): See page 19. They are 
  armed with a variety of hand weapons (Str+d6).
  THE TRAITOR SPEAKS
  THE TRAITOR SPEAKS
  Whether Incapacitated or captured, Miss Brown is 
  capable of speech after the ﬁ ght ends. Indeed, she is very 
  keen to speak.
  “Pah!” she spits. “You think you have won? Right 
  now a plane full of your top economic advisors 
  and businessmen is heading to a conference 
  in Cuba. They will never make it alive. Their 
  deaths will cause economic chaos for decades. 
  You may have thwarted our plans to gas the 
  American government, but you cannot stop us 
  this time!”
  The heroes may have a few questions for Miss Brown. 
  Sample questions and answers are provided below. She’s 
  basically an arrogant and fanatical Nazi who despises the 
  characters if the GM needs other answers.
  Q: Why are you helping the Nazis?
  A: “My real name is Amelia Braun. My parents were 
  both German. I was recruited years ago and placed in a 
  position where I would be useful to the Fatherland. My 
  loyalties lie only with Herr Hitler.”
  Q: What’s a Luftschloss?
  A: “Ignorant savages! It is a marvel of German engi-
  neering, a ﬂ ying airﬁ eld capable of carrying out attacks 
  anywhere in the world. With it we shall reign supreme 
  over the sheep you call humanity.”
  Q: How did you know we foiled your plan?
  A: “Isn’t it obvious? No, maybe you are not as clever 
  as I thought. Miss Knight informed us of your interfer-
  ence. Oh yes, we have been watching you for some time 
  now.”
  Read the following aloud when you’re ready to move 
  the game along.
  Miss Brown suddenly snaps her teeth together. You 
  hear a faint crunch of glass. The traitor spasms, 
  brieﬂ y, then goes rigid and slumps to the ﬂ oor. 
  Poison!
  Miss Brown is dead and there’s no hope of changing 
  that. At that moment, Van Gulden arrives with the local 
  police. Proceed with the ﬁ nal Act.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1414
  ACT 4: STORMY ENDING
  ACT 4: STORMY ENDING
  Van Gulden dismisses any notion of contacting the 
  FBI as a waste of time, stating how bureaucracy will get 
  in the way of progress. Instead, he suggests an alternate 
  plan. He’ll phone ahead to Howard Hughes while the 
  heroes get their plans to his factory. Hughes likely has 
  something that can help them.
  SCENE 1: HOT STUFF
  SCENE 1: HOT STUFF
  Sure enough, Howard Hughes does have something 
  up his sleeve! He greets the characters personally when 
  they reach his private airﬁ eld. He makes suitable com-
  ments on the airplanes he’s loaned them, such as them 
  being in good condition after seeing action or mention-
  ing the number of bullet holes. Any badly damaged 
  planes (2+ wounds) are swapped for brand new ones of 
  identical design. Hughes gets his technicians to mount a 
  rocket booster to each airplane’s wings. 
  “These are new designs,” he says, patting one 
  of the rockets. “Just press the big red button on 
  the control stick and these boosters will ﬁ re up. 
  They’re good for plenty of hours’ ﬂ ight and should 
  get you where you’re going in time for the party.
  “Just don’t hit the red button again while they’re 
  working, or they’ll drop off and continue travel-
  ing on their own until they run out of fuel or hit 
  something. To cut them off, use the yellow but-
  ton.”
  Once the heroes are ready, they can mount up and 
  take to the skies.
  THE HEAT IS ON
  THE HEAT IS ON
  Once airborne, you punch the red button. Sudden 
  acceleration forces you back into your seats as 
  the boosters kick into life. Glancing to the wings, 
  you see jets of ﬂ ame from the rockets, lighting up 
  the sky behind you.
  Suddenly there’s a ﬂ ash of light from the ground, 
  and another, and another. Some sort of rocket-
  powered projectile has been launched at you!
  Hughes’ voice comes over the radio. “These mis-
  siles are prototypes someone stole a few months 
  ago. They home in on heat sources! Cut your 
  rocket boosters and ﬂ y low! Try to lose them!”
  The Nazis stole the prototypes as part of their plans 
  for global domination. Hughes’ company has plentiful 
  Nazi agents on its staff, and they alerted their comrades 
  to the characters’ arrival.
  This scene is run as a Chase at a very low altitude, 
  and makes use of our Event Stages rules (see below). 
  The missiles are divided into pairs, though they make a 
  separate Piloting roll. Heroes ﬂ ying at higher altitudes 
  don’t use the Event Stages, but they have to face more 
  maneuverable missiles.
  Two missiles follow each plane, having locked onto its 
  heat signature. Each Range Increment between vehicles 
  represents 10”.
  The heat-seeking rockets have a variable Piloting skill. 
  At ground-hugging altitude, they have Piloting d6 (being 
  confused by multiple heat sources and prone to erratic 
  maneuvers), but above this height their Piloting is d10. 
  Regardless, each pair draws its own action card. Their 
  Top Speed is 200”, making them faster than the planes. 
  They are otherwise treated as being aircraft.
  Ranged attacks against a missile have a –4 penalty. 
  They have Toughness 8. When they take a wound, they 
  explode.
  Should one reach the same Range Increment as a 
  plane it makes a Force maneuver. With success, it strikes 
  home, causing 3d8 damage (AP 4). On a failure, it over-
  shoots and must loop around, dropping it back one 
  Range Increment.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the aircraft roar over the landscape. 
  Space 20 markers in a line along the table to present 
  the chase area. Place a different color marker at the 5th, 
  8th, 11th, 14th, and 17th positions. These are the Event 
  Stages. If the Chase carries on beyond the 20th position 
  the GM may either elect to create his own events or as-
  sume the way is clear (except for regular Obstacles).
  Move each aircraft or missile’s playing piece along the 
  track each time it moves one or more Range Increments. 
  This way it is very easy to see where an individual partici-
  pant is in relation to the events.
  When a vehicle reaches a Stage it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Piloting 
  rolls apply to the roll made at the start of each round. 
  Unlike Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events 
  affect all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, canyons, 
  ancient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create 
  a few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  5th Increment: Low wires require the pilot to take 
  emergency evasive action. This is a Piloting roll at –2. On 
  a failure, he collides with a soft Obstacle. If the planes 
  are on different Range Increments, the tailing craft can 
  avoid the wires with a straight Piloting roll, having seen 
  his buddy pull up.
  8th Increment: A ﬁ eld dotted with haystacks makes a 
  great place to try and shake a tail! Ask the pilot whether 
  he wants to weave or avoid.
  Weaving requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure in-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1414
  ACT 4: STORMY ENDING
  ACT 4: STORMY ENDING
  Van Gulden dismisses any notion of contacting the 
  FBI as a waste of time, stating how bureaucracy will get 
  in the way of progress. Instead, he suggests an alternate 
  plan. He’ll phone ahead to Howard Hughes while the 
  heroes get their plans to his factory. Hughes likely has 
  something that can help them.
  SCENE 1: HOT STUFF
  SCENE 1: HOT STUFF
  Sure enough, Howard Hughes does have something 
  up his sleeve! He greets the characters personally when 
  they reach his private airﬁ eld. He makes suitable com-
  ments on the airplanes he’s loaned them, such as them 
  being in good condition after seeing action or mention-
  ing the number of bullet holes. Any badly damaged 
  planes (2+ wounds) are swapped for brand new ones of 
  identical design. Hughes gets his technicians to mount a 
  rocket booster to each airplane’s wings. 
  “These are new designs,” he says, patting one 
  of the rockets. “Just press the big red button on 
  the control stick and these boosters will ﬁ re up. 
  They’re good for plenty of hours’ ﬂ ight and should 
  get you where you’re going in time for the party.
  “Just don’t hit the red button again while they’re 
  working, or they’ll drop off and continue travel-
  ing on their own until they run out of fuel or hit 
  something. To cut them off, use the yellow but-
  ton.”
  Once the heroes are ready, they can mount up and 
  take to the skies.
  THE HEAT IS ON
  THE HEAT IS ON
  Once airborne, you punch the red button. Sudden 
  acceleration forces you back into your seats as 
  the boosters kick into life. Glancing to the wings, 
  you see jets of ﬂ ame from the rockets, lighting up 
  the sky behind you.
  Suddenly there’s a ﬂ ash of light from the ground, 
  and another, and another. Some sort of rocket-
  powered projectile has been launched at you!
  Hughes’ voice comes over the radio. “These mis-
  siles are prototypes someone stole a few months 
  ago. They home in on heat sources! Cut your 
  rocket boosters and ﬂ y low! Try to lose them!”
  The Nazis stole the prototypes as part of their plans 
  for global domination. Hughes’ company has plentiful 
  Nazi agents on its staff, and they alerted their comrades 
  to the characters’ arrival.
  This scene is run as a Chase at a very low altitude, 
  and makes use of our Event Stages rules (see below). 
  The missiles are divided into pairs, though they make a 
  separate Piloting roll. Heroes ﬂ ying at higher altitudes 
  don’t use the Event Stages, but they have to face more 
  maneuverable missiles.
  Two missiles follow each plane, having locked onto its 
  heat signature. Each Range Increment between vehicles 
  represents 10”.
  The heat-seeking rockets have a variable Piloting skill. 
  At ground-hugging altitude, they have Piloting d6 (being 
  confused by multiple heat sources and prone to erratic 
  maneuvers), but above this height their Piloting is d10. 
  Regardless, each pair draws its own action card. Their 
  Top Speed is 200”, making them faster than the planes. 
  They are otherwise treated as being aircraft.
  Ranged attacks against a missile have a –4 penalty. 
  They have Toughness 8. When they take a wound, they 
  explode.
  Should one reach the same Range Increment as a 
  plane it makes a Force maneuver. With success, it strikes 
  home, causing 3d8 damage (AP 4). On a failure, it over-
  shoots and must loop around, dropping it back one 
  Range Increment.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the aircraft roar over the landscape. 
  Space 20 markers in a line along the table to present 
  the chase area. Place a different color marker at the 5th, 
  8th, 11th, 14th, and 17th positions. These are the Event 
  Stages. If the Chase carries on beyond the 20th position 
  the GM may either elect to create his own events or as-
  sume the way is clear (except for regular Obstacles).
  Move each aircraft or missile’s playing piece along the 
  track each time it moves one or more Range Increments. 
  This way it is very easy to see where an individual partici-
  pant is in relation to the events.
  When a vehicle reaches a Stage it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Piloting 
  rolls apply to the roll made at the start of each round. 
  Unlike Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events 
  affect all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, canyons, 
  ancient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create 
  a few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  5th Increment: Low wires require the pilot to take 
  emergency evasive action. This is a Piloting roll at –2. On 
  a failure, he collides with a soft Obstacle. If the planes 
  are on different Range Increments, the tailing craft can 
  avoid the wires with a straight Piloting roll, having seen 
  his buddy pull up.
  8th Increment: A ﬁ eld dotted with haystacks makes a 
  great place to try and shake a tail! Ask the pilot whether 
  he wants to weave or avoid.
  Weaving requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure in-
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1515
  volves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A critical 
  failure strikes a hard Obstacle as the plane plows straight 
  through one.
  Avoiding the stacks completely (ﬂ ying to one side or 
  over) requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means the 
  missiles avoid them as well.
  11th Increment: Now this is literal barnstorming! 
  The hero has a chance to cause the missile to hit a barn. 
  All he has to do is ﬂ y through the open doors and out 
  the back (the rear doors are open as well). Chickens can 
  opt to go around. If the hero goes through the barn, the 
  missiles tailing him must do the same.
  Barnstorming requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure 
  involves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A Criti-
  cal failure strikes a hard Obstacle. An exploding missile 
  destroys the barn, removing this Event Stage for tailing 
  objects.
  Avoiding the barn (ﬂ ying to one side or over) requires 
  a regular Agility roll, but it means the missiles avoid it 
  as well.
  14th Increment: Rows of greenhouses lie ahead. 
  Brilliant sunlight reﬂ ects from the glass, potentially ca-
  pable of fooling a missile’s primitive sensors. Pilots can 
  either skim above them at Ground altitude, or ﬂ y higher, 
  and avoid any risk of a collision.
  Skimming requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure in-
  volves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A critical 
  failure strikes a hard Obstacle as the plane plows straight 
  through one.
  Avoiding the glass houses completely (ﬂ ying to one 
  side or over) requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means 
  the missiles avoid them as well.
  17th Increment: A farmer has lit a bonﬁ re in some 
  deserted scrubland. It’s a great source of heat, but there’s 
  a lot of smoke as well. The pilot has two choices—ﬂ y low 
  over it (Ground altitude) or avoid it.
  Aiming to skim the ﬁ re requires a Piloting roll at –2 
  due to the reduced visibility. On a failure, the plane goes 
  Out of Control as the pilot becomes momentarily dis-
  oriented. With success, any missiles tailing the airplane 
  follow. They suffer a –2 penalty due to the distraction of 
  a large heat source. With failure, the missile targets the 
  ﬁ re and explodes!
  Avoiding the ﬁ re (ﬂ ying to one side or high above) 
  requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means the missiles 
  avoid it as well.
  SCENE 2: AIR CAVALRY
  SCENE 2: AIR CAVALRY
  You’ve refueled at Bermuda and are heading 
  south, along the projected ﬂ ight path of the pas-
  senger plane. The sky has gradually darkened 
  and the wind increased. It looks like you’re ﬂ ying 
  straight into a tropical storm!
  Your radios crackle to life. “This is Van Gulden,” 
  a voice says between bursts of static as lightning 
  begins to rip the sky apart. “Listen, Hughes’ men 
  have been doing some calculations. They reckon 
  the dignitaries’ airplane should be about 30 miles 
  from Havana. Assuming you followed the best 
  route, you should be….” The radio breaks into a 
  mass of static. Your compass has also begun be-
  having erratically.
  Descending beneath the clouds, you spy your tar-
  get. A ﬂ ight of four sky pirate planes are already 
  hot on its tail, guns blazing. A warning light on 
  your control panel indicates the rocket thrusters 
  are almost out of juice.
  Although this scene is a combat one, it uses the base 
  Chase mechanics. There are no Obstacles. 
  The Range Increment is 10”, and the ﬁ ghters begin at 
  Extreme distance. Once the characters join the fray, the 
  sky pirates leave the passenger plane and focus on those 
  capable of shooting them down—they can quickly catch 
  and gun down their intended victims. Deal each of the 
  four planes its own action card.
  The lighting conditions are Dark (–2) due to the 
  storm.
  GM’s should note that any heroes’ aircraft shot out 
  of the sky mean the end of the adventure for the crew. 
  Keeping the planes airborne should be a priority for the 
  characters and the GM. Fudging a die roll or two is okay, 
  so long as the end result action feels exciting.
  Clever players may try to use the rocket boosters as 
  a missile. That’s cool, and it’s why we had Hughes men-
  tion depressing the red button twice. Each booster is 
  a one-shot device. It has Range 70/150/280 and causes 
  3d8 damage. However, it’s slow compared to a bullet. An 
  enemy gets a chance to avoid the projectile by making a 
  Piloting roll opposed by the gunner’s Shooting.
  As the last plane nosedives into the ocean, the 
  characters spot a lone sky pirate high above them. He 
  doesn’t appear to have seen them. Allow the heroes a 
  Common Knowledge roll if they talk about shooting it 
  down. With success, they realize they can follow the 
  plane back to its base. They just need to ﬂ y carefully to 
  avoid being seen.
  The loss of the enemy planes doesn’t free up radio 
  equipment. The Luftschloss is broadcasting a more pow-
  erful disruption beam.
   Good Sky Pirate (4): See page 19.
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 40/160; Toughness: 15 (3); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: +1 to Piloting rolls due to advanced aerodynamics
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1515
  volves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A critical 
  failure strikes a hard Obstacle as the plane plows straight 
  through one.
  Avoiding the stacks completely (ﬂ ying to one side or 
  over) requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means the 
  missiles avoid them as well.
  11th Increment: Now this is literal barnstorming! 
  The hero has a chance to cause the missile to hit a barn. 
  All he has to do is ﬂ y through the open doors and out 
  the back (the rear doors are open as well). Chickens can 
  opt to go around. If the hero goes through the barn, the 
  missiles tailing him must do the same.
  Barnstorming requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure 
  involves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A Criti-
  cal failure strikes a hard Obstacle. An exploding missile 
  destroys the barn, removing this Event Stage for tailing 
  objects.
  Avoiding the barn (ﬂ ying to one side or over) requires 
  a regular Agility roll, but it means the missiles avoid it 
  as well.
  14th Increment: Rows of greenhouses lie ahead. 
  Brilliant sunlight reﬂ ects from the glass, potentially ca-
  pable of fooling a missile’s primitive sensors. Pilots can 
  either skim above them at Ground altitude, or ﬂ y higher, 
  and avoid any risk of a collision.
  Skimming requires a Piloting roll at –2. Failure in-
  volves a slight collision with a soft Obstacle. A critical 
  failure strikes a hard Obstacle as the plane plows straight 
  through one.
  Avoiding the glass houses completely (ﬂ ying to one 
  side or over) requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means 
  the missiles avoid them as well.
  17th Increment: A farmer has lit a bonﬁ re in some 
  deserted scrubland. It’s a great source of heat, but there’s 
  a lot of smoke as well. The pilot has two choices—ﬂ y low 
  over it (Ground altitude) or avoid it.
  Aiming to skim the ﬁ re requires a Piloting roll at –2 
  due to the reduced visibility. On a failure, the plane goes 
  Out of Control as the pilot becomes momentarily dis-
  oriented. With success, any missiles tailing the airplane 
  follow. They suffer a –2 penalty due to the distraction of 
  a large heat source. With failure, the missile targets the 
  ﬁ re and explodes!
  Avoiding the ﬁ re (ﬂ ying to one side or high above) 
  requires a regular Piloting roll, but it means the missiles 
  avoid it as well.
  SCENE 2: AIR CAVALRY
  SCENE 2: AIR CAVALRY
  You’ve refueled at Bermuda and are heading 
  south, along the projected ﬂ ight path of the pas-
  senger plane. The sky has gradually darkened 
  and the wind increased. It looks like you’re ﬂ ying 
  straight into a tropical storm!
  Your radios crackle to life. “This is Van Gulden,” 
  a voice says between bursts of static as lightning 
  begins to rip the sky apart. “Listen, Hughes’ men 
  have been doing some calculations. They reckon 
  the dignitaries’ airplane should be about 30 miles 
  from Havana. Assuming you followed the best 
  route, you should be….” The radio breaks into a 
  mass of static. Your compass has also begun be-
  having erratically.
  Descending beneath the clouds, you spy your tar-
  get. A ﬂ ight of four sky pirate planes are already 
  hot on its tail, guns blazing. A warning light on 
  your control panel indicates the rocket thrusters 
  are almost out of juice.
  Although this scene is a combat one, it uses the base 
  Chase mechanics. There are no Obstacles. 
  The Range Increment is 10”, and the ﬁ ghters begin at 
  Extreme distance. Once the characters join the fray, the 
  sky pirates leave the passenger plane and focus on those 
  capable of shooting them down—they can quickly catch 
  and gun down their intended victims. Deal each of the 
  four planes its own action card.
  The lighting conditions are Dark (–2) due to the 
  storm.
  GM’s should note that any heroes’ aircraft shot out 
  of the sky mean the end of the adventure for the crew. 
  Keeping the planes airborne should be a priority for the 
  characters and the GM. Fudging a die roll or two is okay, 
  so long as the end result action feels exciting.
  Clever players may try to use the rocket boosters as 
  a missile. That’s cool, and it’s why we had Hughes men-
  tion depressing the red button twice. Each booster is 
  a one-shot device. It has Range 70/150/280 and causes 
  3d8 damage. However, it’s slow compared to a bullet. An 
  enemy gets a chance to avoid the projectile by making a 
  Piloting roll opposed by the gunner’s Shooting.
  As the last plane nosedives into the ocean, the 
  characters spot a lone sky pirate high above them. He 
  doesn’t appear to have seen them. Allow the heroes a 
  Common Knowledge roll if they talk about shooting it 
  down. With success, they realize they can follow the 
  plane back to its base. They just need to ﬂ y carefully to 
  avoid being seen.
  The loss of the enemy planes doesn’t free up radio 
  equipment. The Luftschloss is broadcasting a more pow-
  erful disruption beam.
   Good Sky Pirate (4): See page 19.
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  M26 VENTILATOR (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/150; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 6 x linked light MGs (+3 Shooting, Range: 30/60/120; 
  Damage 2d8+3; ROF 3, AP 2)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  M37 STALLION (FIGHTER)
  Acc/Top Speed: 40/160; Toughness: 15 (3); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: +1 to Piloting rolls due to advanced aerodynamics
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1616
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked heavy MGs, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  50/100/150; Damage: 2d10+1; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * 2 x linked light MGs, gunner (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 3: SABOTAGE
  SCENE 3: SABOTAGE
  By following the lone ﬁ ghter, the characters can in-
  deed locate the ﬂ ying airﬁ eld.
  Through a break in the dark, turbulent clouds, 
  you catch sight of the Luftschloss. It’s exactly 
  as Miss Brown described it—a flying airfield! 
  It resembles the deck of an aircraft carrier, 
  complete with a conning tower. Four huge cyl-
  inders stick out of the side, angled downward, 
  but there’s no sign of any propellers. They’re 
  obviously engines to keep the flying war ma-
  chine aloft, but they’re not generating any vis-
  ible source of lift.
  The sky pirate’s plane has just touched down 
  and is taxiing into a hangar. By the looks of 
  things, the crew is keeping indoors to avoid be-
  ing blown overboard in the rapidly strengthen-
  ing winds. The runway is clear.
  The Luftschloss isn’t a target to be shot down. Aside 
  from its huge Toughness, it has Heavy Armor, making 
  it impervious to the characters’ weapons. Any hope of 
  bringing it down lies in getting inside and sabotaging it.
  While the hangar is thoroughly secured by the time 
  the heroes land and get out their planes, a Nazi has ac-
  cidentally left one of the bulkhead doors open into the 
  main operations and accommodation area at the rear of 
  the craft.
  The Germans have put deck plans and labels in all 
  the corridors (all in German) to help the crew orientate 
  themselves. The bridge is upstairs and likely heavily 
  guarded, because that’s where the ofﬁ cers are likely to 
  be, but the engine room is below decks and probably 
  lacking guards. Anyway, sabotaging the bridge isn’t likely 
  to cause many problems for the Luftschloss, but a loss of 
  power, that’s another matter altogether.
  THE ENGINE ROOM
  THE ENGINE ROOM
  The engine room is divided into sections by a bulk-
  head wall. An open door (1” wide) provides access be-
  tween compartments. Although entered via the back of 
  the Luftschloss, the engine room stretches toward the 
  front of the vessel.
  The ﬁ rst section, where the heroes enter through, is 
  the Power Room. It measures 14” long and 7” wide. To 
  both sides are banks of massive capacitors crackling with 
  blue energy. Touching one delivers a powerful electrical 
  shock. The victim is knocked back 1d4” and Shaken for 
  1d4 rounds. He can only try to unShake after this time.
  The second section is the Engine Control Room. It is 
  8” long and 5” wide. All the 
  walls except the adjoining 
  bulkhead are covered in con-
  trol panels covered in dials 
  and blinking lights.
  Half the engineers are in 
  the Power Room. The other 
  half are in the ECR with the 
  Chief Engineer.
  Have the characters make 
  a Stealth roll at +2 as they 
  reach the bottom of the 
  stairwell leading to the Power 
  Room. This can be a Coop-
  erative roll. This is opposed 
  by a Group Notice roll from 
  the engineers. With success, 
  the characters have Surprise. 
  Unless all the villains are 
  dropped before they can act, 
  a verbal alarm is raised, and 
  the crew from the other com-
  partment comes to their aid.
  Any missed shots from a 
  ranged weapon automatically 
  hit either one of the capacitors 
  or a control panel, depending 
  which area the heroes are in. 
  Each time this happens, the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1616
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked heavy MGs, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  50/100/150; Damage: 2d10+1; ROF 3, AP 4)
  * 2 x linked light MGs, gunner (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 3: SABOTAGE
  SCENE 3: SABOTAGE
  By following the lone ﬁ ghter, the characters can in-
  deed locate the ﬂ ying airﬁ eld.
  Through a break in the dark, turbulent clouds, 
  you catch sight of the Luftschloss. It’s exactly 
  as Miss Brown described it—a flying airfield! 
  It resembles the deck of an aircraft carrier, 
  complete with a conning tower. Four huge cyl-
  inders stick out of the side, angled downward, 
  but there’s no sign of any propellers. They’re 
  obviously engines to keep the flying war ma-
  chine aloft, but they’re not generating any vis-
  ible source of lift.
  The sky pirate’s plane has just touched down 
  and is taxiing into a hangar. By the looks of 
  things, the crew is keeping indoors to avoid be-
  ing blown overboard in the rapidly strengthen-
  ing winds. The runway is clear.
  The Luftschloss isn’t a target to be shot down. Aside 
  from its huge Toughness, it has Heavy Armor, making 
  it impervious to the characters’ weapons. Any hope of 
  bringing it down lies in getting inside and sabotaging it.
  While the hangar is thoroughly secured by the time 
  the heroes land and get out their planes, a Nazi has ac-
  cidentally left one of the bulkhead doors open into the 
  main operations and accommodation area at the rear of 
  the craft.
  The Germans have put deck plans and labels in all 
  the corridors (all in German) to help the crew orientate 
  themselves. The bridge is upstairs and likely heavily 
  guarded, because that’s where the ofﬁ cers are likely to 
  be, but the engine room is below decks and probably 
  lacking guards. Anyway, sabotaging the bridge isn’t likely 
  to cause many problems for the Luftschloss, but a loss of 
  power, that’s another matter altogether.
  THE ENGINE ROOM
  THE ENGINE ROOM
  The engine room is divided into sections by a bulk-
  head wall. An open door (1” wide) provides access be-
  tween compartments. Although entered via the back of 
  the Luftschloss, the engine room stretches toward the 
  front of the vessel.
  The ﬁ rst section, where the heroes enter through, is 
  the Power Room. It measures 14” long and 7” wide. To 
  both sides are banks of massive capacitors crackling with 
  blue energy. Touching one delivers a powerful electrical 
  shock. The victim is knocked back 1d4” and Shaken for 
  1d4 rounds. He can only try to unShake after this time.
  The second section is the Engine Control Room. It is 
  8” long and 5” wide. All the 
  walls except the adjoining 
  bulkhead are covered in con-
  trol panels covered in dials 
  and blinking lights.
  Half the engineers are in 
  the Power Room. The other 
  half are in the ECR with the 
  Chief Engineer.
  Have the characters make 
  a Stealth roll at +2 as they 
  reach the bottom of the 
  stairwell leading to the Power 
  Room. This can be a Coop-
  erative roll. This is opposed 
  by a Group Notice roll from 
  the engineers. With success, 
  the characters have Surprise. 
  Unless all the villains are 
  dropped before they can act, 
  a verbal alarm is raised, and 
  the crew from the other com-
  partment comes to their aid.
  Any missed shots from a 
  ranged weapon automatically 
  hit either one of the capacitors 
  or a control panel, depending 
  which area the heroes are in. 
  Each time this happens, the 
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1717
  damage is enough to cause one of the anti-gravity en-
  gines to fail. This has no effect until all four are damaged, 
  at which point the Luftschloss lurches violently and be-
  gins to tilt its nose seaward, accompanied by ﬂ ashing red 
  lights and very loud alarms.
   Chief Engineer Schultz: See page 19.
   Engineers (2 per hero): Treat as bar toughs 
  (page 19), but armed with big wrenches and spanners 
  (Str+d6).
  SABOTAGE
  SABOTAGE
  Hopefully the Luftschloss becomes damaged during 
  the ﬁ ght. In the event it doesn’t, the GM has to hurry 
  things along a little. Having the characters search the ﬂ y-
  ing fortress room by room is not part of the adventure.
  Any character with Weird Science can make an ar-
  cane skill roll to deduce the basic principals behind the 
  Luftschloss’ lift—rays of energy repel gravity at varying 
  strengths. In order to send the craft plummeting to earth, 
  all one has to do is reduce the power to the capacitors 
  and smash all the controls! Unfortunately, once this is 
  done, the craft begins falling very quickly.
  Characters reluctant to do this ﬁ nd nature takes mat-
  ters into her own hands. A massive lightning bolt strikes 
  the ship, penetrates the hull, and burns out all the ca-
  pacitors. This sends the Luftschloss on a collision course 
  with the planet below, complete with alarms and ﬂ ashing 
  lights.
  If necessary, warn the characters that thousands of 
  tons of steel hitting the ocean at high speed is going to 
  be fatal to them.
  SCENE 4: ESCAPE TO WHERE?
  SCENE 4: ESCAPE TO WHERE?
  You rush out onto the deck and are almost swept 
  off your feet. This isn’t a storm—it’s a hurricane. 
  The clouds, black and heavy, boil overheard, 
  lightning slams into the deck, and the wind howls 
  like a choir of banshees.
  Through the gloom you can just see the outlines 
  of your planes backlit by distant lighting ﬂ ash-
  es—they’ve been blown toward the far end of the 
  runway! Squinting against the driving rain, you 
  can see a squad of sky pirates staggering toward 
  them. Lose your planes, and you lose your only 
  hope of escape!
  The deck measures 48” long and is 24” wide. The rear 
  end comprises the command centre, the living quarters, 
  and the hangar bays. The hangar bays are at ground level, 
  the living quarters above that (3” higher), and ﬁ nally the 
  control center (2” higher). The block is 8” deep. The 
  heroes begin adjacent to this.
  Along both sides are a few maintenance and storage 
  sheds. Each is 5” long by 3” wide. The GM should place 
  two on each side. Both planes are located 3” from the 
  far end on the runway. The sky pirates are 10” from the 
  characters.
  Divide the goons into four pairs for the purposes of 
  dealing action cards.
  Several ﬁ xed events also occur during the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght.
  THE WEATHER
  THE WEATHER
  The weather plays a major part in this ﬁ nal battle.
  Lightning: Any hero who draws a deuce has been 
  struck by lightning. Only the ﬁ rst card dealt to a hero 
  is used to see if a lightning strike occurs. For the goons, 
  pick one of the pair as the target. This occurs at the start 
  of the round, before any actions are taken.
  Place a Large Burst Template over the victim. The 
  victim suffers 3d6 damage from an Extra and is knocked 
  prone. Everyone under the Template is automatically 
  Shaken and knocked prone by the blast.
  Visibility: The darkness and rain make the lighting 
  conditions Dark (–2), except during rounds when light-
  ning strikes. Visibility is normal during these rounds.
  Wind: Hurricane force winds make movement difﬁ -
  cult—treat all movement as other difﬁ cult ground. Any 
  failed Agility roll means a character is blown back 1” and 
  knocked prone as he loses his balance. 
  Standing near the edge may prove fatal if this hap-
  pens! Give a falling hero an Agility roll to grab hold of 
  something. A Strength roll as an action is required to 
  climb back onto the deck. Otherwise, he falls into the 
  water. For damage, roll 4d6 and multiply the result 
  by the numbers of tokens the Luftschloss has left (see 
  below). Incapacitated characters automatically begin to 
  drown—which can kill them!
  FIXED EVENTS
  FIXED EVENTS
  Any Round: Place ten tokens on the table in clear 
  view of the players. Each round a Joker is drawn as a 
  character’s ﬁ rst card, remove a token. Drawing two Jok-
  ers in the same round means two tokens are discarded. 
  The tokens represent the Luftschloss’ altitude. Each to-
  ken removed means a drastic reduction in height.
  Once all the tokens are gone, another Joker means 
  the Luftschloss has ditched into the sea. The characters 
  don’t want to be onboard when that happens! Pulp may 
  give heroes a chance to survive horrendous odds, but 
  being left onboard at this point means instant death. 
  Otherwise, the tokens have no meaning.
  Round Two: Doctor Schmutzig, the evil genius be-
  hind the Luftschloss, makes his one and only appear-
  ance. Read the following text to the players before you 
  deal action cards.
  “What have you done?!” screams a high-pitched 
  voice, barely audible over the roaring wind. Spin-
  ning around, you spot a lone ﬁ gure hovering a few 
  yards off the ground. His long, white hair trails 
  behind him like a plume of pale smoke. Thick 
  goggles shield his eyes from the physical effects of 
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1717
  damage is enough to cause one of the anti-gravity en-
  gines to fail. This has no effect until all four are damaged, 
  at which point the Luftschloss lurches violently and be-
  gins to tilt its nose seaward, accompanied by ﬂ ashing red 
  lights and very loud alarms.
   Chief Engineer Schultz: See page 19.
   Engineers (2 per hero): Treat as bar toughs 
  (page 19), but armed with big wrenches and spanners 
  (Str+d6).
  SABOTAGE
  SABOTAGE
  Hopefully the Luftschloss becomes damaged during 
  the ﬁ ght. In the event it doesn’t, the GM has to hurry 
  things along a little. Having the characters search the ﬂ y-
  ing fortress room by room is not part of the adventure.
  Any character with Weird Science can make an ar-
  cane skill roll to deduce the basic principals behind the 
  Luftschloss’ lift—rays of energy repel gravity at varying 
  strengths. In order to send the craft plummeting to earth, 
  all one has to do is reduce the power to the capacitors 
  and smash all the controls! Unfortunately, once this is 
  done, the craft begins falling very quickly.
  Characters reluctant to do this ﬁ nd nature takes mat-
  ters into her own hands. A massive lightning bolt strikes 
  the ship, penetrates the hull, and burns out all the ca-
  pacitors. This sends the Luftschloss on a collision course 
  with the planet below, complete with alarms and ﬂ ashing 
  lights.
  If necessary, warn the characters that thousands of 
  tons of steel hitting the ocean at high speed is going to 
  be fatal to them.
  SCENE 4: ESCAPE TO WHERE?
  SCENE 4: ESCAPE TO WHERE?
  You rush out onto the deck and are almost swept 
  off your feet. This isn’t a storm—it’s a hurricane. 
  The clouds, black and heavy, boil overheard, 
  lightning slams into the deck, and the wind howls 
  like a choir of banshees.
  Through the gloom you can just see the outlines 
  of your planes backlit by distant lighting ﬂ ash-
  es—they’ve been blown toward the far end of the 
  runway! Squinting against the driving rain, you 
  can see a squad of sky pirates staggering toward 
  them. Lose your planes, and you lose your only 
  hope of escape!
  The deck measures 48” long and is 24” wide. The rear 
  end comprises the command centre, the living quarters, 
  and the hangar bays. The hangar bays are at ground level, 
  the living quarters above that (3” higher), and ﬁ nally the 
  control center (2” higher). The block is 8” deep. The 
  heroes begin adjacent to this.
  Along both sides are a few maintenance and storage 
  sheds. Each is 5” long by 3” wide. The GM should place 
  two on each side. Both planes are located 3” from the 
  far end on the runway. The sky pirates are 10” from the 
  characters.
  Divide the goons into four pairs for the purposes of 
  dealing action cards.
  Several ﬁ xed events also occur during the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght.
  THE WEATHER
  THE WEATHER
  The weather plays a major part in this ﬁ nal battle.
  Lightning: Any hero who draws a deuce has been 
  struck by lightning. Only the ﬁ rst card dealt to a hero 
  is used to see if a lightning strike occurs. For the goons, 
  pick one of the pair as the target. This occurs at the start 
  of the round, before any actions are taken.
  Place a Large Burst Template over the victim. The 
  victim suffers 3d6 damage from an Extra and is knocked 
  prone. Everyone under the Template is automatically 
  Shaken and knocked prone by the blast.
  Visibility: The darkness and rain make the lighting 
  conditions Dark (–2), except during rounds when light-
  ning strikes. Visibility is normal during these rounds.
  Wind: Hurricane force winds make movement difﬁ -
  cult—treat all movement as other difﬁ cult ground. Any 
  failed Agility roll means a character is blown back 1” and 
  knocked prone as he loses his balance. 
  Standing near the edge may prove fatal if this hap-
  pens! Give a falling hero an Agility roll to grab hold of 
  something. A Strength roll as an action is required to 
  climb back onto the deck. Otherwise, he falls into the 
  water. For damage, roll 4d6 and multiply the result 
  by the numbers of tokens the Luftschloss has left (see 
  below). Incapacitated characters automatically begin to 
  drown—which can kill them!
  FIXED EVENTS
  FIXED EVENTS
  Any Round: Place ten tokens on the table in clear 
  view of the players. Each round a Joker is drawn as a 
  character’s ﬁ rst card, remove a token. Drawing two Jok-
  ers in the same round means two tokens are discarded. 
  The tokens represent the Luftschloss’ altitude. Each to-
  ken removed means a drastic reduction in height.
  Once all the tokens are gone, another Joker means 
  the Luftschloss has ditched into the sea. The characters 
  don’t want to be onboard when that happens! Pulp may 
  give heroes a chance to survive horrendous odds, but 
  being left onboard at this point means instant death. 
  Otherwise, the tokens have no meaning.
  Round Two: Doctor Schmutzig, the evil genius be-
  hind the Luftschloss, makes his one and only appear-
  ance. Read the following text to the players before you 
  deal action cards.
  “What have you done?!” screams a high-pitched 
  voice, barely audible over the roaring wind. Spin-
  ning around, you spot a lone ﬁ gure hovering a few 
  yards off the ground. His long, white hair trails 
  behind him like a plume of pale smoke. Thick 
  goggles shield his eyes from the physical effects of 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1818
  the storm, while a stiff leather ﬂ ight suit protects 
  his body. Strapped to his back is a miniature ver-
  sion of the energy devices you discovered in the 
  engine room.
  “My Luftschloss is ruined!” the man shouts. “For 
  this you will pay a heavy price!”
  Now deal action cards for the round. The doctor has 
  already activated his deﬂ ection and ﬂ y powers. Both 
  were activated with a standard success.
  His primary tactic is to use stun, then target Shaken 
  victims with burst. He targets heroes who venture near 
  the edge of the deck with telekinesis in an attempt to 
  send them overboard,
  When he reaches Incapacitated or his Power Points 
  reach zero, whichever occurs ﬁ rst, his ﬂ y power goes 
  haywire (whether he has any Power Points remaining 
  or not). This catapults him over the edge of the deck 
  before suddenly cutting out, sending him tumbling into 
  the darkness below. Since the heroes never actually wit-
  ness his death, they won’t know whether he actually 
  dies. This entire adventure helps set up the doctor as a 
  recurring villain.
  Round Four: At the start of round four, read the fol-
  lowing text aloud.
  The sky lights up brilliant white as a bolt of light-
  ing strikes one of your planes! BOOM! The end of 
  the airﬁ eld lights up orange and red, as a ﬁ reball 
  rolls upward into the dark sky. What remains of 
  your aircraft is swept off the deck by the wind.
  Round Five: Now that’s a pretty bad state of affairs, 
  giving the remaining plane can’t hold four people, but 
  things get even worse. Read the following passage to the 
  players at the beginning of the next round, after action 
  cards are dealt but before anyone acts.
  You’re scant yards from reaching your plane when 
  a powerful gust of wind rips across the deck. All 
  you do is watch wide-eyed as your bird is picked 
  up and swept into oblivion!
  All is not lost, however. At the start of the next round, 
  the crew begins abandoning ship. They come running 
  from the crew areas in droves. Allow each hero a Notice 
  roll (and at the start of each subsequent round until 
  someone succeeds). With a success, they realize the crew 
  is wearing parachutes! It may sound crazy, but they’re 
  jumping overboard like lemmings. Still, it’s probably bet-
  ter than being blown to pieces when the Luftschloss hits 
  the ocean!
  Treat the escaping crew as Average Sky Pirates. All 
  they do is run toward the edge of the deck and ﬂ ing 
  themselves off. They only ﬁ ght to stop heroes from steal-
  ing their parachutes.
  Grabbing a parachute from a body and strapping it 
  on requires an Agility roll as an action. With success, the 
  parachute has been removed from its former occupant. 
  A raise allows the character to slip into the straps as 
  well. All the heroes need do then is run to the edge and 
  jump!
  The Hangar: The Luftschloss’ hangar bay doors are 
  bombproof. Due to their immense weight, the door 
  mechanism was powered by the anti-gravity engines. 
  With no anti-grav engines, the doors are jammed shut.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 19.
   Good Sky Pirate (2 per hero): See page 19.
   Average Sky Pirate (lots): See page 19.
  FINALE
  FINALE
  Buffeted and slammed by the strong winds, you 
  are blown hundreds of yards from the Luftschloss. 
  Craning your necks round, you see the ﬂ ying le-
  viathan in its dying moments. The thing plunges 
  like a knife into the water. A momentary silence 
  is followed by a titanic explosion, as the German 
  aerial fortress is consumed in a massive ﬁ reball.
  Then you’re down and ﬁ ghting to dump your 
  chutes before you drown. Ripping them free, you 
  kick like crazy to remain above the towering 
  waves.
  The sky illuminates white as a ﬂ are bursts into 
  life. Another pops, then glows like a miniature 
  sun. Soon there are dozens of them in the air. Over 
  the wind and rain you can just about hear a loud 
  voice calling. “This is the United States Navy. You 
  are all under arrest!” Looks like the bureaucracy 
  Van Gulden disdained so much was of some use, 
  after all.
  At least you’ll be warm and dry while you con-
  vince your captors you’re on their side.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  Emily Brown, born Amelia Braun, is a hardened Nazi 
  with total conviction in their cause. She has worked her 
  way into a position where she can aid their latest crack-
  pot scheme—America’s economic ruin. Of plain appear-
  ance and operating under a disguise as a clumsy blonde, 
  she is actually a deadly ﬁ ghter. She keeps a set of slim 
  throwing knives strapped to each thigh.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d8, Taunt d8, Throwing d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent
   EMIL
   EMILYY BRO
   BROWWNN
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  1818
  the storm, while a stiff leather ﬂ ight suit protects 
  his body. Strapped to his back is a miniature ver-
  sion of the energy devices you discovered in the 
  engine room.
  “My Luftschloss is ruined!” the man shouts. “For 
  this you will pay a heavy price!”
  Now deal action cards for the round. The doctor has 
  already activated his deﬂ ection and ﬂ y powers. Both 
  were activated with a standard success.
  His primary tactic is to use stun, then target Shaken 
  victims with burst. He targets heroes who venture near 
  the edge of the deck with telekinesis in an attempt to 
  send them overboard,
  When he reaches Incapacitated or his Power Points 
  reach zero, whichever occurs ﬁ rst, his ﬂ y power goes 
  haywire (whether he has any Power Points remaining 
  or not). This catapults him over the edge of the deck 
  before suddenly cutting out, sending him tumbling into 
  the darkness below. Since the heroes never actually wit-
  ness his death, they won’t know whether he actually 
  dies. This entire adventure helps set up the doctor as a 
  recurring villain.
  Round Four: At the start of round four, read the fol-
  lowing text aloud.
  The sky lights up brilliant white as a bolt of light-
  ing strikes one of your planes! BOOM! The end of 
  the airﬁ eld lights up orange and red, as a ﬁ reball 
  rolls upward into the dark sky. What remains of 
  your aircraft is swept off the deck by the wind.
  Round Five: Now that’s a pretty bad state of affairs, 
  giving the remaining plane can’t hold four people, but 
  things get even worse. Read the following passage to the 
  players at the beginning of the next round, after action 
  cards are dealt but before anyone acts.
  You’re scant yards from reaching your plane when 
  a powerful gust of wind rips across the deck. All 
  you do is watch wide-eyed as your bird is picked 
  up and swept into oblivion!
  All is not lost, however. At the start of the next round, 
  the crew begins abandoning ship. They come running 
  from the crew areas in droves. Allow each hero a Notice 
  roll (and at the start of each subsequent round until 
  someone succeeds). With a success, they realize the crew 
  is wearing parachutes! It may sound crazy, but they’re 
  jumping overboard like lemmings. Still, it’s probably bet-
  ter than being blown to pieces when the Luftschloss hits 
  the ocean!
  Treat the escaping crew as Average Sky Pirates. All 
  they do is run toward the edge of the deck and ﬂ ing 
  themselves off. They only ﬁ ght to stop heroes from steal-
  ing their parachutes.
  Grabbing a parachute from a body and strapping it 
  on requires an Agility roll as an action. With success, the 
  parachute has been removed from its former occupant. 
  A raise allows the character to slip into the straps as 
  well. All the heroes need do then is run to the edge and 
  jump!
  The Hangar: The Luftschloss’ hangar bay doors are 
  bombproof. Due to their immense weight, the door 
  mechanism was powered by the anti-gravity engines. 
  With no anti-grav engines, the doors are jammed shut.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 19.
   Good Sky Pirate (2 per hero): See page 19.
   Average Sky Pirate (lots): See page 19.
  FINALE
  FINALE
  Buffeted and slammed by the strong winds, you 
  are blown hundreds of yards from the Luftschloss. 
  Craning your necks round, you see the ﬂ ying le-
  viathan in its dying moments. The thing plunges 
  like a knife into the water. A momentary silence 
  is followed by a titanic explosion, as the German 
  aerial fortress is consumed in a massive ﬁ reball.
  Then you’re down and ﬁ ghting to dump your 
  chutes before you drown. Ripping them free, you 
  kick like crazy to remain above the towering 
  waves.
  The sky illuminates white as a ﬂ are bursts into 
  life. Another pops, then glows like a miniature 
  sun. Soon there are dozens of them in the air. Over 
  the wind and rain you can just about hear a loud 
  voice calling. “This is the United States Navy. You 
  are all under arrest!” Looks like the bureaucracy 
  Van Gulden disdained so much was of some use, 
  after all.
  At least you’ll be warm and dry while you con-
  vince your captors you’re on their side.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  Emily Brown, born Amelia Braun, is a hardened Nazi 
  with total conviction in their cause. She has worked her 
  way into a position where she can aid their latest crack-
  pot scheme—America’s economic ruin. Of plain appear-
  ance and operating under a disguise as a clumsy blonde, 
  she is actually a deadly ﬁ ghter. She keeps a set of slim 
  throwing knives strapped to each thigh.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d8, Taunt d8, Throwing d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent
   EMIL
   EMILYY BRO
   BROWWNN
  
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1919
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Level Headed, Marksman, 
  Quick, Quick Draw, Strong Willed
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), throwing knives (Range: 3/6/12, 
  Damage: Str+d4)
  A pilot during the Great War, Schmutzig went 
  on to aeronautical research and weird science after 
  an injury left him unfit for flying duties. Germany’s 
  loss left him a defeated man and full of vengeance. 
  Hitler’s rise to power has rekindled his belief in a 
  strong Germany.
  Offering his services to Der Fuhrer, Schmutzig 
  was thrilled beyond words when Hitler accepted the 
  designs for his Luftschloss and provided funds for its 
  construction. Schmutzig knows his mission is vital 
  to Germany’s growth, and he intends to let nothing 
  stand in his way.
  The mad doctor has one gizmo, an anti-gravity device, 
  into which all his powers are built. With it he can weaken 
  or strengthen the effect of gravity. He has a pool of 45 
  Power Points, shared between his powers. This value 
  takes into account his beginning the encounter with 
  deﬂ ection and ﬂ y already activated.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Shooting d10, Weird 
  Science d12
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Lame, Stubborn
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Arcane Background (Weird Sci-
  ence), Level Headed
  Gear: Flight suit (+1), stick cane (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Gizmos: Burst, deﬂ ection, ﬂ y, speed, stun, telekinesis* 
  (45 Power Points)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmos): Astute characters may target 
  the capacitor on the Doctor’s back. It is a Small target 
  (–4). Reduce the Doctor’s Power Points by the dam-
  age inﬂ icted by the attack.
  * Deﬂ ection and ﬂ y are already activated when he 
  makes his appearance.
  A bull of a man, Schultz was a navy boxing champion 
  before being drafted to the Luftschloss. He doesn’t be-
  lieve in guns. No, he’d much rather crush a man’s skull 
  with his bare hands or his beloved wrench, which he 
  affectionately calls Gertie, after his mother.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Hard of Hearing, Loyal
  Edges: Block, Frenzy, Improved Sweep, Quick, Trade-
  mark Weapon (huge wrench)
  Gear: Huge wrench (Str+d10, –1 Parry, 2 hands)
  AVERAGE SKY PIRATE
  AVERAGE SKY PIRATE
  They’re not the best pilots by any standards, but 
  they’re loyal and easy to replace. Note they don’t have 
  Steady Hands, so they suffer a –2 penalty to Shooting 
  rolls while ﬂ ying.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Piloting 
  d6, Repair d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), M1911 pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  GOOD SKY PIRATE
  GOOD SKY PIRATE
  These hired hands are all veterans of the Great 
  War. Most are Germans, but there are a few other 
  nationalities who are willing to put money before 
  ideology.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), M1911 pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  BAR TOUGH
  BAR TOUGH
  Whether Nazi agent or drunken sailor, the bar tough 
  is good with his hands, if not his brains.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Throw-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Edges & Hindrances: —
  Gear: Improvised weapons
  CANNIBAL NATIVE
  CANNIBAL NATIVE
  These purveyors of ﬁ ne ﬂ esh haven’t had a foreign 
  meal in ages, and they’re mighty hungry. As well as carry-
  ing skulls and other trophies of their feasts, they’ve also 
  sharpened their teeth.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Illiterate
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Spear (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6, +1 Parry, 
  Reach 1), bite (Str+d4)
   C CHHIEF EN
  IEF ENGGINEER SC
  INEER SCHHULULTTZZ
   DOCT
   DOCTOOR WERNER SC
  R WERNER SCHHMUTZIG
  MUTZIG
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  SKY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
  1919
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Level Headed, Marksman, 
  Quick, Quick Draw, Strong Willed
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), throwing knives (Range: 3/6/12, 
  Damage: Str+d4)
  A pilot during the Great War, Schmutzig went 
  on to aeronautical research and weird science after 
  an injury left him unfit for flying duties. Germany’s 
  loss left him a defeated man and full of vengeance. 
  Hitler’s rise to power has rekindled his belief in a 
  strong Germany.
  Offering his services to Der Fuhrer, Schmutzig 
  was thrilled beyond words when Hitler accepted the 
  designs for his Luftschloss and provided funds for its 
  construction. Schmutzig knows his mission is vital 
  to Germany’s growth, and he intends to let nothing 
  stand in his way.
  The mad doctor has one gizmo, an anti-gravity device, 
  into which all his powers are built. With it he can weaken 
  or strengthen the effect of gravity. He has a pool of 45 
  Power Points, shared between his powers. This value 
  takes into account his beginning the encounter with 
  deﬂ ection and ﬂ y already activated.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Shooting d10, Weird 
  Science d12
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Lame, Stubborn
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Arcane Background (Weird Sci-
  ence), Level Headed
  Gear: Flight suit (+1), stick cane (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Gizmos: Burst, deﬂ ection, ﬂ y, speed, stun, telekinesis* 
  (45 Power Points)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmos): Astute characters may target 
  the capacitor on the Doctor’s back. It is a Small target 
  (–4). Reduce the Doctor’s Power Points by the dam-
  age inﬂ icted by the attack.
  * Deﬂ ection and ﬂ y are already activated when he 
  makes his appearance.
  A bull of a man, Schultz was a navy boxing champion 
  before being drafted to the Luftschloss. He doesn’t be-
  lieve in guns. No, he’d much rather crush a man’s skull 
  with his bare hands or his beloved wrench, which he 
  affectionately calls Gertie, after his mother.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Hard of Hearing, Loyal
  Edges: Block, Frenzy, Improved Sweep, Quick, Trade-
  mark Weapon (huge wrench)
  Gear: Huge wrench (Str+d10, –1 Parry, 2 hands)
  AVERAGE SKY PIRATE
  AVERAGE SKY PIRATE
  They’re not the best pilots by any standards, but 
  they’re loyal and easy to replace. Note they don’t have 
  Steady Hands, so they suffer a –2 penalty to Shooting 
  rolls while ﬂ ying.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Piloting 
  d6, Repair d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), M1911 pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  GOOD SKY PIRATE
  GOOD SKY PIRATE
  These hired hands are all veterans of the Great 
  War. Most are Germans, but there are a few other 
  nationalities who are willing to put money before 
  ideology.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), M1911 pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  BAR TOUGH
  BAR TOUGH
  Whether Nazi agent or drunken sailor, the bar tough 
  is good with his hands, if not his brains.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Throw-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Edges & Hindrances: —
  Gear: Improvised weapons
  CANNIBAL NATIVE
  CANNIBAL NATIVE
  These purveyors of ﬁ ne ﬂ esh haven’t had a foreign 
  meal in ages, and they’re mighty hungry. As well as carry-
  ing skulls and other trophies of their feasts, they’ve also 
  sharpened their teeth.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Illiterate
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Spear (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6, +1 Parry, 
  Reach 1), bite (Str+d4)
   DOCT
   DOCTOOR WERNER SC
  R WERNER SCHHMUTZIG
  MUTZIG
   C CHHIEF EN
  IEF ENGGINEER SC
  INEER SCHHULULTTZZ
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  2020
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  These thugs aren’t exactly crack marksmen, but with 
  a Tommy gun, accuracy isn’t as important as how much 
  lead you can ﬁ re!
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3)
  PULP AIRCRAFT CHASE RULES
  PULP AIRCRAFT CHASE RULES
  For our pulp adventures, the Chase and vehicle com-
  bat rules for aircraft need a few tweaks. These changes 
  are detailed below. More ideas can be found in Pinnacle’s 
  Pulp Gear Toolkit, and, of course, the original Chase 
  rules are available in the Savage Worlds rulebook.
  COMBAT & CHASE ALTERATIONS
  COMBAT & CHASE ALTERATIONS
  AIMING
  AIMING
  In a Chase, a pilot who holds Steady is eligible to use 
  the Aim maneuver next round (or the Marksman Edge in 
  the current round), as are any gunners on board.
  LINKED WEAPONS
  LINKED WEAPONS
  Firing linked weapons is handled in a very simple 
  and abstract way. Roll Shooting dice to match the 
  weapons’ ROF as normal, but add +1 to the Shooting 
  and damage rolls per two linked guns. All the plane 
  stats in the adventure have the bonuses already in-
  cluded.
  Example: A pilot with Shooting d6 is ﬂ ying a plane 
  with six light machineguns. Singularly the guns deal 
  2d8 damage and have ROF 3. The pilot rolls three d6 
  and adds +3 to each die when he ﬁ res them as a set. 
  Any hits inﬂ ict 2d8+3 damage.
  ROCK AND ROLL
  ROCK AND ROLL
  The penalty for ﬁ ring an automatic weapon is gener-
  ally because of the heavy recoil. In a plane, the weapons 
  are ﬁ xed and the pilot doesn’t actually get his hands on 
  them. As such, pilots and gunners can ignore the autoﬁ re 
  penalty.
  SPEED KILLS
  SPEED KILLS
  Yes, excessive speed does kill, but pulp is about high-
  speed chases and daring stunts, not realism. This rule is 
  completely ignored in our pulp adventures.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #05
  2020
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  GOONS WITH GUNS
  These thugs aren’t exactly crack marksmen, but with 
  a Tommy gun, accuracy isn’t as important as how much 
  lead you can ﬁ re!
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3)
  PULP AIRCRAFT CHASE RULES
  PULP AIRCRAFT CHASE RULES
  For our pulp adventures, the Chase and vehicle com-
  bat rules for aircraft need a few tweaks. These changes 
  are detailed below. More ideas can be found in Pinnacle’s 
  Pulp Gear Toolkit, and, of course, the original Chase 
  rules are available in the Savage Worlds rulebook.
  COMBAT & CHASE ALTERATIONS
  COMBAT & CHASE ALTERATIONS
  AIMING
  AIMING
  In a Chase, a pilot who holds Steady is eligible to use 
  the Aim maneuver next round (or the Marksman Edge in 
  the current round), as are any gunners on board.
  LINKED WEAPONS
  LINKED WEAPONS
  Firing linked weapons is handled in a very simple 
  and abstract way. Roll Shooting dice to match the 
  weapons’ ROF as normal, but add +1 to the Shooting 
  and damage rolls per two linked guns. All the plane 
  stats in the adventure have the bonuses already in-
  cluded.
  Example: A pilot with Shooting d6 is ﬂ ying a plane 
  with six light machineguns. Singularly the guns deal 
  2d8 damage and have ROF 3. The pilot rolls three d6 
  and adds +3 to each die when he ﬁ res them as a set. 
  Any hits inﬂ ict 2d8+3 damage.
  ROCK AND ROLL
  ROCK AND ROLL
  The penalty for ﬁ ring an automatic weapon is gener-
  ally because of the heavy recoil. In a plane, the weapons 
  are ﬁ xed and the pilot doesn’t actually get his hands on 
  them. As such, pilots and gunners can ignore the autoﬁ re 
  penalty.
  SPEED KILLS
  SPEED KILLS
  Yes, excessive speed does kill, but pulp is about high-
  speed chases and daring stunts, not realism. This rule is 
  completely ignored in our pulp adventures.
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31008
  31008
  $6.99
  $6.99
  Recently many cargo planes 
  and ships have gone missing 
  whilst traveling through the 
  mysterious area now known 
  as the Bermuda Triangle.
  Reports of these disappearances 
  have been kept secret from the 
  wider populace in the hope of 
  avoiding alarm. These missing 
  planes and ships are not caused 
  by aliens or even freak weather. 
  This is simply piracy! 
  Flying high above the cloud layer is a highly advanced ﬂ ying 
  airﬁ eld. Using a variety of advanced engineering and weird 
  science, it hovers undetected allowing the Sky Pirates to 
  swoop on unsuspecting victims! Our heroes are thrust into 
  the middle of this adventure when they are enticed to take 
  a vacation in Cuba. Once attacked by the Sky Pirates they 
  discover the real reason for the missing ships and planes!
  Sky Pirates of the Caribbean is a high octane pulp adventure 
  that takes your heroes on a wild ride in the clouds!
  DEEP IN THE Bermuda triangle 
  DEEP IN THE Bermuda triangle 
  TROUBLE awaits our heroes!
  TROUBLE awaits our heroes!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31011
  31011
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  FLOOR PLAN: FLOOR PLAN OF THE PANTHEON FROM GEORG DEHIO/GUSTAV VON BEZOLD: KIRCHLICHE BAUKUNST 
  FLOOR PLAN: FLOOR PLAN OF THE PANTHEON FROM GEORG DEHIO/GUSTAV VON BEZOLD: KIRCHLICHE BAUKUNST 
  DES ABENDLANDES. STUTTGART: VERLAG DER COTTA’SCHEN BUCHHANDLUNG 1887-1901.
  DES ABENDLANDES. STUTTGART: VERLAG DER COTTA’SCHEN BUCHHANDLUNG 1887-1901.
  DARIN
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  G TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  0606
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  FLOOR PLAN: FLOOR PLAN OF THE PANTHEON FROM GEORG DEHIO/GUSTAV VON BEZOLD: KIRCHLICHE BAUKUNST 
  FLOOR PLAN: FLOOR PLAN OF THE PANTHEON FROM GEORG DEHIO/GUSTAV VON BEZOLD: KIRCHLICHE BAUKUNST 
  DES ABENDLANDES. STUTTGART: VERLAG DER COTTA’SCHEN BUCHHANDLUNG 1887-1901.
  DES ABENDLANDES. STUTTGART: VERLAG DER COTTA’SCHEN BUCHHANDLUNG 1887-1901.
  DARIN
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  G TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  0606
  
  2
  This Daring Tale of Adventure revolves around a Nazi 
  hunt for a magical statue and the heroes’ race to prevent 
  it falling into Nazi hands.
  According to mythology, Zeus sent down a statue of 
  Pallas Athena (the Palladium) from the sky to Dardanus, 
  the founder of Troy. The wooden statue was imbued 
  with the power to protect the great city. Its magic was 
  most evident during the Trojan War.
  Troy may have stood for eternity, but for an act of treach-
  ery. Helenus, the son of Priam, ruler of Troy, was blessed with 
  prophetic powers. He had also fallen out with his brother 
  and father over Helen of Troy, when her hand in marriage 
  was awarded to his brother after the death of Paris.
  Helenus revealed the secret of the Palladium to the 
  Greeks. Two Greek heroes, Odysseus and Diomedes, 
  snuck into Troy one night and stole the statue. Within 
  weeks, Troy was a burning ruin, having fallen for the ruse 
  of the “Trojan Horse.”
  Centuries later, the Palladium reached the city of Rome. 
  Legends tell that the magical statue safeguarded the city 
  for many hundreds of years, allowing Rome to extend its 
  power across much of Europe and North Africa.
  What became of the statue is unknown. Some leg-
  ends say Emperor Constantine had the sacred object 
  moved to Constantinople. This story may hold water, for 
  whereas Rome fell to barbarians, the eastern city held off 
  determined Arab assaults in the 7th century. Yet Constan-
  tinople was sacked in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, 
  an indication the Palladium had moved on yet again.
  This adventure begins in England, but moves to 
  Rome, then Constantinople, and ﬁ nally to Vienna, the 
  Palladium’s ﬁ nal resting place. Along the way, the char-
  acters must deal with fanatical Nazi agents determined 
  to capture the statue for Hitler. If the legends are true, 
  Berlin would become impregnable, and Hitler would be 
  able to bring his Thousand Year Reich into existence.
  SS AHNENERBE
  SS AHNENERBE
  Founded in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, the Deutsches 
  Ahnenerbe Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte 
  (Ancestral Heritage Society for the Study of the History 
  of Primeval Ideas) was concerned with proving German 
  racial superiority. In our pulp adventures, however, the 
  organization is a front for Nazi occult investigations 
  across the globe.
  Historically, the full title was shortened in 1937, but 
  we use it here for simple convenience. Likewise, it was 
  not folded into the SS until 1939, but defeating the SS 
  has much more pulp appeal. We hope history buffs will 
  forgive our cinematic usage of the organization.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This adventure contains a pulp tale based around 
  the exploits of four pre-generated characters. The full 
  character sheets are available for free at www.tripleace-
  games.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 50 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones (15 of one color 
  and 5 of a different color) and the pulp setting rules from 
  the TAG website.
  ACT 1: MERRY OLD ENGLAND
  ACT 1: MERRY OLD ENGLAND
  The heroes have been staying at Valentine Manor, 
  Amelia’s ancestral home on the outskirts of London, 
  looking after the house while her parents are on vaca-
  tion in the south of France. The best part of a week has 
  been spent sightseeing around London and shooting 
  game birds.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  2
  This Daring Tale of Adventure revolves around a Nazi 
  hunt for a magical statue and the heroes’ race to prevent 
  it falling into Nazi hands.
  According to mythology, Zeus sent down a statue of 
  Pallas Athena (the Palladium) from the sky to Dardanus, 
  the founder of Troy. The wooden statue was imbued 
  with the power to protect the great city. Its magic was 
  most evident during the Trojan War.
  Troy may have stood for eternity, but for an act of treach-
  ery. Helenus, the son of Priam, ruler of Troy, was blessed with 
  prophetic powers. He had also fallen out with his brother 
  and father over Helen of Troy, when her hand in marriage 
  was awarded to his brother after the death of Paris.
  Helenus revealed the secret of the Palladium to the 
  Greeks. Two Greek heroes, Odysseus and Diomedes, 
  snuck into Troy one night and stole the statue. Within 
  weeks, Troy was a burning ruin, having fallen for the ruse 
  of the “Trojan Horse.”
  Centuries later, the Palladium reached the city of Rome. 
  Legends tell that the magical statue safeguarded the city 
  for many hundreds of years, allowing Rome to extend its 
  power across much of Europe and North Africa.
  What became of the statue is unknown. Some leg-
  ends say Emperor Constantine had the sacred object 
  moved to Constantinople. This story may hold water, for 
  whereas Rome fell to barbarians, the eastern city held off 
  determined Arab assaults in the 7th century. Yet Constan-
  tinople was sacked in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, 
  an indication the Palladium had moved on yet again.
  This adventure begins in England, but moves to 
  Rome, then Constantinople, and ﬁ nally to Vienna, the 
  Palladium’s ﬁ nal resting place. Along the way, the char-
  acters must deal with fanatical Nazi agents determined 
  to capture the statue for Hitler. If the legends are true, 
  Berlin would become impregnable, and Hitler would be 
  able to bring his Thousand Year Reich into existence.
  SS AHNENERBE
  SS AHNENERBE
  Founded in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, the Deutsches 
  Ahnenerbe Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte 
  (Ancestral Heritage Society for the Study of the History 
  of Primeval Ideas) was concerned with proving German 
  racial superiority. In our pulp adventures, however, the 
  organization is a front for Nazi occult investigations 
  across the globe.
  Historically, the full title was shortened in 1937, but 
  we use it here for simple convenience. Likewise, it was 
  not folded into the SS until 1939, but defeating the SS 
  has much more pulp appeal. We hope history buffs will 
  forgive our cinematic usage of the organization.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This adventure contains a pulp tale based around 
  the exploits of four pre-generated characters. The full 
  character sheets are available for free at www.tripleace-
  games.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 50 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones (15 of one color 
  and 5 of a different color) and the pulp setting rules from 
  the TAG website.
  ACT 1: MERRY OLD ENGLAND
  ACT 1: MERRY OLD ENGLAND
  The heroes have been staying at Valentine Manor, 
  Amelia’s ancestral home on the outskirts of London, 
  looking after the house while her parents are on vaca-
  tion in the south of France. The best part of a week has 
  been spent sightseeing around London and shooting 
  game birds.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  3
  Then, one wet day, an invitation arrives in the mail 
  for the characters. There are four tickets for the evening 
  performance of Macbeth at the London Palladium, but 
  no indication of who sent them. A slip of paper merely 
  states that their mysterious patron wishes to speak with 
  them as a matter of urgency.
  Our adventure begins as the heroes take their seats 
  in a packed theater. Their tickets are for seats 17B, C, E, 
  and F.
  SCENE 1: ENCORE!
  SCENE 1: ENCORE!
  The curtain is just rising when a smartly dressed 
  man with slicked back hair and an odor of for-
  eign aftershave squeezes past you and sits in seat 
  17D. He says nothing until the play begins. The 
  rumble of thunder as the three witches on stage 
  begin their opening speech seems ominous and 
  foreboding.
  “Good evening,” the man says quietly. “My name 
  is Reginald Forsyth. I’m afraid I don’t have much 
  time, so I’ll be brief. I work for the British Intel-
  ligence Service. A matter of supreme importance 
  to the defense of this realm has come up. We’ve 
  been keeping track of your exploits, Lady Amelia, 
  and feel you and your chappies are ideally suited 
  to aid us. The Germans are…”
  A long crash of lightning causes the audience to 
  jump. Forsyth slumps forward, his head resting 
  against the back of the seat in front.
  Looking around, the heroes spot a man leaving from 
  one of the boxes. Before they can give chase, Forsyth, 
  with his dying breath, grabs the nearest character by the 
  arm. He presses something into their hand and gurgles, 
  “Find Blumenthal in Oxford. Tell him it’s true.” With 
  that, he passes away.
  The object Forsyth passed is a gold ring, embossed 
  with a sword and oak leaf motif. It’s not an emblem the 
  characters have seen before, so they can’t roll to deter-
  mine its meaning.
  No matter how quickly the adventurers leave the 
  theater, they reach the exit just in time to see a black 
  sedan drive round the corner. The only vehicle within 
  easy distance is a red, open-topped, double-decker bus. 
  The driver is having a cup of tea in a nearby café.
  THE NUMBER 42 BUS
  THE NUMBER 42 BUS
  The bus driver has taken the keys with him, so the 
  characters will have to hotwire the vehicle. This requires 
  a Repair roll. With a success, the bus ﬁ res into life, and 
  the chase is on! A failure allows the characters to try 
  again, but the villain’s car is one additional Range Incre-
  ment away per failure.
  Each Range Increment is 10”, and the sedan begins 
  3 Increments ahead. This Chase uses our new Obstacles 
  rules. The driver concentrates purely on escaping.
  At the start of round 2, the bus passes beneath a 
  bridge. The characters hear several thumps from the 
  top deck. Any character on the open deck automatically 
  spots four thugs leaping onto the bus from the bridge. 
  Deal the goons an action card this turn.
  The bus, for game purposes, is 2” wide and 6” long. 
  The front left square of the bottom level is the driver’s 
  compartment. The back left squares on the bottom and 
  top decks contain the stairs. All movement in the bus is 
  treated as difﬁ cult ground due to the seats.
  At the start of round 3, four motorbikes, each car-
  rying a single passenger, join the chase. They begin 1” 
  behind the bus, having pulled out from a side street. 
  Deal the bikes 1 action card between them. The drivers 
  use the Parallel maneuver to get close enough for their 
  passengers to jump onto the bus. London buses have 
  an open entry at the rear, so the attackers aim for this. 
  Jumping onto the bus is an action, so the thugs can take 
  other actions in the same round. Once aboard, the thugs 
  are dealt their own separate action card on subsequent 
  rounds. The bikers then use their pistols to target any 
  heroes visible through the windows or leaning over the 
  top deck.
  Don’t worry if any thugs are captured—all they know 
  is someone delivers a letter to the Dog and Bone public 
  house in Islington (part of London) when their services 
  are required. Staking out the pub is a fruitless endeavor. 
  Their orders were to kill the man in seat 17D and prevent 
  any pursuers from catching the killer.
   Sedan Driver: As Thug (see page 19), except he’s 
  a Wild Card.
   Bikers (4): As London Thug (see page 19).
   London Thugs (8): See page 19.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 15(2); Crew: 1+50
  MOTORBIKES
  MOTORBIKES
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Collisions count as Extras, so damage rolls don’t Ace 
  against the heroes’ bus.
  Deuce (–4) Salvation Army: The local band of the 
  Salvation Army (a charitable Christian organization) is 
  marching through the streets, while donation collectors 
  knock on residents’ doors. A success means the car nips 
  down a side street and emerges back in the chase. Failure 
  causes the vehicle to inch forward while the band runs to 
  the sidewalks, costing it 2 Range Increments.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  3
  Then, one wet day, an invitation arrives in the mail 
  for the characters. There are four tickets for the evening 
  performance of Macbeth at the London Palladium, but 
  no indication of who sent them. A slip of paper merely 
  states that their mysterious patron wishes to speak with 
  them as a matter of urgency.
  Our adventure begins as the heroes take their seats 
  in a packed theater. Their tickets are for seats 17B, C, E, 
  and F.
  SCENE 1: ENCORE!
  SCENE 1: ENCORE!
  The curtain is just rising when a smartly dressed 
  man with slicked back hair and an odor of for-
  eign aftershave squeezes past you and sits in seat 
  17D. He says nothing until the play begins. The 
  rumble of thunder as the three witches on stage 
  begin their opening speech seems ominous and 
  foreboding.
  “Good evening,” the man says quietly. “My name 
  is Reginald Forsyth. I’m afraid I don’t have much 
  time, so I’ll be brief. I work for the British Intel-
  ligence Service. A matter of supreme importance 
  to the defense of this realm has come up. We’ve 
  been keeping track of your exploits, Lady Amelia, 
  and feel you and your chappies are ideally suited 
  to aid us. The Germans are…”
  A long crash of lightning causes the audience to 
  jump. Forsyth slumps forward, his head resting 
  against the back of the seat in front.
  Looking around, the heroes spot a man leaving from 
  one of the boxes. Before they can give chase, Forsyth, 
  with his dying breath, grabs the nearest character by the 
  arm. He presses something into their hand and gurgles, 
  “Find Blumenthal in Oxford. Tell him it’s true.” With 
  that, he passes away.
  The object Forsyth passed is a gold ring, embossed 
  with a sword and oak leaf motif. It’s not an emblem the 
  characters have seen before, so they can’t roll to deter-
  mine its meaning.
  No matter how quickly the adventurers leave the 
  theater, they reach the exit just in time to see a black 
  sedan drive round the corner. The only vehicle within 
  easy distance is a red, open-topped, double-decker bus. 
  The driver is having a cup of tea in a nearby café.
  THE NUMBER 42 BUS
  THE NUMBER 42 BUS
  The bus driver has taken the keys with him, so the 
  characters will have to hotwire the vehicle. This requires 
  a Repair roll. With a success, the bus ﬁ res into life, and 
  the chase is on! A failure allows the characters to try 
  again, but the villain’s car is one additional Range Incre-
  ment away per failure.
  Each Range Increment is 10”, and the sedan begins 
  3 Increments ahead. This Chase uses our new Obstacles 
  rules. The driver concentrates purely on escaping.
  At the start of round 2, the bus passes beneath a 
  bridge. The characters hear several thumps from the 
  top deck. Any character on the open deck automatically 
  spots four thugs leaping onto the bus from the bridge. 
  Deal the goons an action card this turn.
  The bus, for game purposes, is 2” wide and 6” long. 
  The front left square of the bottom level is the driver’s 
  compartment. The back left squares on the bottom and 
  top decks contain the stairs. All movement in the bus is 
  treated as difﬁ cult ground due to the seats.
  At the start of round 3, four motorbikes, each car-
  rying a single passenger, join the chase. They begin 1” 
  behind the bus, having pulled out from a side street. 
  Deal the bikes 1 action card between them. The drivers 
  use the Parallel maneuver to get close enough for their 
  passengers to jump onto the bus. London buses have 
  an open entry at the rear, so the attackers aim for this. 
  Jumping onto the bus is an action, so the thugs can take 
  other actions in the same round. Once aboard, the thugs 
  are dealt their own separate action card on subsequent 
  rounds. The bikers then use their pistols to target any 
  heroes visible through the windows or leaning over the 
  top deck.
  Don’t worry if any thugs are captured—all they know 
  is someone delivers a letter to the Dog and Bone public 
  house in Islington (part of London) when their services 
  are required. Staking out the pub is a fruitless endeavor. 
  Their orders were to kill the man in seat 17D and prevent 
  any pursuers from catching the killer.
   Sedan Driver: As Thug (see page 19), except he’s 
  a Wild Card.
   Bikers (4): As London Thug (see page 19).
   London Thugs (8): See page 19.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 15(2); Crew: 1+50
  MOTORBIKES
  MOTORBIKES
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Collisions count as Extras, so damage rolls don’t Ace 
  against the heroes’ bus.
  Deuce (–4) Salvation Army: The local band of the 
  Salvation Army (a charitable Christian organization) is 
  marching through the streets, while donation collectors 
  knock on residents’ doors. A success means the car nips 
  down a side street and emerges back in the chase. Failure 
  causes the vehicle to inch forward while the band runs to 
  the sidewalks, costing it 2 Range Increments.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  4
  Three (–2) Drunk in the Road: A happy drunk is 
  weaving across the road. A failure means the vehicle has 
  swerved hard to avoid him (rather than taking a gentler 
  evasive maneuver). The vehicle collides with a soft ob-
  stacle (like a garbage bin or police box).
  Four (–2) Road Works: Workers have left their wooden 
  barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving into a 
  utility trench they’re digging. A success avoids the road works, 
  while a failure leads to a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Five (–2) Slow Trafﬁ c: Slow-moving trafﬁ c forces 
  the car to dodge and weave to make any progress. On a 
  failure, the vehicle is blocked in and drops back 1 Range 
  Increment.
  Six (–1) Blocked Windshield: Part of a newspaper 
  lands on the windshield, blocking the driver’s view. A 
  failed roll means the car drops back 1 Range Increment 
  while the obstruction is cleared.
  Seven (–1) Narrow Street: Obstacles on either side 
  of the road make the gap very narrow. A failure causes 
  the vehicle to suffer a collision with a soft obstacle, as it 
  scrapes against the obstructions down one side or the 
  other.
  Eight (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  sedan always ignores the cop, while the bikes do so only 
  if the bus has pulled ahead.
  Stopping causes the car to automatically drop back 
  2 Range Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the 
  junction the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  A failure leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since 
  this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle 
  involved in the Chase counts.
  Nine (–1) Dangerous Overtaking: A truck pulls out 
  to avoid a parked car right into the path of the oncoming 
  vehicle! A failure leads to a head-on collision. The truck 
  is moving 10” per round.
  Ten (0) Passenger: A pedestrian steps into the road 
  and ﬂ ags down the vehicle, thinking it either a taxi, bus, 
  or motorbike cop. Ignoring him gives no penalty to the 
  Driving roll as the vehicle roars by. Should the bus stop 
  (no thugs will), the heroes lose a Range Increment, but 
  make a few bucks from the passenger (who hurriedly 
  gets off the next time the driver fails a Driving roll).
  Jack (–1) Trafﬁ c Jam: Heavy trafﬁ c forces the car onto 
  the pavement, scattering pedestrians. A failure has no ad-
  ditional effect beyond the vehicle making no progress.
  Queen (–1) Covered Windshield: Part of a newspa-
  per lands on the windshield, blocking the driver’s view. 
  A failed roll means the car drops back 1 Range Increment 
  while the obstruction is cleared.
  King (0) Blocked Road: A vehicle pulls out into the 
  road, sees the oncoming chase participant, and brakes 
  hard! A success allows the driver to swerve around the 
  car, while a failure causes a collision with a hard obstacle. 
  This is a “T-bone” collision, so only the chasing vehicle’s 
  speed counts.
  Ace (0/–2) Scaffolding: A stack of bricks and paint 
  pots have been left atop scaffolding outside a building. 
  Ask the driver if he wants to avoid it or try to knock it 
  down. The thugs never try to knock it down.
  Avoiding it requires only a standard Driving roll. 
  To clip the scaffolding, the Driving roll is made at –2. 
  A failure causes a collision with a soft obstacle, and the 
  scaffolding remains upright. A success means any other 
  vehicles within 1 Range Increment must make an imme-
  diate Driving roll or suffer a collision with a stationary 
  hard obstacle. Those at 2 Range Increments who fail a 
  Driving roll collide with a stationary soft obstacle. Ve-
  hicles beyond this are not affected.
  SCENE 2: BLUMENTHAL’S RESIDENCE
  SCENE 2: BLUMENTHAL’S RESIDENCE
  Forsyth mentioned Blumenthal and Oxford. As any 
  English heroes know, Oxford is a major university city, 
  not far from London. Any character making an Investiga-
  tion roll at a library can ﬁ nd several books by Professor 
  Ernest Blumenthal. He’s regarded as an expert on the 
  Greek Classics, speciﬁ cally those concerning Troy.
  Unfortunately, he’s on a research sabbatical for a year. 
  The receptionist at the university suggests they try his 
  home address in Oxford. She provides directions.
  Blumenthal lives in a Victorian townhouse. When 
  the characters arrive, the door is slightly ajar. Sounds of 
  someone moving around upstairs can be clearly heard. 
  The professor has been kidnapped by German agents 
  and is soon to be smuggled out of the country to aid in 
  their search for the Palladium. Meanwhile, the Nazis are 
  searching his house for anything that looks like it may be 
  useful in their quest.
  If the heroes investigate the noise without making 
  their presence known in advance, they gain Surprise. 
  Have the villains make Notice rolls when the characters 
  reach the ﬁ rst door on the upstairs landing. Otherwise, 
  the intruders are ready for them.
  Deal action cards!
  The top ﬂ oor of Blumenthal’s house comprises a long 
  corridor (1” wide and 8” long), off which there are three 
  doors. These lead to his bedroom (3” long x 3” deep), 
  study (3” x 3”), and a bathroom (2” long by 3” deep). 
  Place the scenery and props as required.
  Two thugs are in the bedroom, one is searching the 
  bathroom, while the last thug and the head villain of this 
  Act, Klaus Steiner, are in the study. Steiner is wearing 
  a fencing mask, which obscures his face, and a leather 
  dueling jacket.
  Whatever happens, Klaus Steiner must escape this 
  scene, preferably with as few wounds as possible. He’ll 
  spar until he takes one wound, and then use the Recur-
  ring Villains rule to make good his getaway. If need be, 
  he leaps through a window out onto the street, lands as 
  gracefully as a cat, and vanishes into the crowds. How-
  ever, as he escapes, he drops a glove, which was tucked 
  into his belt. As he leaves, he snarls out a warning.
  “We’ve warned you Englanders once,” the ﬁ gure 
  snarls. “Stop meddling in our affairs or pay the price!” 
  Whoever the man is, he has a German accent.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  4
  Three (–2) Drunk in the Road: A happy drunk is 
  weaving across the road. A failure means the vehicle has 
  swerved hard to avoid him (rather than taking a gentler 
  evasive maneuver). The vehicle collides with a soft ob-
  stacle (like a garbage bin or police box).
  Four (–2) Road Works: Workers have left their wooden 
  barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving into a 
  utility trench they’re digging. A success avoids the road works, 
  while a failure leads to a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Five (–2) Slow Trafﬁ c: Slow-moving trafﬁ c forces 
  the car to dodge and weave to make any progress. On a 
  failure, the vehicle is blocked in and drops back 1 Range 
  Increment.
  Six (–1) Blocked Windshield: Part of a newspaper 
  lands on the windshield, blocking the driver’s view. A 
  failed roll means the car drops back 1 Range Increment 
  while the obstruction is cleared.
  Seven (–1) Narrow Street: Obstacles on either side 
  of the road make the gap very narrow. A failure causes 
  the vehicle to suffer a collision with a soft obstacle, as it 
  scrapes against the obstructions down one side or the 
  other.
  Eight (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  sedan always ignores the cop, while the bikes do so only 
  if the bus has pulled ahead.
  Stopping causes the car to automatically drop back 
  2 Range Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the 
  junction the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  A failure leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since 
  this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle 
  involved in the Chase counts.
  Nine (–1) Dangerous Overtaking: A truck pulls out 
  to avoid a parked car right into the path of the oncoming 
  vehicle! A failure leads to a head-on collision. The truck 
  is moving 10” per round.
  Ten (0) Passenger: A pedestrian steps into the road 
  and ﬂ ags down the vehicle, thinking it either a taxi, bus, 
  or motorbike cop. Ignoring him gives no penalty to the 
  Driving roll as the vehicle roars by. Should the bus stop 
  (no thugs will), the heroes lose a Range Increment, but 
  make a few bucks from the passenger (who hurriedly 
  gets off the next time the driver fails a Driving roll).
  Jack (–1) Trafﬁ c Jam: Heavy trafﬁ c forces the car onto 
  the pavement, scattering pedestrians. A failure has no ad-
  ditional effect beyond the vehicle making no progress.
  Queen (–1) Covered Windshield: Part of a newspa-
  per lands on the windshield, blocking the driver’s view. 
  A failed roll means the car drops back 1 Range Increment 
  while the obstruction is cleared.
  King (0) Blocked Road: A vehicle pulls out into the 
  road, sees the oncoming chase participant, and brakes 
  hard! A success allows the driver to swerve around the 
  car, while a failure causes a collision with a hard obstacle. 
  This is a “T-bone” collision, so only the chasing vehicle’s 
  speed counts.
  Ace (0/–2) Scaffolding: A stack of bricks and paint 
  pots have been left atop scaffolding outside a building. 
  Ask the driver if he wants to avoid it or try to knock it 
  down. The thugs never try to knock it down.
  Avoiding it requires only a standard Driving roll. 
  To clip the scaffolding, the Driving roll is made at –2. 
  A failure causes a collision with a soft obstacle, and the 
  scaffolding remains upright. A success means any other 
  vehicles within 1 Range Increment must make an imme-
  diate Driving roll or suffer a collision with a stationary 
  hard obstacle. Those at 2 Range Increments who fail a 
  Driving roll collide with a stationary soft obstacle. Ve-
  hicles beyond this are not affected.
  SCENE 2: BLUMENTHAL’S RESIDENCE
  SCENE 2: BLUMENTHAL’S RESIDENCE
  Forsyth mentioned Blumenthal and Oxford. As any 
  English heroes know, Oxford is a major university city, 
  not far from London. Any character making an Investiga-
  tion roll at a library can ﬁ nd several books by Professor 
  Ernest Blumenthal. He’s regarded as an expert on the 
  Greek Classics, speciﬁ cally those concerning Troy.
  Unfortunately, he’s on a research sabbatical for a year. 
  The receptionist at the university suggests they try his 
  home address in Oxford. She provides directions.
  Blumenthal lives in a Victorian townhouse. When 
  the characters arrive, the door is slightly ajar. Sounds of 
  someone moving around upstairs can be clearly heard. 
  The professor has been kidnapped by German agents 
  and is soon to be smuggled out of the country to aid in 
  their search for the Palladium. Meanwhile, the Nazis are 
  searching his house for anything that looks like it may be 
  useful in their quest.
  If the heroes investigate the noise without making 
  their presence known in advance, they gain Surprise. 
  Have the villains make Notice rolls when the characters 
  reach the ﬁ rst door on the upstairs landing. Otherwise, 
  the intruders are ready for them.
  Deal action cards!
  The top ﬂ oor of Blumenthal’s house comprises a long 
  corridor (1” wide and 8” long), off which there are three 
  doors. These lead to his bedroom (3” long x 3” deep), 
  study (3” x 3”), and a bathroom (2” long by 3” deep). 
  Place the scenery and props as required.
  Two thugs are in the bedroom, one is searching the 
  bathroom, while the last thug and the head villain of this 
  Act, Klaus Steiner, are in the study. Steiner is wearing 
  a fencing mask, which obscures his face, and a leather 
  dueling jacket.
  Whatever happens, Klaus Steiner must escape this 
  scene, preferably with as few wounds as possible. He’ll 
  spar until he takes one wound, and then use the Recur-
  ring Villains rule to make good his getaway. If need be, 
  he leaps through a window out onto the street, lands as 
  gracefully as a cat, and vanishes into the crowds. How-
  ever, as he escapes, he drops a glove, which was tucked 
  into his belt. As he leaves, he snarls out a warning.
  “We’ve warned you Englanders once,” the ﬁ gure 
  snarls. “Stop meddling in our affairs or pay the price!” 
  Whoever the man is, he has a German accent.
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  5
  Again, captured villains are just hired help, and clue-
  less with regard to the larger plot. Their orders were 
  to meet a man outside the address and assist him as he 
  commanded.
  The glove, however, is a major clue. It is embroidered 
  with a crest. With a successful Common Knowledge roll, 
  Lady Amelia recognizes it as the Albion Fencing Academy, 
  a prestigious club in Mayfair. She received a few lessons 
  there in her youth, before moving onto other hobbies. 
  Should she fail (or if you are using your own characters), 
  a successful Investigation roll reveals the above informa-
  tion.
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   London Thugs (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: EN GARDE!
  SCENE 3: EN GARDE!
  The receptionist at the Albion Fencing Club can iden-
  tify Steiner by either his physical description or his glove. 
  He gives the party directions to the main fencing hall, 
  which is on the second ﬂ oor.
  As you approach the hall you hear the clang of 
  steel on steel. Within, you see two fencers engaged 
  in combat, while a handful of students look on. 
  One of the fencers, obviously a skilled swords-
  man, scores a point, and the bout ends. Both 
  swordsmen salute each other.
  The winner notices you and turns to face you. “Can 
  I help you? Are you here for 
  a lesson?” he asks, his voice 
  mufﬂ ed by his facemask, 
  but his accent unmistakably 
  German.
  Steiner has received some 
  medical attention and has one 
  wound less than he took in the 
  previous encounter. If he still 
  has wounds remaining, the GM 
  should describe his movement 
  as rather stiff.
  Steiner obviously recognizes 
  the characters, but he has no 
  real idea who they are or what 
  they want. He assumes they’re 
  British agents working for a 
  secret organization (more on 
  that later), but his curiosity is 
  piqued, especially if he heard 
  any American accents.
  He plays dumb if questioned 
  about Blumenthal, and never 
  removes his mask. A success-
  ful Notice roll reveals Steiner’s 
  right-hand glove is different 
  from his left one. He claims to 
  have lost it if asked.
  FIGHT CLUB
  FIGHT CLUB
  A ﬁ ght will break out. Either Steiner will grow bored 
  of the intruders’ questions (it’ll soon be obvious they 
  know nothing of value to him) and order his students to 
  attack, or the characters will grow belligerent and make 
  the ﬁ rst move. It’s time to deal action cards!
  The main hall (8” to a side) is full of props. All manner 
  of swords hang from the walls (grabbing one requires 
  a hero to be adjacent, and this counts as Drawing a 
  Weapon), there are suits of armor to knock down (as a 
  Trick), glass display cases to smash (either as a Trick or 
  from a missed blow), furniture to leap over (or use as 
  Cover), and banisters to slide down (+1” to Pace when 
  sliding), should the characters wish to take the ﬁ ght to 
  another level. Place the obstacles in interesting places 
  on the map. The lower level is much like the main hall, 
  except it doesn’t have any stairs going down.
  One special rule applies in this scene. In order to 
  simulate the to-and-fro movement of cinematic sword 
  ﬁ ghts, a character who is targeted by a Fighting attack 
  automatically moves 1” away from the blow, or 2” if the 
  attack struck home. This movement is per attack. Attack-
  ers who cannot retreat suffer no speciﬁ c penalties.
  The attacker must follow up to maintain his position 
  adjacent to his victim. Should multiple attackers be gang-
  ing up, they all follow the target as he is forced back. This 
  never counts as Withdrawing from Melee, nor does it pro-
  voke First Strike attacks from any combatant—it’s purely a 
  quick way of mimicking the cut and thrust of the movies.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  5
  Again, captured villains are just hired help, and clue-
  less with regard to the larger plot. Their orders were 
  to meet a man outside the address and assist him as he 
  commanded.
  The glove, however, is a major clue. It is embroidered 
  with a crest. With a successful Common Knowledge roll, 
  Lady Amelia recognizes it as the Albion Fencing Academy, 
  a prestigious club in Mayfair. She received a few lessons 
  there in her youth, before moving onto other hobbies. 
  Should she fail (or if you are using your own characters), 
  a successful Investigation roll reveals the above informa-
  tion.
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   London Thugs (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: EN GARDE!
  SCENE 3: EN GARDE!
  The receptionist at the Albion Fencing Club can iden-
  tify Steiner by either his physical description or his glove. 
  He gives the party directions to the main fencing hall, 
  which is on the second ﬂ oor.
  As you approach the hall you hear the clang of 
  steel on steel. Within, you see two fencers engaged 
  in combat, while a handful of students look on. 
  One of the fencers, obviously a skilled swords-
  man, scores a point, and the bout ends. Both 
  swordsmen salute each other.
  The winner notices you and turns to face you. “Can 
  I help you? Are you here for 
  a lesson?” he asks, his voice 
  mufﬂ ed by his facemask, 
  but his accent unmistakably 
  German.
  Steiner has received some 
  medical attention and has one 
  wound less than he took in the 
  previous encounter. If he still 
  has wounds remaining, the GM 
  should describe his movement 
  as rather stiff.
  Steiner obviously recognizes 
  the characters, but he has no 
  real idea who they are or what 
  they want. He assumes they’re 
  British agents working for a 
  secret organization (more on 
  that later), but his curiosity is 
  piqued, especially if he heard 
  any American accents.
  He plays dumb if questioned 
  about Blumenthal, and never 
  removes his mask. A success-
  ful Notice roll reveals Steiner’s 
  right-hand glove is different 
  from his left one. He claims to 
  have lost it if asked.
  FIGHT CLUB
  FIGHT CLUB
  A ﬁ ght will break out. Either Steiner will grow bored 
  of the intruders’ questions (it’ll soon be obvious they 
  know nothing of value to him) and order his students to 
  attack, or the characters will grow belligerent and make 
  the ﬁ rst move. It’s time to deal action cards!
  The main hall (8” to a side) is full of props. All manner 
  of swords hang from the walls (grabbing one requires 
  a hero to be adjacent, and this counts as Drawing a 
  Weapon), there are suits of armor to knock down (as a 
  Trick), glass display cases to smash (either as a Trick or 
  from a missed blow), furniture to leap over (or use as 
  Cover), and banisters to slide down (+1” to Pace when 
  sliding), should the characters wish to take the ﬁ ght to 
  another level. Place the obstacles in interesting places 
  on the map. The lower level is much like the main hall, 
  except it doesn’t have any stairs going down.
  One special rule applies in this scene. In order to 
  simulate the to-and-fro movement of cinematic sword 
  ﬁ ghts, a character who is targeted by a Fighting attack 
  automatically moves 1” away from the blow, or 2” if the 
  attack struck home. This movement is per attack. Attack-
  ers who cannot retreat suffer no speciﬁ c penalties.
  The attacker must follow up to maintain his position 
  adjacent to his victim. Should multiple attackers be gang-
  ing up, they all follow the target as he is forced back. This 
  never counts as Withdrawing from Melee, nor does it pro-
  voke First Strike attacks from any combatant—it’s purely a 
  quick way of mimicking the cut and thrust of the movies.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  6
  Steiner may have ﬂ ed once before, but this time he 
  is on home soil and ﬁ ghting in front of his students—he 
  cannot afford to lose face by retreating. As such, he’ll 
  only escape once all his students are out of the ﬁ ght, 
  ﬁ ghting to the death in the meantime, if necessary. Again, 
  use the Recurring Villains rule once all his minions are 
  out of the picture.
  Whether he escapes or is defeated, Steiner reveals 
  some information before he departs, thanks to his Ar-
  rogant Hindrance.
  “You’re too late!” the fencing master snarls. “Blu-
  menthal will soon be aboard an airplane bound 
  for Italy. Meonia has failed to stop the Third Reich, 
  and Germany will soon rule the world!”
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   Fencing Students (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: FLIGHT 14 IS NOW DEPARTING
  SCENE 4: FLIGHT 14 IS NOW DEPARTING
  The word “Meonia” is a mystery to the characters. 
  None have ever heard it uttered before, though clever 
  players may suspect it has something to do with the ring 
  Forsyth gave them.
  Any English characters automatically know the only air-
  port for miles is London Airport. Non-English characters 
  need to make a Streetwise roll. As is the pulp tradition, 
  they’ll always get to their destination just in the nick of 
  time, but the characters don’t know this. Make it sound 
  like time is against them as they question passersby.
  Inquiring at the departure desk, the ofﬁ cial tells the 
  characters that only a single plane is bound for Italy 
  today, In fact, it’s just heading out to the runway for take-
  off! No amount of bribes or threats can halt its departure 
  (“It’s more than my job’s worth, guv’nor!”).
  Airports in the 1930s, especially in pulp games, weren’t 
  the high security places they are today. The characters’ car 
  is parked outside, and there’s nothing to stop them from 
  giving chase to the plane. Players who don’t think of this 
  course of action should be prompted as necessary.
  TAXI!
  TAXI!
  Taxiing onto the runway is a Douglas C-32 cargo 
  plane. This scene uses a modiﬁ ed version of the Chase 
  rules. Space out 10 markers as normal. The C-32 starts 
  on the third marker, while the heroes begin on the ﬁ rst 
  marker. Each round, the plane automatically moves 1 
  Range Increment (there’s no need for a Piloting roll), 
  though it is still dealt an action card because of the thugs 
  onboard. When it passes the last marker, it’s in the air. 
  There are no obstacles and the Range Increment is 5”.
  As an added complication, the Nazis onboard are 
  throwing crates from the plane and ﬁ ring their pistols! 
  Each round the car is behind the plane, the aircraft’s ac-
  tion card suit determines the Nazis’ actions. When it’s even 
  with or ahead of the plane, they just use their SMGs. A 
  maximum of two goons can ﬁ re guns from the doorway.
  Diamond or Heart: No action taken (they’re busy 
  grabbing a crate or can’t get a clear line of sight).
  Club: They throw a crate. The driver must make a Driv-
  ing roll at –1 or suffer a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Spade: They open ﬁ re with their SMGs. The plane is 
  an Unstable Platform, they don’t have Rock and Roll, and 
  the speed difference in irrelevant.
  The characters have two sensible choices. If they can get 
  in front of the plane before it reaches the last marker, they 
  can force it to come to a screeching halt. The Nazi goons on-
  board then disembark and begin a ﬁ reﬁ ght on the airstrip.
  Alternately, they can pull alongside and try to leap 
  aboard—the goons haven’t closed the rear door yet. This 
  requires the use of the Parallel maneuver. The driver can 
  leap over as well—the car simply slows down without 
  any pressure on the accelerator.
  The interior of the airplane is, for game purposes, 2” 
  wide and 8” long. The front 1” is the cockpit. All move-
  ment counts as difﬁ cult terrain due to the cramped 
  conditions, seats, and cargo. Aboard are four Nazis, two 
  pilots (who surrender if threatened), and Professor Blu-
  menthal (who is bound and gagged).
  Whatever happens, the GM should ensure the char-
  acters stop or board the plane. The players have no idea 
  the airplane takes off at the end of the marker chain, so 
  adding an extra marker or two won’t hurt. So long as the 
  action is frantic, let the good guys win (but not without 
  some heroic effort).
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 19.
  BLUMENTHAL RESCUED
  BLUMENTHAL RESCUED
  Blumenthal thanks his rescuers, but beyond that he’s 
  rather tight-lipped. Any character who makes a success-
  ful Notice roll spots a gold ring on the professor’s left 
  hand. It’s identical in design to Forsyth’s.
  The scholar claims to know nothing of any Nazi plot 
  (claiming he was kidnapped for money) and hasn’t 
  heard of Meonia until Forsyth’s ring is produced and the 
  agent’s message relayed (both conditions must be met). 
  Once satisﬁ ed the characters really are on his side, he 
  tells his story.
  “Poor old Forsyth,” Blumenthal sighs, wiping his 
  glasses on his shirt tail. “A great scholar, but a 
  poor ﬁ eld agent. Both he and I are members of 
  a secret organization known as Meonia. Meonia 
  has been in existence for centuries and has one 
  goal—to safeguard Britain from any threat. Right 
  now, that threat is the Nazis.
  “If what Forsyth said is true, we must get to Rome 
  immediately and ﬁ nd the Palladium. You do know 
  the legend? The Palladium was a magical statue 
  of Athena, given to the founder of Troy by Zeus. So 
  long as it remained in the city, it would never fall. 
  Sadly, it was stolen by two Greek heroes, and the 
  rest, as they say, is history.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  6
  Steiner may have ﬂ ed once before, but this time he 
  is on home soil and ﬁ ghting in front of his students—he 
  cannot afford to lose face by retreating. As such, he’ll 
  only escape once all his students are out of the ﬁ ght, 
  ﬁ ghting to the death in the meantime, if necessary. Again, 
  use the Recurring Villains rule once all his minions are 
  out of the picture.
  Whether he escapes or is defeated, Steiner reveals 
  some information before he departs, thanks to his Ar-
  rogant Hindrance.
  “You’re too late!” the fencing master snarls. “Blu-
  menthal will soon be aboard an airplane bound 
  for Italy. Meonia has failed to stop the Third Reich, 
  and Germany will soon rule the world!”
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   Fencing Students (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: FLIGHT 14 IS NOW DEPARTING
  SCENE 4: FLIGHT 14 IS NOW DEPARTING
  The word “Meonia” is a mystery to the characters. 
  None have ever heard it uttered before, though clever 
  players may suspect it has something to do with the ring 
  Forsyth gave them.
  Any English characters automatically know the only air-
  port for miles is London Airport. Non-English characters 
  need to make a Streetwise roll. As is the pulp tradition, 
  they’ll always get to their destination just in the nick of 
  time, but the characters don’t know this. Make it sound 
  like time is against them as they question passersby.
  Inquiring at the departure desk, the ofﬁ cial tells the 
  characters that only a single plane is bound for Italy 
  today, In fact, it’s just heading out to the runway for take-
  off! No amount of bribes or threats can halt its departure 
  (“It’s more than my job’s worth, guv’nor!”).
  Airports in the 1930s, especially in pulp games, weren’t 
  the high security places they are today. The characters’ car 
  is parked outside, and there’s nothing to stop them from 
  giving chase to the plane. Players who don’t think of this 
  course of action should be prompted as necessary.
  TAXI!
  TAXI!
  Taxiing onto the runway is a Douglas C-32 cargo 
  plane. This scene uses a modiﬁ ed version of the Chase 
  rules. Space out 10 markers as normal. The C-32 starts 
  on the third marker, while the heroes begin on the ﬁ rst 
  marker. Each round, the plane automatically moves 1 
  Range Increment (there’s no need for a Piloting roll), 
  though it is still dealt an action card because of the thugs 
  onboard. When it passes the last marker, it’s in the air. 
  There are no obstacles and the Range Increment is 5”.
  As an added complication, the Nazis onboard are 
  throwing crates from the plane and ﬁ ring their pistols! 
  Each round the car is behind the plane, the aircraft’s ac-
  tion card suit determines the Nazis’ actions. When it’s even 
  with or ahead of the plane, they just use their SMGs. A 
  maximum of two goons can ﬁ re guns from the doorway.
  Diamond or Heart: No action taken (they’re busy 
  grabbing a crate or can’t get a clear line of sight).
  Club: They throw a crate. The driver must make a Driv-
  ing roll at –1 or suffer a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Spade: They open ﬁ re with their SMGs. The plane is 
  an Unstable Platform, they don’t have Rock and Roll, and 
  the speed difference in irrelevant.
  The characters have two sensible choices. If they can get 
  in front of the plane before it reaches the last marker, they 
  can force it to come to a screeching halt. The Nazi goons on-
  board then disembark and begin a ﬁ reﬁ ght on the airstrip.
  Alternately, they can pull alongside and try to leap 
  aboard—the goons haven’t closed the rear door yet. This 
  requires the use of the Parallel maneuver. The driver can 
  leap over as well—the car simply slows down without 
  any pressure on the accelerator.
  The interior of the airplane is, for game purposes, 2” 
  wide and 8” long. The front 1” is the cockpit. All move-
  ment counts as difﬁ cult terrain due to the cramped 
  conditions, seats, and cargo. Aboard are four Nazis, two 
  pilots (who surrender if threatened), and Professor Blu-
  menthal (who is bound and gagged).
  Whatever happens, the GM should ensure the char-
  acters stop or board the plane. The players have no idea 
  the airplane takes off at the end of the marker chain, so 
  adding an extra marker or two won’t hurt. So long as the 
  action is frantic, let the good guys win (but not without 
  some heroic effort).
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 19.
  BLUMENTHAL RESCUED
  BLUMENTHAL RESCUED
  Blumenthal thanks his rescuers, but beyond that he’s 
  rather tight-lipped. Any character who makes a success-
  ful Notice roll spots a gold ring on the professor’s left 
  hand. It’s identical in design to Forsyth’s.
  The scholar claims to know nothing of any Nazi plot 
  (claiming he was kidnapped for money) and hasn’t 
  heard of Meonia until Forsyth’s ring is produced and the 
  agent’s message relayed (both conditions must be met). 
  Once satisﬁ ed the characters really are on his side, he 
  tells his story.
  “Poor old Forsyth,” Blumenthal sighs, wiping his 
  glasses on his shirt tail. “A great scholar, but a 
  poor ﬁ eld agent. Both he and I are members of 
  a secret organization known as Meonia. Meonia 
  has been in existence for centuries and has one 
  goal—to safeguard Britain from any threat. Right 
  now, that threat is the Nazis.
  “If what Forsyth said is true, we must get to Rome 
  immediately and ﬁ nd the Palladium. You do know 
  the legend? The Palladium was a magical statue 
  of Athena, given to the founder of Troy by Zeus. So 
  long as it remained in the city, it would never fall. 
  Sadly, it was stolen by two Greek heroes, and the 
  rest, as they say, is history.
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  7
  “Some of our members believe Hitler is seeking 
  the Palladium. Forsyth, with both his words and 
  his death, has conﬁ rmed that is true. If Hitler 
  manages to ﬁ nd it and place it in Berlin, he’ll no 
  doubt go to war soon after, safe in the belief its 
  power will protect Germany. The man is mad and 
  fascinated with the occult. Our aim is to stop him 
  and bring the Palladium to England for safe stor-
  age and study.
  “What Hitler doesn’t know is exactly where the 
  Palladium is located. That’s why he wanted me—
  I’ve spent half my life studying its history. History 
  says the Palladium was taken to Rome at some 
  point, and Hitler knows that, but no one knows 
  where it was housed or what fate befell it. I have 
  an inkling it’s in the Pantheon.”
  The Pantheon, as any character with Knowledge (His-
  tory) knows, once served as a temple to all the Roman 
  gods. Athena was known as Minerva to the Romans. The 
  current building dates to the reign of Hadrian (circa 125 
  AD), the previous structure having burnt to the ground 
  in 80 AD. Blumenthal can ﬁ ll in any gaps in the charac-
  ters’ knowledge of ancient Rome.
  Unless the characters plan to back out now, it’s time 
  to book tickets to the Eternal City. Grab an old atlas, and 
  draw a red line from London to Rome to show the he-
  roes’ progress. Blumenthal accompanies the party.
  ACT 2: THE ETERNAL CITY
  ACT 2: THE ETERNAL CITY
  Blumenthal spends the trip to Rome deep in concen-
  tration. He refuses to answer any questions regarding 
  Meonia, insisting he must have time to think about the 
  Palladium and its possible resting place within the Pan-
  theon. The scholar forbids any talk of conducting excava-
  tions, for the building has been used as a church since 
  the early 7th century.
  Blumenthal admits to being worried, though. While 
  the basic layout hasn’t changed in two milennia, the 
  statuary and decoration have been heavily modiﬁ ed over 
  the centuries. Any clues might have been obliterated dur-
  ing makeovers or rennovations.
  SCENE 1: THE PANTHEON
  SCENE 1: THE PANTHEON
  The streets of Rome are jammed with automobiles 
  and pedestrians. What’s most alarming is not 
  the Italians seeming lack of road sense, but the 
  number of German military trucks crowding the 
  roads. It seems the Nazis are here in force.
  Very few common Italians speak much English, so the 
  heroes need to be able to speak the language if they want 
  to ask the locals any questions. A successful Streetwise 
  roll reveals the Germans are here to conduct archaeo-
  logical excavations. They were “invited” by Mussolini to 
  help uncover Rome’s ancient treasures, and restore the 
  city to its former glory.
  The Pantheon is popular with tourists (Italy has fewer 
  of these with each passing year under Mussolini) and 
  worshippers. So long as the doors are open, there are 
  always folk passing through.
  The dome of the building has an open aperture (an 
  oculus), which lets in natural light. During daylight hours, 
  it’s the only light source in use (part of Mussolini’s plan 
  to save energy, and therefore money), so the lighting is 
  rather gloomy when it’s overcast. As the Earth rotates, 
  a beam of light moves around the interior, highlighting 
  different areas.
  Allow the characters to make a Common Knowledge 
  roll at –2 or a Knowledge (History) roll. With a success, 
  they recall that Minerva was usually shown alongside Jupi-
  ter and Juno, the three deities forming a triad. Blumenthal 
  automatically passes his roll if all the characters fail.
  Although the statues in the Pantheon have been 
  moved over the centuries, the bases on which they stand 
  have not. Searching round, the characters ﬁ nd one bear-
  ing Minerva’s name. Tapping it reveals it to be slightly 
  hollow. Unfortunately, there’s a statue on top of it.
  How the characters remove the statue is up to their 
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  7
  “Some of our members believe Hitler is seeking 
  the Palladium. Forsyth, with both his words and 
  his death, has conﬁ rmed that is true. If Hitler 
  manages to ﬁ nd it and place it in Berlin, he’ll no 
  doubt go to war soon after, safe in the belief its 
  power will protect Germany. The man is mad and 
  fascinated with the occult. Our aim is to stop him 
  and bring the Palladium to England for safe stor-
  age and study.
  “What Hitler doesn’t know is exactly where the 
  Palladium is located. That’s why he wanted me—
  I’ve spent half my life studying its history. History 
  says the Palladium was taken to Rome at some 
  point, and Hitler knows that, but no one knows 
  where it was housed or what fate befell it. I have 
  an inkling it’s in the Pantheon.”
  The Pantheon, as any character with Knowledge (His-
  tory) knows, once served as a temple to all the Roman 
  gods. Athena was known as Minerva to the Romans. The 
  current building dates to the reign of Hadrian (circa 125 
  AD), the previous structure having burnt to the ground 
  in 80 AD. Blumenthal can ﬁ ll in any gaps in the charac-
  ters’ knowledge of ancient Rome.
  Unless the characters plan to back out now, it’s time 
  to book tickets to the Eternal City. Grab an old atlas, and 
  draw a red line from London to Rome to show the he-
  roes’ progress. Blumenthal accompanies the party.
  ACT 2: THE ETERNAL CITY
  ACT 2: THE ETERNAL CITY
  Blumenthal spends the trip to Rome deep in concen-
  tration. He refuses to answer any questions regarding 
  Meonia, insisting he must have time to think about the 
  Palladium and its possible resting place within the Pan-
  theon. The scholar forbids any talk of conducting excava-
  tions, for the building has been used as a church since 
  the early 7th century.
  Blumenthal admits to being worried, though. While 
  the basic layout hasn’t changed in two milennia, the 
  statuary and decoration have been heavily modiﬁ ed over 
  the centuries. Any clues might have been obliterated dur-
  ing makeovers or rennovations.
  SCENE 1: THE PANTHEON
  SCENE 1: THE PANTHEON
  The streets of Rome are jammed with automobiles 
  and pedestrians. What’s most alarming is not 
  the Italians seeming lack of road sense, but the 
  number of German military trucks crowding the 
  roads. It seems the Nazis are here in force.
  Very few common Italians speak much English, so the 
  heroes need to be able to speak the language if they want 
  to ask the locals any questions. A successful Streetwise 
  roll reveals the Germans are here to conduct archaeo-
  logical excavations. They were “invited” by Mussolini to 
  help uncover Rome’s ancient treasures, and restore the 
  city to its former glory.
  The Pantheon is popular with tourists (Italy has fewer 
  of these with each passing year under Mussolini) and 
  worshippers. So long as the doors are open, there are 
  always folk passing through.
  The dome of the building has an open aperture (an 
  oculus), which lets in natural light. During daylight hours, 
  it’s the only light source in use (part of Mussolini’s plan 
  to save energy, and therefore money), so the lighting is 
  rather gloomy when it’s overcast. As the Earth rotates, 
  a beam of light moves around the interior, highlighting 
  different areas.
  Allow the characters to make a Common Knowledge 
  roll at –2 or a Knowledge (History) roll. With a success, 
  they recall that Minerva was usually shown alongside Jupi-
  ter and Juno, the three deities forming a triad. Blumenthal 
  automatically passes his roll if all the characters fail.
  Although the statues in the Pantheon have been 
  moved over the centuries, the bases on which they stand 
  have not. Searching round, the characters ﬁ nd one bear-
  ing Minerva’s name. Tapping it reveals it to be slightly 
  hollow. Unfortunately, there’s a statue on top of it.
  How the characters remove the statue is up to their 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  8
  ingenuity. One idea is to claim they are city workers, re-
  moving the statue for maintenance, or German archaeolo-
  gists here at Mussolini’s direct request. Shoving it over is 
  always a possibility, but such vandalism will likely have se-
  rious consequences. Once the statue is out of the way, the 
  characters discover the lid of the base is actually hinged.
  Hidden beneath the marble plinth are a large gem 
  and a scroll. The scroll, written in Latin, reads as below.
  “I, Marcus Licinius Corvus of the Gens Valeria, 
  loyal servant of the Order of the She-Wolf, sworn 
  defender of Rome, do inscribe this in the reign of 
  the Emperor Hadrian, who raised this structure 
  from the ashes of old.
  “Men are of ﬁ xed years, but Rome is eternal. Em-
  peror Titus was a man of cursed nature, whose 
  reign brought many disasters. Without our wis-
  dom and foresight, Rome would have perished 
  in ﬁ re and blood. The Palladium, secret protector 
  of Rome, was moved to safeguard her from the 
  great ﬁ re and the ignorance of those who do not 
  understand her power over Rome.
  “I place this scroll here in secret, so those of our 
  order who come later in full knowledge of what 
  they seek may learn where the goddess sleeps. 
  Show this gem the light of the midday sun in the 
  Flavian Amphitheater and she shall be revealed.”
  Any character with Knowledge (History) automatically 
  knows the Flavian Amphitheater is the original name for 
  the Coliseum. However, there is less than a quarter hour 
  to go before noon!
  LOCAL TOUGHS
  LOCAL TOUGHS
  The discovery of the gem has not gone unnoticed, 
  no matter how quick the characters are at retrieving it. 
  A local hood, visiting the Pantheon on the lookout for 
  rich tourists to rob, noticed the sparkling stone. He slips 
  outside to alert his comrades, who are keeping an eye 
  out for the police. As soon as the characters leave, the 
  toughs surround them.
  “Hey-a,” one snarls, “why-a don’t you-a hand-a 
  over the gem, eh? Give it to us, or we’ll-a cut you 
  open like-a pigs.” A snick of a switchblade punctu-
  ates his ﬁ nal word.
  The thugs outnumber the characters, but they’re not 
  well trained, and are used to their scare getting them 
  what they want. The character should have little trouble 
  teaching them some manners. Blumenthal is reluctant to 
  use his magic in public, unless the situation grows very 
  serious.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Street Toughs (2 per hero): Treat as London thugs 
  (page 19), but armed only with knives.
  SCENE 2: RUSH HOUR IN ROME
  SCENE 2: RUSH HOUR IN ROME
  The clock is ticking. If the characters rush, they might 
  just reach the Coliseum in time. Any delay means waiting 
  around for a day in a city full of Nazi agents, and there’s 
  the risk of the toughs the characters defeated outside the 
  Pantheon will snitch about them to the police. There’s 
  little doubt the Nazis have informants here.
  It’s too far to run to the Coliseum, and the amount of 
  trafﬁ c makes catching a taxi pointless. However, there is 
  a mode of transport perfect for getting through crowded 
  streets quickly—scooters. It’s up to the characters wheth-
  er they rent some ($10) or just borrow some. Either way, 
  there are only two available.
  Scooters can carry two passengers for short distances, 
  but the extra weight and added instability, gives the 
  driver a –2 penalty on all Driving rolls.
  Shortly after the characters head into the dangerous 
  trafﬁ c of Rome, several of the thugs defeated earlier ap-
  pear behind the characters’ scooters, brandishing knives 
  and shouting abuse. Each has his own scooter.
  This scene is run as a Chase. The Range Increment 
  is 5”, the chase begins at Medium range, and there are 
  Rough Obstacles (other road users). The thugs have pis-
  tols, but will only use them if ﬁ red upon ﬁ rst. Otherwise, 
  they try to draw within one Range Increment and use 
  the Force maneuver to smash the characters into cars or 
  buildings.
  The scene is also one with a time limit. Unless the char-
  acters deal with the goons or ﬂ ee within 12 rounds (each 
  round represents a brief glimpse of action in what are 
  effectively minute long rounds—the gaps are the heroes 
  weaving through trafﬁ c), they’ll be too late! Well, that’s 
  what they should think. As pulp demands, the adventurers 
  will always get there in the nick of time, so long as they 
  don’t act stupid and stop for coffee and cake, anyway.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Street Toughs (1 per hero): Treat as London thugs 
  (page 19).
  SCOOTERS
  SCOOTERS
  Acc/Top Speed: 6/18; Toughness: 7 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SCENE 3: THOSE ABOUT TO DIE
  SCENE 3: THOSE ABOUT TO DIE
  Read the following text to the players when they enter 
  the arena.
  It looks like the Nazis have been doing some 
  decorating. Nazi banners hang from the walls, 
  the largest draped down from the Emperor’s box. 
  Even the ﬂ oor of the arena has been made ready 
  for something—it’s been covered in sand, no 
  doubt concealing a wooden ﬂ oor beneath.
  There is no sign of any Nazis, but they are present, 
  watching from the shadows of the many gates, which 
  once let gladiators and wild beasts into the arena. Don’t 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  8
  ingenuity. One idea is to claim they are city workers, re-
  moving the statue for maintenance, or German archaeolo-
  gists here at Mussolini’s direct request. Shoving it over is 
  always a possibility, but such vandalism will likely have se-
  rious consequences. Once the statue is out of the way, the 
  characters discover the lid of the base is actually hinged.
  Hidden beneath the marble plinth are a large gem 
  and a scroll. The scroll, written in Latin, reads as below.
  “I, Marcus Licinius Corvus of the Gens Valeria, 
  loyal servant of the Order of the She-Wolf, sworn 
  defender of Rome, do inscribe this in the reign of 
  the Emperor Hadrian, who raised this structure 
  from the ashes of old.
  “Men are of ﬁ xed years, but Rome is eternal. Em-
  peror Titus was a man of cursed nature, whose 
  reign brought many disasters. Without our wis-
  dom and foresight, Rome would have perished 
  in ﬁ re and blood. The Palladium, secret protector 
  of Rome, was moved to safeguard her from the 
  great ﬁ re and the ignorance of those who do not 
  understand her power over Rome.
  “I place this scroll here in secret, so those of our 
  order who come later in full knowledge of what 
  they seek may learn where the goddess sleeps. 
  Show this gem the light of the midday sun in the 
  Flavian Amphitheater and she shall be revealed.”
  Any character with Knowledge (History) automatically 
  knows the Flavian Amphitheater is the original name for 
  the Coliseum. However, there is less than a quarter hour 
  to go before noon!
  LOCAL TOUGHS
  LOCAL TOUGHS
  The discovery of the gem has not gone unnoticed, 
  no matter how quick the characters are at retrieving it. 
  A local hood, visiting the Pantheon on the lookout for 
  rich tourists to rob, noticed the sparkling stone. He slips 
  outside to alert his comrades, who are keeping an eye 
  out for the police. As soon as the characters leave, the 
  toughs surround them.
  “Hey-a,” one snarls, “why-a don’t you-a hand-a 
  over the gem, eh? Give it to us, or we’ll-a cut you 
  open like-a pigs.” A snick of a switchblade punctu-
  ates his ﬁ nal word.
  The thugs outnumber the characters, but they’re not 
  well trained, and are used to their scare getting them 
  what they want. The character should have little trouble 
  teaching them some manners. Blumenthal is reluctant to 
  use his magic in public, unless the situation grows very 
  serious.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Street Toughs (2 per hero): Treat as London thugs 
  (page 19), but armed only with knives.
  SCENE 2: RUSH HOUR IN ROME
  SCENE 2: RUSH HOUR IN ROME
  The clock is ticking. If the characters rush, they might 
  just reach the Coliseum in time. Any delay means waiting 
  around for a day in a city full of Nazi agents, and there’s 
  the risk of the toughs the characters defeated outside the 
  Pantheon will snitch about them to the police. There’s 
  little doubt the Nazis have informants here.
  It’s too far to run to the Coliseum, and the amount of 
  trafﬁ c makes catching a taxi pointless. However, there is 
  a mode of transport perfect for getting through crowded 
  streets quickly—scooters. It’s up to the characters wheth-
  er they rent some ($10) or just borrow some. Either way, 
  there are only two available.
  Scooters can carry two passengers for short distances, 
  but the extra weight and added instability, gives the 
  driver a –2 penalty on all Driving rolls.
  Shortly after the characters head into the dangerous 
  trafﬁ c of Rome, several of the thugs defeated earlier ap-
  pear behind the characters’ scooters, brandishing knives 
  and shouting abuse. Each has his own scooter.
  This scene is run as a Chase. The Range Increment 
  is 5”, the chase begins at Medium range, and there are 
  Rough Obstacles (other road users). The thugs have pis-
  tols, but will only use them if ﬁ red upon ﬁ rst. Otherwise, 
  they try to draw within one Range Increment and use 
  the Force maneuver to smash the characters into cars or 
  buildings.
  The scene is also one with a time limit. Unless the char-
  acters deal with the goons or ﬂ ee within 12 rounds (each 
  round represents a brief glimpse of action in what are 
  effectively minute long rounds—the gaps are the heroes 
  weaving through trafﬁ c), they’ll be too late! Well, that’s 
  what they should think. As pulp demands, the adventurers 
  will always get there in the nick of time, so long as they 
  don’t act stupid and stop for coffee and cake, anyway.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Street Toughs (1 per hero): Treat as London thugs 
  (page 19).
  SCOOTERS
  SCOOTERS
  Acc/Top Speed: 6/18; Toughness: 7 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SCENE 3: THOSE ABOUT TO DIE
  SCENE 3: THOSE ABOUT TO DIE
  Read the following text to the players when they enter 
  the arena.
  It looks like the Nazis have been doing some 
  decorating. Nazi banners hang from the walls, 
  the largest draped down from the Emperor’s box. 
  Even the ﬂ oor of the arena has been made ready 
  for something—it’s been covered in sand, no 
  doubt concealing a wooden ﬂ oor beneath.
  There is no sign of any Nazis, but they are present, 
  watching from the shadows of the many gates, which 
  once let gladiators and wild beasts into the arena. Don’t 
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  9
  give the characters a chance to search the area—they 
  should get here just a few moments before midday.
  A beam of sunlight strikes the gem if it is held aloft 
  at noon. The crystal seems to glow with an inner ﬁ re, 
  before a beam of light bursts forth, striking the huge 
  Nazi banner hanging from the Emperor’s box. Hitting 
  square in the center of the swastika, the beam burns 
  a hole clean through the fabric. Within seconds, the 
  entire banner has been engulfed in ﬂ ames, revealing 
  the stonework behind it. A single stone is highlighted 
  by the beam of light.
  BANG! A large metal grille slams shut, sealing 
  off the exit. Across the other side of the Coliseum, 
  another grille slides opens. A small squad of Nazis 
  rushes through and takes up ﬁ ring positions. Fol-
  lowing them, dressed in his fencing uniform, is 
  Herr Steiner. It’s a trap!
  “Can you feel the power?” Steiner shouts, turning 
  slowly on the spot, arms outstretched. “All the en-
  ergy of those who fought and died here is locked 
  into these stones forever. It’s almost tangible.” He 
  turns to face you, his sword’s tip just touching 
  the ground, tracing a swastika in the sand. “We 
  were planning to host a celebration here after we 
  found the Palladium, but it seems the festivities 
  must be brought forward.
  “Now, what do you say?” he asks. “Would you die 
  like cowards, clutching your guns as my men ﬁ ll 
  your bodies with lead, or are you prepared to 
  ﬁ ght and die like the gladiators of old?”
  The prospect of ﬁ ghting in the Coliseum has gone to 
  Steiner’s head, and he’s quite prepared to ﬁ ght to the 
  death for the glory of the Fuhrer. He’d prefer to duel with 
  the heroes like men, and should they agree, he orders 
  his men to use only their knives. Otherwise, he orders 
  them to open ﬁ re while he closes to melee range.
  The oval ﬂ oor of the Coliseum measures 42” by 24”. 
  Aside from a covering of sand, it is bare.
  On the 3rd round, Steiner uses an action to give a 
  hand signal. Metal grilles slide upward along the walls 
  with a loud clank. Next round, hungry lions enter the 
  arena! The Nazis were planning to celebrate ﬁ nding the 
  Palladium by holding a mock gladiatorial event. Steiner 
  has decided to use the beasts to liven up the current 
  conﬂ ict!
  The lions are hungry, and their captors have been 
  teasing them, so they’re riled. For convenience, the lions 
  all begin in the center of the long side behind where the 
  characters began. They attack the nearest targets, caring 
  nothing for whether their foe is a hero or villain.
  Once Steiner is Incapacitated, the sound of a gunshot 
  rebounds through the mighty stadium. Proceed to the 
  next section. Should all the characters be Incapacitated 
  ﬁ rst, jump straight to Scene 4. Steiner plays no further 
  part in this adventure whatever the outcome. If he sur-
  vives this ﬁ ght, he can return to plague the heroes in 
  your own pulp adventures.
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Experienced Nazi Soldiers (1 per hero): As Nazi 
  soldier (page 19), but with the Rock and Roll Edge.
   Lions (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SURRENDER OR DIE
  SURRENDER OR DIE
  Nazi soldiers are pouring through the entrances 
  and taking up positions around the edge of the 
  arena, their SMGs leveled at you. A mocking, hol-
  low laugh echoes down from the Emperor’s box. 
  Standing up there, clad all in black, is a skeletally 
  thin German ofﬁ cer. His face is split in a wide 
  smile, which gives him the appearance of a grin-
  ning skull. He begins a slow clap.
  “Well done, Amerikaners,” he cackles. “I am 
  Colonel Klinsmann of the SS-Ahnenerbe, and you 
  are surrounded by Germany’s ﬁ nest soldiers. 
  Now, how will this scene end?” He holds out his 
  right arm, his thumb extended horizontal to the 
  ground. “Live or die, it’s your choice.”
  There are a lot of Nazis—the characters count at 
  least 50, and more are arriving all the time. In true pulp 
  fashion, it’s time to surrender. Starting a huge ﬁ ght is 
  certainly an option, of course, but the soldiers don’t 
  close to engage in melee—they have SMGs, and they’ll 
  use them. Keep sending in reinforcements until the ad-
  venturers surrender or are Incapacitated.
  Characters who succeed at a Common Knowledge 
  roll (–2) have heard of the SS-Ahnenerbe. They’re 
  charged with hunting down historic and occult artifacts 
  for Hitler.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Experienced Nazi Soldiers (unlimited): As Nazi 
  soldier (page 19), but with the Rock and Roll Edge.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: WASHOUT
  SCENE 4: WASHOUT
  Disarmed and bound, you are marched deep into 
  the catacombs of Rome, and roughly thrown onto 
  the ﬂ oor of a small, bare chamber. Colonel Klins-
  mann’s skeletal face leers close to your own, his 
  mocking laugh reverberating off the walls.
  “You are about to join the pages of history,” he 
  cackles. “So many people were buried here, and 
  now you are about to join them! Packed behind 
  that wall,” he indicates one of the walls, “are very 
  powerful explosives. When we have reached safety, 
  we will detonate them by remote control. Oh, do 
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  9
  give the characters a chance to search the area—they 
  should get here just a few moments before midday.
  A beam of sunlight strikes the gem if it is held aloft 
  at noon. The crystal seems to glow with an inner ﬁ re, 
  before a beam of light bursts forth, striking the huge 
  Nazi banner hanging from the Emperor’s box. Hitting 
  square in the center of the swastika, the beam burns 
  a hole clean through the fabric. Within seconds, the 
  entire banner has been engulfed in ﬂ ames, revealing 
  the stonework behind it. A single stone is highlighted 
  by the beam of light.
  BANG! A large metal grille slams shut, sealing 
  off the exit. Across the other side of the Coliseum, 
  another grille slides opens. A small squad of Nazis 
  rushes through and takes up ﬁ ring positions. Fol-
  lowing them, dressed in his fencing uniform, is 
  Herr Steiner. It’s a trap!
  “Can you feel the power?” Steiner shouts, turning 
  slowly on the spot, arms outstretched. “All the en-
  ergy of those who fought and died here is locked 
  into these stones forever. It’s almost tangible.” He 
  turns to face you, his sword’s tip just touching 
  the ground, tracing a swastika in the sand. “We 
  were planning to host a celebration here after we 
  found the Palladium, but it seems the festivities 
  must be brought forward.
  “Now, what do you say?” he asks. “Would you die 
  like cowards, clutching your guns as my men ﬁ ll 
  your bodies with lead, or are you prepared to 
  ﬁ ght and die like the gladiators of old?”
  The prospect of ﬁ ghting in the Coliseum has gone to 
  Steiner’s head, and he’s quite prepared to ﬁ ght to the 
  death for the glory of the Fuhrer. He’d prefer to duel with 
  the heroes like men, and should they agree, he orders 
  his men to use only their knives. Otherwise, he orders 
  them to open ﬁ re while he closes to melee range.
  The oval ﬂ oor of the Coliseum measures 42” by 24”. 
  Aside from a covering of sand, it is bare.
  On the 3rd round, Steiner uses an action to give a 
  hand signal. Metal grilles slide upward along the walls 
  with a loud clank. Next round, hungry lions enter the 
  arena! The Nazis were planning to celebrate ﬁ nding the 
  Palladium by holding a mock gladiatorial event. Steiner 
  has decided to use the beasts to liven up the current 
  conﬂ ict!
  The lions are hungry, and their captors have been 
  teasing them, so they’re riled. For convenience, the lions 
  all begin in the center of the long side behind where the 
  characters began. They attack the nearest targets, caring 
  nothing for whether their foe is a hero or villain.
  Once Steiner is Incapacitated, the sound of a gunshot 
  rebounds through the mighty stadium. Proceed to the 
  next section. Should all the characters be Incapacitated 
  ﬁ rst, jump straight to Scene 4. Steiner plays no further 
  part in this adventure whatever the outcome. If he sur-
  vives this ﬁ ght, he can return to plague the heroes in 
  your own pulp adventures.
   Klaus Steiner: See page 18.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Experienced Nazi Soldiers (1 per hero): As Nazi 
  soldier (page 19), but with the Rock and Roll Edge.
   Lions (1 per hero): See page 19.
  SURRENDER OR DIE
  SURRENDER OR DIE
  Nazi soldiers are pouring through the entrances 
  and taking up positions around the edge of the 
  arena, their SMGs leveled at you. A mocking, hol-
  low laugh echoes down from the Emperor’s box. 
  Standing up there, clad all in black, is a skeletally 
  thin German ofﬁ cer. His face is split in a wide 
  smile, which gives him the appearance of a grin-
  ning skull. He begins a slow clap.
  “Well done, Amerikaners,” he cackles. “I am 
  Colonel Klinsmann of the SS-Ahnenerbe, and you 
  are surrounded by Germany’s ﬁ nest soldiers. 
  Now, how will this scene end?” He holds out his 
  right arm, his thumb extended horizontal to the 
  ground. “Live or die, it’s your choice.”
  There are a lot of Nazis—the characters count at 
  least 50, and more are arriving all the time. In true pulp 
  fashion, it’s time to surrender. Starting a huge ﬁ ght is 
  certainly an option, of course, but the soldiers don’t 
  close to engage in melee—they have SMGs, and they’ll 
  use them. Keep sending in reinforcements until the ad-
  venturers surrender or are Incapacitated.
  Characters who succeed at a Common Knowledge 
  roll (–2) have heard of the SS-Ahnenerbe. They’re 
  charged with hunting down historic and occult artifacts 
  for Hitler.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Experienced Nazi Soldiers (unlimited): As Nazi 
  soldier (page 19), but with the Rock and Roll Edge.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: WASHOUT
  SCENE 4: WASHOUT
  Disarmed and bound, you are marched deep into 
  the catacombs of Rome, and roughly thrown onto 
  the ﬂ oor of a small, bare chamber. Colonel Klins-
  mann’s skeletal face leers close to your own, his 
  mocking laugh reverberating off the walls.
  “You are about to join the pages of history,” he 
  cackles. “So many people were buried here, and 
  now you are about to join them! Packed behind 
  that wall,” he indicates one of the walls, “are very 
  powerful explosives. When we have reached safety, 
  we will detonate them by remote control. Oh, do 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1010
  not worry—the explosion is unlikely to kill you. No, 
  you see, on the other side of that wall is s network 
  of ﬂ ooded chambers and tunnels. When the wall 
  comes down, this chamber will ﬁ ll with water!”
  He gestures to his men to begin withdrawing. Be-
  fore they leave, they dump your gear on the ﬂ oor. 
  It looks like they don’t expect you to escape their 
  ﬁ endish death trap.
  “I would stay to watch, but we must continue our 
  search for the Palladium. Behind that stone was 
  a most illuminating parchment. It seems Emperor 
  Domitian placed the Palladium somewhere in 
  the chambers and tunnels beneath the Coliseum. 
  A ﬁ tting resting place for the goddess of war, no? 
  How it must gall you to have been so close, and 
  yet fail.”
  With that, the Nazi leader whirls on the spot and 
  joins his men in the passageway. The door slams 
  closed. A heavy scraping on the far side can only 
  mean one thing—they’ve bolted the door!
  The characters have only a short time before the dy-
  namite is detonated, breeching the walls, and ﬂ ooding 
  the chamber. This occurs at the end of the 6th round. 
  In order to escape the death trap, the characters have to 
  perform two actions.
  First, they must escape their bonds. This requires an 
  Agility or Strength roll (character’s choice) at –2. Once 
  free, an adventurer can untie a comrade as an action. No 
  other actions are permitted.
  Second, they must batter down the door. A successful 
  Strength roll at –2 is required. Heroes can Cooperate. Once 
  the door is down, the adventurers can start running.
  The escape through the catacombs works like a Chase, 
  except there are no Obstacles. Lay out ten markers on 
  the table. Each represents 10”. To reach safety, the char-
  acters must pass the 10th marker. Here there is a ladder, 
  which leads to a higher level—it’ll be some time before 
  the water rises this high.
  The heroes and the wall of water soon to be surging 
  through the passages use Agility (though Doc Davenport 
  may substitute this for Piloting if he elects to ﬂ y). The 
  water has Agility d10.
  A hero’s initial position depends on when he started 
  running. For each round before the dynamite explodes, 
  he gains one position on the track. For instance, a 
  character ran for 3 rounds before he heard the explo-
  sion—he begins on the 3rd marker. The water begins off 
  the track—its ﬁ rst Range Increment gained moves it onto 
  the ﬁ rst marker.
  Should the water reach the same marker as a charac-
  ter, it automatically sweeps him off his feet. Each round, 
  he is carried forward with the water, rather than making 
  his own Agility rolls. He suffers 2d8 damage per round 
  (as if from an Extra) as he is pounded by the turbulent 
  wave and smashed against the walls. Once he passes the 
  ﬁ nal marker, the waterlogged adventurer may make a 
  Strength roll at –2 each round to grab the bottom of a 
  ladder. Colleagues who have reached safety may Cooper-
  ate on this. Failure means he takes more damage.
  As always, don’t let a scene like this boil down to a 
  handful of die rolls. Describe the sound of the rushing 
  water, the feel of the spray, the screams of comrades be-
  ing swept along, and so on.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  STORAGE CHAMBER
  STORAGE CHAMBER
  Atop the ladder is a small chamber. The walls are 
  decorated with early Christian symbols, and a few pots 
  and jars lie discarded on the ﬂ oor. One in particular 
  stands out, partly because it is intact, and partly because 
  of its ﬁ ne workmanship. It also has writing around the 
  rim. The image on the jar shows a man in stately pose 
  carrying a small statue toward a stylized city!
  A hero making a Knowledge (History) roll identiﬁ es it 
  as early 4th century, long after the reign of Domitian. Any 
  character who can speak Latin (Blumenthal is ﬂ uent) can 
  translate the words. They read, “Emperor Constantine 
  takes the Palladium to his city.”
  Allow the players to solve this simple puzzle using their 
  own knowledge of history. “His city” refers to Constanti-
  nople, which Constantine named after himself, known as 
  Istanbul in the modern era. Should they require help, a 
  Common Knowledge roll at –2 or Knowledge (History) roll 
  reveals the above information. The characters know what 
  this means—the Germans are digging in the wrong city!
  It looks like it’s time to sneak out of Rome, and head east!
  ACT 3: GATEWAY TO THE EAST
  ACT 3: GATEWAY TO THE EAST
  This is a great time for a hero to invent a Contact. 
  Unlike the regular rules, this time using a Contact pro-
  ESCAPE FAILED
  ESCAPE FAILED
  As with any scene which involves the randomness 
  of dice, there is a chance the door won’t be open by 
  the time the dynamite goes off.
  Any hero in the room during the explosion takes 
  2d10 damage, from a Wild Card source. Worse, the 
  room rapidly begins ﬁ lling with water!
  At the end of the second round after the walls col-
  lapse, water completely ﬁ lls the room. (The charac-
  ters essentially have two rounds to bash down the 
  door before they begin drowning.)
  Opening the door once the room is ﬁ lled, or even 
  partially-ﬁ lled, causes the water to sweep the char-
  acters along. Don’t run the Chase scene—it’s too 
  late for that. For simplicity, assume each hero is 
  carried the entire length of the tunnel, and suffers 
  2d10 damage from a Wild card source before he 
  reaches the higher level of the catacombs.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1010
  not worry—the explosion is unlikely to kill you. No, 
  you see, on the other side of that wall is s network 
  of ﬂ ooded chambers and tunnels. When the wall 
  comes down, this chamber will ﬁ ll with water!”
  He gestures to his men to begin withdrawing. Be-
  fore they leave, they dump your gear on the ﬂ oor. 
  It looks like they don’t expect you to escape their 
  ﬁ endish death trap.
  “I would stay to watch, but we must continue our 
  search for the Palladium. Behind that stone was 
  a most illuminating parchment. It seems Emperor 
  Domitian placed the Palladium somewhere in 
  the chambers and tunnels beneath the Coliseum. 
  A ﬁ tting resting place for the goddess of war, no? 
  How it must gall you to have been so close, and 
  yet fail.”
  With that, the Nazi leader whirls on the spot and 
  joins his men in the passageway. The door slams 
  closed. A heavy scraping on the far side can only 
  mean one thing—they’ve bolted the door!
  The characters have only a short time before the dy-
  namite is detonated, breeching the walls, and ﬂ ooding 
  the chamber. This occurs at the end of the 6th round. 
  In order to escape the death trap, the characters have to 
  perform two actions.
  First, they must escape their bonds. This requires an 
  Agility or Strength roll (character’s choice) at –2. Once 
  free, an adventurer can untie a comrade as an action. No 
  other actions are permitted.
  Second, they must batter down the door. A successful 
  Strength roll at –2 is required. Heroes can Cooperate. Once 
  the door is down, the adventurers can start running.
  The escape through the catacombs works like a Chase, 
  except there are no Obstacles. Lay out ten markers on 
  the table. Each represents 10”. To reach safety, the char-
  acters must pass the 10th marker. Here there is a ladder, 
  which leads to a higher level—it’ll be some time before 
  the water rises this high.
  The heroes and the wall of water soon to be surging 
  through the passages use Agility (though Doc Davenport 
  may substitute this for Piloting if he elects to ﬂ y). The 
  water has Agility d10.
  A hero’s initial position depends on when he started 
  running. For each round before the dynamite explodes, 
  he gains one position on the track. For instance, a 
  character ran for 3 rounds before he heard the explo-
  sion—he begins on the 3rd marker. The water begins off 
  the track—its ﬁ rst Range Increment gained moves it onto 
  the ﬁ rst marker.
  Should the water reach the same marker as a charac-
  ter, it automatically sweeps him off his feet. Each round, 
  he is carried forward with the water, rather than making 
  his own Agility rolls. He suffers 2d8 damage per round 
  (as if from an Extra) as he is pounded by the turbulent 
  wave and smashed against the walls. Once he passes the 
  ﬁ nal marker, the waterlogged adventurer may make a 
  Strength roll at –2 each round to grab the bottom of a 
  ladder. Colleagues who have reached safety may Cooper-
  ate on this. Failure means he takes more damage.
  As always, don’t let a scene like this boil down to a 
  handful of die rolls. Describe the sound of the rushing 
  water, the feel of the spray, the screams of comrades be-
  ing swept along, and so on.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  STORAGE CHAMBER
  STORAGE CHAMBER
  Atop the ladder is a small chamber. The walls are 
  decorated with early Christian symbols, and a few pots 
  and jars lie discarded on the ﬂ oor. One in particular 
  stands out, partly because it is intact, and partly because 
  of its ﬁ ne workmanship. It also has writing around the 
  rim. The image on the jar shows a man in stately pose 
  carrying a small statue toward a stylized city!
  A hero making a Knowledge (History) roll identiﬁ es it 
  as early 4th century, long after the reign of Domitian. Any 
  character who can speak Latin (Blumenthal is ﬂ uent) can 
  translate the words. They read, “Emperor Constantine 
  takes the Palladium to his city.”
  Allow the players to solve this simple puzzle using their 
  own knowledge of history. “His city” refers to Constanti-
  nople, which Constantine named after himself, known as 
  Istanbul in the modern era. Should they require help, a 
  Common Knowledge roll at –2 or Knowledge (History) roll 
  reveals the above information. The characters know what 
  this means—the Germans are digging in the wrong city!
  It looks like it’s time to sneak out of Rome, and head east!
  ACT 3: GATEWAY TO THE EAST
  ACT 3: GATEWAY TO THE EAST
  This is a great time for a hero to invent a Contact. 
  Unlike the regular rules, this time using a Contact pro-
  ESCAPE FAILED
  ESCAPE FAILED
  As with any scene which involves the randomness 
  of dice, there is a chance the door won’t be open by 
  the time the dynamite goes off.
  Any hero in the room during the explosion takes 
  2d10 damage, from a Wild Card source. Worse, the 
  room rapidly begins ﬁ lling with water!
  At the end of the second round after the walls col-
  lapse, water completely ﬁ lls the room. (The charac-
  ters essentially have two rounds to bash down the 
  door before they begin drowning.)
  Opening the door once the room is ﬁ lled, or even 
  partially-ﬁ lled, causes the water to sweep the char-
  acters along. Don’t run the Chase scene—it’s too 
  late for that. For simplicity, assume each hero is 
  carried the entire length of the tunnel, and suffers 
  2d10 damage from a Wild card source before he 
  reaches the higher level of the catacombs.
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1111
  duces a character already detailed for the GM—Stavros 
  “The Bull” Papadopoulos. Details on this shady antiques 
  dealer can be found on page 19. Stavros agrees to meet 
  the heroes in the morning. He says he’ll send a messen-
  ger to their hotel.
  Should no player wish to use a Contact, or if one has 
  been used already this adventure, Blumenthal knows 
  Stavros. He makes a phone call as soon as they reach the 
  city, and arranges a meeting for the next morning.
  SCENE 1: HOT AND STEAMY
  SCENE 1: HOT AND STEAMY
  Your breakfast is interrupted by the appearance 
  of a scrawny, unshaven man wearing a white, 
  sweat-stained suit. He stands in front of your 
  table, coughing continuously as he draws on a 
  Turkish cigarette. The smell of nicotine and body 
  odor hints at several unsavory habits.
  “Excuse the intrusion, good people,” he coughs, 
  tugging his greasy hair. “I am Beni, Stavros’ assist-
  ant. My master will meet you in the Turkish baths 
  situated off the bazaar in one hour.” He pauses, 
  raising one hand to his mouth as he throws a 
  coughing ﬁ t. “Stavros has acquired a private 
  room, to allow for any female company.” (He 
  stares lustfully at any women in the party).
  He tosses a gold coin onto the table. “Just hand 
  this in at the front desk.” He coughs violently 
  again, but this time his hand reaches his mouth 
  too late. A glob of spit lands square in <insert 
  hero’s name> breakfast.
  Beni looks at you with wide eyes and open mouth, 
  smiles weakly, makes a feeble excuse about his 
  sick mother, and quickly runs out of the hotel.
  A modern equivalent of the Roman baths, Turkish 
  baths are renowned for their steam rooms and the vigor 
  of the burly masseurs. Woman and men are usually for-
  bidden from using the same bath. Let the heroes make a 
  Common Knowledge roll. With success, they know that 
  wearing clothes around the bath is prohibited—only 
  towels are allowed! Should they all fail the roll, the re-
  ceptionist points out the establishment’s rules to them 
  when they arrive. Unless a hero has a derringer, the 
  small towels reveal a tell-tale bulge if a character tries to 
  smuggle in a weapon.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
  MEETING STAVROS
  MEETING STAVROS
  After changing into your towels, an assistant 
  guides you to the room Stavros has booked for your 
  meeting. As the door opens and steam billows out, 
  you hear a deep voice calling out, “Come in! Come 
  in before all the steam escapes! The water is very 
  warm. Please join me.” Through the thick, sweet 
  steam, produced by two braziers full of burning 
  coals, you spy the owner of the voice.
  Sitting at the far end of the bath is a brute of a 
  man. His hairy torso pokes up through the steam-
  ing water. His arms are like huge pistons, packed 
  with muscle, but further down the muscle gives 
  way to rolls of fat. The dim glow of a large cigar 
  is visible in his mouth.
  A loud cough from the back of the room alerts you 
  to another presence—Beni!
  Stavros would normally stand, but he refrains if there 
  are ladies present. He doesn’t care whether a hero de-
  cides to join him in the bath or not—he’s used to West-
  erners and their strange ways. When the characters are 
  settled, Stavros reveals what he knows.
  “I have done some research for you, my rich, for-
  eign friends,” he begins, stubbing out his cigar in 
  the water with a loud hiss. “Yes, the Palladium was 
  brought to Istanbul. Emperor Constantine himself 
  delivered it here in the 4th century to ensure his 
  new city would never fall. I know something of 
  the legend, and I must say, there is some truth to 
  its fabled powers. The Arabs failed several times 
  to capture the city.
  “Still, nothing good lasts forever, eh? The city was 
  sacked by Crusaders in 1204, so it’s very unlikely 
  your statue was still here at that point. Ah, don’t 
  be too upset—Stavros always comes through for 
  those he likes!
  “The most likely candidate for stealing it is Em-
  peror Alexius III. He ruled this great city until 
  the Venetian ﬂ eet turned up and deposed him. I 
  came across a parchment in my private collec-
  tion that mentions him sending many treasures 
  away for safety when the ﬂ eet ﬁ rst anchored. Your 
  Palladium was probably one of them—there is no 
  reference to anyone knowing its powers, but it 
  was a very old treasure by then. Alexius is buried 
  in a monastery in Nicaea.
  “I’ve arranged for my son-in-law, Kristos, to bring 
  a truck so you can get there in comfort. He’ll be 
  here soon. Until then, relax and enjoy the steam. 
  Very good for the sinuses.”
  The heroes may have some questions for Stavros. 
  Possible lines of enquiry, and Stavros’ answers, are given 
  below.
  Q: How do you know Alexius was buried with the 
  Palladium?
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1111
  duces a character already detailed for the GM—Stavros 
  “The Bull” Papadopoulos. Details on this shady antiques 
  dealer can be found on page 19. Stavros agrees to meet 
  the heroes in the morning. He says he’ll send a messen-
  ger to their hotel.
  Should no player wish to use a Contact, or if one has 
  been used already this adventure, Blumenthal knows 
  Stavros. He makes a phone call as soon as they reach the 
  city, and arranges a meeting for the next morning.
  SCENE 1: HOT AND STEAMY
  SCENE 1: HOT AND STEAMY
  Your breakfast is interrupted by the appearance 
  of a scrawny, unshaven man wearing a white, 
  sweat-stained suit. He stands in front of your 
  table, coughing continuously as he draws on a 
  Turkish cigarette. The smell of nicotine and body 
  odor hints at several unsavory habits.
  “Excuse the intrusion, good people,” he coughs, 
  tugging his greasy hair. “I am Beni, Stavros’ assist-
  ant. My master will meet you in the Turkish baths 
  situated off the bazaar in one hour.” He pauses, 
  raising one hand to his mouth as he throws a 
  coughing ﬁ t. “Stavros has acquired a private 
  room, to allow for any female company.” (He 
  stares lustfully at any women in the party).
  He tosses a gold coin onto the table. “Just hand 
  this in at the front desk.” He coughs violently 
  again, but this time his hand reaches his mouth 
  too late. A glob of spit lands square in <insert 
  hero’s name> breakfast.
  Beni looks at you with wide eyes and open mouth, 
  smiles weakly, makes a feeble excuse about his 
  sick mother, and quickly runs out of the hotel.
  A modern equivalent of the Roman baths, Turkish 
  baths are renowned for their steam rooms and the vigor 
  of the burly masseurs. Woman and men are usually for-
  bidden from using the same bath. Let the heroes make a 
  Common Knowledge roll. With success, they know that 
  wearing clothes around the bath is prohibited—only 
  towels are allowed! Should they all fail the roll, the re-
  ceptionist points out the establishment’s rules to them 
  when they arrive. Unless a hero has a derringer, the 
  small towels reveal a tell-tale bulge if a character tries to 
  smuggle in a weapon.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
  MEETING STAVROS
  MEETING STAVROS
  After changing into your towels, an assistant 
  guides you to the room Stavros has booked for your 
  meeting. As the door opens and steam billows out, 
  you hear a deep voice calling out, “Come in! Come 
  in before all the steam escapes! The water is very 
  warm. Please join me.” Through the thick, sweet 
  steam, produced by two braziers full of burning 
  coals, you spy the owner of the voice.
  Sitting at the far end of the bath is a brute of a 
  man. His hairy torso pokes up through the steam-
  ing water. His arms are like huge pistons, packed 
  with muscle, but further down the muscle gives 
  way to rolls of fat. The dim glow of a large cigar 
  is visible in his mouth.
  A loud cough from the back of the room alerts you 
  to another presence—Beni!
  Stavros would normally stand, but he refrains if there 
  are ladies present. He doesn’t care whether a hero de-
  cides to join him in the bath or not—he’s used to West-
  erners and their strange ways. When the characters are 
  settled, Stavros reveals what he knows.
  “I have done some research for you, my rich, for-
  eign friends,” he begins, stubbing out his cigar in 
  the water with a loud hiss. “Yes, the Palladium was 
  brought to Istanbul. Emperor Constantine himself 
  delivered it here in the 4th century to ensure his 
  new city would never fall. I know something of 
  the legend, and I must say, there is some truth to 
  its fabled powers. The Arabs failed several times 
  to capture the city.
  “Still, nothing good lasts forever, eh? The city was 
  sacked by Crusaders in 1204, so it’s very unlikely 
  your statue was still here at that point. Ah, don’t 
  be too upset—Stavros always comes through for 
  those he likes!
  “The most likely candidate for stealing it is Em-
  peror Alexius III. He ruled this great city until 
  the Venetian ﬂ eet turned up and deposed him. I 
  came across a parchment in my private collec-
  tion that mentions him sending many treasures 
  away for safety when the ﬂ eet ﬁ rst anchored. Your 
  Palladium was probably one of them—there is no 
  reference to anyone knowing its powers, but it 
  was a very old treasure by then. Alexius is buried 
  in a monastery in Nicaea.
  “I’ve arranged for my son-in-law, Kristos, to bring 
  a truck so you can get there in comfort. He’ll be 
  here soon. Until then, relax and enjoy the steam. 
  Very good for the sinuses.”
  The heroes may have some questions for Stavros. 
  Possible lines of enquiry, and Stavros’ answers, are given 
  below.
  Q: How do you know Alexius was buried with the 
  Palladium?
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1212
  A: “Nothing is certain in life, except death, taxes, and 
  sleeping on the sofa if you forget your wife’s birthday. 
  Even if Alexius didn’t take the treasures to his grave, he 
  may have left a clue.” He shrugs his massive shoulders. 
  “And it’s all I have for you.”
  Q: How far is Nicaea?
  A: “It’s across the Bosphorus, in Asia Minor of old. 
  Maybe 70 miles, maybe a bit more. You’ll reach it by 
  nightfall. My cousin runs a nice little hotel there. I’ll 
  phone ahead and make you reservations.”
  Q: Have any others been asking for this information?
  A: “No, you’re the ﬁ rst. Why, who else is interested? If 
  they’re rich, I should have doubled my fee!” he laughs.
  Once the questioning is complete, the characters hear 
  the door to the room open. A group of men wearing dark 
  robes have entered.
  “Hey!” shouts Stavros. “This room is private. Clear 
  out before I throw you out.” Apparently the chal-
  lenge is accepted, for each man draws a curved 
  knife from beneath his robes.
  It’s time to deal action cards.
  The bath room measures 8” to a side. The bath sits 
  in the center of the room and is 4” by 4”. The steam 
  makes the lighting Dim (–1). Treat movement through 
  the water as difﬁ cult ground. 
  The thugs don’t target Beni, and he makes no attempt 
  to interfere in the ﬁ ght. Instead, he runs from the bath 
  once the skirmish starts (to alert more assassins waiting 
  outside). Stavros, however, has taken this intrusion has 
  a slight on his honor and authority. He’ll aid the charac-
  ters. Blumenthal assists in whatever manner he feels is 
  right. Hand out Ally Sheets for these two helpers.
  Several handy props are located in the bath area.
  * Small buckets (4): These are full of water. Used as a 
  weapon, a bucket causes Str+d4 damage. Alternately, 
  the water can be thrown (once per bucker) as part of 
  an Agility Trick.
  * Large bars of soap (2): These can be thrown (Range: 
  3/6/12, Str+d4) or used as part of an Agility Trick.
  * Towels (6): While not exactly feared as a weapon, 
  twirling it into a spiral and ﬂ icking someone with the 
  wet end is a great Agility Trick.
  * Brazier (2): These produce the steam ﬁ lling the 
  room. Tipping one over requires only an action. Place 
  a Small Burst Template adjacent to the brazier. Anyone 
  under the template must make an Agility roll or be 
  Shaken as they are sprayed with hot coals. The assas-
  sins, who are wearing full-length robes, have a chance 
  of catching ﬁ re as well. Cinematic pulp 
  humor demands a goon who ignites must 
  jump into the bath (taking 1d10 damage 
  just before the ﬂ ames are extinguished).
  The template remains in place for the 
  remainder of the encounter. Anyone en-
  tering it or beginning their turn in it must 
  make an Agility roll or be Shaken as their 
  feet begin to burn.
  ( ) Stavros: See page 19.
  ( ) Beni Hassan: See page 18.
  ( ) Blumenthal: See page 18.
  ( ) Istanbul Assassins (2 per hero): 
  See page 19, but only armed with knives
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Stavros tells the characters he’ll sort 
  out the mess and smooth things over with 
  the bathhouse management. Meanwhile, 
  he suggests they get dressed quickly and 
  quietly, and wait outside in the bazaar for 
  his brother-in-law.
  Should a thug be taken alive, he knows 
  nothing of interest. They don’t tend to 
  study their clients or record names.
  SCENE 2: BRAWL IN THE BAZAAR
  SCENE 2: BRAWL IN THE BAZAAR
  Beni, fearing his plan might fail, and 
  knowing enough information to ensure a 
  decent payoff by the Nazis, has warned a 
  party of assassins lurking outside the baths 
  to attack the heroes. However, he can’t 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1212
  A: “Nothing is certain in life, except death, taxes, and 
  sleeping on the sofa if you forget your wife’s birthday. 
  Even if Alexius didn’t take the treasures to his grave, he 
  may have left a clue.” He shrugs his massive shoulders. 
  “And it’s all I have for you.”
  Q: How far is Nicaea?
  A: “It’s across the Bosphorus, in Asia Minor of old. 
  Maybe 70 miles, maybe a bit more. You’ll reach it by 
  nightfall. My cousin runs a nice little hotel there. I’ll 
  phone ahead and make you reservations.”
  Q: Have any others been asking for this information?
  A: “No, you’re the ﬁ rst. Why, who else is interested? If 
  they’re rich, I should have doubled my fee!” he laughs.
  Once the questioning is complete, the characters hear 
  the door to the room open. A group of men wearing dark 
  robes have entered.
  “Hey!” shouts Stavros. “This room is private. Clear 
  out before I throw you out.” Apparently the chal-
  lenge is accepted, for each man draws a curved 
  knife from beneath his robes.
  It’s time to deal action cards.
  The bath room measures 8” to a side. The bath sits 
  in the center of the room and is 4” by 4”. The steam 
  makes the lighting Dim (–1). Treat movement through 
  the water as difﬁ cult ground. 
  The thugs don’t target Beni, and he makes no attempt 
  to interfere in the ﬁ ght. Instead, he runs from the bath 
  once the skirmish starts (to alert more assassins waiting 
  outside). Stavros, however, has taken this intrusion has 
  a slight on his honor and authority. He’ll aid the charac-
  ters. Blumenthal assists in whatever manner he feels is 
  right. Hand out Ally Sheets for these two helpers.
  Several handy props are located in the bath area.
  * Small buckets (4): These are full of water. Used as a 
  weapon, a bucket causes Str+d4 damage. Alternately, 
  the water can be thrown (once per bucker) as part of 
  an Agility Trick.
  * Large bars of soap (2): These can be thrown (Range: 
  3/6/12, Str+d4) or used as part of an Agility Trick.
  * Towels (6): While not exactly feared as a weapon, 
  twirling it into a spiral and ﬂ icking someone with the 
  wet end is a great Agility Trick.
  * Brazier (2): These produce the steam ﬁ lling the 
  room. Tipping one over requires only an action. Place 
  a Small Burst Template adjacent to the brazier. Anyone 
  under the template must make an Agility roll or be 
  Shaken as they are sprayed with hot coals. The assas-
  sins, who are wearing full-length robes, have a chance 
  of catching ﬁ re as well. Cinematic pulp 
  humor demands a goon who ignites must 
  jump into the bath (taking 1d10 damage 
  just before the ﬂ ames are extinguished).
  The template remains in place for the 
  remainder of the encounter. Anyone en-
  tering it or beginning their turn in it must 
  make an Agility roll or be Shaken as their 
  feet begin to burn.
   Stavros: See page 19.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Istanbul Assassins (2 per hero): See 
  page 19, but only armed with knives
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Stavros tells the characters he’ll sort 
  out the mess and smooth things over with 
  the bathhouse management. Meanwhile, 
  he suggests they get dressed quickly and 
  quietly, and wait outside in the bazaar for 
  his brother-in-law.
  Should a thug be taken alive, he knows 
  nothing of interest. They don’t tend to 
  study their clients or record names.
  SCENE 2: BRAWL IN THE BAZAAR
  SCENE 2: BRAWL IN THE BAZAAR
  Beni, fearing his plan might fail, and 
  knowing enough information to ensure a 
  decent payoff by the Nazis, has warned a 
  party of assassins lurking outside the baths 
  to attack the heroes. However, he can’t 
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1313
  very well run off, in case Stavros grows suspicious. As 
  such, he is loitering in the market.
  Stavros joins you after a few minutes. “All sorted,” 
  he grins. “Money covers up a lot of sins. Hmmm, 
  Kristos is late, as always. Ah well, we might as 
  well browse the stalls for a bit. You can ﬁ nd some 
  good bargains here, if you’re prepared to haggle.
  “Ah, Beni, you coward!” Stavros roars. “Get your 
  worthless hide over here. I need you to guide my 
  friends to Nicaea.”
  Let the characters browse the stalls. The various sell-
  ers are pushing jewelry, rugs, incense, coffee, hot food, 
  decorated ceramics, silverware, and whatever else the 
  GM wants to add.
  Before they get too complacent or start to lose inter-
  est, the crowd of shoppers suddenly parts. Surrounding 
  the characters is a band of robed men, all brandishing 
  scimitars! Without giving the characters a chance to offer 
  surrender terms, they rush to attack!
  The bazaar is huge and should cover most of the 
  table. Each brightly-covered stall, and there are dozens 
  and dozens of them, measures 1” wide and 2” long. The 
  objects for sale on the stalls are whatever the characters 
  require (within sensible limits). For instance, if a hero 
  wants to grab a pot to smash onto a thug’s head, stab one 
  with a kebab skewer, wrap one in a rug, or grab a silver 
  plate to use as a makeshift buckler (Parry +1), there’s 
  one on the nearest stall!
  When there are just two assassins left, Stavros points 
  up the street to a huge mob of similarly dressed men, all 
  brandishing swords. Just at that moment, a ﬂ atbed truck 
  screeches to a halt across the street, disgorging a dozen 
  men armed with pick axe handles.
  “Good old Kristos—always prepared to have a 
  little fun,” Stavros laughs, slapping each of you 
  on the back. “Go now, my friends, while you still 
  can, and ﬁ nd that statue of yours. My family and 
  I have to teach some manners to these scum. Good 
  hunting in Nicaea!” With that, he and his men 
  charge toward the sword-wielding thugs.
  Beni looks reluctant to accompany you, but one 
  glance at Stavros cracking a thug’s head with his 
  bare hands quickly changes his mind. He climbs 
  in the cab and waits.
   Stavros: See page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Istanbul Assassins (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: BOMBS ON WHEELS
  SCENE 3: BOMBS ON WHEELS
  A maximum of three characters can squeeze into 
  the cab, though there’s plentiful room on the ﬂ at bed. 
  Stacked in the back, beneath a heavy tarpaulin, are doz-
  ens of crates. Curious heroes opening a few ﬁ nd only live 
  chickens and obviously fake antiques, the latter no doubt 
  destined for some shady market stall owner to pawn off 
  to unsuspecting tourists. There is a hidden surprise, but 
  that comes later.
  After about 50 miles, two German halftracks burst 
  through the undergrowth just behind the truck, and 
  give chase! This is a Chase scene, and uses special Event 
  Stages (see below). The Range Increment is 5”, and the 
  initial distance is Near.
  The halftracks try to move alongside the truck, so the 
  drivers can use the Parallel maneuver. This allows the 
  soldiers in the back to leap onto the back of the truck—
  their orders are to take Blumenthal alive. Everyone else 
  is expendable.
  The machineguns on the halftracks are more for cin-
  ematic effect than a true threat. While the speed differ-
  ence between the vehicles in irrelevant, the halftrack is 
  an Unstable Platform, and the gunners don’t have Rock 
  and Roll, giving them a –4 penalty.
  ARMED AND DANGEROUS
  ARMED AND DANGEROUS
  On the ﬁ rst Critical Hit to the truck or failed Driving 
  roll, whichever comes ﬁ rst, several of the crates tip over. 
  Hidden beneath the topmost crates is a smaller one. It 
  is open, and stacked with small bottles of clear liquid. A 
  warning label on each displays the words, “Nitroglycer-
  ine, handle with care.”
  The crate contains 12 bottles. These can be thrown 
  to a range of 3/6/12. For the purposes of the Chase, 
  everything on the same Range Increment as the impact 
  suffers 3d6 damage (AP 2, HW). The whole crate can be 
  dumped overboard, but not thrown. It explodes at the 
  end of the current round, causing 4d10 damage (AP 24, 
  HW) to everything within 1 Range Increment.
  Draw a card from the action deck any time the truck 
  suffers a Chassis Critical Hit after the nitroglycerine has 
  been discovered. A Joker indicates the nitroglycerine has 
  been damaged and will explode at the end of the current 
  round. Crates explode as above.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the participants move through the 
  Turkish landscape. Space 20 markers in a line along the 
  table to present the route. Place a different color marker 
  at the 5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, and 20th positions. These are 
  the Event Stages. The Chase won’t carry on beyond the 
  20th position.
  Move each combatant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual participant 
  is in relation to the events.
  When a vehicle reaches a Stage it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Driving rolls 
  apply to the roll made at the start of each round. Unlike 
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1313
  very well run off, in case Stavros grows suspicious. As 
  such, he is loitering in the market.
  Stavros joins you after a few minutes. “All sorted,” 
  he grins. “Money covers up a lot of sins. Hmmm, 
  Kristos is late, as always. Ah well, we might as 
  well browse the stalls for a bit. You can ﬁ nd some 
  good bargains here, if you’re prepared to haggle.
  “Ah, Beni, you coward!” Stavros roars. “Get your 
  worthless hide over here. I need you to guide my 
  friends to Nicaea.”
  Let the characters browse the stalls. The various sell-
  ers are pushing jewelry, rugs, incense, coffee, hot food, 
  decorated ceramics, silverware, and whatever else the 
  GM wants to add.
  Before they get too complacent or start to lose inter-
  est, the crowd of shoppers suddenly parts. Surrounding 
  the characters is a band of robed men, all brandishing 
  scimitars! Without giving the characters a chance to offer 
  surrender terms, they rush to attack!
  The bazaar is huge and should cover most of the 
  table. Each brightly-covered stall, and there are dozens 
  and dozens of them, measures 1” wide and 2” long. The 
  objects for sale on the stalls are whatever the characters 
  require (within sensible limits). For instance, if a hero 
  wants to grab a pot to smash onto a thug’s head, stab one 
  with a kebab skewer, wrap one in a rug, or grab a silver 
  plate to use as a makeshift buckler (Parry +1), there’s 
  one on the nearest stall!
  When there are just two assassins left, Stavros points 
  up the street to a huge mob of similarly dressed men, all 
  brandishing swords. Just at that moment, a ﬂ atbed truck 
  screeches to a halt across the street, disgorging a dozen 
  men armed with pick axe handles.
  “Good old Kristos—always prepared to have a 
  little fun,” Stavros laughs, slapping each of you 
  on the back. “Go now, my friends, while you still 
  can, and ﬁ nd that statue of yours. My family and 
  I have to teach some manners to these scum. Good 
  hunting in Nicaea!” With that, he and his men 
  charge toward the sword-wielding thugs.
  Beni looks reluctant to accompany you, but one 
  glance at Stavros cracking a thug’s head with his 
  bare hands quickly changes his mind. He climbs 
  in the cab and waits.
   Stavros: See page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Istanbul Assassins (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: BOMBS ON WHEELS
  SCENE 3: BOMBS ON WHEELS
  A maximum of three characters can squeeze into 
  the cab, though there’s plentiful room on the ﬂ at bed. 
  Stacked in the back, beneath a heavy tarpaulin, are doz-
  ens of crates. Curious heroes opening a few ﬁ nd only live 
  chickens and obviously fake antiques, the latter no doubt 
  destined for some shady market stall owner to pawn off 
  to unsuspecting tourists. There is a hidden surprise, but 
  that comes later.
  After about 50 miles, two German halftracks burst 
  through the undergrowth just behind the truck, and 
  give chase! This is a Chase scene, and uses special Event 
  Stages (see below). The Range Increment is 5”, and the 
  initial distance is Near.
  The halftracks try to move alongside the truck, so the 
  drivers can use the Parallel maneuver. This allows the 
  soldiers in the back to leap onto the back of the truck—
  their orders are to take Blumenthal alive. Everyone else 
  is expendable.
  The machineguns on the halftracks are more for cin-
  ematic effect than a true threat. While the speed differ-
  ence between the vehicles in irrelevant, the halftrack is 
  an Unstable Platform, and the gunners don’t have Rock 
  and Roll, giving them a –4 penalty.
  ARMED AND DANGEROUS
  ARMED AND DANGEROUS
  On the ﬁ rst Critical Hit to the truck or failed Driving 
  roll, whichever comes ﬁ rst, several of the crates tip over. 
  Hidden beneath the topmost crates is a smaller one. It 
  is open, and stacked with small bottles of clear liquid. A 
  warning label on each displays the words, “Nitroglycer-
  ine, handle with care.”
  The crate contains 12 bottles. These can be thrown 
  to a range of 3/6/12. For the purposes of the Chase, 
  everything on the same Range Increment as the impact 
  suffers 3d6 damage (AP 2, HW). The whole crate can be 
  dumped overboard, but not thrown. It explodes at the 
  end of the current round, causing 4d10 damage (AP 24, 
  HW) to everything within 1 Range Increment.
  Draw a card from the action deck any time the truck 
  suffers a Chassis Critical Hit after the nitroglycerine has 
  been discovered. A Joker indicates the nitroglycerine has 
  been damaged and will explode at the end of the current 
  round. Crates explode as above.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the participants move through the 
  Turkish landscape. Space 20 markers in a line along the 
  table to present the route. Place a different color marker 
  at the 5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, and 20th positions. These are 
  the Event Stages. The Chase won’t carry on beyond the 
  20th position.
  Move each combatant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual participant 
  is in relation to the events.
  When a vehicle reaches a Stage it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Driving rolls 
  apply to the roll made at the start of each round. Unlike 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1414
  Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events affect 
  all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, rivers, an-
  cient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create a 
  few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  5th: A ﬂ ock of sheep are blocking the road. The driver 
  has three choices—speed through the ﬂ ock, slow down 
  and gently push through, or go off-road. Going through 
  the herd means slowing drastically, whereas heading 
  onto the rough may damage the truck or cause the driver 
  to lose control.
  Speeding through the ﬂ ock requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  A failure causes a collision with a soft obstacle. The Nazis all 
  elect this option—their halftracks have Heavy Armor.
  Gently nudging through the sheep gives a –4 penalty to 
  the Driving roll, but a failure only results in no progress.
  Heading off-road imparts no penalty. A failure causes 
  the vehicle to suffer a collision with a hard obstacle, such 
  as a tree stump or boulder.
  8th: Road? This isn’t a road! Things get rather bumpy, 
  which is probably rather nerve-wracking for the passen-
  gers cradling the nitroglycerine in the truck! The driver 
  must make his Driving roll at –2, or the vehicle goes Out 
  of Control.
  12th: A sharp bend in the road forces the drivers to 
  turn quickly. The Driving roll is made at –2. On a failure, 
  the vehicle drives into a ditch, forcing it to forgo any 
  movement next round.
  15th: The road passes between high-sided cliffs. Unsta-
  ble rocks begin to slide down onto the road. The Driving 
  roll is made at no penalty. Failure leads to the vehicle be-
  ing hit by a boulder for 3d6 damage (Wild Card source).
  20th: The road is heading for a steep canyon, the 
  bridge is out, and there’s nowhere to turn around! 
  Jumping the bridge requires a Driving roll at –4. Success 
  means the truck clears the gap with ease, and bounces 
  away to safety—the halftracks can’t make the leap. 
  Failure causes the truck to suffer 3 automatic wounds 
  on impact, possibly Wrecking it. Fortunately, there are 
  plenty of rocks to hide behind. The Nazis soon give up 
  the chase and turn back.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Nazi Vehicle Crew (2 per vehicle): As Nazi sol-
  diers (page 19).
   Nazi Soldiers (6 per halftrack): See page 19.
  HALF-TRACKS
  HALF-TRACKS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/20; Toughness: 13 (2); Crew: 2+15
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  * MG34 (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3)
  KRISTOS’ TRUCK
  KRISTOS’ TRUCK
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 1+10
  SCENE 4: A GRAVE SITUATION
  SCENE 4: A GRAVE SITUATION
  At long last, the heroes reach Nicaea. Stavros’ cousin, 
  Azban, is expecting them at his hotel. Finding it requires 
  only mentioning Stavros’ name. Azban is a friendly chap, 
  but prone to over-politeness to Stavros’ friends. He has 
  rooms booked, though only three—one double, and two 
  singles.
  Of course, the characters may wish to head for the 
  monastery immediately. Azban provides directions and 
  mules for the short trip. He offers shovels, rope, torches, 
  and pick axes, as well—Stavros’ friends invariably come 
  to the region in search of artifacts, though Azban has 
  learned not to ask questions of his “honored guests.”
  Azban explains that the monastery is now an aban-
  doned ruin. The tomb of Alexius III lies in the east wing, 
  and takes the form of a granite sarcophagus. He hasn’t 
  heard of any other “archaeological parties” operating in 
  the region.
  TOO LATE
  TOO LATE
  No matter when the characters decide to check out 
  the monastery, the place is deserted. The sand and dust 
  have clearly not been disturbed in years. After a brief 
  search, they locate the sarcophagus. Removing the lid is 
  hard work, but doesn’t require any die rolls (time isn’t 
  against the characters).
  Inch by inch, the heavy slab begins to move. 
  With a ﬁ nal creak it swings clear, crashing to the 
  ground with a noise like a bomb going off. Inside, 
  the tomb is empty—completely empty!
  If an adventurer checks, the inside and outside depths 
  don’t match. Even allowing for a thicker base, the sar-
  cophagus is a good foot shallower inside than it should 
  be. Should they not check, allow them a Notice roll to 
  discover this.
  Hacking at the bottom of the sarcophagus interior even-
  tually reveals a hole. Leading into the gloom is an ancient, 
  wooden ladder. It’s perfectly safe, despite appearances.
  Climbing down brings the characters to a small cham-
  ber at one end of a long corridor. At the far end is a stout 
  wooden door. All along the walls are wooden panels, 
  covered in images of ancient rulers, all with identifying 
  labels beneath. The ﬁ nal panel depicts Alexius III. In his 
  hands he holds a small statue, which Blumenthal con-
  ﬁ rms is the Palladium!
  The door opens into a large chamber. Carved 
  into the walls are dozens of large holes, in which 
  were once placed wooden cofﬁ ns. These have 
  been dragged out and smashed, and the human 
  remains scattered haphazardly around, though 
  the cobwebs and settled dust would indicate the 
  desecration did not occur recently.
  One skeleton wears a chain hauberk and carries 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1414
  Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events affect 
  all vehicles reaching the marker equally.
  The stages form an abstract map. This system can be 
  used equally well for Chases in urban areas, rivers, an-
  cient ruins, and so forth—all the GM need do is create a 
  few encounters for his Chase scene that all the vehicles 
  must encounter.
  5th: A ﬂ ock of sheep are blocking the road. The driver 
  has three choices—speed through the ﬂ ock, slow down 
  and gently push through, or go off-road. Going through 
  the herd means slowing drastically, whereas heading 
  onto the rough may damage the truck or cause the driver 
  to lose control.
  Speeding through the ﬂ ock requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  A failure causes a collision with a soft obstacle. The Nazis all 
  elect this option—their halftracks have Heavy Armor.
  Gently nudging through the sheep gives a –4 penalty to 
  the Driving roll, but a failure only results in no progress.
  Heading off-road imparts no penalty. A failure causes 
  the vehicle to suffer a collision with a hard obstacle, such 
  as a tree stump or boulder.
  8th: Road? This isn’t a road! Things get rather bumpy, 
  which is probably rather nerve-wracking for the passen-
  gers cradling the nitroglycerine in the truck! The driver 
  must make his Driving roll at –2, or the vehicle goes Out 
  of Control.
  12th: A sharp bend in the road forces the drivers to 
  turn quickly. The Driving roll is made at –2. On a failure, 
  the vehicle drives into a ditch, forcing it to forgo any 
  movement next round.
  15th: The road passes between high-sided cliffs. Unsta-
  ble rocks begin to slide down onto the road. The Driving 
  roll is made at no penalty. Failure leads to the vehicle be-
  ing hit by a boulder for 3d6 damage (Wild Card source).
  20th: The road is heading for a steep canyon, the 
  bridge is out, and there’s nowhere to turn around! 
  Jumping the bridge requires a Driving roll at –4. Success 
  means the truck clears the gap with ease, and bounces 
  away to safety—the halftracks can’t make the leap. 
  Failure causes the truck to suffer 3 automatic wounds 
  on impact, possibly Wrecking it. Fortunately, there are 
  plenty of rocks to hide behind. The Nazis soon give up 
  the chase and turn back.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Nazi Vehicle Crew (2 per vehicle): As Nazi sol-
  diers (page 19).
   Nazi Soldiers (6 per halftrack): See page 19.
  HALF-TRACKS
  HALF-TRACKS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/20; Toughness: 13 (2); Crew: 2+15
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  * MG34 (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3)
  KRISTOS’ TRUCK
  KRISTOS’ TRUCK
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 1+10
  SCENE 4: A GRAVE SITUATION
  SCENE 4: A GRAVE SITUATION
  At long last, the heroes reach Nicaea. Stavros’ cousin, 
  Azban, is expecting them at his hotel. Finding it requires 
  only mentioning Stavros’ name. Azban is a friendly chap, 
  but prone to over-politeness to Stavros’ friends. He has 
  rooms booked, though only three—one double, and two 
  singles.
  Of course, the characters may wish to head for the 
  monastery immediately. Azban provides directions and 
  mules for the short trip. He offers shovels, rope, torches, 
  and pick axes, as well—Stavros’ friends invariably come 
  to the region in search of artifacts, though Azban has 
  learned not to ask questions of his “honored guests.”
  Azban explains that the monastery is now an aban-
  doned ruin. The tomb of Alexius III lies in the east wing, 
  and takes the form of a granite sarcophagus. He hasn’t 
  heard of any other “archaeological parties” operating in 
  the region.
  TOO LATE
  TOO LATE
  No matter when the characters decide to check out 
  the monastery, the place is deserted. The sand and dust 
  have clearly not been disturbed in years. After a brief 
  search, they locate the sarcophagus. Removing the lid is 
  hard work, but doesn’t require any die rolls (time isn’t 
  against the characters).
  Inch by inch, the heavy slab begins to move. 
  With a ﬁ nal creak it swings clear, crashing to the 
  ground with a noise like a bomb going off. Inside, 
  the tomb is empty—completely empty!
  If an adventurer checks, the inside and outside depths 
  don’t match. Even allowing for a thicker base, the sar-
  cophagus is a good foot shallower inside than it should 
  be. Should they not check, allow them a Notice roll to 
  discover this.
  Hacking at the bottom of the sarcophagus interior even-
  tually reveals a hole. Leading into the gloom is an ancient, 
  wooden ladder. It’s perfectly safe, despite appearances.
  Climbing down brings the characters to a small cham-
  ber at one end of a long corridor. At the far end is a stout 
  wooden door. All along the walls are wooden panels, 
  covered in images of ancient rulers, all with identifying 
  labels beneath. The ﬁ nal panel depicts Alexius III. In his 
  hands he holds a small statue, which Blumenthal con-
  ﬁ rms is the Palladium!
  The door opens into a large chamber. Carved 
  into the walls are dozens of large holes, in which 
  were once placed wooden cofﬁ ns. These have 
  been dragged out and smashed, and the human 
  remains scattered haphazardly around, though 
  the cobwebs and settled dust would indicate the 
  desecration did not occur recently.
  One skeleton wears a chain hauberk and carries 
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1515
  a long sword. From the look of it, the killing blow 
  was to his head, and from behind. On his left 
  hand is a large gold ring. He also has a leather 
  pouch on his belt.
  The skeleton belongs to one of the tomb robbers, 
  Crusaders who discovered the tomb in the 14th century 
  and looted its treasures. The gold ring displays a heraldic 
  crest. A Knowledge (History) roll reveals it be of Viennese 
  origin, dating no later than 1370. Inside the pouch are a 
  handful of silver coins. Again, a Knowledge (History) roll 
  places these as Viennese from the 14th century.
  Don’t worry if the explorers fail these rolls—they can 
  try Investigation rolls when they reach civilization, or ask 
  Stavros should they return to Istanbul.
  SLICE AND DICE
  SLICE AND DICE
  Leaving the burial chamber activates an ancient trap. 
  When the occupants were laid to rest, one member of 
  the funerary party always stayed at the other end of the 
  corridor, wherein the trap control mechanism is located. 
  It takes the guise of a stone, which depresses to disable 
  the deadly trap.
  Entering the corridor for the return trip, you are 
  forced to leap back as spinning metal discs, no 
  doubt with razor sharp edges, whirl out from the 
  walls. Further along the passage you can see more 
  discs and whirling, twisting blades.
  It looks bad, but things are about to get even 
  worse! A huge stone is lowering at the far end, 
  threatening to seal you in the depths of the earth!
  The stone seals the heroes in the corridor at the end 
  of the 6th round. In order to escape, the characters need 
  to avoid the blades and discs, and dive under the door.
  The corridor is 11” long in total, and 1” wide. Don’t 
  worry about the character sharing the same square—each 
  one is 2 yards to a side, so there’s plenty of room for the 
  purposes of this scene.
  The ﬁ rst two squares out of the burial chamber are 
  clear. The next square contains whirling discs and blades, 
  as does very other square thereafter. The stone door is 
  located at the far edge of the last square—a square ﬁ lled 
  with blades!
  Each set of blades whirls to its own particular timing. 
  A character who makes a Smarts roll at –2 spots a gap 
  in their movement, giving him a chance to leap through 
  with relative ease. A failure means he misjudges his 
  jump. One Smarts roll must be made per set of blades 
  and discs.
  Actually moving through a trapped square requires 
  an Agility roll at –2. Characters who succeeded in their 
  Smarts roll don’t suffer this penalty, while those who 
  failed must take a –4 penalty. A failure on the Agility roll 
  means the explorer takes 2d6 damage (Wild Card source) 
  and makes no progress this round!
  Note that characters can try to clear multiple sets of 
  traps in the same round. However, the Smarts roll only 
  covers the ﬁ rst set (the others are too obscured to study 
  clearly), and the Agility roll also suffers a multi-action 
  penalty. Any failure stops the character at the ﬁ rst set of 
  traps he is trying to avoid.
  Any hero who reaches the chamber beneath the sar-
  cophagus can make a Notice roll each round. With a suc-
  cess, he locates the disarming device. Pressing it causes 
  the blades to retreat into the walls and the stone to lift 
  back into the ceiling.
  Unfortunately, there is an added obstacle. Once the 
  square nearest the burial chamber door is completely 
  vacated, a huge stone block slides down, preventing the 
  characters from going back to the chamber. They face 
  being totally trapped, deep beneath the earth, and sur-
  rounded by whirling death!
  Don’t panic if the door actually seals the characters 
  inside the tunnel—Azban turns up a few minutes later, 
  having been phoned by Stavros and told to keep a very 
  close eye on his friends—and deactivates the trap. 
  On no account should the characters be told this in 
  advance—the threat of death should seem very real to 
  them.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
  ACT 4: OH, VIENNA
  ACT 4: OH, VIENNA
  Once free of the deadly trap, the characters can leave 
  the monastery. Unfortunately, they are about to run into 
  old friends. Note that while the ﬁ rst scene of this Act fol-
  lows on directly from the one above, it was placed in Act 
  4 to allow the characters to recover a wound (a sneaky, 
  but effective, use of our setting rules).
  SCENE 1: TURKEY SHOOT
  SCENE 1: TURKEY SHOOT
  As you clamber down from the ruins, you spy a 
  number of German vehicles parked nearby. Before 
  you can react, the distinctive sound of SMGs being 
  cocked reaches your ears. Nazi soldiers emerge 
  from the surrounding undergrowth. Behind them 
  is Colonel Klinsmann, still looking like he just 
  crawled from a grave.
  “Thank you for your assistance,” he cackles. “I’m 
  afraid all the credit will be mine, but I am willing 
  to be magnanimous in victory. Now, where is the 
  Palladium?”
  Heroes with Big Mouth now get their chance to spill 
  the beans. If they don’t (feel free to conﬁ scate a benny 
  for this breech of the rules), or no character has the Hin-
  drance, Beni reveals his true nature. If a character talked, 
  Beni still goes across to the Colonel, only this time to 
  clarify the adventurer is telling the truth.
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1515
  a long sword. From the look of it, the killing blow 
  was to his head, and from behind. On his left 
  hand is a large gold ring. He also has a leather 
  pouch on his belt.
  The skeleton belongs to one of the tomb robbers, 
  Crusaders who discovered the tomb in the 14th century 
  and looted its treasures. The gold ring displays a heraldic 
  crest. A Knowledge (History) roll reveals it be of Viennese 
  origin, dating no later than 1370. Inside the pouch are a 
  handful of silver coins. Again, a Knowledge (History) roll 
  places these as Viennese from the 14th century.
  Don’t worry if the explorers fail these rolls—they can 
  try Investigation rolls when they reach civilization, or ask 
  Stavros should they return to Istanbul.
  SLICE AND DICE
  SLICE AND DICE
  Leaving the burial chamber activates an ancient trap. 
  When the occupants were laid to rest, one member of 
  the funerary party always stayed at the other end of the 
  corridor, wherein the trap control mechanism is located. 
  It takes the guise of a stone, which depresses to disable 
  the deadly trap.
  Entering the corridor for the return trip, you are 
  forced to leap back as spinning metal discs, no 
  doubt with razor sharp edges, whirl out from the 
  walls. Further along the passage you can see more 
  discs and whirling, twisting blades.
  It looks bad, but things are about to get even 
  worse! A huge stone is lowering at the far end, 
  threatening to seal you in the depths of the earth!
  The stone seals the heroes in the corridor at the end 
  of the 6th round. In order to escape, the characters need 
  to avoid the blades and discs, and dive under the door.
  The corridor is 11” long in total, and 1” wide. Don’t 
  worry about the character sharing the same square—each 
  one is 2 yards to a side, so there’s plenty of room for the 
  purposes of this scene.
  The ﬁ rst two squares out of the burial chamber are 
  clear. The next square contains whirling discs and blades, 
  as does very other square thereafter. The stone door is 
  located at the far edge of the last square—a square ﬁ lled 
  with blades!
  Each set of blades whirls to its own particular timing. 
  A character who makes a Smarts roll at –2 spots a gap 
  in their movement, giving him a chance to leap through 
  with relative ease. A failure means he misjudges his 
  jump. One Smarts roll must be made per set of blades 
  and discs.
  Actually moving through a trapped square requires 
  an Agility roll at –2. Characters who succeeded in their 
  Smarts roll don’t suffer this penalty, while those who 
  failed must take a –4 penalty. A failure on the Agility roll 
  means the explorer takes 2d6 damage (Wild Card source) 
  and makes no progress this round!
  Note that characters can try to clear multiple sets of 
  traps in the same round. However, the Smarts roll only 
  covers the ﬁ rst set (the others are too obscured to study 
  clearly), and the Agility roll also suffers a multi-action 
  penalty. Any failure stops the character at the ﬁ rst set of 
  traps he is trying to avoid.
  Any hero who reaches the chamber beneath the sar-
  cophagus can make a Notice roll each round. With a suc-
  cess, he locates the disarming device. Pressing it causes 
  the blades to retreat into the walls and the stone to lift 
  back into the ceiling.
  Unfortunately, there is an added obstacle. Once the 
  square nearest the burial chamber door is completely 
  vacated, a huge stone block slides down, preventing the 
  characters from going back to the chamber. They face 
  being totally trapped, deep beneath the earth, and sur-
  rounded by whirling death!
  Don’t panic if the door actually seals the characters 
  inside the tunnel—Azban turns up a few minutes later, 
  having been phoned by Stavros and told to keep a very 
  close eye on his friends—and deactivates the trap. 
  On no account should the characters be told this in 
  advance—the threat of death should seem very real to 
  them.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
  ACT 4: OH, VIENNA
  ACT 4: OH, VIENNA
  Once free of the deadly trap, the characters can leave 
  the monastery. Unfortunately, they are about to run into 
  old friends. Note that while the ﬁ rst scene of this Act fol-
  lows on directly from the one above, it was placed in Act 
  4 to allow the characters to recover a wound (a sneaky, 
  but effective, use of our setting rules).
  SCENE 1: TURKEY SHOOT
  SCENE 1: TURKEY SHOOT
  As you clamber down from the ruins, you spy a 
  number of German vehicles parked nearby. Before 
  you can react, the distinctive sound of SMGs being 
  cocked reaches your ears. Nazi soldiers emerge 
  from the surrounding undergrowth. Behind them 
  is Colonel Klinsmann, still looking like he just 
  crawled from a grave.
  “Thank you for your assistance,” he cackles. “I’m 
  afraid all the credit will be mine, but I am willing 
  to be magnanimous in victory. Now, where is the 
  Palladium?”
  Heroes with Big Mouth now get their chance to spill 
  the beans. If they don’t (feel free to conﬁ scate a benny 
  for this breech of the rules), or no character has the Hin-
  drance, Beni reveals his true nature. If a character talked, 
  Beni still goes across to the Colonel, only this time to 
  clarify the adventurer is telling the truth.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1616
  Before you can even think of a suitable insult, 
  Beni runs forward. “It’s in Vienna, Colonel. Some-
  thing to do with a noble family.” The traitorous 
  cur turns to face you and shrugs. “What can I say? 
  They pay better than Stavros.”
  Klinsmann smiles his grinning-skull smile. “Excel-
  lent. You are too resourceful to leave alone to die 
  a second time. This time I shall watch your demise 
  in person. FIRE!”
  Deal the action cards.
  If the party managed to save any nitroglycerine, it’s 
  a handy time to use it. A vial can be thrown to a Range 
  of 3/6/12, and explodes for 3d6 damage (AP 2, HW) in a 
  Medium Burst Template.
  The battleﬁ eld covers an area 24” to a side. The Nazis 
  begin 20” from the heroes. Broken, toppled columns and 
  low walls provide ample Cover, as do the Nazi trucks. 
  Moving through the rubble is treated as difﬁ cult ground.
  A few pillars are even standing, at least until a hero 
  decides to topple them. Shoving over a pillar requires 
  a Strength roll at –4. Characters can Cooperate on this 
  task. Place a Cone Template to represent the angle of fall. 
  Anyone underneath the template must make an Agility 
  roll at –2 or suffer 3d8 damage (from an Extra).
  Colonel Klinsmann isn’t destined to be defeated yet. 
  Use the Recurring Villains rule to ensure he escapes in 
  one of the German vehicles. His vehicle is impervious to 
  damage as he drives off. In one of those pulp twists, the 
  GM should ensure the other vehicles are too damaged 
  to give immediate pursuit—stray shots could have punc-
  tured a tire, or a vial of nitroglycerine may have blow one 
  to pieces.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 19.
   Azban: Stavros’ cousin is only present if he had to 
  rescue the heroes from the trap. Treat him as a London 
  thug (page 19).
  SCENE 2: VON HANSEN’S LEGACY
  SCENE 2: VON HANSEN’S LEGACY
  With the Nazis defeated, the characters can head back 
  to town and arrange for transportation to Vienna.
  Austria is currently a land in turmoil. The Chancellor, 
  Engelbert Dollfuss, has banned all political parties save 
  his own, and the country is run as an autocracy. Needless 
  to say, he isn’t a popular man. Indeed, many Austrians 
  speak of Hitler, savior of Germany, coming to liberate 
  them!
  Determining any details about the Viennese crest 
  requires an Investigation roll. Fortunately, Vienna has 
  many libraries and museums. With success, the charac-
  ters learn it belongs to a Danish family, the Hansens. Ac-
  cording to the texts, this particular branch of the family 
  moved to Vienna sometime in the 12th century. A family 
  mausoleum lies in the Central Graveyard, a vast necropo-
  lis said to be the second-largest burial ground in Europe. 
  On a raise, they learn the family changed its name to von 
  Hansen centuries ago.
  Locating the Central Graveyard is easy, but ﬁ nding 
  the Hansen plot proves impossible. (If they know of the 
  change of name, locating the plot is quickly achieved). 
  Fortunately, there are several attendants on duty (they 
  speak German and Italian). If approached, one chuckles 
  when he hears the name.
  “Ah, you’d be here all day! The family changed 
  its name to von Hansen generations ago. Baron 
  Theophil von Hansen was the last member of the 
  family to be buried here. His mausoleum is ten 
  rows up and eight plots to the left. A very famous 
  man, the Baron. He designed many of this city’s 
  ﬁ nest buildings, you know.”
  Baron von Hansen’s mausoleum is a grand affair, not 
  surprising given he was a great architect. Aside from the 
  usual dates of birth and death (1813-1891), there is one 
  inscription of interest—“She was my ﬁ nest work, and is 
  Vienna’s savior.”
  The attendant is still nearby. He knows exactly to what 
  the cryptic message relates—Baron von Hansen designed 
  the parliament building, outside of which stands a statue 
  of Pallas–Athena! He didn’t sculpt the statue, but he de-
  signed it. There was even a special dedication ceremony, 
  attended by many prominent Freemasons, when it was 
  ﬁ nished in 1902.
  THESE GUYS GET EVERYWHERE
  THESE GUYS GET EVERYWHERE
  The Nazis, meanwhile, have managed to track down 
  the mausoleum. A squad of soldiers is moving up through 
  the surrounding gravestones and tombs.
  Your talk with the attendant is cut short by the 
  rat-a-tat-tat of machinegun ﬁ re. A squad of Nazis, 
  led by Colonel Klinsmann, has tracked down the 
  von Hansen mausoleum and is moving through 
  the graveyard toward your location.
  Deal action guards and get the bullets ﬂ ying!
  The exact dimensions of the graveyard are far too 
  big to ﬁ t on the tabletop. All that matters for this ﬁ ght is 
  that there are plenty of gravestones and small tombs to 
  provide the characters with cover. Passing over a square 
  containing a burial plot is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The 
  Nazis begin 24” from the heroes, and approach on four 
  fronts.
  The attendant hits the dirt and crawls away. Klinsmann 
  should escape with his life. It’s easy enough for him to 
  retreat further into the graveyard and vanish among the 
  tall stones and trees.
  Missed shots don’t vanish into the ether—headstones 
  explode in a shower of dust and gravel! To keep the ac-
  tion, and characters, moving, assume any missed shot 
  destroys a headstone. If the attack missed because of the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1616
  Before you can even think of a suitable insult, 
  Beni runs forward. “It’s in Vienna, Colonel. Some-
  thing to do with a noble family.” The traitorous 
  cur turns to face you and shrugs. “What can I say? 
  They pay better than Stavros.”
  Klinsmann smiles his grinning-skull smile. “Excel-
  lent. You are too resourceful to leave alone to die 
  a second time. This time I shall watch your demise 
  in person. FIRE!”
  Deal the action cards.
  If the party managed to save any nitroglycerine, it’s 
  a handy time to use it. A vial can be thrown to a Range 
  of 3/6/12, and explodes for 3d6 damage (AP 2, HW) in a 
  Medium Burst Template.
  The battleﬁ eld covers an area 24” to a side. The Nazis 
  begin 20” from the heroes. Broken, toppled columns and 
  low walls provide ample Cover, as do the Nazi trucks. 
  Moving through the rubble is treated as difﬁ cult ground.
  A few pillars are even standing, at least until a hero 
  decides to topple them. Shoving over a pillar requires 
  a Strength roll at –4. Characters can Cooperate on this 
  task. Place a Cone Template to represent the angle of fall. 
  Anyone underneath the template must make an Agility 
  roll at –2 or suffer 3d8 damage (from an Extra).
  Colonel Klinsmann isn’t destined to be defeated yet. 
  Use the Recurring Villains rule to ensure he escapes in 
  one of the German vehicles. His vehicle is impervious to 
  damage as he drives off. In one of those pulp twists, the 
  GM should ensure the other vehicles are too damaged 
  to give immediate pursuit—stray shots could have punc-
  tured a tire, or a vial of nitroglycerine may have blow one 
  to pieces.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Beni Hassan: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 19.
   Azban: Stavros’ cousin is only present if he had to 
  rescue the heroes from the trap. Treat him as a London 
  thug (page 19).
  SCENE 2: VON HANSEN’S LEGACY
  SCENE 2: VON HANSEN’S LEGACY
  With the Nazis defeated, the characters can head back 
  to town and arrange for transportation to Vienna.
  Austria is currently a land in turmoil. The Chancellor, 
  Engelbert Dollfuss, has banned all political parties save 
  his own, and the country is run as an autocracy. Needless 
  to say, he isn’t a popular man. Indeed, many Austrians 
  speak of Hitler, savior of Germany, coming to liberate 
  them!
  Determining any details about the Viennese crest 
  requires an Investigation roll. Fortunately, Vienna has 
  many libraries and museums. With success, the charac-
  ters learn it belongs to a Danish family, the Hansens. Ac-
  cording to the texts, this particular branch of the family 
  moved to Vienna sometime in the 12th century. A family 
  mausoleum lies in the Central Graveyard, a vast necropo-
  lis said to be the second-largest burial ground in Europe. 
  On a raise, they learn the family changed its name to von 
  Hansen centuries ago.
  Locating the Central Graveyard is easy, but ﬁ nding 
  the Hansen plot proves impossible. (If they know of the 
  change of name, locating the plot is quickly achieved). 
  Fortunately, there are several attendants on duty (they 
  speak German and Italian). If approached, one chuckles 
  when he hears the name.
  “Ah, you’d be here all day! The family changed 
  its name to von Hansen generations ago. Baron 
  Theophil von Hansen was the last member of the 
  family to be buried here. His mausoleum is ten 
  rows up and eight plots to the left. A very famous 
  man, the Baron. He designed many of this city’s 
  ﬁ nest buildings, you know.”
  Baron von Hansen’s mausoleum is a grand affair, not 
  surprising given he was a great architect. Aside from the 
  usual dates of birth and death (1813-1891), there is one 
  inscription of interest—“She was my ﬁ nest work, and is 
  Vienna’s savior.”
  The attendant is still nearby. He knows exactly to what 
  the cryptic message relates—Baron von Hansen designed 
  the parliament building, outside of which stands a statue 
  of Pallas–Athena! He didn’t sculpt the statue, but he de-
  signed it. There was even a special dedication ceremony, 
  attended by many prominent Freemasons, when it was 
  ﬁ nished in 1902.
  THESE GUYS GET EVERYWHERE
  THESE GUYS GET EVERYWHERE
  The Nazis, meanwhile, have managed to track down 
  the mausoleum. A squad of soldiers is moving up through 
  the surrounding gravestones and tombs.
  Your talk with the attendant is cut short by the 
  rat-a-tat-tat of machinegun ﬁ re. A squad of Nazis, 
  led by Colonel Klinsmann, has tracked down the 
  von Hansen mausoleum and is moving through 
  the graveyard toward your location.
  Deal action guards and get the bullets ﬂ ying!
  The exact dimensions of the graveyard are far too 
  big to ﬁ t on the tabletop. All that matters for this ﬁ ght is 
  that there are plenty of gravestones and small tombs to 
  provide the characters with cover. Passing over a square 
  containing a burial plot is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The 
  Nazis begin 24” from the heroes, and approach on four 
  fronts.
  The attendant hits the dirt and crawls away. Klinsmann 
  should escape with his life. It’s easy enough for him to 
  retreat further into the graveyard and vanish among the 
  tall stones and trees.
  Missed shots don’t vanish into the ether—headstones 
  explode in a shower of dust and gravel! To keep the ac-
  tion, and characters, moving, assume any missed shot 
  destroys a headstone. If the attack missed because of the 
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1717
  Cover modiﬁ er, then the stone being used as shelter is de-
  stroyed—otherwise just remove a random grave marker.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: ATHENA RESPLENDENT
  SCENE 3: ATHENA RESPLENDENT
  The statue of Pallas-Athena stands in the center of a 
  fountain directly outside the parliament building. No 
  Nazis are present when the characters arrive, but they 
  can hear the distinct sound of trucks and motorbikes 
  approaching.
  In order to retrieve the Palladium, the characters have 
  to follow the steps below—easier said than done when 
  a horde of Nazis is about to arrive! The characters have 
  four rounds to ﬁ nd the Palladium’s hiding place. At the 
  end of the fourth round, Klinsmann and his men arrive. 
  They immediately open ﬁ re. The low wall in front of the 
  statue grants the characters Medium Cover (–2).
  * The characters have to search the statue to ﬁ nd where 
  the Palladium may be stored. This requires a Notice 
  roll as an action by an adjacent character. Success 
  means they locate a stone beneath the water marked 
  with an owl (the symbol of Athena). On a failure, they 
  may try again next round.
  * The party must pry the stone free. This requires a 
  Strength roll. There is a –2 penalty unless the char-
  acters have a crowbar or similar tool. With a success, 
  the stone pops free, revealing a pull-up handle. With 
  a failure, they can try again next round.
  * The handle must be pulled. It is rather stiff, so a 
  Strength roll is required. Success causes the interior 
  of the fountain to fold away, revealing a set of spi-
  ral stairs descending beneath the streets of Vienna. 
  It seems Baron von Hansen didn’t take any chances 
  with the Palladium! The water from the fountain ﬂ ows 
  down the steps.
  Inside the stairwell is another handle. Pulling it 
  closes the fountain behind the party, concealing their 
  route. The fountain quickly reﬁ lls with water, but the 
  Nazis have the same clue as the characters and won’t 
  be far behind.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): As page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: THE PALLADIUM
  SCENE 4: THE PALLADIUM
  The stairs, slick with water from the fountain, 
  spiral down, taking you deep beneath the streets 
  of Venice. After maybe 30 feet, the stairs end at the 
  edge of a large chamber.
  The ﬂ oor is tiled in four color strips—red, yellow, 
  white, and black. In the center of the back wall 
  stands a short, narrow pillar. Encased in glass, 
  atop the column sits a small, crudely-shaped 
  lump of rock. Could this innocuous object be the 
  fabled Palladium?
  The ﬂ oor area is 24” by 24”. The tiles are laid in col-
  umns of the same color and in the order noted above. 
  The object atop the pillar is the Palladium. It’s actually 
  carved from meteoric stone, which relates to the legend 
  of Zeus sending it to Earth from the sky.
  The glass is a product of weird science, and is totally 
  impervious to all weapons. Etched into the surface are 
  words. On one side they are written in Latin, another 
  Greek, then German, and Italian. They all read the 
  same—“The weight of the four virtues reveals all.”
  When four characters stand on the squares adjacent 
  to the pillar, their combined weight causes the glass to 
  retract into the column, allowing the Palladium to be 
  snatched. Doing so also activates a nasty trap.
  Each ﬂ oor tile color relates to a card suit. Red is noted 
  by Clubs, yellow by Diamonds, white by Hearts, and black 
  by Spades. At the end of each round, the GM should ﬂ ip 
  over the top card of the action deck. Anyone standing 
  on a square of the appropriate color receives a powerful 
  electric shock for 2d8 damage (as from an Extra). A Joker 
  indicates the trap misﬁ red, and no one gets shocked.
  Flying may seem a safe option, but von Hansen 
  thought of this when he designed his trap. Flying char-
  acters are struck by a 2d8 bolt of lighting at the start of 
  every round!
  By coincidence, the moment the Palladium is lifted, 
  Klinsmann and his cronies locate the secret entrance in 
  the fountain! Read the following text to the players as the 
  Palladium is removed from the plinth.
  A faint scraping sound of stone on stone, and 
  the sudden appearance of water down the stairs 
  reveals the worst—the Nazis have found the secret 
  entrance!
  The characters have some advanced warning of the 
  Nazis arrival. Each character may take one round of ac-
  tions. Once they’re done, deal action cards.
  The Nazis rush down the stairs and onto the tiled ﬂ oor. 
  Move each one 6” into the room. By the time they realize 
  their mistake, it’s too late! Driven by his fanaticism, the 
  Colonel orders his men to grab the Palladium from the 
  characters. The ﬁ nal ﬁ ght should be quite shocking!
  Once the Nazis are defeated, the characters can make 
  their escape. Klinsmann didn’t leave any guards on the 
  street above, so the heroes can quietly vanish into Vienna 
  and arrange passage home.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (4 + 2 per hero): As page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  To ensure the city never falls to invaders, the Palla-
  dium is concealed deep beneath London in a location 
  known only to the highest-ranking members of Meonia. 
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1717
  Cover modiﬁ er, then the stone being used as shelter is de-
  stroyed—otherwise just remove a random grave marker.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: ATHENA RESPLENDENT
  SCENE 3: ATHENA RESPLENDENT
  The statue of Pallas-Athena stands in the center of a 
  fountain directly outside the parliament building. No 
  Nazis are present when the characters arrive, but they 
  can hear the distinct sound of trucks and motorbikes 
  approaching.
  In order to retrieve the Palladium, the characters have 
  to follow the steps below—easier said than done when 
  a horde of Nazis is about to arrive! The characters have 
  four rounds to ﬁ nd the Palladium’s hiding place. At the 
  end of the fourth round, Klinsmann and his men arrive. 
  They immediately open ﬁ re. The low wall in front of the 
  statue grants the characters Medium Cover (–2).
  * The characters have to search the statue to ﬁ nd where 
  the Palladium may be stored. This requires a Notice 
  roll as an action by an adjacent character. Success 
  means they locate a stone beneath the water marked 
  with an owl (the symbol of Athena). On a failure, they 
  may try again next round.
  * The party must pry the stone free. This requires a 
  Strength roll. There is a –2 penalty unless the char-
  acters have a crowbar or similar tool. With a success, 
  the stone pops free, revealing a pull-up handle. With 
  a failure, they can try again next round.
  * The handle must be pulled. It is rather stiff, so a 
  Strength roll is required. Success causes the interior 
  of the fountain to fold away, revealing a set of spi-
  ral stairs descending beneath the streets of Vienna. 
  It seems Baron von Hansen didn’t take any chances 
  with the Palladium! The water from the fountain ﬂ ows 
  down the steps.
  Inside the stairwell is another handle. Pulling it 
  closes the fountain behind the party, concealing their 
  route. The fountain quickly reﬁ lls with water, but the 
  Nazis have the same clue as the characters and won’t 
  be far behind.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): As page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: THE PALLADIUM
  SCENE 4: THE PALLADIUM
  The stairs, slick with water from the fountain, 
  spiral down, taking you deep beneath the streets 
  of Venice. After maybe 30 feet, the stairs end at the 
  edge of a large chamber.
  The ﬂ oor is tiled in four color strips—red, yellow, 
  white, and black. In the center of the back wall 
  stands a short, narrow pillar. Encased in glass, 
  atop the column sits a small, crudely-shaped 
  lump of rock. Could this innocuous object be the 
  fabled Palladium?
  The ﬂ oor area is 24” by 24”. The tiles are laid in col-
  umns of the same color and in the order noted above. 
  The object atop the pillar is the Palladium. It’s actually 
  carved from meteoric stone, which relates to the legend 
  of Zeus sending it to Earth from the sky.
  The glass is a product of weird science, and is totally 
  impervious to all weapons. Etched into the surface are 
  words. On one side they are written in Latin, another 
  Greek, then German, and Italian. They all read the 
  same—“The weight of the four virtues reveals all.”
  When four characters stand on the squares adjacent 
  to the pillar, their combined weight causes the glass to 
  retract into the column, allowing the Palladium to be 
  snatched. Doing so also activates a nasty trap.
  Each ﬂ oor tile color relates to a card suit. Red is noted 
  by Clubs, yellow by Diamonds, white by Hearts, and black 
  by Spades. At the end of each round, the GM should ﬂ ip 
  over the top card of the action deck. Anyone standing 
  on a square of the appropriate color receives a powerful 
  electric shock for 2d8 damage (as from an Extra). A Joker 
  indicates the trap misﬁ red, and no one gets shocked.
  Flying may seem a safe option, but von Hansen 
  thought of this when he designed his trap. Flying char-
  acters are struck by a 2d8 bolt of lighting at the start of 
  every round!
  By coincidence, the moment the Palladium is lifted, 
  Klinsmann and his cronies locate the secret entrance in 
  the fountain! Read the following text to the players as the 
  Palladium is removed from the plinth.
  A faint scraping sound of stone on stone, and 
  the sudden appearance of water down the stairs 
  reveals the worst—the Nazis have found the secret 
  entrance!
  The characters have some advanced warning of the 
  Nazis arrival. Each character may take one round of ac-
  tions. Once they’re done, deal action cards.
  The Nazis rush down the stairs and onto the tiled ﬂ oor. 
  Move each one 6” into the room. By the time they realize 
  their mistake, it’s too late! Driven by his fanaticism, the 
  Colonel orders his men to grab the Palladium from the 
  characters. The ﬁ nal ﬁ ght should be quite shocking!
  Once the Nazis are defeated, the characters can make 
  their escape. Klinsmann didn’t leave any guards on the 
  street above, so the heroes can quietly vanish into Vienna 
  and arrange passage home.
   Colonel Klinsmann: See page 18.
   Nazi Soldiers (4 + 2 per hero): As page 19.
   Blumenthal: See page 18.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  To ensure the city never falls to invaders, the Palla-
  dium is concealed deep beneath London in a location 
  known only to the highest-ranking members of Meonia. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1818
  In 1938, Vienna, its magical protection lost, falls to the 
  Nazis. Hitler fully mobilizes his war machine a year 
  later. Resistance is weak, and the Nazis quickly conquer 
  Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Holland, 
  Belgium, and France.
  Summer of 1940 sees the Battle of Britain take place 
  in the Skies above England’s south coast as Hitler begins 
  his offensive against Britain. Despite numerical superior-
  ity, the Luftwaffe fails to gain the air superiority required 
  to launch Operation Sealion—the invasion of Britain. In 
  September of that same year, Hitler formally abandons 
  plans to conquer the stalwart nation by direct force.
  Britain will have a rough time until the war ends 
  thanks to continued raids and U-boat activity, but the 
  Palladium has worked its magic again.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  PROFESSOR ERNEST BLUMENTHAL
  PROFESSOR ERNEST BLUMENTHAL
  Blumenthal is a scholar at heart, but he’s also a mem-
  ber of the secret organization known as Meonia. What 
  his scholarly colleagues don’t know is that the professor 
  is actually a semi-talented sorcerer, having learned the 
  arts from ancient texts. Blumenthal is a Henchman.
  Special Rule: Rather than mess around tracking 
  Power Points, Blumenthal can cast each spell a certain 
  number of times during any scene. Once he’s used his 
  allotment he can’t cast any more spells. Spells which can 
  be maintained instead last for three rounds per casting 
  (track these by using gaming stones). His power list is 
  the equivalent of 15 Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge (Classics) d10, Knowl-
  edge (History) d8, Notice d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes, Code of Honor, Curious
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Scholar (Classics & 
  History)
  Powers: Each scene, Blumenthal can cast the follow-
  ing spells: 1 x armor (ghostly chain armor), 2 x heal-
  ing (warm glow), 3 x elemental manipulation (any ele-
  ment), 1 x quickness (lightning reﬂ exes)
  Gear: Umbrella (Str+d4)
  KLAUS STEINER
  KLAUS STEINER
  Steiner is a renowned fencing master, who teaches 
  young gentlemen and ladies the noble art of dueling. 
  He’s also a secret Nazi agent, part of a Fifth Column 
  placed in England by Hitler just in case he ever goes to 
  war with Britain.
  Beneath his mark, Steiner is an attractive man of mid-
  dling years. His close-cropped hair is battleship gray and 
  he has a scar running down his left cheek. He’s in peak 
  physical form.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Taunt d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Stubborn
  Edges: Acrobat, Dodge, Frenzy, Improved First Strike, 
  Level Headed, Quick, Strong Willed, Sweep
  Gear: Fencing mask (+2, head only), leather jacket (+1), 
  rapier (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Crippling Injury: If Steiner scores a raise on his 
  Fighting roll, he can forgo rolling damage to instead 
  automatically deliver a crippling blow. The hero rolls 
  on the Injury Table. The injury cannot be Soaked, and 
  only goes away at the end of the Act in which it was 
  delivered. Typically, Steiner does this if his action card 
  is a black suit.
  * Sacriﬁ cial Lambs: Steiner doesn’t give a damn about 
  his lackeys. If an opponent strikes Steiner with a suc-
  cessful melee attacker, the villain shoves one of his ad-
  jacent minions (any villainous Extra in the same scene 
  he appears) in the way to take the blow. The damage 
  is dealt against the goon, instead. He can do this once 
  per round, and must decide to use it before damage 
  is rolled.
  COLONEL DIETER KLINSMANN
  COLONEL DIETER KLINSMANN
  An SS-Colonel serving with the Ahnenerbe, Klins-
  mann wears his black uniform with pride. Skeletally thin 
  and extremely gaunt, Klinsmann’s face is a living parody 
  of the death’s head insignia on his uniform. He cares 
  nothing for history or archaeological research—his only 
  desire is to deliver the Fuhrer the tools to win the com-
  ing war.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d10, Taunt d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Ugly
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Dodge, 
  Level Headed
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  BENI HASSAN
  BENI HASSAN
  A sniveling weasel of a man, Beni is as trustworthy as 
  a cobra and has the backbone of a jellyﬁ sh. He’s great 
  at making promises, but very poor at keeping them. His 
  only interest is money, and the Nazis are paying well for 
  information on anyone contacting the shady antique 
  dealers of Istanbul. As soon as Stavros told him to expect 
  foreign guests, he arranged several welcoming parties.
  Beni is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1818
  In 1938, Vienna, its magical protection lost, falls to the 
  Nazis. Hitler fully mobilizes his war machine a year 
  later. Resistance is weak, and the Nazis quickly conquer 
  Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Holland, 
  Belgium, and France.
  Summer of 1940 sees the Battle of Britain take place 
  in the Skies above England’s south coast as Hitler begins 
  his offensive against Britain. Despite numerical superior-
  ity, the Luftwaffe fails to gain the air superiority required 
  to launch Operation Sealion—the invasion of Britain. In 
  September of that same year, Hitler formally abandons 
  plans to conquer the stalwart nation by direct force.
  Britain will have a rough time until the war ends 
  thanks to continued raids and U-boat activity, but the 
  Palladium has worked its magic again.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  PROFESSOR ERNEST BLUMENTHAL
  PROFESSOR ERNEST BLUMENTHAL
  Blumenthal is a scholar at heart, but he’s also a mem-
  ber of the secret organization known as Meonia. What 
  his scholarly colleagues don’t know is that the professor 
  is actually a semi-talented sorcerer, having learned the 
  arts from ancient texts. Blumenthal is a Henchman.
  Special Rule: Rather than mess around tracking 
  Power Points, Blumenthal can cast each spell a certain 
  number of times during any scene. Once he’s used his 
  allotment he can’t cast any more spells. Spells which can 
  be maintained instead last for three rounds per casting 
  (track these by using gaming stones). His power list is 
  the equivalent of 15 Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge (Classics) d10, Knowl-
  edge (History) d8, Notice d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes, Code of Honor, Curious
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Scholar (Classics & 
  History)
  Powers: Each scene, Blumenthal can cast the follow-
  ing spells: 1 x armor (ghostly chain armor), 2 x heal-
  ing (warm glow), 3 x elemental manipulation (any ele-
  ment), 1 x quickness (lightning reﬂ exes)
  Gear: Umbrella (Str+d4)
  KLAUS STEINER
  KLAUS STEINER
  Steiner is a renowned fencing master, who teaches 
  young gentlemen and ladies the noble art of dueling. 
  He’s also a secret Nazi agent, part of a Fifth Column 
  placed in England by Hitler just in case he ever goes to 
  war with Britain.
  Beneath his mark, Steiner is an attractive man of mid-
  dling years. His close-cropped hair is battleship gray and 
  he has a scar running down his left cheek. He’s in peak 
  physical form.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Taunt d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Stubborn
  Edges: Acrobat, Dodge, Frenzy, Improved First Strike, 
  Level Headed, Quick, Strong Willed, Sweep
  Gear: Fencing mask (+2, head only), leather jacket (+1), 
  rapier (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Crippling Injury: If Steiner scores a raise on his 
  Fighting roll, he can forgo rolling damage to instead 
  automatically deliver a crippling blow. The hero rolls 
  on the Injury Table. The injury cannot be Soaked, and 
  only goes away at the end of the Act in which it was 
  delivered. Typically, Steiner does this if his action card 
  is a black suit.
  * Sacriﬁ cial Lambs: Steiner doesn’t give a damn about 
  his lackeys. If an opponent strikes Steiner with a suc-
  cessful melee attacker, the villain shoves one of his ad-
  jacent minions (any villainous Extra in the same scene 
  he appears) in the way to take the blow. The damage 
  is dealt against the goon, instead. He can do this once 
  per round, and must decide to use it before damage 
  is rolled.
  COLONEL DIETER KLINSMANN
  COLONEL DIETER KLINSMANN
  An SS-Colonel serving with the Ahnenerbe, Klins-
  mann wears his black uniform with pride. Skeletally thin 
  and extremely gaunt, Klinsmann’s face is a living parody 
  of the death’s head insignia on his uniform. He cares 
  nothing for history or archaeological research—his only 
  desire is to deliver the Fuhrer the tools to win the com-
  ing war.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d10, Taunt d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Ugly
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Dodge, 
  Level Headed
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  BENI HASSAN
  BENI HASSAN
  A sniveling weasel of a man, Beni is as trustworthy as 
  a cobra and has the backbone of a jellyﬁ sh. He’s great 
  at making promises, but very poor at keeping them. His 
  only interest is money, and the Nazis are paying well for 
  information on anyone contacting the shady antique 
  dealers of Istanbul. As soon as Stavros told him to expect 
  foreign guests, he arranged several welcoming parties.
  Beni is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1919
  Hindrances: Anemic, Greedy, Habit (Minor; coughs), 
  Habit (minor: rarely washes), paciﬁ st (Minor)
  Edges: Fleet Footed, Quick
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  A former wrestling champion and currently an an-
  tiques dealer of dubious character, Stavros (a Greek ex-
  patriot) is well known in Istanbul to both criminal gangs 
  and the authorities. He’s gained a lot of weight since he 
  quit wrestling, but he’s still as strong as his nickname.
  Stavros’ code of honor is a simple one—take folks’ 
  money, but never get personally involved in their prob-
  lems unless the cause is a damn good one. Stavros is a 
  Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (An-
  tiques) d10, Knowledge (History) d8, Persuasion d6, No-
  tice d8, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Code of Honor, Obese
  Edges: Block, Connections (lots), Scholar (Antiques & 
  History)
  Gear: Small pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1) 
  when clothed
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples.
  FENCING STUDENTS
  FENCING STUDENTS
  The vast majority of the school’s students are nothing 
  but the rich offspring of aristocracy, members of Parlia-
  ment, or army ofﬁ cers. Those who aid Steiner are a mix-
  ture of British fascists, bullies, and troublemakers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal (to Steiner), Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Fencing mask (+2, Head only), leather jacket 
  (+1), rapier (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  ISTANBUL ASSASSINS
  ISTANBUL ASSASSINS
  Clad head to toe in black robes, the assassins serve 
  any master willing to meet their steep fees, caring noth-
  ing for politics or religion.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Frenzy
  Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), knife (Str+d4)
  LION
  LION
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite/Claw: Str+d6
  * Improved Frenzy: May make 2 Fighting attacks each 
  round at no penalty.
  * Size +2: These are males, and weigh over 500 
  pounds.
  LONDON THUGS
  LONDON THUGS
  Hired by the Nazis through a string of agents, these 
  thugs serve as nothing more than expendable muscle. 
  They have no idea who they work for, but probably 
  couldn’t care less, so long as they get paid and their work 
  allows them to crack skulls.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  Handpicked to serve the Ahnenerbe, these men don’t 
  ask questions of their superiors and obey every order 
  given them to the letter.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), SMG 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, ROF 3, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  THE PALLADIUM PERIL
  1919
  Hindrances: Anemic, Greedy, Habit (Minor; coughs), 
  Habit (minor: rarely washes), paciﬁ st (Minor)
  Edges: Fleet Footed, Quick
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  A former wrestling champion and currently an an-
  tiques dealer of dubious character, Stavros (a Greek ex-
  patriot) is well known in Istanbul to both criminal gangs 
  and the authorities. He’s gained a lot of weight since he 
  quit wrestling, but he’s still as strong as his nickname.
  Stavros’ code of honor is a simple one—take folks’ 
  money, but never get personally involved in their prob-
  lems unless the cause is a damn good one. Stavros is a 
  Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (An-
  tiques) d10, Knowledge (History) d8, Persuasion d6, No-
  tice d8, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Code of Honor, Obese
  Edges: Block, Connections (lots), Scholar (Antiques & 
  History)
  Gear: Small pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1) 
  when clothed
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples.
  FENCING STUDENTS
  FENCING STUDENTS
  The vast majority of the school’s students are nothing 
  but the rich offspring of aristocracy, members of Parlia-
  ment, or army ofﬁ cers. Those who aid Steiner are a mix-
  ture of British fascists, bullies, and troublemakers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal (to Steiner), Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Fencing mask (+2, Head only), leather jacket 
  (+1), rapier (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  ISTANBUL ASSASSINS
  ISTANBUL ASSASSINS
  Clad head to toe in black robes, the assassins serve 
  any master willing to meet their steep fees, caring noth-
  ing for politics or religion.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Frenzy
  Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), knife (Str+d4)
  LION
  LION
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite/Claw: Str+d6
  * Improved Frenzy: May make 2 Fighting attacks each 
  round at no penalty.
  * Size +2: These are males, and weigh over 500 
  pounds.
  LONDON THUGS
  LONDON THUGS
  Hired by the Nazis through a string of agents, these 
  thugs serve as nothing more than expendable muscle. 
  They have no idea who they work for, but probably 
  couldn’t care less, so long as they get paid and their work 
  allows them to crack skulls.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  Handpicked to serve the Ahnenerbe, these men don’t 
  ask questions of their superiors and obey every order 
  given them to the letter.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), SMG 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, ROF 3, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31000
  31000
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31002
  31002
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31004
  31004
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  Daring Tales of Adventure are a series 
  of Savage Worlds adventures in the best 
  tradition of cinematic pulp adventure. 
  Each episode is packed full of action—ﬁ ght 
  crazed cultists, take the wheel in an epic car 
  chase or discover ancient tombs! Whatever 
  your poison you’ll ﬁ nd it here.
  These special adventures also make use of 
  Triple Ace Games’ unique pulp setting rules, 
  designed to make two-ﬁ sted adventures 
  more exciting and truer to the source than 
  ever before!
  For more information and to download our 
  pre-gen characters to help you get into the 
  action quicker visit our website.
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  
  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. 
  Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com/DaringTales.php
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31011
  31011
  $6.99
  $6.99
  This exciting pulp tale takes the 
  heroes on a wild ride of Europe 
  from England to Vienna. Their 
  mission is simple, prevent an 
  ancient but powerful magical 
  statue falling into the hands of 
  The magical Palladium was 
  once the treasure of Troy and 
  its magic was most evident 
  during the Trojan War. 
  Centuries later the Palladium has been lost to history and 
  its location a mystery.
  Can the heroes prevent the Palladium falling into the 
  Fuhrer’s hands making Berlin almost impregnable?
  Daring Tales of Adventure: The Palladium Peril is the sixth 
  two-ﬁ sted pulp adventure from the popular Savage Worlds 
  series from Triple Ace Games. 
  Mysterious statues and evil nazis,
  Mysterious statues and evil nazis,
  looks like trouble for our heroes!
  looks like trouble for our heroes!
  the Third Reich.
  Now the Nazis are after the statue to aid their evil cause. 
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31012
  31012
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JONNY GRAY 
  ART: JONNY GRAY 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE B
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  LEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  0707
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JONNY GRAY 
  ART: JONNY GRAY 
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE B
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  LEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  0707
  
  Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians raised the 
  mighty pyramids, constructed vast temples, and wor-
  shipped a pantheon of gods. Of these many deities, two 
  are central to our story.
  Egyptian mythology held that the sun god, Ra (some-
  times spelled, Re), would descend each night into the 
  underworld. There, he traveled in his solar barque 
  through twelve gates, each representing an hour of the 
  night, before reemerging on the other side of the world 
  as the rising sun.
  But his journey was not a smooth one. Ra’s mortal 
  enemy was Apep (known to the Greeks as Apophis), a 
  snake deity, and lord of darkness and evil. Each night, 
  Ra battled with Apep, aided by his mortal priests, who 
  conducted rituals to thwart the night demon’s goal of 
  capturing Ra and plunging the world into total dark-
  ness.
  Such was the fear of Apep that the Egyptians wrote 
  entire texts on defeating the snake-demon. Of these, 
  the most powerful scroll was The Book of Overthrowing 
  Apep, a collection of spells and incantations.
  So long as the Egyptians continued to worship Ra, 
  Apep was always defeated. But civilizations crumble, and 
  old gods are replaced by new ones. Christianity came to 
  Egypt, and was in turn replaced as the dominant religion 
  by Islam. While worship of Ra faded into the mists of 
  time, Apep’s mortal supporters continued to honor their 
  deity.
  For almost two millennia, they have worshipped 
  their god in the old ways and performed lengthy and 
  complex rituals to ensure his ascendancy. Of the twelve 
  Gates of Night through which Ra once traveled, all but 
  one are now choked by darkness and writhing, demonic 
  serpents. Their great ritual is almost at an end, for Apep 
  has broken Ra’s enchantments on all but one gate. When 
  this last, weakened ward fails, an inevitability rather than 
  a possibility, Apep will have the strength he needs to 
  capture the sun and prevent its rising.
  But the cult’s plans have not gone unnoticed. One 
  solar astronomer has detected subtle changes in the 
  sun’s intensity. His calculations have proven that over 
  the last few years, the sun has grown dimmer. Unable 
  to convince the scientiﬁ c community of his ﬁ ndings, he 
  has taken to sending his story to newspapers across the 
  globe.
  Through an old friend, word of his crackpot theories 
  reaches the ears of the heroes, and the race to foil Apep’s 
  insidious plan begins.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 55 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones of two different 
  colors, and the pulp setting rules from the TAG website 
  at www.tripleacegames.com
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  The heroes begin in Boston, at the home of one of the 
  party members. Why they are gathered is left for the char-
  acters to decide. Someone has just knocked at their door, 
  and one of the adventurers has gone to investigate.
  If the party didn’t play through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #1, they won’t have met Miss Braveheart before. 
  In this case, the GM will have to alter the text below as 
  necessary. The characters’ exploits are well known, so 
  she could easily have heard of their brave deeds.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2
  Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians raised the 
  mighty pyramids, constructed vast temples, and wor-
  shipped a pantheon of gods. Of these many deities, two 
  are central to our story.
  Egyptian mythology held that the sun god, Ra (some-
  times spelled, Re), would descend each night into the 
  underworld. There, he traveled in his solar barque 
  through twelve gates, each representing an hour of the 
  night, before reemerging on the other side of the world 
  as the rising sun.
  But his journey was not a smooth one. Ra’s mortal 
  enemy was Apep (known to the Greeks as Apophis), a 
  snake deity, and lord of darkness and evil. Each night, 
  Ra battled with Apep, aided by his mortal priests, who 
  conducted rituals to thwart the night demon’s goal of 
  capturing Ra and plunging the world into total dark-
  ness.
  Such was the fear of Apep that the Egyptians wrote 
  entire texts on defeating the snake-demon. Of these, 
  the most powerful scroll was The Book of Overthrowing 
  Apep, a collection of spells and incantations.
  So long as the Egyptians continued to worship Ra, 
  Apep was always defeated. But civilizations crumble, and 
  old gods are replaced by new ones. Christianity came to 
  Egypt, and was in turn replaced as the dominant religion 
  by Islam. While worship of Ra faded into the mists of 
  time, Apep’s mortal supporters continued to honor their 
  deity.
  For almost two millennia, they have worshipped 
  their god in the old ways and performed lengthy and 
  complex rituals to ensure his ascendancy. Of the twelve 
  Gates of Night through which Ra once traveled, all but 
  one are now choked by darkness and writhing, demonic 
  serpents. Their great ritual is almost at an end, for Apep 
  has broken Ra’s enchantments on all but one gate. When 
  this last, weakened ward fails, an inevitability rather than 
  a possibility, Apep will have the strength he needs to 
  capture the sun and prevent its rising.
  But the cult’s plans have not gone unnoticed. One 
  solar astronomer has detected subtle changes in the 
  sun’s intensity. His calculations have proven that over 
  the last few years, the sun has grown dimmer. Unable 
  to convince the scientiﬁ c community of his ﬁ ndings, he 
  has taken to sending his story to newspapers across the 
  globe.
  Through an old friend, word of his crackpot theories 
  reaches the ears of the heroes, and the race to foil Apep’s 
  insidious plan begins.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 55 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones of two different 
  colors, and the pulp setting rules from the TAG website 
  at www.tripleacegames.com
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  The heroes begin in Boston, at the home of one of the 
  party members. Why they are gathered is left for the char-
  acters to decide. Someone has just knocked at their door, 
  and one of the adventurers has gone to investigate.
  If the party didn’t play through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #1, they won’t have met Miss Braveheart before. 
  In this case, the GM will have to alter the text below as 
  necessary. The characters’ exploits are well known, so 
  she could easily have heard of their brave deeds.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  3
  SCENE 1: THE DEAD ASTRONOMER
  SCENE 1: THE DEAD ASTRONOMER
  Standing at the door, soaked by the rain, is Valerie 
  Braveheart, the plucky reporter from the Boston 
  Herald you saved from the Nazis several months 
  ago. Without waiting to be invited, she steps in-
  side, shaking the water off her coat.
  “Sorry to disturb you at home,” she says, remov-
  ing the wet garment and handing it to you, “but I 
  thought you’d be interested in a story just passed 
  to me. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
  Miss Braveheart gratefully accepts any offers of re-
  freshments. Once the characters are assembled and the 
  reacquainting is over, she pulls a notebook from her 
  handbag.
  “Doctor Edgar Whatley, an astronomer at the 
  Boston Observatory, sent me some notes and a 
  letter. This may sound absurd, but he claims the 
  sun is going out! He says his science is solid, but 
  no one will believe him, so he sent me the story to 
  broadcast to the world. 
  “I’ve done a little investigation, and he’s made 
  some strange claims in the past, like seeing ﬂ ashes 
  of light on the surface of Mars, and claiming to 
  have seen the surface of Venus through a break in 
  the Venusian clouds. If he’s a crank then we have 
  nothing to fear, but if he’s telling the truth…” She 
  lets her words hang in the air for a few moments 
  before continuing.
  “Anyway, I thought you might be interested in 
  following it up, and seeing what the old coot is 
  on about. Could just be his telescope is dirty,” she 
  laughs.
  Miss Braveheart hands over the astronomer’s scientiﬁ c 
  notes. Unless a character happens to be an astronomer, 
  the numbers are just reams of gibberish. Any astronomer 
  in the party can make a Common Knowledge roll at –2 
  to try and decipher the notes. With success, he realizes 
  the data does point to the conclusion the intensity of the 
  sun is weakening. Should it extinguish, the world would 
  suffer a global catastrophe and another Ice Age.
  If asked why she can’t cover the story herself, Miss 
  Braveheart replies her editor has her scheduled to cover 
  another story—some new exhibit of Egyptian artifacts 
  at the Boston Museum. Her deadline for the Museum 
  story is in a few hours, so she can’t spare any time on the 
  doctor’s wild claims just yet.
  If the characters state they intend to phone the 
  observatory, Miss Braveheart tells them not to bother. 
  She’s been trying all morning, but no one is answering. 
  The party discovers this out for themselves if they try 
  to call ahead.
  THE OBSERVATORY
  THE OBSERVATORY
  Doctor Whatley stumbled onto the Sun’s weakening 
  quite by accident. Its reduction in luminosity, though 
  invisible to the naked eye, is very real, and a result of 
  Apep’s machinations. Unfortunately, Whatley’s public 
  proclamations have reached the ears of the cultists, who 
  intend to silence the astronomer before any further 
  research is conducted and their plans noticed by their 
  enemies.
  The observatory is 10 miles from the city. On arriv-
  ing, the characters spot three cars outside. One belongs 
  to Whatley, the other two are owned by Apep cultists 
  who have already tracked down the astronomer. After a 
  lengthy interrogation, as much for sport as to acquire 
  information, they killed the astronomer. This is where 
  the characters enter.
  The center of the single-room observatory is domi-
  nated by the telescope platform. Desks and shelves 
  clutter the walls and part of the ﬂ oor space.
  Toward the back are a group of dusky-skinned 
  men, all armed with daggers. One, a burly man 
  in black robes, is holding a white-haired man 
  around the neck. No, he’s not holding him—he 
  appears to have a snake wrapped around the 
  man’s neck!
  The black-robed thug swivels round to stare at 
  you, a forked tongue ﬂ ickering from his mouth! 
  But it’s his arms that shock you the most. They 
  aren’t human—they’re two, long serpents!
  As he orders his men to attack, a piece of paper 
  falls from the mouth of the cobra at the end of his 
  scaly, right arm.
  Have the characters make a Spirit roll to avoid the 
  effects of Fear—Abdul’s visage is scary enough to war-
  rant this on the ﬁ rst encounter. Don’t roll next time he’s 
  met.
  The observatory contains just a single room, measur-
  ing 8” to a side. Dominating the center 2” square of the 
  room is the telescope platform. Along the walls are vari-
  ous scientiﬁ c devices, desks, bookshelves, and other as-
  sorted paraphernalia. A few desks and chairs are dotted 
  around the rest of the ﬂ oor space. Movement through 
  any of these squares is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The 
  only door is in the southeast corner.
  Two cultists remain adjacent to Abdul at all times and 
  act on his action card. This allows them to use their Fa-
  natic special ability. The others all act on a single action 
  card.
  Abdul has already read the letter. His sole aim is to 
  escape and acquire the fragment of papyrus from the 
  Boston Museum. Use the Recurring Villains rule to en-
  sure he survives. If necessary, throw a few more Apep 
  cultists into the ﬁ ght to cover his escape. Should the 
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  3
  SCENE 1: THE DEAD ASTRONOMER
  SCENE 1: THE DEAD ASTRONOMER
  Standing at the door, soaked by the rain, is Valerie 
  Braveheart, the plucky reporter from the Boston 
  Herald you saved from the Nazis several months 
  ago. Without waiting to be invited, she steps in-
  side, shaking the water off her coat.
  “Sorry to disturb you at home,” she says, remov-
  ing the wet garment and handing it to you, “but I 
  thought you’d be interested in a story just passed 
  to me. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
  Miss Braveheart gratefully accepts any offers of re-
  freshments. Once the characters are assembled and the 
  reacquainting is over, she pulls a notebook from her 
  handbag.
  “Doctor Edgar Whatley, an astronomer at the 
  Boston Observatory, sent me some notes and a 
  letter. This may sound absurd, but he claims the 
  sun is going out! He says his science is solid, but 
  no one will believe him, so he sent me the story to 
  broadcast to the world. 
  “I’ve done a little investigation, and he’s made 
  some strange claims in the past, like seeing ﬂ ashes 
  of light on the surface of Mars, and claiming to 
  have seen the surface of Venus through a break in 
  the Venusian clouds. If he’s a crank then we have 
  nothing to fear, but if he’s telling the truth…” She 
  lets her words hang in the air for a few moments 
  before continuing.
  “Anyway, I thought you might be interested in 
  following it up, and seeing what the old coot is 
  on about. Could just be his telescope is dirty,” she 
  laughs.
  Miss Braveheart hands over the astronomer’s scientiﬁ c 
  notes. Unless a character happens to be an astronomer, 
  the numbers are just reams of gibberish. Any astronomer 
  in the party can make a Common Knowledge roll at –2 
  to try and decipher the notes. With success, he realizes 
  the data does point to the conclusion the intensity of the 
  sun is weakening. Should it extinguish, the world would 
  suffer a global catastrophe and another Ice Age.
  If asked why she can’t cover the story herself, Miss 
  Braveheart replies her editor has her scheduled to cover 
  another story—some new exhibit of Egyptian artifacts 
  at the Boston Museum. Her deadline for the Museum 
  story is in a few hours, so she can’t spare any time on the 
  doctor’s wild claims just yet.
  If the characters state they intend to phone the 
  observatory, Miss Braveheart tells them not to bother. 
  She’s been trying all morning, but no one is answering. 
  The party discovers this out for themselves if they try 
  to call ahead.
  THE OBSERVATORY
  THE OBSERVATORY
  Doctor Whatley stumbled onto the Sun’s weakening 
  quite by accident. Its reduction in luminosity, though 
  invisible to the naked eye, is very real, and a result of 
  Apep’s machinations. Unfortunately, Whatley’s public 
  proclamations have reached the ears of the cultists, who 
  intend to silence the astronomer before any further 
  research is conducted and their plans noticed by their 
  enemies.
  The observatory is 10 miles from the city. On arriv-
  ing, the characters spot three cars outside. One belongs 
  to Whatley, the other two are owned by Apep cultists 
  who have already tracked down the astronomer. After a 
  lengthy interrogation, as much for sport as to acquire 
  information, they killed the astronomer. This is where 
  the characters enter.
  The center of the single-room observatory is domi-
  nated by the telescope platform. Desks and shelves 
  clutter the walls and part of the ﬂ oor space.
  Toward the back are a group of dusky-skinned 
  men, all armed with daggers. One, a burly man 
  in black robes, is holding a white-haired man 
  around the neck. No, he’s not holding him—he 
  appears to have a snake wrapped around the 
  man’s neck!
  The black-robed thug swivels round to stare at 
  you, a forked tongue ﬂ ickering from his mouth! 
  But it’s his arms that shock you the most. They 
  aren’t human—they’re two, long serpents!
  As he orders his men to attack, a piece of paper 
  falls from the mouth of the cobra at the end of his 
  scaly, right arm.
  Have the characters make a Spirit roll to avoid the 
  effects of Fear—Abdul’s visage is scary enough to war-
  rant this on the ﬁ rst encounter. Don’t roll next time he’s 
  met.
  The observatory contains just a single room, measur-
  ing 8” to a side. Dominating the center 2” square of the 
  room is the telescope platform. Along the walls are vari-
  ous scientiﬁ c devices, desks, bookshelves, and other as-
  sorted paraphernalia. A few desks and chairs are dotted 
  around the rest of the ﬂ oor space. Movement through 
  any of these squares is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The 
  only door is in the southeast corner.
  Two cultists remain adjacent to Abdul at all times and 
  act on his action card. This allows them to use their Fa-
  natic special ability. The others all act on a single action 
  card.
  Abdul has already read the letter. His sole aim is to 
  escape and acquire the fragment of papyrus from the 
  Boston Museum. Use the Recurring Villains rule to en-
  sure he survives. If necessary, throw a few more Apep 
  cultists into the ﬁ ght to cover his escape. Should the 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  4
  characters have deﬂ ated all the tires, perhaps to prevent 
  an escape, another cultist vehicle pulls up just in time to 
  rescue Abdul.
  The observatory telephone has recently been pulled 
  from the wall and smashed (Whatley managed to break 
  free and tried to all for help), so the heroes can’t alert the 
  museum in advance. As always, their car tires have been 
  punctured should they try to follow the cultists. Abdul 
  may have done this during his escape, or any newly-ar-
  rived cultists do so as an action to ensure their boss gets 
  away.
  Whatley is dead. A brief examination reveals several 
  sets of puncture wounds on his neck.
   Abdul, Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  A LEAD
  A LEAD
  The piece of paper Abdul dropped is a letter. Give the 
  player’s Handout #1 at this time.
  Characters with Knowledge (History) or (Religion) 
  may make the appropriate skill roll. With success, they 
  know Apep was an evil Egyptian snake-god, who sought 
  to devour Ra, the sun god, and plunge the world into 
  total darkness. They also know the legend of Ra’s travels 
  through the Underworld and the 12 Gates of Night.
  Without these skills, the heroes are forced to use In-
  vestigation when they have time to visit a library.
  SCENE 2: THE PAPYRUS STOLEN
  SCENE 2: THE PAPYRUS STOLEN
  Judging by the chaos outside the museum front 
  steps, you’re too late! Valerie Braveheart pushes 
  through the crowd toward you, waving franti-
  cally to get your attention.
  “Robbery,” she pants, pointing back at the mu-
  seum. “Someone just smashed a display case and 
  made off with a papyrus. You’ll never believe this,” 
  she gasps, “but he keeps snakes up his sleeves! 
  Hey!” she shouts. “That’s him, in the black robes, 
  heading for that alley!”
  Following the direction of her arm, you spot the 
  villain. It’s deﬁ nitely the same guy from the obser-
  vatory, the one who murdered Whatley. 
  The alley is too narrow for the characters’ car. Being 
  locals, the heroes also know the alley connects to several 
  possible exits—trying to drive round to the other side 
  won’t guarantee the characters can catch the rogue.
  As the heroes race after Abdul, a handful of cultists 
  move to block the alleyway. The alley is 12” long and 2” 
  wide. The thugs begin 4” in front of the characters and 
  block the route. A number of trashcans can be used as 
  Cover, as part of an Agility Trick, or to throw at the vil-
  lains. A ﬁ re escape ladder located 3” into the alley allows 
  a character to swing over cultists blocking his route. He 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 to clear a square occupied 
  by a single villain, and at –4 to clear two squares in a line 
  blocked by villains. This is an acrobatic maneuver, so the 
  bonus from the Acrobat Edge applies.
  Once the cultists are all defeated or the characters 
  manage to maneuver around them, proceed to the sec-
  tion below.
   Apep Cultists (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SLIPPERY CUSTOMERS
  SLIPPERY CUSTOMERS
  Run this scene as a Chase, using TAG’s alternate Ob-
  stacles rules. Abdul begins at Medium Range (3 Range 
  Increments), plus 1 extra Range Increment for every 
  round it took the heroes to defeat the cultists. Each 
  Range Increment represents 5”.
  Note that if the characters simply rush past the cult-
  ists, the thugs give chase, adding a third party to this 
  scene. They begin just 1 Increment behind the charac-
  ters. They’ll always try to use the Parallel maneuver when 
  close enough, so as to make a melee attack.
  Abdul is intent only on escaping the scene of the 
  crime as quickly as possible. If a character moves within 
  1 Range Increment, he can make a Fighting roll. Remem-
  ber, you don’t suffer a multi-action penalty for running 
  and attacking in a Chase.
  With any luck, the characters manage to defeat the 
  villain. Should Abdul increase the gap to more than 10 
  Range Increments, he leaps into a waiting car and es-
  capes.
   Abdul, Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4/–) Busy Road: The chase moves across a 
  busy road. The character has arrived during a period of 
  particularly heavy trafﬁ c. He may either take his chances 
  and keep running or halt and watch for a gap in the traf-
  ﬁ c. Abdul only tries the second option if the pursuers 
  are within 3 Range Increments. Otherwise, he waits for 
  a gap.
  Those who elect to run into the road make their Agil-
  ity roll at –4. Success means they have managed to dodge 
  cars or safely roll over the hoods. Failure indicates they 
  have been run down. They take 3d6 damage (from an 
  Extra).
  Heroes who elect to pause for a gap cannot make an 
  Agility roll this round, and thus do not move any Range 
  Increments. Next round they may move as normal.
  Three (–2) Slippery: A storeowner has been washing 
  his ﬂ oor, and the sidewalk is covered in soapy water. A 
  failed Agility roll indicates the hero slips and falls. His 
  Agility roll next round is made at –2 due to the time lost 
  having to regain his footing.
  Four (–2) Trash Cans: Trash cans line the sidewalk 
  and the character barrels into them. His Agility roll is 
  made at –2. With failure, he suffers 2d6 damage (from 
  an Extra).
  Five (–2) Damn Drivers: As the adventurer tries to 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  4
  characters have deﬂ ated all the tires, perhaps to prevent 
  an escape, another cultist vehicle pulls up just in time to 
  rescue Abdul.
  The observatory telephone has recently been pulled 
  from the wall and smashed (Whatley managed to break 
  free and tried to all for help), so the heroes can’t alert the 
  museum in advance. As always, their car tires have been 
  punctured should they try to follow the cultists. Abdul 
  may have done this during his escape, or any newly-ar-
  rived cultists do so as an action to ensure their boss gets 
  away.
  Whatley is dead. A brief examination reveals several 
  sets of puncture wounds on his neck.
   Abdul, Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  A LEAD
  A LEAD
  The piece of paper Abdul dropped is a letter. Give the 
  player’s Handout #1 at this time.
  Characters with Knowledge (History) or (Religion) 
  may make the appropriate skill roll. With success, they 
  know Apep was an evil Egyptian snake-god, who sought 
  to devour Ra, the sun god, and plunge the world into 
  total darkness. They also know the legend of Ra’s travels 
  through the Underworld and the 12 Gates of Night.
  Without these skills, the heroes are forced to use In-
  vestigation when they have time to visit a library.
  SCENE 2: THE PAPYRUS STOLEN
  SCENE 2: THE PAPYRUS STOLEN
  Judging by the chaos outside the museum front 
  steps, you’re too late! Valerie Braveheart pushes 
  through the crowd toward you, waving franti-
  cally to get your attention.
  “Robbery,” she pants, pointing back at the mu-
  seum. “Someone just smashed a display case and 
  made off with a papyrus. You’ll never believe this,” 
  she gasps, “but he keeps snakes up his sleeves! 
  Hey!” she shouts. “That’s him, in the black robes, 
  heading for that alley!”
  Following the direction of her arm, you spot the 
  villain. It’s deﬁ nitely the same guy from the obser-
  vatory, the one who murdered Whatley. 
  The alley is too narrow for the characters’ car. Being 
  locals, the heroes also know the alley connects to several 
  possible exits—trying to drive round to the other side 
  won’t guarantee the characters can catch the rogue.
  As the heroes race after Abdul, a handful of cultists 
  move to block the alleyway. The alley is 12” long and 2” 
  wide. The thugs begin 4” in front of the characters and 
  block the route. A number of trashcans can be used as 
  Cover, as part of an Agility Trick, or to throw at the vil-
  lains. A ﬁ re escape ladder located 3” into the alley allows 
  a character to swing over cultists blocking his route. He 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 to clear a square occupied 
  by a single villain, and at –4 to clear two squares in a line 
  blocked by villains. This is an acrobatic maneuver, so the 
  bonus from the Acrobat Edge applies.
  Once the cultists are all defeated or the characters 
  manage to maneuver around them, proceed to the sec-
  tion below.
   Apep Cultists (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SLIPPERY CUSTOMERS
  SLIPPERY CUSTOMERS
  Run this scene as a Chase, using TAG’s alternate Ob-
  stacles rules. Abdul begins at Medium Range (3 Range 
  Increments), plus 1 extra Range Increment for every 
  round it took the heroes to defeat the cultists. Each 
  Range Increment represents 5”.
  Note that if the characters simply rush past the cult-
  ists, the thugs give chase, adding a third party to this 
  scene. They begin just 1 Increment behind the charac-
  ters. They’ll always try to use the Parallel maneuver when 
  close enough, so as to make a melee attack.
  Abdul is intent only on escaping the scene of the 
  crime as quickly as possible. If a character moves within 
  1 Range Increment, he can make a Fighting roll. Remem-
  ber, you don’t suffer a multi-action penalty for running 
  and attacking in a Chase.
  With any luck, the characters manage to defeat the 
  villain. Should Abdul increase the gap to more than 10 
  Range Increments, he leaps into a waiting car and es-
  capes.
   Abdul, Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4/–) Busy Road: The chase moves across a 
  busy road. The character has arrived during a period of 
  particularly heavy trafﬁ c. He may either take his chances 
  and keep running or halt and watch for a gap in the traf-
  ﬁ c. Abdul only tries the second option if the pursuers 
  are within 3 Range Increments. Otherwise, he waits for 
  a gap.
  Those who elect to run into the road make their Agil-
  ity roll at –4. Success means they have managed to dodge 
  cars or safely roll over the hoods. Failure indicates they 
  have been run down. They take 3d6 damage (from an 
  Extra).
  Heroes who elect to pause for a gap cannot make an 
  Agility roll this round, and thus do not move any Range 
  Increments. Next round they may move as normal.
  Three (–2) Slippery: A storeowner has been washing 
  his ﬂ oor, and the sidewalk is covered in soapy water. A 
  failed Agility roll indicates the hero slips and falls. His 
  Agility roll next round is made at –2 due to the time lost 
  having to regain his footing.
  Four (–2) Trash Cans: Trash cans line the sidewalk 
  and the character barrels into them. His Agility roll is 
  made at –2. With failure, he suffers 2d6 damage (from 
  an Extra).
  Five (–2) Damn Drivers: As the adventurer tries to 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  5
  cross an intersection, a car pulls to a halt right in front of 
  him. Failure indicates the character slowed too late and 
  slams into the car for 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Six (–2) Sudden Surge: A surge of shoppers leave a 
  department store, sweeping a hero up in their exodus. 
  If he fails his Agility roll, the character is forced back 1 
  Range Increment by the crowd.
  Seven (–2) He Went That Way: A helpful youth points 
  out the route of the villain as he momentarily vanishes 
  from sight. Unfortunately, the lad got the wrong direction 
  and the hero must waste time recovering old ground. A 
  failed roll moves the hero back 1 Range Increment.
  If Abdul draws this card, he simply gets caught up in 
  a crowd of pedestrians.
  Eight (–2/0) My Baby: A mother has lost control of 
  her carriage, which is rolling toward the trafﬁ c. Ask the 
  character if he wishes to stop the carriage being crushed 
  or ignore it and keep moving. Abdul always goes for the 
  latter (and the carriage is stopped by a policeman).
  Stopping the carraige gives the character a –2 penalty 
  to his Agility roll. Success means he catches the carriage 
  in the nick of time and can move this round. With a fail-
  ure, he manages to stop the carriage, but only by throw-
  ing himself in the way. He loses 1 Range Increment as he 
  frantically tries to untangle himself.
  A character who ignores the woman’s cry for help 
  rolls his Agility with no penalty, but loses a benny for his 
  unheroic deed (and the policeman comes to the rescue 
  again).
  Nine (–2/0) Girl Scout: The adventurer bumps into 
  a Girl Scout selling cookies for a worthy cause, scatter-
  ing her boxes of goodies across the street. The hero can 
  either stop and help her pick them up, or ignore her 
  and keep running. Abdul, being a villain, never stops to 
  help.
  A character who stops to assist makes his Agility roll 
  at –2 for this round. Failure means the task takes much 
  longer than anticipated, and he moves back a Range 
  Increment.
  Ignoring her plight allows an Agility roll at no pen-
  alty, but costs the character a benny for being “a mean 
  person.”
  Ten (–1) Hobo: A drunk staggers in front of the 
  character and tries to block his route while he begs for 
  some change. A failed Agility roll means the hero loses 
  1 Range Increment due to the delay. Abdul suffers this 
  penalty as well. The drunk doesn’t care he has snakes for 
  arms—he’s seen worse in his nightmares.
  Jack (–1) Pedestrians: As the character reaches an 
  intersection the lights go green and he is met by an on-
  rush of pedestrians coming the other way. Failure has no 
  special penalties, beyond the character not making any 
  headway this round.
  Queen (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides to 
  take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. With 
  success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 dam-
  age (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility roll.
  King (–1) Fire Hydrant: Kids tampering with a ﬁ re 
  hydrant manage to get it shooting out a jet of water—
  straight at the character. A successful roll means the hero 
  avoided the spray. With a failure, he is knocked over, and 
  loses 1 Range Increment as he is sent ﬂ ying by the jet.
  Ace (–2/0) Catching a Ride: The character has the 
  opportunity to leap onto a car’s running board as it 
  zooms by. Ask the character if he wants to try to catch a 
  ride or keep moving on foot. Abdul, desperate to escape, 
  always tries the former.
  Catching a lift requires an Agility roll at –2. With suc-
  cess, the hero moves an additional 2 Range Increments. 
  This doesn’t stack with Push. Failure means the hero falls 
  from the running board. He takes 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra) and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll next 
  round as he gets to his feet.
  Characters who elect to keep moving on foot simply 
  roll their Agility die as normal.
  THE PAPYRUS
  THE PAPYRUS
  Hopefully, the characters end up in possession of 
  the text. It’s written in Egyptian hieroglyphs, so unless 
  a character can read them, the symbols are meaningless 
  without translation by an expert (such as those available 
  at the Boston Museum). The papyrus contains several 
  spells, which will prove useful to the party. Details can 
  be found in the sidebar on page 5.
  THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  The fragment of papyrus contains several spells. 
  These can be invoked by any character who reads 
  Egyptian hieroglyphs. If no one can read the an-
  cient script, the spells can be translated at Boston 
  or Cairo Museum, or by the astrologer later in the 
  adventure.
  Casting requires a Smarts roll. Spells which can nor-
  mally be maintained are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds, 
  unless otherwise stated. When a spell is cast, cross 
  it off the list. It doesn’t matter if copies of the spells 
  exist—each can only be cast a ﬁ xed number of 
  times.
  The spells on the papyrus are as follows. Each has 
  its English translation (which should be given to the 
  heroes) and its game mechanic equivalent (which 
  the characters don’t know). Give the group Hand-
  out #3. Common sense and a little guesswork are 
  the adventurers’ best hope of choosing wisely.
  * Spitting Upon Apep (bolt; light trapping, 1 bolt 
  of light for 3d6 damage)
  * Deﬁ ling Apep (light; lasts 10 minutes, or 60 
  combat rounds)
  * Taking a Lance to Smite Apep (burst; light trap-
  ping)
  * Fettering Apep (entangle; Medium Burst Tem-
  plate)
  * Taking a Knife to Smite Apep (smite)
  * Putting Fire Upon Apep (blast; light trapping, 
  3d6 damage in a Medium Burst Template)
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  5
  cross an intersection, a car pulls to a halt right in front of 
  him. Failure indicates the character slowed too late and 
  slams into the car for 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Six (–2) Sudden Surge: A surge of shoppers leave a 
  department store, sweeping a hero up in their exodus. 
  If he fails his Agility roll, the character is forced back 1 
  Range Increment by the crowd.
  Seven (–2) He Went That Way: A helpful youth points 
  out the route of the villain as he momentarily vanishes 
  from sight. Unfortunately, the lad got the wrong direction 
  and the hero must waste time recovering old ground. A 
  failed roll moves the hero back 1 Range Increment.
  If Abdul draws this card, he simply gets caught up in 
  a crowd of pedestrians.
  Eight (–2/0) My Baby: A mother has lost control of 
  her carriage, which is rolling toward the trafﬁ c. Ask the 
  character if he wishes to stop the carriage being crushed 
  or ignore it and keep moving. Abdul always goes for the 
  latter (and the carriage is stopped by a policeman).
  Stopping the carraige gives the character a –2 penalty 
  to his Agility roll. Success means he catches the carriage 
  in the nick of time and can move this round. With a fail-
  ure, he manages to stop the carriage, but only by throw-
  ing himself in the way. He loses 1 Range Increment as he 
  frantically tries to untangle himself.
  A character who ignores the woman’s cry for help 
  rolls his Agility with no penalty, but loses a benny for his 
  unheroic deed (and the policeman comes to the rescue 
  again).
  Nine (–2/0) Girl Scout: The adventurer bumps into 
  a Girl Scout selling cookies for a worthy cause, scatter-
  ing her boxes of goodies across the street. The hero can 
  either stop and help her pick them up, or ignore her 
  and keep running. Abdul, being a villain, never stops to 
  help.
  A character who stops to assist makes his Agility roll 
  at –2 for this round. Failure means the task takes much 
  longer than anticipated, and he moves back a Range 
  Increment.
  Ignoring her plight allows an Agility roll at no pen-
  alty, but costs the character a benny for being “a mean 
  person.”
  Ten (–1) Hobo: A drunk staggers in front of the 
  character and tries to block his route while he begs for 
  some change. A failed Agility roll means the hero loses 
  1 Range Increment due to the delay. Abdul suffers this 
  penalty as well. The drunk doesn’t care he has snakes for 
  arms—he’s seen worse in his nightmares.
  Jack (–1) Pedestrians: As the character reaches an 
  intersection the lights go green and he is met by an on-
  rush of pedestrians coming the other way. Failure has no 
  special penalties, beyond the character not making any 
  headway this round.
  Queen (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides to 
  take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. With 
  success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 dam-
  age (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility roll.
  King (–1) Fire Hydrant: Kids tampering with a ﬁ re 
  hydrant manage to get it shooting out a jet of water—
  straight at the character. A successful roll means the hero 
  avoided the spray. With a failure, he is knocked over, and 
  loses 1 Range Increment as he is sent ﬂ ying by the jet.
  Ace (–2/0) Catching a Ride: The character has the 
  opportunity to leap onto a car’s running board as it 
  zooms by. Ask the character if he wants to try to catch a 
  ride or keep moving on foot. Abdul, desperate to escape, 
  always tries the former.
  Catching a lift requires an Agility roll at –2. With suc-
  cess, the hero moves an additional 2 Range Increments. 
  This doesn’t stack with Push. Failure means the hero falls 
  from the running board. He takes 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra) and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll next 
  round as he gets to his feet.
  Characters who elect to keep moving on foot simply 
  roll their Agility die as normal.
  THE PAPYRUS
  THE PAPYRUS
  Hopefully, the characters end up in possession of 
  the text. It’s written in Egyptian hieroglyphs, so unless 
  a character can read them, the symbols are meaningless 
  without translation by an expert (such as those available 
  at the Boston Museum). The papyrus contains several 
  spells, which will prove useful to the party. Details can 
  be found in the sidebar on page 5.
  THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  The fragment of papyrus contains several spells. 
  These can be invoked by any character who reads 
  Egyptian hieroglyphs. If no one can read the an-
  cient script, the spells can be translated at Boston 
  or Cairo Museum, or by the astrologer later in the 
  adventure.
  Casting requires a Smarts roll. Spells which can nor-
  mally be maintained are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds, 
  unless otherwise stated. When a spell is cast, cross 
  it off the list. It doesn’t matter if copies of the spells 
  exist—each can only be cast a ﬁ xed number of 
  times.
  The spells on the papyrus are as follows. Each has 
  its English translation (which should be given to the 
  heroes) and its game mechanic equivalent (which 
  the characters don’t know). Give the group Hand-
  out #3. Common sense and a little guesswork are 
  the adventurers’ best hope of choosing wisely.
  * Spitting Upon Apep (bolt; light trapping, 1 bolt 
  of light for 3d6 damage)
  * Deﬁ ling Apep (light; lasts 10 minutes, or 60 
  combat rounds)
  * Taking a Lance to Smite Apep (burst; light trap-
  ping)
  * Fettering Apep (entangle; Medium Burst Tem-
  plate)
  * Taking a Knife to Smite Apep (smite)
  * Putting Fire Upon Apep (blast; light trapping, 
  3d6 damage in a Medium Burst Template)
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  6
  Don’t worry if Abdul escapes. The papyrus isn’t vital 
  to the next sections of the adventure, though it would 
  have made their life a little easier in places, and the char-
  acters get a chance to recover it later on.
  By rights, the papyrus should be returned to the mu-
  seum. However, it’s a useful tool, and one the characters 
  are unlikely to want to give away. The GM can safely 
  ignore the “theft,” since it is for a good cause, and let the 
  characters return it after the tale concludes. Alternately, 
  if the heroes take it back to the curator and explain their 
  need to retain it, a successful Persuasion roll allows them 
  to keep it for a short while.
  SCENE 3: THE VEIL FALLS
  SCENE 3: THE VEIL FALLS
  Whether they have the papyrus or not, the characters 
  have only one lead to follow—Aziz El-Mahdy of the Egyp-
  tian Department of Antiquities.
  He can be reached by phone. However, he claims 
  never to have heard of Doctor Whatley, and scoffs at the 
  notion of an evil plot or a cult dedicated to Apep. This 
  alone should raise the heroes’ curiosity and ensure they 
  head to Cairo to investigate further. Making early contact 
  also alerts the Apep cultists to the characters interference 
  in their plans.
  Read the following text aloud when the characters 
  reach Boston airport. If they have their own transporta-
  tion, the GM will need to alter the text accordingly. 
  The sun is high in the sky as you sit in the de-
  parture lounge with all the other passengers. Your 
  ﬂ ight has been called, so it won’t be long before 
  you embark.
  Suddenly, you notice everything is growing dark-
  er. Glancing outside, you see a solar eclipse seems 
  to be taking place. Yes, a black disc is deﬁ nitely 
  moving over the face of the Sun. But if that’s the 
  case, why is the moon clearly visible in another 
  part of the sky?
  A scream from behind you causes you to whirl 
  around. Emerging from under the seats, from pas-
  sengers’ bags, even your own, and behind potted 
  plants are hundreds of snakes!
  Remind the characters that while pulp heroes don’t 
  draw police attention from using guns, that rule doesn’t 
  give them carte blanche to begin shooting up a public 
  airport crowded with innocents.
  The airport lounge measures 10” long by 8” wide. 
  There is one row of seats against each long wall, and 
  a line of back-to-back seats (2”) wide down the center 
  of the room. Moving through these counts as difﬁ cult 
  ground for the heroes, but the serpents are able to slither 
  underneath with ease. There are a few potted plants the 
  characters can use for cover.
  The seats aren’t bolted down, and can be used to 
  club the snakes (Str+d6). Alternately, a hero can grab a 
  magazine from a chair and roll it up to use as a makeshift 
  club (Str+d4). Picking up an improvised weapon counts 
  as Drawing a Weapon.
  Due to the sudden eclipse, the lighting inside the 
  lounge is Dim (–1).
  Have the heroes place their miniatures on the table-
  top. When that’s done, the GM places the snakes. One 
  demon snake begins in each corner of the room. The 
  two swarms begin in the central column of chairs, one 
  at each end. Don’t worry if the characters begin under 
  a swarm’s template—the snakes don’t start biting until 
  their action card.
  The other passengers sensibly jump onto chairs and 
  begin stamping their feet to drive back the snakes. For 
  convenience, they take no damage during this scene, nor 
  do they assist the heroes in any meaningful way.
  Once the snakes are dispatched, the lighting condi-
  tions immediately returns to normal. The “eclipse” has 
  ended as quickly as it began. Have the characters make 
  Notice rolls. With success, they realize the sun is notice-
  ably dimmer than it was before!
  Until the end of Act 2, all daytime encounters take 
  place in Dim lighting (–1)—things get worse then!
   Demon Snakes (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Snake Swarm (2): See page 21.
  ACT 2: CAIRO
  ACT 2: CAIRO
  Cairo did not exist in the time of the pharaohs. In that 
  ancient epoch, the capital lay at Memphis, some 12 miles 
  south of modern Cairo and on the opposite bank of the 
  Nile. Dating from the 10th century AD, Cairo has grown 
  rapidly into a sprawling metropolis.
  Although independent of British rule since 1922, un-
  der the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, Great 
  Britian retains a large army to help guard the Suez Canal 
  and train Egypt’s army. She is also bound by the treaty 
  to help defend Egypt should the country be attacked. In 
  a few years, Egypt will call upon Great Britian to help 
  against the Italians and Germans.
  Cairo is a city of contrasts. The splendor and wonders 
  of the Khedivial Opera House, Egyptian Museum, Khan 
  El-Khalili bazaar, and the many mosques and Coptic 
  Christian churches are contrasted by the poverty and 
  murderous inhabitants of the slums, sinister cults which 
  operate in the shadows, coffee houses where artifact 
  smugglers and tomb robbers make secret deals to plun-
  der Egypt of its heritage, and bars selling illegal alcohol, 
  hashish, and other narcotics.
  Several modern myths speak of the Black Pharaoh, 
  a mysterious crime lord who deigns to rule over Egypt 
  in the manner of the kings of old. But that is a tale for 
  another day.
  SCENE 1: AN AGGRESSIVE WELCOME
  SCENE 1: AN AGGRESSIVE WELCOME
  The Department of Antiquities is located on an island 
  within the Cairo city limits. The northern portion of the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  6
  Don’t worry if Abdul escapes. The papyrus isn’t vital 
  to the next sections of the adventure, though it would 
  have made their life a little easier in places, and the char-
  acters get a chance to recover it later on.
  By rights, the papyrus should be returned to the mu-
  seum. However, it’s a useful tool, and one the characters 
  are unlikely to want to give away. The GM can safely 
  ignore the “theft,” since it is for a good cause, and let the 
  characters return it after the tale concludes. Alternately, 
  if the heroes take it back to the curator and explain their 
  need to retain it, a successful Persuasion roll allows them 
  to keep it for a short while.
  SCENE 3: THE VEIL FALLS
  SCENE 3: THE VEIL FALLS
  Whether they have the papyrus or not, the characters 
  have only one lead to follow—Aziz El-Mahdy of the Egyp-
  tian Department of Antiquities.
  He can be reached by phone. However, he claims 
  never to have heard of Doctor Whatley, and scoffs at the 
  notion of an evil plot or a cult dedicated to Apep. This 
  alone should raise the heroes’ curiosity and ensure they 
  head to Cairo to investigate further. Making early contact 
  also alerts the Apep cultists to the characters interference 
  in their plans.
  Read the following text aloud when the characters 
  reach Boston airport. If they have their own transporta-
  tion, the GM will need to alter the text accordingly. 
  The sun is high in the sky as you sit in the de-
  parture lounge with all the other passengers. Your 
  ﬂ ight has been called, so it won’t be long before 
  you embark.
  Suddenly, you notice everything is growing dark-
  er. Glancing outside, you see a solar eclipse seems 
  to be taking place. Yes, a black disc is deﬁ nitely 
  moving over the face of the Sun. But if that’s the 
  case, why is the moon clearly visible in another 
  part of the sky?
  A scream from behind you causes you to whirl 
  around. Emerging from under the seats, from pas-
  sengers’ bags, even your own, and behind potted 
  plants are hundreds of snakes!
  Remind the characters that while pulp heroes don’t 
  draw police attention from using guns, that rule doesn’t 
  give them carte blanche to begin shooting up a public 
  airport crowded with innocents.
  The airport lounge measures 10” long by 8” wide. 
  There is one row of seats against each long wall, and 
  a line of back-to-back seats (2”) wide down the center 
  of the room. Moving through these counts as difﬁ cult 
  ground for the heroes, but the serpents are able to slither 
  underneath with ease. There are a few potted plants the 
  characters can use for cover.
  The seats aren’t bolted down, and can be used to 
  club the snakes (Str+d6). Alternately, a hero can grab a 
  magazine from a chair and roll it up to use as a makeshift 
  club (Str+d4). Picking up an improvised weapon counts 
  as Drawing a Weapon.
  Due to the sudden eclipse, the lighting inside the 
  lounge is Dim (–1).
  Have the heroes place their miniatures on the table-
  top. When that’s done, the GM places the snakes. One 
  demon snake begins in each corner of the room. The 
  two swarms begin in the central column of chairs, one 
  at each end. Don’t worry if the characters begin under 
  a swarm’s template—the snakes don’t start biting until 
  their action card.
  The other passengers sensibly jump onto chairs and 
  begin stamping their feet to drive back the snakes. For 
  convenience, they take no damage during this scene, nor 
  do they assist the heroes in any meaningful way.
  Once the snakes are dispatched, the lighting condi-
  tions immediately returns to normal. The “eclipse” has 
  ended as quickly as it began. Have the characters make 
  Notice rolls. With success, they realize the sun is notice-
  ably dimmer than it was before!
  Until the end of Act 2, all daytime encounters take 
  place in Dim lighting (–1)—things get worse then!
   Demon Snakes (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Snake Swarm (2): See page 21.
  ACT 2: CAIRO
  ACT 2: CAIRO
  Cairo did not exist in the time of the pharaohs. In that 
  ancient epoch, the capital lay at Memphis, some 12 miles 
  south of modern Cairo and on the opposite bank of the 
  Nile. Dating from the 10th century AD, Cairo has grown 
  rapidly into a sprawling metropolis.
  Although independent of British rule since 1922, un-
  der the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, Great 
  Britian retains a large army to help guard the Suez Canal 
  and train Egypt’s army. She is also bound by the treaty 
  to help defend Egypt should the country be attacked. In 
  a few years, Egypt will call upon Great Britian to help 
  against the Italians and Germans.
  Cairo is a city of contrasts. The splendor and wonders 
  of the Khedivial Opera House, Egyptian Museum, Khan 
  El-Khalili bazaar, and the many mosques and Coptic 
  Christian churches are contrasted by the poverty and 
  murderous inhabitants of the slums, sinister cults which 
  operate in the shadows, coffee houses where artifact 
  smugglers and tomb robbers make secret deals to plun-
  der Egypt of its heritage, and bars selling illegal alcohol, 
  hashish, and other narcotics.
  Several modern myths speak of the Black Pharaoh, 
  a mysterious crime lord who deigns to rule over Egypt 
  in the manner of the kings of old. But that is a tale for 
  another day.
  SCENE 1: AN AGGRESSIVE WELCOME
  SCENE 1: AN AGGRESSIVE WELCOME
  The Department of Antiquities is located on an island 
  within the Cairo city limits. The northern portion of the 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  7
  island is the Gezira district, while the southern part, 
  where the Department has its ofﬁ ces, is the Zamalek 
  district. A receptionist directs the party to Doctor El-
  Mahdy’s ofﬁ ce, which is on the second ﬂ oor.
  As you reach out to knock, the door suddenly 
  opens. Framed in the doorway is a dusky-skinned 
  woman wearing a brightly colored headscarf and 
  dark glasses. Tall and slim, her dress clinging to 
  every curve like a second skin, she could be the 
  living incarnation of the beautiful queen, Nefer-
  titi, considered by many to be one of the most at-
  tractive women who ever lived. Without a word, 
  she slides past you and heads down the stairs. The 
  smell of jasmine ﬁ lls your nostrils.
  The woman is Nadine, one of Apep’s most trusted 
  agents. Doctor El-Mahdy, a specialist in the mythology 
  of Ra and Apep, stumbled across the cult’s plans quite 
  by accident. When the cultists discovered what he knew 
  through their spies in the Department of Antiquities, Na-
  dine was ordered to use her special powers to enthrall 
  the doctor—he is too high proﬁ le to suddenly vanish, 
  and his knowledge could be beneﬁ cial to Apep’s follow-
  ers. He has been subjected to a special form of puppet, 
  which has left him totally loyal to the cult.
  El-Mahdy is a rugged Egyptian in his late-Twenties. As 
  much a ﬁ eld man as a scholar, he enjoys getting his hands 
  dirty on archaeological expeditions. His meeting with 
  the heroes is covered as a series of possible questions 
  and answers. With regard to matters not listed below, the 
  doctor is evasive.
  Q: We found your letter to Professor Whatley. Why is 
  the world in danger?
  A: “I’m sorry, you must have mistaken me for some-
  one else. I don’t know of any Professor Whatley, and, as 
  far as I know, the world is perfectly safe.”
  Q: This letter (shows the doctor the missive).
  A: Doctor El-Mahdy reads the letter. “A fake,” he says, 
  placing it on his desk, “sent to discredit me, perhaps. 
  In my line of work, locating and conserving valuable 
  antiquities, one makes many enemies among artifact 
  hunters who would prefer to sell them on the black 
  market.”
  Q: Who was that woman?
  A: “A friend.”
  Q: What do you know of Apep?
  A: “Apep was invented by the ancient Egyptians to 
  explain the passage of the sun through the heavens. 
  Solar eclipses were seen as strange, potentially cata-
  strophic, events. The ancients were intelligent people, 
  but they lacked our modern knowledge of the universe. 
  They sought to explain celestial phenomena as acts of 
  the gods.”
  Q: We believe the cult is still active. Does that surprise 
  you?
  A: “Really? I’m afraid you cannot be allowed to 
  spread such gossip. It could be…harmful, to certain 
  activities” With that, he springs to his feet, a long knife, 
  similar to those wielded by Whatley’s murderers, in his 
  hand.
  Deal action cards. Note that while the last question 
  may not come up in the exact form above, any reference 
  to the cult triggers a subliminal implant to kill those with 
  knowledge of Apep’s followers.
  Normally gunﬁ re doesn’t bring the authorities run-
  ning. However, that’s only the case when the villain is 
  obviously a villain. In this case, any gunshots alert secu-
  rity guards (actually cultists placed here to watch over 
  El-Mahdy), who arrive on the scene 1d4+1 rounds after 
  the shooting starts.
  Read the following text aloud when El-Mahdy reaches 
  Incapacitated. It’s important the doctor not be taken 
  alive. Should he be grappled or hit with nonlethal dam-
  age, then a second subliminal implant, one which stops 
  his heart, causes his death.
  “Forgive me,” he whispers. “I had no choice. My 
  mind…images…obedience. Rashid ibn Al-Azif…ﬁ nd 
  him…ask him…” With that, the doctor turns the 
  knife on himself, plunging it through his chest. As he 
  slumps to the ﬂ oor, a smile crosses his lips. “No more 
  darkness,” he sighs, as the life leaves his body.
  The arrival of the cultist security guards actually gives 
  the characters a perfect cover for the doctor’s death (see 
  below). El-Mahdy has, hopefully, mentioned he has many 
  enemies. Claiming the security guards burst in and ﬁ red 
  ﬁ rst may not be completely heroic, but it saves the good 
  doctor’s otherwise excellent reputation.
  Note that while it might seem logical to have the cult 
  of Apep provide descriptions of the heroes to the au-
  thorities and have them hunted by the Egyptian police, 
  that really isn’t the pulp way. That works better in noir, a 
  separate, darker genre.
   Doctor El-Mahdy: Treat as a Wild Card cultist of 
  Apep (page 20), but armed only with a dagger.
   Security Guards (1 per hero): As cultists of 
  Apep (page 20), but replace their daggers with batons 
  (Str+d4).
  SCENE 2: APEP SPEAKS
  SCENE 2: APEP SPEAKS
  Locating Rashid ibn Al-Azif requires a Streetwise roll. 
  He doesn’t appear on any ofﬁ cial census records, so In-
  vestigation is no use in tracking him down.
  Rashid ibn Al-Azif lives in the slums of Cairo, not far 
  from the great pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. The area is 
  a maze of narrow alleys and streets, unlit by streetlamps, 
  and avoided at night by those who value their lives.
  The local inhabitants claim he has lived here since 
  the days of the pharaohs, for everyone knows someone 
  whose grandparents swear blind he was there in the time 
  of their grandparents. Regardless of what they believe, 
  the locals know Rashid as a good man, always willing 
  to offer advice in return for a few coins or a hot meal. 
  Rashid is extremely elderly, but how long he has lived is 
  not for discussion.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  7
  island is the Gezira district, while the southern part, 
  where the Department has its ofﬁ ces, is the Zamalek 
  district. A receptionist directs the party to Doctor El-
  Mahdy’s ofﬁ ce, which is on the second ﬂ oor.
  As you reach out to knock, the door suddenly 
  opens. Framed in the doorway is a dusky-skinned 
  woman wearing a brightly colored headscarf and 
  dark glasses. Tall and slim, her dress clinging to 
  every curve like a second skin, she could be the 
  living incarnation of the beautiful queen, Nefer-
  titi, considered by many to be one of the most at-
  tractive women who ever lived. Without a word, 
  she slides past you and heads down the stairs. The 
  smell of jasmine ﬁ lls your nostrils.
  The woman is Nadine, one of Apep’s most trusted 
  agents. Doctor El-Mahdy, a specialist in the mythology 
  of Ra and Apep, stumbled across the cult’s plans quite 
  by accident. When the cultists discovered what he knew 
  through their spies in the Department of Antiquities, Na-
  dine was ordered to use her special powers to enthrall 
  the doctor—he is too high proﬁ le to suddenly vanish, 
  and his knowledge could be beneﬁ cial to Apep’s follow-
  ers. He has been subjected to a special form of puppet, 
  which has left him totally loyal to the cult.
  El-Mahdy is a rugged Egyptian in his late-Twenties. As 
  much a ﬁ eld man as a scholar, he enjoys getting his hands 
  dirty on archaeological expeditions. His meeting with 
  the heroes is covered as a series of possible questions 
  and answers. With regard to matters not listed below, the 
  doctor is evasive.
  Q: We found your letter to Professor Whatley. Why is 
  the world in danger?
  A: “I’m sorry, you must have mistaken me for some-
  one else. I don’t know of any Professor Whatley, and, as 
  far as I know, the world is perfectly safe.”
  Q: This letter (shows the doctor the missive).
  A: Doctor El-Mahdy reads the letter. “A fake,” he says, 
  placing it on his desk, “sent to discredit me, perhaps. 
  In my line of work, locating and conserving valuable 
  antiquities, one makes many enemies among artifact 
  hunters who would prefer to sell them on the black 
  market.”
  Q: Who was that woman?
  A: “A friend.”
  Q: What do you know of Apep?
  A: “Apep was invented by the ancient Egyptians to 
  explain the passage of the sun through the heavens. 
  Solar eclipses were seen as strange, potentially cata-
  strophic, events. The ancients were intelligent people, 
  but they lacked our modern knowledge of the universe. 
  They sought to explain celestial phenomena as acts of 
  the gods.”
  Q: We believe the cult is still active. Does that surprise 
  you?
  A: “Really? I’m afraid you cannot be allowed to 
  spread such gossip. It could be…harmful, to certain 
  activities” With that, he springs to his feet, a long knife, 
  similar to those wielded by Whatley’s murderers, in his 
  hand.
  Deal action cards. Note that while the last question 
  may not come up in the exact form above, any reference 
  to the cult triggers a subliminal implant to kill those with 
  knowledge of Apep’s followers.
  Normally gunﬁ re doesn’t bring the authorities run-
  ning. However, that’s only the case when the villain is 
  obviously a villain. In this case, any gunshots alert secu-
  rity guards (actually cultists placed here to watch over 
  El-Mahdy), who arrive on the scene 1d4+1 rounds after 
  the shooting starts.
  Read the following text aloud when El-Mahdy reaches 
  Incapacitated. It’s important the doctor not be taken 
  alive. Should he be grappled or hit with nonlethal dam-
  age, then a second subliminal implant, one which stops 
  his heart, causes his death.
  “Forgive me,” he whispers. “I had no choice. My 
  mind…images…obedience. Rashid ibn Al-Azif…ﬁ nd 
  him…ask him…” With that, the doctor turns the 
  knife on himself, plunging it through his chest. As he 
  slumps to the ﬂ oor, a smile crosses his lips. “No more 
  darkness,” he sighs, as the life leaves his body.
  The arrival of the cultist security guards actually gives 
  the characters a perfect cover for the doctor’s death (see 
  below). El-Mahdy has, hopefully, mentioned he has many 
  enemies. Claiming the security guards burst in and ﬁ red 
  ﬁ rst may not be completely heroic, but it saves the good 
  doctor’s otherwise excellent reputation.
  Note that while it might seem logical to have the cult 
  of Apep provide descriptions of the heroes to the au-
  thorities and have them hunted by the Egyptian police, 
  that really isn’t the pulp way. That works better in noir, a 
  separate, darker genre.
   Doctor El-Mahdy: Treat as a Wild Card cultist of 
  Apep (page 20), but armed only with a dagger.
   Security Guards (1 per hero): As cultists of 
  Apep (page 20), but replace their daggers with batons 
  (Str+d4).
  SCENE 2: APEP SPEAKS
  SCENE 2: APEP SPEAKS
  Locating Rashid ibn Al-Azif requires a Streetwise roll. 
  He doesn’t appear on any ofﬁ cial census records, so In-
  vestigation is no use in tracking him down.
  Rashid ibn Al-Azif lives in the slums of Cairo, not far 
  from the great pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. The area is 
  a maze of narrow alleys and streets, unlit by streetlamps, 
  and avoided at night by those who value their lives.
  The local inhabitants claim he has lived here since 
  the days of the pharaohs, for everyone knows someone 
  whose grandparents swear blind he was there in the time 
  of their grandparents. Regardless of what they believe, 
  the locals know Rashid as a good man, always willing 
  to offer advice in return for a few coins or a hot meal. 
  Rashid is extremely elderly, but how long he has lived is 
  not for discussion.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  8
  The astrologer lives alone and answers the door 
  when the heroes knock. The old man’s skin is heavily 
  weathered, his teeth long since fell from his skull, but he 
  radiates very intense charisma.
  He welcomes the characters and invites them into his 
  home. He ignores any questions until he has served them 
  peppermint tea and bowls of dates and ﬁ gs. Only then does 
  he ask their business. No doubt a battery of questions fol-
  lows. Rashid raises a hand to indicate he wants silence.
  “If you want the current news, read a newspaper,” 
  he says quietly. “If you want to know other things, 
  we must follow the proper rituals, in accordance 
  with the gods’ teachings. Please, follow me into 
  the back room.” He stands, moves to a curtain 
  hanging on the back wall, and pulls it aide.
  As he gestures you into the room, his hand move-
  ments extinguish one of ten small candles, the only 
  light sources in the chamber. In a quick motion, he 
  whips out a lighter and rekindles the ﬂ ame.
  “Don’t worry,” he smiles with a wry, toothless 
  grin, “I keep a ﬂ ashlight handy in case I get too 
  boisterous. Come now; be seated,” he says, indi-
  cating several plump cushions on the ﬂ oor. “When 
  you are comfortable, we shall begin.”
  Once the heroes are ready, the astrologer asks them 
  what wisdom they seek. Possible questions or lines of 
  enquiry and the mystic’s answers are given below. 
  After each question is asked, the astrologer checks 
  an astrolabe, rolls special dice engraved with arcane 
  symbols of knowledge, meditates a moment, and then 
  consults several old parchments of astrological charts. 
  It’s a slow process, and he refuses to be rushed.
  After the last listed question is asked, no matter when 
  it is asked, read narrative text at the start of the next sec-
  tion to the players—the audience is over, and a new one 
  is about to begin.
  Q: Did you know Aziz El-Mahdy?
  A: “Yes, I know him. I have performed divinations for 
  him on many occasions to aid in his search for ancient 
  relics of our ancestors. But he has not been here for sev-
  eral weeks, now.”
  Q: What can you tell us about Apep?
  A: “Apep is the enemy of light. He inhabits the Under-
  world and guards the twelve Gates of Night. Each night, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  8
  The astrologer lives alone and answers the door 
  when the heroes knock. The old man’s skin is heavily 
  weathered, his teeth long since fell from his skull, but he 
  radiates very intense charisma.
  He welcomes the characters and invites them into his 
  home. He ignores any questions until he has served them 
  peppermint tea and bowls of dates and ﬁ gs. Only then does 
  he ask their business. No doubt a battery of questions fol-
  lows. Rashid raises a hand to indicate he wants silence.
  “If you want the current news, read a newspaper,” 
  he says quietly. “If you want to know other things, 
  we must follow the proper rituals, in accordance 
  with the gods’ teachings. Please, follow me into 
  the back room.” He stands, moves to a curtain 
  hanging on the back wall, and pulls it aide.
  As he gestures you into the room, his hand move-
  ments extinguish one of ten small candles, the only 
  light sources in the chamber. In a quick motion, he 
  whips out a lighter and rekindles the ﬂ ame.
  “Don’t worry,” he smiles with a wry, toothless 
  grin, “I keep a ﬂ ashlight handy in case I get too 
  boisterous. Come now; be seated,” he says, indi-
  cating several plump cushions on the ﬂ oor. “When 
  you are comfortable, we shall begin.”
  Once the heroes are ready, the astrologer asks them 
  what wisdom they seek. Possible questions or lines of 
  enquiry and the mystic’s answers are given below. 
  After each question is asked, the astrologer checks 
  an astrolabe, rolls special dice engraved with arcane 
  symbols of knowledge, meditates a moment, and then 
  consults several old parchments of astrological charts. 
  It’s a slow process, and he refuses to be rushed.
  After the last listed question is asked, no matter when 
  it is asked, read narrative text at the start of the next sec-
  tion to the players—the audience is over, and a new one 
  is about to begin.
  Q: Did you know Aziz El-Mahdy?
  A: “Yes, I know him. I have performed divinations for 
  him on many occasions to aid in his search for ancient 
  relics of our ancestors. But he has not been here for sev-
  eral weeks, now.”
  Q: What can you tell us about Apep?
  A: “Apep is the enemy of light. He inhabits the Under-
  world and guards the twelve Gates of Night. Each night, 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  9
  he battles Ra, the sun god, as he sails his solar barque 
  along the underground river that joins the eastern and 
  western horizons.”
  Q: What are the Gates of Night?
  A: “Stages through the Underworld. Each represents 
  one hour of darkness. In the heavens, there are 12 Gates 
  of Day. These are in perfect balance—12 hours of night 
  opposed by 12 hours of light. This is as the god’s intend-
  ed. Long ago, it was called ma’at—the cosmic balance 
  that ensured the universe worked smoothly.”
  Q: Did you know Apep’s cult is still active?
  A: “The old gods are slumbering, but not dead. Many 
  have worshippers still, for good or for evil.”
  Q: The cult of Apep is planning something. Can you 
  tell us what?
  A: “Apep seeks to plunge the world into eternal 
  darkness and seek sovereignty over mankind. This has 
  always been his goal, for he abhors light, but with the 
  loss of the old god’s power, he now grows close to fulﬁ ll-
  ing his ambitions. He has sealed eleven of the Gates of 
  Night. When the twelfth is blocked, he will capture Ra in 
  his coils, and the sun will never rise again.”
  Q: How can we stop him?
  A: “Seek the Staff of Ra. Only this relic can save man-
  kind. Search the cobra’s nest.”
  A DIFFERENT VOICE
  A DIFFERENT VOICE
  The astrologer suddenly goes rigid, and then falls 
  limp, before rising upright again. His eyes are jet 
  black, pools of absolute night. His mouth hangs 
  open. Without moving his lips, he speaks in a 
  deep, dark, sibilant voice.
  “What mortal dares to interfere with the ascen-
  dancy of Apep, Lord of Night? My reign of terror 
  is forecast in the heavens, but you shall not see it 
  come to pass. Soon your souls will be mine, and I 
  will subject you to an eternity of torture for your 
  audacity. Let the darkness come forth!”
  The astrologer begins to shake violently. Dark 
  wisps of smoke coil out from his eyes and mouth, 
  coalescing into midnight-black serpents with 
  burning coals for eyes. As quick as lightning, they 
  strike for you.
  Deal action cards. Rashid won’t need one—he’s 
  dead.
  The ground ﬂ oor of the astrologer’s house comprises 
  two rooms. His reading room is out back, and measures 
  4” wide and 3” deep. Adjoining this is the front room, 
  which is 4” wide and 4” deep. Due to the clutter of 
  furnishing, all movement along the ground is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground.
  The astrologer provided plenty of clues in his answers 
  about how to defeat the shadow snakes. Whether or not 
  the characters realize is another matter.
  The lighting in the back room is Dim (–1), since the 
  only sources of light are ten small candles. As noted in 
  the stat block for the shadow serpents, the candles can be 
  used as weapons, but have a chance of extinguishing. The 
  candles can also be snuffed out by weapons. An attack roll 
  which comes up 1 on the skill die (regardless of the Wild 
  Die), puts out a candle, either by knocking it over or gen-
  erating enough wind to kill the feeble ﬂ ame. This doesn’t 
  supersede the Innocent Bystanders rule, however, if ﬁ re-
  arms are used. When half the candles are extinguished, 
  the lighting drops to Dark (–2). Should they all go out, the 
  conditions worsen to Pitch Darkness (–4).
  Lighting conditions in the front room are Dim (–1), 
  thanks to a low wattage light bulb, hanging from the 
  center of the ceiling. Treat this as an Innocent Bystander 
  for the purposes of accidentally breaking it.
  The astrologer’s ﬂ ashlight is by his body, which is in 
  the northeast corner of the back room. Grabbing it is 
  treated as Drawing a Weapon.
  The front door is locked, a result of Apep’s magic. It 
  has Toughness 10 for the purposes of battering it down. 
  The shadow snakes will follow the characters from the 
  house. Outside, the lighting is Dark (–2), there being no 
  street lamps in this part of the city.
   Shadow Snakes (1 per hero): See page 21.
  THE STAFF OF RA
  THE STAFF OF RA
  Learning anything about the Staff of Ra requires either 
  a Knowledge (History) roll at –2 or an Investigation roll. 
  The latter requires the use of a library. Success reveals 
  the staff was carried by Ra’s high priest, and used each 
  morning in rituals to drive away Apep, so ensuring the 
  Sun would rise. On a raise, the character learns the staff 
  was topped with a gemstone, from which rays of light 
  could be commanded to appear.
  Strangely, none of the library books referenced con-
  tains any images of the Staff—all the pages indicated in 
  the text as containing a picture have been ripped out! 
  The librarian, if questioned, shrugs apologetically and 
  blames it on relic hunters.
  THE COBRA’S NEST
  THE COBRA’S NEST
  Researching this enigmatic phrase requires either a 
  Streetwise roll at –2 or an Investigation roll at a library. 
  With success, the characters learn there is an exotic danc-
  ing club, the King Cobra Club, in downtown Cairo.
  SCENE 3: THE KING COBRA CLUB
  SCENE 3: THE KING COBRA CLUB
  The King Cobra Club is a front for the cult of Apep. 
  By day, it is open to all and sundry, but the caliber of the 
  dancers is poor. At night, the club is open only to mem-
  bers, and it has an exclusive membership. Extremely 
  popular with inﬂ uential Egyptians, it allows the cult to 
  covertly watch those who may be a danger to their activi-
  ties, and, if necessary, bring them into the fold through 
  Nadine’s unique gift.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  9
  he battles Ra, the sun god, as he sails his solar barque 
  along the underground river that joins the eastern and 
  western horizons.”
  Q: What are the Gates of Night?
  A: “Stages through the Underworld. Each represents 
  one hour of darkness. In the heavens, there are 12 Gates 
  of Day. These are in perfect balance—12 hours of night 
  opposed by 12 hours of light. This is as the god’s intend-
  ed. Long ago, it was called ma’at—the cosmic balance 
  that ensured the universe worked smoothly.”
  Q: Did you know Apep’s cult is still active?
  A: “The old gods are slumbering, but not dead. Many 
  have worshippers still, for good or for evil.”
  Q: The cult of Apep is planning something. Can you 
  tell us what?
  A: “Apep seeks to plunge the world into eternal 
  darkness and seek sovereignty over mankind. This has 
  always been his goal, for he abhors light, but with the 
  loss of the old god’s power, he now grows close to fulﬁ ll-
  ing his ambitions. He has sealed eleven of the Gates of 
  Night. When the twelfth is blocked, he will capture Ra in 
  his coils, and the sun will never rise again.”
  Q: How can we stop him?
  A: “Seek the Staff of Ra. Only this relic can save man-
  kind. Search the cobra’s nest.”
  A DIFFERENT VOICE
  A DIFFERENT VOICE
  The astrologer suddenly goes rigid, and then falls 
  limp, before rising upright again. His eyes are jet 
  black, pools of absolute night. His mouth hangs 
  open. Without moving his lips, he speaks in a 
  deep, dark, sibilant voice.
  “What mortal dares to interfere with the ascen-
  dancy of Apep, Lord of Night? My reign of terror 
  is forecast in the heavens, but you shall not see it 
  come to pass. Soon your souls will be mine, and I 
  will subject you to an eternity of torture for your 
  audacity. Let the darkness come forth!”
  The astrologer begins to shake violently. Dark 
  wisps of smoke coil out from his eyes and mouth, 
  coalescing into midnight-black serpents with 
  burning coals for eyes. As quick as lightning, they 
  strike for you.
  Deal action cards. Rashid won’t need one—he’s 
  dead.
  The ground ﬂ oor of the astrologer’s house comprises 
  two rooms. His reading room is out back, and measures 
  4” wide and 3” deep. Adjoining this is the front room, 
  which is 4” wide and 4” deep. Due to the clutter of 
  furnishing, all movement along the ground is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground.
  The astrologer provided plenty of clues in his answers 
  about how to defeat the shadow snakes. Whether or not 
  the characters realize is another matter.
  The lighting in the back room is Dim (–1), since the 
  only sources of light are ten small candles. As noted in 
  the stat block for the shadow serpents, the candles can be 
  used as weapons, but have a chance of extinguishing. The 
  candles can also be snuffed out by weapons. An attack roll 
  which comes up 1 on the skill die (regardless of the Wild 
  Die), puts out a candle, either by knocking it over or gen-
  erating enough wind to kill the feeble ﬂ ame. This doesn’t 
  supersede the Innocent Bystanders rule, however, if ﬁ re-
  arms are used. When half the candles are extinguished, 
  the lighting drops to Dark (–2). Should they all go out, the 
  conditions worsen to Pitch Darkness (–4).
  Lighting conditions in the front room are Dim (–1), 
  thanks to a low wattage light bulb, hanging from the 
  center of the ceiling. Treat this as an Innocent Bystander 
  for the purposes of accidentally breaking it.
  The astrologer’s ﬂ ashlight is by his body, which is in 
  the northeast corner of the back room. Grabbing it is 
  treated as Drawing a Weapon.
  The front door is locked, a result of Apep’s magic. It 
  has Toughness 10 for the purposes of battering it down. 
  The shadow snakes will follow the characters from the 
  house. Outside, the lighting is Dark (–2), there being no 
  street lamps in this part of the city.
   Shadow Snakes (1 per hero): See page 21.
  THE STAFF OF RA
  THE STAFF OF RA
  Learning anything about the Staff of Ra requires either 
  a Knowledge (History) roll at –2 or an Investigation roll. 
  The latter requires the use of a library. Success reveals 
  the staff was carried by Ra’s high priest, and used each 
  morning in rituals to drive away Apep, so ensuring the 
  Sun would rise. On a raise, the character learns the staff 
  was topped with a gemstone, from which rays of light 
  could be commanded to appear.
  Strangely, none of the library books referenced con-
  tains any images of the Staff—all the pages indicated in 
  the text as containing a picture have been ripped out! 
  The librarian, if questioned, shrugs apologetically and 
  blames it on relic hunters.
  THE COBRA’S NEST
  THE COBRA’S NEST
  Researching this enigmatic phrase requires either a 
  Streetwise roll at –2 or an Investigation roll at a library. 
  With success, the characters learn there is an exotic danc-
  ing club, the King Cobra Club, in downtown Cairo.
  SCENE 3: THE KING COBRA CLUB
  SCENE 3: THE KING COBRA CLUB
  The King Cobra Club is a front for the cult of Apep. 
  By day, it is open to all and sundry, but the caliber of the 
  dancers is poor. At night, the club is open only to mem-
  bers, and it has an exclusive membership. Extremely 
  popular with inﬂ uential Egyptians, it allows the cult to 
  covertly watch those who may be a danger to their activi-
  ties, and, if necessary, bring them into the fold through 
  Nadine’s unique gift.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1010
  The handful of patrons seated around the tables 
  spare no more than a casual glance as you enter 
  the club. Their attention is focused on the stage, 
  where a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed 
  only in the skimpiest clothes, twists and gyrates in 
  tune to music from a scratchy record.
  A cloud of smoke hangs near the ceiling, wafting 
  round the room in the breeze generated by a slow 
  moving ceiling fan. A waiter approaches you and 
  gestures to a vacant table.
  All the staff and clientele present are cultists. Nadine 
  recognizes the characters from El-Mahdy’s ofﬁ ce, but she 
  doesn’t let on. They only recognize her if a hero speciﬁ -
  cally asks if it’s the same woman (she is wearing a lot less 
  clothes now) or if they approach her, at which point they 
  recognize her jasmine-scented perfume.
  Nadine’s performance ends after a few minutes. The 
  patrons clap enthusiastically, and then look enviously at 
  the characters as the exotic dancer takes a seat at their 
  table.
  “I have not seen you here before,” she says, her 
  voice as silky as her skin. “Ismail,” she calls to the 
  waiter hovering nearby, “bring another round of 
  drinks for our new clients.”
  Nadine wants information. She avoids using her 
  Natural Charmer power unless the characters are being 
  evasive or obtuse. The she-devil asks the heroes what 
  they are doing in Cairo, then proceeds to get them to 
  elucidate on any comments. Remember, she doesn’t 
  know everything the GM knows, but she is a shrewd 
  interrogator, and picks up on the slightest snippet of 
  information. Characters with Big Mouth won’t give her 
  cause to risk exposing herself as a cultist—they’ll quickly 
  spill the beans.
  Once Nadine learns, or has enough information to 
  deduce, the heroes are in Cairo to stop Apep’s plans, 
  she signals her men, through an innocuous gesture, to 
  prepare to ﬁ ght.
  Unless a character speciﬁ cally said he was not drink-
  ing, then common courtesy assumes he has at least 
  sipped his drink. All the drinks brought to them have 
  been spiked with a powerful sedative, though it hasn’t 
  had time to take full effect when Nadine makes her 
  move.
  Have the heroes make Vigor rolls at –2. Success means 
  the victim is Fatigued. On a raise, the adventurer suffers 
  no ill effects. With a failure, he is Exhausted. On a critical 
  failure, he is Incapacitated, the drug quickly rendering 
  him unconscious. Fatigue recovers at the rate of one 
  level per hour. Once the Vigor rolls are done, proceed 
  to the next section.
  FIGHT AT THE CLUB
  FIGHT AT THE CLUB
  The main area of the club measures 8” wide and 10” 
  long, and is divided into two sections. The southern por-
  tion (8” by 7”) is the main seating area. Circular tables 
  and chairs cover the ﬂ oor. Against one wall is the bar. 
  Aside from the entrance, there is a single door leading to 
  the dressing rooms, ofﬁ ces, and storerooms. The north-
  ern part is raised off the ground and forms the dance 
  ﬂ oor. Crossing onto the stage requires 2” of movement. 
  A door here provides access to the behind-the-scenes 
  areas of the establishment.
  There are plentiful props for use in the ﬁ ght. Chairs 
  can be wielded as weapons (Str+d6, requires two hands), 
  used in Agility Tricks, or provide Cover. The tables can 
  easily be tipped to provide Cover. Bottles of spirits on the 
  tables and bar can be used as weapons (Range: 3/6/12, 
  Damage: Str+d4), but smash after a single, successful 
  attack (or any impact, after being thrown).
  Nadine begins changing into her snake-human hybrid 
  form as an action. The characters, never having witnessed 
  this before, must make a Spirit roll to avoid fear. Next 
  round, she casts quickness. She then uses her Natural 
  Charmer ability against the most dangerous-looking 
  male characters.
  Rather than turn charmed heroes on their colleagues, 
  something she knows weakens her hold over them, she 
  simply has them drop their weapons and do nothing. 
  Should this plan fail, or if she comes under ranged at-
  tack, she launches her bolt spells. Obscure is retained to 
  help her escape, should the opportunity arise.
  The she-snake should only escape this scene if Abdul 
  has been killed previously. Otherwise, she ﬁ ghts to the 
  bitter end in a bid to slay the heroes and stop them from 
  interfering any further. Due to a sudden change in condi-
  tions outside (see Scene 4 below), pursuing characters 
  won’t be able to give chase.
  None of the cultists, including Nadine, know where 
  Apophis’ lair is located. Note that if taken alive, Nadine 
  can use her Natural Charmer ability using her voice or 
  her eyes—she likely won’t stay captive for long.
   Nadine: See page 19.
   Apep cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SEARCHING THE CLUB
  SEARCHING THE CLUB
  Once the ﬁ ght ends, the only people left standing are, 
  hopefully, the heroes. This allows them to search the 
  club for clues.
  In Nadine’s dressing room is a stout, iron chest. The 
  lock has Toughness 14. Lockpicking rolls are made at –2. 
  Failure activates a spring-loaded needle, which stabs the 
  would-be thief in the ﬁ nger. He must make a Vigor roll 
  at –2 or suffer an automatic wound. Alternatively, the ad-
  venturers can search Nadine—she wears the key around 
  her neck.
  Inside are several papyri, all messages from someone 
  called Apophis (the Greek transliteration of Apep). All 
  are written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. One instructs her to 
  seduce and enthrall Doctor El-Mahdy. Another indicates 
  the 11th Gate of Night will soon be sealed. A third makes 
  mention of the Staff of Ra. Give the group Handout #2 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1010
  The handful of patrons seated around the tables 
  spare no more than a casual glance as you enter 
  the club. Their attention is focused on the stage, 
  where a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed 
  only in the skimpiest clothes, twists and gyrates in 
  tune to music from a scratchy record.
  A cloud of smoke hangs near the ceiling, wafting 
  round the room in the breeze generated by a slow 
  moving ceiling fan. A waiter approaches you and 
  gestures to a vacant table.
  All the staff and clientele present are cultists. Nadine 
  recognizes the characters from El-Mahdy’s ofﬁ ce, but she 
  doesn’t let on. They only recognize her if a hero speciﬁ -
  cally asks if it’s the same woman (she is wearing a lot less 
  clothes now) or if they approach her, at which point they 
  recognize her jasmine-scented perfume.
  Nadine’s performance ends after a few minutes. The 
  patrons clap enthusiastically, and then look enviously at 
  the characters as the exotic dancer takes a seat at their 
  table.
  “I have not seen you here before,” she says, her 
  voice as silky as her skin. “Ismail,” she calls to the 
  waiter hovering nearby, “bring another round of 
  drinks for our new clients.”
  Nadine wants information. She avoids using her 
  Natural Charmer power unless the characters are being 
  evasive or obtuse. The she-devil asks the heroes what 
  they are doing in Cairo, then proceeds to get them to 
  elucidate on any comments. Remember, she doesn’t 
  know everything the GM knows, but she is a shrewd 
  interrogator, and picks up on the slightest snippet of 
  information. Characters with Big Mouth won’t give her 
  cause to risk exposing herself as a cultist—they’ll quickly 
  spill the beans.
  Once Nadine learns, or has enough information to 
  deduce, the heroes are in Cairo to stop Apep’s plans, 
  she signals her men, through an innocuous gesture, to 
  prepare to ﬁ ght.
  Unless a character speciﬁ cally said he was not drink-
  ing, then common courtesy assumes he has at least 
  sipped his drink. All the drinks brought to them have 
  been spiked with a powerful sedative, though it hasn’t 
  had time to take full effect when Nadine makes her 
  move.
  Have the heroes make Vigor rolls at –2. Success means 
  the victim is Fatigued. On a raise, the adventurer suffers 
  no ill effects. With a failure, he is Exhausted. On a critical 
  failure, he is Incapacitated, the drug quickly rendering 
  him unconscious. Fatigue recovers at the rate of one 
  level per hour. Once the Vigor rolls are done, proceed 
  to the next section.
  FIGHT AT THE CLUB
  FIGHT AT THE CLUB
  The main area of the club measures 8” wide and 10” 
  long, and is divided into two sections. The southern por-
  tion (8” by 7”) is the main seating area. Circular tables 
  and chairs cover the ﬂ oor. Against one wall is the bar. 
  Aside from the entrance, there is a single door leading to 
  the dressing rooms, ofﬁ ces, and storerooms. The north-
  ern part is raised off the ground and forms the dance 
  ﬂ oor. Crossing onto the stage requires 2” of movement. 
  A door here provides access to the behind-the-scenes 
  areas of the establishment.
  There are plentiful props for use in the ﬁ ght. Chairs 
  can be wielded as weapons (Str+d6, requires two hands), 
  used in Agility Tricks, or provide Cover. The tables can 
  easily be tipped to provide Cover. Bottles of spirits on the 
  tables and bar can be used as weapons (Range: 3/6/12, 
  Damage: Str+d4), but smash after a single, successful 
  attack (or any impact, after being thrown).
  Nadine begins changing into her snake-human hybrid 
  form as an action. The characters, never having witnessed 
  this before, must make a Spirit roll to avoid fear. Next 
  round, she casts quickness. She then uses her Natural 
  Charmer ability against the most dangerous-looking 
  male characters.
  Rather than turn charmed heroes on their colleagues, 
  something she knows weakens her hold over them, she 
  simply has them drop their weapons and do nothing. 
  Should this plan fail, or if she comes under ranged at-
  tack, she launches her bolt spells. Obscure is retained to 
  help her escape, should the opportunity arise.
  The she-snake should only escape this scene if Abdul 
  has been killed previously. Otherwise, she ﬁ ghts to the 
  bitter end in a bid to slay the heroes and stop them from 
  interfering any further. Due to a sudden change in condi-
  tions outside (see Scene 4 below), pursuing characters 
  won’t be able to give chase.
  None of the cultists, including Nadine, know where 
  Apophis’ lair is located. Note that if taken alive, Nadine 
  can use her Natural Charmer ability using her voice or 
  her eyes—she likely won’t stay captive for long.
   Nadine: See page 19.
   Apep cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SEARCHING THE CLUB
  SEARCHING THE CLUB
  Once the ﬁ ght ends, the only people left standing are, 
  hopefully, the heroes. This allows them to search the 
  club for clues.
  In Nadine’s dressing room is a stout, iron chest. The 
  lock has Toughness 14. Lockpicking rolls are made at –2. 
  Failure activates a spring-loaded needle, which stabs the 
  would-be thief in the ﬁ nger. He must make a Vigor roll 
  at –2 or suffer an automatic wound. Alternatively, the ad-
  venturers can search Nadine—she wears the key around 
  her neck.
  Inside are several papyri, all messages from someone 
  called Apophis (the Greek transliteration of Apep). All 
  are written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. One instructs her to 
  seduce and enthrall Doctor El-Mahdy. Another indicates 
  the 11th Gate of Night will soon be sealed. A third makes 
  mention of the Staff of Ra. Give the group Handout #2 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1111
  at this time. The term “Saou” is meaningless to the he-
  roes—secret societies don’t tend to advertise.
  If the characters lost the fragment of The Book of 
  Overthrowing Apep in Boston, it’s also in the chest. See 
  page 5 for details.
  SEQENENRE TAO II
  SEQENENRE TAO II
  Characters who pass a Knowledge (History) roll know 
  several facts about the pharaoh. Heroes without this skill 
  must rely on Investigation to uncover the facts. This in-
  formation isn’t central to the plot, but it’s always good 
  to add in a little real world history and mix it with a hint 
  of pulp ﬂ avoring.
  Seqenenre’s name means, “He Who Strikes like Ra.” 
  His other name, Tao, simply translates as “Great,” and is 
  used in a manner similar to Alexander the Great.
  A ruler of the native 17th Dynasty, he came to power 
  around 1560 BC, and ruled for just a few short years. 
  Discovered in a cache at Deir el-Bahri in 1881 and un-
  wrapped in 1886, the royal mummy showed clear and 
  dramatic evidence of a violent death. According to the 
  historical texts, the pharaoh died in battle against the 
  Hyksos, invaders who ruled northern Egypt under Pha-
  raoh Apophis. Apophis was viewed by the Egyptians as 
  the earthly incarnation of Apep.
  According to one legend the hero recalls, Seqenenre 
  Tao was given the Staff of Ra to carry into battle by the 
  high priest of Ra, but he chose, instead, to lock it away 
  in a vault he had constructed shortly after taking the 
  throne.
  Some say he had a vision before in his youth, in which 
  he foresaw a greater need for the Staff to be wielded in 
  the future. In deliberately choosing not to take it on cam-
  paign, he all-but guaranteed his own death.
  SCENE 4: NIGHT COMES EARLY
  SCENE 4: NIGHT COMES EARLY
  Read the following text aloud when the characters 
  leave the club.
  Stepping outside, you ﬁ nd yourselves not in the 
  bright sunshine, but in conditions more akin to 
  a starlit night. The plaza is crowded, though no 
  one is moving. Instead, everyone is staring up-
  ward and pointing. The sun, still high in the sky, 
  is barely visible. The golden disc, which should be 
  burning bright, is a pale orb, less luminous than 
  a full moon.
  Screams and shouts alert you to another danger, 
  one much closer. Smoky wisps are forming into 
  the distinctive form of snakes, while a handful of 
  armored serpents slither across the ground. The 
  crowd panics as the serpents rear up, fangs bared. 
  Even the local snake charmer runs for his life, 
  dropping his ﬂ ute as he sprints away.
  Apep has managed to seal the 11th Gate of Night, as 
  indicated in the papyrus found in the club. His power 
  is almost at its zenith, as evidenced by the sun’s pitiful 
  glow.
  Let the characters position their heroes in the plaza 
  before placing the snakes. A demon snake begins in each 
  corner, while the two shadow snakes start in the center.
  The plaza measures 16” to a side and is full of inno-
  cent civilians and market stalls. Each stall measures 2” 
  by 1” and holds a variety of common goods. The exact 
  contents should be determined by the heroes’ needs. If 
  they require a rug to throw over a serpent as a Grapple 
  or Agility Trick, then there’s a stall selling rugs. If they 
  don’t have Rashid’s ﬂ ashlight to hand, then a stall just 
  happens to have one for sale. Characters who don’t want 
  to draw guns can ﬁ nd a trader with a collection of dag-
  gers (Str+d4) and short swords (Str+d6) nearby.
  An adventurer can use the snake charmer’s ﬂ ute to 
  charm any one serpent within 3”. This is handled as a 
  Trick, using Agility (representing the musician’s playing 
  skill) against the serpent’s Spirit (its ability to resist the 
  music).
  Until the end of the adventure, lighting conditions 
  outside during the hours of daylight are Dark (–2).
   Demon Snake (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Shadow Snake (1 per 2 heroes): See page 21.
  ACT 3: SEEKING AND FINDING
  ACT 3: SEEKING AND FINDING
  Luxor, the nearest settlement to the Valley of the Kings, 
  can be reached by train or ferry—there is no internal air 
  service available. From there, the characters can either 
  set off on foot or hire mules for a small fee. Provisions, 
  water, shovels, rope, and other standard exploration gear 
  can also be acquired. For convenience, just assume any 
  standard piece of equipment is available to the heroes 
  during their expedition—don’t worry about the cost or 
  encumbrance.
  SCENE 1: AN ANCIENT ORDER
  SCENE 1: AN ANCIENT ORDER
  Without the scorching heat of the sun, the journey 
  is comfortable, though dusty. The trail ﬁ nally 
  winds down into a narrow canyon. All is silent, 
  perhaps too silent.
  Knowing the canyon is guarded by fanatical warriors, 
  the heroes may announce their presence as they venture 
  along the dusty ﬂ oor. If they choose this course of action, 
  a voice calls out to them, telling them to put down their 
  weapons. Should they comply, proceed to the next sec-
  tion. Any delay, however, even taking the time to ask to 
  whom the characters speak, results in the following.
  The Saou wait until the characters draw closer to the 
  end of the canyon and open ﬁ re without warning. Allow 
  the explorers a Notice roll to avoid Surprise—they might 
  hear a loose stone tumble as a warrior shifts position, or 
  catch a glint of weak sunlight on steel.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1111
  at this time. The term “Saou” is meaningless to the he-
  roes—secret societies don’t tend to advertise.
  If the characters lost the fragment of The Book of 
  Overthrowing Apep in Boston, it’s also in the chest. See 
  page 5 for details.
  SEQENENRE TAO II
  SEQENENRE TAO II
  Characters who pass a Knowledge (History) roll know 
  several facts about the pharaoh. Heroes without this skill 
  must rely on Investigation to uncover the facts. This in-
  formation isn’t central to the plot, but it’s always good 
  to add in a little real world history and mix it with a hint 
  of pulp ﬂ avoring.
  Seqenenre’s name means, “He Who Strikes like Ra.” 
  His other name, Tao, simply translates as “Great,” and is 
  used in a manner similar to Alexander the Great.
  A ruler of the native 17th Dynasty, he came to power 
  around 1560 BC, and ruled for just a few short years. 
  Discovered in a cache at Deir el-Bahri in 1881 and un-
  wrapped in 1886, the royal mummy showed clear and 
  dramatic evidence of a violent death. According to the 
  historical texts, the pharaoh died in battle against the 
  Hyksos, invaders who ruled northern Egypt under Pha-
  raoh Apophis. Apophis was viewed by the Egyptians as 
  the earthly incarnation of Apep.
  According to one legend the hero recalls, Seqenenre 
  Tao was given the Staff of Ra to carry into battle by the 
  high priest of Ra, but he chose, instead, to lock it away 
  in a vault he had constructed shortly after taking the 
  throne.
  Some say he had a vision before in his youth, in which 
  he foresaw a greater need for the Staff to be wielded in 
  the future. In deliberately choosing not to take it on cam-
  paign, he all-but guaranteed his own death.
  SCENE 4: NIGHT COMES EARLY
  SCENE 4: NIGHT COMES EARLY
  Read the following text aloud when the characters 
  leave the club.
  Stepping outside, you ﬁ nd yourselves not in the 
  bright sunshine, but in conditions more akin to 
  a starlit night. The plaza is crowded, though no 
  one is moving. Instead, everyone is staring up-
  ward and pointing. The sun, still high in the sky, 
  is barely visible. The golden disc, which should be 
  burning bright, is a pale orb, less luminous than 
  a full moon.
  Screams and shouts alert you to another danger, 
  one much closer. Smoky wisps are forming into 
  the distinctive form of snakes, while a handful of 
  armored serpents slither across the ground. The 
  crowd panics as the serpents rear up, fangs bared. 
  Even the local snake charmer runs for his life, 
  dropping his ﬂ ute as he sprints away.
  Apep has managed to seal the 11th Gate of Night, as 
  indicated in the papyrus found in the club. His power 
  is almost at its zenith, as evidenced by the sun’s pitiful 
  glow.
  Let the characters position their heroes in the plaza 
  before placing the snakes. A demon snake begins in each 
  corner, while the two shadow snakes start in the center.
  The plaza measures 16” to a side and is full of inno-
  cent civilians and market stalls. Each stall measures 2” 
  by 1” and holds a variety of common goods. The exact 
  contents should be determined by the heroes’ needs. If 
  they require a rug to throw over a serpent as a Grapple 
  or Agility Trick, then there’s a stall selling rugs. If they 
  don’t have Rashid’s ﬂ ashlight to hand, then a stall just 
  happens to have one for sale. Characters who don’t want 
  to draw guns can ﬁ nd a trader with a collection of dag-
  gers (Str+d4) and short swords (Str+d6) nearby.
  An adventurer can use the snake charmer’s ﬂ ute to 
  charm any one serpent within 3”. This is handled as a 
  Trick, using Agility (representing the musician’s playing 
  skill) against the serpent’s Spirit (its ability to resist the 
  music).
  Until the end of the adventure, lighting conditions 
  outside during the hours of daylight are Dark (–2).
   Demon Snake (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Shadow Snake (1 per 2 heroes): See page 21.
  ACT 3: SEEKING AND FINDING
  ACT 3: SEEKING AND FINDING
  Luxor, the nearest settlement to the Valley of the Kings, 
  can be reached by train or ferry—there is no internal air 
  service available. From there, the characters can either 
  set off on foot or hire mules for a small fee. Provisions, 
  water, shovels, rope, and other standard exploration gear 
  can also be acquired. For convenience, just assume any 
  standard piece of equipment is available to the heroes 
  during their expedition—don’t worry about the cost or 
  encumbrance.
  SCENE 1: AN ANCIENT ORDER
  SCENE 1: AN ANCIENT ORDER
  Without the scorching heat of the sun, the journey 
  is comfortable, though dusty. The trail ﬁ nally 
  winds down into a narrow canyon. All is silent, 
  perhaps too silent.
  Knowing the canyon is guarded by fanatical warriors, 
  the heroes may announce their presence as they venture 
  along the dusty ﬂ oor. If they choose this course of action, 
  a voice calls out to them, telling them to put down their 
  weapons. Should they comply, proceed to the next sec-
  tion. Any delay, however, even taking the time to ask to 
  whom the characters speak, results in the following.
  The Saou wait until the characters draw closer to the 
  end of the canyon and open ﬁ re without warning. Allow 
  the explorers a Notice roll to avoid Surprise—they might 
  hear a loose stone tumble as a warrior shifts position, or 
  catch a glint of weak sunlight on steel.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1212
  The end of the canyon is 5” wide and 24” long. The 
  Saou warriors are spread equally along both sides, with 
  positions in front of and behind the heroes. Large boul-
  ders, placed by the GM, can be used as cover. The can-
  yon walls are 20” high, and contain many natural ledges. 
  Narrow, natural paths allow a hero to climb up at half his 
  normal Pace. Alternatively, the characters can climb.
  Half the Saou use their riﬂ es from their elevated posi-
  tions, while the other half draw their scimitars and rush 
  down the slopes to attack.
  The Saou guardians are fanatics, but they also serve 
  to protect the relics for a reason. As an action, a hero can 
  make a Persuasion roll at –2 to try and convince the Saou 
  the party’s cause is a just one. With success, their com-
  mander, Mardek al-Malik, orders his men to cease ﬁ re. 
  They don’t put away their weapons, though. Continue 
  to the next section.
   Mardek al-Malik, Saou Commander: Treat as a 
  Wild Card Saou warrior (page 21).
   Saou Warriors (3 per hero): See page 21.
  A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION
  A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION
  The commander of the Saou, accompanied by half a 
  dozen of his men, climbs down from the slopes and ap-
  proaches the heroes.
  “Entrance to this valley is forbidden to outsiders. 
  Speak your reasons for trespassing clearly, or pre-
  pare to meet your god.”
  The Saou have witnessed the darkening of the Sun. 
  They also know the old legends regarding Apep. Thus, 
  mentioning his vile cult, their plan to extinguish the Sun, 
  and the quest for the Staff of Ra is the heroes’ wisest 
  course of action.
  After listening to their tale, Mardek reveals a little 
  about the Saou (see page 21), and then addresses the 
  characters.
  “If what you say is true,” he says, glancing up-
  ward at the pale sun, “Apep is near to achieving 
  his goal. You may enter the tomb, but you do so 
  alone. Our ancestors swore vows never to enter 
  the tombs under any circumstances, and we hold 
  to that vow. Still, you go with our blessing.”
  Mardek has his men roll aside the boulder blocking 
  the tomb entrance. Behind is a set of stone-cut steps, 
  which lead down to a sealed doorway. Carved into the 
  door is a cryptic message—Four must be as one. This 
  refers to the phrases which must be repeated to gain the 
  Staff (page 13).
  SCENE 2: THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
  SCENE 2: THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
  Pulp tombs use a special rule for their layout—only 
  the areas where something interesting happens are 
  described. Take The Mummy™ as a prime example of 
  this mentality. You don’t see the heroes exploring every 
  stretch of corridor and checking every alcove and cham-
  ber. That’s boring for the viewers, and it adds nothing 
  to a pulp game. Detailed investigation of subterranean 
  constructions has its place in roleplaying games, but not 
  in this lively genre. As such, the GM should invent ﬂ avor 
  text describing corridors and chambers covered in hiero-
  glyphs as the party moves toward the fun areas.
  The two key areas described below are listed in the 
  order the party discover them.
  THE FIRES OF RA
  THE FIRES OF RA
  Navigating the network of passageways and 
  chambers, you arrive at a stone door inset with 
  a large, iron ring. Tall hieroglyphs, painted bright 
  red, seem to indicate a warning.
  The glyphs read, “Only those worthy of Ra’s blessing 
  may pass. Faith and good spirit shall be your guides.” 
  Pulling the door open is easily achieved. Beyond lies 
  a long corridor swathed in scorching ﬂ ames. There is 
  no way to avoid the inferno—the only way forward is 
  through the ﬁ re. Strangely, the ﬂ ames do not feel par-
  ticularly hot.
  A character stepping into the ﬂ ames must make a 
  Spirit roll (or Faith if he has the skill and worships a be-
  nevolent deity). He suffers a modiﬁ er to his roll depend-
  ing on his Hindrances, as shown below. All modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative.
  Mod 
  Hindrance
  +2 
  Code of Honor, Heroic
  +1 
  Loyal
  –1 
  Arrogant, Doubting Thomas, Greedy (Minor), 
  Mean, Vengeful (Minor)
  –2 
  Bloodthirsty, Greedy (Major), Vengeful (Major)
  Whether the roll succeeds or fails, the character can 
  walk through the ﬂ ames untouched. Only at the other 
  end of the corridor is failure punished—the character 
  takes 3d6 damage (from an Extra) when they reach the 
  far end as his skin burns and blisters.
  Looking back down the corridor reveals no sign of 
  the ﬁ re. The trap only affects those entering the com-
  plex—those leaving are allowed to go in peace. This 
  was the ﬁ rst trap installed, and ensured all the workmen 
  entering the tomb were trustworthy.
  THE CHAMBER OF RA
  THE CHAMBER OF RA
  The walls of this chamber are covered in hiero-
  glyphs depicting Ra’s nocturnal struggle against 
  Apep’s dark forces. Dominating the center is a 
  huge statue of Ra in its anthropomorphic form of a 
  hawk-headed human. In his right hand he holds a 
  crook and ﬂ ail, symbols of kingship, while his left 
  clutches a wooden staff topped with a gemstone. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1212
  The end of the canyon is 5” wide and 24” long. The 
  Saou warriors are spread equally along both sides, with 
  positions in front of and behind the heroes. Large boul-
  ders, placed by the GM, can be used as cover. The can-
  yon walls are 20” high, and contain many natural ledges. 
  Narrow, natural paths allow a hero to climb up at half his 
  normal Pace. Alternatively, the characters can climb.
  Half the Saou use their riﬂ es from their elevated posi-
  tions, while the other half draw their scimitars and rush 
  down the slopes to attack.
  The Saou guardians are fanatics, but they also serve 
  to protect the relics for a reason. As an action, a hero can 
  make a Persuasion roll at –2 to try and convince the Saou 
  the party’s cause is a just one. With success, their com-
  mander, Mardek al-Malik, orders his men to cease ﬁ re. 
  They don’t put away their weapons, though. Continue 
  to the next section.
   Mardek al-Malik, Saou Commander: Treat as a 
  Wild Card Saou warrior (page 21).
   Saou Warriors (3 per hero): See page 21.
  A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION
  A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION
  The commander of the Saou, accompanied by half a 
  dozen of his men, climbs down from the slopes and ap-
  proaches the heroes.
  “Entrance to this valley is forbidden to outsiders. 
  Speak your reasons for trespassing clearly, or pre-
  pare to meet your god.”
  The Saou have witnessed the darkening of the Sun. 
  They also know the old legends regarding Apep. Thus, 
  mentioning his vile cult, their plan to extinguish the Sun, 
  and the quest for the Staff of Ra is the heroes’ wisest 
  course of action.
  After listening to their tale, Mardek reveals a little 
  about the Saou (see page 21), and then addresses the 
  characters.
  “If what you say is true,” he says, glancing up-
  ward at the pale sun, “Apep is near to achieving 
  his goal. You may enter the tomb, but you do so 
  alone. Our ancestors swore vows never to enter 
  the tombs under any circumstances, and we hold 
  to that vow. Still, you go with our blessing.”
  Mardek has his men roll aside the boulder blocking 
  the tomb entrance. Behind is a set of stone-cut steps, 
  which lead down to a sealed doorway. Carved into the 
  door is a cryptic message—Four must be as one. This 
  refers to the phrases which must be repeated to gain the 
  Staff (page 13).
  SCENE 2: THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
  SCENE 2: THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
  Pulp tombs use a special rule for their layout—only 
  the areas where something interesting happens are 
  described. Take The Mummy™ as a prime example of 
  this mentality. You don’t see the heroes exploring every 
  stretch of corridor and checking every alcove and cham-
  ber. That’s boring for the viewers, and it adds nothing 
  to a pulp game. Detailed investigation of subterranean 
  constructions has its place in roleplaying games, but not 
  in this lively genre. As such, the GM should invent ﬂ avor 
  text describing corridors and chambers covered in hiero-
  glyphs as the party moves toward the fun areas.
  The two key areas described below are listed in the 
  order the party discover them.
  THE FIRES OF RA
  THE FIRES OF RA
  Navigating the network of passageways and 
  chambers, you arrive at a stone door inset with 
  a large, iron ring. Tall hieroglyphs, painted bright 
  red, seem to indicate a warning.
  The glyphs read, “Only those worthy of Ra’s blessing 
  may pass. Faith and good spirit shall be your guides.” 
  Pulling the door open is easily achieved. Beyond lies 
  a long corridor swathed in scorching ﬂ ames. There is 
  no way to avoid the inferno—the only way forward is 
  through the ﬁ re. Strangely, the ﬂ ames do not feel par-
  ticularly hot.
  A character stepping into the ﬂ ames must make a 
  Spirit roll (or Faith if he has the skill and worships a be-
  nevolent deity). He suffers a modiﬁ er to his roll depend-
  ing on his Hindrances, as shown below. All modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative.
  Mod 
  Hindrance
  +2 
  Code of Honor, Heroic
  +1 
  Loyal
  –1 
  Arrogant, Doubting Thomas, Greedy (Minor), 
  Mean, Vengeful (Minor)
  –2 
  Bloodthirsty, Greedy (Major), Vengeful (Major)
  Whether the roll succeeds or fails, the character can 
  walk through the ﬂ ames untouched. Only at the other 
  end of the corridor is failure punished—the character 
  takes 3d6 damage (from an Extra) when they reach the 
  far end as his skin burns and blisters.
  Looking back down the corridor reveals no sign of 
  the ﬁ re. The trap only affects those entering the com-
  plex—those leaving are allowed to go in peace. This 
  was the ﬁ rst trap installed, and ensured all the workmen 
  entering the tomb were trustworthy.
  THE CHAMBER OF RA
  THE CHAMBER OF RA
  The walls of this chamber are covered in hiero-
  glyphs depicting Ra’s nocturnal struggle against 
  Apep’s dark forces. Dominating the center is a 
  huge statue of Ra in its anthropomorphic form of a 
  hawk-headed human. In his right hand he holds a 
  crook and ﬂ ail, symbols of kingship, while his left 
  clutches a wooden staff topped with a gemstone. 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1313
  Smaller statues of Ra, each carrying a bronze 
  sword and shield, stand in the four corners. 
  The chamber measures 12” to a side. The central 
  statue has a base of 2” by 2”.
  As soon as the last hero enters the room, the door-
  way seals shut. Only when the Staff has revealed the site 
  of Apophis’ tomb (see below) does it reopen. If a hero 
  elects to stay outside the room, it closes anyway. Give the 
  character a chance to join the action, though.
  The weapons cannot be removed from the statutes—
  they are gripping them tightly. Likewise, Ra’s statue 
  retains its grip on the staff, being impervious to all weap-
  ons. Each corner statue is a Minion of Ra, a magical con-
  struct placed here to guard the tomb. If a hero attempts 
  to deface any part of this chamber, all four animate and 
  attack. The central statue is just a statue.
  Carved into the chest of the central statue are a line 
  of hieroglyphs. These read, “Repeat the words of power 
  granted the cornerstones of the universe.” This refers to 
  inscriptions on the base of the four statues, which all read, 
  “Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste you death, Apep.” If no one 
  in the party understands the language, the adventurers can 
  nip outside and ask the Saou to translate for them. There’s 
  no need to roleplay this—just assume it’s done. The war-
  riors can’t solve the puzzle for the party, however.
  To gain possession of the Staff of Ra, the characters 
  need to speak the four inscriptions aloud simultaneously. 
  In the event you have fewer players, adjust the number 
  of inscriptions accordingly.
  Speaking less than the required number of phrases 
  causes a number of statues to animate equal to four, mi-
  nus the number of phrases actually spoken. Thus, if the 
  characters speak just a single phrase, three statues come 
  alive. If they repeat three, only a single construct attacks.
  Once the four phrases have been uttered, the central 
  statue releases its grip on the staff, which clatters to the 
  ﬂ oor. Unless picked up by a hero with the Noble Edge, 
  the four statues of Ra attack. While the magic within the 
  staff can’t tell the descendant of a pharaoh or high priest 
  from a European nobleman or powerful New York stock-
  broker, for instance, it can detect the innate authority of 
  such an individual.
  Once the guardians are defeated, or a Noble hero 
  wields the Staff of Ra, the gemstone glows brightly.
  Projected from the gem is an image of the can-
  yon outside. The image changes as the viewpoint 
  takes to the sky, giving a magniﬁ cent bird’s eye 
  view of the surrounding landscape. Whoosh! It’s 
  like you’re ﬂ ying at unbelievable speeds! Past the 
  temples at Karnak and Luxor, up the long, glit-
  tering Nile at lightning speed, past tombs and 
  statues, beyond the mighty pyramids and Sphinx 
  at Giza, then out west across the desert and the 
  start of the endless sands of the Sahara.
  Just as you’re starting to feel sick, the images slow, 
  stopping ﬁ nally at a small oasis notable only by 
  two standing obelisks. It seems the Staff wants 
  you to go there next.
  As the image fades, the stone blocking the door lifts, 
  allowing the explorers to leave.
   Minions of Ra (1 per hero): See page 20.
  COLLAPSE
  COLLAPSE
  The tomb was constructed to protect the Staff of Ra 
  until it was next needed. Since the relic has been re-
  trieved, the tomb serves no purpose. As such, a ﬁ nal trap 
  activates as the adventurers make their way out, causing 
  the structure to collapse!
  This uses a variant of the Chase rules. Place ten mark-
  ers on the tabletop. Each round, the heroes make an 
  Agility roll to move along the markers. When they pass 
  the ﬁ nal one, they escape. Characters can Push as nor-
  mal for extra distance. Falling masonry further along the 
  passages is treated as Light Obstacles. Damage from a 
  “collision” is 2d6 (from an Extra).
  The collapsing tomb has an Agility die of d8, but 
  doesn’t roll until the second round begins. It can’t Push, 
  either. Success moves the falling rubble one marker, and 
  a raise two markers. Use a token to represent the col-
  lapse.
  If the rubble ends up on the same marker as a hero 
  or moves ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round. This 
  rule exists to make the action cinematic—not reduce the 
  heroes to a bloody pulp.
  THE STAFF OF RA 
  THE STAFF OF RA 
  A powerful Egyptian relic created to thwart Apep 
  and his minions, the Staff contains several powers. 
  Invoking them requires a Spirit roll by whoever 
  holds the artifact. Spells which can normally be 
  maintained, are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per cast-
  ing, unless otherwise stated. There is no limit to 
  how many times a spell can be cast, but each re-
  quires a separate casting, as per the regular arcane 
  rules.
  The Staff can also be used as a weapon. It inﬂ icts 
  Str+d4 damage, Parry 1, Reach 1, requires two 
  hands. Against any servant of Apep, it causes Str+d8 
  damage (ignoring the minimum Strength require-
  ment).
  * Bolt (1 bolt for 2d6 damage. Against any follow-
  er of Apep this inﬂ icts 2d8 damage and ignores 
  all forms of armor; ray of light)
  * Deﬂ ection (surrounded by aura of light, only af-
  fects serpentine creatures)
  * Healing (cures no wounds, but removes the ef-
  fects of any poison delivered by a serpent crea-
  ture)
  * Light (this is permanently on, but can be damp-
  ened by placing a hood over the gem)
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1313
  Smaller statues of Ra, each carrying a bronze 
  sword and shield, stand in the four corners. 
  The chamber measures 12” to a side. The central 
  statue has a base of 2” by 2”.
  As soon as the last hero enters the room, the door-
  way seals shut. Only when the Staff has revealed the site 
  of Apophis’ tomb (see below) does it reopen. If a hero 
  elects to stay outside the room, it closes anyway. Give the 
  character a chance to join the action, though.
  The weapons cannot be removed from the statutes—
  they are gripping them tightly. Likewise, Ra’s statue 
  retains its grip on the staff, being impervious to all weap-
  ons. Each corner statue is a Minion of Ra, a magical con-
  struct placed here to guard the tomb. If a hero attempts 
  to deface any part of this chamber, all four animate and 
  attack. The central statue is just a statue.
  Carved into the chest of the central statue are a line 
  of hieroglyphs. These read, “Repeat the words of power 
  granted the cornerstones of the universe.” This refers to 
  inscriptions on the base of the four statues, which all read, 
  “Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste you death, Apep.” If no one 
  in the party understands the language, the adventurers can 
  nip outside and ask the Saou to translate for them. There’s 
  no need to roleplay this—just assume it’s done. The war-
  riors can’t solve the puzzle for the party, however.
  To gain possession of the Staff of Ra, the characters 
  need to speak the four inscriptions aloud simultaneously. 
  In the event you have fewer players, adjust the number 
  of inscriptions accordingly.
  Speaking less than the required number of phrases 
  causes a number of statues to animate equal to four, mi-
  nus the number of phrases actually spoken. Thus, if the 
  characters speak just a single phrase, three statues come 
  alive. If they repeat three, only a single construct attacks.
  Once the four phrases have been uttered, the central 
  statue releases its grip on the staff, which clatters to the 
  ﬂ oor. Unless picked up by a hero with the Noble Edge, 
  the four statues of Ra attack. While the magic within the 
  staff can’t tell the descendant of a pharaoh or high priest 
  from a European nobleman or powerful New York stock-
  broker, for instance, it can detect the innate authority of 
  such an individual.
  Once the guardians are defeated, or a Noble hero 
  wields the Staff of Ra, the gemstone glows brightly.
  Projected from the gem is an image of the can-
  yon outside. The image changes as the viewpoint 
  takes to the sky, giving a magniﬁ cent bird’s eye 
  view of the surrounding landscape. Whoosh! It’s 
  like you’re ﬂ ying at unbelievable speeds! Past the 
  temples at Karnak and Luxor, up the long, glit-
  tering Nile at lightning speed, past tombs and 
  statues, beyond the mighty pyramids and Sphinx 
  at Giza, then out west across the desert and the 
  start of the endless sands of the Sahara.
  Just as you’re starting to feel sick, the images slow, 
  stopping ﬁ nally at a small oasis notable only by 
  two standing obelisks. It seems the Staff wants 
  you to go there next.
  As the image fades, the stone blocking the door lifts, 
  allowing the explorers to leave.
   Minions of Ra (1 per hero): See page 20.
  COLLAPSE
  COLLAPSE
  The tomb was constructed to protect the Staff of Ra 
  until it was next needed. Since the relic has been re-
  trieved, the tomb serves no purpose. As such, a ﬁ nal trap 
  activates as the adventurers make their way out, causing 
  the structure to collapse!
  This uses a variant of the Chase rules. Place ten mark-
  ers on the tabletop. Each round, the heroes make an 
  Agility roll to move along the markers. When they pass 
  the ﬁ nal one, they escape. Characters can Push as nor-
  mal for extra distance. Falling masonry further along the 
  passages is treated as Light Obstacles. Damage from a 
  “collision” is 2d6 (from an Extra).
  The collapsing tomb has an Agility die of d8, but 
  doesn’t roll until the second round begins. It can’t Push, 
  either. Success moves the falling rubble one marker, and 
  a raise two markers. Use a token to represent the col-
  lapse.
  If the rubble ends up on the same marker as a hero 
  or moves ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round. This 
  rule exists to make the action cinematic—not reduce the 
  heroes to a bloody pulp.
  THE STAFF OF RA 
  THE STAFF OF RA 
  A powerful Egyptian relic created to thwart Apep 
  and his minions, the Staff contains several powers. 
  Invoking them requires a Spirit roll by whoever 
  holds the artifact. Spells which can normally be 
  maintained, are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per cast-
  ing, unless otherwise stated. There is no limit to 
  how many times a spell can be cast, but each re-
  quires a separate casting, as per the regular arcane 
  rules.
  The Staff can also be used as a weapon. It inﬂ icts 
  Str+d4 damage, Parry 1, Reach 1, requires two 
  hands. Against any servant of Apep, it causes Str+d8 
  damage (ignoring the minimum Strength require-
  ment).
  * Bolt (1 bolt for 2d6 damage. Against any follow-
  er of Apep this inﬂ icts 2d8 damage and ignores 
  all forms of armor; ray of light)
  * Deﬂ ection (surrounded by aura of light, only af-
  fects serpentine creatures)
  * Healing (cures no wounds, but removes the ef-
  fects of any poison delivered by a serpent crea-
  ture)
  * Light (this is permanently on, but can be damp-
  ened by placing a hood over the gem)
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1414
  Example: Brent ends the ﬁ rst round of movement on 
  the ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a success on his Agility 
  die). Next round, the rubble enters play. Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. The 
  rubble rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing it level 
  with Brent. He suffers 2d6 damage when the round ends.
  Next round, the rubble draws a higher action card 
  and gets a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead 
  of the debris ﬁ eld, emerging from a cloud of choking 
  dust. Since he’s ahead of the debris at the end of the 
  round, he takes no damage.
  At no point does the tomb ever totally crush a hero or 
  seal him in. Characters left unconscious far behind the 
  advancing rubble ﬁ eld can be rescued, but it requires a 
  hero to move back down the track (risking damage) in 
  order to administer ﬁ rst aid. Dragging an unconscious 
  comrade gives a –2 penalty to the hero’s Agility roll. Only 
  when the last hero reaches safety is the tomb considered 
  totally sealed by debris.
  SCENE 3: SHIPS OF THE DESERT
  SCENE 3: SHIPS OF THE DESERT
  Mardek al-Malik and his men are waiting for the he-
  roes to return. The commander congratulates the heroes 
  on their success, and wishes them good luck in the rest 
  of their quest. His men, who have formed a semi-circle 
  around the characters, then clear a path, revealing a bat-
  tered jeep.
  “She is not much to look at,” Mardek says, ges-
  turing to the wreck, “but she will get you back 
  to Luxor quicker than your legs. Your best route 
  from there is via the train. We have sent runners 
  to bribe the engineer—the train won’t make any 
  stops until you give the signal.”
  Now they know the cult of Apep is still operating in 
  Egypt; the Saou intend to gather their disparate forces and 
  begin a hunt. As such, they can’t aid the characters directly.
  After a few miles bouncing over the desert, the charac-
  ters catch sight of what appear at ﬁ rst glance to be a band 
  of nomads on camels. The riders quickly turn and give 
  chase, drawing pistols from beneath their robes. The 
  cultists have been watching activities in the canyon from 
  the cliff top, and alerted their comrades using signal mir-
  rors that the heroes have the Staff of Ra.
  The heroes begin 4 Range Increments ahead of the 
  riders (Far). Each Range Increment represents 5”. Split 
  the cultists into two groups, simply to avoid them all act-
  ing before the heroes during a round. Use the standard 
  Obstacle rules. The Obstacles are Light and represent 
  concealed stones and hidden gullies. All collisions are 
  with hard Obstacles.
  The sand means the jeep is moving over difﬁ cult 
  ground. The camels don’t suffer this penalty, which al-
  lows them to keep up with the escaping heroes. The 
  camels actually move faster than the jeep over sand, so 
  the riders have +1 to their Riding rolls (which offsets the 
  –1 penalty from the ornery beasts).
  All the cultists want intact is the Staff of Ra—the 
  heroes are completely expendable (so surrender isn’t a 
  good option). As they ride, they use their pistols to take 
  potshots at the vehicle. This gives them a –2 penalty for 
  performing two actions, and another –2 for the Unstable 
  Platform. Although the characters are outnumbered and 
  can’t outpace their pursuers, their superior skills should 
  see them through.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Camels (2 per hero): See page 19.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 9 (2); Crew: 1+3
  SCENE 4: TROUBLE WITH THE TRAIN
  SCENE 4: TROUBLE WITH THE TRAIN
  Before they board the train, there is time to investi-
  gate the image of the oasis and obelisks. Luxor is home 
  to many Egyptologists. Acquiring their help requires 
  either an Investigation (borrowing a library or map) or 
  Persuasion (asking their advice) roll.
  With success, the heroes learn the oasis is regarded 
  as nothing special by Egyptologists, and the obelisks, 
  which have yet to be studied, are assumed to be way 
  markers for ancient caravans. On a raise, they discover 
  a legend claiming that region was used as the burial 
  place of the Hyksos pharaohs (of which Apophis was 
  one), but no one takes it seriously.
  Luxor is many miles behind you, as the train 
  thunders through the countryside toward its des-
  tination. The engineer promised he’d give three 
  blasts on his whistle when you got close. So until 
  then, the car is all yours.
  An hour into the journey, one of the characters sees a 
  man leave the nearest bathroom. What’s strange is that 
  the hero never saw him enter the lavatory, and the man 
  is wiping grease off his hands.
  If the characters give chase, the man starts running 
  down the train in the opposite direction. Treat this as a 
  Chase scene, with a Range Increment of 1”. The thug be-
  gins at Medium range. Use the regular Obstacle rules, but 
  instead of a collision, any hero who fails his roll has had 
  his route blocked by a passenger—the rest of the train is 
  crowded. Treat the passengers as Rough Obstacles.
  The characters can interrogate the cultist if he’s cap-
  tured, but it doesn’t take much to get him talking. In fact, 
  he’s only too keen to talk.
  “You’re going to die,” the cultist laughs. “There’s a 
  bomb under the train set to explode if it drops be-
  low 30 miles per hour. In a few minutes the train 
  will slow for a bridge.”
  Should the villain extend his range beyond 10 Incre-
  ments, assume he reaches the back of the train and throws 
  himself off. He dies, but such is the life of a fanatic.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1414
  Example: Brent ends the ﬁ rst round of movement on 
  the ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a success on his Agility 
  die). Next round, the rubble enters play. Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. The 
  rubble rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing it level 
  with Brent. He suffers 2d6 damage when the round ends.
  Next round, the rubble draws a higher action card 
  and gets a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead 
  of the debris ﬁ eld, emerging from a cloud of choking 
  dust. Since he’s ahead of the debris at the end of the 
  round, he takes no damage.
  At no point does the tomb ever totally crush a hero or 
  seal him in. Characters left unconscious far behind the 
  advancing rubble ﬁ eld can be rescued, but it requires a 
  hero to move back down the track (risking damage) in 
  order to administer ﬁ rst aid. Dragging an unconscious 
  comrade gives a –2 penalty to the hero’s Agility roll. Only 
  when the last hero reaches safety is the tomb considered 
  totally sealed by debris.
  SCENE 3: SHIPS OF THE DESERT
  SCENE 3: SHIPS OF THE DESERT
  Mardek al-Malik and his men are waiting for the he-
  roes to return. The commander congratulates the heroes 
  on their success, and wishes them good luck in the rest 
  of their quest. His men, who have formed a semi-circle 
  around the characters, then clear a path, revealing a bat-
  tered jeep.
  “She is not much to look at,” Mardek says, ges-
  turing to the wreck, “but she will get you back 
  to Luxor quicker than your legs. Your best route 
  from there is via the train. We have sent runners 
  to bribe the engineer—the train won’t make any 
  stops until you give the signal.”
  Now they know the cult of Apep is still operating in 
  Egypt; the Saou intend to gather their disparate forces and 
  begin a hunt. As such, they can’t aid the characters directly.
  After a few miles bouncing over the desert, the charac-
  ters catch sight of what appear at ﬁ rst glance to be a band 
  of nomads on camels. The riders quickly turn and give 
  chase, drawing pistols from beneath their robes. The 
  cultists have been watching activities in the canyon from 
  the cliff top, and alerted their comrades using signal mir-
  rors that the heroes have the Staff of Ra.
  The heroes begin 4 Range Increments ahead of the 
  riders (Far). Each Range Increment represents 5”. Split 
  the cultists into two groups, simply to avoid them all act-
  ing before the heroes during a round. Use the standard 
  Obstacle rules. The Obstacles are Light and represent 
  concealed stones and hidden gullies. All collisions are 
  with hard Obstacles.
  The sand means the jeep is moving over difﬁ cult 
  ground. The camels don’t suffer this penalty, which al-
  lows them to keep up with the escaping heroes. The 
  camels actually move faster than the jeep over sand, so 
  the riders have +1 to their Riding rolls (which offsets the 
  –1 penalty from the ornery beasts).
  All the cultists want intact is the Staff of Ra—the 
  heroes are completely expendable (so surrender isn’t a 
  good option). As they ride, they use their pistols to take 
  potshots at the vehicle. This gives them a –2 penalty for 
  performing two actions, and another –2 for the Unstable 
  Platform. Although the characters are outnumbered and 
  can’t outpace their pursuers, their superior skills should 
  see them through.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Camels (2 per hero): See page 19.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 9 (2); Crew: 1+3
  SCENE 4: TROUBLE WITH THE TRAIN
  SCENE 4: TROUBLE WITH THE TRAIN
  Before they board the train, there is time to investi-
  gate the image of the oasis and obelisks. Luxor is home 
  to many Egyptologists. Acquiring their help requires 
  either an Investigation (borrowing a library or map) or 
  Persuasion (asking their advice) roll.
  With success, the heroes learn the oasis is regarded 
  as nothing special by Egyptologists, and the obelisks, 
  which have yet to be studied, are assumed to be way 
  markers for ancient caravans. On a raise, they discover 
  a legend claiming that region was used as the burial 
  place of the Hyksos pharaohs (of which Apophis was 
  one), but no one takes it seriously.
  Luxor is many miles behind you, as the train 
  thunders through the countryside toward its des-
  tination. The engineer promised he’d give three 
  blasts on his whistle when you got close. So until 
  then, the car is all yours.
  An hour into the journey, one of the characters sees a 
  man leave the nearest bathroom. What’s strange is that 
  the hero never saw him enter the lavatory, and the man 
  is wiping grease off his hands.
  If the characters give chase, the man starts running 
  down the train in the opposite direction. Treat this as a 
  Chase scene, with a Range Increment of 1”. The thug be-
  gins at Medium range. Use the regular Obstacle rules, but 
  instead of a collision, any hero who fails his roll has had 
  his route blocked by a passenger—the rest of the train is 
  crowded. Treat the passengers as Rough Obstacles.
  The characters can interrogate the cultist if he’s cap-
  tured, but it doesn’t take much to get him talking. In fact, 
  he’s only too keen to talk.
  “You’re going to die,” the cultist laughs. “There’s a 
  bomb under the train set to explode if it drops be-
  low 30 miles per hour. In a few minutes the train 
  will slow for a bridge.”
  Should the villain extend his range beyond 10 Incre-
  ments, assume he reaches the back of the train and throws 
  himself off. He dies, but such is the life of a fanatic.
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1515
  All is not lost if the villain does escape. Investigating 
  the bathroom (whether out of curiosity or because the 
  cultist talked), the characters realize the bowl has been 
  unscrewed. Beneath it is a hole just wide enough for a 
  character to squeeze through. It should be clear the cult-
  ist was doing something beneath the train, and that can’t 
  be good news.
  Jumping off is certainly an option. The train is cur-
  rently moving at 50 miles per hour (20” per round), so 
  the heroes would take 4d6 damage. Given that this is 
  from an Extra, it’s likely to cause only a few wounds on 
  average. However, the hundreds of innocent passengers 
  would be blown to pieces!
  Before the characters get a chance to investigate the 
  toilet further, the cultist’s comrades rush into the car. 
  They were hiding among the passengers and had orders 
  only to interfere if the characters appeared to have de-
  tected their plan. A gang of cultists rush in from both 
  adjoining carriages to try and delay the characters.
  The battleﬁ eld comprises two cars, each 3” wide 
  (for game purposes) and 12” long. Mark these out on 
  the tabletop. A single door at each end of the car leads 
  to another compartment. There are two rows of seats 
  and a central aisle, each 1” wide. Movement over the 
  seats counts as difﬁ cult ground. The seats can be used 
  as Cover. The train is an Unstable Platform. The toilet 
  occupies a 1” square in the characters’ car, next to the 
  door to the second car.
  All being well, either Abdul or Nadine survived their 
  earlier encounter with the characters. Whichever one 
  remains is leading the cultists. In the event neither made 
  it, add a Wild Card cultist of Apep.
  Half the thugs approach through the door in the char-
  acter’s car furthest from the toilet. The other half begins 
  at the far end of the other carriage. Both sides should 
  thus be about 12” from the toilet (and the characters)
  Disarming the bomb is covered in the next section.
   Abdul, the Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
   Nadine: See page 19.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  DISARMING THE BOMB
  DISARMING THE BOMB
  The bomb is set to explode in just six rounds. In order 
  to defuse it, the characters must complete the following 
  tasks in order. Since the device is located under the train, 
  it means one hero is going to have to risk his life and 
  leave his comrades to fend for themselves.
  At the end of the 6th round, the train slows for the 
  bridge. Fortunately, the driver slows to 35 miles per 
  hour, meaning the bomb doesn’t activate. Of course, the 
  characters shouldn’t know this.
  In the event they are complacent, perhaps openly 
  voicing that the story would never allow it to explode, 
  they’re in for a shock! The explosion derails the train, 
  which slides off the bridge and into the Nile. Every hero 
  takes 4d6 damage from a Wild Card source, and the 
  deaths of hundreds of innocent lives are on their hands.
  * The hero has to squeeze through the hole in the ﬂ oor. 
  This requires an Agility roll. Small characters roll at 
  +2, while Brawny or Obese heroes are at –2. With 
  success, the character is now hanging from the under-
  side of the car, inches from the rails. Failure means he 
  has failed to make any progress, but can try again next 
  round.
  * Now he’s underneath the train, the adventurer must 
  shimmy along the car using whatever handholds he can 
  ﬁ nd until he reaches the bomb. The character may use 
  the higher of his Agility or Strength for this, but both 
  suffer a –2 penalty due to the adverse conditions.
   
  Success means he has reached the device. Failure in-
  dicates he has made slow progress, though he can try 
  again next round. A critical failure results in the hero 
  taking 3d6 damage from an Extra as he slips and is 
  smashed against the rails before regaining his hold.
  * The hero must study the bomb in order to determine 
  how to disarm it without triggering the detonator. 
  This requires either a Smarts roll at –2 or a Repair 
  roll. Until he succeeds, he knows removing the device 
  will trigger an explosion.
  * Finally, the adventurer must physically disarm the 
  bomb. This requires either a Smarts roll at –2 or a 
  Repair roll. Success renders the device safe. A failure 
  means the hero hesitated before ripping out or cut-
  ting a wire.
  ACT 4: THE NETHERWORLD
  ACT 4: THE NETHERWORLD
  After saving the train, the rest of the journey to the 
  tomb of Apophis goes without interruption. Again, the 
  characters can pick up basic exploration gear for free 
  before they set off on the ﬁ nal leg.
  SCENE 1: TOMB OF APOPHIS
  SCENE 1: TOMB OF APOPHIS
  It’s just like the Staff showed—two obelisks par-
  tially buried in sand standing beside a small oa-
  sis. If there’s a tomb here, it’s well-hidden.
  The two obelisks are engraved with hieroglyphs prais-
  ing the glory of Pharaoh Apophis and the other Hyksos 
  rulers. Apophis’ name, complete with symbols of Apep, 
  dominates one face of the monuments. It doesn’t mat-
  ter whether the characters can read them or not, as 
  they don’t provide any clues to the location of the tomb 
  through the writing.
  Characters who state they are clearing away the sand 
  automatically discover cracks along the base of the 
  obelisks. A Smarts roll reveals the pillars might rotate. 
  Otherwise, a Notice roll is required while searching the 
  general area to reveal the cracks.
  No roll is required to rotate the obelisks, though mov-
  ing them is hard work. In order to reveal the tomb both 
  faces depicting Apophis/Apep must be turned to face the 
  west, the direction of the Underworld. When discovered, 
  one faces north and the other south.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1515
  All is not lost if the villain does escape. Investigating 
  the bathroom (whether out of curiosity or because the 
  cultist talked), the characters realize the bowl has been 
  unscrewed. Beneath it is a hole just wide enough for a 
  character to squeeze through. It should be clear the cult-
  ist was doing something beneath the train, and that can’t 
  be good news.
  Jumping off is certainly an option. The train is cur-
  rently moving at 50 miles per hour (20” per round), so 
  the heroes would take 4d6 damage. Given that this is 
  from an Extra, it’s likely to cause only a few wounds on 
  average. However, the hundreds of innocent passengers 
  would be blown to pieces!
  Before the characters get a chance to investigate the 
  toilet further, the cultist’s comrades rush into the car. 
  They were hiding among the passengers and had orders 
  only to interfere if the characters appeared to have de-
  tected their plan. A gang of cultists rush in from both 
  adjoining carriages to try and delay the characters.
  The battleﬁ eld comprises two cars, each 3” wide 
  (for game purposes) and 12” long. Mark these out on 
  the tabletop. A single door at each end of the car leads 
  to another compartment. There are two rows of seats 
  and a central aisle, each 1” wide. Movement over the 
  seats counts as difﬁ cult ground. The seats can be used 
  as Cover. The train is an Unstable Platform. The toilet 
  occupies a 1” square in the characters’ car, next to the 
  door to the second car.
  All being well, either Abdul or Nadine survived their 
  earlier encounter with the characters. Whichever one 
  remains is leading the cultists. In the event neither made 
  it, add a Wild Card cultist of Apep.
  Half the thugs approach through the door in the char-
  acter’s car furthest from the toilet. The other half begins 
  at the far end of the other carriage. Both sides should 
  thus be about 12” from the toilet (and the characters)
  Disarming the bomb is covered in the next section.
   Abdul, the Snake-Armed Cultist: See page 18.
   Nadine: See page 19.
   Apep Cultists (2 per hero): See page 20.
  DISARMING THE BOMB
  DISARMING THE BOMB
  The bomb is set to explode in just six rounds. In order 
  to defuse it, the characters must complete the following 
  tasks in order. Since the device is located under the train, 
  it means one hero is going to have to risk his life and 
  leave his comrades to fend for themselves.
  At the end of the 6th round, the train slows for the 
  bridge. Fortunately, the driver slows to 35 miles per 
  hour, meaning the bomb doesn’t activate. Of course, the 
  characters shouldn’t know this.
  In the event they are complacent, perhaps openly 
  voicing that the story would never allow it to explode, 
  they’re in for a shock! The explosion derails the train, 
  which slides off the bridge and into the Nile. Every hero 
  takes 4d6 damage from a Wild Card source, and the 
  deaths of hundreds of innocent lives are on their hands.
  * The hero has to squeeze through the hole in the ﬂ oor. 
  This requires an Agility roll. Small characters roll at 
  +2, while Brawny or Obese heroes are at –2. With 
  success, the character is now hanging from the under-
  side of the car, inches from the rails. Failure means he 
  has failed to make any progress, but can try again next 
  round.
  * Now he’s underneath the train, the adventurer must 
  shimmy along the car using whatever handholds he can 
  ﬁ nd until he reaches the bomb. The character may use 
  the higher of his Agility or Strength for this, but both 
  suffer a –2 penalty due to the adverse conditions.
   
  Success means he has reached the device. Failure in-
  dicates he has made slow progress, though he can try 
  again next round. A critical failure results in the hero 
  taking 3d6 damage from an Extra as he slips and is 
  smashed against the rails before regaining his hold.
  * The hero must study the bomb in order to determine 
  how to disarm it without triggering the detonator. 
  This requires either a Smarts roll at –2 or a Repair 
  roll. Until he succeeds, he knows removing the device 
  will trigger an explosion.
  * Finally, the adventurer must physically disarm the 
  bomb. This requires either a Smarts roll at –2 or a 
  Repair roll. Success renders the device safe. A failure 
  means the hero hesitated before ripping out or cut-
  ting a wire.
  ACT 4: THE NETHERWORLD
  ACT 4: THE NETHERWORLD
  After saving the train, the rest of the journey to the 
  tomb of Apophis goes without interruption. Again, the 
  characters can pick up basic exploration gear for free 
  before they set off on the ﬁ nal leg.
  SCENE 1: TOMB OF APOPHIS
  SCENE 1: TOMB OF APOPHIS
  It’s just like the Staff showed—two obelisks par-
  tially buried in sand standing beside a small oa-
  sis. If there’s a tomb here, it’s well-hidden.
  The two obelisks are engraved with hieroglyphs prais-
  ing the glory of Pharaoh Apophis and the other Hyksos 
  rulers. Apophis’ name, complete with symbols of Apep, 
  dominates one face of the monuments. It doesn’t mat-
  ter whether the characters can read them or not, as 
  they don’t provide any clues to the location of the tomb 
  through the writing.
  Characters who state they are clearing away the sand 
  automatically discover cracks along the base of the 
  obelisks. A Smarts roll reveals the pillars might rotate. 
  Otherwise, a Notice roll is required while searching the 
  general area to reveal the cracks.
  No roll is required to rotate the obelisks, though mov-
  ing them is hard work. In order to reveal the tomb both 
  faces depicting Apophis/Apep must be turned to face the 
  west, the direction of the Underworld. When discovered, 
  one faces north and the other south.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1616
  As the last obelisk ﬁ nally grinds to face west, the 
  sand nearby begins to shimmer, like its being gen-
  tly shaken. Slowly, an area of sand begins to rise, 
  like its being pushed up from beneath. Emerging 
  through the sun-baked crust is a layer of worn 
  stones. A structure, a small temple perhaps, hid-
  den for thousands of years, ﬁ nally reveals itself.
  INSIDE THE TOMB
  INSIDE THE TOMB
  Not every Egyptian tomb was an elaborate maze of 
  tunnels and chambers. In fact, most were very simple af-
  fairs. Apophis’ tomb falls into the latter category, though 
  it holds a few nasty surprises.
  Indeed, after descending a set of stairs and breaking 
  through a stone wall, the characters enter a single cham-
  ber. The room is 8” by 12”. In the center lies a black 
  granite sarcophagus (2” long and 1” wide). Hieroglyphs 
  of gold leaf decorate every face. Carved into the left and 
  right walls are false doors. There are two on each side. 
  These are not an unusual feature in Egyptian tombs, for 
  they represent symbolic pathways for the spirit of the 
  deceased.
  As soon as a hero enters the chamber, four mummies 
  wrapped in snakeskin bandages burst through the thin 
  walls covering the false doors. Check for Surprise.
  The hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus identify the oc-
  cupant as Apophis, Beloved of Apep, born of Darkness. 
  Apophis isn’t occupying his tomb, though—he’s in the 
  Netherworld. Inside the sarcophagus is a narrow shaft, 
  leading down into the bowels of the earth. During com-
  bat, a Strength roll at –4 is required to shift the heavy lid. 
  Outside of the action the heroes have plentiful time to 
  remove the cover without a die roll.
   Snake Swarm Mummies (1 per hero): See page 22.
  SCENE 2: THE SOLAR BARQUE
  SCENE 2: THE SOLAR BARQUE
  The stairs lead down, down, down, ending 
  after what seems like many hours. A narrow, 
  stone wharf extends onto a canal of dark, 
  slow-moving water. The circular tunnel en-
  compassing the waterway is covered in Egyp-
  tian hieroglyphs. It is obvious that once they 
  honored Ra, but they have been over cut with 
  Apep’s fell symbols.
  At the end of the wharf is a barque, identical in 
  shape to those seen on the walls of a hundred 
  tombs and temples. A dozen wooden ﬁ gures, 
  dressed like ancient Egyptians, sit by the oars, 
  while at the back, a similar statue holds the steer-
  ing board.
  Students of nautical matters should note the Egyptian 
  barque is not the same as the 3-masted sailing ship of 
  that name. Taking its name from “barge,” the barque is 
  essentially a long, shallow-keeled or ﬂ at-bottomed vessel 
  with a curved prow and stern.
  The oarsmen and steersman are ushabti ﬁ gures, life-
  sized constructs powered by magic. As soon as the heroes 
  are all aboard, the rowers take up their oars and begin 
  stroking. They do not speak, obey any orders from the 
  characters (they are preprogrammed for a single task), 
  and cannot be diverted from the task. The heroes are 
  passengers, for this is Ra’s solar barque, and only a god 
  can divert it from the route it has taken since the dawn 
  of time.
  The barque moves silently and slowly through the 
  tunnel. All along the walls, you see signs of decay. 
  The once-brightly colored hieroglyphs are faded, 
  the stonework is cracked, and in places it is cov-
  ered in black slime or a mass of writhing, black 
  serpents. The water is little better, for in places 
  it is a thick, oozing sludge composed of rotting 
  snakes and foul-smelling vegetation.
  The stillness of the water is broken as a long, ser-
  pentine neck bursts through a layer of corruption. 
  With a fearsome roar, the foul creature lunges at 
  you, it’s maw a mass of curved, jagged teeth.
  The barque measures 12” long and 4” wide. There 
  are six rowers on each side. These take up the six cen-
  ter squares along each long side of the vessel. Passing 
  through these is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The canal is 
  10” wide and inﬁ nitely deep.
  The serpent cannot harm the solar barque or the ush-
  abti, at least not while Ra continues to enjoy limited free-
  dom. As such, it only targets the characters. The barque 
  moves forward at 6” and nothing the adventurers do can 
  alter its course or speed. Should a hero fall overboard, 
  his comrades had better have rope handy, or he’ll be left 
  behind.
   Netherworld Serpent: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: THE TWELFTH GATE
  SCENE 3: THE TWELFTH GATE
  The canal emerges into a vast, domed cavern. In 
  the center of the lake sits a temple, magniﬁ cent in 
  its architecture, disgusting in its deﬁ lement. Long 
  black snakes creep up the columns, and many 
  of the ancient writings have been defaced or re-
  carved to honor Apep.
  Spaced equidistantly around the distant edge are 
  a dozen enormous pylon gates. These must be the 
  fabled Gates of Night. Eleven are etched with vile, 
  eldritch runes, and the gap between the gates is 
  choked with slithering, crawling darkness.
  The last gate retains its original markings, prais-
  ing Ra’s glory. The tunnel beyond glows a dim 
  orange, but far in the distance, you spy a black, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1616
  As the last obelisk ﬁ nally grinds to face west, the 
  sand nearby begins to shimmer, like its being gen-
  tly shaken. Slowly, an area of sand begins to rise, 
  like its being pushed up from beneath. Emerging 
  through the sun-baked crust is a layer of worn 
  stones. A structure, a small temple perhaps, hid-
  den for thousands of years, ﬁ nally reveals itself.
  INSIDE THE TOMB
  INSIDE THE TOMB
  Not every Egyptian tomb was an elaborate maze of 
  tunnels and chambers. In fact, most were very simple af-
  fairs. Apophis’ tomb falls into the latter category, though 
  it holds a few nasty surprises.
  Indeed, after descending a set of stairs and breaking 
  through a stone wall, the characters enter a single cham-
  ber. The room is 8” by 12”. In the center lies a black 
  granite sarcophagus (2” long and 1” wide). Hieroglyphs 
  of gold leaf decorate every face. Carved into the left and 
  right walls are false doors. There are two on each side. 
  These are not an unusual feature in Egyptian tombs, for 
  they represent symbolic pathways for the spirit of the 
  deceased.
  As soon as a hero enters the chamber, four mummies 
  wrapped in snakeskin bandages burst through the thin 
  walls covering the false doors. Check for Surprise.
  The hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus identify the oc-
  cupant as Apophis, Beloved of Apep, born of Darkness. 
  Apophis isn’t occupying his tomb, though—he’s in the 
  Netherworld. Inside the sarcophagus is a narrow shaft, 
  leading down into the bowels of the earth. During com-
  bat, a Strength roll at –4 is required to shift the heavy lid. 
  Outside of the action the heroes have plentiful time to 
  remove the cover without a die roll.
   Snake Swarm Mummies (1 per hero): See page 22.
  SCENE 2: THE SOLAR BARQUE
  SCENE 2: THE SOLAR BARQUE
  The stairs lead down, down, down, ending 
  after what seems like many hours. A narrow, 
  stone wharf extends onto a canal of dark, 
  slow-moving water. The circular tunnel en-
  compassing the waterway is covered in Egyp-
  tian hieroglyphs. It is obvious that once they 
  honored Ra, but they have been over cut with 
  Apep’s fell symbols.
  At the end of the wharf is a barque, identical in 
  shape to those seen on the walls of a hundred 
  tombs and temples. A dozen wooden ﬁ gures, 
  dressed like ancient Egyptians, sit by the oars, 
  while at the back, a similar statue holds the steer-
  ing board.
  Students of nautical matters should note the Egyptian 
  barque is not the same as the 3-masted sailing ship of 
  that name. Taking its name from “barge,” the barque is 
  essentially a long, shallow-keeled or ﬂ at-bottomed vessel 
  with a curved prow and stern.
  The oarsmen and steersman are ushabti ﬁ gures, life-
  sized constructs powered by magic. As soon as the heroes 
  are all aboard, the rowers take up their oars and begin 
  stroking. They do not speak, obey any orders from the 
  characters (they are preprogrammed for a single task), 
  and cannot be diverted from the task. The heroes are 
  passengers, for this is Ra’s solar barque, and only a god 
  can divert it from the route it has taken since the dawn 
  of time.
  The barque moves silently and slowly through the 
  tunnel. All along the walls, you see signs of decay. 
  The once-brightly colored hieroglyphs are faded, 
  the stonework is cracked, and in places it is cov-
  ered in black slime or a mass of writhing, black 
  serpents. The water is little better, for in places 
  it is a thick, oozing sludge composed of rotting 
  snakes and foul-smelling vegetation.
  The stillness of the water is broken as a long, ser-
  pentine neck bursts through a layer of corruption. 
  With a fearsome roar, the foul creature lunges at 
  you, it’s maw a mass of curved, jagged teeth.
  The barque measures 12” long and 4” wide. There 
  are six rowers on each side. These take up the six cen-
  ter squares along each long side of the vessel. Passing 
  through these is treated as difﬁ cult ground. The canal is 
  10” wide and inﬁ nitely deep.
  The serpent cannot harm the solar barque or the ush-
  abti, at least not while Ra continues to enjoy limited free-
  dom. As such, it only targets the characters. The barque 
  moves forward at 6” and nothing the adventurers do can 
  alter its course or speed. Should a hero fall overboard, 
  his comrades had better have rope handy, or he’ll be left 
  behind.
   Netherworld Serpent: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: THE TWELFTH GATE
  SCENE 3: THE TWELFTH GATE
  The canal emerges into a vast, domed cavern. In 
  the center of the lake sits a temple, magniﬁ cent in 
  its architecture, disgusting in its deﬁ lement. Long 
  black snakes creep up the columns, and many 
  of the ancient writings have been defaced or re-
  carved to honor Apep.
  Spaced equidistantly around the distant edge are 
  a dozen enormous pylon gates. These must be the 
  fabled Gates of Night. Eleven are etched with vile, 
  eldritch runes, and the gap between the gates is 
  choked with slithering, crawling darkness.
  The last gate retains its original markings, prais-
  ing Ra’s glory. The tunnel beyond glows a dim 
  orange, but far in the distance, you spy a black, 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1717
  incoherent form, moving rapidly toward the en-
  trance. This must be Apep, and it seems his plan is 
  very close to fruition!
  Silently, gracefully, the barque draws to a halt at 
  the edge of the island. Carved on the pillars that 
  form the gateway to the island are identical im-
  ages. Each shows the Staff of Ra radiating what 
  seem to be sunbeams. The lower part of the staff is 
  not visible, for it is swallowed by a stone block.
  The darkness within the Twelfth Gate is Apep. Fortu-
  nately, his true form is not visible, for the merest gaze 
  at his abominable form would drive the heroes instantly 
  and irrevocably insane. 
  Unfortunately, they are in danger of witnessing his 
  physical being, for in 12 rounds, Apep will have sealed 
  the last Gate of Night, plunging the world into total and 
  permanent darkness! The heroes shouldn’t worry about 
  what will happen to the world if they fail—they’ll be dead 
  at the start of the 13th round, as Apep devours them.
  The island is huge, but the GM need only concentrate 
  on the central temple, for this is where all the action 
  takes place.
  The temple is 10” wide and 22” long. It is divided 
  into three sections, each 10” in length. Dividing these is 
  a 1” thick stone wall, broken by a 2” wide open gateway 
  in the center. Against the dark wall of the temple is an 
  altar (3” long and 1” wide). Protruding from the top is a 
  staff, carved in the image of a serpent. Its tail is rammed 
  into a small hole in the center of the altar. Rays of inky 
  blackness shoot forth into each of the twelve monstrous 
  gates.
  THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
  THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
  The disciples of Apep begin guarding the gateway 
  through to the second section. Apep’s Champion guards 
  the second gateway. Apophis, the high priest of the cult, 
  starts adjacent to the altar. Each demonic snake he sum-
  mons (see page 20) automatically slithers (treat this as 
  running, in Savage Worlds terms) toward the intruders 
  to engage them in melee.
  The characters don’t have to slay all the bad guys to 
  win. In fact, killing them doesn’t change anything. Vic-
  tory is assured only by removing Apep’s staff from the 
  altar and replacing it with the Staff of Ra. Hopefully, 
  the carving of the Staff in the block and the beams of 
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1717
  incoherent form, moving rapidly toward the en-
  trance. This must be Apep, and it seems his plan is 
  very close to fruition!
  Silently, gracefully, the barque draws to a halt at 
  the edge of the island. Carved on the pillars that 
  form the gateway to the island are identical im-
  ages. Each shows the Staff of Ra radiating what 
  seem to be sunbeams. The lower part of the staff is 
  not visible, for it is swallowed by a stone block.
  The darkness within the Twelfth Gate is Apep. Fortu-
  nately, his true form is not visible, for the merest gaze 
  at his abominable form would drive the heroes instantly 
  and irrevocably insane. 
  Unfortunately, they are in danger of witnessing his 
  physical being, for in 12 rounds, Apep will have sealed 
  the last Gate of Night, plunging the world into total and 
  permanent darkness! The heroes shouldn’t worry about 
  what will happen to the world if they fail—they’ll be dead 
  at the start of the 13th round, as Apep devours them.
  The island is huge, but the GM need only concentrate 
  on the central temple, for this is where all the action 
  takes place.
  The temple is 10” wide and 22” long. It is divided 
  into three sections, each 10” in length. Dividing these is 
  a 1” thick stone wall, broken by a 2” wide open gateway 
  in the center. Against the dark wall of the temple is an 
  altar (3” long and 1” wide). Protruding from the top is a 
  staff, carved in the image of a serpent. Its tail is rammed 
  into a small hole in the center of the altar. Rays of inky 
  blackness shoot forth into each of the twelve monstrous 
  gates.
  THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
  THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
  The disciples of Apep begin guarding the gateway 
  through to the second section. Apep’s Champion guards 
  the second gateway. Apophis, the high priest of the cult, 
  starts adjacent to the altar. Each demonic snake he sum-
  mons (see page 20) automatically slithers (treat this as 
  running, in Savage Worlds terms) toward the intruders 
  to engage them in melee.
  The characters don’t have to slay all the bad guys to 
  win. In fact, killing them doesn’t change anything. Vic-
  tory is assured only by removing Apep’s staff from the 
  altar and replacing it with the Staff of Ra. Hopefully, 
  the carving of the Staff in the block and the beams of 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1818
  black light radiating from Apep’s staff will be enough of 
  a clue. As noted above, the heroes have just 12 rounds to 
  achieve this goal.
  Removing Apep’s staff and inserting Ra’s staff in its 
  place each take an action and require two hands. As soon 
  as the Staff of Ra is in place, it emits powerful rays of 
  sunlight.
  With a satisfying click, the Staff slides into the hole. 
  The gemstone immediately ﬂ ares to life. Brilliant 
  rays, as powerful as the ﬁ res of the Sun, shoot out, 
  striking each of the Gates of Night. Apep’s unholy 
  wards and demonic serpents shrivel into nothing-
  ness as the burning rays strike them.
  In the Twelfth Gate, Apep roars in impotent rage 
  as searing energy burns his scaled ﬂ esh. Unable 
  to withstand the torment of Ra’s fury, the terrible 
  serpent withdraws into the darkness of the Neth-
  erworld, wounded, perhaps crippled, but not fully 
  defeated. The cosmic balance is being restored!
  At the start of each subsequent round, every villain 
  still alive takes 2d8 damage from the piercing ray of light. 
  This ignores all forms of armor. It also automatically dis-
  pels any obscure spells in effect. None of Apep’s follow-
  ers can touch the Staff, and it’s immune to all damage, so 
  there is nothing they can do to prevent it from working 
  its magic. All the characters have to do now is survive!
   High Priest Apophis: See page 18.
   Champion of Apep: See page 19.
   Demon Snakes: See page 20.
   Devotees of Apep (1 per hero): See page 20.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once the last of Apep’s minions are slain, the tunnels 
  beyond the Gates of Night ﬂ are brilliant yellow-orange, 
  as Ra ﬁ nally overthrows his shackles and regains his 
  strength. The Twelfth Gate suddenly spews out a wave of 
  burning ﬁ re, which washes over the temple, destroying 
  Apep’s inﬂ uence. The adventurers black out.
  When they awaken, they ﬁ nd themselves outside Apo-
  phis’ tomb. The sun is high in the sky, burning as brightly 
  as it did before the adventure began. The tomb remains 
  open, but the entrance to the Netherworld has ceased 
  to exist, sealed off to prevent Apep’s few remaining sup-
  porters from reaching their wounded master.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  HIGH PRIEST APOPHIS
  HIGH PRIEST APOPHIS
  Former pharaoh of the Hyksos rulers of Egypt, Apo-
  phis’ mortal empire fell to a resurgent Egyptian dynasty 
  of sun worshippers. Apep rewarded Apophis for his ef-
  forts, transforming him into cobra form, imbuing him 
  with powerful spells, and granting him immortality from 
  aging. He has spent over three thousand years in the 
  Underworld, loyally serving his demonic master.
  His spells are the equivalent of 30 Power Points worth, 
  without any maintenance costs.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Faith d12, Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice 
  d10, Stealth d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal (Apep), Overconﬁ dent, No Hands 
  (can’t use any technological item)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Charismatic, 
  Command, Improved Arcane Resistance (doesn’t affect 
  spells he casts on himself), Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Level Headed, Inspire, Quick
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Constrict*: Apophis may choose to constrict a single 
  foe in its coils and does so by making a Fighting attack. 
  The round it entangles and each round thereafter it 
  causes Str+d8 damage. Given his large size, Apophis 
  may constrict one foe and bite without suffering the 
  standard multi-action penalty.
  * Powers: During the encounter Apophis can use the 
  following spells: 2 x bolt (2 bolts for 3d6 damage; 
  smoky, spectral snakes), 2 x deﬂ ection (snakes inter-
  cept attacks), 2 x dispel (words of power), 1 x entan-
  gle (Medium Burst Template; snakes), 1 x fear (im-
  ages of Apep in victim’s mind), 2 x obscure (sphere 
  of darkness, impenetrable by any light), 1 x puppet 
  (hypnotic voice), 1 x speed (super fast). Spells which 
  can be maintained are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per 
  casting.
  * Size +3: Apophis’ serpentine body is 20’ long and 2’ 
  wide.
  * Summon Demon Snake: Apophis can summon a 
  demon snake each round as a free action. The vile 
  serpent begins adjacent to Apophis.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  ABDUL, THE SNAKE-ARMED CULTIST
  ABDUL, THE SNAKE-ARMED CULTIST
  Abdul has devoted his entire life to serving Apep, as 
  have generations of his ancestors. Apep chose to bless 
  his most fanatical cultist, warping his arms into deadly 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  1818
  black light radiating from Apep’s staff will be enough of 
  a clue. As noted above, the heroes have just 12 rounds to 
  achieve this goal.
  Removing Apep’s staff and inserting Ra’s staff in its 
  place each take an action and require two hands. As soon 
  as the Staff of Ra is in place, it emits powerful rays of 
  sunlight.
  With a satisfying click, the Staff slides into the hole. 
  The gemstone immediately ﬂ ares to life. Brilliant 
  rays, as powerful as the ﬁ res of the Sun, shoot out, 
  striking each of the Gates of Night. Apep’s unholy 
  wards and demonic serpents shrivel into nothing-
  ness as the burning rays strike them.
  In the Twelfth Gate, Apep roars in impotent rage 
  as searing energy burns his scaled ﬂ esh. Unable 
  to withstand the torment of Ra’s fury, the terrible 
  serpent withdraws into the darkness of the Neth-
  erworld, wounded, perhaps crippled, but not fully 
  defeated. The cosmic balance is being restored!
  At the start of each subsequent round, every villain 
  still alive takes 2d8 damage from the piercing ray of light. 
  This ignores all forms of armor. It also automatically dis-
  pels any obscure spells in effect. None of Apep’s follow-
  ers can touch the Staff, and it’s immune to all damage, so 
  there is nothing they can do to prevent it from working 
  its magic. All the characters have to do now is survive!
   High Priest Apophis: See page 18.
   Champion of Apep: See page 19.
   Demon Snakes: See page 20.
   Devotees of Apep (1 per hero): See page 20.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once the last of Apep’s minions are slain, the tunnels 
  beyond the Gates of Night ﬂ are brilliant yellow-orange, 
  as Ra ﬁ nally overthrows his shackles and regains his 
  strength. The Twelfth Gate suddenly spews out a wave of 
  burning ﬁ re, which washes over the temple, destroying 
  Apep’s inﬂ uence. The adventurers black out.
  When they awaken, they ﬁ nd themselves outside Apo-
  phis’ tomb. The sun is high in the sky, burning as brightly 
  as it did before the adventure began. The tomb remains 
  open, but the entrance to the Netherworld has ceased 
  to exist, sealed off to prevent Apep’s few remaining sup-
  porters from reaching their wounded master.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  HIGH PRIEST APOPHIS
  HIGH PRIEST APOPHIS
  Former pharaoh of the Hyksos rulers of Egypt, Apo-
  phis’ mortal empire fell to a resurgent Egyptian dynasty 
  of sun worshippers. Apep rewarded Apophis for his ef-
  forts, transforming him into cobra form, imbuing him 
  with powerful spells, and granting him immortality from 
  aging. He has spent over three thousand years in the 
  Underworld, loyally serving his demonic master.
  His spells are the equivalent of 30 Power Points worth, 
  without any maintenance costs.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Faith d12, Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice 
  d10, Stealth d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal (Apep), Overconﬁ dent, No Hands 
  (can’t use any technological item)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Charismatic, 
  Command, Improved Arcane Resistance (doesn’t affect 
  spells he casts on himself), Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Level Headed, Inspire, Quick
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Constrict*: Apophis may choose to constrict a single 
  foe in its coils and does so by making a Fighting attack. 
  The round it entangles and each round thereafter it 
  causes Str+d8 damage. Given his large size, Apophis 
  may constrict one foe and bite without suffering the 
  standard multi-action penalty.
  * Powers: During the encounter Apophis can use the 
  following spells: 2 x bolt (2 bolts for 3d6 damage; 
  smoky, spectral snakes), 2 x deﬂ ection (snakes inter-
  cept attacks), 2 x dispel (words of power), 1 x entan-
  gle (Medium Burst Template; snakes), 1 x fear (im-
  ages of Apep in victim’s mind), 2 x obscure (sphere 
  of darkness, impenetrable by any light), 1 x puppet 
  (hypnotic voice), 1 x speed (super fast). Spells which 
  can be maintained are instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per 
  casting.
  * Size +3: Apophis’ serpentine body is 20’ long and 2’ 
  wide.
  * Summon Demon Snake: Apophis can summon a 
  demon snake each round as a free action. The vile 
  serpent begins adjacent to Apophis.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  ABDUL, THE SNAKE-ARMED CULTIST
  ABDUL, THE SNAKE-ARMED CULTIST
  Abdul has devoted his entire life to serving Apep, as 
  have generations of his ancestors. Apep chose to bless 
  his most fanatical cultist, warping his arms into deadly 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1919
  snakes. The snake-armed cultist now serves as his god’s 
  chief assassin.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8
  Charisma: –8; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Mean, No Hands (can’t use 
  any technological item), Ugly (scaly skin)
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, 
  Frenzy, Quick, Two-Fisted
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Snake scales for skin.
  * Left Arm: The villain’s left arm is a constrictor snake. 
  It allows him to make grapple attacks at Reach 1. With 
  success, he inﬂ icts Str+d6 damage each round.
  * Right Arm: His right arm is actually a venomous 
  snake. It allows him to make Fighting attacks at Reach 
  1. Damage is Str+d4. Shaken or wounded victims 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer an automatic wound. 
  This is treated as part of the bite’s damage for the pur-
  poses of Soak rolls.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  NADINE, SHE-SNAKE DEMON
  NADINE, SHE-SNAKE DEMON
  Nadine is a snake-demon, and one of Apep’s top 
  agents. She has the ability to assume the form of a beau-
  tiful, Egyptian woman. In this guise, she operates as an 
  exotic dancer in the King Cobra Club, a meeting place 
  for Apep cultists. Her real form is half-human, half-snake. 
  She retains her human torso, arms, and head, albeit cov-
  ered in scales, but has a serpentine lower body.
  Special abilities marked “*” only apply in her snake-
  human hybrid form. Her spells are the equivalent of 15 
  Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d10, Faith d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d12, Streetwise d10, Taunt 
  d10
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6/7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal (Apep), Quirk (ﬂ irts with 
  victims)
  Edges: Acrobat, Arcane Background (Faith), Arcane Re-
  sistance, Quick, Very Attractive
  Gear: Key around neck (part of costume)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1*: Snake scales for skin.
  * Bite*: Str+d4. Shaken or wounded victims must make 
  a Vigor roll or suffer total paralysis for 2d6 rounds.
  * Constrict*: Nadine can use her serpentine lower 
  body to grapple foes at Reach 1. She can maintain 
  her hold as a free action. Damage from the grapple is 
  Str+d6.
  * Natural Charmer: Through a combination of her 
  looks, hormones, and force of will, Nadine can use 
  puppet as an action each round. She uses her Persua-
  sion as her arcane skill, but gains no Charisma bonus. 
  She can only affect a single target at a time, who must 
  be male, but her inﬂ uence lasts until she is slain or 
  the victim manages to break free (by being allowed 
  another Spirit roll to resist).
  * Powers: During the encounter Nadine can use the 
  following spells: 2 x bolt (2 bolts for 2d6 damage; 
  smoky, spectral snakes), 1 x obscure (sphere of dark-
  ness, impenetrable by any light), 1 x quickness (ser-
  pentine reﬂ exes). Spells which can be maintained are 
  instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per casting.
  * Seductive: Nadine exudes powerful pheromones that 
  weaken the resolve of men adjacent to her. All Spirit 
  rolls and Fighting attacks made by adjacent male he-
  roes are at –2.
  * Taste the Air*: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  CHAMPION OF APEP
  CHAMPION OF APEP
  This nameless abomination serves as Apophis’ body-
  guard and chief enforcer of his will among the cultists. 
  The ﬁ end’s torso is vaguely human, but it is covered in 
  thick, armored scales. Its lower body is that of a gigantic 
  serpent, and its head that of a serpent.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d10, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13 (2)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Loyal
  Edges: Berserk, Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Quick
  Gear: Great sword (Str+d10, –1 Parry, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Fear: Once during the encounter, the Champion can 
  cast the fear spell, using Spirit as his arcane skill.
  * Reach 1: By springing forward on its tail, the Cham-
  pion can make attacks at foes 1” away.
  * Size +4: The Champion measures 15’ long and is ex-
  ceptionally muscular.
  * Spit Venom: Range: 3/6/12. Use Shooting. An acrid 
  goo, the Champion’s venom causes blindness. Vic-
  tims must make a Vigor roll, –2 if he scored a raise on 
  the attack, or be blinded by the foul gas the venom 
  emits. Cleaning away the venom requires an Agility 
  roll as an action. Until successful, all actions requiring 
  sight are at –6.
  CAMEL
  CAMEL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Kick: Str.
  * Ornery: Characters must subtract 1 from their Riding 
  rolls when riding them.
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  1919
  snakes. The snake-armed cultist now serves as his god’s 
  chief assassin.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8
  Charisma: –8; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Mean, No Hands (can’t use 
  any technological item), Ugly (scaly skin)
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, 
  Frenzy, Quick, Two-Fisted
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Snake scales for skin.
  * Left Arm: The villain’s left arm is a constrictor snake. 
  It allows him to make grapple attacks at Reach 1. With 
  success, he inﬂ icts Str+d6 damage each round.
  * Right Arm: His right arm is actually a venomous 
  snake. It allows him to make Fighting attacks at Reach 
  1. Damage is Str+d4. Shaken or wounded victims 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer an automatic wound. 
  This is treated as part of the bite’s damage for the pur-
  poses of Soak rolls.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  NADINE, SHE-SNAKE DEMON
  NADINE, SHE-SNAKE DEMON
  Nadine is a snake-demon, and one of Apep’s top 
  agents. She has the ability to assume the form of a beau-
  tiful, Egyptian woman. In this guise, she operates as an 
  exotic dancer in the King Cobra Club, a meeting place 
  for Apep cultists. Her real form is half-human, half-snake. 
  She retains her human torso, arms, and head, albeit cov-
  ered in scales, but has a serpentine lower body.
  Special abilities marked “*” only apply in her snake-
  human hybrid form. Her spells are the equivalent of 15 
  Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d10, Faith d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d12, Streetwise d10, Taunt 
  d10
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6/7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal (Apep), Quirk (ﬂ irts with 
  victims)
  Edges: Acrobat, Arcane Background (Faith), Arcane Re-
  sistance, Quick, Very Attractive
  Gear: Key around neck (part of costume)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1*: Snake scales for skin.
  * Bite*: Str+d4. Shaken or wounded victims must make 
  a Vigor roll or suffer total paralysis for 2d6 rounds.
  * Constrict*: Nadine can use her serpentine lower 
  body to grapple foes at Reach 1. She can maintain 
  her hold as a free action. Damage from the grapple is 
  Str+d6.
  * Natural Charmer: Through a combination of her 
  looks, hormones, and force of will, Nadine can use 
  puppet as an action each round. She uses her Persua-
  sion as her arcane skill, but gains no Charisma bonus. 
  She can only affect a single target at a time, who must 
  be male, but her inﬂ uence lasts until she is slain or 
  the victim manages to break free (by being allowed 
  another Spirit roll to resist).
  * Powers: During the encounter Nadine can use the 
  following spells: 2 x bolt (2 bolts for 2d6 damage; 
  smoky, spectral snakes), 1 x obscure (sphere of dark-
  ness, impenetrable by any light), 1 x quickness (ser-
  pentine reﬂ exes). Spells which can be maintained are 
  instead ﬁ xed at 3 rounds per casting.
  * Seductive: Nadine exudes powerful pheromones that 
  weaken the resolve of men adjacent to her. All Spirit 
  rolls and Fighting attacks made by adjacent male he-
  roes are at –2.
  * Taste the Air*: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  CHAMPION OF APEP
  CHAMPION OF APEP
  This nameless abomination serves as Apophis’ body-
  guard and chief enforcer of his will among the cultists. 
  The ﬁ end’s torso is vaguely human, but it is covered in 
  thick, armored scales. Its lower body is that of a gigantic 
  serpent, and its head that of a serpent.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d10, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13 (2)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Loyal
  Edges: Berserk, Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Quick
  Gear: Great sword (Str+d10, –1 Parry, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Fear: Once during the encounter, the Champion can 
  cast the fear spell, using Spirit as his arcane skill.
  * Reach 1: By springing forward on its tail, the Cham-
  pion can make attacks at foes 1” away.
  * Size +4: The Champion measures 15’ long and is ex-
  ceptionally muscular.
  * Spit Venom: Range: 3/6/12. Use Shooting. An acrid 
  goo, the Champion’s venom causes blindness. Vic-
  tims must make a Vigor roll, –2 if he scored a raise on 
  the attack, or be blinded by the foul gas the venom 
  emits. Cleaning away the venom requires an Agility 
  roll as an action. Until successful, all actions requiring 
  sight are at –6.
  CAMEL
  CAMEL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Kick: Str.
  * Ornery: Characters must subtract 1 from their Riding 
  rolls when riding them.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  2020
  * Sand Walker: Camels treat deserts as normal terrain.
  * Size +2: Camels are only slightly larger than riding 
  horses.
  CULTISTS OF APEP
  CULTISTS OF APEP
  Anyone who wants to plunge the world into perpetual 
  darkness can’t really be described as sane. Apep’s cultists 
  are total fanatics, willing to give up their lives to save 
  their superiors in the name of the snake-god’s cause.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Snake fang dagger (Str+d4), throwing knives 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), pistol (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: If a cultist is adjacent to a Wild Card servant 
  of Apep who is successfully attacked, he automatically 
  throws himself in front of the attack. All damage is ap-
  plied to one of the cultists, instead.
  * Immunity (Poison): Immune to all poisons.
  DEMON SNAKE
  DEMON SNAKE
  While they resemble vipers and cobras, demon snakes 
  are not of this earth. Their thick, black scales, red eyes, 
  and huge teeth give them an altogether unholy appear-
  ance.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 Armor against damage-caus-
  ing powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist opposed 
  powers.
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Bite: Str+d6. Shaken or wounded victims must make 
  a Vigor roll or suffer an automatic wound. This is 
  treated as part of the bite’s damage for the purposes 
  of Soak rolls.
  * Quick: Shadow snakes redraw action cards of 5 or 
  lower.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  DEVOTEES OF APEP
  DEVOTEES OF APEP
  Devotees were once human, but their dedication has 
  resulted in them being given new form. Similar in form 
  to a cobra, though with two human arms, devotees are 
  Apep’s elite warriors.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: Long sword (Str+d8), medium shield (+1 Parry), 
  long bow (Range: 15/30/60, Damage: 2d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Bite: Str+d6.
  * Fearless: Having seen their demonic god, devotees 
  are immune to Fear and Intimidation with regard any-
  thing less than another deity.
  * Quick: Redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  * Scent of Blood: They gain +1 to Fighting rolls against 
  any foe with one or more wounds.
  MINIONS OF RA
  MINIONS OF RA
  Minions of Ra are magical constructs, set in tombs 
  to guard them against robbers. They have a humanoid 
  form, but with a hawk’s head. When animated, their eyes 
  glow bright red.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Gear: Bronze long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Made of solid stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken, no ad-
  ditional damage from Called Shots, immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Eye of Ra: Minions can ﬁ re a single beam of concen-
  trated light from their eyes each round as an action. 
  Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6.
  * Improved Sweep: Can attack all adjacent characters 
  at no penalty.
  * Regeneration (Special): When a Minion of Ra is de-
  feated, its shattered stonework reforms. The statue 
  resumes its original place until activated again. There 
  is no limit to how many times each statue can do 
  this.
  NETHERWORLD SERPENT
  NETHERWORLD SERPENT
  The serpent is a minion of Apep. Ra has fought this 
  creature every night for eternity, defeating it each time, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  2020
  * Sand Walker: Camels treat deserts as normal terrain.
  * Size +2: Camels are only slightly larger than riding 
  horses.
  CULTISTS OF APEP
  CULTISTS OF APEP
  Anyone who wants to plunge the world into perpetual 
  darkness can’t really be described as sane. Apep’s cultists 
  are total fanatics, willing to give up their lives to save 
  their superiors in the name of the snake-god’s cause.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Snake fang dagger (Str+d4), throwing knives 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), pistol (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: If a cultist is adjacent to a Wild Card servant 
  of Apep who is successfully attacked, he automatically 
  throws himself in front of the attack. All damage is ap-
  plied to one of the cultists, instead.
  * Immunity (Poison): Immune to all poisons.
  DEMON SNAKE
  DEMON SNAKE
  While they resemble vipers and cobras, demon snakes 
  are not of this earth. Their thick, black scales, red eyes, 
  and huge teeth give them an altogether unholy appear-
  ance.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 Armor against damage-caus-
  ing powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist opposed 
  powers.
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Bite: Str+d6. Shaken or wounded victims must make 
  a Vigor roll or suffer an automatic wound. This is 
  treated as part of the bite’s damage for the purposes 
  of Soak rolls.
  * Quick: Shadow snakes redraw action cards of 5 or 
  lower.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  DEVOTEES OF APEP
  DEVOTEES OF APEP
  Devotees were once human, but their dedication has 
  resulted in them being given new form. Similar in form 
  to a cobra, though with two human arms, devotees are 
  Apep’s elite warriors.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: Long sword (Str+d8), medium shield (+1 Parry), 
  long bow (Range: 15/30/60, Damage: 2d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Thick scales.
  * Bite: Str+d6.
  * Fearless: Having seen their demonic god, devotees 
  are immune to Fear and Intimidation with regard any-
  thing less than another deity.
  * Quick: Redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  * Scent of Blood: They gain +1 to Fighting rolls against 
  any foe with one or more wounds.
  MINIONS OF RA
  MINIONS OF RA
  Minions of Ra are magical constructs, set in tombs 
  to guard them against robbers. They have a humanoid 
  form, but with a hawk’s head. When animated, their eyes 
  glow bright red.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Gear: Bronze long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Made of solid stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken, no ad-
  ditional damage from Called Shots, immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Eye of Ra: Minions can ﬁ re a single beam of concen-
  trated light from their eyes each round as an action. 
  Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6.
  * Improved Sweep: Can attack all adjacent characters 
  at no penalty.
  * Regeneration (Special): When a Minion of Ra is de-
  feated, its shattered stonework reforms. The statue 
  resumes its original place until activated again. There 
  is no limit to how many times each statue can do 
  this.
  NETHERWORLD SERPENT
  NETHERWORLD SERPENT
  The serpent is a minion of Apep. Ra has fought this 
  creature every night for eternity, defeating it each time, 
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2121
  but never totally vanquishing it. The same applies to the 
  characters—they can defeat it by causing wounds, but 
  the ﬁ end simply slides back beneath the waters, only to 
  return fully healed the next night.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d10
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 14
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 12.
  * Bite: Str+d8, Reach 2.
  * Huge: Attackers are +4 to attack rolls due to the crea-
  ture’s size.
  * Lunge: The creature’s favored tactic is to rise up, at-
  tack, and then withdraw back into the dark water. 
  When it does this, the serpent makes an opposed 
  Stealth roll versus the victim’s Notice. If the serpent 
  wins, it has +2 to its attack and damage, +4 with a 
  raise. Targets on Hold may try to interrupt, but only if 
  they win the Stealth vs. Notice roll.
  * Quick: Redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  * Size +8: Sea serpents measure over 50’ long.
  SAOU WARRIORS
  SAOU WARRIORS
  The Saou (“Protectors”) were originally an elite part 
  of the pharaoh’s guard, charged with watching over the 
  ﬁ nal resting places of the mummiﬁ ed kings and guarding 
  the temples. The position was hereditary, passed from 
  father to son since the earliest dynasties. Today, only a 
  handful of families remain to carry on the sacred duty.
  Most Saou speak English, French, and German, the 
  languages of the major archaeological interests in Egypt.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d8, 
  Survival d8, Tracking d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Bolt-action riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8 
  +1, AP 2), scimitar (Str+d8)
  SHADOW SNAKE
  SHADOW SNAKE
  Shadow snakes are otherworldly servants of Apep. 
  They take the form of a constrictor with a cobra’s head, 
  but with burning, red eyes. Their body is jet black, and 
  drifts gently like smoke. Unlike normal snakes, they can 
  move through the air as easily as along the ground. Light 
  is especially deadly to them.
  A success on a Fighting roll indicates the creature has 
  bitten its victim. On a raise, it entangles them and begins 
  to constrict, crushing their bones. Constricted victims are 
  subjected to Fighting attacks at –2. A raise on a Fighting roll 
  against a grappled foe indicates bonus damage, as normal.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d12, Stealth d12+2
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d4+shadow poison.
  * Constrict: Constricted foes are held as if grappled. 
  Each round they remain held, victims take Str+d8 
  damage on the serpent’s action card.
  * Ethereal: While a shadow snake can bite and con-
  strict victims, it is impervious to mundane weapon, 
  except those of its Weakness. Shadow snakes can pass 
  through solid objects at will.
  * Fly: Pace 8.
  * Quick: Shadow snakes redraw action cards of 5 or 
  lower.
  * Shadow Form: Due to their inky black form, dark 
  penalties are doubled when attacking a spirit snake.
  * Shadow Poison: The insidious poison of a shadow 
  snake slowly siphons off a victim’s soul, sending 
  it Apep’s otherwordly domain. Victims Shaken or 
  wounded by a shadow snake must make a Vigor roll 
  or lose one die in Spirit. Victims reduced below a d4 
  die. Lost Spirit dice return at the rate of one per new 
  scene.
  * Shadow Strength: Shadow snakes grow stronger the 
  darker the lighting. In Dim lighting, they have the stats 
  presented here. In Dark conditions, they gain +1 die 
  in Strength and Vigor and are treated as Henchmen. 
  In Pitch Darkness, they also become Wild Cards.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  SNAKE SWARM (SMALL)
  SNAKE SWARM (SMALL)
  These swarms ﬁ ll a Small Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: —; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny bites every 
  round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d6 damage to everyone in the template. Due 
  to their poisonous bite, the damage counts as being 
  caused by a Wild Card.
  * Swarm: Parry +2; Because the swarm is composed 
  of hundreds or thousands of creatures, cutting and 
  piercing weapons do no real damage. Areaeffect 
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2121
  but never totally vanquishing it. The same applies to the 
  characters—they can defeat it by causing wounds, but 
  the ﬁ end simply slides back beneath the waters, only to 
  return fully healed the next night.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d10
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 14
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 12.
  * Bite: Str+d8, Reach 2.
  * Huge: Attackers are +4 to attack rolls due to the crea-
  ture’s size.
  * Lunge: The creature’s favored tactic is to rise up, at-
  tack, and then withdraw back into the dark water. 
  When it does this, the serpent makes an opposed 
  Stealth roll versus the victim’s Notice. If the serpent 
  wins, it has +2 to its attack and damage, +4 with a 
  raise. Targets on Hold may try to interrupt, but only if 
  they win the Stealth vs. Notice roll.
  * Quick: Redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  * Size +8: Sea serpents measure over 50’ long.
  SAOU WARRIORS
  SAOU WARRIORS
  The Saou (“Protectors”) were originally an elite part 
  of the pharaoh’s guard, charged with watching over the 
  ﬁ nal resting places of the mummiﬁ ed kings and guarding 
  the temples. The position was hereditary, passed from 
  father to son since the earliest dynasties. Today, only a 
  handful of families remain to carry on the sacred duty.
  Most Saou speak English, French, and German, the 
  languages of the major archaeological interests in Egypt.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d8, 
  Survival d8, Tracking d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Bolt-action riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8 
  +1, AP 2), scimitar (Str+d8)
  SHADOW SNAKE
  SHADOW SNAKE
  Shadow snakes are otherworldly servants of Apep. 
  They take the form of a constrictor with a cobra’s head, 
  but with burning, red eyes. Their body is jet black, and 
  drifts gently like smoke. Unlike normal snakes, they can 
  move through the air as easily as along the ground. Light 
  is especially deadly to them.
  A success on a Fighting roll indicates the creature has 
  bitten its victim. On a raise, it entangles them and begins 
  to constrict, crushing their bones. Constricted victims are 
  subjected to Fighting attacks at –2. A raise on a Fighting roll 
  against a grappled foe indicates bonus damage, as normal.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d12, Stealth d12+2
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d4+shadow poison.
  * Constrict: Constricted foes are held as if grappled. 
  Each round they remain held, victims take Str+d8 
  damage on the serpent’s action card.
  * Ethereal: While a shadow snake can bite and con-
  strict victims, it is impervious to mundane weapon, 
  except those of its Weakness. Shadow snakes can pass 
  through solid objects at will.
  * Fly: Pace 8.
  * Quick: Shadow snakes redraw action cards of 5 or 
  lower.
  * Shadow Form: Due to their inky black form, dark 
  penalties are doubled when attacking a spirit snake.
  * Shadow Poison: The insidious poison of a shadow 
  snake slowly siphons off a victim’s soul, sending 
  it Apep’s otherwordly domain. Victims Shaken or 
  wounded by a shadow snake must make a Vigor roll 
  or lose one die in Spirit. Victims reduced below a d4 
  die. Lost Spirit dice return at the rate of one per new 
  scene.
  * Shadow Strength: Shadow snakes grow stronger the 
  darker the lighting. In Dim lighting, they have the stats 
  presented here. In Dark conditions, they gain +1 die 
  in Strength and Vigor and are treated as Henchmen. 
  In Pitch Darkness, they also become Wild Cards.
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  * Weakness (Light): Suffer double damage from arcane 
  powers with a light trapping. A spirit snake exposed 
  to a light spell automatically takes 2d4 damage per 
  round it remains in the template. Candles don’t radi-
  ate intense light. Using one to harm a snake requires 
  a Fighting roll. On a roll of 1 on the Fighting die (re-
  gardless of Wild Die), the candle is extinguished. A 
  candle causes 2d4 damage with a successful hit. A 
  ﬂ ashlight or lantern beam inﬂ icts 2d6 damage, but 
  must be targeted at the snake with a Shooting roll, 
  as it was a ﬁ rearm. Sunlight causes 2d10 damage per 
  round.
  SNAKE SWARM (SMALL)
  SNAKE SWARM (SMALL)
  These swarms ﬁ ll a Small Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: —; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny bites every 
  round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d6 damage to everyone in the template. Due 
  to their poisonous bite, the damage counts as being 
  caused by a Wild Card.
  * Swarm: Parry +2; Because the swarm is composed 
  of hundreds or thousands of creatures, cutting and 
  piercing weapons do no real damage. Areaeffect 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  2222
  HANDOUT #1: THE LETTER
  HANDOUT #1: THE LETTER
  weapons work normally, and a character can stomp 
  to inﬂ ict his damage in Strength each round
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  SNAKE SWARM MUMMY
  SNAKE SWARM MUMMY
  Externally, swarm mummies appear like regular ban-
  daged-corpses. But writhing within their withered husk 
  is a mass of small, venomous snakes.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d10, Intimidation d10, Notice 
  d4, Stealth d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Fear: Anyone seeing a swarm mummy must make a 
  Spirit roll to avoid Fear.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: Mummies roll a d4 running die.
  * Slam: Str.
  * Snakes: An adjacent attacker who Shakes a mummy 
  in melee combat must make a Vigor roll to avoid be-
  ing Shaken as snakes emerge and crawl over his hand. 
  This ability only works on an individual attacker once 
  per ﬁ ght. After this, he quickly becomes jaded.
  * Swarm Host: When a swarm mummy is wounded by 
  any means except ﬁ re, the swarm within bursts forth, 
  destroying the creature. Replace the mummy with a 
  Small Burst Template to represent the swarm.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken. No additional damage from Called Shots. Im-
  mune to disease and poison.
  Dear Doctor Whatley,
  My name is Aziz El-Mahdy, and I am an ofﬁ cial with the Egyptian Depart-
  ment of Antiquities.
  I write with regard to your seminar in Istanbul last month on the apparent reduction 
  of the Sun’s luminosity due to unknown factors. You are quite correct in your assump-
  tions! Though you may think me mad, I have proof that a terrible and ancient force is 
  at work. The whole world is in danger, and only you can help prevent a global disaster.
  I have recently learned from my contacts that your Boston Museum has acquired a 
  piece of The Book of Overthrowing Apep. I beg of you, please acquire the papyrus by 
  any means, and deliver it to me with all urgency. I have tried diplomatic channels, but 
  to no avail. 
  Respectfully yours,
  Doctor Aziz El-Mahdy
  Department of Antiquities, Cairo
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #06
  2222
  HANDOUT #1: THE LETTER
  HANDOUT #1: THE LETTER
  weapons work normally, and a character can stomp 
  to inﬂ ict his damage in Strength each round
  * Taste the Air: Serpents ignore all darkness penalties 
  against living foes.
  SNAKE SWARM MUMMY
  SNAKE SWARM MUMMY
  Externally, swarm mummies appear like regular ban-
  daged-corpses. But writhing within their withered husk 
  is a mass of small, venomous snakes.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d10, Intimidation d10, Notice 
  d4, Stealth d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  * Fear: Anyone seeing a swarm mummy must make a 
  Spirit roll to avoid Fear.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: Mummies roll a d4 running die.
  * Slam: Str.
  * Snakes: An adjacent attacker who Shakes a mummy 
  in melee combat must make a Vigor roll to avoid be-
  ing Shaken as snakes emerge and crawl over his hand. 
  This ability only works on an individual attacker once 
  per ﬁ ght. After this, he quickly becomes jaded.
  * Swarm Host: When a swarm mummy is wounded by 
  any means except ﬁ re, the swarm within bursts forth, 
  destroying the creature. Replace the mummy with a 
  Small Burst Template to represent the swarm.
  * Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from being 
  Shaken. No additional damage from Called Shots. Im-
  mune to disease and poison.
  Dear Doctor Whatley,
  My name is Aziz El-Mahdy, and I am an ofﬁ cial with the Egyptian Depart-
  ment of Antiquities.
  I write with regard to your seminar in Istanbul last month on the apparent reduction 
  of the Sun’s luminosity due to unknown factors. You are quite correct in your assump-
  tions! Though you may think me mad, I have proof that a terrible and ancient force is 
  at work. The whole world is in danger, and only you can help prevent a global disaster.
  I have recently learned from my contacts that your Boston Museum has acquired a 
  piece of The Book of Overthrowing Apep. I beg of you, please acquire the papyrus by 
  any means, and deliver it to me with all urgency. I have tried diplomatic channels, but 
  to no avail. 
  Respectfully yours,
  Doctor Aziz El-Mahdy
  Department of Antiquities, Cairo
  
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2323
  Most Beautiful of Apep,
  Our agents have ﬁ nally located the resting place of the hated 
  Staff of Ra in a complex built by the Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao, 
  Enemy of Apep.
  Ten leagues south of the Valley of the Kings lies a small can-
  yon, as yet unexplored by those who would plunder our nation’s 
  heritage. At the far end lies a great rock, inscribed with the mark 
  of the Accursed One.
  Our agents report the tomb is sealed against our kind, warded 
  by terrible magics, and protected by remnants of the Saou, the 
  hereditary tomb guardians of ancient Egypt. But they know not 
  what they protect; such is their loss of faith over the millennia.
  Fortunately, the Saou are fanatics, and will unknowingly serve 
  our cause well by slaying those who would seek to plunder the 
  riches within. Thus, the Staff remains safe and poses no threat to 
  our goal.
  Apophis, Beloved of Apep
  Spitting Upon Apep
  Deﬁ ling Apep
  Taking a Lance to Smite Apep
  Fettering Apep
  Taking a Knife to Smite Apep
  Putting Fire Upon Apep
  HANDOUT #2: THE PAPYRUS LETTER
  HANDOUT #2: THE PAPYRUS LETTER
  HANDOUT #3: SPELLS ON THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  HANDOUT #3: SPELLS ON THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  THE TWELFTH GATE
  2323
  Most Beautiful of Apep,
  Our agents have ﬁ nally located the resting place of the hated 
  Staff of Ra in a complex built by the Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao, 
  Enemy of Apep.
  Ten leagues south of the Valley of the Kings lies a small can-
  yon, as yet unexplored by those who would plunder our nation’s 
  heritage. At the far end lies a great rock, inscribed with the mark 
  of the Accursed One.
  Our agents report the tomb is sealed against our kind, warded 
  by terrible magics, and protected by remnants of the Saou, the 
  hereditary tomb guardians of ancient Egypt. But they know not 
  what they protect; such is their loss of faith over the millennia.
  Fortunately, the Saou are fanatics, and will unknowingly serve 
  our cause well by slaying those who would seek to plunder the 
  riches within. Thus, the Staff remains safe and poses no threat to 
  our goal.
  Apophis, Beloved of Apep
  Spitting Upon Apep
  Deﬁ ling Apep
  Taking a Lance to Smite Apep
  Fettering Apep
  Taking a Knife to Smite Apep
  Putting Fire Upon Apep
  HANDOUT #2: THE PAPYRUS LETTER
  HANDOUT #2: THE PAPYRUS LETTER
  HANDOUT #3: SPELLS ON THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  HANDOUT #3: SPELLS ON THE BOOK OF OVERTHROWING APEP
  
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31000
  31000
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  31002
  31002
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31004
  31004
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TRIPLE ACE GAMES INVITES YOU 
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  TO RIDE THE PULP TRAIN!
  Daring Tales of Adventure are a series 
  of Savage Worlds adventures in the best 
  tradition of cinematic pulp adventure. 
  Each episode is packed full of action—ﬁ ght 
  crazed cultists, take the wheel in an epic car 
  chase or discover ancient tombs! Whatever 
  your poison you’ll ﬁ nd it here.
  These special adventures also make use of 
  Triple Ace Games’ unique pulp setting rules, 
  designed to make two-ﬁ sted adventures 
  more exciting and truer to the source than 
  ever before!
  For more information and to download our 
  pre-gen characters to help you get into the 
  action quicker visit our website.
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  
  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. 
  Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com/DaringTales.php
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31011
  31011
  $7.50
  $7.50
  Apep, the demonic serpent of 
  Egyptian mythology, stirs in the
  Underworld. On the surface 
  world, his mortal minions work 
  tirelessly to ensure the sun will 
  never rise again!
  When the reporter Valerie 
  Braveheart visits the heroes 
  with a strange story it starts 
  them on a perilous journey 
  taking them from Boston to
  the dusty streets of Cairo, onto 
  an ancient, trapped tomb deep in the Egyptian desert, and 
  ﬁ nally into the Underworld itself. The heroes have mere 
  days to complete their quest before mankind is plunged 
  into eternal darkness!
  The only way to ensure victory over darkness is to prevent 
  Apep from sealing The Twelfth Gate.
  The Twelfth Gate is the seventh adventure in this popular 
  Savage Worlds adventure series from Triple Ace Games.
  cULTISTS, MUMMIES AND SNAKE DEMONS 
  cULTISTS, MUMMIES AND SNAKE DEMONS 
  BETTER BELT-UP FOR A PULP BLAST!
  BETTER BELT-UP FOR A PULP BLAST!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31013
  31013
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  COVER ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  INTERIOR ART: JUSTIN RUSSELL
  INTERIOR ART: JUSTIN RUSSELL
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GERMAN TRANSLATIONS: MARKUS FINSTER
  GERMAN TRANSLATIONS: MARKUS FINSTER
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  0808
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  COVER ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  INTERIOR ART: JUSTIN RUSSELL
  INTERIOR ART: JUSTIN RUSSELL
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GERMAN TRANSLATIONS: MARKUS FINSTER
  GERMAN TRANSLATIONS: MARKUS FINSTER
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  0808
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  It may only be 1936, but the Nazis are already on the 
  path to war. While the European powers try to placate 
  Hitler to avoid another terrible conﬂ ict, the dictator has 
  ordered his scientists to prepare new weapons.
  In Daring Tales #5, the heroes thwarted the insidious 
  plans of Doctor Werner Schmutzig, a Nazi weird scien-
  tist. Now the evil genius is back, and he has far more 
  ambitious plans!
  During the Great War, the Germans worked on a 
  range of deadly weapons. While poison gas was a result 
  of this research, it was at the mundane end of the tech-
  nological spectrum, and easily countered by gas masks. 
  At the higher end were the Terror Weapons, technologi-
  cal devices far ahead of their time.
  Only one was ever tested during the Great War—a 
  sonic cannon. A British ﬂ ying ace, James Bigglesworth 
  (a.k.a. Biggles), and his small team of skilled individuals 
  destroyed it before it went into operational use. How-
  ever, the weapon showed great potential in tests, and 
  plans were already in place to construct a larger version 
  when Germany surrendered.
  Among the other inventions proposed were earth-
  quake and storm generators, volcano inducers, lighting 
  riﬂ es, rocket riﬂ es, rocket packs, and a truly fearsome 
  weapon—the Z-Bomb (so named because the probabil-
  ity of surviving its effects are zero).
  The Z-Bomb works on a principal similar to black 
  holes (a term not actually used until the 1960s). The 
  theory goes that when detonated, the bomb creates a 
  massive gravitational ﬁ eld, which quickly collapses in on 
  itself to form a singularity. Everything for miles around 
  is then pulled into the center and vaporized. The gravity 
  ﬁ eld is designed to be unstable, lasting no more than 
  a few minutes. After this time, it simply winks out of 
  existence, leaving behind a large crater. Fortunately, the 
  device had several major design ﬂ aws, and no prototype 
  was ever constructed.
  But now things have changed. Schmutzig has almost 
  solved the mathematical problems, and a fully operation-
  al Z-Bomb has been constructed at a secret base in the 
  Antarctic by Schmutzig’s Abteilung für experimentielle 
  Waffengattungen, or the Sonderwaffen Abteilung (Spe-
  cial Weapon’s Division), as it is usually referred.
  Although the Nazis are missing several key physical 
  components, Schmutzig plans to use his elite soldiers, 
  the SS-Raketentruppen (SS-Rocket Troops), to steal the 
  parts he requires. Equipped with working rocket packs 
  and advanced riﬂ es, the commandoes intend to strike 
  deep into the heart of Europe and America.
  Once assembled, the crazy scientist plans to test the 
  Z-Bomb by launching it at New York City. He would have 
  preferred Boston, the heroes’ headquarters, but it has 
  little strategic or economic value. Should it be successful, 
  the entire world would surely capitulate to Germany.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four characters. Pre-generated 
  character sheets for four suitable heroes are available for 
  free at www.tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary, mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is click the appropriate box and start making use of 
  the new upgrade.
  Characters: 60 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones of two different 
  colors and the pulp setting rules from the TAG website.
  ACT 1: NEW YORK ROLLERCOASTER
  ACT 1: NEW YORK ROLLERCOASTER
  As the adventure begins, the heroes are shopping in 
  New York City. Their reasons for being there are left to 
  the GM and players to devise. Perhaps they are due to at-
  tend a society ball and need new clothes, maybe they’re 
  2
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  It may only be 1936, but the Nazis are already on the 
  path to war. While the European powers try to placate 
  Hitler to avoid another terrible conﬂ ict, the dictator has 
  ordered his scientists to prepare new weapons.
  In Daring Tales #5, the heroes thwarted the insidious 
  plans of Doctor Werner Schmutzig, a Nazi weird scien-
  tist. Now the evil genius is back, and he has far more 
  ambitious plans!
  During the Great War, the Germans worked on a 
  range of deadly weapons. While poison gas was a result 
  of this research, it was at the mundane end of the tech-
  nological spectrum, and easily countered by gas masks. 
  At the higher end were the Terror Weapons, technologi-
  cal devices far ahead of their time.
  Only one was ever tested during the Great War—a 
  sonic cannon. A British ﬂ ying ace, James Bigglesworth 
  (a.k.a. Biggles), and his small team of skilled individuals 
  destroyed it before it went into operational use. How-
  ever, the weapon showed great potential in tests, and 
  plans were already in place to construct a larger version 
  when Germany surrendered.
  Among the other inventions proposed were earth-
  quake and storm generators, volcano inducers, lighting 
  riﬂ es, rocket riﬂ es, rocket packs, and a truly fearsome 
  weapon—the Z-Bomb (so named because the probabil-
  ity of surviving its effects are zero).
  The Z-Bomb works on a principal similar to black 
  holes (a term not actually used until the 1960s). The 
  theory goes that when detonated, the bomb creates a 
  massive gravitational ﬁ eld, which quickly collapses in on 
  itself to form a singularity. Everything for miles around 
  is then pulled into the center and vaporized. The gravity 
  ﬁ eld is designed to be unstable, lasting no more than 
  a few minutes. After this time, it simply winks out of 
  existence, leaving behind a large crater. Fortunately, the 
  device had several major design ﬂ aws, and no prototype 
  was ever constructed.
  But now things have changed. Schmutzig has almost 
  solved the mathematical problems, and a fully operation-
  al Z-Bomb has been constructed at a secret base in the 
  Antarctic by Schmutzig’s Abteilung für experimentielle 
  Waffengattungen, or the Sonderwaffen Abteilung (Spe-
  cial Weapon’s Division), as it is usually referred.
  Although the Nazis are missing several key physical 
  components, Schmutzig plans to use his elite soldiers, 
  the SS-Raketentruppen (SS-Rocket Troops), to steal the 
  parts he requires. Equipped with working rocket packs 
  and advanced riﬂ es, the commandoes intend to strike 
  deep into the heart of Europe and America.
  Once assembled, the crazy scientist plans to test the 
  Z-Bomb by launching it at New York City. He would have 
  preferred Boston, the heroes’ headquarters, but it has 
  little strategic or economic value. Should it be successful, 
  the entire world would surely capitulate to Germany.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four characters. Pre-generated 
  character sheets for four suitable heroes are available for 
  free at www.tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary, mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is click the appropriate box and start making use of 
  the new upgrade.
  Characters: 60 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones of two different 
  colors and the pulp setting rules from the TAG website.
  ACT 1: NEW YORK ROLLERCOASTER
  ACT 1: NEW YORK ROLLERCOASTER
  As the adventure begins, the heroes are shopping in 
  New York City. Their reasons for being there are left to 
  the GM and players to devise. Perhaps they are due to at-
  tend a society ball and need new clothes, maybe they’re 
  2
  
  just celebrating their last successful mission, or perhaps 
  the fact Christmas is just around the corner provides an 
  excuse to let loose a little.
  The adventure doesn’t dictate whether the characters 
  are armed or not, but just because you’re running an 
  adventure shouldn’t mean they start packing heat when 
  they go out onto the streets.
  All four scenes are designed to keep the heroes mov-
  ing, not thinking. They run back to back, with no real 
  breaks as far as the action goes.
  SCENE 1: WAR ON 5TH AVENUE
  SCENE 1: WAR ON 5TH AVENUE
  Christmas is only a few weeks away and the 
  citizens of New York City are already in a festive 
  mood. Brightly colored lights decorate the store-
  fronts, and illuminated banners hang across the 
  streets. The sidewalks and roads are covered in a 
  light dusting of snow, the ﬁ rst fall of winter. But 
  for now, you’re in the warmth of the department 
  store.
  THE STORE
  THE STORE
  Lay out the tabletop as detailed below, and ask the 
  players to place the miniatures representing their char-
  acters and say what department they’re in. This makes it 
  kind of obvious something is going to happen, but they 
  won’t know what or where. You can even spend a few 
  minutes letting the group roleplay their shopping trip, 
  allowing you to time the forthcoming Nazi attack to have 
  greatest impact.
  The ﬂ oor where the action begins measures 12” wide 
  and 16” long, and is broken down into separate depart-
  ments, each 4” by 4”. Put together, the ﬂ oor is three 
  departments wide and four departments long. Each de-
  partment is joined to its neighbors by a 1” wide doorway 
  situated centrally in the dividing wall. Two sets of stairs 
  (one in the northeast corner and one in the southwest) 
  lead to the ﬂ oors above and below. Every other square of 
  the outside wall is a large window.
  Exactly what the twelve departments on the ﬂ oor sell 
  is left to the imagination of the GM and players. For in-
  stance, a female adventurer might want to purchase new 
  clothes, a plucky kid could be hunting for toys, and a 
  gadgeteer may be browsing the hardware section.
  The layout within each section thus depends on the 
  nature of goods sold, and should be based on your local 
  department store. Just make sure there is lots of scenery, 
  because every missed attack hits something in the ﬁ ght 
  to come.
  Likewise, exact contents can be invented to suit a 
  hero’s location and need. A character who wants to ﬁ nd 
  a baseball bat in sporting goods is in luck, as is one who 
  wants to use a manikin for a Trick in the lingerie depart-
  ment, or a pot of glue in hardware. The players have a 
  lot of leeway in their choice of objects, so the GM may 
  have to adjudicate on the spot—keep it simple, keep it 
  consistent, and you won’t go far wrong.
  Once you’re ready to begin the adventure proper, 
  read the text below to the players.
  The sound of breaking glass instantly catches 
  your attention. The screams, which follow close 
  behind, can only mean trouble is brewing. Crash-
  ing through the third ﬂ oor windows are ﬁ gures 
  clad from head to toe in black, armored suits, 
  and brandishing unusual weapons. But they’re 
  not on ropes—they’re ﬂ ying! They all have some 
  sort of rocket pack strapped to their backs. With-
  out warning, they begin opening ﬁ re indiscrimi-
  nately, beams of electrical energy crackling from 
  their riﬂ es! The panicked shoppers ﬂ ee for the 
  stairs.
  From outside, a voice on a loudspeaker announces 
  New York City is under attack and citizens should 
  ﬂ ee for shelter. A few minutes’ notice might have 
  been useful!
  Deal action cards!
  The mysterious attackers are SS-Raketentruppen (SS-
  Rocket Troops) in the employ of Doctor Schmutzig. That 
  this particular group chose to appear so near the charac-
  ter is, of course, a pulp coincidence.
  The Raketentruppen avoid landing, preferring instead 
  to hover just above the ground and let rip with their 
  advanced weapons. Their orders are to create havoc by 
  blowing up the city, but they quickly concentrate their 
  ﬁ repower on anyone ﬁ ring at them. Since they’re ﬂ ying, 
  they can cross over obstacles like tables, cash desks, and 
  even shelves with ease.
  The heroes are outnumbered and outgunned, but 
  they’re not outwitted. The department store is a veritable 
  arsenal—it’s up to the adventurers to decide how best to 
  use what is to hand to defeat their opponents.
  They ﬁ ght for just ten rounds. On the 11th round, 
  any survivors activate their rocket booster and propel 
  themselves out the nearest window at terriﬁ c speed.
  Once the Nazis ﬂ ee or are defeated, the characters can 
  interrogate any captured villains (assuming one of the 
  characters speaks German, of course). Should there be no 
  prisoners to question, proceed immediately to Scene 2.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 21.
  QUESTIONING THE NAZIS
  QUESTIONING THE NAZIS
  Captured Raketentruppen don’t know the Doctor’s 
  plans. All they know is they were ordered to create chaos 
  on the streets on New York. Once they had achieved 
  their goal, they were to rendezvous with an airship ﬂ ying 
  above the city. The characters may try to warn the mili-
  tary about the zeppelin, but their plans are interrupted. 
  Proceed immediately to Scene 2.
  In truth, the soldiers are being used as a diversion. A 
  snatch squad has been dispatched to kidnap a scientist 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  3
  just celebrating their last successful mission, or perhaps 
  the fact Christmas is just around the corner provides an 
  excuse to let loose a little.
  The adventure doesn’t dictate whether the characters 
  are armed or not, but just because you’re running an 
  adventure shouldn’t mean they start packing heat when 
  they go out onto the streets.
  All four scenes are designed to keep the heroes mov-
  ing, not thinking. They run back to back, with no real 
  breaks as far as the action goes.
  SCENE 1: WAR ON 5TH AVENUE
  SCENE 1: WAR ON 5TH AVENUE
  Christmas is only a few weeks away and the 
  citizens of New York City are already in a festive 
  mood. Brightly colored lights decorate the store-
  fronts, and illuminated banners hang across the 
  streets. The sidewalks and roads are covered in a 
  light dusting of snow, the ﬁ rst fall of winter. But 
  for now, you’re in the warmth of the department 
  store.
  THE STORE
  THE STORE
  Lay out the tabletop as detailed below, and ask the 
  players to place the miniatures representing their char-
  acters and say what department they’re in. This makes it 
  kind of obvious something is going to happen, but they 
  won’t know what or where. You can even spend a few 
  minutes letting the group roleplay their shopping trip, 
  allowing you to time the forthcoming Nazi attack to have 
  greatest impact.
  The ﬂ oor where the action begins measures 12” wide 
  and 16” long, and is broken down into separate depart-
  ments, each 4” by 4”. Put together, the ﬂ oor is three 
  departments wide and four departments long. Each de-
  partment is joined to its neighbors by a 1” wide doorway 
  situated centrally in the dividing wall. Two sets of stairs 
  (one in the northeast corner and one in the southwest) 
  lead to the ﬂ oors above and below. Every other square of 
  the outside wall is a large window.
  Exactly what the twelve departments on the ﬂ oor sell 
  is left to the imagination of the GM and players. For in-
  stance, a female adventurer might want to purchase new 
  clothes, a plucky kid could be hunting for toys, and a 
  gadgeteer may be browsing the hardware section.
  The layout within each section thus depends on the 
  nature of goods sold, and should be based on your local 
  department store. Just make sure there is lots of scenery, 
  because every missed attack hits something in the ﬁ ght 
  to come.
  Likewise, exact contents can be invented to suit a 
  hero’s location and need. A character who wants to ﬁ nd 
  a baseball bat in sporting goods is in luck, as is one who 
  wants to use a manikin for a Trick in the lingerie depart-
  ment, or a pot of glue in hardware. The players have a 
  lot of leeway in their choice of objects, so the GM may 
  have to adjudicate on the spot—keep it simple, keep it 
  consistent, and you won’t go far wrong.
  Once you’re ready to begin the adventure proper, 
  read the text below to the players.
  The sound of breaking glass instantly catches 
  your attention. The screams, which follow close 
  behind, can only mean trouble is brewing. Crash-
  ing through the third ﬂ oor windows are ﬁ gures 
  clad from head to toe in black, armored suits, 
  and brandishing unusual weapons. But they’re 
  not on ropes—they’re ﬂ ying! They all have some 
  sort of rocket pack strapped to their backs. With-
  out warning, they begin opening ﬁ re indiscrimi-
  nately, beams of electrical energy crackling from 
  their riﬂ es! The panicked shoppers ﬂ ee for the 
  stairs.
  From outside, a voice on a loudspeaker announces 
  New York City is under attack and citizens should 
  ﬂ ee for shelter. A few minutes’ notice might have 
  been useful!
  Deal action cards!
  The mysterious attackers are SS-Raketentruppen (SS-
  Rocket Troops) in the employ of Doctor Schmutzig. That 
  this particular group chose to appear so near the charac-
  ter is, of course, a pulp coincidence.
  The Raketentruppen avoid landing, preferring instead 
  to hover just above the ground and let rip with their 
  advanced weapons. Their orders are to create havoc by 
  blowing up the city, but they quickly concentrate their 
  ﬁ repower on anyone ﬁ ring at them. Since they’re ﬂ ying, 
  they can cross over obstacles like tables, cash desks, and 
  even shelves with ease.
  The heroes are outnumbered and outgunned, but 
  they’re not outwitted. The department store is a veritable 
  arsenal—it’s up to the adventurers to decide how best to 
  use what is to hand to defeat their opponents.
  They ﬁ ght for just ten rounds. On the 11th round, 
  any survivors activate their rocket booster and propel 
  themselves out the nearest window at terriﬁ c speed.
  Once the Nazis ﬂ ee or are defeated, the characters can 
  interrogate any captured villains (assuming one of the 
  characters speaks German, of course). Should there be no 
  prisoners to question, proceed immediately to Scene 2.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 21.
  QUESTIONING THE NAZIS
  QUESTIONING THE NAZIS
  Captured Raketentruppen don’t know the Doctor’s 
  plans. All they know is they were ordered to create chaos 
  on the streets on New York. Once they had achieved 
  their goal, they were to rendezvous with an airship ﬂ ying 
  above the city. The characters may try to warn the mili-
  tary about the zeppelin, but their plans are interrupted. 
  Proceed immediately to Scene 2.
  In truth, the soldiers are being used as a diversion. A 
  snatch squad has been dispatched to kidnap a scientist 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  3
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  from his New York ofﬁ ce (see Scene 3), while a special 
  tunneling machine is burrowing its way into a factory to 
  steal vital supplies (Scene 4).
  SCENE 2: GOLIATH
  SCENE 2: GOLIATH
  A high-pitched whine suddenly ﬁ lls the air. It 
  seems to be emanating from every wireless in the 
  store. Suddenly, all the radios begin broadcasting 
  a message. Whoever the speaker is, he’s German.
  “Citizens of New York City,” it booms, “hear the 
  voice of Doctor Schmutzig, and listen well. By 
  now you have already encountered my elite rock-
  et troops and witnessed the destructive power of 
  their weaponry. This attack is to punish those who 
  meddled in my affairs before, and who destroyed 
  my Luftschloss.
  “As I speak,” Schmutzig continues, “remotely oper-
  ated bombs are already moving along 12th Av-
  enue. Exactly when and where they will explode 
  will be a nice festive surprise! Let the deaths of 
  innocents be a warning to those who would 
  seek to foil my plans a second time! Oh, and if 
  your airplanes try to intercept any of my men or 
  vehicles, the bombs will be remotely detonated 
  without warning.”
  Doctor Schmutzig, weird scientist extraordinaire, has 
  created a device, which allows him to use radio sets to 
  broadcast his voice. Every wireless set in New York City 
  is sending out exactly the same message.
  Fortunately, the characters’ car is parked on the street 
  outside the department store, allowing them to speed 
  across to 12th Avenue. The streets are clear of pedes-
  trians, but abandoned cars force the driver to weave 
  through the streets to avoid a collision.
  The car screeches onto 12th Avenue. Ahead you 
  can make out four suitcase-sized vehicles trun-
  dling down the street at a brisk pace. They’re not 
  bothering to dodge the vehicles—they’re driv-
  ing straight under them. It looks like Schmutzig 
  wasn’t lying about them being remotely piloted, 
  for each has a thin antenna sticking out the top.
  Run this scene as a Chase. The bombs, which go by 
  the name Goliaths, are 3 Range Increments ahead of the 
  heroes. Each Range Increment equals 5”. The remote 
  operators are within 100 miles of the devices, so they 
  suffer no Driving roll modiﬁ ers (see page 4).
  The Chase uses the regular Obstacle rules, but the 
  density is variable. Compare the driver’s Club suit value 
  to the table below. The Penalty column applies to Driv-
  ing rolls and attack rolls made against the Goliaths that 
  round. While the characters’ vehicle has to dodge the 
  stationary trafﬁ c, the Goliaths are low enough to drive 
  underneath, which also gives them Cover from attacks. 
  As such, they ignore any draws of a Club suit for the pur-
  poses of Obstacles. Treat all collisions as with a station-
  ary hard Obstacle.
  Card 
  Obstacles 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  Dense 
  –6
  3–6 
  Thick 
  –4
  7–10 
  Rough 
  –2
  Jack–Queen 
  Sparse 
  –1
  King–Ace 
  Light 
  0
  Once it becomes clear to the operators their vehicles 
  are under attack, they try to maneuver them to within 1 
  Range Increment of the enemy and detonate them. Since 
  a Range Increment in this Scene is 5” and a Large Burst 
  Template is 6” across, this is close enough to affect the 
  adventures.
  Should the heroes drop out of the Chase, the devices 
  reach their intended targets. However, with the streets 
  clear of innocents, the best the operators can do is wreck 
  a few stores, destroy abandoned cars, and start a handful 
  of ﬁ res.
  Note that it is possible to jump onto a Goliath from 
  an adjacent vehicle. Doing so is not without risks, for if 
  the Goliath draws a Club suit, it drives under a vehicle! 
  The passenger must make an Agility roll at –2 to run up 
  and over the vehicle and get back onto the bomb as it 
  emerges from the other side. A failure results in a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle, and leaves the hero prone on 
  the road. Until he and the party’s vehicle end up on the 
  same Range Increment, allowing him to jump onto the 
  running board as an action, he must continue the Chase 
  on foot.
  Once the last Goliath is wrecked, explodes, or ﬂ ees 
  the scene, move to Scene 3. If the characters think to 
  contact the military or mayor’s ofﬁ ce and report the 
  Goliaths destroyed, allow them a few moments to make 
  the call. Schmutzig’s zeppelin is already far out to sea, 
  and the military is more concerned about securing the 
  streets.
  WE’RE JAMMING
  WE’RE JAMMING
  Knowing the Goliaths are radio controlled, a scientist 
  type can try to create a makeshift jamming device by 
  scavenging bits from the car’s wireless and running it 
  off the battery. Due to the lack of time to design and test 
  such a device, he must make a Repair or Weird Science 
  roll (his choice) at –4.
  Success creates a short-range jamming device. Any 
  Goliaths within one Range Increment of the car auto-
  matically go Out of Control (and the remote detonation 
  doesn’t function). A failed Driving roll indicates a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle for 4d6 damage. On a raise, 
  the jamming device works at up to 2 Range Increments. 
  Failure means the hero needs more time to assemble his 
  device. He can roll again next round. A critical failure 
  causes a nasty short circuit and a brief smell of burning 
  insulation, destroying all the available parts, and thus 
  preventing this plan of action being carried out.
  4
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  from his New York ofﬁ ce (see Scene 3), while a special 
  tunneling machine is burrowing its way into a factory to 
  steal vital supplies (Scene 4).
  SCENE 2: GOLIATH
  SCENE 2: GOLIATH
  A high-pitched whine suddenly ﬁ lls the air. It 
  seems to be emanating from every wireless in the 
  store. Suddenly, all the radios begin broadcasting 
  a message. Whoever the speaker is, he’s German.
  “Citizens of New York City,” it booms, “hear the 
  voice of Doctor Schmutzig, and listen well. By 
  now you have already encountered my elite rock-
  et troops and witnessed the destructive power of 
  their weaponry. This attack is to punish those who 
  meddled in my affairs before, and who destroyed 
  my Luftschloss.
  “As I speak,” Schmutzig continues, “remotely oper-
  ated bombs are already moving along 12th Av-
  enue. Exactly when and where they will explode 
  will be a nice festive surprise! Let the deaths of 
  innocents be a warning to those who would 
  seek to foil my plans a second time! Oh, and if 
  your airplanes try to intercept any of my men or 
  vehicles, the bombs will be remotely detonated 
  without warning.”
  Doctor Schmutzig, weird scientist extraordinaire, has 
  created a device, which allows him to use radio sets to 
  broadcast his voice. Every wireless set in New York City 
  is sending out exactly the same message.
  Fortunately, the characters’ car is parked on the street 
  outside the department store, allowing them to speed 
  across to 12th Avenue. The streets are clear of pedes-
  trians, but abandoned cars force the driver to weave 
  through the streets to avoid a collision.
  The car screeches onto 12th Avenue. Ahead you 
  can make out four suitcase-sized vehicles trun-
  dling down the street at a brisk pace. They’re not 
  bothering to dodge the vehicles—they’re driv-
  ing straight under them. It looks like Schmutzig 
  wasn’t lying about them being remotely piloted, 
  for each has a thin antenna sticking out the top.
  Run this scene as a Chase. The bombs, which go by 
  the name Goliaths, are 3 Range Increments ahead of the 
  heroes. Each Range Increment equals 5”. The remote 
  operators are within 100 miles of the devices, so they 
  suffer no Driving roll modiﬁ ers (see page 4).
  The Chase uses the regular Obstacle rules, but the 
  density is variable. Compare the driver’s Club suit value 
  to the table below. The Penalty column applies to Driv-
  ing rolls and attack rolls made against the Goliaths that 
  round. While the characters’ vehicle has to dodge the 
  stationary trafﬁ c, the Goliaths are low enough to drive 
  underneath, which also gives them Cover from attacks. 
  As such, they ignore any draws of a Club suit for the pur-
  poses of Obstacles. Treat all collisions as with a station-
  ary hard Obstacle.
  Card 
  Obstacles 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  Dense 
  –6
  3–6 
  Thick 
  –4
  7–10 
  Rough 
  –2
  Jack–Queen 
  Sparse 
  –1
  King–Ace 
  Light 
  0
  Once it becomes clear to the operators their vehicles 
  are under attack, they try to maneuver them to within 1 
  Range Increment of the enemy and detonate them. Since 
  a Range Increment in this Scene is 5” and a Large Burst 
  Template is 6” across, this is close enough to affect the 
  adventures.
  Should the heroes drop out of the Chase, the devices 
  reach their intended targets. However, with the streets 
  clear of innocents, the best the operators can do is wreck 
  a few stores, destroy abandoned cars, and start a handful 
  of ﬁ res.
  Note that it is possible to jump onto a Goliath from 
  an adjacent vehicle. Doing so is not without risks, for if 
  the Goliath draws a Club suit, it drives under a vehicle! 
  The passenger must make an Agility roll at –2 to run up 
  and over the vehicle and get back onto the bomb as it 
  emerges from the other side. A failure results in a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle, and leaves the hero prone on 
  the road. Until he and the party’s vehicle end up on the 
  same Range Increment, allowing him to jump onto the 
  running board as an action, he must continue the Chase 
  on foot.
  Once the last Goliath is wrecked, explodes, or ﬂ ees 
  the scene, move to Scene 3. If the characters think to 
  contact the military or mayor’s ofﬁ ce and report the 
  Goliaths destroyed, allow them a few moments to make 
  the call. Schmutzig’s zeppelin is already far out to sea, 
  and the military is more concerned about securing the 
  streets.
  WE’RE JAMMING
  WE’RE JAMMING
  Knowing the Goliaths are radio controlled, a scientist 
  type can try to create a makeshift jamming device by 
  scavenging bits from the car’s wireless and running it 
  off the battery. Due to the lack of time to design and test 
  such a device, he must make a Repair or Weird Science 
  roll (his choice) at –4.
  Success creates a short-range jamming device. Any 
  Goliaths within one Range Increment of the car auto-
  matically go Out of Control (and the remote detonation 
  doesn’t function). A failed Driving roll indicates a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle for 4d6 damage. On a raise, 
  the jamming device works at up to 2 Range Increments. 
  Failure means the hero needs more time to assemble his 
  device. He can roll again next round. A critical failure 
  causes a nasty short circuit and a brief smell of burning 
  insulation, destroying all the available parts, and thus 
  preventing this plan of action being carried out.
  4
  
  5
  Unfortunately, the jamming is lifted when the car 
  moves out of range, instantly restoring the signal and 
  giving the operator full control.
   SdKfz 300 (4): See below.
  SONDERKRAFTFAHRZEUG 300 “GOLIATH”
  SONDERKRAFTFAHRZEUG 300 “GOLIATH”
  One of Schmutzig’s weird science inventions, the 
  SdKfz 300 is a radio-controlled bomb. Mounted on a 
  tracked chassis and powered by a small, superbly efﬁ -
  cient miniature diesel engine, the Goliath is about the 
  same size as a suitcase. Packed inside are 5 pounds of 
  high explosives.
  A small camera ﬁ tted to the front allows the remote 
  operator to see where the device is going, and a small 
  antenna on the top allows him to guide its actions. Both 
  are Small Targets (–6) and have Toughness 4. The loss 
  of either causes the Goliath to go Out of Control, but 
  damage inﬂ icted does not transfer over to the Goliath 
  as a whole.
  The remote operator uses his own Driving skill to 
  steer the Goliath. Optimal range is 
  up to 100 miles. It can be operated at 
  ranges up to 500 miles, but the opera-
  tor suffers a –1 penalty to his Driving 
  rolls for each additional 100 miles or 
  part thereof beyond optimal range.
  The Goliath is far from rugged, and, 
  despite being a vehicle, can take only a 
  single wound before being Wrecked. A 
  wrecked Goliath does not automatical-
  ly explode, but the operators, assum-
  ing radio contact is still intact, trigger 
  the warhead to prevent its capture on 
  the following round. As such, a Goliath 
  should be dealt one more action card 
  the round after it is wrecked. If the 
  card is a red suit or Joker, the antenna 
  is damaged and the device does not 
  receive the self-destruct signal. A black 
  card causes an explosion when the 
  card is called.
  The Goliath is still highly experimen-
  tal, and the explosive charge lacks the 
  punch to penetrate heavy armor. Plans 
  are afoot for an SdKfz 301, which will 
  transport 50 pounds of explosives.
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/24; Toughness: 6 
  (1); Crew: —
  Notes: Extra, Remote Controlled (Driv-
  ing d8), Tracked
  Weapons:
  1 x 5-pound warhead (Damage: 4d8, 
  AP 4, Large Burst Template)
  SALVAGE
  SALVAGE
  Should a Goliath be captured intact 
  (as in it hasn’t detonated), a techni-
  cally competent character can begin experimenting with 
  it when he gets time.
  Removing the explosives requires a successful Repair 
  roll and access to a toolkit. With success, the characters 
  now have a working bomb. It uses the stats as listed 
  above. A failure causes detonation due to booby traps.
  Creating a remote control device needs a successful 
  Repair or Weird Science roll at –2 and access to a work-
  shop (or at least a junkyard or spare bits of technology). 
  No further Goliaths appear in this adventure, but success 
  means the group now has a device of their own. Who 
  knows, it might be useful later on.
  Due to the time it takes to ﬁ ddle with the Goliath, 
  these rolls may be made just once per Act.
  SCENE 3: A BUNDLED SCIENTIST
  SCENE 3: A BUNDLED SCIENTIST
  Whoever said New York City was a happening 
  place wasn’t joking—it’s all happening today! Up 
  ahead, you see a group of those ﬂ ying Nazis shuf-
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  5
  Unfortunately, the jamming is lifted when the car 
  moves out of range, instantly restoring the signal and 
  giving the operator full control.
   SdKfz 300 (4): See below.
  SONDERKRAFTFAHRZEUG 300 “GOLIATH”
  SONDERKRAFTFAHRZEUG 300 “GOLIATH”
  One of Schmutzig’s weird science inventions, the 
  SdKfz 300 is a radio-controlled bomb. Mounted on a 
  tracked chassis and powered by a small, superbly efﬁ -
  cient miniature diesel engine, the Goliath is about the 
  same size as a suitcase. Packed inside are 5 pounds of 
  high explosives.
  A small camera ﬁ tted to the front allows the remote 
  operator to see where the device is going, and a small 
  antenna on the top allows him to guide its actions. Both 
  are Small Targets (–6) and have Toughness 4. The loss 
  of either causes the Goliath to go Out of Control, but 
  damage inﬂ icted does not transfer over to the Goliath 
  as a whole.
  The remote operator uses his own Driving skill to 
  steer the Goliath. Optimal range is 
  up to 100 miles. It can be operated at 
  ranges up to 500 miles, but the opera-
  tor suffers a –1 penalty to his Driving 
  rolls for each additional 100 miles or 
  part thereof beyond optimal range.
  The Goliath is far from rugged, and, 
  despite being a vehicle, can take only a 
  single wound before being Wrecked. A 
  wrecked Goliath does not automatical-
  ly explode, but the operators, assum-
  ing radio contact is still intact, trigger 
  the warhead to prevent its capture on 
  the following round. As such, a Goliath 
  should be dealt one more action card 
  the round after it is wrecked. If the 
  card is a red suit or Joker, the antenna 
  is damaged and the device does not 
  receive the self-destruct signal. A black 
  card causes an explosion when the 
  card is called.
  The Goliath is still highly experimen-
  tal, and the explosive charge lacks the 
  punch to penetrate heavy armor. Plans 
  are afoot for an SdKfz 301, which will 
  transport 50 pounds of explosives.
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/24; Toughness: 6 
  (1); Crew: —
  Notes: Extra, Remote Controlled (Driv-
  ing d8), Tracked
  Weapons:
  1 x 5-pound warhead (Damage: 4d8, 
  AP 4, Large Burst Template)
  SALVAGE
  SALVAGE
  Should a Goliath be captured intact 
  (as in it hasn’t detonated), a techni-
  cally competent character can begin experimenting with 
  it when he gets time.
  Removing the explosives requires a successful Repair 
  roll and access to a toolkit. With success, the characters 
  now have a working bomb. It uses the stats as listed 
  above. A failure causes detonation due to booby traps.
  Creating a remote control device needs a successful 
  Repair or Weird Science roll at –2 and access to a work-
  shop (or at least a junkyard or spare bits of technology). 
  No further Goliaths appear in this adventure, but success 
  means the group now has a device of their own. Who 
  knows, it might be useful later on.
  Due to the time it takes to ﬁ ddle with the Goliath, 
  these rolls may be made just once per Act.
  SCENE 3: A BUNDLED SCIENTIST
  SCENE 3: A BUNDLED SCIENTIST
  Whoever said New York City was a happening 
  place wasn’t joking—it’s all happening today! Up 
  ahead, you see a group of those ﬂ ying Nazis shuf-
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  6
  ﬂ ing a man in a trench coat out of a building and 
  into the street. The goons are hovering just a few 
  feet off the road, but they seem reluctant to take 
  to the skies. Overhead, USAAF ﬁ ghters are patrol-
  ling the sky—it seems the government isn’t taking 
  the threat lightly.
  The government had already scrambled ﬁ ghters be-
  fore Schmutzig sent his message. Still unsure how many 
  remote controlled bombs may be moving through the 
  streets, the ﬁ ghters have orders to avoid enemy contact. 
  The Nazis don’t know this, though, so they’re staying 
  near the ground until they spot a break in the air de-
  fenses.
  The street is 6” wide (1” of sidewalk each side of a 4” 
  wide road) and 30” long. The characters begin at one 
  end of the street, while the Nazis and their prisoner are 
  20” ahead of them. Since they’re in a vehicle, the adven-
  turers have the advantage of speed and Cover.
  If called upon to surrender, the villains stick a gun to 
  their captive’s head and threaten to kill him unless the 
  heroes back off. How the potential standoff ends will be 
  decided by the characters’ actions. 
  Should the characters drop their guns, the Nazis de-
  cide to make a break for it and risk the ﬁ ghters—staying 
  on the ground severely limits their options. Each round, 
  they climb half their rocket pack’s Pace in inches (due to 
  the added weight of the prisoner). Before he disappears 
  into the clouds, the captive shouts back to the characters: 
  “Quickly, get to Brooklyn!” he calls, his voice beginning 
  to trail away. “Anderson & Company. Stop them from 
  taking the…”
   Raketentruppen (1 per hero): See page 21.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
  THE SCIENTIST
  THE SCIENTIST
  The scientist, if rescued, introduces himself as Profes-
  sor Vasily Yuchenko. However, before any questions can 
  be asked he makes an immediate plea.
  “Please, my friends,” Yuchenko gasps, “please 
  get to Anderson and Company in Brooklyn as 
  quickly as possible. I shall explain everything on 
  the way.”
  Yuchenko is true to his word once the group is back 
  on the road. He provides a quick backstory before get-
  ting to the important facts. Born and educated in Russia, 
  he left the Soviet Union in 1920 when it became clear his 
  Tsarist views had placed his life in danger. After settling 
  in the United States, he found work ﬁ rst working for the 
  General Electric Company, and later went on to work 
  with Nikola Tesla on his theories on gravity.
  “I had heard of Nikola Tesla—who has not?—and 
  sought him out. I helped Tesla with work on his 
  dynamic theory of gravity. The study of gravity 
  is a specialty of mine, though my part was very 
  small and not really worthy of mention. Tesla 
  was planning on releasing his work for public 
  attention, but it was stolen. Poor man, years of 
  work gone in an instant.
  “Then I heard from friends that colleagues had 
  gone missing, their research papers stolen: physi-
  cists, mathematicians, atomic theorists—all men 
  with overlapping specialties. I knew someone had 
  a list, and my name would likely be on that list. 
  Tesla is too high proﬁ le to kidnap, but I am not. So 
  I hid, changing my name and ceasing my work. As 
  you already know, I was not particularly success-
  ful in my attempts to disappear.
  “The men who tried to kidnap me spoke brieﬂ y 
  among themselves, ignorant of the fact I speak 
  ﬂ uent German. They mentioned that all was 
  going to plan and soon the raid on Anderson & 
  Company would begin. That company makes ex-
  tremely powerful magnets. I don’t know why the 
  Nazis want magnets, but I know it cannot be for 
  the betterment of mankind.”
  Yuchenko can provide few answers to any other ques-
  tions. He can provide a list of the missing scientists, but 
  none are American, so the US government can do little 
  to ﬁ nd them. His true specialty, should anyone ask, is 
  the theoretical study of super-gravity wells and massively 
  dense anomalies.
  SCENE 4: METAL MOLE
  SCENE 4: METAL MOLE
  Nothing appears amiss when the characters ar-
  rive at the factory. There are no cars outside, which 
  is not surprising given it’s the weekend. There are 
  two entrances to the factory, a small single door near 
  the top end (where the Nazis are) and a pair of han-
  gar-style double doors near the other end. Both are 
  padlocked. Picking the locks requires a Lockpicking 
  roll. They have Toughness 8 (2) if characters prefer 
  to break them.
  At the far end of the factory is a gigantic cylinder 
  mounted on tracks, with a large, pointed screw on 
  each end. A squad of soldiers dressed and armed 
  the same as the goons you’ve met already, save 
  for a lack of rocket packs, is emerging from the 
  metal beast. One, maybe an ofﬁ cer, is signaling 
  them toward four massive magnets sitting in the 
  center of the factory.
  If the characters picked the smaller door’s lock, they 
  gain Surprise on the Nazis. Roll for the goons individually. 
  The tunneling machine measures 6” long and 2” 
  wide. It sits at the far end of the factory, having just burst 
  through the ﬂ oor. Two large doors, each 2” in width, are 
  located in the center of each side. The device is manned 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  6
  ﬂ ing a man in a trench coat out of a building and 
  into the street. The goons are hovering just a few 
  feet off the road, but they seem reluctant to take 
  to the skies. Overhead, USAAF ﬁ ghters are patrol-
  ling the sky—it seems the government isn’t taking 
  the threat lightly.
  The government had already scrambled ﬁ ghters be-
  fore Schmutzig sent his message. Still unsure how many 
  remote controlled bombs may be moving through the 
  streets, the ﬁ ghters have orders to avoid enemy contact. 
  The Nazis don’t know this, though, so they’re staying 
  near the ground until they spot a break in the air de-
  fenses.
  The street is 6” wide (1” of sidewalk each side of a 4” 
  wide road) and 30” long. The characters begin at one 
  end of the street, while the Nazis and their prisoner are 
  20” ahead of them. Since they’re in a vehicle, the adven-
  turers have the advantage of speed and Cover.
  If called upon to surrender, the villains stick a gun to 
  their captive’s head and threaten to kill him unless the 
  heroes back off. How the potential standoff ends will be 
  decided by the characters’ actions. 
  Should the characters drop their guns, the Nazis de-
  cide to make a break for it and risk the ﬁ ghters—staying 
  on the ground severely limits their options. Each round, 
  they climb half their rocket pack’s Pace in inches (due to 
  the added weight of the prisoner). Before he disappears 
  into the clouds, the captive shouts back to the characters: 
  “Quickly, get to Brooklyn!” he calls, his voice beginning 
  to trail away. “Anderson & Company. Stop them from 
  taking the…”
   Raketentruppen (1 per hero): See page 21.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
  THE SCIENTIST
  THE SCIENTIST
  The scientist, if rescued, introduces himself as Profes-
  sor Vasily Yuchenko. However, before any questions can 
  be asked he makes an immediate plea.
  “Please, my friends,” Yuchenko gasps, “please 
  get to Anderson and Company in Brooklyn as 
  quickly as possible. I shall explain everything on 
  the way.”
  Yuchenko is true to his word once the group is back 
  on the road. He provides a quick backstory before get-
  ting to the important facts. Born and educated in Russia, 
  he left the Soviet Union in 1920 when it became clear his 
  Tsarist views had placed his life in danger. After settling 
  in the United States, he found work ﬁ rst working for the 
  General Electric Company, and later went on to work 
  with Nikola Tesla on his theories on gravity.
  “I had heard of Nikola Tesla—who has not?—and 
  sought him out. I helped Tesla with work on his 
  dynamic theory of gravity. The study of gravity 
  is a specialty of mine, though my part was very 
  small and not really worthy of mention. Tesla 
  was planning on releasing his work for public 
  attention, but it was stolen. Poor man, years of 
  work gone in an instant.
  “Then I heard from friends that colleagues had 
  gone missing, their research papers stolen: physi-
  cists, mathematicians, atomic theorists—all men 
  with overlapping specialties. I knew someone had 
  a list, and my name would likely be on that list. 
  Tesla is too high proﬁ le to kidnap, but I am not. So 
  I hid, changing my name and ceasing my work. As 
  you already know, I was not particularly success-
  ful in my attempts to disappear.
  “The men who tried to kidnap me spoke brieﬂ y 
  among themselves, ignorant of the fact I speak 
  ﬂ uent German. They mentioned that all was 
  going to plan and soon the raid on Anderson & 
  Company would begin. That company makes ex-
  tremely powerful magnets. I don’t know why the 
  Nazis want magnets, but I know it cannot be for 
  the betterment of mankind.”
  Yuchenko can provide few answers to any other ques-
  tions. He can provide a list of the missing scientists, but 
  none are American, so the US government can do little 
  to ﬁ nd them. His true specialty, should anyone ask, is 
  the theoretical study of super-gravity wells and massively 
  dense anomalies.
  SCENE 4: METAL MOLE
  SCENE 4: METAL MOLE
  Nothing appears amiss when the characters ar-
  rive at the factory. There are no cars outside, which 
  is not surprising given it’s the weekend. There are 
  two entrances to the factory, a small single door near 
  the top end (where the Nazis are) and a pair of han-
  gar-style double doors near the other end. Both are 
  padlocked. Picking the locks requires a Lockpicking 
  roll. They have Toughness 8 (2) if characters prefer 
  to break them.
  At the far end of the factory is a gigantic cylinder 
  mounted on tracks, with a large, pointed screw on 
  each end. A squad of soldiers dressed and armed 
  the same as the goons you’ve met already, save 
  for a lack of rocket packs, is emerging from the 
  metal beast. One, maybe an ofﬁ cer, is signaling 
  them toward four massive magnets sitting in the 
  center of the factory.
  If the characters picked the smaller door’s lock, they 
  gain Surprise on the Nazis. Roll for the goons individually. 
  The tunneling machine measures 6” long and 2” 
  wide. It sits at the far end of the factory, having just burst 
  through the ﬂ oor. Two large doors, each 2” in width, are 
  located in the center of each side. The device is manned 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  7
  by a full crew compliment. Place the non-crew Nazis 
  within 2” of the tunneling machine.
  The factory ﬂ oor measures 10” wide by 24” long. 
  Around the walls are workbenches, machines, ﬁ ling cabi-
  nets, and other large, metal objects. In the central area 
  are four huge magnets, each 1” square. Place these 3” 
  apart to form the corners of a square. See below for the 
  effect these have on play.
  The Nazi goons want the magnets, but the crew has 
  their own orders—not to let the tunneling machine fall 
  into enemy hands (magnets can be found elsewhere if 
  this plan fails). When half the ground troops are dis-
  patched, the tunneling machine ﬁ res into life and with-
  draws down its tunnel. The soldiers left are prepared to 
  ﬁ ght to the bitter end. Such is their conditioning.
  After the ﬁ ght ends, Professor Yuchenko asks the he-
  roes if they can take him back to his house. He needs 
  to collect some letters, which he feels may be important 
  with regard to recent events. Should the professor have 
  been kidnapped, read the notes at the start of Act 2 re-
  garding how the characters can proceed.
  SHEER MAGNETISM
  SHEER MAGNETISM
  The Nazi’s infernal contraption damaged power 
  cables when it burst through the ﬂ oor. As a result, the 
  magnets on the test beds are switching on and off at ir-
  regular intervals.
  Number the large magnets one through four. When 
  a deuce of Clubs is drawn as any character’s ﬁ rst ac-
  tion card, magnet number one magnetizes. A deuce of 
  Diamonds indicates magnet 2 switches on, and so on. 
  Drawing a second deuce for a magnet that is on turns 
  the thing off, dropping any metallic items stuck it to the 
  ﬂ oor.
  When magnetized, place a Large Burst Template face 
  down centered on the magnet. Each magnet has Strength 
  d12+2. Characters under the template or who enter its 
  area while holding a metal weapon must make an op-
  posed Strength roll or lose their weapon. Wielding a 
  two-handed weapon grants a +2 bonus to the roll. Even 
  if the character retains his grip, all attack rolls within 
  a template are at –2 due to the weapon being pulled 
  around by magnetic forces. Pulling a metal object off an 
  active magnet requires an opposed Strength roll as an 
  action.
  Ranged weapons ﬁ red at targets within a magnet’s 
  active ﬁ eld suffer a –2 penalty as well, as the rounds veer 
  toward the magnet. (Lead isn’t subject to magnetism, but 
  this is pulp, and it’s much more fun to “watch” bullets 
  veering off course than to obey the law of physics.) Even 
  the Nazis’ electric guns suffer the penalty as the arc is 
  bent by the powerful force. A missed shot into a template 
  by a Raketengewehr automatically causes the warhead to 
  strike the magnet and explode (don’t roll for deviation 
  as normal). The magnet is solid enough to shrug off the 
  blast.
  Any characters who enter or begin their turn within a 
  template must roll a d6 before taking any actions. On a 
  roll of 1, a small metal object, such as a tool, has struck 
  him as it ﬂ ies through the air toward the magnet, inﬂ ict-
  ing 2d6 damage (as an Extra).
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Tunneling Machine Crew (7): As Raketentruppen 
  (see page 21), but armed only with pistols and wearing 
  no rocket packs.
   SS-Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 21, 
  but they are not wearing rocket packs.
  TUNNELING MACHINE
  TUNNELING MACHINE
  Invented by Germany during the Great War, the tun-
  neling machine never proved a viable device. It was 
  prone to mechanical malfunction, and in many tests the 
  crew suffocated due to a build up of carbon monoxide.
  Schmutzig’s Special Weapons Division modiﬁ ed the 
  plans and produced a working prototype. Its purpose 
  is listed as, “A device with which to burrow into enemy 
  installations and disgorge troops, thus circumventing all 
  enemy defensive hardpoints.”
  Essentially a long cylinder mounted on tracks with a 
  rotating screw at each end, the tunneling machine is ca-
  pable of digging through anything but the hardest rock. 
  Four machinegun ports, two each side, provide protec-
  tion for the troops as they disembark. The crew positions 
  are driver, drill operator, and engineer.
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6 (1/4 while tunneling); Toughness: 
  20 (4); Crew: 3+20
  Notes: Heavy Armor, Tracks
  Weapons:
  4 x MG34s (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 2: PARIS, FRANCE
  ACT 2: PARIS, FRANCE
  Yuchenko doesn’t spend long in his house. In light of 
  MORE MAGNETIC FUN
  MORE MAGNETIC FUN
  The rules on page 7 provide ﬁ xed modiﬁ ers. The 
  alternate system below covers the magnets acting at 
  variable power. It requires a little bookkeeping, but 
  it means the characters won’t know a magnet’s ex-
  act effects if it switches on twice during the scene.
  When a magnet activates, immediately draw anoth-
  er card. This determines the magnet’s power. With 
  this system, the template size, Strength, and modi-
  ﬁ er to attack rolls is variable.
  Card 
  Template 
  Str 
  Mod
  Deuce 
  Large 
  d12+4 
  –4
  3–10 
  Large 
  d12+2 
  –2
  Jack 
  Medium 
  d12+1 
  –2
  Queen 
  Medium 
  d12 
  –1
  King 
  Medium 
  d10 
  –1
  Ace 
  Medium 
  d8 
  0
  Joker 
  Small 
  d6 
  0
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  7
  by a full crew compliment. Place the non-crew Nazis 
  within 2” of the tunneling machine.
  The factory ﬂ oor measures 10” wide by 24” long. 
  Around the walls are workbenches, machines, ﬁ ling cabi-
  nets, and other large, metal objects. In the central area 
  are four huge magnets, each 1” square. Place these 3” 
  apart to form the corners of a square. See below for the 
  effect these have on play.
  The Nazi goons want the magnets, but the crew has 
  their own orders—not to let the tunneling machine fall 
  into enemy hands (magnets can be found elsewhere if 
  this plan fails). When half the ground troops are dis-
  patched, the tunneling machine ﬁ res into life and with-
  draws down its tunnel. The soldiers left are prepared to 
  ﬁ ght to the bitter end. Such is their conditioning.
  After the ﬁ ght ends, Professor Yuchenko asks the he-
  roes if they can take him back to his house. He needs 
  to collect some letters, which he feels may be important 
  with regard to recent events. Should the professor have 
  been kidnapped, read the notes at the start of Act 2 re-
  garding how the characters can proceed.
  SHEER MAGNETISM
  SHEER MAGNETISM
  The Nazi’s infernal contraption damaged power 
  cables when it burst through the ﬂ oor. As a result, the 
  magnets on the test beds are switching on and off at ir-
  regular intervals.
  Number the large magnets one through four. When 
  a deuce of Clubs is drawn as any character’s ﬁ rst ac-
  tion card, magnet number one magnetizes. A deuce of 
  Diamonds indicates magnet 2 switches on, and so on. 
  Drawing a second deuce for a magnet that is on turns 
  the thing off, dropping any metallic items stuck it to the 
  ﬂ oor.
  When magnetized, place a Large Burst Template face 
  down centered on the magnet. Each magnet has Strength 
  d12+2. Characters under the template or who enter its 
  area while holding a metal weapon must make an op-
  posed Strength roll or lose their weapon. Wielding a 
  two-handed weapon grants a +2 bonus to the roll. Even 
  if the character retains his grip, all attack rolls within 
  a template are at –2 due to the weapon being pulled 
  around by magnetic forces. Pulling a metal object off an 
  active magnet requires an opposed Strength roll as an 
  action.
  Ranged weapons ﬁ red at targets within a magnet’s 
  active ﬁ eld suffer a –2 penalty as well, as the rounds veer 
  toward the magnet. (Lead isn’t subject to magnetism, but 
  this is pulp, and it’s much more fun to “watch” bullets 
  veering off course than to obey the law of physics.) Even 
  the Nazis’ electric guns suffer the penalty as the arc is 
  bent by the powerful force. A missed shot into a template 
  by a Raketengewehr automatically causes the warhead to 
  strike the magnet and explode (don’t roll for deviation 
  as normal). The magnet is solid enough to shrug off the 
  blast.
  Any characters who enter or begin their turn within a 
  template must roll a d6 before taking any actions. On a 
  roll of 1, a small metal object, such as a tool, has struck 
  him as it ﬂ ies through the air toward the magnet, inﬂ ict-
  ing 2d6 damage (as an Extra).
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Tunneling Machine Crew (7): As Raketentruppen 
  (see page 21), but armed only with pistols and wearing 
  no rocket packs.
   SS-Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 21, 
  but they are not wearing rocket packs.
  TUNNELING MACHINE
  TUNNELING MACHINE
  Invented by Germany during the Great War, the tun-
  neling machine never proved a viable device. It was 
  prone to mechanical malfunction, and in many tests the 
  crew suffocated due to a build up of carbon monoxide.
  Schmutzig’s Special Weapons Division modiﬁ ed the 
  plans and produced a working prototype. Its purpose 
  is listed as, “A device with which to burrow into enemy 
  installations and disgorge troops, thus circumventing all 
  enemy defensive hardpoints.”
  Essentially a long cylinder mounted on tracks with a 
  rotating screw at each end, the tunneling machine is ca-
  pable of digging through anything but the hardest rock. 
  Four machinegun ports, two each side, provide protec-
  tion for the troops as they disembark. The crew positions 
  are driver, drill operator, and engineer.
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6 (1/4 while tunneling); Toughness: 
  20 (4); Crew: 3+20
  Notes: Heavy Armor, Tracks
  Weapons:
  4 x MG34s (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 2: PARIS, FRANCE
  ACT 2: PARIS, FRANCE
  Yuchenko doesn’t spend long in his house. In light of 
  MORE MAGNETIC FUN
  MORE MAGNETIC FUN
  The rules on page 7 provide ﬁ xed modiﬁ ers. The 
  alternate system below covers the magnets acting at 
  variable power. It requires a little bookkeeping, but 
  it means the characters won’t know a magnet’s ex-
  act effects if it switches on twice during the scene.
  When a magnet activates, immediately draw anoth-
  er card. This determines the magnet’s power. With 
  this system, the template size, Strength, and modi-
  ﬁ er to attack rolls is variable.
  Card 
  Template 
  Str 
  Mod
  Deuce 
  Large 
  d12+4 
  –4
  3–10 
  Large 
  d12+2 
  –2
  Jack 
  Medium 
  d12+1 
  –2
  Queen 
  Medium 
  d12 
  –1
  King 
  Medium 
  d10 
  –1
  Ace 
  Medium 
  d8 
  0
  Joker 
  Small 
  d6 
  0
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  8
  recent events he doesn’t mind if a hero wants to chap-
  erone him. While he grabs a handful of correspondence 
  from a bureau and stuffs a few clothes into a suitcase, 
  he asks any accompanying characters to make the house 
  look like it’s been burgled. “With any luck,” he says, “the 
  authorities may investigate. I’ve left a list of the miss-
  ing scientists where your G-Men can ﬁ nd it.” Once he’s 
  done, Yuchenko asks to be taken somewhere safe.
  YUCHENKO KIDNAPPED
  YUCHENKO KIDNAPPED
  If the professor was kidnapped, the only lead the 
  heroes have is his house. Searching through the papers, 
  they come across Handouts #1 and #2 left in a promi-
  nent position. Stuffed in between them is a third letter, 
  which mentions a niece of Professor Rosenbaum, Edith 
  Goldman, who lives in New York. Her address is pres-
  ent.
  SCENE 1: LETTERS FROM PARIS
  SCENE 1: LETTERS FROM PARIS
  Where the characters take Yuchenko is up to them. 
  Once he’s settled in, he pulls the wad of letters from his 
  jacket and hands one to the characters. Give them Hand-
  out #1 at this time.
  “Professor Rosenbaum is, or rather was, a pro-
  fessor teaching advanced physics at Heidelberg 
  University. He specialized in magnetism, which is 
  why I suspect the plot he mentioned is related to 
  the raids today. “Anyway,” he hands you a post-
  card, “this arrived a few weeks later.”
  Give the players Handout #2. When the characters 
  have read the missive, Yuchenko continues speaking.
  “Short and to the point, yes?” the professor says 
  with a slight grin. “Isaac is not prone to ﬂ ights 
  of fancy. Please, I know I am asking you to place 
  your faith in a crazy old Russian, but will you 
  help me discover what is going on?”
  Yuchenko admits he has no idea who Mimi is, or 
  where in Paris his friend might be staying. However, he 
  does know that Rosenbaum mentioned a niece living 
  in New York. After rummaging through a sheaf of old 
  letters, he comes up with an address in Queens and a 
  name—Edith Goldman.
  EDITH GOLDMAN
  EDITH GOLDMAN
  Edith lives across town, in Queens. She received sev-
  eral messages from her uncle warning of danger, but also 
  received a visit from strangers (Nazis) asking if she knew 
  where her uncle was. They claimed to be ofﬁ cials from 
  the University, but Edith had already received a letter 
  from her uncle saying he had been dismissed. Although 
  the men were polite, they had a menacing air about them. 
  As such, she is a little recalcitrant to allow the characters 
  in when they knock on her apartment door.
  Roleplaying gaining entry can be great fun, with Edith 
  asking to see identiﬁ cation, openly denying she knows 
  any Isaac Rosenbaum, asking if the heroes work for the 
  “same men as before,” or even threatening to call the po-
  lice. Players who prefer the dice can make a Persuasion 
  roll at –2. If Yuchenko is present, there is a +2 bonus, as 
  her uncle mentioned his friend several times and he can 
  conﬁ rm details only a close friend would know. Handing 
  over the letters isn’t worth a bonus—they could have 
  been stolen.
  Once inside, Edith offers the party coffee and cake. 
  She still plays innocent with regard to knowing her 
  uncle’s whereabouts, but can be convinced to assist the 
  group if the heroes detail recent events and how her 
  uncle might be the only way to stop the attacks.
  “Mimi is the stage name of Sarah, my cousin, 
  Uncle Isaac’s daughter. She always wanted to be 
  a singer, something her mother encouraged, but 
  Uncle Isaac always said it was an undigniﬁ ed 
  profession. When Auntie Ruth died, Sarah and 
  Isaac had a big falling out. She moved to Paris. 
  The last I knew, they had not spoken for a decade. 
  I don’t know where she lives, but she sings at a 
  famous club in Paris, the Folies-Bergères.”
  Characters making a successful Common Knowledge 
  roll have heard of the Folies-Bergères (characters familiar 
  with France get a +2 bonus) through the 1935 ﬁ lm Folies 
  Bergère de Paris, which won an Oscar for Best Dance 
  Direction. It’s a music hall-cum-nightclub catering for 
  all manner of acts, including ones considered extremely 
  risqué even by modern sensibilities.
  The Nazis are still hunting for Rosenbaum, and the 
  recent failure to steal the magnets has left Schmutzig 
  irate—the professor holds vital knowledge he seeks. He 
  has ordered his goons to kidnap Edith. With her in his 
  grasp, he hopes to force Rosenbaum into surfacing and 
  submit to his demands.
  As the characters leave the apartment building, two 
  black sedans screech to a halt opposite. The occupants 
  get out in a hurry. They’re dressed like New York cops, 
  but sharp-eyed characters (Notice roll at –2) spot their 
  ﬁ rearms are of German manufacture. The goons don’t 
  speak very good English (they weren’t expecting to have 
  to talk to anyone but Edith), and try to avoid answering 
  any questions beyond two word replies.
  If the heroes elect to leave the scene, the goons are 
  successful, and Edith falls into Schmutzig’s clutches. 
  Should they decide to wait around awhile, the thugs 
  emerge a few minutes later, carrying Edith with them. 
  She’s been chloroformed and is unconscious. The thugs 
  reply with the words, “She’s sick,” if questioned about 
  the woman. The third option requires the character’s to 
  put two and two together and deal with the goons before 
  they have a chance to kidnap Edith.
  The road is 4” wide, with a 1” wide sidewalk either 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  8
  recent events he doesn’t mind if a hero wants to chap-
  erone him. While he grabs a handful of correspondence 
  from a bureau and stuffs a few clothes into a suitcase, 
  he asks any accompanying characters to make the house 
  look like it’s been burgled. “With any luck,” he says, “the 
  authorities may investigate. I’ve left a list of the miss-
  ing scientists where your G-Men can ﬁ nd it.” Once he’s 
  done, Yuchenko asks to be taken somewhere safe.
  YUCHENKO KIDNAPPED
  YUCHENKO KIDNAPPED
  If the professor was kidnapped, the only lead the 
  heroes have is his house. Searching through the papers, 
  they come across Handouts #1 and #2 left in a promi-
  nent position. Stuffed in between them is a third letter, 
  which mentions a niece of Professor Rosenbaum, Edith 
  Goldman, who lives in New York. Her address is pres-
  ent.
  SCENE 1: LETTERS FROM PARIS
  SCENE 1: LETTERS FROM PARIS
  Where the characters take Yuchenko is up to them. 
  Once he’s settled in, he pulls the wad of letters from his 
  jacket and hands one to the characters. Give them Hand-
  out #1 at this time.
  “Professor Rosenbaum is, or rather was, a pro-
  fessor teaching advanced physics at Heidelberg 
  University. He specialized in magnetism, which is 
  why I suspect the plot he mentioned is related to 
  the raids today. “Anyway,” he hands you a post-
  card, “this arrived a few weeks later.”
  Give the players Handout #2. When the characters 
  have read the missive, Yuchenko continues speaking.
  “Short and to the point, yes?” the professor says 
  with a slight grin. “Isaac is not prone to ﬂ ights 
  of fancy. Please, I know I am asking you to place 
  your faith in a crazy old Russian, but will you 
  help me discover what is going on?”
  Yuchenko admits he has no idea who Mimi is, or 
  where in Paris his friend might be staying. However, he 
  does know that Rosenbaum mentioned a niece living 
  in New York. After rummaging through a sheaf of old 
  letters, he comes up with an address in Queens and a 
  name—Edith Goldman.
  EDITH GOLDMAN
  EDITH GOLDMAN
  Edith lives across town, in Queens. She received sev-
  eral messages from her uncle warning of danger, but also 
  received a visit from strangers (Nazis) asking if she knew 
  where her uncle was. They claimed to be ofﬁ cials from 
  the University, but Edith had already received a letter 
  from her uncle saying he had been dismissed. Although 
  the men were polite, they had a menacing air about them. 
  As such, she is a little recalcitrant to allow the characters 
  in when they knock on her apartment door.
  Roleplaying gaining entry can be great fun, with Edith 
  asking to see identiﬁ cation, openly denying she knows 
  any Isaac Rosenbaum, asking if the heroes work for the 
  “same men as before,” or even threatening to call the po-
  lice. Players who prefer the dice can make a Persuasion 
  roll at –2. If Yuchenko is present, there is a +2 bonus, as 
  her uncle mentioned his friend several times and he can 
  conﬁ rm details only a close friend would know. Handing 
  over the letters isn’t worth a bonus—they could have 
  been stolen.
  Once inside, Edith offers the party coffee and cake. 
  She still plays innocent with regard to knowing her 
  uncle’s whereabouts, but can be convinced to assist the 
  group if the heroes detail recent events and how her 
  uncle might be the only way to stop the attacks.
  “Mimi is the stage name of Sarah, my cousin, 
  Uncle Isaac’s daughter. She always wanted to be 
  a singer, something her mother encouraged, but 
  Uncle Isaac always said it was an undigniﬁ ed 
  profession. When Auntie Ruth died, Sarah and 
  Isaac had a big falling out. She moved to Paris. 
  The last I knew, they had not spoken for a decade. 
  I don’t know where she lives, but she sings at a 
  famous club in Paris, the Folies-Bergères.”
  Characters making a successful Common Knowledge 
  roll have heard of the Folies-Bergères (characters familiar 
  with France get a +2 bonus) through the 1935 ﬁ lm Folies 
  Bergère de Paris, which won an Oscar for Best Dance 
  Direction. It’s a music hall-cum-nightclub catering for 
  all manner of acts, including ones considered extremely 
  risqué even by modern sensibilities.
  The Nazis are still hunting for Rosenbaum, and the 
  recent failure to steal the magnets has left Schmutzig 
  irate—the professor holds vital knowledge he seeks. He 
  has ordered his goons to kidnap Edith. With her in his 
  grasp, he hopes to force Rosenbaum into surfacing and 
  submit to his demands.
  As the characters leave the apartment building, two 
  black sedans screech to a halt opposite. The occupants 
  get out in a hurry. They’re dressed like New York cops, 
  but sharp-eyed characters (Notice roll at –2) spot their 
  ﬁ rearms are of German manufacture. The goons don’t 
  speak very good English (they weren’t expecting to have 
  to talk to anyone but Edith), and try to avoid answering 
  any questions beyond two word replies.
  If the heroes elect to leave the scene, the goons are 
  successful, and Edith falls into Schmutzig’s clutches. 
  Should they decide to wait around awhile, the thugs 
  emerge a few minutes later, carrying Edith with them. 
  She’s been chloroformed and is unconscious. The thugs 
  reply with the words, “She’s sick,” if questioned about 
  the woman. The third option requires the character’s to 
  put two and two together and deal with the goons before 
  they have a chance to kidnap Edith.
  The road is 4” wide, with a 1” wide sidewalk either 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  9
  side. Aside from the various vehicles belonging to the 
  group and the Nazis, the only other cover is a few 
  streetlamps and garbage cans.
  Whether or not Edith had to be rescued, the char-
  acters will likely decide to take her somewhere safe. 
  Exactly where they consider safe is up to them. Defeat-
  ing the Nazis and leaving her in her apartment costs the 
  characters a benny each—it should be obvious to them 
  she’s in danger now.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Nazi Goons (2 + 1 per hero): See page 20. They 
  carry pistols, but wield batons (Str+d4) instead of knives.
  SCENE 2: LES FOLIES-BERGÈRES
  SCENE 2: LES FOLIES-BERGÈRES
  How the characters get to Paris is up to them. Sched-
  uled ﬂ ights leave New York regularly, and, as always, the 
  airfare is waived as a non-essential part of the adven-
  ture.
  Paris is, like most European capitals, a city of two 
  halves. There is the glitz and glamour of high society 
  and the fabulous architectural and historical buildings 
  on one hand, and the poverty rampant after the Great 
  Depression on the other. Political activism is high. The 
  government, a union of Socialist and Communist fac-
  tions, collapsed earlier this year, adding to the turmoil.
  The Folies-Bergères, as any Parisian can inform the 
  party, is located at 32 rue Richer, in Paris’ 9th arrondisse-
  ment (district). Other famous buildings in the arrondisse-
  ment include the Galeries Lafayette department store, the 
  Paris Olympia music hall, the Fondation Dosne-Thiers (a 
  library specializing in French history between 1789 and 
  1900, open only to those with recommendations from 
  the Insitut de France), the Musée Grévin (a waxworks 
  museum and location of the ﬁ rst animated movie ever 
  screened), and the Palais Garnier (also known as the 
  Grand Opera House).
  GAINING ENTRANCE
  GAINING ENTRANCE
  The nightclub is a public entertainment venue, and 
  thus carrying ﬁ rearms should be considered taboo by the 
  characters. What with all the political troubles in recent 
  years, security is tight. The concierge doesn’t physically 
  pat down clients, but he has a very keen eye.
  Any character trying to smuggle in a weapon must 
  make an Agility roll opposed by the concierge’s Notice 
  d10+2 (he has the Alertness Edge). Heroes caught trying 
  to smuggle in weapons are politely asked to hand them 
  over—they can collect them when they leave. This is one 
  of those rare occasions in pulp where refusal to comply 
  does result in the police being called.
  There are ways around this restriction, though it’s up 
  to the adventurers to come up with a plausible reason. 
  For instance, a Noble might claim a gun-toting character 
  is her bodyguard. France may have beheaded its nobil-
  ity centuries ago, but the nightclub welcomes rich and 
  inﬂ uential clients with open arms.
  The nightclub also has a strict adults only policy. 
  Young characters could be disguised to make them look 
  like adults, or the heroes can grease the concierge’s palm 
  with at least $50 to look the other way for a second. Brib-
  ery does not work with regard to weaponry.
  Mimi is well-known to the staff inside (the concierge 
  doesn’t discuss performers with clients). Her act is just 
  about to begin when the characters enter. As they are 
  shown to their table, the lights on the stage focus into a 
  single point centered on a tall microphone stand.
  The back curtain parts, and out steps one hot 
  dame. Clad in a long, white dress which clings 
  to her like a second skin, the only color you can 
  focus on is her bright red, glossy lips. With an al-
  most hypnotic swaying of the hips, she moves to 
  the microphone and begins to sing.
  Mimi’s act lasts just ﬁ ve minutes (she performs several 
  times a night, in between other acts). When she ﬁ nishes, 
  she leaves the stage and walks over to the bar. This is the 
  character’s chance to approach her, though red-blooded 
  males may be distracted by the scantily clad dancers now 
  taking the stage.
  The singer accepts an offer of a drink, ordering a 
  dry Martini. However, she denies knowing Isaac Rosen-
  baum, and insists her name is Sarah Rabin (she took her 
  mother’s maiden name when she left home). Only by 
  presenting Professor Yuchenko in person, producing 
  the letters, or mentioning Edith does she agree to talk 
  more. She leads the party to a booth. Once seated, she 
  demands to know who the characters are and why they 
  are after her father.
  Convincing her of their good intention shouldn’t be 
  difﬁ cult, as she’s heard the news about the attack on 
  New York.
  “I’ll take you to my father, but only after my last 
  act. I can’t afford to lose my job here. Meet me 
  back here at 10 o’clock sharp.”
  MY GIRL
  MY GIRL
  As Sarah gets up to leave, have the characters make 
  Notice rolls. With success, they spy a group of goons ap-
  proaching their table. Leading them, clad in a long, black 
  leather coat which doesn’t conceal the tell-tale lump on 
  his back is Professor Schmutzig. (The concierge is cur-
  rently laying unconscious outside.) The Nazis have many 
  agents, and one ﬁ nally came good and tracked down 
  Rosenbaum’s daughter.
  Unless the heroes immediately react violently, Sch-
  mutzig addresses them.
  “So, Amerikaners,” he coos, “we meet again. It is 
  a shame you did not get my message in New York. 
  Now, please hand over the girl. We don’t want any 
  trouble, not in such lovely surroundings.”
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  9
  side. Aside from the various vehicles belonging to the 
  group and the Nazis, the only other cover is a few 
  streetlamps and garbage cans.
  Whether or not Edith had to be rescued, the char-
  acters will likely decide to take her somewhere safe. 
  Exactly where they consider safe is up to them. Defeat-
  ing the Nazis and leaving her in her apartment costs the 
  characters a benny each—it should be obvious to them 
  she’s in danger now.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Nazi Goons (2 + 1 per hero): See page 20. They 
  carry pistols, but wield batons (Str+d4) instead of knives.
  SCENE 2: LES FOLIES-BERGÈRES
  SCENE 2: LES FOLIES-BERGÈRES
  How the characters get to Paris is up to them. Sched-
  uled ﬂ ights leave New York regularly, and, as always, the 
  airfare is waived as a non-essential part of the adven-
  ture.
  Paris is, like most European capitals, a city of two 
  halves. There is the glitz and glamour of high society 
  and the fabulous architectural and historical buildings 
  on one hand, and the poverty rampant after the Great 
  Depression on the other. Political activism is high. The 
  government, a union of Socialist and Communist fac-
  tions, collapsed earlier this year, adding to the turmoil.
  The Folies-Bergères, as any Parisian can inform the 
  party, is located at 32 rue Richer, in Paris’ 9th arrondisse-
  ment (district). Other famous buildings in the arrondisse-
  ment include the Galeries Lafayette department store, the 
  Paris Olympia music hall, the Fondation Dosne-Thiers (a 
  library specializing in French history between 1789 and 
  1900, open only to those with recommendations from 
  the Insitut de France), the Musée Grévin (a waxworks 
  museum and location of the ﬁ rst animated movie ever 
  screened), and the Palais Garnier (also known as the 
  Grand Opera House).
  GAINING ENTRANCE
  GAINING ENTRANCE
  The nightclub is a public entertainment venue, and 
  thus carrying ﬁ rearms should be considered taboo by the 
  characters. What with all the political troubles in recent 
  years, security is tight. The concierge doesn’t physically 
  pat down clients, but he has a very keen eye.
  Any character trying to smuggle in a weapon must 
  make an Agility roll opposed by the concierge’s Notice 
  d10+2 (he has the Alertness Edge). Heroes caught trying 
  to smuggle in weapons are politely asked to hand them 
  over—they can collect them when they leave. This is one 
  of those rare occasions in pulp where refusal to comply 
  does result in the police being called.
  There are ways around this restriction, though it’s up 
  to the adventurers to come up with a plausible reason. 
  For instance, a Noble might claim a gun-toting character 
  is her bodyguard. France may have beheaded its nobil-
  ity centuries ago, but the nightclub welcomes rich and 
  inﬂ uential clients with open arms.
  The nightclub also has a strict adults only policy. 
  Young characters could be disguised to make them look 
  like adults, or the heroes can grease the concierge’s palm 
  with at least $50 to look the other way for a second. Brib-
  ery does not work with regard to weaponry.
  Mimi is well-known to the staff inside (the concierge 
  doesn’t discuss performers with clients). Her act is just 
  about to begin when the characters enter. As they are 
  shown to their table, the lights on the stage focus into a 
  single point centered on a tall microphone stand.
  The back curtain parts, and out steps one hot 
  dame. Clad in a long, white dress which clings 
  to her like a second skin, the only color you can 
  focus on is her bright red, glossy lips. With an al-
  most hypnotic swaying of the hips, she moves to 
  the microphone and begins to sing.
  Mimi’s act lasts just ﬁ ve minutes (she performs several 
  times a night, in between other acts). When she ﬁ nishes, 
  she leaves the stage and walks over to the bar. This is the 
  character’s chance to approach her, though red-blooded 
  males may be distracted by the scantily clad dancers now 
  taking the stage.
  The singer accepts an offer of a drink, ordering a 
  dry Martini. However, she denies knowing Isaac Rosen-
  baum, and insists her name is Sarah Rabin (she took her 
  mother’s maiden name when she left home). Only by 
  presenting Professor Yuchenko in person, producing 
  the letters, or mentioning Edith does she agree to talk 
  more. She leads the party to a booth. Once seated, she 
  demands to know who the characters are and why they 
  are after her father.
  Convincing her of their good intention shouldn’t be 
  difﬁ cult, as she’s heard the news about the attack on 
  New York.
  “I’ll take you to my father, but only after my last 
  act. I can’t afford to lose my job here. Meet me 
  back here at 10 o’clock sharp.”
  MY GIRL
  MY GIRL
  As Sarah gets up to leave, have the characters make 
  Notice rolls. With success, they spy a group of goons ap-
  proaching their table. Leading them, clad in a long, black 
  leather coat which doesn’t conceal the tell-tale lump on 
  his back is Professor Schmutzig. (The concierge is cur-
  rently laying unconscious outside.) The Nazis have many 
  agents, and one ﬁ nally came good and tracked down 
  Rosenbaum’s daughter.
  Unless the heroes immediately react violently, Sch-
  mutzig addresses them.
  “So, Amerikaners,” he coos, “we meet again. It is 
  a shame you did not get my message in New York. 
  Now, please hand over the girl. We don’t want any 
  trouble, not in such lovely surroundings.”
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1010
  It’s up to the heroes what happens next. If Mimi is 
  handed over (unlikely, but possible), Schmutzig bundles 
  her out of the door while his thugs remain in place. He 
  then uses his ﬂ y power to blast off into the sky. Locat-
  ing Rosenbaum then requires the characters to search 
  Mimi’s dressing room. In here they ﬁ nd a map of the 
  Paris sewers marked with a route in red ink.
  Should the party make threats or try to call his bluff, 
  the Nazi scientist calls over a waiter. He withdraws a wad 
  of cash from his coat, places it on the waiter’s tray, and 
  says, “An apology in advance for disturbing your cli-
  ents.” He then orders his goons to take the girl by force.
  Deal action cards!
  The thugs begin by drawing their batons (an action), 
  but switch to ﬁ rearms if the characters draw heat or are 
  gaining the upper hand.
  Schmutzig immediately backs away from the heroes 
  on his ﬁ rst action, while activating deﬂ ection. Next 
  round he casts armor. Since he wants Mimi alive, he 
  uses his stun power to try and disable the heroes, 
  though he’ll try to avoid knocking out his own men 
  (only so they can distract the characters). Only if Mimi 
  is out of the area of effect does he use burst. Once 
  his thugs are keeping the adventurers busy, he uses 
  telekinesis to lift Mimi and pull her toward him at the 
  rate of 3” per round. The villain has the beneﬁ t of the 
  Recurring Villains rule, and he’ll use it to escape if the 
  situation turns bad.
  The central ﬂ oor area of the nightclub measures 12” 
  by 12”. The central area is dotted with tables and chairs. 
  Around one edge is a number of booths. The exit is in 
  the wall opposite the booths.
  Aside from the ubiquitous tables and chairs for use in 
  Tricks or as weapons (Str+d6 damage for a chair, requires 
  two hands), there are candles, soda squirters, drinks, 
  table clothes, complimentary snacks, and whatever else 
  the characters think should be to hand in a music hall.
  The patrons and acts (and the acts are immensely var-
  ied) begin screaming and running around like headless 
  chickens while the brawl occurs. Each round a Wild Card 
  draws a Club suit of value 2–10 as his ﬁ rst action card, a 
  patron somehow interferes in the ﬁ ght (see below). The 
  event occurs before the hero takes his actions for the 
  round. After a card is used, cross it off the list. Ignore 
  repeat draws.
  Card Effect
  2 
  Mime Artist: The mime begins feigning an 
  injury, mimicking a punch, or whatever else 
  the hero might ﬁ nd distracting. The character 
  suffers a –2 penalty to all actions this round.
  3 
  Waiter: A waiter runs past carrying a bottle on a 
  tray. If the hero elects to grab it, he must use an 
  action as Drawing a Weapon, but gains the Drop 
  if he attacks an adjacent thug the same round 
  (Str+d4).
  4 
  Annoying Woman: She panics and grabs hold 
  of the character, giving him a –2 penalty to all 
  actions this round.
  5 
  Fire Breather: If a hero makes a Trick against 
  Agility d8, the ﬁ re breather accidentally breathes 
  ﬁ re in a line 1” wide and 3” in a direction of the 
  character’s choice. Anyone in the affected area 
  suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra) and has a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  6 
  Screamer: A woman screams so loudly and high 
  pitched it shatters glass. Place a Medium Burst 
  Template centered on the Wild Card. Everyone 
  under the template must make a Vigor roll or be 
  Shaken (non-physical effect).
  7 
  Drink, Sir?: Another waiter, this time carrying 
  a shot glass of scotch on a tray. Grabbing it and 
  swigging it down (an action) earns the character 
  a benny. Otherwise, it can be used in a Trick 
  (and doesn’t require an action to grab), with the 
  hero gaining a +2 bonus.
  8 
  Belligerent Tourist: A tourist feels the ﬁ ght has 
  ruined his night out, so he throws a punch at 
  the Wild Card. He has Fighting d8, and does d8 
  damage (as an Extra).
  9 
  My Eyes!: A scantily clad dancer rushes by, caus-
  ing a distraction to male characters. The hero 
  must make a Spirit roll or suffer a –2 penalty to 
  all actions as his attention is elsewhere.
  10 
  Can-can Girl: She kicks a thug adjacent to the 
  Wild Card. Fighting d8 (these girls can kick) for 
  d6+d4 damage (high heels).
  Assuming Mimi hasn’t been kidnapped by Schmutzig, 
  she agrees to take the adventurers to her father imme-
  diately after the ﬁ ght ends. In her haste to protect him, 
  she has forgotten about the map of the sewers in her 
  dressing room.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 20.
   Nazi Goons (2 per hero): See page 20. They carry 
  pistols, but wield batons (Str+d4) instead of knives.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Mimi: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: KNEE DEEP IN PARIS
  SCENE 3: KNEE DEEP IN PARIS
  Mimi (or the map) leads the characters to a manhole 
  just outside the Folies-Bergères, lifts it, and clambers 
  down the ladder. She hasn’t got a light source, but a 
  character is likely to have a lighter to hand (lots of folk 
  smoke in this era).
  It could be worse. At least the winter rains have 
  ﬂ ushed out the sewers recently. Sloshing through 
  the water, you become aware of another sound 
  from ahead, a sort of chittering, squeaking sound. 
  A sound a bit like… rats!
  The tunnel is 4” wide. The center 2” is the sewer-
  age channel, which is full of knee-deep water. Moving 
  through this counts as difﬁ cult ground. On either side 
  are raised walkways (only a few inches above the water). 
  This are slippery—any character who rolls a 1 on their 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1010
  It’s up to the heroes what happens next. If Mimi is 
  handed over (unlikely, but possible), Schmutzig bundles 
  her out of the door while his thugs remain in place. He 
  then uses his ﬂ y power to blast off into the sky. Locat-
  ing Rosenbaum then requires the characters to search 
  Mimi’s dressing room. In here they ﬁ nd a map of the 
  Paris sewers marked with a route in red ink.
  Should the party make threats or try to call his bluff, 
  the Nazi scientist calls over a waiter. He withdraws a wad 
  of cash from his coat, places it on the waiter’s tray, and 
  says, “An apology in advance for disturbing your cli-
  ents.” He then orders his goons to take the girl by force.
  Deal action cards!
  The thugs begin by drawing their batons (an action), 
  but switch to ﬁ rearms if the characters draw heat or are 
  gaining the upper hand.
  Schmutzig immediately backs away from the heroes 
  on his ﬁ rst action, while activating deﬂ ection. Next 
  round he casts armor. Since he wants Mimi alive, he 
  uses his stun power to try and disable the heroes, 
  though he’ll try to avoid knocking out his own men 
  (only so they can distract the characters). Only if Mimi 
  is out of the area of effect does he use burst. Once 
  his thugs are keeping the adventurers busy, he uses 
  telekinesis to lift Mimi and pull her toward him at the 
  rate of 3” per round. The villain has the beneﬁ t of the 
  Recurring Villains rule, and he’ll use it to escape if the 
  situation turns bad.
  The central ﬂ oor area of the nightclub measures 12” 
  by 12”. The central area is dotted with tables and chairs. 
  Around one edge is a number of booths. The exit is in 
  the wall opposite the booths.
  Aside from the ubiquitous tables and chairs for use in 
  Tricks or as weapons (Str+d6 damage for a chair, requires 
  two hands), there are candles, soda squirters, drinks, 
  table clothes, complimentary snacks, and whatever else 
  the characters think should be to hand in a music hall.
  The patrons and acts (and the acts are immensely var-
  ied) begin screaming and running around like headless 
  chickens while the brawl occurs. Each round a Wild Card 
  draws a Club suit of value 2–10 as his ﬁ rst action card, a 
  patron somehow interferes in the ﬁ ght (see below). The 
  event occurs before the hero takes his actions for the 
  round. After a card is used, cross it off the list. Ignore 
  repeat draws.
  Card Effect
  2 
  Mime Artist: The mime begins feigning an 
  injury, mimicking a punch, or whatever else 
  the hero might ﬁ nd distracting. The character 
  suffers a –2 penalty to all actions this round.
  3 
  Waiter: A waiter runs past carrying a bottle on a 
  tray. If the hero elects to grab it, he must use an 
  action as Drawing a Weapon, but gains the Drop 
  if he attacks an adjacent thug the same round 
  (Str+d4).
  4 
  Annoying Woman: She panics and grabs hold 
  of the character, giving him a –2 penalty to all 
  actions this round.
  5 
  Fire Breather: If a hero makes a Trick against 
  Agility d8, the ﬁ re breather accidentally breathes 
  ﬁ re in a line 1” wide and 3” in a direction of the 
  character’s choice. Anyone in the affected area 
  suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra) and has a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  6 
  Screamer: A woman screams so loudly and high 
  pitched it shatters glass. Place a Medium Burst 
  Template centered on the Wild Card. Everyone 
  under the template must make a Vigor roll or be 
  Shaken (non-physical effect).
  7 
  Drink, Sir?: Another waiter, this time carrying 
  a shot glass of scotch on a tray. Grabbing it and 
  swigging it down (an action) earns the character 
  a benny. Otherwise, it can be used in a Trick 
  (and doesn’t require an action to grab), with the 
  hero gaining a +2 bonus.
  8 
  Belligerent Tourist: A tourist feels the ﬁ ght has 
  ruined his night out, so he throws a punch at 
  the Wild Card. He has Fighting d8, and does d8 
  damage (as an Extra).
  9 
  My Eyes!: A scantily clad dancer rushes by, caus-
  ing a distraction to male characters. The hero 
  must make a Spirit roll or suffer a –2 penalty to 
  all actions as his attention is elsewhere.
  10 
  Can-can Girl: She kicks a thug adjacent to the 
  Wild Card. Fighting d8 (these girls can kick) for 
  d6+d4 damage (high heels).
  Assuming Mimi hasn’t been kidnapped by Schmutzig, 
  she agrees to take the adventurers to her father imme-
  diately after the ﬁ ght ends. In her haste to protect him, 
  she has forgotten about the map of the sewers in her 
  dressing room.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 20.
   Nazi Goons (2 per hero): See page 20. They carry 
  pistols, but wield batons (Str+d4) instead of knives.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Mimi: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: KNEE DEEP IN PARIS
  SCENE 3: KNEE DEEP IN PARIS
  Mimi (or the map) leads the characters to a manhole 
  just outside the Folies-Bergères, lifts it, and clambers 
  down the ladder. She hasn’t got a light source, but a 
  character is likely to have a lighter to hand (lots of folk 
  smoke in this era).
  It could be worse. At least the winter rains have 
  ﬂ ushed out the sewers recently. Sloshing through 
  the water, you become aware of another sound 
  from ahead, a sort of chittering, squeaking sound. 
  A sound a bit like… rats!
  The tunnel is 4” wide. The center 2” is the sewer-
  age channel, which is full of knee-deep water. Moving 
  through this counts as difﬁ cult ground. On either side 
  are raised walkways (only a few inches above the water). 
  This are slippery—any character who rolls a 1 on their 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1111
  Agility die, regardless of the Wild Die, or a running die, 
  slips and falls prone.
   Rat Swarm (2): See Savage Worlds.
   Mimi: See page 20.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
  PROFESSOR ROSENBAUM
  PROFESSOR ROSENBAUM
  After another 30 minutes, Mimi calls out, “It’s me, 
  papa.” She then climbs a short ladder, beckoning the 
  characters to follow. The ladder ascends into a small, dry 
  chamber. Newspapers, empty food cans, and some blan-
  kets indicate someone calls this place home. Huddled 
  in the corner, wearing a brown suit, is Professor Rosen-
  baum. Mimi quickly explains the recent events to her 
  father, before introducing the heroes.
  If Yuchenko is present, Rosenbaum greets him 
  warmly. Rosenbaum then asks to hear everything that 
  has happened in recent days. Afterward, he gets straight 
  to business.
  “Before I begin, you must understand that my 
  family is German and patriotic, but we’re not 
  Nazis. The very thought of what they have done to 
  my homeland sickens me to my core.
  “During the Great War, I worked as a scientist 
  for the military. We were engaged in many secret 
  projects, all of them weapons of war. I cannot 
  atone for what I helped designed, but patriotism 
  blinded me. Fortunately for my soul, none of my 
  designs were ever put to use.
  “But now, now things are different. A scientist 
  by the name of Werner Schmutzig discovered 
  our blueprints and persuaded Hitler to form the 
  Sonderwaffen Abteilung, the Special Weapons Di-
  vision. It seems you have encountered some of our 
  designs, but from what you say, I fear the mad-
  man is looking to create the most terrible weapon 
  of all—the Z-Bomb.
  “The Z-Bomb is not an explosive. In fact, it is an 
  implosive. The warhead contains dozens of super 
  dense metal spheres, metal so dense a piece the 
  size of a pinhead would weigh more than an 
  automobile. These are held is stasis by powerful 
  magnetic ﬁ elds.
  “When the weapon is detonated, the magnetic 
  ﬁ elds reverse, propelling the spheres together at 
  phenomenal speeds. These collide to form a mas-
  sively dense object with a gravitational effect far 
  in excess of that of the Sun. The Z-Bomb doesn’t 
  blow things up—it sucks them in and tears them 
  apart, atom by atom.
  “It’s one weakness is its weight. Even with recent 
  advances in rocketry, there is no way to deliver 
  the weapon to its destination. A completed Z-
  Bomb would weigh many hundreds of tons.”
  Only if specially asked, does Rosenbaum reveal why 
  the Z-Bomb was so named—because the chances of sur-
  viving its effects are zero.
  The Professor doesn’t know where Schmutzig has his 
  headquarters, but it’s likely somewhere very remote—an 
  accident while constructing the Z-Bomb would be cata-
  strophic. However, his unit during the Great War used a 
  partially-ruined castle near the French border as its head-
  quarters. It’s likely the Special Weapons Division still 
  maintains it in one form or another, as it was ﬁ tted with 
  massive subterranean generators to provide power for 
  the experiments. He provides directions to the castle.
  Rosenbaum has no intentions of ever going back to 
  Germany, and France isn’t safe now, either. He begs the 
  characters to take him and his daughter to the airport 
  so they can ﬂ ee the country, ideally to America or Great 
  Britain.
  SCENE 4: JUMPING THE TRAIN
  SCENE 4: JUMPING THE TRAIN
  Paris has two airports, Le Bourget (where Charles 
  Lindbergh landed after his historic ﬂ ight in 1927) and 
  Villeneuve-Orly Airport (ﬁ nished in 1932, and which can 
  cater for airships). Characters who make a successful 
  Streetwise roll learn that a German airship is currently 
  berthed at Villeneuve-Orly. This has nothing to do with 
  the plot, but might give the character cause for concern. 
  The quickest way to reach either airport is via train.
  This scene assumes the characters head for a train 
  station. Should they elect to hire a car, the Nazis arrive 
  on the scene just as they pull away. Run it as a standard 
  Chase using car stats of the GM’s devising or sedans 
  (page 14). There are two Nazi cars, each containing a 
  driver and three passengers.
  As the characters reach the station, they hear of the 
  sounds of squealing brakes and slamming doors. The 
  Nazis, on their way to keep an eye on the main routes 
  out of Paris, have spotted the party.
  This scene is run as a foot Chase. Each Range Incre-
  ment represents 3”. The characters begin three Range 
  Increments ahead of the Nazis.
  There are Light Obstacles, representing fellow com-
  muters. Characters do not suffer a collision if they draw a 
  Club. Instead, the modiﬁ er indicates temporary difﬁ culty 
  working through a crowd. This Chase also uses our Event 
  Stages rules (see below). The Nazis only use guns if ﬁ red 
  upon—France is not yet in German hands.
  Assuming the adventurers outrun or manage to de-
  feat the Nazis, they reach the airport safely. The two pro-
  fessors and Mimi book the next ﬂ ight to Great Britain, 
  which leaves within the hour. The Nazis don’t have time 
  to report their failure and get a car to the airﬁ eld.
  Don’t worry if the chase goes bad and the heroes are 
  defeated. The Nazis kidnap the NPCs, leaving the uncon-
  scious characters where they lie. There is no chance of 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1111
  Agility die, regardless of the Wild Die, or a running die, 
  slips and falls prone.
   Rat Swarm (2): See Savage Worlds.
   Mimi: See page 20.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
  PROFESSOR ROSENBAUM
  PROFESSOR ROSENBAUM
  After another 30 minutes, Mimi calls out, “It’s me, 
  papa.” She then climbs a short ladder, beckoning the 
  characters to follow. The ladder ascends into a small, dry 
  chamber. Newspapers, empty food cans, and some blan-
  kets indicate someone calls this place home. Huddled 
  in the corner, wearing a brown suit, is Professor Rosen-
  baum. Mimi quickly explains the recent events to her 
  father, before introducing the heroes.
  If Yuchenko is present, Rosenbaum greets him 
  warmly. Rosenbaum then asks to hear everything that 
  has happened in recent days. Afterward, he gets straight 
  to business.
  “Before I begin, you must understand that my 
  family is German and patriotic, but we’re not 
  Nazis. The very thought of what they have done to 
  my homeland sickens me to my core.
  “During the Great War, I worked as a scientist 
  for the military. We were engaged in many secret 
  projects, all of them weapons of war. I cannot 
  atone for what I helped designed, but patriotism 
  blinded me. Fortunately for my soul, none of my 
  designs were ever put to use.
  “But now, now things are different. A scientist 
  by the name of Werner Schmutzig discovered 
  our blueprints and persuaded Hitler to form the 
  Sonderwaffen Abteilung, the Special Weapons Di-
  vision. It seems you have encountered some of our 
  designs, but from what you say, I fear the mad-
  man is looking to create the most terrible weapon 
  of all—the Z-Bomb.
  “The Z-Bomb is not an explosive. In fact, it is an 
  implosive. The warhead contains dozens of super 
  dense metal spheres, metal so dense a piece the 
  size of a pinhead would weigh more than an 
  automobile. These are held is stasis by powerful 
  magnetic ﬁ elds.
  “When the weapon is detonated, the magnetic 
  ﬁ elds reverse, propelling the spheres together at 
  phenomenal speeds. These collide to form a mas-
  sively dense object with a gravitational effect far 
  in excess of that of the Sun. The Z-Bomb doesn’t 
  blow things up—it sucks them in and tears them 
  apart, atom by atom.
  “It’s one weakness is its weight. Even with recent 
  advances in rocketry, there is no way to deliver 
  the weapon to its destination. A completed Z-
  Bomb would weigh many hundreds of tons.”
  Only if specially asked, does Rosenbaum reveal why 
  the Z-Bomb was so named—because the chances of sur-
  viving its effects are zero.
  The Professor doesn’t know where Schmutzig has his 
  headquarters, but it’s likely somewhere very remote—an 
  accident while constructing the Z-Bomb would be cata-
  strophic. However, his unit during the Great War used a 
  partially-ruined castle near the French border as its head-
  quarters. It’s likely the Special Weapons Division still 
  maintains it in one form or another, as it was ﬁ tted with 
  massive subterranean generators to provide power for 
  the experiments. He provides directions to the castle.
  Rosenbaum has no intentions of ever going back to 
  Germany, and France isn’t safe now, either. He begs the 
  characters to take him and his daughter to the airport 
  so they can ﬂ ee the country, ideally to America or Great 
  Britain.
  SCENE 4: JUMPING THE TRAIN
  SCENE 4: JUMPING THE TRAIN
  Paris has two airports, Le Bourget (where Charles 
  Lindbergh landed after his historic ﬂ ight in 1927) and 
  Villeneuve-Orly Airport (ﬁ nished in 1932, and which can 
  cater for airships). Characters who make a successful 
  Streetwise roll learn that a German airship is currently 
  berthed at Villeneuve-Orly. This has nothing to do with 
  the plot, but might give the character cause for concern. 
  The quickest way to reach either airport is via train.
  This scene assumes the characters head for a train 
  station. Should they elect to hire a car, the Nazis arrive 
  on the scene just as they pull away. Run it as a standard 
  Chase using car stats of the GM’s devising or sedans 
  (page 14). There are two Nazi cars, each containing a 
  driver and three passengers.
  As the characters reach the station, they hear of the 
  sounds of squealing brakes and slamming doors. The 
  Nazis, on their way to keep an eye on the main routes 
  out of Paris, have spotted the party.
  This scene is run as a foot Chase. Each Range Incre-
  ment represents 3”. The characters begin three Range 
  Increments ahead of the Nazis.
  There are Light Obstacles, representing fellow com-
  muters. Characters do not suffer a collision if they draw a 
  Club. Instead, the modiﬁ er indicates temporary difﬁ culty 
  working through a crowd. This Chase also uses our Event 
  Stages rules (see below). The Nazis only use guns if ﬁ red 
  upon—France is not yet in German hands.
  Assuming the adventurers outrun or manage to de-
  feat the Nazis, they reach the airport safely. The two pro-
  fessors and Mimi book the next ﬂ ight to Great Britain, 
  which leaves within the hour. The Nazis don’t have time 
  to report their failure and get a car to the airﬁ eld.
  Don’t worry if the chase goes bad and the heroes are 
  defeated. The Nazis kidnap the NPCs, leaving the uncon-
  scious characters where they lie. There is no chance of 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1212
  catching the goons, but the heroes can complete their 
  quest. A chance to free their lost friends occurs later in 
  the adventure.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route, as the participants move through the 
  streets and into the station. Space 20 markers in a line 
  along the table to represent the route. Place a different 
  color marker at the 5th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 20th posi-
  tions. These are the Event Stages.
  Move each combatant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual participant 
  is in relation to the events.
  When a character reaches a Stage, it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Agility rolls 
  apply to the roll made at the start of each round. Un-
  like Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events 
  affect all participants reaching the marker equally unless 
  otherwise noted.
  5th Increment: The chase enters the station. Locat-
  ing the right platform and train forces the ﬁ rst character 
  to reach this stage to halt his movement for the round. 
  The Nazis already know the layout of the station, and 
  don’t suffer any delay at this stage.
  He must make a Notice roll (to spot the name of the 
  airport) or Persuasion roll (to ask the way; non-French 
  speakers suffer a –2 penalty). With success, he may con-
  tinue his running next round as normal. He can also call 
  back to his comrades, allowing them to bypass this event. 
  On a failure, he is stuck at this stage until either he or a 
  fellow hero makes one of the rolls above. He may then 
  continue running at the start of the following round. 
  9th Increment: The chase reaches a ticket booth. A 
  hero who wants to purchase a ticket must end his move-
  ment for the round at this increment. Next round, he 
  suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll due to the delay in 
  ﬁ nding change or a communication barrier. The charac-
  ters don’t have to stop (the Nazis don’t), as there are no 
  barriers to prevent access.
  13th Increment: Two baggage carts have collided, 
  spilling cases all over the place. Angry passengers are 
  clustered around the porters, creating a blockage. Char-
  acters must make an Agility roll at –2 when they reach 
  this stage to clear the obstacles. Failure causes them to 
  immediately end all movement this round and forfeit 
  their next Agility roll as they scramble over the bags.
  16th Increment: A ticket inspector is waiting to 
  check tickets. Heroes who purchased tickets early effec-
  tively ignore this scene, as they can wave their ticket as 
  they speed past.
  Characters who didn’t buy a ticket, or who choose to 
  simply ignore the inspector, suffer a –2 penalty to their 
  next Agility roll, as they must push their way past the 
  man (who is blocking the route) or waste time inventing 
  an excuse.
  20th Increment: The train has arrived, and is spilling 
  passengers onto the platform. The character must make 
  a Strength roll to push their way forward. On a failure, 
  they must halt all movement this round. Next round, 
  they use Strength in place of Agility. Moving past this 
  stage means the character is on the train.
  If all the heroes and their charges reach the train be-
  fore any Nazis, the doors close and it moves off, leaving 
  the goons standing helplessly on the platform. Other-
  wise, the Nazis leap aboard, and a scufﬂ e ensues.
   Nazi Goons (2 per Wild Card): See page 20.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Professor Isaac Rosenbaum: Generic scientist 
  (see page 20).
   Mimi: See page 20.
  ACT 3: INTO THE WOLF’S LAIR
  ACT 3: INTO THE WOLF’S LAIR
  With the civilians safely on their way to freedom (or 
  kidnapped and out of reach), the heroes can now turn 
  their attention to entering Germany. They have direc-
  tions, and how they reach their destination is up to 
  them.
  If they think of simply entering Germany as tourists, 
  have them make Common Knowledge rolls. With suc-
  cess, they realize Schmutzig is likely to have sent their 
  descriptions to his Nazi comrades. Although the border 
  crossing will be guarded, there is no fence around ei-
  ther country—crossing over illegally via a minor road or 
  cross-country is likely to be unopposed.
  Schmutzig has indeed forwarded descriptions of the 
  characters, who he considers his mortal enemies. All bor-
  der guards and airport security personnel are on high 
  alert. Should the party elect to enter Germany openly, 
  the GM must decide what repercussions occur.
  SCENE 1: THE WOLF’S LAIR
  SCENE 1: THE WOLF’S LAIR
  Approaching the castle, the heroes spy an airﬁ eld a 
  few miles away. Sitting on the runway is a large airplane 
  decorated in Nazi markings. Heroes with knowledge 
  of airplanes who pass a Common Knowledge roll at –2 
  recognize it as a Blohm und Voss Ha 139, a long-range 
  seaplane ﬁ rst ﬂ own earlier this year. A raise reveals it has 
  a range of just over 3,000 miles.
  The castle is situated on a low hill and comprises 
  three levels. A tall radio mast rises from a second ﬂ oor 
  balcony.
  There are two guards leaning against the castle door. 
  They spend much of their day talking and smoking rather 
  than patrolling, and count as inactive sentries. Dispatch-
  ing them quietly means no alarm is raised. Gunﬁ re or 
  screams instantly alert the guards on the ground ﬂ oor, 
  who grab their weapons and rush to investigate—but 
  only after hitting the main alarm! The administrators on 
  the upper ﬂ oors also draw their pistols and come to the 
  defense of the castle.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1212
  catching the goons, but the heroes can complete their 
  quest. A chance to free their lost friends occurs later in 
  the adventure.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route, as the participants move through the 
  streets and into the station. Space 20 markers in a line 
  along the table to represent the route. Place a different 
  color marker at the 5th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 20th posi-
  tions. These are the Event Stages.
  Move each combatant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual participant 
  is in relation to the events.
  When a character reaches a Stage, it must deal with an 
  event. These are detailed below. Modiﬁ ers to Agility rolls 
  apply to the roll made at the start of each round. Un-
  like Triple Ace’s standard Obstacles rules, these events 
  affect all participants reaching the marker equally unless 
  otherwise noted.
  5th Increment: The chase enters the station. Locat-
  ing the right platform and train forces the ﬁ rst character 
  to reach this stage to halt his movement for the round. 
  The Nazis already know the layout of the station, and 
  don’t suffer any delay at this stage.
  He must make a Notice roll (to spot the name of the 
  airport) or Persuasion roll (to ask the way; non-French 
  speakers suffer a –2 penalty). With success, he may con-
  tinue his running next round as normal. He can also call 
  back to his comrades, allowing them to bypass this event. 
  On a failure, he is stuck at this stage until either he or a 
  fellow hero makes one of the rolls above. He may then 
  continue running at the start of the following round. 
  9th Increment: The chase reaches a ticket booth. A 
  hero who wants to purchase a ticket must end his move-
  ment for the round at this increment. Next round, he 
  suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll due to the delay in 
  ﬁ nding change or a communication barrier. The charac-
  ters don’t have to stop (the Nazis don’t), as there are no 
  barriers to prevent access.
  13th Increment: Two baggage carts have collided, 
  spilling cases all over the place. Angry passengers are 
  clustered around the porters, creating a blockage. Char-
  acters must make an Agility roll at –2 when they reach 
  this stage to clear the obstacles. Failure causes them to 
  immediately end all movement this round and forfeit 
  their next Agility roll as they scramble over the bags.
  16th Increment: A ticket inspector is waiting to 
  check tickets. Heroes who purchased tickets early effec-
  tively ignore this scene, as they can wave their ticket as 
  they speed past.
  Characters who didn’t buy a ticket, or who choose to 
  simply ignore the inspector, suffer a –2 penalty to their 
  next Agility roll, as they must push their way past the 
  man (who is blocking the route) or waste time inventing 
  an excuse.
  20th Increment: The train has arrived, and is spilling 
  passengers onto the platform. The character must make 
  a Strength roll to push their way forward. On a failure, 
  they must halt all movement this round. Next round, 
  they use Strength in place of Agility. Moving past this 
  stage means the character is on the train.
  If all the heroes and their charges reach the train be-
  fore any Nazis, the doors close and it moves off, leaving 
  the goons standing helplessly on the platform. Other-
  wise, the Nazis leap aboard, and a scufﬂ e ensues.
   Nazi Goons (2 per Wild Card): See page 20.
   Professor Vasily Yuchenko: Generic scientist (see 
  page 20).
   Professor Isaac Rosenbaum: Generic scientist 
  (see page 20).
   Mimi: See page 20.
  ACT 3: INTO THE WOLF’S LAIR
  ACT 3: INTO THE WOLF’S LAIR
  With the civilians safely on their way to freedom (or 
  kidnapped and out of reach), the heroes can now turn 
  their attention to entering Germany. They have direc-
  tions, and how they reach their destination is up to 
  them.
  If they think of simply entering Germany as tourists, 
  have them make Common Knowledge rolls. With suc-
  cess, they realize Schmutzig is likely to have sent their 
  descriptions to his Nazi comrades. Although the border 
  crossing will be guarded, there is no fence around ei-
  ther country—crossing over illegally via a minor road or 
  cross-country is likely to be unopposed.
  Schmutzig has indeed forwarded descriptions of the 
  characters, who he considers his mortal enemies. All bor-
  der guards and airport security personnel are on high 
  alert. Should the party elect to enter Germany openly, 
  the GM must decide what repercussions occur.
  SCENE 1: THE WOLF’S LAIR
  SCENE 1: THE WOLF’S LAIR
  Approaching the castle, the heroes spy an airﬁ eld a 
  few miles away. Sitting on the runway is a large airplane 
  decorated in Nazi markings. Heroes with knowledge 
  of airplanes who pass a Common Knowledge roll at –2 
  recognize it as a Blohm und Voss Ha 139, a long-range 
  seaplane ﬁ rst ﬂ own earlier this year. A raise reveals it has 
  a range of just over 3,000 miles.
  The castle is situated on a low hill and comprises 
  three levels. A tall radio mast rises from a second ﬂ oor 
  balcony.
  There are two guards leaning against the castle door. 
  They spend much of their day talking and smoking rather 
  than patrolling, and count as inactive sentries. Dispatch-
  ing them quietly means no alarm is raised. Gunﬁ re or 
  screams instantly alert the guards on the ground ﬂ oor, 
  who grab their weapons and rush to investigate—but 
  only after hitting the main alarm! The administrators on 
  the upper ﬂ oors also draw their pistols and come to the 
  defense of the castle.
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1313
  Parked around the corner, out of the guard’s view, is 
  a German staff car, with Abteilung für experimentielle 
  Waffengattungen (the formal name of the Special Weap-
  ons Division) marked on the doors. The vehicle isn’t 
  locked, but there is nothing of interest inside except a 
  hat and a long leather coat with the rank markings of an 
  army captain.
  This could be used in a subterfuge to get near to the 
  outside guards, so as to knock them out quickly and 
  quietly. Assuming the fake captain isn’t female and some-
  one can speak German (the “ofﬁ cer” may act arrogant 
  enough not to speak with enlisted men), this ruse gives 
  the heroes the Drop when they attack.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20.
  GROUND FLOOR: GUARD ROOM & MESS HALL
  GROUND FLOOR: GUARD ROOM & MESS HALL
  The ground ﬂ oor comprises an open plan guard 
  room, behind which are a small kitchen and a toilet. This 
  ﬂ oor is manned around the clock, with two soldiers on 
  patrol outside and two on duty inside.
  Four pilots are currently in here drinking tea with 
  the soldiers. They are due to ﬂ y to the secret polar base 
  soon, and are waiting for their ﬂ ight papers. As loyal to 
  Schmutzig as the guards, they help to defeat any attack-
  ers. The guards are wearing fur-lined ﬂ ight suits and 
  helmets, ideal for characters who might want to imper-
  sonate them.
   Nazi Soldier (2): See page 20.
   Nazi Pilots (4): As Nazi soldier (page 20) but armed 
  only with pistols.
  SECOND FLOOR: OFFICES
  SECOND FLOOR: OFFICES
  Three ofﬁ ces are housed here. The circular ofﬁ ce is 
  used by the commander, Colonel Reinhardt. He is not 
  present when the heroes invade. 
  The smaller ofﬁ ce has a map of Antarctica on the 
  wall, marked with a red dot. Adjacent to the dot are the 
  words, “Camp Z–1.” This is the site of Schmutzig’s secret 
  research base. A second map shows the East Coast of 
  America. New York City has been crossed out!
  Characters who search the ofﬁ ce may make a Notice 
  roll. With success, they locate four identity cards (those 
  of the pilots) and ﬂ ight plans for a trip to the polar base. 
  The seaplane parked on the airﬁ eld is listed as due to de-
  part this afternoon with stores of food and cold weather 
  survival gear. An administrator is on duty here.
  The ﬁ nal ofﬁ ce contains dozens of ﬁ ling cabinets. 
  Within these are dozens of blueprints for advanced 
  weapons and other weird science gizmos. An administra-
  tor is on duty here.
   Nazi Administrators (2): As Nazi soldiers (see page 
  20), but armed only with pistols and no helmets.
  THIRD FLOOR: RADIO ROOM & RESEARCH LAB
  THIRD FLOOR: RADIO ROOM & RESEARCH LAB
  The castle is really only used now as Schmutzig’s pri-
  vate workshop. As such, only a single laboratory remains 
  operational (the admin ofﬁ ces were once labs). Four sci-
  entists are in here working on a new form of riﬂ e, which 
  ﬁ res concentrated beams of light. The device is far from 
  complete and is nonfunctional.
  Opposite the lab is a radio room, manned by a single 
  operator. Every day, Schmutzig radios in for a status 
  report. The wireless is set to the Antarctic base’s fre-
  quency.
  The last room is a storage cupboard for the scientists 
  and contains lab equipment and tools.
   Radio Operator (1): As Nazi soldiers (see page 20) 
  but armed only with pistols and no helmets.
   Nazi Scientists (4): As generic scientist (page 
  20).
  SCENE 2: SIDECAR SITUATIONS
  SCENE 2: SIDECAR SITUATIONS
  The quickest way to the airﬁ eld is using the staff car. 
  It’s also a great tool for entering the base in disguise. This 
  scene assumes the characters take the car. If they elect to 
  walk, or take the car and head for a different destination, 
  the GM will have to tweak the scene as necessary.
  As the party heads toward the airﬁ eld, they hear the 
  roar of motorbikes approaching from behind. Tearing 
  round the corner are German motorbikes, each ﬁ tted 
  with a sidecar.
  Run this scene as a Chase. The Nazis begin 3 Range 
  Increments behind the heroes, and each Range Incre-
  ments represents 10”. This scene uses our alternate Ob-
  stacles rules.
  The chase begins along a track running through a 
  lightly wooded area. A character can elect to head off-
  road and drive through adjoining ﬁ elds at any time. The 
  Nazis loyally follow. Driving through the ﬁ elds gives all 
  drivers a –2 penalty to Driving rolls, due to the rough 
  terrain.
  If the heroes successfully ﬂ ee, they outfox their pur-
  suers, who roar off along the wrong road in search of 
  them.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Flocking Sheep: A herd of sheep is 
  moving across the track between ﬁ elds. A failure causes 
  no speciﬁ c problems, other than the vehicle making no 
  progress this round.
  Three (–2) Fallen Tree: A bump in the road sends 
  the vehicle heading toward a fallen tree lying on the edge 
  of the road. Failure causes a collision with a stationary 
  hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Gate: A half-closed wooden gate is block-
  ing the trail. A failure causes a crash with a soft Obstacle 
  as the vehicle smashes into the obstruction.
  Five (–2/–4) Tractor: A farmer is plodding along on 
  his antiquated tractor, which takes up most of the lane. 
  The hero must decide whether he wants to try and over-
  take or stay behind the tractor until it turns off. The pur-
  suing Nazis try to overtake if they are 3 or more Range 
  Increments behind the group.
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1313
  Parked around the corner, out of the guard’s view, is 
  a German staff car, with Abteilung für experimentielle 
  Waffengattungen (the formal name of the Special Weap-
  ons Division) marked on the doors. The vehicle isn’t 
  locked, but there is nothing of interest inside except a 
  hat and a long leather coat with the rank markings of an 
  army captain.
  This could be used in a subterfuge to get near to the 
  outside guards, so as to knock them out quickly and 
  quietly. Assuming the fake captain isn’t female and some-
  one can speak German (the “ofﬁ cer” may act arrogant 
  enough not to speak with enlisted men), this ruse gives 
  the heroes the Drop when they attack.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20.
  GROUND FLOOR: GUARD ROOM & MESS HALL
  GROUND FLOOR: GUARD ROOM & MESS HALL
  The ground ﬂ oor comprises an open plan guard 
  room, behind which are a small kitchen and a toilet. This 
  ﬂ oor is manned around the clock, with two soldiers on 
  patrol outside and two on duty inside.
  Four pilots are currently in here drinking tea with 
  the soldiers. They are due to ﬂ y to the secret polar base 
  soon, and are waiting for their ﬂ ight papers. As loyal to 
  Schmutzig as the guards, they help to defeat any attack-
  ers. The guards are wearing fur-lined ﬂ ight suits and 
  helmets, ideal for characters who might want to imper-
  sonate them.
   Nazi Soldier (2): See page 20.
   Nazi Pilots (4): As Nazi soldier (page 20) but armed 
  only with pistols.
  SECOND FLOOR: OFFICES
  SECOND FLOOR: OFFICES
  Three ofﬁ ces are housed here. The circular ofﬁ ce is 
  used by the commander, Colonel Reinhardt. He is not 
  present when the heroes invade. 
  The smaller ofﬁ ce has a map of Antarctica on the 
  wall, marked with a red dot. Adjacent to the dot are the 
  words, “Camp Z–1.” This is the site of Schmutzig’s secret 
  research base. A second map shows the East Coast of 
  America. New York City has been crossed out!
  Characters who search the ofﬁ ce may make a Notice 
  roll. With success, they locate four identity cards (those 
  of the pilots) and ﬂ ight plans for a trip to the polar base. 
  The seaplane parked on the airﬁ eld is listed as due to de-
  part this afternoon with stores of food and cold weather 
  survival gear. An administrator is on duty here.
  The ﬁ nal ofﬁ ce contains dozens of ﬁ ling cabinets. 
  Within these are dozens of blueprints for advanced 
  weapons and other weird science gizmos. An administra-
  tor is on duty here.
   Nazi Administrators (2): As Nazi soldiers (see page 
  20), but armed only with pistols and no helmets.
  THIRD FLOOR: RADIO ROOM & RESEARCH LAB
  THIRD FLOOR: RADIO ROOM & RESEARCH LAB
  The castle is really only used now as Schmutzig’s pri-
  vate workshop. As such, only a single laboratory remains 
  operational (the admin ofﬁ ces were once labs). Four sci-
  entists are in here working on a new form of riﬂ e, which 
  ﬁ res concentrated beams of light. The device is far from 
  complete and is nonfunctional.
  Opposite the lab is a radio room, manned by a single 
  operator. Every day, Schmutzig radios in for a status 
  report. The wireless is set to the Antarctic base’s fre-
  quency.
  The last room is a storage cupboard for the scientists 
  and contains lab equipment and tools.
   Radio Operator (1): As Nazi soldiers (see page 20) 
  but armed only with pistols and no helmets.
   Nazi Scientists (4): As generic scientist (page 
  20).
  SCENE 2: SIDECAR SITUATIONS
  SCENE 2: SIDECAR SITUATIONS
  The quickest way to the airﬁ eld is using the staff car. 
  It’s also a great tool for entering the base in disguise. This 
  scene assumes the characters take the car. If they elect to 
  walk, or take the car and head for a different destination, 
  the GM will have to tweak the scene as necessary.
  As the party heads toward the airﬁ eld, they hear the 
  roar of motorbikes approaching from behind. Tearing 
  round the corner are German motorbikes, each ﬁ tted 
  with a sidecar.
  Run this scene as a Chase. The Nazis begin 3 Range 
  Increments behind the heroes, and each Range Incre-
  ments represents 10”. This scene uses our alternate Ob-
  stacles rules.
  The chase begins along a track running through a 
  lightly wooded area. A character can elect to head off-
  road and drive through adjoining ﬁ elds at any time. The 
  Nazis loyally follow. Driving through the ﬁ elds gives all 
  drivers a –2 penalty to Driving rolls, due to the rough 
  terrain.
  If the heroes successfully ﬂ ee, they outfox their pur-
  suers, who roar off along the wrong road in search of 
  them.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Flocking Sheep: A herd of sheep is 
  moving across the track between ﬁ elds. A failure causes 
  no speciﬁ c problems, other than the vehicle making no 
  progress this round.
  Three (–2) Fallen Tree: A bump in the road sends 
  the vehicle heading toward a fallen tree lying on the edge 
  of the road. Failure causes a collision with a stationary 
  hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Gate: A half-closed wooden gate is block-
  ing the trail. A failure causes a crash with a soft Obstacle 
  as the vehicle smashes into the obstruction.
  Five (–2/–4) Tractor: A farmer is plodding along on 
  his antiquated tractor, which takes up most of the lane. 
  The hero must decide whether he wants to try and over-
  take or stay behind the tractor until it turns off. The pur-
  suing Nazis try to overtake if they are 3 or more Range 
  Increments behind the group.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1414
  Overtaking gives a –2 penalty to the Driving roll. With 
  failure, the vehicle scrapes along a hedge or low wall, 
  suffering a collision with a stationary soft Obstacle. 
  Staying put behind the tractor gives a –4 penalty, but 
  no risk of an accident. A failure means the vehicle sim-
  ply failed to make any ground due to its extremely slow 
  speed.
  Six (–2) Cow: A large cow steps right into the char-
  acters’ path. A failed Driving roll causes a collision with 
  a stationary hard Obstacle as the driver veers into a tree 
  while trying to avoid the beast.
  Seven (–2) Rough Ground: A lack of maintenance 
  has left the track badly pitted and holed. Failure causes 
  the vehicle to go Out of Control.
  Eight (–1) Messy: A bird drops a load right onto the 
  windshield or a biker’s goggles. An action must be spent 
  to clear the mess. Until this is done, the driver suffers a 
  –1 penalty to all Driving rolls.
  Nine (–1) Low Branch: A low branch forces the 
  driver to take evasive action. Failure causes a collision 
  with a soft Obstacle.
  Ten (–1) Slippery Gravel: The section of track the 
  vehicle drives onto is covered in loose, slippery gravel. A 
  failure causes the vehicle to go Out of Control.
  Jack (0) Hunting Season: The chase takes the ve-
  hicles close to where farmers are hunting rabbits and 
  birds. Just as the vehicle clears a hedge, a volley of 
  shotgun pellets is ﬁ red across the road. Roll three d6. 
  For each 1 that comes up, the vehicle takes 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra).
  Queen (–1) Deep Puddle: A puddle is actually a lot 
  deeper than it looks. A failed Driving roll means the ve-
  hicle automatically goes Out of Control.
  King (–2) Another Tractor: Without checking to see 
  if the track is clear, a farmer pulls his tractor onto the 
  road. The vehicle suffers a collision with a hard Obstacle 
  if the Driving roll is failed.
  Ace (0) Dead End: A wrong turn leads to a dead-end, 
  not a short cut. A failed roll means the driver failed to re-
  alize in time. His vehicle drops back a Range Increment 
  as he turns and drives back onto the track.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20. There is 
  one driver and one passenger in the sidecar.
  GERMAN STAFF CAR
  GERMAN STAFF CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 14/28; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SCENE 3: STEALING AN AIRPLANE
  SCENE 3: STEALING AN AIRPLANE
  The logical place to head is the airﬁ eld. After all, it 
  has a plane ﬁ tted out with arctic exploration gear and 
  is fuelled and ready. The airﬁ eld is operated by the Luft-
  waffe, but commanded by the Special Weapons Division 
  at the castle.
  Stealing the plane doesn’t have to involve any vio-
  lence. The characters are in a German staff car belong-
  ing to the Special Weapons Division, and they may even 
  have identity cards and ﬂ ight plans to hand over to the 
  guards at the gate. Of course, a party which speaks no 
  German has less chance of pulling off a deception unless 
  the characters are clever (such as answers questions with 
  grunt, frowns, or glancing at their watches to indicate 
  they are in a hurry).
  Should a ﬁ ght occur, the battleﬁ eld covers whatever 
  size gaming table you’re using. Place the heroes’ car 
  at one end and something to represent the airplane 
  at the other end. The plane is facing toward the char-
  acters. Ideally, the gap should be around 30”. There 
  are several wooden huts (4” by 3”) near the gate. Two 
  soldiers guard the gate. The others are in the huts, and 
  emerge the round after an alarm is raised (or shots are 
  ﬁ red).
  Climbing into the plane requires an action, as does 
  moving into the cockpit. It then requires a Piloting roll 
  to make the plane ready without all the pre-ﬂ ight checks 
  and tests normally required. Once the plane is ﬁ red up 
  and everyone is aboard, it accelerates 12” per round 
  until it reaches the end of the table, at which point it 
  takes off.
  For the sake of drama, any bullets hitting the plane 
  simply puncture harmless holes in the fuselage.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20.
  THE PLANE’S CONTENTS
  THE PLANE’S CONTENTS
  The plane has a small gun locker holding two auto-
  matic pistols with a pair of magazines each, and a ﬂ are 
  gun and six ﬂ ares. The statistics for the pistols can be 
  found in the Nazi thug stat block (page 20). Two light 
  machineguns are stored in the hold, along with belts of 
  ammunition.
  The cargo hold contains dozens of crates. These hold 
  enough sets of winter clothing, skis, ration packs, tents, 
  portable stoves, fuel pellets, shovels, bundles of rope, 
  and so on to support a six man expedition for several 
  months.
  Skis: A character wearing skies treats snow and ice 
  as normal terrain, but has his Pace halved (minimum of 
  1) and cannot run on other terrain. He rolls an extra d6 
  when “running” downhill on ice or snow. Donning or 
  removing snow shoes takes an action. Weight: 4 lbs.
  SCENE 4: FROZEN SKIES
  SCENE 4: FROZEN SKIES
  The trip to Antarctica requires several fuel stops. The 
  GM is free to add in his own encounters as he wishes, 
  but the adventure assumes a red line appears on a map 
  as the heroes head south.
  For the last few hundred miles the sea has gradu-
  ally ﬁ lled with ice. Sporadic ﬂ ows and icebergs 
  have now turned into a solid white mass. Accord-
  ing to your charts, you’re not far from the actual 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1414
  Overtaking gives a –2 penalty to the Driving roll. With 
  failure, the vehicle scrapes along a hedge or low wall, 
  suffering a collision with a stationary soft Obstacle. 
  Staying put behind the tractor gives a –4 penalty, but 
  no risk of an accident. A failure means the vehicle sim-
  ply failed to make any ground due to its extremely slow 
  speed.
  Six (–2) Cow: A large cow steps right into the char-
  acters’ path. A failed Driving roll causes a collision with 
  a stationary hard Obstacle as the driver veers into a tree 
  while trying to avoid the beast.
  Seven (–2) Rough Ground: A lack of maintenance 
  has left the track badly pitted and holed. Failure causes 
  the vehicle to go Out of Control.
  Eight (–1) Messy: A bird drops a load right onto the 
  windshield or a biker’s goggles. An action must be spent 
  to clear the mess. Until this is done, the driver suffers a 
  –1 penalty to all Driving rolls.
  Nine (–1) Low Branch: A low branch forces the 
  driver to take evasive action. Failure causes a collision 
  with a soft Obstacle.
  Ten (–1) Slippery Gravel: The section of track the 
  vehicle drives onto is covered in loose, slippery gravel. A 
  failure causes the vehicle to go Out of Control.
  Jack (0) Hunting Season: The chase takes the ve-
  hicles close to where farmers are hunting rabbits and 
  birds. Just as the vehicle clears a hedge, a volley of 
  shotgun pellets is ﬁ red across the road. Roll three d6. 
  For each 1 that comes up, the vehicle takes 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra).
  Queen (–1) Deep Puddle: A puddle is actually a lot 
  deeper than it looks. A failed Driving roll means the ve-
  hicle automatically goes Out of Control.
  King (–2) Another Tractor: Without checking to see 
  if the track is clear, a farmer pulls his tractor onto the 
  road. The vehicle suffers a collision with a hard Obstacle 
  if the Driving roll is failed.
  Ace (0) Dead End: A wrong turn leads to a dead-end, 
  not a short cut. A failed roll means the driver failed to re-
  alize in time. His vehicle drops back a Range Increment 
  as he turns and drives back onto the track.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20. There is 
  one driver and one passenger in the sidecar.
  GERMAN STAFF CAR
  GERMAN STAFF CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 14/28; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SCENE 3: STEALING AN AIRPLANE
  SCENE 3: STEALING AN AIRPLANE
  The logical place to head is the airﬁ eld. After all, it 
  has a plane ﬁ tted out with arctic exploration gear and 
  is fuelled and ready. The airﬁ eld is operated by the Luft-
  waffe, but commanded by the Special Weapons Division 
  at the castle.
  Stealing the plane doesn’t have to involve any vio-
  lence. The characters are in a German staff car belong-
  ing to the Special Weapons Division, and they may even 
  have identity cards and ﬂ ight plans to hand over to the 
  guards at the gate. Of course, a party which speaks no 
  German has less chance of pulling off a deception unless 
  the characters are clever (such as answers questions with 
  grunt, frowns, or glancing at their watches to indicate 
  they are in a hurry).
  Should a ﬁ ght occur, the battleﬁ eld covers whatever 
  size gaming table you’re using. Place the heroes’ car 
  at one end and something to represent the airplane 
  at the other end. The plane is facing toward the char-
  acters. Ideally, the gap should be around 30”. There 
  are several wooden huts (4” by 3”) near the gate. Two 
  soldiers guard the gate. The others are in the huts, and 
  emerge the round after an alarm is raised (or shots are 
  ﬁ red).
  Climbing into the plane requires an action, as does 
  moving into the cockpit. It then requires a Piloting roll 
  to make the plane ready without all the pre-ﬂ ight checks 
  and tests normally required. Once the plane is ﬁ red up 
  and everyone is aboard, it accelerates 12” per round 
  until it reaches the end of the table, at which point it 
  takes off.
  For the sake of drama, any bullets hitting the plane 
  simply puncture harmless holes in the fuselage.
   Nazi Soldier (2 per hero): See page 20.
  THE PLANE’S CONTENTS
  THE PLANE’S CONTENTS
  The plane has a small gun locker holding two auto-
  matic pistols with a pair of magazines each, and a ﬂ are 
  gun and six ﬂ ares. The statistics for the pistols can be 
  found in the Nazi thug stat block (page 20). Two light 
  machineguns are stored in the hold, along with belts of 
  ammunition.
  The cargo hold contains dozens of crates. These hold 
  enough sets of winter clothing, skis, ration packs, tents, 
  portable stoves, fuel pellets, shovels, bundles of rope, 
  and so on to support a six man expedition for several 
  months.
  Skis: A character wearing skies treats snow and ice 
  as normal terrain, but has his Pace halved (minimum of 
  1) and cannot run on other terrain. He rolls an extra d6 
  when “running” downhill on ice or snow. Donning or 
  removing snow shoes takes an action. Weight: 4 lbs.
  SCENE 4: FROZEN SKIES
  SCENE 4: FROZEN SKIES
  The trip to Antarctica requires several fuel stops. The 
  GM is free to add in his own encounters as he wishes, 
  but the adventure assumes a red line appears on a map 
  as the heroes head south.
  For the last few hundred miles the sea has gradu-
  ally ﬁ lled with ice. Sporadic ﬂ ows and icebergs 
  have now turned into a solid white mass. Accord-
  ing to your charts, you’re not far from the actual 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1515
  coast of Antarctica. Your destination is still sev-
  eral hundred miles away, though.
  Uh-oh, looks like you’ve got company! Two Ger-
  man ﬁ ghters have drifted down from the clouds 
  and are now ﬂ ying parallel. The pilots peer 
  through the cockpit at your airplane, then peel off, 
  dropping back behind you.
  Having discovered the break in at the castle and theft 
  of the plane, the Special Weapons Division in Germany 
  contacted Schmutzig. After calculating likely routes, he 
  dispatched two planes on an intercept course with or-
  ders to shoot down any approaching craft. The doctor’s 
  genius did him proud, for he guided the interceptors 
  straight to the heroes.
  The characters can make contact with the pilots over 
  the radio and try to bluff them, but it doesn’t do any 
  good. The Nazis make it quite clear the heroes are about 
  to be eating a lot of lead.
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. No Obstacles 
  are present. The Nazis begin 3 Range Increments behind 
  the characters, and each Range Increments equates to 
  10”.
   Nazi Pilots (2): Treat as Nazi soldiers (page 20).
  HA-139 SEAPLANE
  HA-139 SEAPLANE
  A long-range cargo plane, the Ha-139 seaplane is 
  powered by four engines. It has no ﬁ xed gunnery posi-
  tions, forcing gunners to ﬁ re through windows in the 
  fuselage.
  Acc/Top Speed: 12/72; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 4+8
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 2 x Light MG (Range: 30/60/120; Damage 2d8; ROF 3, 
  AP 2)
  MESSERSCHMITT BF 109GW
  MESSERSCHMITT BF 109GW
  One of the iconic aircraft of World War 2, this version 
  has been modiﬁ ed for arctic conditions.
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/140; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 1 x 20mm cannon (Range: 50/100/200; Damage 3d8; 
  ROF 3, AP 4, HW)
  * 2 x linked light machineguns (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 4: ANTARCTICA
  ACT 4: ANTARCTICA
  Since it’s nearly Christmas, Antarctica is enjoying its 
  summer. This isn’t to say its warm—in fact, the tempera-
  ture struggles to rise above freezing, even around the 
  coast. Assuming the heroes take sensible precautions, 
  like wearing winter clothing and sleeping in tents, the 
  ambient temperature causes no undue problems.
  The one noticeable feature of the polar summer is 
  the sun, which barely sets this time of year. For an hour 
  either side of midnight the ambient lighting is Dim (–1) 
  as dusk falls across the ice and snow—otherwise it is 
  daylight.
  Antarctica is, for the most part, uninhabited. Aside 
  from the Nazis, the only occupants in 1936 are members 
  of the British Graham Land Expedition (exploring the 
  Antarctic Peninsula from their base on Winter Island), 
  the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (exploring and pho-
  tographing the coast of the West Antarctic Ice Shelf), and 
  temporary whaling camps dotted sporadically along the 
  coast. While it is possible for a hero to use a Contact in 
  this Act, the character needs a very good story to cover 
  bumping into an old acquaintance.
  GOING DOWN
  GOING DOWN
  As the seaplane passes over the Antarctic coast, the 
  engines begin to splutter and die. This might be due to 
  the intense cold, or a stray bullet in the dogﬁ ght could 
  have pierced the fuel tank. Whatever the cause, the air-
  craft can’t maintain altitude for long.
  If the pilot elects to land as soon as possible, the land-
  ing is smooth. Pushing further risks stalling as fuel runs 
  out or the engines freeze. Landing the plane without 
  power is treated as a crash landing. The heroes won’t 
  need the plane again.
  SCENE 1: BLOOD IN THE SNOW
  SCENE 1: BLOOD IN THE SNOW
  After a long day traveling, the characters have 
  stopped to make camp. Don’t prompt them about post-
  ing sentries—they’re in a hostile landscape potentially 
  crawling with Nazis, so that should be something they 
  think of themselves. If sentries are posted, ask them to 
  work out a quick schedule. Remember, a hero requires 
  six hours of sleep a night to avoid the effects of sleep 
  deprivation.
  A group of yetis, brought here from the Himalayas to 
  serve the Nazis, have detected the camp and are slowly 
  moving to investigate. They may be animals, but they’re 
  extremely cunning ones. Allow the sentry on duty around 
  4 a.m. a Notice roll. This is opposed by the yetis Stealth 
  roll of d8+4. Roll individually for the yetis, as they’re 
  coming from different angles. One yeti approaches 
  from each cardinal point in an attempt to cut off escape 
  routes.
  If the guard fails to spot the yetis, they launch their 
  attack from 5” away from the nearest camp obstacle (be 
  that the sentry or a tent). If he spots them, they begin 12” 
  away. Read the following text, and place the creatures on 
  the tabletop.
  Emerging through the snow are humanoid crea-
  tures. Each is taller and brawnier than a man and 
  covered in thick, white fur. Small, yellow eyes hint 
  at their animal cunning, while their long claws 
  indicate they are more than capable of ripping 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1515
  coast of Antarctica. Your destination is still sev-
  eral hundred miles away, though.
  Uh-oh, looks like you’ve got company! Two Ger-
  man ﬁ ghters have drifted down from the clouds 
  and are now ﬂ ying parallel. The pilots peer 
  through the cockpit at your airplane, then peel off, 
  dropping back behind you.
  Having discovered the break in at the castle and theft 
  of the plane, the Special Weapons Division in Germany 
  contacted Schmutzig. After calculating likely routes, he 
  dispatched two planes on an intercept course with or-
  ders to shoot down any approaching craft. The doctor’s 
  genius did him proud, for he guided the interceptors 
  straight to the heroes.
  The characters can make contact with the pilots over 
  the radio and try to bluff them, but it doesn’t do any 
  good. The Nazis make it quite clear the heroes are about 
  to be eating a lot of lead.
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. No Obstacles 
  are present. The Nazis begin 3 Range Increments behind 
  the characters, and each Range Increments equates to 
  10”.
   Nazi Pilots (2): Treat as Nazi soldiers (page 20).
  HA-139 SEAPLANE
  HA-139 SEAPLANE
  A long-range cargo plane, the Ha-139 seaplane is 
  powered by four engines. It has no ﬁ xed gunnery posi-
  tions, forcing gunners to ﬁ re through windows in the 
  fuselage.
  Acc/Top Speed: 12/72; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 4+8
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 2 x Light MG (Range: 30/60/120; Damage 2d8; ROF 3, 
  AP 2)
  MESSERSCHMITT BF 109GW
  MESSERSCHMITT BF 109GW
  One of the iconic aircraft of World War 2, this version 
  has been modiﬁ ed for arctic conditions.
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/140; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 1 x 20mm cannon (Range: 50/100/200; Damage 3d8; 
  ROF 3, AP 4, HW)
  * 2 x linked light machineguns (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  30/60/120; Damage 2d8+1; ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 4: ANTARCTICA
  ACT 4: ANTARCTICA
  Since it’s nearly Christmas, Antarctica is enjoying its 
  summer. This isn’t to say its warm—in fact, the tempera-
  ture struggles to rise above freezing, even around the 
  coast. Assuming the heroes take sensible precautions, 
  like wearing winter clothing and sleeping in tents, the 
  ambient temperature causes no undue problems.
  The one noticeable feature of the polar summer is 
  the sun, which barely sets this time of year. For an hour 
  either side of midnight the ambient lighting is Dim (–1) 
  as dusk falls across the ice and snow—otherwise it is 
  daylight.
  Antarctica is, for the most part, uninhabited. Aside 
  from the Nazis, the only occupants in 1936 are members 
  of the British Graham Land Expedition (exploring the 
  Antarctic Peninsula from their base on Winter Island), 
  the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (exploring and pho-
  tographing the coast of the West Antarctic Ice Shelf), and 
  temporary whaling camps dotted sporadically along the 
  coast. While it is possible for a hero to use a Contact in 
  this Act, the character needs a very good story to cover 
  bumping into an old acquaintance.
  GOING DOWN
  GOING DOWN
  As the seaplane passes over the Antarctic coast, the 
  engines begin to splutter and die. This might be due to 
  the intense cold, or a stray bullet in the dogﬁ ght could 
  have pierced the fuel tank. Whatever the cause, the air-
  craft can’t maintain altitude for long.
  If the pilot elects to land as soon as possible, the land-
  ing is smooth. Pushing further risks stalling as fuel runs 
  out or the engines freeze. Landing the plane without 
  power is treated as a crash landing. The heroes won’t 
  need the plane again.
  SCENE 1: BLOOD IN THE SNOW
  SCENE 1: BLOOD IN THE SNOW
  After a long day traveling, the characters have 
  stopped to make camp. Don’t prompt them about post-
  ing sentries—they’re in a hostile landscape potentially 
  crawling with Nazis, so that should be something they 
  think of themselves. If sentries are posted, ask them to 
  work out a quick schedule. Remember, a hero requires 
  six hours of sleep a night to avoid the effects of sleep 
  deprivation.
  A group of yetis, brought here from the Himalayas to 
  serve the Nazis, have detected the camp and are slowly 
  moving to investigate. They may be animals, but they’re 
  extremely cunning ones. Allow the sentry on duty around 
  4 a.m. a Notice roll. This is opposed by the yetis Stealth 
  roll of d8+4. Roll individually for the yetis, as they’re 
  coming from different angles. One yeti approaches 
  from each cardinal point in an attempt to cut off escape 
  routes.
  If the guard fails to spot the yetis, they launch their 
  attack from 5” away from the nearest camp obstacle (be 
  that the sentry or a tent). If he spots them, they begin 12” 
  away. Read the following text, and place the creatures on 
  the tabletop.
  Emerging through the snow are humanoid crea-
  tures. Each is taller and brawnier than a man and 
  covered in thick, white fur. Small, yellow eyes hint 
  at their animal cunning, while their long claws 
  indicate they are more than capable of ripping 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1616
  open ﬂ esh. They’re powerful legs and large feet 
  propel them over the snow like it was asphalt.
  The sentry must check for Surprise if he failed his 
  Notice roll. Characters not on duty must always check 
  for Surprise, as the beasts surge forward with a roar. Deal 
  action cards as appropriate. 
  Sleeping characters who failed their roll remain asleep. 
  Gunshots, cries for help, or having a yeti smash through 
  the tent are all good incentives to awaken quickly. Any of 
  these allow a character to awaken. He joins in the ﬁ ght at 
  the start of the next round.
  Roused characters must take one action to get out of 
  their blankets and another to grab their weapon (unless 
  they have Quick Draw). Attacking in the same round 
  thus gives a –4 penalty due to the multi action penal-
  ties.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Place the heroes’ tents 
  (as many as they require) in the center. These measure 
  2” by 1”.
  The terrain is a mixture of snow and exposed rock. 
  Movement over the snow is treated as difﬁ cult ground. 
  The GM should scatter six Small Burst 
  Templates (face down) to represent 
  patches of rock (or use other terrain/
  markers he has to hand).
   Yetis (1 per hero): See page 21.
  STUDYING THE CORPSES
  STUDYING THE CORPSES
  A Notice roll made while studying a 
  yeti corpse detects a linear scar running 
  around the top of the beast’s skull. Learn-
  ing more requires removal of the top of 
  the skull. Once done, it becomes obvi-
  ous the creatures have been surgically 
  altered. Connected to the brain is a small 
  electrical device. A Repair (–2) or Weird 
  Science roll determines it is designed to 
  provide rudimentary control of the beast 
  based on voice recognition.
  SCENE 2: MUSH, MUSH
  SCENE 2: MUSH, MUSH
  It’s late in the afternoon of the third 
  day before you see any more signs of 
  life. Cresting a low mound is a group 
  of skiers clad in winter clothing. They 
  eye you for a moment before propel-
  ling themselves forward, readying 
  SMGs once they have picked up 
  speed.
  The Nazis are a routine patrol. Any 
  expedition from the submarine would 
  comprise many more men, or at least 
  have sent out a mayday or ﬁ red ﬂ ares if 
  there was a major problem, so the sol-
  diers take matters into their own hands 
  and assume whoever is on the ice is a potential threat 
  to their secret base. As such, they give chase. They don’t 
  ﬁ re, however, unless the characters deliberately start 
  ﬂ eeing or ﬁ re ﬁ rst.
  Subterfuge is a possibility, though only if the charac-
  ters speak German. The Nazis are suspicious, especially if 
  there are women in the party, but they’re not always told 
  about visitors. They can be bluffed with a Persuasion roll 
  at –2 (or some good roleplaying), but the consequences 
  for failure are harsh—being surrounded by stationary 
  soldiers armed with SMGs could result in a lot of inju-
  ries. Should the characters surrender, they are disarmed 
  and taken to a holding cell in the base. Escape plans are 
  left to the imagination of the group.
  THE CHASE IS ON
  THE CHASE IS ON
  Divide the Nazis into pairs for action cards. This pre-
  vents them all acting before the heroes, and means they 
  won’t all encounter the same Obstacle simultaneously.
  Skiers use Agility during the Chase scene. The heroes 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1616
  open ﬂ esh. They’re powerful legs and large feet 
  propel them over the snow like it was asphalt.
  The sentry must check for Surprise if he failed his 
  Notice roll. Characters not on duty must always check 
  for Surprise, as the beasts surge forward with a roar. Deal 
  action cards as appropriate. 
  Sleeping characters who failed their roll remain asleep. 
  Gunshots, cries for help, or having a yeti smash through 
  the tent are all good incentives to awaken quickly. Any of 
  these allow a character to awaken. He joins in the ﬁ ght at 
  the start of the next round.
  Roused characters must take one action to get out of 
  their blankets and another to grab their weapon (unless 
  they have Quick Draw). Attacking in the same round 
  thus gives a –4 penalty due to the multi action penal-
  ties.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Place the heroes’ tents 
  (as many as they require) in the center. These measure 
  2” by 1”.
  The terrain is a mixture of snow and exposed rock. 
  Movement over the snow is treated as difﬁ cult ground. 
  The GM should scatter six Small Burst 
  Templates (face down) to represent 
  patches of rock (or use other terrain/
  markers he has to hand).
   Yetis (1 per hero): See page 21.
  STUDYING THE CORPSES
  STUDYING THE CORPSES
  A Notice roll made while studying a 
  yeti corpse detects a linear scar running 
  around the top of the beast’s skull. Learn-
  ing more requires removal of the top of 
  the skull. Once done, it becomes obvi-
  ous the creatures have been surgically 
  altered. Connected to the brain is a small 
  electrical device. A Repair (–2) or Weird 
  Science roll determines it is designed to 
  provide rudimentary control of the beast 
  based on voice recognition.
  SCENE 2: MUSH, MUSH
  SCENE 2: MUSH, MUSH
  It’s late in the afternoon of the third 
  day before you see any more signs of 
  life. Cresting a low mound is a group 
  of skiers clad in winter clothing. They 
  eye you for a moment before propel-
  ling themselves forward, readying 
  SMGs once they have picked up 
  speed.
  The Nazis are a routine patrol. Any 
  expedition from the submarine would 
  comprise many more men, or at least 
  have sent out a mayday or ﬁ red ﬂ ares if 
  there was a major problem, so the sol-
  diers take matters into their own hands 
  and assume whoever is on the ice is a potential threat 
  to their secret base. As such, they give chase. They don’t 
  ﬁ re, however, unless the characters deliberately start 
  ﬂ eeing or ﬁ re ﬁ rst.
  Subterfuge is a possibility, though only if the charac-
  ters speak German. The Nazis are suspicious, especially if 
  there are women in the party, but they’re not always told 
  about visitors. They can be bluffed with a Persuasion roll 
  at –2 (or some good roleplaying), but the consequences 
  for failure are harsh—being surrounded by stationary 
  soldiers armed with SMGs could result in a lot of inju-
  ries. Should the characters surrender, they are disarmed 
  and taken to a holding cell in the base. Escape plans are 
  left to the imagination of the group.
  THE CHASE IS ON
  THE CHASE IS ON
  Divide the Nazis into pairs for action cards. This pre-
  vents them all acting before the heroes, and means they 
  won’t all encounter the same Obstacle simultaneously.
  Skiers use Agility during the Chase scene. The heroes 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1717
  are 3 Range Increments ahead of the characters, and 
  each Range Increment equates to 10”. This Chases uses 
  our alternate Obstacle rules. Moving on skis counts as an 
  Unstable Platform.
   SS Ski Troops (2 per hero): See page 20.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Crevasse: A thin layer of ice collapses, 
  opening a crevasse. A failed Agility roll wedges the char-
  acter into the gap. At the start of subsequent rounds, he 
  must make a Strength roll to free himself. This requires 
  an action (so characters who want to do other things 
  when their card is called already suffer a multi action 
  penalty). With success, the hero is free and may begin 
  moving again on the following round. Failure means it 
  remains stuck.
  Nazis who fail fall into the crevasse, and plummet to 
  their death.
  Three or Four (–2) Soft Snow: An area of soft snow 
  causes the skis to sink, hampering forward movement. A 
  failed Agility roll means the character is still stuck in the 
  snow, giving him a –2 penalty next round. This continues 
  until he rolls a success and clears the soft matter.
  Five or Six (–1) Rocks: An area of exposed rocks 
  forces the hero to weave. A failed Agility roll indicates a 
  collision with a hard Obstacle.
  Seven or Eight (–1) Exposed Ice, Smooth: The 
  characters slide onto a section of extremely smooth 
  ice. A failed roll causes a loss of traction, which sends 
  the hero tumbling. They take a –2 penalty to their next 
  Agility roll due to time spent regaining their footing and 
  momentum.
  Nine or Ten (–2) Exposed Ice, Rough: The exposed 
  ice is jagged, threatening to trip the participants. A failed 
  roll causes a loss of traction, which sends the hero tum-
  bling. They take a –2 penalty to their next Agility roll, due 
  to time spent regaining their footing and momentum.
  Jack (–1) Penguins: A small colony of penguins 
  blocks the participant’s path. A failed Agility roll causes 
  the character to drop back 1 Range Increment as he must 
  ﬁ nd an alternate route around the throng.
  Queen (–1) Uphill: The terrain goes uphill, threaten-
  ing a loss of momentum. A failed roll causes the character 
  to move back 1 Range Increment as he slip and slides.
  King (–1) Downhill Racing: A slope presents a 
  great opportunity for extra speed. If the Agility roll is a 
  success, the participant moves an additional Range In-
  crement. This stacks with the Push maneuver. A failed 
  rolled causes the character to fall and suffer damage as if 
  colliding with a hard Obstacle.
  Ace (0) Downhill & Icy: As above, except the Agility 
  roll is made at no penalty.
  SCENE 3: THE NAZI BASE
  SCENE 3: THE NAZI BASE
  No matter where the heroes decide to stop for the 
  day, they are not far from the Nazi base—in fact, they’re 
  camped right over a distant wing of the mammoth struc-
  ture. The ground beneath them cracks and gives way, a 
  result of the Nazi drilling machines causing huge frac-
  tures in the lower ice.
  With a mighty crack, the ground under your feet 
  splinters, plunging you downward. Your descent 
  isn’t so much a fall, as a slide. It seems the ice has 
  collapsed into a smooth tunnel, through which 
  you are now sliding out of control!
  During the trip, deal each character three action cards. 
  For each Club suit, the hero has to make an Agility roll to 
  avoid cracking his head on an outcropping, smashing his 
  legs or arms, friction burns, and such like. Failure causes 
  2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  The ﬁ rst hero down the chute (determined at ran-
  dom) crashes through a thin wall of ice at the end of the 
  chute, taking 2d6 damage (from an Extra), and emerg-
  ing in a partially excavated ice cavern. Everyone behind 
  him simply slides into the chamber. Climbing back up 
  the chute is impossible—a dozen meters of snow and ice 
  have slid down behind the party, blocking the tunnel.
  Unfortunately, there are Nazi soldiers with SMGs 
  aimed straight at the characters! They order the heroes 
  to surrender or be shot.
  The characters don’t have to surrender—they are 
  quite free to battle it out with the Nazis. However, sur-
  rendering provides two beneﬁ ts. First, the adventurers 
  don’t have to risk suffering wounds that might cripple 
  them later. Second, they get a free benny for use in the 
  climax (which can take them above their usual starting 
  limit).
  Whether they surrender or defeat the Nazis, the ﬁ rst 
  area they encounter on leaving the chamber is the main 
  facility. GMs who would prefer the character to sneak 
  through a heavy defended base should design their own 
  map, populated with barracks, mess halls, armories, 
  stores, and so on. In true pulp style, the adventure as 
  written leads straight to where the main action lies.
  Quickly describe the layout, using the notes below, or 
  lay it out on the tabletop for them to see. It’s important 
  they notice the airplane!
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
  THE LAYOUT
  THE LAYOUT
  The ice cavern is huge, and divided into three areas. 
  On the left side is a hangar, which contains a fuel bowser 
  and an Ha-139 seaplane. To the right is a huge rocket, 
  twice the height and width of the Saturn V rocket used 
  to put man on the Moon. Only a small portion is vis-
  ible—the rest descends into a heavily reinforced cham-
  ber below. Massively thick, armored doors separate the 
  rocket chamber from the central area, but they are cur-
  rently wide open.
  The central area holds a huge cylinder, as tall as four 
  buses parked end to end and many yards wide. Sur-
  rounding it are big magnets, similar in size to those the 
  heroes saw in New York. Thick cables stretch between 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1717
  are 3 Range Increments ahead of the characters, and 
  each Range Increment equates to 10”. This Chases uses 
  our alternate Obstacle rules. Moving on skis counts as an 
  Unstable Platform.
   SS Ski Troops (2 per hero): See page 20.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Crevasse: A thin layer of ice collapses, 
  opening a crevasse. A failed Agility roll wedges the char-
  acter into the gap. At the start of subsequent rounds, he 
  must make a Strength roll to free himself. This requires 
  an action (so characters who want to do other things 
  when their card is called already suffer a multi action 
  penalty). With success, the hero is free and may begin 
  moving again on the following round. Failure means it 
  remains stuck.
  Nazis who fail fall into the crevasse, and plummet to 
  their death.
  Three or Four (–2) Soft Snow: An area of soft snow 
  causes the skis to sink, hampering forward movement. A 
  failed Agility roll means the character is still stuck in the 
  snow, giving him a –2 penalty next round. This continues 
  until he rolls a success and clears the soft matter.
  Five or Six (–1) Rocks: An area of exposed rocks 
  forces the hero to weave. A failed Agility roll indicates a 
  collision with a hard Obstacle.
  Seven or Eight (–1) Exposed Ice, Smooth: The 
  characters slide onto a section of extremely smooth 
  ice. A failed roll causes a loss of traction, which sends 
  the hero tumbling. They take a –2 penalty to their next 
  Agility roll due to time spent regaining their footing and 
  momentum.
  Nine or Ten (–2) Exposed Ice, Rough: The exposed 
  ice is jagged, threatening to trip the participants. A failed 
  roll causes a loss of traction, which sends the hero tum-
  bling. They take a –2 penalty to their next Agility roll, due 
  to time spent regaining their footing and momentum.
  Jack (–1) Penguins: A small colony of penguins 
  blocks the participant’s path. A failed Agility roll causes 
  the character to drop back 1 Range Increment as he must 
  ﬁ nd an alternate route around the throng.
  Queen (–1) Uphill: The terrain goes uphill, threaten-
  ing a loss of momentum. A failed roll causes the character 
  to move back 1 Range Increment as he slip and slides.
  King (–1) Downhill Racing: A slope presents a 
  great opportunity for extra speed. If the Agility roll is a 
  success, the participant moves an additional Range In-
  crement. This stacks with the Push maneuver. A failed 
  rolled causes the character to fall and suffer damage as if 
  colliding with a hard Obstacle.
  Ace (0) Downhill & Icy: As above, except the Agility 
  roll is made at no penalty.
  SCENE 3: THE NAZI BASE
  SCENE 3: THE NAZI BASE
  No matter where the heroes decide to stop for the 
  day, they are not far from the Nazi base—in fact, they’re 
  camped right over a distant wing of the mammoth struc-
  ture. The ground beneath them cracks and gives way, a 
  result of the Nazi drilling machines causing huge frac-
  tures in the lower ice.
  With a mighty crack, the ground under your feet 
  splinters, plunging you downward. Your descent 
  isn’t so much a fall, as a slide. It seems the ice has 
  collapsed into a smooth tunnel, through which 
  you are now sliding out of control!
  During the trip, deal each character three action cards. 
  For each Club suit, the hero has to make an Agility roll to 
  avoid cracking his head on an outcropping, smashing his 
  legs or arms, friction burns, and such like. Failure causes 
  2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  The ﬁ rst hero down the chute (determined at ran-
  dom) crashes through a thin wall of ice at the end of the 
  chute, taking 2d6 damage (from an Extra), and emerg-
  ing in a partially excavated ice cavern. Everyone behind 
  him simply slides into the chamber. Climbing back up 
  the chute is impossible—a dozen meters of snow and ice 
  have slid down behind the party, blocking the tunnel.
  Unfortunately, there are Nazi soldiers with SMGs 
  aimed straight at the characters! They order the heroes 
  to surrender or be shot.
  The characters don’t have to surrender—they are 
  quite free to battle it out with the Nazis. However, sur-
  rendering provides two beneﬁ ts. First, the adventurers 
  don’t have to risk suffering wounds that might cripple 
  them later. Second, they get a free benny for use in the 
  climax (which can take them above their usual starting 
  limit).
  Whether they surrender or defeat the Nazis, the ﬁ rst 
  area they encounter on leaving the chamber is the main 
  facility. GMs who would prefer the character to sneak 
  through a heavy defended base should design their own 
  map, populated with barracks, mess halls, armories, 
  stores, and so on. In true pulp style, the adventure as 
  written leads straight to where the main action lies.
  Quickly describe the layout, using the notes below, or 
  lay it out on the tabletop for them to see. It’s important 
  they notice the airplane!
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
  THE LAYOUT
  THE LAYOUT
  The ice cavern is huge, and divided into three areas. 
  On the left side is a hangar, which contains a fuel bowser 
  and an Ha-139 seaplane. To the right is a huge rocket, 
  twice the height and width of the Saturn V rocket used 
  to put man on the Moon. Only a small portion is vis-
  ible—the rest descends into a heavily reinforced cham-
  ber below. Massively thick, armored doors separate the 
  rocket chamber from the central area, but they are cur-
  rently wide open.
  The central area holds a huge cylinder, as tall as four 
  buses parked end to end and many yards wide. Sur-
  rounding it are big magnets, similar in size to those the 
  heroes saw in New York. Thick cables stretch between 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1818
  the magnets, eventually joining together and vanishing 
  through a hole in the back wall (where the generator 
  room lies). This is the “graviton array,” a device which 
  crushes metal into super dense pellets.
  Stretching from the bottom of the cylinder into the 
  chamber is a conveyor belt. At the far end sits a metal bar-
  rel, about the same size as a large beer barrel. This is the 
  Z-Bomb, innocent enough to look at, but more deadly 
  than anything else man has ever conceived.
  Scattered through the chamber are numerous work-
  benches and ﬁ ling cabinets.
  In the southwest corner of the central cavern is a 
  large cage. Huddled in here are the kidnapped scientists. 
  If Mimi, Yuchenko, or Rosenbaum were kidnapped, they 
  can be found here.
  THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
  THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
  Doctor Schmutzig is standing beside the Z-Bomb 
  when the characters are dragged in. In the event the 
  characters elected to ﬁ ght, and won, the GM will have 
  to wing events in this section. The characters might hear 
  Schmutzig’s rant during the ﬁ ght.
  If the characters are prisoners, he turns to face them, 
  a maniacal grin on his face.
  “How nice of you to join us. Your timing is impec-
  cable, for the Z-Bomb is almost complete. Watch 
  the power of science at work!” As he speaks, an 
  overhead crane rumbles past, carrying a vast 
  chunk of metal. It halts over the huge cylinder. 
  A small hatch opens, into which the cargo is 
  released. The cylinder begins to shudder and vi-
  brate, and electricity arcs across it as the magnets 
  power up.
  After a few moments, a small hatch in the bottom 
  opens, dropping a tiny metal pellet onto a convey-
  or belt. The conveyor comes to life, transporting 
  the pellet toward the device Schmutzig is stroking. 
  As it moves, the pellet seems to distort your view 
  of everything behind it, acting almost as a lens.
  “This,” he says, gesturing toward the pellet, “is the 
  last part of the Z-Bomb! This pellet weighs more 
  than a dozen adult elephants, and together with 
  the others, can generate gravity beyond even 
  God’s reckoning!” As he speaks, the pellet drops 
  into the top of the device. Two soldiers rush over 
  and place a large nosecone onto the bomb.
  “There is it,” Schmutzig roars, his face ﬂ ushed red, 
  “the most powerful weapon ever devised! In just 
  a few moments, it will be loaded onto a mighty 
  rocket and launched into the sky! When that 
  rocket reaches America, the entirety of New York 
  City will vanish from the map forever! With this 
  power, Germany will be invincible! Nations will 
  fall to their knees and tremble in fear!
  “And you,” he smiles, calming his fervor, “you will 
  have the best seat in town to watch.” He laughs 
  loudly. “You see, you will be passengers aboard 
  the rocket.” He signals to the crane operator to 
  lower the hook onto the Z-Bomb. In a few min-
  utes, the warhead will be loaded and the rocket 
  ready to ﬁ re!
  During Schmutzig’s rant, the guards are focused on 
  him, not the characters. They’ve still got their guns lev-
  eled at the party, but their heads are turned away. If the 
  characters choose to act, they automatically gain Surprise 
  during the ﬁ rst round. They also have the Drop on the 
  soldiers. Although the party is unarmed, they can snatch 
  weapons from the guards as an action.
  Four soldiers are standing adjacent to the party, who 
  stand halfway between the Z-Bomb and the rocket silo 
  doors. The others are scattered across all three areas as 
  the GM wishes. Divide them into groups equal to the 
  number of characters. This prevents the horde all acting 
  before the characters.
  Schmutzig has outlived his villain status, and cannot 
  use the Recurring Villains rule. It’s only ﬁ tting he be de-
  stroyed along with his terrifying weapon.
  The benches provide little Cover while standing, but 
  can be tipped as an action to provide Cover. The con-
  tents of the benches are left to the heroes to determine 
  as needed. There are plenty of hefty tools (Str+d6) us-
  able as weapons, and jars of chemicals or reams of paper 
  to use in Tricks.
  Releasing the prisoners from the cells takes an ac-
  tion. If the graviton array is smashed (see below) and 
  the prisoners are still caged, they manage to break out 
  by themselves. The scientists are grateful to their rescu-
  ers, but they’re non-combatants and seek cover at the 
  ﬁ rst opportunity. The Nazis aren’t interested in shooting 
  them—they have the heroes to worry about.
  Outnumbered and outgunned, the characters’ wis-
  est course of action is actually to retreat toward the 
  seaplane, the only obvious escape route. A large, red 
  button near the entrance is labeled “Outer Door.” Press-
  ing it, a free action for an adjacent adventurers, causes 
  the armored black doors at the end of the hangar to 
  slide open.
  The base must be destroyed—leaving the Z-Bomb 
  intact and the base operational is too dangerous, and it 
  isn’t the pulp way. Place three tokens on the table. There 
  are four ways the array can be destroyed.
  * The weak point is the graviton array and its ability to 
  crush metal into super dense forms. The thing is Huge 
  (+4 to attack rolls) and has Toughness 18. One wound 
  is enough to cause its destruction (see below).
  * The characters can start blowing up the control panels 
  in the hope one does something. These have Tough-
  ness 8. For each wound inﬂ icted, remove one of the 
  tokens. When the last token is gone, the containment 
  shielding fails, and a runaway meltdown begins.
  * A hero with Weird Science, who moves adjacent to the 
  control panel nearest the array, can cause it to enter a 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  1818
  the magnets, eventually joining together and vanishing 
  through a hole in the back wall (where the generator 
  room lies). This is the “graviton array,” a device which 
  crushes metal into super dense pellets.
  Stretching from the bottom of the cylinder into the 
  chamber is a conveyor belt. At the far end sits a metal bar-
  rel, about the same size as a large beer barrel. This is the 
  Z-Bomb, innocent enough to look at, but more deadly 
  than anything else man has ever conceived.
  Scattered through the chamber are numerous work-
  benches and ﬁ ling cabinets.
  In the southwest corner of the central cavern is a 
  large cage. Huddled in here are the kidnapped scientists. 
  If Mimi, Yuchenko, or Rosenbaum were kidnapped, they 
  can be found here.
  THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
  THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
  Doctor Schmutzig is standing beside the Z-Bomb 
  when the characters are dragged in. In the event the 
  characters elected to ﬁ ght, and won, the GM will have 
  to wing events in this section. The characters might hear 
  Schmutzig’s rant during the ﬁ ght.
  If the characters are prisoners, he turns to face them, 
  a maniacal grin on his face.
  “How nice of you to join us. Your timing is impec-
  cable, for the Z-Bomb is almost complete. Watch 
  the power of science at work!” As he speaks, an 
  overhead crane rumbles past, carrying a vast 
  chunk of metal. It halts over the huge cylinder. 
  A small hatch opens, into which the cargo is 
  released. The cylinder begins to shudder and vi-
  brate, and electricity arcs across it as the magnets 
  power up.
  After a few moments, a small hatch in the bottom 
  opens, dropping a tiny metal pellet onto a convey-
  or belt. The conveyor comes to life, transporting 
  the pellet toward the device Schmutzig is stroking. 
  As it moves, the pellet seems to distort your view 
  of everything behind it, acting almost as a lens.
  “This,” he says, gesturing toward the pellet, “is the 
  last part of the Z-Bomb! This pellet weighs more 
  than a dozen adult elephants, and together with 
  the others, can generate gravity beyond even 
  God’s reckoning!” As he speaks, the pellet drops 
  into the top of the device. Two soldiers rush over 
  and place a large nosecone onto the bomb.
  “There is it,” Schmutzig roars, his face ﬂ ushed red, 
  “the most powerful weapon ever devised! In just 
  a few moments, it will be loaded onto a mighty 
  rocket and launched into the sky! When that 
  rocket reaches America, the entirety of New York 
  City will vanish from the map forever! With this 
  power, Germany will be invincible! Nations will 
  fall to their knees and tremble in fear!
  “And you,” he smiles, calming his fervor, “you will 
  have the best seat in town to watch.” He laughs 
  loudly. “You see, you will be passengers aboard 
  the rocket.” He signals to the crane operator to 
  lower the hook onto the Z-Bomb. In a few min-
  utes, the warhead will be loaded and the rocket 
  ready to ﬁ re!
  During Schmutzig’s rant, the guards are focused on 
  him, not the characters. They’ve still got their guns lev-
  eled at the party, but their heads are turned away. If the 
  characters choose to act, they automatically gain Surprise 
  during the ﬁ rst round. They also have the Drop on the 
  soldiers. Although the party is unarmed, they can snatch 
  weapons from the guards as an action.
  Four soldiers are standing adjacent to the party, who 
  stand halfway between the Z-Bomb and the rocket silo 
  doors. The others are scattered across all three areas as 
  the GM wishes. Divide them into groups equal to the 
  number of characters. This prevents the horde all acting 
  before the characters.
  Schmutzig has outlived his villain status, and cannot 
  use the Recurring Villains rule. It’s only ﬁ tting he be de-
  stroyed along with his terrifying weapon.
  The benches provide little Cover while standing, but 
  can be tipped as an action to provide Cover. The con-
  tents of the benches are left to the heroes to determine 
  as needed. There are plenty of hefty tools (Str+d6) us-
  able as weapons, and jars of chemicals or reams of paper 
  to use in Tricks.
  Releasing the prisoners from the cells takes an ac-
  tion. If the graviton array is smashed (see below) and 
  the prisoners are still caged, they manage to break out 
  by themselves. The scientists are grateful to their rescu-
  ers, but they’re non-combatants and seek cover at the 
  ﬁ rst opportunity. The Nazis aren’t interested in shooting 
  them—they have the heroes to worry about.
  Outnumbered and outgunned, the characters’ wis-
  est course of action is actually to retreat toward the 
  seaplane, the only obvious escape route. A large, red 
  button near the entrance is labeled “Outer Door.” Press-
  ing it, a free action for an adjacent adventurers, causes 
  the armored black doors at the end of the hangar to 
  slide open.
  The base must be destroyed—leaving the Z-Bomb 
  intact and the base operational is too dangerous, and it 
  isn’t the pulp way. Place three tokens on the table. There 
  are four ways the array can be destroyed.
  * The weak point is the graviton array and its ability to 
  crush metal into super dense forms. The thing is Huge 
  (+4 to attack rolls) and has Toughness 18. One wound 
  is enough to cause its destruction (see below).
  * The characters can start blowing up the control panels 
  in the hope one does something. These have Tough-
  ness 8. For each wound inﬂ icted, remove one of the 
  tokens. When the last token is gone, the containment 
  shielding fails, and a runaway meltdown begins.
  * A hero with Weird Science, who moves adjacent to the 
  control panel nearest the array, can cause it to enter a 
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1919
  state of ﬂ ux, leading to a criti-
  cal failure in its containment 
  system. This requires three 
  separate successes on Weird 
  Science rolls, each taking an 
  action.
  * In the event sabotage doesn’t 
  cross the characters’ minds, 
  stray shots take their toll on 
  the array. Each time a Joker 
  is drawn, describe bullets 
  smashing into the array or 
  a control panel and remove 
  one of the tokens.
   
  As the array suffers its critical 
  injury, a loudspeaker begins 
  blaring in a surprisingly calm, 
  female voice. Read the text be-
  low to the players, and then 
  proceed to Scene 4.
  “Graviton array magnetic 
  ﬁ eld has reached critical 
  instability. 
  Implosion 
  im-
  minent. You have one min-
  ute to reach minimum safe 
  distance. I repeat…” The 
  message keeps replaying over 
  and over.
  If Schmutzig is still alive at this time, he begins scream-
  ing, “No! It cannot be! Continue loading the rocket! Pre-
  pare for immediate launch!” Somewhere deeper in the 
  base, a loyal Nazis hits the launch button. If he’s dead, 
  the rocket malfunctions and begins to take off anyway.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 20.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
   Kidnapped Scientists (8): As generic scientists 
  (page 20).
  SCENE 4: HEAVY TIMES
  SCENE 4: HEAVY TIMES
  Once the graviton array malfunctions, it enters a fatal 
  cascade toward implosion. In ten rounds, the entire site, 
  and a sizeable portion of the surrounding landscape, will 
  be sucked into a short-lived singularity.
  As the array starts to implode, gravity increases dra-
  matically throughout the base. All movement is treated 
  as difﬁ cult ground, and physical Trait rolls suffer a –2 
  penalty. Place a Large Burst Template over the array. At 
  the start of each subsequent round, the template ex-
  pands by 2” in diameter. Any hero entering this or begin-
  ning his turn here suffers 3d6 damage as his atoms are 
  pulled apart.
  The only safe escape route is using the seaplane—
  there simply isn’t enough time to run outside the “blast” 
  radius. As before, entering the plane and reaching the 
  cockpit are both actions. Firing up the engines in a hurry 
  requires a Piloting roll. Unless he takes a multi action 
  penalty, the plane does not get airborne until the end if 
  the following round.
  As the seaplane screams out of the hangar, along the 
  ice, and into the air, the characters see the huge rocket 
  breaking through the ice, its four engines producing 
  a roaring ﬂ ame. Then, as the graviton array ﬁ nally im-
  plodes, the rocket, which is barely out of the base, begins 
  to slow dramatically. For a split second it hangs in the air, 
  stationary, as if frozen in time, before it begins to move 
  backward, back into its launch tube!
  The implosion creates a massive gravitational pull. 
  The pilot must make a Piloting roll to prevent the 
  plane from being pulled apart. He suffers a modiﬁ er 
  equal to 10 minus the number of rounds it took for 
  the plane to get airborne. Thus, if the heroes escaped 
  with just one round to spare, the modiﬁ er would be 
  a massive –9!
  With success, the airplane bucks like a wild stallion, 
  and the engines redline as they ﬁ ght to prevent the 
  aircraft being sucked into oblivion. A failure causes the 
  aircraft to suffer 1d3 wounds (don’t reveal the number 
  to the characters). A critical failure automatically inﬂ icts 
  3 wounds. These aren’t enough to wreck the vehicle, but 
  that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be scary.
  The GM should describe the effects of the wounds 
  and Critical Hits in pulp detail. For instance, a Chassis 
  Critical might result in fuselage and wing panels peeling 
  away and ﬂ ying off back toward the base, while an Engine 
  Critical results in one or two engines being ripped off 
  the plane, starting with the propellers bending back, and 
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  1919
  state of ﬂ ux, leading to a criti-
  cal failure in its containment 
  system. This requires three 
  separate successes on Weird 
  Science rolls, each taking an 
  action.
  * In the event sabotage doesn’t 
  cross the characters’ minds, 
  stray shots take their toll on 
  the array. Each time a Joker 
  is drawn, describe bullets 
  smashing into the array or 
  a control panel and remove 
  one of the tokens.
   
  As the array suffers its critical 
  injury, a loudspeaker begins 
  blaring in a surprisingly calm, 
  female voice. Read the text be-
  low to the players, and then 
  proceed to Scene 4.
  “Graviton array magnetic 
  ﬁ eld has reached critical 
  instability. 
  Implosion 
  im-
  minent. You have one min-
  ute to reach minimum safe 
  distance. I repeat…” The 
  message keeps replaying over 
  and over.
  If Schmutzig is still alive at this time, he begins scream-
  ing, “No! It cannot be! Continue loading the rocket! Pre-
  pare for immediate launch!” Somewhere deeper in the 
  base, a loyal Nazis hits the launch button. If he’s dead, 
  the rocket malfunctions and begins to take off anyway.
   Doctor Schmutzig: See page 20.
   Nazi Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
   Kidnapped Scientists (8): As generic scientists 
  (page 20).
  SCENE 4: HEAVY TIMES
  SCENE 4: HEAVY TIMES
  Once the graviton array malfunctions, it enters a fatal 
  cascade toward implosion. In ten rounds, the entire site, 
  and a sizeable portion of the surrounding landscape, will 
  be sucked into a short-lived singularity.
  As the array starts to implode, gravity increases dra-
  matically throughout the base. All movement is treated 
  as difﬁ cult ground, and physical Trait rolls suffer a –2 
  penalty. Place a Large Burst Template over the array. At 
  the start of each subsequent round, the template ex-
  pands by 2” in diameter. Any hero entering this or begin-
  ning his turn here suffers 3d6 damage as his atoms are 
  pulled apart.
  The only safe escape route is using the seaplane—
  there simply isn’t enough time to run outside the “blast” 
  radius. As before, entering the plane and reaching the 
  cockpit are both actions. Firing up the engines in a hurry 
  requires a Piloting roll. Unless he takes a multi action 
  penalty, the plane does not get airborne until the end if 
  the following round.
  As the seaplane screams out of the hangar, along the 
  ice, and into the air, the characters see the huge rocket 
  breaking through the ice, its four engines producing 
  a roaring ﬂ ame. Then, as the graviton array ﬁ nally im-
  plodes, the rocket, which is barely out of the base, begins 
  to slow dramatically. For a split second it hangs in the air, 
  stationary, as if frozen in time, before it begins to move 
  backward, back into its launch tube!
  The implosion creates a massive gravitational pull. 
  The pilot must make a Piloting roll to prevent the 
  plane from being pulled apart. He suffers a modiﬁ er 
  equal to 10 minus the number of rounds it took for 
  the plane to get airborne. Thus, if the heroes escaped 
  with just one round to spare, the modiﬁ er would be 
  a massive –9!
  With success, the airplane bucks like a wild stallion, 
  and the engines redline as they ﬁ ght to prevent the 
  aircraft being sucked into oblivion. A failure causes the 
  aircraft to suffer 1d3 wounds (don’t reveal the number 
  to the characters). A critical failure automatically inﬂ icts 
  3 wounds. These aren’t enough to wreck the vehicle, but 
  that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be scary.
  The GM should describe the effects of the wounds 
  and Critical Hits in pulp detail. For instance, a Chassis 
  Critical might result in fuselage and wing panels peeling 
  away and ﬂ ying off back toward the base, while an Engine 
  Critical results in one or two engines being ripped off 
  the plane, starting with the propellers bending back, and 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  2020
  ending up with the entire assembly disappearing! The 
  characters should believe they are in danger of dying.
  Within a few minutes, gravity returns to normal. All 
  that remains of Doctor Schmutzig’s secret base is a cra-
  ter. The Z-Bomb is destroyed, the scientists have been 
  rescued, and New York City is safe once more!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  DOCTOR WERNER SCHMUTZIG
  DOCTOR WERNER SCHMUTZIG
  Since the failure of his Luftschloss project (see Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure #5), Schmutzig has been working 
  fervently with the Special Weapons Division on a new 
  range of weapons. His greatest achievement is the near-
  perfection of the Z-Bomb.
  Since his last appearance, he has gained the Vengeful 
  Hindrance. This is a direct result of the characters’ foil-
  ing his previous plans. However, it is not limited just to 
  the party. He’s also added a new gizmo—a gravity density 
  matrix (or the armor power in game speak).
  The mad doctor has one gizmo, an anti-gravity device, 
  into which all his powers are built. With it he can weaken 
  or strengthen the effect of gravity. He has a pool of 50 
  Power Points, shared between his powers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Shooting d10, Weird 
  Science d12
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Lame, Stubborn, Vengeful (Major)
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Arcane Background (Weird Sci-
  ence), Level Headed
  Gear: Padded ﬂ ight suit (+1), stick cane (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Gizmos: Armor, burst, deﬂ ection, ﬂ y, speed, stun, teleki-
  nesis* (50 Power Points)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmos): Astute characters may target 
  the capacitor on the Doctor’s back. It is a Small target 
  (–4). Reduce the Doctor’s Power Points by the dam-
  age inﬂ icted by the attack.
  GENERIC SCIENTIST
  GENERIC SCIENTIST
  Schmutzig has been kidnapping prominent scientists 
  for well over a year, and forcing them to help design the 
  ﬁ nal stages of the Z-Bomb. They’re all men of knowl-
  edge, not action. Yuchenko and Rosenbaum also use this 
  archetype, but they are Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Investigation d8, Knowledge (Atomic Energy, 
  Mathematics, Physics, Rocketry) d10 [pick one per sci-
  entist], Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Varies, but usually one from Bad Eyes, Cau-
  tious, Quirk, Paciﬁ st (Minor), Stubborn
  Edges: Scholar
  Gear: Spectacles, notebook, pens
  MIMI
  MIMI
  Professor Rosenbaum’s daughter is a singer in Paris. 
  Feisty and independent, she likes to be treated like a 
  lady, not a sex object. She counts as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Taunt 
  d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Stubborn
  Edges: Attractive, Dodge
  Gear: Tight dress
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Coalscuttle helmet (+3), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1), SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  NAZI THUGS
  NAZI THUGS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Piloting d8, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  SS SKI TROOPS
  SS SKI TROOPS
  While the regular German army maintains its own 
  alpine and mountain warfare troops, the SS began train-
  ing its own company of arctic specialists as soon as the 
  Antarctic base was proposed.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shooting d8, Sur-
  vival d8, Throwing d6, Tracking d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Thick coats (+1), knife (Str+d4), SMG (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 2 x potato mash-
  er grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template)
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  2020
  ending up with the entire assembly disappearing! The 
  characters should believe they are in danger of dying.
  Within a few minutes, gravity returns to normal. All 
  that remains of Doctor Schmutzig’s secret base is a cra-
  ter. The Z-Bomb is destroyed, the scientists have been 
  rescued, and New York City is safe once more!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  DOCTOR WERNER SCHMUTZIG
  DOCTOR WERNER SCHMUTZIG
  Since the failure of his Luftschloss project (see Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure #5), Schmutzig has been working 
  fervently with the Special Weapons Division on a new 
  range of weapons. His greatest achievement is the near-
  perfection of the Z-Bomb.
  Since his last appearance, he has gained the Vengeful 
  Hindrance. This is a direct result of the characters’ foil-
  ing his previous plans. However, it is not limited just to 
  the party. He’s also added a new gizmo—a gravity density 
  matrix (or the armor power in game speak).
  The mad doctor has one gizmo, an anti-gravity device, 
  into which all his powers are built. With it he can weaken 
  or strengthen the effect of gravity. He has a pool of 50 
  Power Points, shared between his powers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Shooting d10, Weird 
  Science d12
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Lame, Stubborn, Vengeful (Major)
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Arcane Background (Weird Sci-
  ence), Level Headed
  Gear: Padded ﬂ ight suit (+1), stick cane (Str+d4, Parry +1)
  Gizmos: Armor, burst, deﬂ ection, ﬂ y, speed, stun, teleki-
  nesis* (50 Power Points)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmos): Astute characters may target 
  the capacitor on the Doctor’s back. It is a Small target 
  (–4). Reduce the Doctor’s Power Points by the dam-
  age inﬂ icted by the attack.
  GENERIC SCIENTIST
  GENERIC SCIENTIST
  Schmutzig has been kidnapping prominent scientists 
  for well over a year, and forcing them to help design the 
  ﬁ nal stages of the Z-Bomb. They’re all men of knowl-
  edge, not action. Yuchenko and Rosenbaum also use this 
  archetype, but they are Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Investigation d8, Knowledge (Atomic Energy, 
  Mathematics, Physics, Rocketry) d10 [pick one per sci-
  entist], Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Varies, but usually one from Bad Eyes, Cau-
  tious, Quirk, Paciﬁ st (Minor), Stubborn
  Edges: Scholar
  Gear: Spectacles, notebook, pens
  MIMI
  MIMI
  Professor Rosenbaum’s daughter is a singer in Paris. 
  Feisty and independent, she likes to be treated like a 
  lady, not a sex object. She counts as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Taunt 
  d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Stubborn
  Edges: Attractive, Dodge
  Gear: Tight dress
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Coalscuttle helmet (+3), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1), SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  NAZI THUGS
  NAZI THUGS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Piloting d8, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), knife 
  (Str+d4)
  SS SKI TROOPS
  SS SKI TROOPS
  While the regular German army maintains its own 
  alpine and mountain warfare troops, the SS began train-
  ing its own company of arctic specialists as soon as the 
  Antarctic base was proposed.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shooting d8, Sur-
  vival d8, Throwing d6, Tracking d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Thick coats (+1), knife (Str+d4), SMG (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 2 x potato mash-
  er grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template)
  
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  2121
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  An elite company, the SS-Raketentruppen serve only 
  with the Sonderwaffen Abteilung. Armed with advanced 
  riﬂ es, clad in armored ﬂ ight suits with full head protec-
  tion, and wearing an experimental rocket pack strapped 
  to their backs, the Raketentruppen are trained to drop 
  from the skies into the heart of enemy installations, 
  achieve their objective, and depart back to the heavens 
  before an alarm can be raised.
  Their bulky gear means they are encumbered, and so 
  suffer a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. 
  They also suffer –1 to Pace on the ground and roll a d4 
  running die, since their armored suits prevent swift mo-
  bility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), Spannungsgewehr or 
  Raketengewehr (see below), knife (Str+d4), light pistol 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1), 2 x potato masher 
  grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template), experimental rocket pack (Pace 100, 
  good for 20 rounds of continual use).
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  NEW WEAPONS
  NEW WEAPONS
  These weapons form part of Schmutzig’s deadly new 
  arsenal. Collectively, they are known as Handvergeltung-
  swaffen, or “handheld vengeance weapons.”
  Raketengewehr: The “rocket riﬂ e” is essentially a 
  bulky, two-handed riﬂ e with a revolver-like magazine. 
  Six light armor-piercing warheads are stored in the cy-
  lindrical magazine. When ﬁ red, one warhead is launched 
  at relatively low speeds. This helps reduce the already 
  immense recoil. Once clear of the barrel, a secondary 
  booster ignites, propelling the round to tremendous ve-
  locity. Its primary drawback is the slow reload time (one 
  action per warhead).
  A built-in safety feature prevents the warhead from 
  detonating until it has traveled at least 12 yards (6”). 
  Damage at less than 6” is 2d6 to a single target (a result 
  of kinetic impact).
  Each squad (10 men or part thereof) carries one Rake-
  tengewehr. This replaces the soldier’s usual weapon. On 
  this mission, the soldiers carry no reloads.
  Spannungsgewehr: Known as the “electricity riﬂ e,” 
  this compact weapon discharges a high-intensity beam of 
  electrical energy over a short distance. In addition to the 
  damage inﬂ icted, victims must make a Vigor roll or be 
  stunned for one round. Targets wearing any metal armor 
  (including a helmet) suffer a –2 penalty. Stunned char-
  acters forfeit their next action card. If they have already 
  acted in the round they are stunned, victims do not get 
  an action card in the following round. They cannot try to 
  unShake while stunned. This is the primary weapon of 
  the SS-Raketentruppen.
  Power is supplied by a large battery (3 lbs). Each 
  soldier equipped with a Spannungsgewehr carries one 
  spare battery.
  YETI
  YETI
  Native to the Himalayas, yetis were discovered by an 
  SS-Ahnenerbe expedition to the region in 1932. At the 
  cost of a dozen lives, the Nazis ﬁ nally captured speci-
  mens and began studying them. When Schmutzig discov-
  ered their existence, he ordered them surgically altered. 
  Now they wander the Antarctic ice, with orders to attack 
  and kill any human who doesn’t shout out, “We serve 
  Schmutzig unto death.”
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Thick fur and fat.
  * Big Feet: Yetis treat snow and ice as normal terrain, 
  not difﬁ cult ground.
  * Claws: Str+d6.
  * Camouﬂ age: Yetis add +4 to Stealth roll in snowy 
  terrain because of their white fur.
  * Improved Frenzy: A yeti makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round at no penalty.
  * Size +1: Yetis are taller than humans.
  Type 
  Range 
  Damage ROF 
  Weight 
  Shots 
  Min Str 
  Notes
  Raketengewehr 
  20/40/80 
  3d8 
  1 
  20 
  6 
  d8 
  Medium Burst Template, AP 4,  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  HW, Snapﬁ re, requires 2 hands,  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  see notes
  Spannungsgewehr 15/30/60 
  2d8 
  1 
  15 
  10 
  d6 
  See notes
  NEW WEAPONS TABLE
  NEW WEAPONS TABLE
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  TERROR OF THE Z-BOMB
  2121
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  An elite company, the SS-Raketentruppen serve only 
  with the Sonderwaffen Abteilung. Armed with advanced 
  riﬂ es, clad in armored ﬂ ight suits with full head protec-
  tion, and wearing an experimental rocket pack strapped 
  to their backs, the Raketentruppen are trained to drop 
  from the skies into the heart of enemy installations, 
  achieve their objective, and depart back to the heavens 
  before an alarm can be raised.
  Their bulky gear means they are encumbered, and so 
  suffer a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. 
  They also suffer –1 to Pace on the ground and roll a d4 
  running die, since their armored suits prevent swift mo-
  bility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), Spannungsgewehr or 
  Raketengewehr (see below), knife (Str+d4), light pistol 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1), 2 x potato masher 
  grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template), experimental rocket pack (Pace 100, 
  good for 20 rounds of continual use).
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  NEW WEAPONS
  NEW WEAPONS
  These weapons form part of Schmutzig’s deadly new 
  arsenal. Collectively, they are known as Handvergeltung-
  swaffen, or “handheld vengeance weapons.”
  Raketengewehr: The “rocket riﬂ e” is essentially a 
  bulky, two-handed riﬂ e with a revolver-like magazine. 
  Six light armor-piercing warheads are stored in the cy-
  lindrical magazine. When ﬁ red, one warhead is launched 
  at relatively low speeds. This helps reduce the already 
  immense recoil. Once clear of the barrel, a secondary 
  booster ignites, propelling the round to tremendous ve-
  locity. Its primary drawback is the slow reload time (one 
  action per warhead).
  A built-in safety feature prevents the warhead from 
  detonating until it has traveled at least 12 yards (6”). 
  Damage at less than 6” is 2d6 to a single target (a result 
  of kinetic impact).
  Each squad (10 men or part thereof) carries one Rake-
  tengewehr. This replaces the soldier’s usual weapon. On 
  this mission, the soldiers carry no reloads.
  Spannungsgewehr: Known as the “electricity riﬂ e,” 
  this compact weapon discharges a high-intensity beam of 
  electrical energy over a short distance. In addition to the 
  damage inﬂ icted, victims must make a Vigor roll or be 
  stunned for one round. Targets wearing any metal armor 
  (including a helmet) suffer a –2 penalty. Stunned char-
  acters forfeit their next action card. If they have already 
  acted in the round they are stunned, victims do not get 
  an action card in the following round. They cannot try to 
  unShake while stunned. This is the primary weapon of 
  the SS-Raketentruppen.
  Power is supplied by a large battery (3 lbs). Each 
  soldier equipped with a Spannungsgewehr carries one 
  spare battery.
  YETI
  YETI
  Native to the Himalayas, yetis were discovered by an 
  SS-Ahnenerbe expedition to the region in 1932. At the 
  cost of a dozen lives, the Nazis ﬁ nally captured speci-
  mens and began studying them. When Schmutzig discov-
  ered their existence, he ordered them surgically altered. 
  Now they wander the Antarctic ice, with orders to attack 
  and kill any human who doesn’t shout out, “We serve 
  Schmutzig unto death.”
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Thick fur and fat.
  * Big Feet: Yetis treat snow and ice as normal terrain, 
  not difﬁ cult ground.
  * Claws: Str+d6.
  * Camouﬂ age: Yetis add +4 to Stealth roll in snowy 
  terrain because of their white fur.
  * Improved Frenzy: A yeti makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round at no penalty.
  * Size +1: Yetis are taller than humans.
  Type 
  Range 
  Damage ROF 
  Weight 
  Shots 
  Min Str 
  Notes
  Raketengewehr 
  20/40/80 
  3d8 
  1 
  20 
  6 
  d8 
  Medium Burst Template, AP 4,  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  HW, Snapﬁ re, requires 2 hands,  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  see notes
  Spannungsgewehr 15/30/60 
  2d8 
  1 
  15 
  10 
  d6 
  See notes
  NEW WEAPONS TABLE
  NEW WEAPONS TABLE
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  2222
  Friend Vasily,
  Staying with Mimi. Please come soonest. 
  We must meet.
  I.R.
  HANDOUT #2: POSTCARD FROM PARIS
  HANDOUT #2: POSTCARD FROM PARIS
  Dearest Vasily,
  I apologize for not writing sooner, but things have 
  taken a very bad turn of events here in Germany. The 
  Nazis now have total control over the country, and 
  despite what the media says, Hitler is not merely 
  seeking to rebuild a shattered nation.
  Racial tensions are high, as well. Last month I 
  lost my post at Heidelberg University. But I cannot 
  complain, I am one of the lucky ones.
  Word has reached me through my few remaining friends 
  of a terrible plot. I cannot say more just now, but 
  will write again when I am somewhere safer.
  Your friend,
  Isaac Rosenbaum
  HANDOUT #1: LETTER
  HANDOUT #1: LETTER
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #08
  2222
  Friend Vasily,
  Staying with Mimi. Please come soonest. 
  We must meet.
  I.R.
  HANDOUT #2: POSTCARD FROM PARIS
  HANDOUT #2: POSTCARD FROM PARIS
  Dearest Vasily,
  I apologize for not writing sooner, but things have 
  taken a very bad turn of events here in Germany. The 
  Nazis now have total control over the country, and 
  despite what the media says, Hitler is not merely 
  seeking to rebuild a shattered nation.
  Racial tensions are high, as well. Last month I 
  lost my post at Heidelberg University. But I cannot 
  complain, I am one of the lucky ones.
  Word has reached me through my few remaining friends 
  of a terrible plot. I cannot say more just now, but 
  will write again when I am somewhere safer.
  Your friend,
  Isaac Rosenbaum
  HANDOUT #1: LETTER
  HANDOUT #1: LETTER
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31013
  31013
  $6.99
  $6.99
  A Christmas shopping break in 
  New York City seems an ideal 
  way to unwind, but the Nazis 
  have other ideas. 
  An attack by ﬂ ying Nazi 
  stormtroopers leads the heroes 
  on an exciting chase through 
  the streets of the Big Apple 
  as they try to disable remote-
  controlled bombs, to the 
  glittering lights of Paris and 
  the famous Les Folies-Bergères 
  nightclub, into Nazi Germany 
  in search of clues, and ﬁ nally to the ice-covered wastes of 
  Antarctica on the trail of a secret Nazi base.
  Along the way they learn of a new and terrible weapon capable 
  of removing cities from the globe in a fraction of a second. 
  In this the latest Daring Tales of Adventure from Triple Ace 
  Games, can our two-ﬁ sted heroes save the world from the 
  Terror of the Z-Bomb?
  IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!
  IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31020
  31020
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring tales of adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  0909
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring tales of adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  0909
  
  Mankind has forever pushed the boundaries of his 
  civilized lands, seeking new wonders and places in the 
  darkness beyond the edge of the map. Colonialism, re-
  source hunger, and the invention of the airplane have all 
  served to make the world a smaller place. Although man-
  kind might claim the world of 1936 has been explored, 
  there are still many places not on any map. One such 
  island lies off the eastern coast of South America.
  Although supposedly undiscovered by man, the island 
  has been inhabited for many thousands of years. A race 
  of man, an early form of Mesoamerican culture, has lived 
  on the island since ancient days. Once they were a young 
  race, full of vigor and drive. They tamed their land, drove 
  back the wild beasts which roamed their island home, 
  and built great cities and roads.
  But nature cannot be tamed so easily. Earthquakes 
  and volcanic eruptions wracked the islands and sent the 
  proud cities tumbling. Many citizens ﬂ ed, using small 
  boats to reach Central and Southern America. Others 
  stayed, believing, erroneously, they could rebuild their 
  great kingdom.
  The survivors degenerated over many generations, 
  retaining their ancient rituals of blood sacriﬁ ce, but for-
  getting their meaning. Agriculture failed, and the tribe 
  resorted to hunting and gathering, even cannibalism. 
  Today, what remains of this ancient culture are near-
  animals, savage in their demeanor, and ignorant of even 
  basic technology.
  Several years ago, a zoologist heard tale of a myste-
  rious island, where dwelt fantastical creatures. Reports 
  were scarce, and often tales told by shipwrecked sailors, 
  but they all told the same story. After fruitless attempts 
  to convince the scientiﬁ c world of his discovery, the 
  explorer was about to give up his attempt to raise an 
  expedition, when an English nobleman philanthropist, 
  Lord Valentine (father of Lady Amelia), agreed to provide 
  the necessary funds.
  The expedition ran into trouble the moment it reached 
  the island. Shipwrecked in fog, the survivors hauled what 
  gear they could salvage to shore. Knowing rescue would 
  not come for many weeks, at best, the team set off into 
  the interior to salvage what they could of their mission.
  Several weeks ago, a Nazi expedition was dropped 
  off on the island. The Nazis did not come in search of 
  zoological wonders or natural resources. They sought a 
  route to the Hollow Earth, a subterranean realm where 
  supposedly live a race of Aryan supermen, descendants 
  of lost Atlantis, who possesses fantastical technology.
  But how did the Nazis learn of the island and its 
  supposed link to the Hollow Earth? Previously, the Na-
  zis “uncovered” an Aztec Codex deep in the jungles of 
  Mexico, a Codex which spoke of the island, which told of 
  the Aztec belief wherein their ancestors had come to the 
  surface world from a cave, and which told of a route into 
  the interior of the earth through volcanic shafts.
  Encountering the shipwrecked expedition, the Nazis 
  took them prisoner. Unfortunately for the Germans, the 
  route they sought has been blocked by eruptions in the 
  time since the Codex was penned. So for now they must 
  be patient while they excavate through centuries of de-
  bris inside an active volcano.
  The missing expedition was not abandoned by the 
  outside world. Lord Valentine has contacted a certain 
  band of heroes and hired them to locate and rescue the 
  scientists. Unfortunately for our heroes, their quest is a 
  perilous one, and one about to go very wrong from the 
  outset.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary, mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  2
  Mankind has forever pushed the boundaries of his 
  civilized lands, seeking new wonders and places in the 
  darkness beyond the edge of the map. Colonialism, re-
  source hunger, and the invention of the airplane have all 
  served to make the world a smaller place. Although man-
  kind might claim the world of 1936 has been explored, 
  there are still many places not on any map. One such 
  island lies off the eastern coast of South America.
  Although supposedly undiscovered by man, the island 
  has been inhabited for many thousands of years. A race 
  of man, an early form of Mesoamerican culture, has lived 
  on the island since ancient days. Once they were a young 
  race, full of vigor and drive. They tamed their land, drove 
  back the wild beasts which roamed their island home, 
  and built great cities and roads.
  But nature cannot be tamed so easily. Earthquakes 
  and volcanic eruptions wracked the islands and sent the 
  proud cities tumbling. Many citizens ﬂ ed, using small 
  boats to reach Central and Southern America. Others 
  stayed, believing, erroneously, they could rebuild their 
  great kingdom.
  The survivors degenerated over many generations, 
  retaining their ancient rituals of blood sacriﬁ ce, but for-
  getting their meaning. Agriculture failed, and the tribe 
  resorted to hunting and gathering, even cannibalism. 
  Today, what remains of this ancient culture are near-
  animals, savage in their demeanor, and ignorant of even 
  basic technology.
  Several years ago, a zoologist heard tale of a myste-
  rious island, where dwelt fantastical creatures. Reports 
  were scarce, and often tales told by shipwrecked sailors, 
  but they all told the same story. After fruitless attempts 
  to convince the scientiﬁ c world of his discovery, the 
  explorer was about to give up his attempt to raise an 
  expedition, when an English nobleman philanthropist, 
  Lord Valentine (father of Lady Amelia), agreed to provide 
  the necessary funds.
  The expedition ran into trouble the moment it reached 
  the island. Shipwrecked in fog, the survivors hauled what 
  gear they could salvage to shore. Knowing rescue would 
  not come for many weeks, at best, the team set off into 
  the interior to salvage what they could of their mission.
  Several weeks ago, a Nazi expedition was dropped 
  off on the island. The Nazis did not come in search of 
  zoological wonders or natural resources. They sought a 
  route to the Hollow Earth, a subterranean realm where 
  supposedly live a race of Aryan supermen, descendants 
  of lost Atlantis, who possesses fantastical technology.
  But how did the Nazis learn of the island and its 
  supposed link to the Hollow Earth? Previously, the Na-
  zis “uncovered” an Aztec Codex deep in the jungles of 
  Mexico, a Codex which spoke of the island, which told of 
  the Aztec belief wherein their ancestors had come to the 
  surface world from a cave, and which told of a route into 
  the interior of the earth through volcanic shafts.
  Encountering the shipwrecked expedition, the Nazis 
  took them prisoner. Unfortunately for the Germans, the 
  route they sought has been blocked by eruptions in the 
  time since the Codex was penned. So for now they must 
  be patient while they excavate through centuries of de-
  bris inside an active volcano.
  The missing expedition was not abandoned by the 
  outside world. Lord Valentine has contacted a certain 
  band of heroes and hired them to locate and rescue the 
  scientists. Unfortunately for our heroes, their quest is a 
  perilous one, and one about to go very wrong from the 
  outset.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary, mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  2
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  3
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 65 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones (with 5 of a dif-
  ferent color), and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT
  ACT 1: THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT
  The ﬁ rst two scenes begin in media res. In the ﬁ rst, 
  set a few years ago, the characters are battling Nazi agents 
  in the Mexican jungle. The second, which marks the start 
  of the adventure proper, sees our heroes already on their 
  way to locate a missing expedition.
  SCENE 1: FLASHBACK: MEXICAN JUNGLE
  SCENE 1: FLASHBACK: MEXICAN JUNGLE
  This scene is a ﬂ ashback and takes place roughly six 
  month ago. For this scene, the players use their charac-
  ters as they were at 50 XP (or 15 XP less from whatever 
  they are when you run this two-ﬁ sted tale). Once Scene 
  2 begins, they revert to their current XP level.
  Two months hard work digging up a lost Aztec 
  shrine, and your prize, an Aztec Codex, has been 
  stolen by Nazis! After escaping the deathtrap set 
  by their leader, SS-Colonel Stampfer, you found 
  your jeep and gave chase. Now you’re bouncing 
  through the jungle at breakneck speed, right on 
  the tail of the Nazi convoy.
  The Nazi vehicles are in convoy, each on its own 
  Range Increment. In order, from rear to front, there are 
  three trucks and a kübelwagen. The characters begin 
  two Range Increments behind the truck at the end of the 
  convoy. Each Range Increment equates to 5”.
  No Obstacle rules are in use. The number of Nazis 
  present and the fact that Stampfer begins ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead already makes it hard for the charac-
  ters.
  Each Nazi vehicle draws it own action card. Stampfer’s 
  vehicle and its occupant (just a driver) use the villain’s 
  action card. The vehicles count as Unstable Platforms, 
  and the Nazis don’t have the Rock and Roll Edge, either.
  Should the heroes reach the same Range Increment as 
  a truck, the Nazi driver attempts one of two maneuvers, 
  depending on the color of his action card. If it’s red or a 
  Joker, he tries a Parallel maneuver. With success, half the 
  passengers try to leap over onto the jeep each round the 
  maneuver is maintained. Once aboard the jeep, the Nazis 
  use their ﬁ sts and knives. However, due to the cramped 
  conditions, all combatants suffer a –1 penalty to Fighting 
  rolls. On a black action card, he tries a Force maneuver, 
  attempting to nudge the character’s jeep into a tree or 
  rock (hard Obstacle).
  Firing at vehicles further up the line is possible, but 
  because the vehicles are all bouncing around and weav-
  ing, they have Cover. Firing “through” one vehicle gives 
  Light Cover, two vehicles Medium Cover, and all three is 
  treated as Heavy Cover. Missed shots may hit interposing 
  vehicles, but they cause only cinematic damage (i.e. it 
  has no game effect).
  Whatever happens, Stampfer must escape with the 
  Codex. He’s the villain of the piece, and will be encoun-
  tered again later. Ideally he ﬂ ees the scene, but if his 
  vehicle is Wrecked, it might plunge over a ravine into 
  a mist-shrouded valley below. The characters hear a 
  crunch and, maybe, see a ﬁ reball illuminating the mist 
  from below. Should they investigate (which requires a 
  lengthy climb), Stampfer is nowhere to be found.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Drivers (1 per vehicle): As Nazi soldiers 
  (page 18).
   Nazi Soldiers (6 per truck): See page 18. Half 
  armed with SMGs and half with riﬂ es.
  TRUCK (3)
  TRUCK (3)
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 12 (1); Crew: 
  1+20 (only 6 aboard each)
  KÜBELWAGEN
  KÜBELWAGEN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/40; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+3
  TRICKS IN CHASES
  TRICKS IN CHASES
  In the normal Chase rules, drivers perform Tricks 
  against rival drivers by using the Distraction ma-
  neuver. Such maneuvers could include switching 
  on the signal lights to fool an enemy into thinking 
  you’re turning, cutting in front of him to force him 
  to brake hard, or even just gently bumping a vehicle 
  (a Force is more, well, forceful).
  Passengers can also perform Tricks against enemy 
  drivers, though in order to do so their vehicle must 
  normally be Parallel to the enemy or at least ahead 
  by one Range Increment. (There are instances when 
  a Trick can be done at range, such as using a cam-
  era ﬂ ash to blind a driver.) Tricks against passengers 
  work as normal.
  The nature of Chase Tricks can vary immensely. 
  Throwing something onto (paint or oil) or through 
  (a brick) the windshield would be a Trick, since the 
  aim is to distract the driver, not kill him. Likewise, 
  in an open top chase through a jungle, a passenger 
  could grab a snake from an overhanging tree and 
  throw it at his foe. If the snake is venomous, this 
  isn’t really a Trick—it’s a Throwing roll to launch a 
  deadly object.
  Regardless of the type of Trick, stunts used against 
  enemy drivers use an appropriate Trait against the 
  victim’s Driving, and the results are handled by the 
  Distract maneuver. As with Tricks, effects are not 
  cumulative—you can’t suffer from more than one 
  distraction at a time.
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  3
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 65 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones (with 5 of a dif-
  ferent color), and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT
  ACT 1: THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT
  The ﬁ rst two scenes begin in media res. In the ﬁ rst, 
  set a few years ago, the characters are battling Nazi agents 
  in the Mexican jungle. The second, which marks the start 
  of the adventure proper, sees our heroes already on their 
  way to locate a missing expedition.
  SCENE 1: FLASHBACK: MEXICAN JUNGLE
  SCENE 1: FLASHBACK: MEXICAN JUNGLE
  This scene is a ﬂ ashback and takes place roughly six 
  month ago. For this scene, the players use their charac-
  ters as they were at 50 XP (or 15 XP less from whatever 
  they are when you run this two-ﬁ sted tale). Once Scene 
  2 begins, they revert to their current XP level.
  Two months hard work digging up a lost Aztec 
  shrine, and your prize, an Aztec Codex, has been 
  stolen by Nazis! After escaping the deathtrap set 
  by their leader, SS-Colonel Stampfer, you found 
  your jeep and gave chase. Now you’re bouncing 
  through the jungle at breakneck speed, right on 
  the tail of the Nazi convoy.
  The Nazi vehicles are in convoy, each on its own 
  Range Increment. In order, from rear to front, there are 
  three trucks and a kübelwagen. The characters begin 
  two Range Increments behind the truck at the end of the 
  convoy. Each Range Increment equates to 5”.
  No Obstacle rules are in use. The number of Nazis 
  present and the fact that Stampfer begins ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead already makes it hard for the charac-
  ters.
  Each Nazi vehicle draws it own action card. Stampfer’s 
  vehicle and its occupant (just a driver) use the villain’s 
  action card. The vehicles count as Unstable Platforms, 
  and the Nazis don’t have the Rock and Roll Edge, either.
  Should the heroes reach the same Range Increment as 
  a truck, the Nazi driver attempts one of two maneuvers, 
  depending on the color of his action card. If it’s red or a 
  Joker, he tries a Parallel maneuver. With success, half the 
  passengers try to leap over onto the jeep each round the 
  maneuver is maintained. Once aboard the jeep, the Nazis 
  use their ﬁ sts and knives. However, due to the cramped 
  conditions, all combatants suffer a –1 penalty to Fighting 
  rolls. On a black action card, he tries a Force maneuver, 
  attempting to nudge the character’s jeep into a tree or 
  rock (hard Obstacle).
  Firing at vehicles further up the line is possible, but 
  because the vehicles are all bouncing around and weav-
  ing, they have Cover. Firing “through” one vehicle gives 
  Light Cover, two vehicles Medium Cover, and all three is 
  treated as Heavy Cover. Missed shots may hit interposing 
  vehicles, but they cause only cinematic damage (i.e. it 
  has no game effect).
  Whatever happens, Stampfer must escape with the 
  Codex. He’s the villain of the piece, and will be encoun-
  tered again later. Ideally he ﬂ ees the scene, but if his 
  vehicle is Wrecked, it might plunge over a ravine into 
  a mist-shrouded valley below. The characters hear a 
  crunch and, maybe, see a ﬁ reball illuminating the mist 
  from below. Should they investigate (which requires a 
  lengthy climb), Stampfer is nowhere to be found.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Drivers (1 per vehicle): As Nazi soldiers 
  (page 18).
   Nazi Soldiers (6 per truck): See page 18. Half 
  armed with SMGs and half with riﬂ es.
  TRUCK (3)
  TRUCK (3)
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 12 (1); Crew: 
  1+20 (only 6 aboard each)
  KÜBELWAGEN
  KÜBELWAGEN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/40; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+3
  TRICKS IN CHASES
  TRICKS IN CHASES
  In the normal Chase rules, drivers perform Tricks 
  against rival drivers by using the Distraction ma-
  neuver. Such maneuvers could include switching 
  on the signal lights to fool an enemy into thinking 
  you’re turning, cutting in front of him to force him 
  to brake hard, or even just gently bumping a vehicle 
  (a Force is more, well, forceful).
  Passengers can also perform Tricks against enemy 
  drivers, though in order to do so their vehicle must 
  normally be Parallel to the enemy or at least ahead 
  by one Range Increment. (There are instances when 
  a Trick can be done at range, such as using a cam-
  era ﬂ ash to blind a driver.) Tricks against passengers 
  work as normal.
  The nature of Chase Tricks can vary immensely. 
  Throwing something onto (paint or oil) or through 
  (a brick) the windshield would be a Trick, since the 
  aim is to distract the driver, not kill him. Likewise, 
  in an open top chase through a jungle, a passenger 
  could grab a snake from an overhanging tree and 
  throw it at his foe. If the snake is venomous, this 
  isn’t really a Trick—it’s a Throwing roll to launch a 
  deadly object.
  Regardless of the type of Trick, stunts used against 
  enemy drivers use an appropriate Trait against the 
  victim’s Driving, and the results are handled by the 
  Distract maneuver. As with Tricks, effects are not 
  cumulative—you can’t suffer from more than one 
  distraction at a time.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  4
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/40; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 2+3
  SCENE 2: BIRD STRIKE
  SCENE 2: BIRD STRIKE
  If you’re not using our pre-generated characters, 
  change the reference to Lord Valentine to either a 
  Noble’s father, or a wealthy businessman or organiza-
  tion somehow related to one of the characters. The link 
  doesn’t have to be familial, but it should provide a strong 
  enough connection to have the heroes undertake the 
  rescue mission.
  You were hired by Lord Valentine a week ago to 
  locate a missing zoological expedition he had 
  funded. The small team of scientists and guides 
  had departed months ago, for a remote island off 
  the South American coast, but no word has been 
  heard from them in weeks.
  Now your seaplane is buzzing over the ocean. At 
  least you assume it’s the ocean. Thick fog and 
  strong winds have made visual navigation tricky, 
  and the compass has begun behaving erratically. 
  The plane suddenly shakes violently. Warning 
  lights ﬂ ash red across the control panel. Both en-
  gines have stopped! The mist thins enough for you 
  to see the propellers—they’re buckled and bent! 
  The plane’s nose begins to tip forward!
  CRASH! The windshield shatters into shards as 
  something smashes through. For a second you 
  think it’s a bird strike, but this is no ordinary 
  bird! Protruding through the glass is an enormous, 
  elongated beak, full of sharp teeth. The creature 
  is snapping at you as you wrestle to control the 
  plummeting aircraft!
  Deal action cards. Keep dealing action cards until the 
  end of the 5th round, even if the creature, a pteranodon, 
  is killed.
  The seaplane has ﬂ own into a ﬂ ock of pteranodons! 
  As well as wrecking the engine, there’s now a very angry 
  prehistoric bird with its head wedged in the cockpit. It’s 
  close enough to make a Fighting attack against the pilot 
  and co-pilot (or whoever is ﬁ lling the second seat), but it 
  can’t move. When slain, the bird slides out through the 
  glass and drops into the ocean.
  The cockpit is cramped and not designed for staging 
  ﬁ ghts. A maximum of two characters can make Fighting 
  rolls against the pteranodon, and any shots ﬁ red from 
  passengers outside the cabin use the Innocent Bystand-
  ers rule.
  The howling wind tearing through the cockpit and 
  driving rain give the heroes a –1 penalty to all Trait rolls 
  during the ﬁ ght—including Piloting rolls. Make sure you 
  include these background details in your descriptions.
  In true pulp fashion, the plane is already skimming low 
  over the ocean as the combat begins. The fog is thinner 
  here, but obstacles still loom suddenly out of the gloom, 
  giving the pilot very little time to react. On the rounds 
  indicated below, the plane encounters an obstacle. The 
  pilot must make a Piloting roll on his action, modiﬁ ed 
  further as per the description, or hit something. For each 
  failed roll, the plane takes an automatic wound.
  Round 2: Towering columns of jagged rock rise from 
  the turbulent ocean. The Piloting roll is made at –1. Each 
  character with a view out the front can make a Notice roll 
  at –2 as a free action. With success, they spot one of the 
  columns is actually a badly eroded statue on a man in a 
  feathered headdress. The glimpse is extremely brief, too 
  short to discern any details.
  Round 3: Clearing the columns, the seaplane roars 
  toward a natural rock arch. It’s just wide enough to ﬁ t 
  through, and without power there’s no hope of going 
  over or around it! The Piloting roll is made at –2.
  Round 4: Screaming through the arch, the seaplane 
  skims over a graveyard of partially submerged ships, 
  their hulls cracked open by the rocks. Some are from the 
  golden days of sail, while others are more recent. 
  Each character with a view out the front can make a 
  Notice roll at –2 as a free action. With success, they spot a 
  very recent ship bearing the name Paradise Found. That 
  was the ship used by the missing expedition.
  Round 5: The plane is about to hit the ocean, and 
  there’s very little the pilot can do to prevent it. Unfor-
  tunately, the approach is littered with jagged rocks. The 
  Piloting roll is made at –2. With success, the pilot lifts the 
  nose just long enough for the pontoons scrape over the 
  rocks, allowing the plane to bump down in clear water.
  Should the plane take its fourth wound during this round, 
  it ditches into the ocean at a steep angle. Water begins ﬂ ood-
  ing in through the smashed window. In the next section, the 
  characters have very little time to grab supplies.
   Pteranodon (1): See page 18.
  ABANDON SHIP
  ABANDON SHIP
  The seaplane won’t be ﬂ ying again. Even if it avoided 
  taking any wounds, the collision with the pteranodons 
  has wrecked the engines. Among the stores are two in-
  ﬂ atable rafts, each capable of holding two people and a 
  small amount of provisions.
  The plane is carrying tents, rope, picks and shovels, 
  cooking gear, ration packs, fresh water, medical supplies, 
  ammunition, and such like. If the plane isn’t Wrecked, 
  the heroes have plentiful time to gather supplies and load 
  them into the rafts. Should it have taken four wounds, 
  each character has the opportunity to grab just a single 
  item of supplies (such as rope or rations or tents) before 
  the plane sinks beneath the waves.
  SCENE 3: THE EARTH GOD TREMBLES
  SCENE 3: THE EARTH GOD TREMBLES
  The island rises nearly vertically from the sea, severely 
  limiting the places the characters can make shore. After 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  4
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/40; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 2+3
  SCENE 2: BIRD STRIKE
  SCENE 2: BIRD STRIKE
  If you’re not using our pre-generated characters, 
  change the reference to Lord Valentine to either a 
  Noble’s father, or a wealthy businessman or organiza-
  tion somehow related to one of the characters. The link 
  doesn’t have to be familial, but it should provide a strong 
  enough connection to have the heroes undertake the 
  rescue mission.
  You were hired by Lord Valentine a week ago to 
  locate a missing zoological expedition he had 
  funded. The small team of scientists and guides 
  had departed months ago, for a remote island off 
  the South American coast, but no word has been 
  heard from them in weeks.
  Now your seaplane is buzzing over the ocean. At 
  least you assume it’s the ocean. Thick fog and 
  strong winds have made visual navigation tricky, 
  and the compass has begun behaving erratically. 
  The plane suddenly shakes violently. Warning 
  lights ﬂ ash red across the control panel. Both en-
  gines have stopped! The mist thins enough for you 
  to see the propellers—they’re buckled and bent! 
  The plane’s nose begins to tip forward!
  CRASH! The windshield shatters into shards as 
  something smashes through. For a second you 
  think it’s a bird strike, but this is no ordinary 
  bird! Protruding through the glass is an enormous, 
  elongated beak, full of sharp teeth. The creature 
  is snapping at you as you wrestle to control the 
  plummeting aircraft!
  Deal action cards. Keep dealing action cards until the 
  end of the 5th round, even if the creature, a pteranodon, 
  is killed.
  The seaplane has ﬂ own into a ﬂ ock of pteranodons! 
  As well as wrecking the engine, there’s now a very angry 
  prehistoric bird with its head wedged in the cockpit. It’s 
  close enough to make a Fighting attack against the pilot 
  and co-pilot (or whoever is ﬁ lling the second seat), but it 
  can’t move. When slain, the bird slides out through the 
  glass and drops into the ocean.
  The cockpit is cramped and not designed for staging 
  ﬁ ghts. A maximum of two characters can make Fighting 
  rolls against the pteranodon, and any shots ﬁ red from 
  passengers outside the cabin use the Innocent Bystand-
  ers rule.
  The howling wind tearing through the cockpit and 
  driving rain give the heroes a –1 penalty to all Trait rolls 
  during the ﬁ ght—including Piloting rolls. Make sure you 
  include these background details in your descriptions.
  In true pulp fashion, the plane is already skimming low 
  over the ocean as the combat begins. The fog is thinner 
  here, but obstacles still loom suddenly out of the gloom, 
  giving the pilot very little time to react. On the rounds 
  indicated below, the plane encounters an obstacle. The 
  pilot must make a Piloting roll on his action, modiﬁ ed 
  further as per the description, or hit something. For each 
  failed roll, the plane takes an automatic wound.
  Round 2: Towering columns of jagged rock rise from 
  the turbulent ocean. The Piloting roll is made at –1. Each 
  character with a view out the front can make a Notice roll 
  at –2 as a free action. With success, they spot one of the 
  columns is actually a badly eroded statue on a man in a 
  feathered headdress. The glimpse is extremely brief, too 
  short to discern any details.
  Round 3: Clearing the columns, the seaplane roars 
  toward a natural rock arch. It’s just wide enough to ﬁ t 
  through, and without power there’s no hope of going 
  over or around it! The Piloting roll is made at –2.
  Round 4: Screaming through the arch, the seaplane 
  skims over a graveyard of partially submerged ships, 
  their hulls cracked open by the rocks. Some are from the 
  golden days of sail, while others are more recent. 
  Each character with a view out the front can make a 
  Notice roll at –2 as a free action. With success, they spot a 
  very recent ship bearing the name Paradise Found. That 
  was the ship used by the missing expedition.
  Round 5: The plane is about to hit the ocean, and 
  there’s very little the pilot can do to prevent it. Unfor-
  tunately, the approach is littered with jagged rocks. The 
  Piloting roll is made at –2. With success, the pilot lifts the 
  nose just long enough for the pontoons scrape over the 
  rocks, allowing the plane to bump down in clear water.
  Should the plane take its fourth wound during this round, 
  it ditches into the ocean at a steep angle. Water begins ﬂ ood-
  ing in through the smashed window. In the next section, the 
  characters have very little time to grab supplies.
   Pteranodon (1): See page 18.
  ABANDON SHIP
  ABANDON SHIP
  The seaplane won’t be ﬂ ying again. Even if it avoided 
  taking any wounds, the collision with the pteranodons 
  has wrecked the engines. Among the stores are two in-
  ﬂ atable rafts, each capable of holding two people and a 
  small amount of provisions.
  The plane is carrying tents, rope, picks and shovels, 
  cooking gear, ration packs, fresh water, medical supplies, 
  ammunition, and such like. If the plane isn’t Wrecked, 
  the heroes have plentiful time to gather supplies and load 
  them into the rafts. Should it have taken four wounds, 
  each character has the opportunity to grab just a single 
  item of supplies (such as rope or rations or tents) before 
  the plane sinks beneath the waves.
  SCENE 3: THE EARTH GOD TREMBLES
  SCENE 3: THE EARTH GOD TREMBLES
  The island rises nearly vertically from the sea, severely 
  limiting the places the characters can make shore. After 
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  5
  battling with the waves and wind, the rafts ﬁ nally sail 
  into a sheltered cave. At the back of the cave are a thin 
  beach of black sand and a tunnel, which rises into the 
  island’s interior.
  While crossing the sand, the characters notice a boot 
  print. A Tracking roll at –2 reveals the print is at least a 
  week old. On a raise, the character deduces it was prob-
  ably made over a month ago. Although the characters 
  have no way of telling, the print was left behind by a Nazi 
  expedition, which set ashore here.
  PAVED ROAD
  PAVED ROAD
  The tunnel emerges onto a paved road, lining the 
  bottom of a steep-sided canyon. The canyon runs 
  north south. The stones are cracked and weed-
  choked and impossible to date. Looking south, the 
  road follows a bend in the canyon and quickly 
  passes out of sight.
  North, the road continues in an unbroken line 
  for several miles before disappearing 
  into the mist, which is less thick inland. 
  On the northern horizon, jutting from 
  the mist, can be seen the tops of distant 
  mountains, and beyond them the faint 
  outline of a smoking volcano.
  If the party heads south, the road 
  abruptly ends after several miles at the 
  edge of the ocean, hundreds of feet above 
  the crashing waves and jagged rocks. The 
  island once continued much further out to 
  sea, but earthquakes collapsed large por-
  tions in antiquity.
  Heading north, the adventurers come 
  across several tall statues, each depicting 
  men in feathered headdresses. A successful 
  Common Knowledge roll at –2, or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll, identiﬁ es them as hav-
  ing similarities to Mesoamerican imagery, 
  but they cannot be identiﬁ ed as belonging 
  to a speciﬁ c culture. A raise tentatively dates 
  them to at least 1,000 years ago, but they 
  could be much older.
  After a mile along the northern road, the 
  ground begins to tremble. An earthquake 
  has struck the island! Small rocks begin 
  to clatter down the canyon walls, onto the 
  paving, followed soon after by larger rocks. 
  Then the canyon walls begin to collapse, 
  sending thousands of tons of rock down 
  into the ﬂ oor!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase 
  rules and our alternate Obstacles rules. Each 
  hero is dealt an action card and makes an 
  Agility roll, as normal. The collapsing canyon 
  walls don’t have any skill—the danger they 
  present is covered through the Obstacles. The earthquake 
  continues until the last character escapes the canyon (see 
  below).
  The Chase has a ﬁ xed end. After passing beyond the 
  10th marker stone, the characters escape the canyon. 
  Continue with Scene 4.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Certain Obstacles leave a character trapped or hanging 
  until he makes a Strength roll. Fellow adventurers on the 
  same Range Increment can aid their comrade through 
  a Cooperative roll. This requires the helper to use an 
  action and either be on Hold or act after his compatriot.
  Deuce (–4) Cascade of Boulders: A veritable ava-
  lanche sweeps down the canyon walls. A failed roll in-
  ﬂ icts 4d6 damage (as an Extra) and knocks the hero back 
  one Range Increment.
  Three (–2) Huge Boulder: A massive stone threatens 
  to crush the character. If he fails his Agility roll, he suffers 
  4d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Four (–2) Landslide: Part of the canyon wall slides 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  5
  battling with the waves and wind, the rafts ﬁ nally sail 
  into a sheltered cave. At the back of the cave are a thin 
  beach of black sand and a tunnel, which rises into the 
  island’s interior.
  While crossing the sand, the characters notice a boot 
  print. A Tracking roll at –2 reveals the print is at least a 
  week old. On a raise, the character deduces it was prob-
  ably made over a month ago. Although the characters 
  have no way of telling, the print was left behind by a Nazi 
  expedition, which set ashore here.
  PAVED ROAD
  PAVED ROAD
  The tunnel emerges onto a paved road, lining the 
  bottom of a steep-sided canyon. The canyon runs 
  north south. The stones are cracked and weed-
  choked and impossible to date. Looking south, the 
  road follows a bend in the canyon and quickly 
  passes out of sight.
  North, the road continues in an unbroken line 
  for several miles before disappearing 
  into the mist, which is less thick inland. 
  On the northern horizon, jutting from 
  the mist, can be seen the tops of distant 
  mountains, and beyond them the faint 
  outline of a smoking volcano.
  If the party heads south, the road 
  abruptly ends after several miles at the 
  edge of the ocean, hundreds of feet above 
  the crashing waves and jagged rocks. The 
  island once continued much further out to 
  sea, but earthquakes collapsed large por-
  tions in antiquity.
  Heading north, the adventurers come 
  across several tall statues, each depicting 
  men in feathered headdresses. A successful 
  Common Knowledge roll at –2, or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll, identiﬁ es them as hav-
  ing similarities to Mesoamerican imagery, 
  but they cannot be identiﬁ ed as belonging 
  to a speciﬁ c culture. A raise tentatively dates 
  them to at least 1,000 years ago, but they 
  could be much older.
  After a mile along the northern road, the 
  ground begins to tremble. An earthquake 
  has struck the island! Small rocks begin 
  to clatter down the canyon walls, onto the 
  paving, followed soon after by larger rocks. 
  Then the canyon walls begin to collapse, 
  sending thousands of tons of rock down 
  into the ﬂ oor!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase 
  rules and our alternate Obstacles rules. Each 
  hero is dealt an action card and makes an 
  Agility roll, as normal. The collapsing canyon 
  walls don’t have any skill—the danger they 
  present is covered through the Obstacles. The earthquake 
  continues until the last character escapes the canyon (see 
  below).
  The Chase has a ﬁ xed end. After passing beyond the 
  10th marker stone, the characters escape the canyon. 
  Continue with Scene 4.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Certain Obstacles leave a character trapped or hanging 
  until he makes a Strength roll. Fellow adventurers on the 
  same Range Increment can aid their comrade through 
  a Cooperative roll. This requires the helper to use an 
  action and either be on Hold or act after his compatriot.
  Deuce (–4) Cascade of Boulders: A veritable ava-
  lanche sweeps down the canyon walls. A failed roll in-
  ﬂ icts 4d6 damage (as an Extra) and knocks the hero back 
  one Range Increment.
  Three (–2) Huge Boulder: A massive stone threatens 
  to crush the character. If he fails his Agility roll, he suffers 
  4d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Four (–2) Landslide: Part of the canyon wall slides 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  6
  down. On a failed roll, the hero is swept sideways. He 
  suffers 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and his next Agility 
  roll is made at –2, as he must regain his footing.
  Five (–2) Fallen Tree: A large tree crashes down 
  onto the canyon ﬂ oor. A failure indicates the character 
  is caught up in the branches. He suffers 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra). Each round thereafter, he must make a 
  Strength roll to free himself from the tangled foliage. On 
  the round after this succeeds, he must make an Agility 
  roll to continue running. A character can take a multi-
  action penalty (hoping to escape and run in the same 
  round).
  Six (–2) Uplifted Stones: The quake buckles the pav-
  ing slabs, which rise suddenly into the air beneath the 
  hero’s feet. A failed Agility roll sends the character ﬂ ying 
  backward, as a huge stone ﬂ ips him off his feet. He loses 
  one Range Increment.
  Seven (–2) Crack: A section of road collapses, leav-
  ing a wide gap. The hero can either go around it or leap 
  over it. The former requires an Agility roll at –2. Failure 
  means the character simply failed to make any ground, 
  due to the diversion.
  Jumping the gap requires a Strength roll (no penalty), 
  which replaces the hero’s Agility roll this round. A failure 
  leaves the character dangling by his ﬁ ngertips on the far 
  side of the chasm. Each round thereafter, he must make 
  a Strength roll to pull himself onto the canyon ﬂ oor. On 
  the round after this succeeds, he must make an Agility 
  roll to continue running. A character can take a multi-
  action penalty (hoping to escape and run in the same 
  round).
  Eight (–2) Statue: A colossal statue smashes onto 
  the ﬂ oor. A failed roll indicates the character suffers 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra).
  Nine (–1) Crazy Paving: The paving stones ahead 
  have buckled, creating treacherous terrain. On a failed 
  roll, the character has slipped and fallen. His next Agil-
  ity roll is made at –2, due to time wasted regaining his 
  footing.
  Ten (–1) Pebbles: A shower of stones threatens to 
  pebbledash the adventurer. On a failed Agility roll, he 
  suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Jack (–1) Steam Vent: The island is riddled with 
  subterranean volcanic pockets. The earthquake creates a 
  rupture, which sends a jet of steam to the surface. On a 
  failed roll, the character suffers 3d6 damage (as an Extra) 
  from scalding.
  Queen (–1) Skeleton: A collection of bones slides off 
  the plateau above the canyon. On a failed roll, the hero 
  is struck by one and suffers 3d6 damage (as an Extra). If 
  the hero wishes to study the bones, he may either make 
  a Notice roll on the same round he runs (and so suffer a 
  multi action penalty) or delay one round, in which case 
  he makes a Notice roll at no penalty.
  Success while studying the bones indicates the beast 
  would be many times larger than an elephant, and, judg-
  ing by its teeth, was an herbivore.
  King (0) Boulder Blockage: Huge boulders dot 
  the road ahead, forcing the character to weave between 
  them. A failed roll simply indicates the hero failed to 
  make any ground due to having to run around and be-
  tween the stones.
  Ace (0) Small Stones: A handful of small stones 
  bounce down the canyon walls. On a failed Agility roll, 
  the character suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  SCENE 4: MAKING CAMP
  SCENE 4: MAKING CAMP
  After escaping the collapsing canyon, the characters 
  journey on along the road for another few miles. Even-
  tually, they ﬁ nd themselves in a ruined plaza. The road 
  continues north across the other side of the plaza, but 
  also stretches away to the east and west. In the center of 
  the plaza is a crumbling ruin, its walls tumbled in places. 
  In all directions, the road carries on along the canyon 
  ﬂ oor.
  Night falls quickly at this latitude, and by the time the 
  heroes reach this point, the sun is already low in the sky. 
  Whether or not the characters choose to set up camp 
  here is left to them to decide. No matter where they stop 
  for the night, they hear the faint sound of drumming in 
  the far distance. A Notice roll at –4 is required to de-
  termine the direction—the drums are somewhere to the 
  north, but many miles away.
  The drums are being beaten by the degenerate natives 
  who inhabit the island. Regressed almost to an animal-
  like existence, they continue a debased form of their old 
  religion. Scouts spotted the characters arrival and have 
  reported back to the tribe. Eager to please their gods, 
  and savor some fresh meat, the natives are sending out 
  search parties to scour the ancient road, the most likely 
  route of any interlopers.
  In the middle of the night, a small group of savages 
  locates the heroes’ camp and launches an attack. The de-
  scription below assumes the camp has been erected in or 
  around the plaza. The GM must adjudicate the battleﬁ eld 
  if the party chose to camp elsewhere.
  THE APPROACH
  THE APPROACH
  The players should decide the guard roster for the 
  night. There are ten hours of darkness this time of year. 
  After the long ﬂ ight and the troubled landing, the char-
  acters are far from fully rested. Guards working in two-
  hour shifts don’t suffer any penalties. Over this time, the 
  sentry must make a Vigor roll each hour. With success he 
  is considered active. On a failure, he is treated as being 
  inactive. He isn’t asleep, he’s just not very alert.
  The savages attack ﬁ ve hours after dark. The savages 
  approach along the east, north, and west roads. Have 
  each party of warriors make a Group Stealth roll. If actu-
  ally detected (noted by shouts of alarm or weapon ﬁ re), 
  the thugs launch their attack, beginning 12” along the 
  roads from where they join the plaza.
  Should all the groups pass their Stealth roll, they 
  must make another roll when they reach 5” from any 
  character (even a sleeping one inside the building). This 
  is always opposed by the sentry’s Notice. With all par-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  6
  down. On a failed roll, the hero is swept sideways. He 
  suffers 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and his next Agility 
  roll is made at –2, as he must regain his footing.
  Five (–2) Fallen Tree: A large tree crashes down 
  onto the canyon ﬂ oor. A failure indicates the character 
  is caught up in the branches. He suffers 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra). Each round thereafter, he must make a 
  Strength roll to free himself from the tangled foliage. On 
  the round after this succeeds, he must make an Agility 
  roll to continue running. A character can take a multi-
  action penalty (hoping to escape and run in the same 
  round).
  Six (–2) Uplifted Stones: The quake buckles the pav-
  ing slabs, which rise suddenly into the air beneath the 
  hero’s feet. A failed Agility roll sends the character ﬂ ying 
  backward, as a huge stone ﬂ ips him off his feet. He loses 
  one Range Increment.
  Seven (–2) Crack: A section of road collapses, leav-
  ing a wide gap. The hero can either go around it or leap 
  over it. The former requires an Agility roll at –2. Failure 
  means the character simply failed to make any ground, 
  due to the diversion.
  Jumping the gap requires a Strength roll (no penalty), 
  which replaces the hero’s Agility roll this round. A failure 
  leaves the character dangling by his ﬁ ngertips on the far 
  side of the chasm. Each round thereafter, he must make 
  a Strength roll to pull himself onto the canyon ﬂ oor. On 
  the round after this succeeds, he must make an Agility 
  roll to continue running. A character can take a multi-
  action penalty (hoping to escape and run in the same 
  round).
  Eight (–2) Statue: A colossal statue smashes onto 
  the ﬂ oor. A failed roll indicates the character suffers 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra).
  Nine (–1) Crazy Paving: The paving stones ahead 
  have buckled, creating treacherous terrain. On a failed 
  roll, the character has slipped and fallen. His next Agil-
  ity roll is made at –2, due to time wasted regaining his 
  footing.
  Ten (–1) Pebbles: A shower of stones threatens to 
  pebbledash the adventurer. On a failed Agility roll, he 
  suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Jack (–1) Steam Vent: The island is riddled with 
  subterranean volcanic pockets. The earthquake creates a 
  rupture, which sends a jet of steam to the surface. On a 
  failed roll, the character suffers 3d6 damage (as an Extra) 
  from scalding.
  Queen (–1) Skeleton: A collection of bones slides off 
  the plateau above the canyon. On a failed roll, the hero 
  is struck by one and suffers 3d6 damage (as an Extra). If 
  the hero wishes to study the bones, he may either make 
  a Notice roll on the same round he runs (and so suffer a 
  multi action penalty) or delay one round, in which case 
  he makes a Notice roll at no penalty.
  Success while studying the bones indicates the beast 
  would be many times larger than an elephant, and, judg-
  ing by its teeth, was an herbivore.
  King (0) Boulder Blockage: Huge boulders dot 
  the road ahead, forcing the character to weave between 
  them. A failed roll simply indicates the hero failed to 
  make any ground due to having to run around and be-
  tween the stones.
  Ace (0) Small Stones: A handful of small stones 
  bounce down the canyon walls. On a failed Agility roll, 
  the character suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  SCENE 4: MAKING CAMP
  SCENE 4: MAKING CAMP
  After escaping the collapsing canyon, the characters 
  journey on along the road for another few miles. Even-
  tually, they ﬁ nd themselves in a ruined plaza. The road 
  continues north across the other side of the plaza, but 
  also stretches away to the east and west. In the center of 
  the plaza is a crumbling ruin, its walls tumbled in places. 
  In all directions, the road carries on along the canyon 
  ﬂ oor.
  Night falls quickly at this latitude, and by the time the 
  heroes reach this point, the sun is already low in the sky. 
  Whether or not the characters choose to set up camp 
  here is left to them to decide. No matter where they stop 
  for the night, they hear the faint sound of drumming in 
  the far distance. A Notice roll at –4 is required to de-
  termine the direction—the drums are somewhere to the 
  north, but many miles away.
  The drums are being beaten by the degenerate natives 
  who inhabit the island. Regressed almost to an animal-
  like existence, they continue a debased form of their old 
  religion. Scouts spotted the characters arrival and have 
  reported back to the tribe. Eager to please their gods, 
  and savor some fresh meat, the natives are sending out 
  search parties to scour the ancient road, the most likely 
  route of any interlopers.
  In the middle of the night, a small group of savages 
  locates the heroes’ camp and launches an attack. The de-
  scription below assumes the camp has been erected in or 
  around the plaza. The GM must adjudicate the battleﬁ eld 
  if the party chose to camp elsewhere.
  THE APPROACH
  THE APPROACH
  The players should decide the guard roster for the 
  night. There are ten hours of darkness this time of year. 
  After the long ﬂ ight and the troubled landing, the char-
  acters are far from fully rested. Guards working in two-
  hour shifts don’t suffer any penalties. Over this time, the 
  sentry must make a Vigor roll each hour. With success he 
  is considered active. On a failure, he is treated as being 
  inactive. He isn’t asleep, he’s just not very alert.
  The savages attack ﬁ ve hours after dark. The savages 
  approach along the east, north, and west roads. Have 
  each party of warriors make a Group Stealth roll. If actu-
  ally detected (noted by shouts of alarm or weapon ﬁ re), 
  the thugs launch their attack, beginning 12” along the 
  roads from where they join the plaza.
  Should all the groups pass their Stealth roll, they 
  must make another roll when they reach 5” from any 
  character (even a sleeping one inside the building). This 
  is always opposed by the sentry’s Notice. With all par-
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  7
  ties gaining success, the degenerates gain Surprise. On a 
  failure by any group, the guard spots them and can raise 
  the alarm.
  Sleeping characters require one action to awaken 
  after a warning shout is given (or gunﬁ re heard), and 
  another action to throw off their covers and get to their 
  feet. Drawing or readying a weapon requires yet another 
  action.
  THE ATTACK
  THE ATTACK
  The plaza is a square, measuring 8” to a side. In the 
  center, ﬁ lling an area 3” by 3” is the ruined structure. 
  The building has a 1” wide hole in each of the walls on 
  the south, east, and north faces. The roads leading to 
  the plaza are 2” high, and extend from the center of the 
  plaza’s four edges toward the cardinal points. Visibility is 
  Dim (–1), due to a full moon.
  Initially, the tribesmen aren’t out to butcher the 
  heroes. They want fresh meat for their gods and their 
  stomachs, so they’ll always try to grapple a foe using the 
  Ganging Up rules and then beat him with the butts of 
  their weapons (nonlethal damage, but no penalty to the 
  attack roll).
  When reduced to half their starting number, they 
  decide to give up on catching their prey alive and opt 
  to use lethal force. Once down to a quarter their initial 
  strength, the survivors turn and ﬂ ee as fast as they can.
  Two of the fallen tribesmen carry items manufactured 
  in the outside world. One wears a belt of 9mm rounds, 
  while another has a pair of silver SS runes woven into 
  his hair.
  When the Nazis arrived and made their way inland, the 
  tribesmen attacked. Although driven off by the intruders’ 
  advanced weapons, they did manage to take several pris-
  oners. Most of these have since been sacriﬁ ced and eaten 
  (the natives are careful not to kill the few visitors to their 
  island too quickly, as meat is a precious commodity).
  In the event the group is overpowered, the tribesmen 
  bind them with rope woven from human hair. The char-
  acters have several chances to escape, as the events in Act 
  2 still occur as written. The tribesmen avoid the river (see 
  below), because they know about the plesiosaur. They 
  take the heroes up onto the plateau via a well-concealed 
  set of steps, and then along the top, and ﬁ nally down 
  past the waterfall via another set of ancient stairs. This 
  brings the party straight to Scene 2 below.
   Degenerate Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 
  17.
  ACT 2: MONSTER ISLAND
  ACT 2: MONSTER ISLAND
  SCENE 1: RIVER OF BLOOD
  SCENE 1: RIVER OF BLOOD
  The east and west roads from the plaza end suddenly 
  atop cliffs. Only the north road continues deeper into 
  the island.
  The road comes to an abrupt halt at the banks of 
  a wide, foaming river. A handful of short, stone 
  pillars rise from the water, perhaps once supports 
  for a now-vanished wharf. Upstream, the water 
  cascades vertically from atop the canyon walls. 
  Across the other side, the steep canyon walls rise 
  upward to whatever lies above.
  Groups who brought their inﬂ atable rafts with them 
  can use them to paddle downstream. Otherwise, the 
  party has to construct a raft. Building a raft requires a 
  Survival roll, an axe or similar tool, and several hours 
  of hard work. With success, the raft ﬂ oats and handles 
  adequately. A raise produces a ﬁ ne and easily maneuver-
  able vessel. A paddler adds +1 to his Strength rolls (see 
  below). With failure, the raft is serviceable, but clumsy. 
  Strength rolls to propel the craft are at –1.
  Setting out onto the water, the raft is gently carried 
  downstream. The river runs between high-sided canyon 
  walls. Trees and bushes protrude from the walls at pre-
  carious angles. Characters who want to ﬁ sh can make a 
  Survival roll. Success catches them enough ﬁ sh to feed 
  the party for a day, and a raise enough food for two 
  days.
  After several miles, the river bends round to the right, 
  then sharply left. As the raft clears the ﬁ nal corner, the 
  current picks up. Ahead, the characters can see a water-
  fall!
  Deal action cards.
  The section of river is cone-shaped. The river is 3” and 
  the waterfall 8” wide. The distance between the river and 
  the sudden drop is 19”. The last 3” of each bank before 
  the waterfall are relatively low ground, ﬂ at enough to 
  beach the raft and clamber ashore.
  Propelling the raft requires a Strength roll. Multiple 
  rowers can paddle using the Cooperative Strength rules. 
  Each success and raise moves the raft 1”, to a maximum 
  of 4”. Heroes who end up in the water must make Swim-
  ming rolls each round to avoid taking a level of Fatigue 
  from the strenuous effort. Movement in the current is 
  half its normal rate.
  Deal the river an action card as well. On its go, it au-
  tomatically draws the raft and anything in the water 2” 
  closer to the center of the waterfall.
  Should the raft go over the edge, everyone aboard 
  suffers 4d6 damage (from an Extra) as they hit the 
  water at the bottom. The raft is wrecked, and half the 
  supplies the party was carrying are lost or damaged 
  beyond repair. Items carried on a character’s person 
  don’t suffer this fate, unless the GM is feeling excep-
  tionally cruel.
  The strong current and sudden drop are not the only 
  dangers facing the heroes. A species of freshwater ple-
  siosaur lives in the river. Deal it an action card, as well. 
  The creature begins submerged, then attacks using its 
  Ambush Special Ability. It is not immune to the current, 
  and suffers forced movement as above.
  Parties reaching the bank are safe from the plesiosaur 
  so long as they stay more than 1” from the water’s edge. 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  7
  ties gaining success, the degenerates gain Surprise. On a 
  failure by any group, the guard spots them and can raise 
  the alarm.
  Sleeping characters require one action to awaken 
  after a warning shout is given (or gunﬁ re heard), and 
  another action to throw off their covers and get to their 
  feet. Drawing or readying a weapon requires yet another 
  action.
  THE ATTACK
  THE ATTACK
  The plaza is a square, measuring 8” to a side. In the 
  center, ﬁ lling an area 3” by 3” is the ruined structure. 
  The building has a 1” wide hole in each of the walls on 
  the south, east, and north faces. The roads leading to 
  the plaza are 2” high, and extend from the center of the 
  plaza’s four edges toward the cardinal points. Visibility is 
  Dim (–1), due to a full moon.
  Initially, the tribesmen aren’t out to butcher the 
  heroes. They want fresh meat for their gods and their 
  stomachs, so they’ll always try to grapple a foe using the 
  Ganging Up rules and then beat him with the butts of 
  their weapons (nonlethal damage, but no penalty to the 
  attack roll).
  When reduced to half their starting number, they 
  decide to give up on catching their prey alive and opt 
  to use lethal force. Once down to a quarter their initial 
  strength, the survivors turn and ﬂ ee as fast as they can.
  Two of the fallen tribesmen carry items manufactured 
  in the outside world. One wears a belt of 9mm rounds, 
  while another has a pair of silver SS runes woven into 
  his hair.
  When the Nazis arrived and made their way inland, the 
  tribesmen attacked. Although driven off by the intruders’ 
  advanced weapons, they did manage to take several pris-
  oners. Most of these have since been sacriﬁ ced and eaten 
  (the natives are careful not to kill the few visitors to their 
  island too quickly, as meat is a precious commodity).
  In the event the group is overpowered, the tribesmen 
  bind them with rope woven from human hair. The char-
  acters have several chances to escape, as the events in Act 
  2 still occur as written. The tribesmen avoid the river (see 
  below), because they know about the plesiosaur. They 
  take the heroes up onto the plateau via a well-concealed 
  set of steps, and then along the top, and ﬁ nally down 
  past the waterfall via another set of ancient stairs. This 
  brings the party straight to Scene 2 below.
   Degenerate Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 
  17.
  ACT 2: MONSTER ISLAND
  ACT 2: MONSTER ISLAND
  SCENE 1: RIVER OF BLOOD
  SCENE 1: RIVER OF BLOOD
  The east and west roads from the plaza end suddenly 
  atop cliffs. Only the north road continues deeper into 
  the island.
  The road comes to an abrupt halt at the banks of 
  a wide, foaming river. A handful of short, stone 
  pillars rise from the water, perhaps once supports 
  for a now-vanished wharf. Upstream, the water 
  cascades vertically from atop the canyon walls. 
  Across the other side, the steep canyon walls rise 
  upward to whatever lies above.
  Groups who brought their inﬂ atable rafts with them 
  can use them to paddle downstream. Otherwise, the 
  party has to construct a raft. Building a raft requires a 
  Survival roll, an axe or similar tool, and several hours 
  of hard work. With success, the raft ﬂ oats and handles 
  adequately. A raise produces a ﬁ ne and easily maneuver-
  able vessel. A paddler adds +1 to his Strength rolls (see 
  below). With failure, the raft is serviceable, but clumsy. 
  Strength rolls to propel the craft are at –1.
  Setting out onto the water, the raft is gently carried 
  downstream. The river runs between high-sided canyon 
  walls. Trees and bushes protrude from the walls at pre-
  carious angles. Characters who want to ﬁ sh can make a 
  Survival roll. Success catches them enough ﬁ sh to feed 
  the party for a day, and a raise enough food for two 
  days.
  After several miles, the river bends round to the right, 
  then sharply left. As the raft clears the ﬁ nal corner, the 
  current picks up. Ahead, the characters can see a water-
  fall!
  Deal action cards.
  The section of river is cone-shaped. The river is 3” and 
  the waterfall 8” wide. The distance between the river and 
  the sudden drop is 19”. The last 3” of each bank before 
  the waterfall are relatively low ground, ﬂ at enough to 
  beach the raft and clamber ashore.
  Propelling the raft requires a Strength roll. Multiple 
  rowers can paddle using the Cooperative Strength rules. 
  Each success and raise moves the raft 1”, to a maximum 
  of 4”. Heroes who end up in the water must make Swim-
  ming rolls each round to avoid taking a level of Fatigue 
  from the strenuous effort. Movement in the current is 
  half its normal rate.
  Deal the river an action card as well. On its go, it au-
  tomatically draws the raft and anything in the water 2” 
  closer to the center of the waterfall.
  Should the raft go over the edge, everyone aboard 
  suffers 4d6 damage (from an Extra) as they hit the 
  water at the bottom. The raft is wrecked, and half the 
  supplies the party was carrying are lost or damaged 
  beyond repair. Items carried on a character’s person 
  don’t suffer this fate, unless the GM is feeling excep-
  tionally cruel.
  The strong current and sudden drop are not the only 
  dangers facing the heroes. A species of freshwater ple-
  siosaur lives in the river. Deal it an action card, as well. 
  The creature begins submerged, then attacks using its 
  Ambush Special Ability. It is not immune to the current, 
  and suffers forced movement as above.
  Parties reaching the bank are safe from the plesiosaur 
  so long as they stay more than 1” from the water’s edge. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  8
  Searching around in the undergrowth, the characters 
  locate a set of stairs carved into the canyon wall. These 
  wind down the cliff, parallel to the waterfall, and can be 
  found on both banks.
   Plesiosaur: See page 18.
  SCENE 2: STAMPEDE!
  SCENE 2: STAMPEDE!
  Whether the characters climb down or take the quick 
  way, they ﬁ nd themselves on the ﬂ oor of a wide valley. 
  Ahead can be seen mountains, and beyond them the 
  cone of a smoking volcano. A thin, glowing, red line 
  indicates a recent lava ﬂ ow. A hero using binoculars to 
  survey the mountain range spies a stepped pyramid, 
  similar in design to those in Mesoamerica, halfway up 
  the range.
  The river ﬂ ows round to the right, eventually ending 
  at the edge of the island, where it cascades into the sea. 
  Heading off from the waterfall is another paved road, 
  again weathered and overgrown. It stretches away into 
  the jungle, directly toward the mountains.
  Since the river ends, the characters must eventu-
  ally head off into the jungle. The road is the quickest 
  route through the dense vegetation. It doesn’t matter 
  if the characters decide to follow the river, and then 
  cut through the jungle once they realize it’s a dead 
  end—they ﬁ nd another road sooner or later.
  Progress along the road is swift, even with the 
  encroaching jungle blocking part of the route. The 
  ground begins to judder again, and thick, black 
  smoke belches from the distant volcano. From 
  behind you, you hear the sounds of crashing and 
  breaking trees. The earthquake has stopped, but 
  the noise continues to draw closer. Peering into 
  the vegetation, you can see distant trees toppling 
  over. Whatever it causing the disturbance, it’s 
  heading your way!
  The earthquake has spooked a herd of triceratops, 
  and they’re stampeding right toward the party!
  This scene is run as a Chase, but the marker track is 
  ﬁ xed at 10 markers (see below). Characters who start run-
  ning immediately begin three Range Increments ahead 
  of the panicked dinosaurs. Those who wait around to 
  identify the source of the commotion end up just one 
  Range Increment ahead of the herd! 
  Each Range Increment equates to 5”. Since humans 
  have a lower base Range Increment, the characters suffer 
  a –1 penalty to their Agility rolls. The dinosaurs are faster 
  then the adventurers, so they get a +1 bonus.
  The triceratopses don’t have stats—they’re a mobile 
  hazard to outrun, not something the party can kill. Both 
  sides use Agility as their skill (d8 for the dinosaurs). The 
  herd is large, and, while treated as a single entity, extends 
  over two adjacent Range Increments.
  If the dinosaurs get within one Range Increment of 
  the heroes, they always try a Force maneuver. This is a 
  free action, so they also make an Agility roll to increase 
  their distance as normal. This isn’t a conscious attack, but 
  instead represents the dinosaurs accidentally trampling 
  the unfortunate humans, head butting them out of the 
  way, or swiping them with their short but powerful tails. 
  Although not technically an area effect attack, the herd 
  is treated as such, so heroes with Dodge and Improved 
  Dodge receive appropriate bonuses. Characters who 
  fail the opposed Agility roll suffer 4d6 damage (from an 
  Extra).
  The Chase takes place along the paved road—the 
  jungle is too thick to move through at any speed (and 
  there are stampeding dinosaurs either side of the road). 
  However, markers 9 and 10 represent an old stone 
  bridge, which spans a gorge.
  Millennia old and in poor condition, the bridge is 
  exceptionally fragile. While it can support the heroes’ 
  weight, it begins to collapse if the herd thunders over it. 
  The characters don’t know it, but allowing the herd to 
  overtake them in the Chase is a bad idea. Passing beyond 
  the 10th marker means the hero has successfully escaped 
  the rampaging herd.
  7th & 8th Markers: When the herd reaches these 
  markers, the vibrations start stones falling from the 
  bridge. Characters on the bridge suffer a –1 penalty to 
  their Agility rolls. A critical failure or any roll of 1 or less 
  means the ground beneath the hero has collapsed, leav-
  ing him dangling over the precipice.
  Next round, he must make a Strength roll to drag 
  himself onto the remainder of the bridge. With success, 
  he may begin running on the following round. Heroes 
  may take a multi-action penalty to haul themselves up-
  right and run on the same round.
  9th Marker: As above, except the penalty increases 
  to –2.
  10th Marker: When the herd reaches the 10th marker, 
  the entire structure collapses. The triceratopses aren’t 
  the smartest of creatures, and they have difﬁ culty stop-
  ping suddenly. As such, they keep going over the bridge, 
  plummeting to their deaths on the rocks below.
  EXPLORING THE PLATEAU
  EXPLORING THE PLATEAU
  As written, the adventure assumes reaching the pla-
  teau is impossible. This is done to keep the action 
  ﬂ owing and cut down on extraneous pages. How-
  ever, once it’s in your hands, the adventure can be 
  used how you wish. Groups wishing to take time 
  out to explore the plateau should certainly not be 
  thwarted.
  The plateau is rugged terrain covered in dense un-
  dergrowth. Dozens of ruins can be found here, as 
  can numerous dinosaurs and other ferocious beasts 
  (like giant spiders and centipedes).
  Canyons, with or without paved roads at the bot-
  tom, break up the landscape. Old bridges or gigan-
  tic fallen trees may provide routes across these. A 
  river, the one the heroes join in Act 2, Scene 1, rises 
  at several points on the hills and ﬂ ows northward.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  8
  Searching around in the undergrowth, the characters 
  locate a set of stairs carved into the canyon wall. These 
  wind down the cliff, parallel to the waterfall, and can be 
  found on both banks.
   Plesiosaur: See page 18.
  SCENE 2: STAMPEDE!
  SCENE 2: STAMPEDE!
  Whether the characters climb down or take the quick 
  way, they ﬁ nd themselves on the ﬂ oor of a wide valley. 
  Ahead can be seen mountains, and beyond them the 
  cone of a smoking volcano. A thin, glowing, red line 
  indicates a recent lava ﬂ ow. A hero using binoculars to 
  survey the mountain range spies a stepped pyramid, 
  similar in design to those in Mesoamerica, halfway up 
  the range.
  The river ﬂ ows round to the right, eventually ending 
  at the edge of the island, where it cascades into the sea. 
  Heading off from the waterfall is another paved road, 
  again weathered and overgrown. It stretches away into 
  the jungle, directly toward the mountains.
  Since the river ends, the characters must eventu-
  ally head off into the jungle. The road is the quickest 
  route through the dense vegetation. It doesn’t matter 
  if the characters decide to follow the river, and then 
  cut through the jungle once they realize it’s a dead 
  end—they ﬁ nd another road sooner or later.
  Progress along the road is swift, even with the 
  encroaching jungle blocking part of the route. The 
  ground begins to judder again, and thick, black 
  smoke belches from the distant volcano. From 
  behind you, you hear the sounds of crashing and 
  breaking trees. The earthquake has stopped, but 
  the noise continues to draw closer. Peering into 
  the vegetation, you can see distant trees toppling 
  over. Whatever it causing the disturbance, it’s 
  heading your way!
  The earthquake has spooked a herd of triceratops, 
  and they’re stampeding right toward the party!
  This scene is run as a Chase, but the marker track is 
  ﬁ xed at 10 markers (see below). Characters who start run-
  ning immediately begin three Range Increments ahead 
  of the panicked dinosaurs. Those who wait around to 
  identify the source of the commotion end up just one 
  Range Increment ahead of the herd! 
  Each Range Increment equates to 5”. Since humans 
  have a lower base Range Increment, the characters suffer 
  a –1 penalty to their Agility rolls. The dinosaurs are faster 
  then the adventurers, so they get a +1 bonus.
  The triceratopses don’t have stats—they’re a mobile 
  hazard to outrun, not something the party can kill. Both 
  sides use Agility as their skill (d8 for the dinosaurs). The 
  herd is large, and, while treated as a single entity, extends 
  over two adjacent Range Increments.
  If the dinosaurs get within one Range Increment of 
  the heroes, they always try a Force maneuver. This is a 
  free action, so they also make an Agility roll to increase 
  their distance as normal. This isn’t a conscious attack, but 
  instead represents the dinosaurs accidentally trampling 
  the unfortunate humans, head butting them out of the 
  way, or swiping them with their short but powerful tails. 
  Although not technically an area effect attack, the herd 
  is treated as such, so heroes with Dodge and Improved 
  Dodge receive appropriate bonuses. Characters who 
  fail the opposed Agility roll suffer 4d6 damage (from an 
  Extra).
  The Chase takes place along the paved road—the 
  jungle is too thick to move through at any speed (and 
  there are stampeding dinosaurs either side of the road). 
  However, markers 9 and 10 represent an old stone 
  bridge, which spans a gorge.
  Millennia old and in poor condition, the bridge is 
  exceptionally fragile. While it can support the heroes’ 
  weight, it begins to collapse if the herd thunders over it. 
  The characters don’t know it, but allowing the herd to 
  overtake them in the Chase is a bad idea. Passing beyond 
  the 10th marker means the hero has successfully escaped 
  the rampaging herd.
  7th & 8th Markers: When the herd reaches these 
  markers, the vibrations start stones falling from the 
  bridge. Characters on the bridge suffer a –1 penalty to 
  their Agility rolls. A critical failure or any roll of 1 or less 
  means the ground beneath the hero has collapsed, leav-
  ing him dangling over the precipice.
  Next round, he must make a Strength roll to drag 
  himself onto the remainder of the bridge. With success, 
  he may begin running on the following round. Heroes 
  may take a multi-action penalty to haul themselves up-
  right and run on the same round.
  9th Marker: As above, except the penalty increases 
  to –2.
  10th Marker: When the herd reaches the 10th marker, 
  the entire structure collapses. The triceratopses aren’t 
  the smartest of creatures, and they have difﬁ culty stop-
  ping suddenly. As such, they keep going over the bridge, 
  plummeting to their deaths on the rocks below.
  EXPLORING THE PLATEAU
  EXPLORING THE PLATEAU
  As written, the adventure assumes reaching the pla-
  teau is impossible. This is done to keep the action 
  ﬂ owing and cut down on extraneous pages. How-
  ever, once it’s in your hands, the adventure can be 
  used how you wish. Groups wishing to take time 
  out to explore the plateau should certainly not be 
  thwarted.
  The plateau is rugged terrain covered in dense un-
  dergrowth. Dozens of ruins can be found here, as 
  can numerous dinosaurs and other ferocious beasts 
  (like giant spiders and centipedes).
  Canyons, with or without paved roads at the bot-
  tom, break up the landscape. Old bridges or gigan-
  tic fallen trees may provide routes across these. A 
  river, the one the heroes join in Act 2, Scene 1, rises 
  at several points on the hills and ﬂ ows northward.
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  9
  Characters on the 9th marker when the bridge col-
  lapses may make an immediate Agility roll as a free action 
  to leap back onto the road. Those on the 10th marker can 
  make the roll to leap from the bridge onto the ground on 
  the far side. Failure causes the character to fall. He takes 
  10d6 damage (from an Extra) on impact.
  Should the herd collapse the bridge before all the 
  characters are across, the party now has to devise a way 
  to span the gap. The gorge is 10” across and 20” deep. 
  There are no other crossings. Any reasonable plan to 
  bridge the gorge should be allowed to succeed.
  SCENE 3: BIG AND HUNGRY!
  SCENE 3: BIG AND HUNGRY!
  The bridge collapses under the weight of the 
  stampeding dinosaurs, sending hundreds of tons 
  of rock, ﬂ esh, and bone crashing into the gorge. 
  Breathing a sigh of relief, you realize you are 
  standing on the edge of a large open space, dot-
  ted with tall stone pillars. Creepers stretch up and 
  around the columns, like gigantic snakes trying to 
  crush the life from their prey. Aside from a gap to 
  the north, where the road continues northward, 
  the courtyard is surrounded by dense jungle.
  Give the heroes a moment or two to explore, and 
  then have them make Notice rolls. Those who fail are 
  caught by Surprise as a Tyrannosaurs Rex, drawn here 
  by the noise of the triceratops, crashes through the 
  surrounding undergrowth! It begins halfway along the 
  eastern edge of the plaza.
  The plaza measures 13” by 13”. The columns form a 
  regular pattern. Place a marker to represent a column in 
  the southeast corner. Then place other columns along 
  the southern edge every third square. Moving north-
  ward, leave a gap of 1”, and then repeat the pattern. The 
  road (2” wide) continues northward from the center of 
  the northern edge of the plaza.
  If a foe is adjacent to a pillar, the T. rex uses a variant 
  of the Innocent Bystander rule when making a Fighting 
  roll. A roll of 1 indicates the beast’s head has smashed 
  against the pillar, bringing it crashing down. The column 
  topples away from the direction of the attack. Place a 
  Small Burst Template adjacent to the base of the pillar. 
  Characters beneath this must make an Agility roll at –2 or 
  suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and be pinned.
  Pinned characters must make a Strength roll, as an 
  action, to free themselves. Adjacent comrades can aid 
  through a Cooperative roll, but this requires an action 
  and the helper to be on Hold.
  The area beneath the template is treated as difﬁ cult 
  ground for the remainder of the scene.
   Tyrannosaurus Rex: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: THE RUINED CAMP
  SCENE 4: THE RUINED CAMP
  Continuing northward, the party can now clearly see 
  the mountains, the volcano, and the stepped pyramid. 
  From this distance, the similarities to the ruins of Meso-
  america are clear. However, the structure is vast, many 
  times larger than those uncovered in Mexico.
  As the sun sinks toward the horizon, the party discov-
  ers a crushed metal canteen lying in the road. Just off to 
  the west are clear signs that something big (the Tyranno-
  saurus) has plowed through the undergrowth, leaving a 
  wide trail. Shreds of paper can be seen trampled into the 
  mud.
  Following the trail of debris brings the explorers to 
  a small clearing. Shredded tents, broken riﬂ es, smashed 
  crates, and crushed tins appear to indicate a ﬁ ght took 
  place here, possibly with a dinosaur. Indeed, a Tracking 
  roll made in the vicinity reveals a colossal footprint ex-
  actly matching that of the T. rex. On a raise, the tracker 
  also detects faint boot prints. These match the ones 
  found on the beach.
  A Notice roll made while exploring the outside of the 
  ruined camp reveals spent cartridges. Any hero with mili-
  tary or extensive knowledge of guns can make a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll to identify these as a mixture of 
  American and German casings. Other heroes roll at –2.
  In truth, the T. rex got here second, and only recently. 
  The devastation it caused was out of curiosity. Nazis dis-
  covered the expedition and, after a brief ﬁ reﬁ ght, took 
  the survivors prisoner.
  Aside from a few personal effects, there is only one 
  item of interest within the smashed tents—the expedi-
  tion diary. Most of it is fairly routine, though it does 
  make mention of the shipwreck and the group encoun-
  tering dinosaurs. The last diary entry is six weeks ago. 
  It makes mention of setting up a base camp and plans 
  to investigate the ruined temple. Toward the back are 
  extensive copes of pictographs. These allow the group 
  to decipher the glyphs discovered later in the adven-
  ture, if no one can read any Mesoamerican languages 
  (such as Aztec).
  HUNTING THE LOCALS
  HUNTING THE LOCALS
  What happens if the heroes want to track down the 
  degenerate savages’ camp and get some payback? 
  First, the heroes have to locate the settlement. This 
  should require at least one Tracking roll. Second, the 
  GM needs to create a small settlement of rundown 
  shacks inhabited by men, women, and children.
  The reason wiping out the savages isn’t included in 
  the adventure is two-fold.
  First, the degenerates aren’t maliciously evil. They 
  do what they do because of circumstances. As with 
  the Aztecs, their practice of human sacriﬁ ce is driv-
  en by ancient beliefs that without these their society 
  would fail.
  Second, it adds nothing to the adventure, as writ-
  ten. They have no technology to steal, only a ru-
  dimentary language, and can reveal nothing about 
  their ancestry.
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  9
  Characters on the 9th marker when the bridge col-
  lapses may make an immediate Agility roll as a free action 
  to leap back onto the road. Those on the 10th marker can 
  make the roll to leap from the bridge onto the ground on 
  the far side. Failure causes the character to fall. He takes 
  10d6 damage (from an Extra) on impact.
  Should the herd collapse the bridge before all the 
  characters are across, the party now has to devise a way 
  to span the gap. The gorge is 10” across and 20” deep. 
  There are no other crossings. Any reasonable plan to 
  bridge the gorge should be allowed to succeed.
  SCENE 3: BIG AND HUNGRY!
  SCENE 3: BIG AND HUNGRY!
  The bridge collapses under the weight of the 
  stampeding dinosaurs, sending hundreds of tons 
  of rock, ﬂ esh, and bone crashing into the gorge. 
  Breathing a sigh of relief, you realize you are 
  standing on the edge of a large open space, dot-
  ted with tall stone pillars. Creepers stretch up and 
  around the columns, like gigantic snakes trying to 
  crush the life from their prey. Aside from a gap to 
  the north, where the road continues northward, 
  the courtyard is surrounded by dense jungle.
  Give the heroes a moment or two to explore, and 
  then have them make Notice rolls. Those who fail are 
  caught by Surprise as a Tyrannosaurs Rex, drawn here 
  by the noise of the triceratops, crashes through the 
  surrounding undergrowth! It begins halfway along the 
  eastern edge of the plaza.
  The plaza measures 13” by 13”. The columns form a 
  regular pattern. Place a marker to represent a column in 
  the southeast corner. Then place other columns along 
  the southern edge every third square. Moving north-
  ward, leave a gap of 1”, and then repeat the pattern. The 
  road (2” wide) continues northward from the center of 
  the northern edge of the plaza.
  If a foe is adjacent to a pillar, the T. rex uses a variant 
  of the Innocent Bystander rule when making a Fighting 
  roll. A roll of 1 indicates the beast’s head has smashed 
  against the pillar, bringing it crashing down. The column 
  topples away from the direction of the attack. Place a 
  Small Burst Template adjacent to the base of the pillar. 
  Characters beneath this must make an Agility roll at –2 or 
  suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and be pinned.
  Pinned characters must make a Strength roll, as an 
  action, to free themselves. Adjacent comrades can aid 
  through a Cooperative roll, but this requires an action 
  and the helper to be on Hold.
  The area beneath the template is treated as difﬁ cult 
  ground for the remainder of the scene.
   Tyrannosaurus Rex: See page 18.
  SCENE 4: THE RUINED CAMP
  SCENE 4: THE RUINED CAMP
  Continuing northward, the party can now clearly see 
  the mountains, the volcano, and the stepped pyramid. 
  From this distance, the similarities to the ruins of Meso-
  america are clear. However, the structure is vast, many 
  times larger than those uncovered in Mexico.
  As the sun sinks toward the horizon, the party discov-
  ers a crushed metal canteen lying in the road. Just off to 
  the west are clear signs that something big (the Tyranno-
  saurus) has plowed through the undergrowth, leaving a 
  wide trail. Shreds of paper can be seen trampled into the 
  mud.
  Following the trail of debris brings the explorers to 
  a small clearing. Shredded tents, broken riﬂ es, smashed 
  crates, and crushed tins appear to indicate a ﬁ ght took 
  place here, possibly with a dinosaur. Indeed, a Tracking 
  roll made in the vicinity reveals a colossal footprint ex-
  actly matching that of the T. rex. On a raise, the tracker 
  also detects faint boot prints. These match the ones 
  found on the beach.
  A Notice roll made while exploring the outside of the 
  ruined camp reveals spent cartridges. Any hero with mili-
  tary or extensive knowledge of guns can make a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll to identify these as a mixture of 
  American and German casings. Other heroes roll at –2.
  In truth, the T. rex got here second, and only recently. 
  The devastation it caused was out of curiosity. Nazis dis-
  covered the expedition and, after a brief ﬁ reﬁ ght, took 
  the survivors prisoner.
  Aside from a few personal effects, there is only one 
  item of interest within the smashed tents—the expedi-
  tion diary. Most of it is fairly routine, though it does 
  make mention of the shipwreck and the group encoun-
  tering dinosaurs. The last diary entry is six weeks ago. 
  It makes mention of setting up a base camp and plans 
  to investigate the ruined temple. Toward the back are 
  extensive copes of pictographs. These allow the group 
  to decipher the glyphs discovered later in the adven-
  ture, if no one can read any Mesoamerican languages 
  (such as Aztec).
  HUNTING THE LOCALS
  HUNTING THE LOCALS
  What happens if the heroes want to track down the 
  degenerate savages’ camp and get some payback? 
  First, the heroes have to locate the settlement. This 
  should require at least one Tracking roll. Second, the 
  GM needs to create a small settlement of rundown 
  shacks inhabited by men, women, and children.
  The reason wiping out the savages isn’t included in 
  the adventure is two-fold.
  First, the degenerates aren’t maliciously evil. They 
  do what they do because of circumstances. As with 
  the Aztecs, their practice of human sacriﬁ ce is driv-
  en by ancient beliefs that without these their society 
  would fail.
  Second, it adds nothing to the adventure, as writ-
  ten. They have no technology to steal, only a ru-
  dimentary language, and can reveal nothing about 
  their ancestry.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1010
  ACT 3: THE LOST CITY
  ACT 3: THE LOST CITY
  Night quickly falls. Whether the characters choose to 
  stay at the ruined camp or push onward is left for them 
  to decide. Nothing attacks the camp during the early 
  evening.
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF THE MOON
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF THE MOON
  An hour or so after sunset, the sound of drumming 
  can be heard echoing across the valley. Unlike the pre-
  vious night, the thumps are much clearer, and closer. 
  A sentry soon notices ﬂ ickering lights atop the distant 
  pyramid. With binoculars, he can just make out a few ﬁ g-
  ures, though they are too indistinct for a detailed study.
  Irate at their failure to capture the heroes, the tribes-
  men are performing a ceremony to their dark and blood-
  thirsty gods. It’s also an excuse for them to eat their last 
  Nazi prisoner. If the characters don’t go to investigate 
  (Curious heroes have little option), the rest of this scene 
  can be ignored. The tribesmen don’t live in the temple, 
  and by the time an investigation is launched in daylight 
  they have returned to their distant homes.
  Reaching the foot of the mountains takes two hours 
  by road (and much longer cutting through the jungle). 
  The paved trail winds up the mountain, and eventually 
  ends at the base of the stepped pyramid. As the group 
  approaches, it becomes readily apparent there are a 
  dozen or so ﬁ gures dancing on the top platform.
  The darkness and sounds of drums covers the charac-
  ters approach up the stepped pyramid, allowing them to 
  reach the penultimate tier undetected. From here, they 
  have a clear view of what is happening.
  Atop the pyramid, the degenerate savages are 
  dancing frantically, throwing their arms in the 
  air, and wailing in their debased language. Fur-
  ther back, where the platform joins the mountain, 
  is a small building. A ﬁ gure wearing a feathered 
  headdress steps out, brandishing a metal knife.
  The dancers stop their motion and drop to their 
  knees, producing a low droning sound as they do 
  so. Two tribesmen emerge from the dark doorway, 
  dragging a blond haired captive between them. 
  From his uniform, it’s clear he’s a German sol-
  dier.
  The warriors haul the prisoner in front of the 
  feathered man, forcing him to his knees. The knife 
  rises, glinting in the moonlight…
  If the heroes don’t act immediately, the knife slashes 
  down, killing the captive instantly. Should they elect to 
  reveal themselves, they automatically have one free round 
  to act. Since all actions are deemed simultaneous (despite 
  being broken into distinct phases by the action cards), all 
  the explorers have the Drop on their ﬁ rst attack.
  On the second round, the shaman slays the prisoner, 
  unless the witchdoctor is killed ﬁ rst. No other tribesman 
  will harm the captive, for to do so, they believe, will of-
  fend the gods.
  The top platform is 12” to a side. The building stand-
  ing at the back of the platform is 2” wide and 1” deep. 
  A dark recess leads into the mountain. Standing in each 
  corner is a tarnished, bronze brazier, ﬁ lled with burning 
  bundles of grass. Although the natives don’t know how 
  to make ﬁ re, they have the brains to push sticks into lava 
  pools deep in the jungle and bring ﬁ re to the temple.
  The braziers are treated as Innocent Bystanders, but 
  the rule applies to Fighting rolls as well. They can also 
  be deliberately targeted. They have Toughness 8, or can 
  be toppled with a Strength roll. Place a Small Burst Tem-
  plate adjacent to the brazier in the direction it is pushed 
  or away from the direction of an attack. Everything 
  under the template suffers 2d6 damage from an Extra. 
  The ﬂ ames, which are not very intense, then die out into 
  pale, glowing embers.
  With all four braziers lit, the lighting is good and gives 
  no penalties. If one is toppled, the lighting conditions 
  immediately become Dim (–1). The loss of two or three 
  makes things Dark (–2). When the last one is extin-
  guished, the ambient lighting is Pitch Darkness (–4).
   Degenerate Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 17.
  THE PRISONER
  THE PRISONER
  If rescued, the captive reveals his name is Hans Ogle-
  mann, a Bavarian private in the SS. After watching his 
  friends have their hearts ripped out and ﬂ esh eaten raw, 
  he doesn’t care much who the characters are—he just 
  wants to leave the island. Interaction with him in this 
  scene is handled through a set of likely questions and 
  Hans’ answers, as detailed below.
  Q: What are you doing here?
  A: “Those untermenschen ambushed us in the jungle. 
  They dragged several of us away in the night. I am the 
  last survivor.”
  Q: No, what are you doing on the island?
  A: “Exploring. SS-Colonel Stampfer brought us to 
  search for an entrance to the Hollow Earth.”
  Q: How many of you are there?
  A: “We started with 36—Colonel Stampfer, ﬁ ve Pio-
  neers (German military engineers), and 30 soldiers. At 
  least two Pioneers and two soldiers were taken by the 
  untermenschen. Others may have been killed since I 
  was taken captive.”
  Q: How long have you been on the island?
  A: “What is the date today? Really? I’ve lost track of 
  time. We’ve been here six weeks now.”
  Q: What is the Hollow Earth?
  A: “I am not entirely sure. The colonel does not 
  discuss things openly with enlisted men. From what I 
  could work out, it is a subterranean realm inhabited 
  by supermen. I heard the colonel say they were scions 
  of Atlantis.”
  Q: What does he want with these supermen?
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1010
  ACT 3: THE LOST CITY
  ACT 3: THE LOST CITY
  Night quickly falls. Whether the characters choose to 
  stay at the ruined camp or push onward is left for them 
  to decide. Nothing attacks the camp during the early 
  evening.
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF THE MOON
  SCENE 1: TEMPLE OF THE MOON
  An hour or so after sunset, the sound of drumming 
  can be heard echoing across the valley. Unlike the pre-
  vious night, the thumps are much clearer, and closer. 
  A sentry soon notices ﬂ ickering lights atop the distant 
  pyramid. With binoculars, he can just make out a few ﬁ g-
  ures, though they are too indistinct for a detailed study.
  Irate at their failure to capture the heroes, the tribes-
  men are performing a ceremony to their dark and blood-
  thirsty gods. It’s also an excuse for them to eat their last 
  Nazi prisoner. If the characters don’t go to investigate 
  (Curious heroes have little option), the rest of this scene 
  can be ignored. The tribesmen don’t live in the temple, 
  and by the time an investigation is launched in daylight 
  they have returned to their distant homes.
  Reaching the foot of the mountains takes two hours 
  by road (and much longer cutting through the jungle). 
  The paved trail winds up the mountain, and eventually 
  ends at the base of the stepped pyramid. As the group 
  approaches, it becomes readily apparent there are a 
  dozen or so ﬁ gures dancing on the top platform.
  The darkness and sounds of drums covers the charac-
  ters approach up the stepped pyramid, allowing them to 
  reach the penultimate tier undetected. From here, they 
  have a clear view of what is happening.
  Atop the pyramid, the degenerate savages are 
  dancing frantically, throwing their arms in the 
  air, and wailing in their debased language. Fur-
  ther back, where the platform joins the mountain, 
  is a small building. A ﬁ gure wearing a feathered 
  headdress steps out, brandishing a metal knife.
  The dancers stop their motion and drop to their 
  knees, producing a low droning sound as they do 
  so. Two tribesmen emerge from the dark doorway, 
  dragging a blond haired captive between them. 
  From his uniform, it’s clear he’s a German sol-
  dier.
  The warriors haul the prisoner in front of the 
  feathered man, forcing him to his knees. The knife 
  rises, glinting in the moonlight…
  If the heroes don’t act immediately, the knife slashes 
  down, killing the captive instantly. Should they elect to 
  reveal themselves, they automatically have one free round 
  to act. Since all actions are deemed simultaneous (despite 
  being broken into distinct phases by the action cards), all 
  the explorers have the Drop on their ﬁ rst attack.
  On the second round, the shaman slays the prisoner, 
  unless the witchdoctor is killed ﬁ rst. No other tribesman 
  will harm the captive, for to do so, they believe, will of-
  fend the gods.
  The top platform is 12” to a side. The building stand-
  ing at the back of the platform is 2” wide and 1” deep. 
  A dark recess leads into the mountain. Standing in each 
  corner is a tarnished, bronze brazier, ﬁ lled with burning 
  bundles of grass. Although the natives don’t know how 
  to make ﬁ re, they have the brains to push sticks into lava 
  pools deep in the jungle and bring ﬁ re to the temple.
  The braziers are treated as Innocent Bystanders, but 
  the rule applies to Fighting rolls as well. They can also 
  be deliberately targeted. They have Toughness 8, or can 
  be toppled with a Strength roll. Place a Small Burst Tem-
  plate adjacent to the brazier in the direction it is pushed 
  or away from the direction of an attack. Everything 
  under the template suffers 2d6 damage from an Extra. 
  The ﬂ ames, which are not very intense, then die out into 
  pale, glowing embers.
  With all four braziers lit, the lighting is good and gives 
  no penalties. If one is toppled, the lighting conditions 
  immediately become Dim (–1). The loss of two or three 
  makes things Dark (–2). When the last one is extin-
  guished, the ambient lighting is Pitch Darkness (–4).
   Degenerate Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 17.
  THE PRISONER
  THE PRISONER
  If rescued, the captive reveals his name is Hans Ogle-
  mann, a Bavarian private in the SS. After watching his 
  friends have their hearts ripped out and ﬂ esh eaten raw, 
  he doesn’t care much who the characters are—he just 
  wants to leave the island. Interaction with him in this 
  scene is handled through a set of likely questions and 
  Hans’ answers, as detailed below.
  Q: What are you doing here?
  A: “Those untermenschen ambushed us in the jungle. 
  They dragged several of us away in the night. I am the 
  last survivor.”
  Q: No, what are you doing on the island?
  A: “Exploring. SS-Colonel Stampfer brought us to 
  search for an entrance to the Hollow Earth.”
  Q: How many of you are there?
  A: “We started with 36—Colonel Stampfer, ﬁ ve Pio-
  neers (German military engineers), and 30 soldiers. At 
  least two Pioneers and two soldiers were taken by the 
  untermenschen. Others may have been killed since I 
  was taken captive.”
  Q: How long have you been on the island?
  A: “What is the date today? Really? I’ve lost track of 
  time. We’ve been here six weeks now.”
  Q: What is the Hollow Earth?
  A: “I am not entirely sure. The colonel does not 
  discuss things openly with enlisted men. From what I 
  could work out, it is a subterranean realm inhabited 
  by supermen. I heard the colonel say they were scions 
  of Atlantis.”
  Q: What does he want with these supermen?
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1111
  A: “I don’t know, something about their 
  technology. He mentioned power crystals, 
  but I have no idea what that means.”
  Q: Where is Colonel Stampfer now?
  A: “The plan was to reach the volcano. 
  The colonel has an old book of pictures he 
  uncovered in Mexico, which tell of a route 
  through to the Hollow Earth. I don’t know 
  how to reach the volcano. I was captured 
  before the party reached this pyramid.”
  Q: What happened to the other prison-
  ers?
  A: “They were sacriﬁ ced, and then, 
  then…those untermenschen ate them!”
  Q: Where is the natives’ camp?
  A: “Somewhere in the jungle. I didn’t 
  take the time to study the route.”
   Hans Oglemann: As Nazi soldier 
  (page 18), but unarmed.
  SCENE 2: CLICK-CLICK-CLICK
  SCENE 2: CLICK-CLICK-CLICK
  The only way into the temple is through 
  the small building. Stairs wind down, even-
  tually ending in a large chamber, decorated 
  in ancient pictograms. A single corridor 
  leads off from the chamber in the direction 
  of the volcano.
  Deciphering the pictographs requires 
  either knowledge of the Aztec language or 
  the diary from page 9. In either case, a Com-
  mon Knowledge is required (the language 
  is pseudo-Aztec and the pictogram images 
  in the book are far from complete).
  With success, the character deduces 
  the builders called themselves the Chico-
  moztoci, or “Those who dwelt in the place 
  of seven caves.” They were a highly advanced culture, 
  favoring worship of the moon god. A raise reveals they 
  left their homeland, Chicomoztoc, many millennia ago, 
  but always retained a link with the forebearers through 
  tunnels, which lead into the heart of the earth.
  One set of pictograms is particularly noteworthy. Dec-
  orating the borders of the exit tunnel, they warn of the 
  “dawn plunderers of the Valley of the Moon,” which lie 
  beyond the mountains. There are no speciﬁ c drawings 
  of a “dawn plunderer,” just images of teeth and long, 
  curved claws.
  THE CHAMBER OF THE MOON
  THE CHAMBER OF THE MOON
  The tunnel runs dead straight for several miles, before 
  ending in a large chamber. Scattered on the ﬂ oor are a 
  large number of spent German shell casings. Sections of 
  the ﬂ oor and walls appear freshly scorched.
  Wall Markings: Pictograms along the walls detail the 
  Chicomoztoci worshipping the various phases of the 
  moon. It is clear each phase had a special meaning in 
  their lives, though the speciﬁ cs cannot be discerned.
  Stone Heads: Carved into each of the side walls are 
  four, life-sized stone heads. Above them is a pictogram 
  for one of the eight phases of the moon. The waxing 
  quarter, waxing half, waxing three-quarters, and full are 
  represented on the west wall, and the waning three-
  quarters, waning half, waning quarter, and new moon 
  on the east wall. In days of yore, citizens would consult 
  these heads, which were regarded as divine oracles, on 
  the appropriate phase of the moon.
  Circular Door: A large circular door stands in the op-
  posite wall. Attached to the door are three large, stone 
  discs, set one above the other. To the right of each one 
  is a triangular wedge of silvery metal, which acts as a 
  pointer. The metal is as hard as steel, but has a reddish 
  sheen.
  The discs are a variant of the Aztec calendar. The low-
  est disc, the largest, is engraved with the name of the 20 
  days of the ancient calendar. Above this is a smaller disc, 
  marked with the numbers 1 to 13. The topmost disc, the 
  smallest, is engraved with the eight phases of the moon.
  The discs functions as a combination lock. To open 
  the door, the wheels must be turned so the pointers 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1111
  A: “I don’t know, something about their 
  technology. He mentioned power crystals, 
  but I have no idea what that means.”
  Q: Where is Colonel Stampfer now?
  A: “The plan was to reach the volcano. 
  The colonel has an old book of pictures he 
  uncovered in Mexico, which tell of a route 
  through to the Hollow Earth. I don’t know 
  how to reach the volcano. I was captured 
  before the party reached this pyramid.”
  Q: What happened to the other prison-
  ers?
  A: “They were sacriﬁ ced, and then, 
  then…those untermenschen ate them!”
  Q: Where is the natives’ camp?
  A: “Somewhere in the jungle. I didn’t 
  take the time to study the route.”
   Hans Oglemann: As Nazi soldier 
  (page 18), but unarmed.
  SCENE 2: CLICK-CLICK-CLICK
  SCENE 2: CLICK-CLICK-CLICK
  The only way into the temple is through 
  the small building. Stairs wind down, even-
  tually ending in a large chamber, decorated 
  in ancient pictograms. A single corridor 
  leads off from the chamber in the direction 
  of the volcano.
  Deciphering the pictographs requires 
  either knowledge of the Aztec language or 
  the diary from page 9. In either case, a Com-
  mon Knowledge is required (the language 
  is pseudo-Aztec and the pictogram images 
  in the book are far from complete).
  With success, the character deduces 
  the builders called themselves the Chico-
  moztoci, or “Those who dwelt in the place 
  of seven caves.” They were a highly advanced culture, 
  favoring worship of the moon god. A raise reveals they 
  left their homeland, Chicomoztoc, many millennia ago, 
  but always retained a link with the forebearers through 
  tunnels, which lead into the heart of the earth.
  One set of pictograms is particularly noteworthy. Dec-
  orating the borders of the exit tunnel, they warn of the 
  “dawn plunderers of the Valley of the Moon,” which lie 
  beyond the mountains. There are no speciﬁ c drawings 
  of a “dawn plunderer,” just images of teeth and long, 
  curved claws.
  THE CHAMBER OF THE MOON
  THE CHAMBER OF THE MOON
  The tunnel runs dead straight for several miles, before 
  ending in a large chamber. Scattered on the ﬂ oor are a 
  large number of spent German shell casings. Sections of 
  the ﬂ oor and walls appear freshly scorched.
  Wall Markings: Pictograms along the walls detail the 
  Chicomoztoci worshipping the various phases of the 
  moon. It is clear each phase had a special meaning in 
  their lives, though the speciﬁ cs cannot be discerned.
  Stone Heads: Carved into each of the side walls are 
  four, life-sized stone heads. Above them is a pictogram 
  for one of the eight phases of the moon. The waxing 
  quarter, waxing half, waxing three-quarters, and full are 
  represented on the west wall, and the waning three-
  quarters, waning half, waning quarter, and new moon 
  on the east wall. In days of yore, citizens would consult 
  these heads, which were regarded as divine oracles, on 
  the appropriate phase of the moon.
  Circular Door: A large circular door stands in the op-
  posite wall. Attached to the door are three large, stone 
  discs, set one above the other. To the right of each one 
  is a triangular wedge of silvery metal, which acts as a 
  pointer. The metal is as hard as steel, but has a reddish 
  sheen.
  The discs are a variant of the Aztec calendar. The low-
  est disc, the largest, is engraved with the name of the 20 
  days of the ancient calendar. Above this is a smaller disc, 
  marked with the numbers 1 to 13. The topmost disc, the 
  smallest, is engraved with the eight phases of the moon.
  The discs functions as a combination lock. To open 
  the door, the wheels must be turned so the pointers 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1212
  indicate the current day in the ancient calendar and the 
  exact phase of the moon (full). The system can be tried 
  at random, but there are 2080 possible combinations to 
  try.
  If the characters rescued Oglemann, they have a clue 
  about the correct combination. Assuming the Nazis 
  passed this way, they did so 6 weeks ago. They must have 
  set the lock correctly for that day. The heroes know it is 
  the last night of the full moon, so that tumbler can easily 
  be set right.
  Due to the motion of the Aztec calendar (see the side-
  bar on page 12), one cannot simply rotate the day signs 
  or numbers—both must be moved together for each day 
  that passes. A character with Knowledge (History) can 
  make a roll to remember this fact. Other heroes make 
  Common Knowledge rolls at –2. It isn’t important, per 
  se, but it allows the heroes to jump straight to the cor-
  rect date. Without this knowledge, they likely increment 
  one wheel or the other, not both simultaneously, which 
  means ﬁ nding the right combination is a matter of luck.
  Once any disc is turned a single position, proceed to 
  the next section (Bugs, I Hate Bugs). After handling that 
  section, the characters can continue their exploration of 
  this chamber.
  BUGS, I HATE BUGS
  BUGS, I HATE BUGS
  The ﬁ rst wheel turned does so with a loud clunk. 
  As it thumps into its new position, hundreds of long, 
  black centipedes begin emerging from the mouths in 
  the carved heads. These quickly form into a number of 
  Medium Burst Template-sized swarms and begin moving 
  toward the heroes.
  At the start of the 2nd round, another creature joins 
  the fray. Deal it an action card as normal. When the card 
  is called, the paving slabs in the center of the ﬂ oor bulge 
  upward. Slithering through is a monstrous centipede, 
  over 18’ long. Have all the characters make Notice rolls 
  as a free action. The centipede gains +2 to attack and 
  damage on its ﬁ rst attack against those who fail.
  Oglemann should become a casualty very quickly. He 
  doesn’t make any attacks, being far too scared for such 
  reasoned behavior.
  The Nazis encountered the swarms, but not the 
  mother. Dozens of rounds of ammunition were used be-
  fore the soldiers switched tactics and opened up with a 
  ﬂ amethrower. After the Nazis departed, other centipedes 
  cleaned up the charred remains.
   Giant Centipede: See page 17.
   Centipede Swarm (1 per 2 heroes): See page 
  17.
   Hans Oglemann: As Nazi soldier (page 18), but 
  unarmed.
  PANORAMIC VIEW
  PANORAMIC VIEW
  Passing beyond the circular door, which rolls into the 
  wall when the correct combination is set, the heroes ﬁ nd 
  themselves standing on a circular platform surrounded 
  by a low wall. Engraved on the top of the low palisade are 
  glyphs, proclaiming this to be the “Valley of the Moon.”
  Stairs lead down to a swathe of tall grass on the valley 
  ﬂ oor below. Beyond this can clearly be seen the ruins of 
  an ancient city, its walls tumbled by earthquakes and the 
  elements. A few miles past the ruins lies the foot of the 
  smoldering volcano.
  If the party has reached here at night, the full moon is 
  almost directly over the peak of the volcano and almost 
  in line with the doorway. Characters making a Knowl-
  edge (History) roll at –2 or a Common Knowledge roll at 
  –4 can use their knowledge of the precession of the equi-
  noxes (a slight wobble in the earth’s axis) to calculate 
  when the moon on this date would have been directly in 
  line with the portal. Their rough estimate places the date 
  at around 5,000 years ago, long before the Mesoameri-
  can cultures reached maturity.
  As the characters descend the stairs, another earth-
  quake strikes. A roar from above and a plume of dust 
  indicate the chamber they just left has collapsed, sealing 
  off the only route through the mountains.
  SCENE 3: BEWARE THE LONG GRASS
  SCENE 3: BEWARE THE LONG GRASS
  The grassland covers an area of several square miles 
  between the edge of the mountains and the outskirts of 
  the ruined city. Lurking within is a pack of small, preda-
  tory dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are a species known as 
  eoraptor lunensis. Despite being small, they are vicious 
  pack hunters. The name translates as, “dawn plunderer 
  from the Valley of the Moon.” In the real world, this early 
  predator existed between 230 and 225 million years ago. 
  Its fossil remains were found in the Valle de la Luna in 
  Argentina in 1991.
  The grass stands seven feet high, completely obscur-
  ing the view of those within. Fortunately for the eorap-
  tors, they have excellent senses of smell and hearing. 
  AZTEC CALENDAR
  AZTEC CALENDAR
  The Aztec calendar, and indeed the Mayan one as 
  well, is based on the Chicomoztoci one, though it 
  does not use lunar symbols as a third date marker.
  The 20 day signs are, in order, crocodile, wind, 
  house, lizard, serpent, death, deer, rabbit, water, 
  dog, monkey, grass, reed, jaguar, eagle, vulture, 
  earthquake, ﬂ int knife, rain, and ﬂ ower.
  The calendar progressed with the day number and 
  sign incrementing one step each day. For instance, 
  the cycle begins on 1 Crocodile. The next day, Wind, 
  is not 1 Wind, but 2 Wind. Next come 3 House, 4 
  Lizard, and so on. The numbers eventually return 
  to the start, but the day signs do not. Thus, the cal-
  endar will reach 1 Jaguar on the ninth day.
  In order for a full cycle to be completed and return 
  to 1 Crocodile, 260 days must elapse (13 numbers 
  x 20 signs).
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1212
  indicate the current day in the ancient calendar and the 
  exact phase of the moon (full). The system can be tried 
  at random, but there are 2080 possible combinations to 
  try.
  If the characters rescued Oglemann, they have a clue 
  about the correct combination. Assuming the Nazis 
  passed this way, they did so 6 weeks ago. They must have 
  set the lock correctly for that day. The heroes know it is 
  the last night of the full moon, so that tumbler can easily 
  be set right.
  Due to the motion of the Aztec calendar (see the side-
  bar on page 12), one cannot simply rotate the day signs 
  or numbers—both must be moved together for each day 
  that passes. A character with Knowledge (History) can 
  make a roll to remember this fact. Other heroes make 
  Common Knowledge rolls at –2. It isn’t important, per 
  se, but it allows the heroes to jump straight to the cor-
  rect date. Without this knowledge, they likely increment 
  one wheel or the other, not both simultaneously, which 
  means ﬁ nding the right combination is a matter of luck.
  Once any disc is turned a single position, proceed to 
  the next section (Bugs, I Hate Bugs). After handling that 
  section, the characters can continue their exploration of 
  this chamber.
  BUGS, I HATE BUGS
  BUGS, I HATE BUGS
  The ﬁ rst wheel turned does so with a loud clunk. 
  As it thumps into its new position, hundreds of long, 
  black centipedes begin emerging from the mouths in 
  the carved heads. These quickly form into a number of 
  Medium Burst Template-sized swarms and begin moving 
  toward the heroes.
  At the start of the 2nd round, another creature joins 
  the fray. Deal it an action card as normal. When the card 
  is called, the paving slabs in the center of the ﬂ oor bulge 
  upward. Slithering through is a monstrous centipede, 
  over 18’ long. Have all the characters make Notice rolls 
  as a free action. The centipede gains +2 to attack and 
  damage on its ﬁ rst attack against those who fail.
  Oglemann should become a casualty very quickly. He 
  doesn’t make any attacks, being far too scared for such 
  reasoned behavior.
  The Nazis encountered the swarms, but not the 
  mother. Dozens of rounds of ammunition were used be-
  fore the soldiers switched tactics and opened up with a 
  ﬂ amethrower. After the Nazis departed, other centipedes 
  cleaned up the charred remains.
   Giant Centipede: See page 17.
   Centipede Swarm (1 per 2 heroes): See page 
  17.
   Hans Oglemann: As Nazi soldier (page 18), but 
  unarmed.
  PANORAMIC VIEW
  PANORAMIC VIEW
  Passing beyond the circular door, which rolls into the 
  wall when the correct combination is set, the heroes ﬁ nd 
  themselves standing on a circular platform surrounded 
  by a low wall. Engraved on the top of the low palisade are 
  glyphs, proclaiming this to be the “Valley of the Moon.”
  Stairs lead down to a swathe of tall grass on the valley 
  ﬂ oor below. Beyond this can clearly be seen the ruins of 
  an ancient city, its walls tumbled by earthquakes and the 
  elements. A few miles past the ruins lies the foot of the 
  smoldering volcano.
  If the party has reached here at night, the full moon is 
  almost directly over the peak of the volcano and almost 
  in line with the doorway. Characters making a Knowl-
  edge (History) roll at –2 or a Common Knowledge roll at 
  –4 can use their knowledge of the precession of the equi-
  noxes (a slight wobble in the earth’s axis) to calculate 
  when the moon on this date would have been directly in 
  line with the portal. Their rough estimate places the date 
  at around 5,000 years ago, long before the Mesoameri-
  can cultures reached maturity.
  As the characters descend the stairs, another earth-
  quake strikes. A roar from above and a plume of dust 
  indicate the chamber they just left has collapsed, sealing 
  off the only route through the mountains.
  SCENE 3: BEWARE THE LONG GRASS
  SCENE 3: BEWARE THE LONG GRASS
  The grassland covers an area of several square miles 
  between the edge of the mountains and the outskirts of 
  the ruined city. Lurking within is a pack of small, preda-
  tory dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are a species known as 
  eoraptor lunensis. Despite being small, they are vicious 
  pack hunters. The name translates as, “dawn plunderer 
  from the Valley of the Moon.” In the real world, this early 
  predator existed between 230 and 225 million years ago. 
  Its fossil remains were found in the Valle de la Luna in 
  Argentina in 1991.
  The grass stands seven feet high, completely obscur-
  ing the view of those within. Fortunately for the eorap-
  tors, they have excellent senses of smell and hearing. 
  AZTEC CALENDAR
  AZTEC CALENDAR
  The Aztec calendar, and indeed the Mayan one as 
  well, is based on the Chicomoztoci one, though it 
  does not use lunar symbols as a third date marker.
  The 20 day signs are, in order, crocodile, wind, 
  house, lizard, serpent, death, deer, rabbit, water, 
  dog, monkey, grass, reed, jaguar, eagle, vulture, 
  earthquake, ﬂ int knife, rain, and ﬂ ower.
  The calendar progressed with the day number and 
  sign incrementing one step each day. For instance, 
  the cycle begins on 1 Crocodile. The next day, Wind, 
  is not 1 Wind, but 2 Wind. Next come 3 House, 4 
  Lizard, and so on. The numbers eventually return 
  to the start, but the day signs do not. Thus, the cal-
  endar will reach 1 Jaguar on the ninth day.
  In order for a full cycle to be completed and return 
  to 1 Crocodile, 260 days must elapse (13 numbers 
  x 20 signs).
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1313
  The GM has guidelines for running this scene as a ﬁ ght 
  or as a chase, depending in the characters’ actions.
  The encounter begins with the characters hearing lots 
  of growls from behind and to their ﬂ anks. The tops of 
  the grass can be seen swaying as something moves to-
  ward the group. Should the party elect to stand and ﬁ ght 
  at this point, use the Fight information below. Should 
  the heroes run, the eoraptors give Chase.
  If the party began exploring the pyramid at night, the 
  sun is just above the horizon as they reach this stage of 
  the adventure. Lighting conditions are normal.
  CHASE
  CHASE
  Both sides use Agility as their skill for determining dis-
  tance. The characters begin 3 Range Increments ahead of 
  the predators, and each Range Increment represents 1”. 
  For the purposes of the chase, only foes or allies within 
  one Range Increment are visible—it might end up the 
  characters never see what is chasing them!
  The eoraptors should be divided into four small packs 
  for initiative purposes. Each pack rolls a single Agility 
  die, since the members hunt and ﬁ ght together. In order 
  to conduct melee attacks, the dinosaurs must use the 
  Parallel maneuver (as must the heroes).
  Fortunately for the characters, the chase begins close 
  to the edge of the city. The dinosaurs do not enter the 
  city, for they lose the element of surprise when hunting 
  outside the grass. Place 15 marker stones on the table. 
  The heroes begin on the 3rd marker, while the raptors 
  begin just before the ﬁ rst marker. Once they pass the last 
  stone, they reach the relative safety of the city.
   Eoraptor Lunensis (3 per hero): See page 17.
  FIGHT
  FIGHT
  Have each hero make a Notice roll to avoid Surprise 
  as the pack of ferocious beasts burst through the grass 
  to attack. The attackers may be dinosaurs, but they’re 
  pretty smart. Half their number rushes the party, while 
  the others wait for an opportune moment to strike 
  against unprotected rears or to help swarm prey. Divide 
  the creatures into two groups for the purposes of action 
  cards.
  Attacks can only be made against adjacent foes. Move-
  ment through the grass counts as difﬁ cult ground.
   Eoraptor Lunensis (3 per hero): See page 17.
  SCENE 4: BYGONE RUINS
  SCENE 4: BYGONE RUINS
  The crumbling, ruined city was once the center 
  of Chicomoztoci culture on the island. It is not 
  hard to imagine that thousands of souls once 
  lived, worked, and played in its paved streets and 
  buildings. Now the structures stand silent and 
  empty, choked by creepers and rubble, the great 
  stones fractured, cracked, and shattered after 
  ages of neglect.
  Towering above the distant reaches of the city is 
  the volcano, its black form dominating the sky-
  line. The rivers of lava trickling from its crater 
  are now clearly visible, and the stench of sulfur is 
  caught whenever the wind blows from the north. 
  The black cloud of gas and ash rising from the 
  top seems darker, more ominous. About a quarter 
  of the way up the peak can be seen a wide, dark 
  opening.
  The city covers an area of several square miles. It is 
  uninhabited—the degenerates consider the city cursed, 
  primarily because of the frequent earthquakes and the 
  presence of the eoraptors in the grassland. 
  Currently occupying the city is a group of Nazi 
  scouts, out hunting for fresh meat. Any sounds of gun-
  ﬁ re from the characters’ encounter with the eoraptors 
  have reached their ears. Unsure whether the noises 
  were made by another Nazi troupe or outsiders, 
  they have elected to sneak through the city toward 
  the grasslands. It takes them a fair while to cross the 
  rubble, so the heroes have time to explore the ruins. 
  When the players have had enough exploring empty 
  buildings, the Nazis spring an ambush. Check for Sur-
  prise as normal.
  If the party was relatively quiet (perhaps just a hand-
  ful of shots), the Nazis don’t detect their presence. In 
  this instance, they are seated round a campﬁ re, laughing 
  and joking. This allows the characters to sneak up close. 
  There are two sentries, but they are inactive, preferring 
  to share in the humor rather than keep their eyes peeled 
  for monsters and natives. This gives the heroes a chance 
  to Surprise the Germans.
  Groups which have taken wounds or are conserving 
  ammunition might wish to avoid the Nazis once their 
  presence is detected. Assuming they move quietly, you 
  can proceed straight to Act 4.
  Regardless of where and how a ﬁ ght occurs, set up 
  the battleﬁ eld the same. The area is 24” to a side. The 
  center is a plaza measuring 6” by 6”. Surrounding this is 
  a number of buildings, each measuring 4” by 3”. Every 
  structure has an open doorway. Space the buildings to 
  form a network of 2” wide streets leading to the plaza. 
  Finally, place six Small Burst Templates face down on the 
  table to represent areas of rubble. These can be placed 
  inside buildings or over the walls, indicating collapses. 
  Crossing them is difﬁ cult ground.
  Whenever a Joker is drawn, an earth tremor strikes 
  the city. At the start of the round, before any actions are 
  taken, all combatants must make an Agility roll (free 
  action) or fall prone. If both Jokers appear in the same 
  round, the tremor is particularly violent—Agility rolls to 
  remain standing are made at –2.
  Captured Nazis know much of the same information 
  as Oglemann (page 10). They conﬁ rm the expedition is 
  working inside the volcano, excavating blocked tunnels, 
  and add that Stampfer is very close to breaching the ﬁ nal 
  blockage.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1313
  The GM has guidelines for running this scene as a ﬁ ght 
  or as a chase, depending in the characters’ actions.
  The encounter begins with the characters hearing lots 
  of growls from behind and to their ﬂ anks. The tops of 
  the grass can be seen swaying as something moves to-
  ward the group. Should the party elect to stand and ﬁ ght 
  at this point, use the Fight information below. Should 
  the heroes run, the eoraptors give Chase.
  If the party began exploring the pyramid at night, the 
  sun is just above the horizon as they reach this stage of 
  the adventure. Lighting conditions are normal.
  CHASE
  CHASE
  Both sides use Agility as their skill for determining dis-
  tance. The characters begin 3 Range Increments ahead of 
  the predators, and each Range Increment represents 1”. 
  For the purposes of the chase, only foes or allies within 
  one Range Increment are visible—it might end up the 
  characters never see what is chasing them!
  The eoraptors should be divided into four small packs 
  for initiative purposes. Each pack rolls a single Agility 
  die, since the members hunt and ﬁ ght together. In order 
  to conduct melee attacks, the dinosaurs must use the 
  Parallel maneuver (as must the heroes).
  Fortunately for the characters, the chase begins close 
  to the edge of the city. The dinosaurs do not enter the 
  city, for they lose the element of surprise when hunting 
  outside the grass. Place 15 marker stones on the table. 
  The heroes begin on the 3rd marker, while the raptors 
  begin just before the ﬁ rst marker. Once they pass the last 
  stone, they reach the relative safety of the city.
   Eoraptor Lunensis (3 per hero): See page 17.
  FIGHT
  FIGHT
  Have each hero make a Notice roll to avoid Surprise 
  as the pack of ferocious beasts burst through the grass 
  to attack. The attackers may be dinosaurs, but they’re 
  pretty smart. Half their number rushes the party, while 
  the others wait for an opportune moment to strike 
  against unprotected rears or to help swarm prey. Divide 
  the creatures into two groups for the purposes of action 
  cards.
  Attacks can only be made against adjacent foes. Move-
  ment through the grass counts as difﬁ cult ground.
   Eoraptor Lunensis (3 per hero): See page 17.
  SCENE 4: BYGONE RUINS
  SCENE 4: BYGONE RUINS
  The crumbling, ruined city was once the center 
  of Chicomoztoci culture on the island. It is not 
  hard to imagine that thousands of souls once 
  lived, worked, and played in its paved streets and 
  buildings. Now the structures stand silent and 
  empty, choked by creepers and rubble, the great 
  stones fractured, cracked, and shattered after 
  ages of neglect.
  Towering above the distant reaches of the city is 
  the volcano, its black form dominating the sky-
  line. The rivers of lava trickling from its crater 
  are now clearly visible, and the stench of sulfur is 
  caught whenever the wind blows from the north. 
  The black cloud of gas and ash rising from the 
  top seems darker, more ominous. About a quarter 
  of the way up the peak can be seen a wide, dark 
  opening.
  The city covers an area of several square miles. It is 
  uninhabited—the degenerates consider the city cursed, 
  primarily because of the frequent earthquakes and the 
  presence of the eoraptors in the grassland. 
  Currently occupying the city is a group of Nazi 
  scouts, out hunting for fresh meat. Any sounds of gun-
  ﬁ re from the characters’ encounter with the eoraptors 
  have reached their ears. Unsure whether the noises 
  were made by another Nazi troupe or outsiders, 
  they have elected to sneak through the city toward 
  the grasslands. It takes them a fair while to cross the 
  rubble, so the heroes have time to explore the ruins. 
  When the players have had enough exploring empty 
  buildings, the Nazis spring an ambush. Check for Sur-
  prise as normal.
  If the party was relatively quiet (perhaps just a hand-
  ful of shots), the Nazis don’t detect their presence. In 
  this instance, they are seated round a campﬁ re, laughing 
  and joking. This allows the characters to sneak up close. 
  There are two sentries, but they are inactive, preferring 
  to share in the humor rather than keep their eyes peeled 
  for monsters and natives. This gives the heroes a chance 
  to Surprise the Germans.
  Groups which have taken wounds or are conserving 
  ammunition might wish to avoid the Nazis once their 
  presence is detected. Assuming they move quietly, you 
  can proceed straight to Act 4.
  Regardless of where and how a ﬁ ght occurs, set up 
  the battleﬁ eld the same. The area is 24” to a side. The 
  center is a plaza measuring 6” by 6”. Surrounding this is 
  a number of buildings, each measuring 4” by 3”. Every 
  structure has an open doorway. Space the buildings to 
  form a network of 2” wide streets leading to the plaza. 
  Finally, place six Small Burst Templates face down on the 
  table to represent areas of rubble. These can be placed 
  inside buildings or over the walls, indicating collapses. 
  Crossing them is difﬁ cult ground.
  Whenever a Joker is drawn, an earth tremor strikes 
  the city. At the start of the round, before any actions are 
  taken, all combatants must make an Agility roll (free 
  action) or fall prone. If both Jokers appear in the same 
  round, the tremor is particularly violent—Agility rolls to 
  remain standing are made at –2.
  Captured Nazis know much of the same information 
  as Oglemann (page 10). They conﬁ rm the expedition is 
  working inside the volcano, excavating blocked tunnels, 
  and add that Stampfer is very close to breaching the ﬁ nal 
  blockage.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1414
  ACT 4: HEART OF THE FIRE GOD
  ACT 4: HEART OF THE FIRE GOD
  In this ﬁ nal Act, the characters come face-to-face with 
  their old adversary Colonel Stampfer. They also get the 
  opportunity to take a rollercoaster ride through volcanic 
  tunnels during an eruption.
  SCENE 1: CLIMBING THE VOLCANO
  SCENE 1: CLIMBING THE VOLCANO
  The volcano is steeped-sided, though its craggy sur-
  face provides climbers plenty of handholds. When the 
  heroes are halfway to the cave entrance, a ﬂ ock of pter-
  anodons, which roost on the warm slopes, swoop down 
  to attack. They’re not hunting for food, just defending 
  their nests.
  Deal action cards.
  The characters are at a severe disadvantage ﬁ ghting on 
  the near-vertical surface. Each round, their movement is 
  limited to half their Pace, and they can’t run. Characters 
  wishing to push further can make a Climbing roll. Suc-
  cess allows a hero to move his full Pace, though he still 
  cannot run. Character cannot use a two-handed weapon 
  and move in the same round.
  Heroes who are Shaken or wounded must make an 
  Agility roll as a free action or fall. They plummet 1d6 x 
  10’ before landing on a ledge. Damage is calculated as 
  normal, but is from an Extra.
  Explorers who lose their grip while roped to a col-
  league don’t necessarily fall. Comrades on either side 
  make a Strength roll to arrest the fall as a free action. If 
  there are characters on both sides, this is a Cooperative 
  roll.
  With success, the faller is left dangling from the rope 
  (which is an Unstable Platform). With failure, the would-
  be helper also loses his grip and falls. Again, another 
  comrade can try to stop both from falling, though there 
  is a –1 penalty per character whose fall he is trying to 
  arrest. Characters dangling from a rope can use an action 
  to swing back toward the rocks and secure a handhold.
  The volcano has numerous nooks and crannies, into 
  which a hero can wedge himself for Cover. Any climber 
  who draws a Club suit as his ﬁ rst action card detects a 
  suitable nook within easy reach. The Cover it provides 
  depends on the action card’s value. A 2–6 indicates Light 
  Cover, 7-10 Medium Cover, and Jack to Ace grants Heavy 
  Cover. Each nook can accommodate just a single char-
  acter.
  Once the pteranodons are defeated, the heroes can 
  resume their climb in peace, at least until they near the 
  top.
   Pteranodons (1 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 2: FLASH COOKING
  SCENE 2: FLASH COOKING
  When the heroes are a few dozen feet from the cave 
  mouth, a familiar voice calls down to them. Alerted ei-
  ther by gunﬁ re or the squawks of the pteranodons, the 
  Nazi has come to investigate.
  “Hello down there!” calls a German voice. Looking 
  up, you spy the one-eyed visage of Colonel Stamp-
  fer, along with a dozen or more Nazi soldiers. The 
  goons have their weapons pointed down at you. 
  “I thought after losing to me in Mexico you might 
  have stopped trying to be adventurers. Throw 
  your weapons down the cliff and climb up here, 
  or I will order my men to shoot you.”
  Stampfer doesn’t know exactly how many weapons 
  the party has, but he isn’t blind, despite his one eye. 
  Riﬂ es and SMGs are too large to conceal, and he assumes 
  any holster has a pistol in it. Once the characters reach 
  the top, his men perform a thorough search and remove 
  any remaining weapons.
  Weird scientists catch a lucky break. Stampfer’s or-
  ders are to retrieve any useful technology found on his 
  expedition, and he takes that to include weird science 
  gizmos. As such, he allows gizmos to be retained only 
  until the heroes reach the ledge, whereupon they are 
  quickly conﬁ scated.
  Unless the heroes fancy starting a ﬁ ght, their hands 
  are bound by rope. They are then lead down a winding 
  tunnel, through which run small tracks (for mining carts). 
  The heat is intense, and the air grows steadily hotter.
  In the event the heroes get feisty, Stampfer ﬂ ees down 
  into the volcano, leaving his men to fend off the char-
  acters. Skip straight to Scene 3 when the heroes defeat 
  the Nazis. If they’re captured, carry on with the section 
  below.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  BURNING KNOWLEDGE
  BURNING KNOWLEDGE
  After ten minutes of rapid descent, the party reaches 
  a large chamber near the heart of the volcano. One half 
  has collapsed at some point in antiquity, leaving behind a 
  bubbling lava pool. Several natural tunnels lead off from 
  the chamber.
  Soldiers busy themselves loading supplies and weap-
  ons into metal mining carts. It looks like the Germans 
  are planning on leaving soon. Conﬁ scated weapons and 
  gear are thrown into one of the carts. There is no sign of 
  the missing expedition members.
  The characters are dragged down a side tunnel and 
  thrown into a small cavern, whose walls are coated in 
  a red-hued metal. There are no signs of any seams or 
  rivets.
  “That Codex I won from you proved most enlight-
  ening,” Stampfer smiles. “Although it was written 
  only shortly before the arrival of the Conquista-
  dors, it spoke of this island, and of ancient path-
  ways to the land of Chicomoztoc, a realm at the 
  Earth’s core.
  “Did you notice how the architecture and lan-
  guage of the civilization on the island, the origi-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1414
  ACT 4: HEART OF THE FIRE GOD
  ACT 4: HEART OF THE FIRE GOD
  In this ﬁ nal Act, the characters come face-to-face with 
  their old adversary Colonel Stampfer. They also get the 
  opportunity to take a rollercoaster ride through volcanic 
  tunnels during an eruption.
  SCENE 1: CLIMBING THE VOLCANO
  SCENE 1: CLIMBING THE VOLCANO
  The volcano is steeped-sided, though its craggy sur-
  face provides climbers plenty of handholds. When the 
  heroes are halfway to the cave entrance, a ﬂ ock of pter-
  anodons, which roost on the warm slopes, swoop down 
  to attack. They’re not hunting for food, just defending 
  their nests.
  Deal action cards.
  The characters are at a severe disadvantage ﬁ ghting on 
  the near-vertical surface. Each round, their movement is 
  limited to half their Pace, and they can’t run. Characters 
  wishing to push further can make a Climbing roll. Suc-
  cess allows a hero to move his full Pace, though he still 
  cannot run. Character cannot use a two-handed weapon 
  and move in the same round.
  Heroes who are Shaken or wounded must make an 
  Agility roll as a free action or fall. They plummet 1d6 x 
  10’ before landing on a ledge. Damage is calculated as 
  normal, but is from an Extra.
  Explorers who lose their grip while roped to a col-
  league don’t necessarily fall. Comrades on either side 
  make a Strength roll to arrest the fall as a free action. If 
  there are characters on both sides, this is a Cooperative 
  roll.
  With success, the faller is left dangling from the rope 
  (which is an Unstable Platform). With failure, the would-
  be helper also loses his grip and falls. Again, another 
  comrade can try to stop both from falling, though there 
  is a –1 penalty per character whose fall he is trying to 
  arrest. Characters dangling from a rope can use an action 
  to swing back toward the rocks and secure a handhold.
  The volcano has numerous nooks and crannies, into 
  which a hero can wedge himself for Cover. Any climber 
  who draws a Club suit as his ﬁ rst action card detects a 
  suitable nook within easy reach. The Cover it provides 
  depends on the action card’s value. A 2–6 indicates Light 
  Cover, 7-10 Medium Cover, and Jack to Ace grants Heavy 
  Cover. Each nook can accommodate just a single char-
  acter.
  Once the pteranodons are defeated, the heroes can 
  resume their climb in peace, at least until they near the 
  top.
   Pteranodons (1 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 2: FLASH COOKING
  SCENE 2: FLASH COOKING
  When the heroes are a few dozen feet from the cave 
  mouth, a familiar voice calls down to them. Alerted ei-
  ther by gunﬁ re or the squawks of the pteranodons, the 
  Nazi has come to investigate.
  “Hello down there!” calls a German voice. Looking 
  up, you spy the one-eyed visage of Colonel Stamp-
  fer, along with a dozen or more Nazi soldiers. The 
  goons have their weapons pointed down at you. 
  “I thought after losing to me in Mexico you might 
  have stopped trying to be adventurers. Throw 
  your weapons down the cliff and climb up here, 
  or I will order my men to shoot you.”
  Stampfer doesn’t know exactly how many weapons 
  the party has, but he isn’t blind, despite his one eye. 
  Riﬂ es and SMGs are too large to conceal, and he assumes 
  any holster has a pistol in it. Once the characters reach 
  the top, his men perform a thorough search and remove 
  any remaining weapons.
  Weird scientists catch a lucky break. Stampfer’s or-
  ders are to retrieve any useful technology found on his 
  expedition, and he takes that to include weird science 
  gizmos. As such, he allows gizmos to be retained only 
  until the heroes reach the ledge, whereupon they are 
  quickly conﬁ scated.
  Unless the heroes fancy starting a ﬁ ght, their hands 
  are bound by rope. They are then lead down a winding 
  tunnel, through which run small tracks (for mining carts). 
  The heat is intense, and the air grows steadily hotter.
  In the event the heroes get feisty, Stampfer ﬂ ees down 
  into the volcano, leaving his men to fend off the char-
  acters. Skip straight to Scene 3 when the heroes defeat 
  the Nazis. If they’re captured, carry on with the section 
  below.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  BURNING KNOWLEDGE
  BURNING KNOWLEDGE
  After ten minutes of rapid descent, the party reaches 
  a large chamber near the heart of the volcano. One half 
  has collapsed at some point in antiquity, leaving behind a 
  bubbling lava pool. Several natural tunnels lead off from 
  the chamber.
  Soldiers busy themselves loading supplies and weap-
  ons into metal mining carts. It looks like the Germans 
  are planning on leaving soon. Conﬁ scated weapons and 
  gear are thrown into one of the carts. There is no sign of 
  the missing expedition members.
  The characters are dragged down a side tunnel and 
  thrown into a small cavern, whose walls are coated in 
  a red-hued metal. There are no signs of any seams or 
  rivets.
  “That Codex I won from you proved most enlight-
  ening,” Stampfer smiles. “Although it was written 
  only shortly before the arrival of the Conquista-
  dors, it spoke of this island, and of ancient path-
  ways to the land of Chicomoztoc, a realm at the 
  Earth’s core.
  “Did you notice how the architecture and lan-
  guage of the civilization on the island, the origi-
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1515
  nal builders, I mean, not the savages crawling 
  about in the dirt today, resembled that of the 
  Aztecs and Mayans? These people may have been 
  their ancestors. If not these, then others from 
  Chicomoztoc who found their way to the surface 
  world. Remarkable, yes, that a culture previously 
  unknown to man exists beneath our very feet and 
  yet spawned cultures on Earth?
  “But now I must answer your unasked questions. 
  The Chicomoztoci are not scions of Atlantis, as I 
  originally thought. No, my friends, they are the 
  Atlanteans. This island, this island is the fabled 
  Atlantis! Atlantis was wracked by earthquakes 
  and volcanoes, just like this place. When these 
  disasters came, the survivors ﬂ ed back to their 
  subterranean home, sealing the passageways 
  behind them.
  “The passageways are quite real, you know. We 
  have cleared rubble and discovered evidence of 
  ancient mines sinking deep beneath this island. 
  Who do you think laid those cart tracks you saw 
  when you entered? Even we industrious Germans 
  could not have laid all that track in just six 
  weeks.
  “And if the stories are true, and the evidence says 
  they are, the inhabitants of Atlantis possessed 
  fantastic technology, technology even we today 
  would marvel at. This is why we are here, to seek 
  out and claim their wondrous inventions for Ger-
  many!”
  At this point, a German soldier enters the cham-
  ber, salutes smartly, and address his superior. 
  “Sir, we’ve broken through the ﬁ nal barrier! The 
  way ahead is clear!”
  Stampfer turns to you and smiles. “Well, it has 
  been enlightening, but now I must depart. I hope 
  you enjoy my parting gift. This chamber was built 
  by the Chicomoztoci to act as a sort of release 
  valve in case the lava began to rise. In the ceiling 
  far above your heads is a hatch made of the same 
  unknown metal as these walls. It has proven very 
  resistant to heat and esplosives.
  “In a few moments, I predict the lava will reach 
  a critical level, causing the hatch to open and al-
  lowing lava to ﬂ ow into this cavern, so preventing 
  an eruption but, in doing so, killing you. Inge-
  nious, no? And before you think me callous, the 
  members of the expedition we found on the island 
  have been sent to Germany via zeppelin in good 
  health. They will be debriefed, and repatriated in 
  time.”
  The colonel smartly salutes you and departs. His 
  men activate the door, which rolls into place. On 
  the back face is a single metal disc. Above it is 
  a small disc with the numbers one through three 
  engraved on it, and a blank space. The pointer is 
  currently at three.
  Stampfer has let recent discoveries cloud his judg-
  ment. Although his theories about the Chicomoztoci be-
  ing the ancestors of the Aztecs and Mayans is correct, this 
  island was not Atlantis. For a start it’s in the wrong place, 
  since the Greeks and Egyptians (who passed on the story 
  to the Greeks) did not know of the Americas. It’s also too 
  small, and lacks the concentric rings of waterways and 
  walls attributed to Atlantis in Plato’s description.
  In order to escape, all the characters have to do is 
  complete the steps below by the end of the 6th round. 
  Should they fail, they are in for a quick but painful death, 
  as lava pours into the chamber.
  • Escaping the bonds requires either an Agility roll at 
  –2 or a Strength roll at –4. Freeing another hero requires 
  a complete round.
  • Determine how to operate the disc mechanism, 
  which works slightly differently to the ones in the pyra-
  mid. It has a metal pointer, just like the others, and can 
  be rotated. However, in order to be rotated it must ﬁ rst 
  be pulled out slightly from the wall. It then rotates freely. 
  When the symbol the characters want is lined up with 
  the pointer, the disc must be pushed back into place. 
  Deducing this requires a Smarts roll.
  The top disc cannot be manipulated by the heroes. 
  Whenever a wrong pictogram is locked in place, the 
  small disc rotates one increment, counting down toward 
  the blank space. When it reaches the blank space, the 
  lock mechanism is disabled. It can only be opened from 
  the outside!
  • Crack the code to open the door! The lower disc is 
  marked with the pictograms of 85 Aztec deities. Only one 
  of these unlocks the door. Rotating the disc requires an 
  action, and can be done only once per round.
  A character making a Common Knowledge roll at 
  –4 (Aztec deity names are commonly bandied around) 
  or a Knowledge (History) roll singles out four likely 
  candidates: Camaxtli (god of ﬁ re), Chantico (god of 
  volcanoes), Metztli (god of the moon), and Tepeyollotl 
  (god of earthquakes, whose name means “Heart of the 
  Mountains”).
  Depending on the GM’s view of escaping deathtraps, 
  the characters can ﬁ nd the right answer one of two 
  ways.
  First, the GM can pick one of the deities (we recom-
  mend Tepeyollotl, as Chantico is just too obvious). If the 
  heroes guess right, then the door opens. This is ﬁ ne if 
  the characters have multiple rounds to experiment. Also 
  bear in mind there is a 25% chance the heroes won’t 
  pick the right one and thus seal themselves in a chamber 
  soon to be ﬁ lled with lava.
  Second, the GM can assume that whatever deity is 
  picked as the characters’ third guess or the guess made 
  on the 6th round, whichever occurs ﬁ rst, is correct. This 
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1515
  nal builders, I mean, not the savages crawling 
  about in the dirt today, resembled that of the 
  Aztecs and Mayans? These people may have been 
  their ancestors. If not these, then others from 
  Chicomoztoc who found their way to the surface 
  world. Remarkable, yes, that a culture previously 
  unknown to man exists beneath our very feet and 
  yet spawned cultures on Earth?
  “But now I must answer your unasked questions. 
  The Chicomoztoci are not scions of Atlantis, as I 
  originally thought. No, my friends, they are the 
  Atlanteans. This island, this island is the fabled 
  Atlantis! Atlantis was wracked by earthquakes 
  and volcanoes, just like this place. When these 
  disasters came, the survivors ﬂ ed back to their 
  subterranean home, sealing the passageways 
  behind them.
  “The passageways are quite real, you know. We 
  have cleared rubble and discovered evidence of 
  ancient mines sinking deep beneath this island. 
  Who do you think laid those cart tracks you saw 
  when you entered? Even we industrious Germans 
  could not have laid all that track in just six 
  weeks.
  “And if the stories are true, and the evidence says 
  they are, the inhabitants of Atlantis possessed 
  fantastic technology, technology even we today 
  would marvel at. This is why we are here, to seek 
  out and claim their wondrous inventions for Ger-
  many!”
  At this point, a German soldier enters the cham-
  ber, salutes smartly, and address his superior. 
  “Sir, we’ve broken through the ﬁ nal barrier! The 
  way ahead is clear!”
  Stampfer turns to you and smiles. “Well, it has 
  been enlightening, but now I must depart. I hope 
  you enjoy my parting gift. This chamber was built 
  by the Chicomoztoci to act as a sort of release 
  valve in case the lava began to rise. In the ceiling 
  far above your heads is a hatch made of the same 
  unknown metal as these walls. It has proven very 
  resistant to heat and esplosives.
  “In a few moments, I predict the lava will reach 
  a critical level, causing the hatch to open and al-
  lowing lava to ﬂ ow into this cavern, so preventing 
  an eruption but, in doing so, killing you. Inge-
  nious, no? And before you think me callous, the 
  members of the expedition we found on the island 
  have been sent to Germany via zeppelin in good 
  health. They will be debriefed, and repatriated in 
  time.”
  The colonel smartly salutes you and departs. His 
  men activate the door, which rolls into place. On 
  the back face is a single metal disc. Above it is 
  a small disc with the numbers one through three 
  engraved on it, and a blank space. The pointer is 
  currently at three.
  Stampfer has let recent discoveries cloud his judg-
  ment. Although his theories about the Chicomoztoci be-
  ing the ancestors of the Aztecs and Mayans is correct, this 
  island was not Atlantis. For a start it’s in the wrong place, 
  since the Greeks and Egyptians (who passed on the story 
  to the Greeks) did not know of the Americas. It’s also too 
  small, and lacks the concentric rings of waterways and 
  walls attributed to Atlantis in Plato’s description.
  In order to escape, all the characters have to do is 
  complete the steps below by the end of the 6th round. 
  Should they fail, they are in for a quick but painful death, 
  as lava pours into the chamber.
  • Escaping the bonds requires either an Agility roll at 
  –2 or a Strength roll at –4. Freeing another hero requires 
  a complete round.
  • Determine how to operate the disc mechanism, 
  which works slightly differently to the ones in the pyra-
  mid. It has a metal pointer, just like the others, and can 
  be rotated. However, in order to be rotated it must ﬁ rst 
  be pulled out slightly from the wall. It then rotates freely. 
  When the symbol the characters want is lined up with 
  the pointer, the disc must be pushed back into place. 
  Deducing this requires a Smarts roll.
  The top disc cannot be manipulated by the heroes. 
  Whenever a wrong pictogram is locked in place, the 
  small disc rotates one increment, counting down toward 
  the blank space. When it reaches the blank space, the 
  lock mechanism is disabled. It can only be opened from 
  the outside!
  • Crack the code to open the door! The lower disc is 
  marked with the pictograms of 85 Aztec deities. Only one 
  of these unlocks the door. Rotating the disc requires an 
  action, and can be done only once per round.
  A character making a Common Knowledge roll at 
  –4 (Aztec deity names are commonly bandied around) 
  or a Knowledge (History) roll singles out four likely 
  candidates: Camaxtli (god of ﬁ re), Chantico (god of 
  volcanoes), Metztli (god of the moon), and Tepeyollotl 
  (god of earthquakes, whose name means “Heart of the 
  Mountains”).
  Depending on the GM’s view of escaping deathtraps, 
  the characters can ﬁ nd the right answer one of two 
  ways.
  First, the GM can pick one of the deities (we recom-
  mend Tepeyollotl, as Chantico is just too obvious). If the 
  heroes guess right, then the door opens. This is ﬁ ne if 
  the characters have multiple rounds to experiment. Also 
  bear in mind there is a 25% chance the heroes won’t 
  pick the right one and thus seal themselves in a chamber 
  soon to be ﬁ lled with lava.
  Second, the GM can assume that whatever deity is 
  picked as the characters’ third guess or the guess made 
  on the 6th round, whichever occurs ﬁ rst, is correct. This 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1616
  isn’t cheating—it’s just a way of adding a little more ten-
  sion to the game and ensuring the heroes have a last-sec-
  ond escape. So long as you maintain their “lucky guess” 
  was correct, they’ll need never know the truth.
  SCENE 3: THE FIRE GOD’S ANGER
  SCENE 3: THE FIRE GOD’S ANGER
  Whether the heroes have escaped the deathtrap or 
  entered here after a ﬁ ght outside the cave, this is the 
  scene of the ﬁ nal pitched battle. Characters who escaped 
  the lava chamber can gain Surprise—the Nazis arro-
  gantly believe them dead, and are busy with their chores. 
  Stampfer ﬂ eeing to this area during a ﬁ ght outside the 
  cave means the soldiers are waiting for the heroes.
  The cavern is roughly circular and is 20” across. The 
  northern third is a lake of boiling lava some 3” lower 
  than the ﬂ oor. Four tunnels lead from the chamber. In 
  the south wall is the main entrance, which runs uphill 
  from this cavern. In the east wall are two tunnels, a small 
  one going to the lava chamber and another heading 
  down into darkness. The fourth exit is in the west wall. 
  Each passage is 1” wide.
  The cart track runs down the entrance tunnel, levels 
  out as it curves gently across the chamber ﬂ oor, and 
  then heads out (and down) through the western tunnel. 
  The track runs no closer than 5” to the lava pool at any 
  point.
  There are half a dozen mining carts, each made of 
  reddish metal, parked end to end in a line on the track. 
  The metal is virtually indestructible, despite being very 
  light. The carts can be used for Cover. Climbing into one 
  takes an action. The second cart from the end contains 
  the characters’ conﬁ scated gear, as well as ration packs, 
  coils of rope, and ﬂ ashlights.
  At the start of the 3rd round, before action cards 
  are dealt, a massive tremor shakes the volcano. Every 
  character must make an Agility roll or fall prone. Roll for 
  each surviving Nazi, individually. The lava pool begins 
  to bubble violently, and the level of molten rock quickly 
  begins to rise!
  It is important to show the characters the danger 
  they are in, rather than just tell them. Once the erup-
  tion begins, two Nazis nearest the main exit run for the 
  cave entrance. The tunnel roof collapses, burying them 
  under hundreds of tons of rubble. Two others, picked at 
  random, plummet to their deaths as a 1” square section 
  of ﬂ oor gives way, dropping them into molten lava.
  The lava spills onto the cavern ﬂ oor at the end of the 
  4th round of combat, covering all the squares adjacent 
  to the lip. At the end of each subsequent round, it cov-
  ers the next inch of the ﬂ oor. Characters caught in the 
  lava suffer 3d10 damage (from a Wild Card) and have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  As soon as the eruption begins, Stampfer jumps into 
  the ﬁ rst mining cart and releases the handbrake. It be-
  gins to trundle off into the volcano’s tunnels.
  Should the characters presence be unnoticed and they 
  elect to wait and watch, natural events take their course. 
  After a few minutes, the ground shudders violently and 
  the lava begins to rise as above. Unless the heroes act 
  quickly, the Nazis leap into the carts and set off into the 
  darkness. Stampfer is in the second cart.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 4: INTO THE MINES
  SCENE 4: INTO THE MINES
  Run this scene as a Chase with no Obstacles. Although 
  the carts don’t have accelerator pedals, gravity keeps 
  them moving at helter-skelter speeds, so knowing when 
  to apply the handbrake for sharp bends is vital. The gov-
  erning skill is Driving. Each Range Increment equates to 
  5”. Carts can hold a maximum of four people.
  Stampfer starts one Range Increment ahead of the 
  characters for every round they delay giving chase. Other 
  surviving Nazis hop into carts behind the heroes, but are 
  slightly slow to react. They start two Range Increments 
  behind the heroes. If all the soldiers were killed, two 
  carts, each containing two goons, join the chase from 
  another tunnel on the start of the second round. They 
  begin three Range Increments behind the characters.
  The carts are on the same track. This means it is im-
  possible to overtake another cart, though they can still 
  be on the same marker—the carts aren’t 5” long. The 
  Parallel maneuver can be used, though in this case it 
  means the carts are bumped together rather than along-
  side each other.
  Should the characters run Parallel with Stampfer, he 
  draws his sword and engages in melee. Without a driver 
  to control the braking, a cart rolls a d6 Driving and no 
  Wild Die.
  The carts are considered indestructible, but they can 
  be Forced off the tracks. Causing an enemy cart to come 
  off the rails requires a raise with a Force maneuver. If the 
  characters suggest grabbing spare wooden planks lying 
  alongside the track and throwing them onto the tracks 
  behind them, only a success is required.
  A cart which comes off its rails, either through a Force 
  maneuver or by rolling a Roll Over or Flip on the Out 
  of Control table, plummets into the rising lava ﬁ lling 
  the volcano (3d10 damage per round, from a Wild Card 
  source).
  Should Stampfer be Incapacitated, his cart automati-
  cally ﬂ ies off the tracks, and into the lava. He is destined 
  to plague the characters again in the next adventure, so 
  the evidence of his “death” must be very ambiguous.
  The end of the chase isn’t quite the end of the adven-
  ture. Whether the characters manage to ﬂ ee or eliminate 
  the Nazis, they are in for one last surprise.
  Your cart zooms along the tracks, tilting and 
  swaying. Another shudder wracks the volcano. 
  Up ahead, the ground surges and cracks wide 
  open, breaking the rails, and forming a yawning 
  chasm. You apply the brakes, but it’s too late. The 
  cart ﬂ ies forward, off the rails, leaving a trail of 
  sparks in its wake. It begins falling into the black 
  abyss…
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1616
  isn’t cheating—it’s just a way of adding a little more ten-
  sion to the game and ensuring the heroes have a last-sec-
  ond escape. So long as you maintain their “lucky guess” 
  was correct, they’ll need never know the truth.
  SCENE 3: THE FIRE GOD’S ANGER
  SCENE 3: THE FIRE GOD’S ANGER
  Whether the heroes have escaped the deathtrap or 
  entered here after a ﬁ ght outside the cave, this is the 
  scene of the ﬁ nal pitched battle. Characters who escaped 
  the lava chamber can gain Surprise—the Nazis arro-
  gantly believe them dead, and are busy with their chores. 
  Stampfer ﬂ eeing to this area during a ﬁ ght outside the 
  cave means the soldiers are waiting for the heroes.
  The cavern is roughly circular and is 20” across. The 
  northern third is a lake of boiling lava some 3” lower 
  than the ﬂ oor. Four tunnels lead from the chamber. In 
  the south wall is the main entrance, which runs uphill 
  from this cavern. In the east wall are two tunnels, a small 
  one going to the lava chamber and another heading 
  down into darkness. The fourth exit is in the west wall. 
  Each passage is 1” wide.
  The cart track runs down the entrance tunnel, levels 
  out as it curves gently across the chamber ﬂ oor, and 
  then heads out (and down) through the western tunnel. 
  The track runs no closer than 5” to the lava pool at any 
  point.
  There are half a dozen mining carts, each made of 
  reddish metal, parked end to end in a line on the track. 
  The metal is virtually indestructible, despite being very 
  light. The carts can be used for Cover. Climbing into one 
  takes an action. The second cart from the end contains 
  the characters’ conﬁ scated gear, as well as ration packs, 
  coils of rope, and ﬂ ashlights.
  At the start of the 3rd round, before action cards 
  are dealt, a massive tremor shakes the volcano. Every 
  character must make an Agility roll or fall prone. Roll for 
  each surviving Nazi, individually. The lava pool begins 
  to bubble violently, and the level of molten rock quickly 
  begins to rise!
  It is important to show the characters the danger 
  they are in, rather than just tell them. Once the erup-
  tion begins, two Nazis nearest the main exit run for the 
  cave entrance. The tunnel roof collapses, burying them 
  under hundreds of tons of rubble. Two others, picked at 
  random, plummet to their deaths as a 1” square section 
  of ﬂ oor gives way, dropping them into molten lava.
  The lava spills onto the cavern ﬂ oor at the end of the 
  4th round of combat, covering all the squares adjacent 
  to the lip. At the end of each subsequent round, it cov-
  ers the next inch of the ﬂ oor. Characters caught in the 
  lava suffer 3d10 damage (from a Wild Card) and have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  As soon as the eruption begins, Stampfer jumps into 
  the ﬁ rst mining cart and releases the handbrake. It be-
  gins to trundle off into the volcano’s tunnels.
  Should the characters presence be unnoticed and they 
  elect to wait and watch, natural events take their course. 
  After a few minutes, the ground shudders violently and 
  the lava begins to rise as above. Unless the heroes act 
  quickly, the Nazis leap into the carts and set off into the 
  darkness. Stampfer is in the second cart.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 4: INTO THE MINES
  SCENE 4: INTO THE MINES
  Run this scene as a Chase with no Obstacles. Although 
  the carts don’t have accelerator pedals, gravity keeps 
  them moving at helter-skelter speeds, so knowing when 
  to apply the handbrake for sharp bends is vital. The gov-
  erning skill is Driving. Each Range Increment equates to 
  5”. Carts can hold a maximum of four people.
  Stampfer starts one Range Increment ahead of the 
  characters for every round they delay giving chase. Other 
  surviving Nazis hop into carts behind the heroes, but are 
  slightly slow to react. They start two Range Increments 
  behind the heroes. If all the soldiers were killed, two 
  carts, each containing two goons, join the chase from 
  another tunnel on the start of the second round. They 
  begin three Range Increments behind the characters.
  The carts are on the same track. This means it is im-
  possible to overtake another cart, though they can still 
  be on the same marker—the carts aren’t 5” long. The 
  Parallel maneuver can be used, though in this case it 
  means the carts are bumped together rather than along-
  side each other.
  Should the characters run Parallel with Stampfer, he 
  draws his sword and engages in melee. Without a driver 
  to control the braking, a cart rolls a d6 Driving and no 
  Wild Die.
  The carts are considered indestructible, but they can 
  be Forced off the tracks. Causing an enemy cart to come 
  off the rails requires a raise with a Force maneuver. If the 
  characters suggest grabbing spare wooden planks lying 
  alongside the track and throwing them onto the tracks 
  behind them, only a success is required.
  A cart which comes off its rails, either through a Force 
  maneuver or by rolling a Roll Over or Flip on the Out 
  of Control table, plummets into the rising lava ﬁ lling 
  the volcano (3d10 damage per round, from a Wild Card 
  source).
  Should Stampfer be Incapacitated, his cart automati-
  cally ﬂ ies off the tracks, and into the lava. He is destined 
  to plague the characters again in the next adventure, so 
  the evidence of his “death” must be very ambiguous.
  The end of the chase isn’t quite the end of the adven-
  ture. Whether the characters manage to ﬂ ee or eliminate 
  the Nazis, they are in for one last surprise.
  Your cart zooms along the tracks, tilting and 
  swaying. Another shudder wracks the volcano. 
  Up ahead, the ground surges and cracks wide 
  open, breaking the rails, and forming a yawning 
  chasm. You apply the brakes, but it’s too late. The 
  cart ﬂ ies forward, off the rails, leaving a trail of 
  sparks in its wake. It begins falling into the black 
  abyss…
  
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1717
  That’s the end of the adventure! It concludes in Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure #10, which picks up right where 
  this one leaves off.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (1 per hero): See page 18.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  A member of the SS-Ahnenerbe, Stampfer is part 
  scholar and part warrior. His male ancestors going back 
  many generations all served Prussia as military ofﬁ cers. 
  Unlike the stereotypical Prussian ofﬁ cer class, Stampfer 
  never lets his pride override his head. He has seen too 
  many expeditions fail because of arrogant and proud 
  leaders. As such, he has learned to respect his enemy and 
  always plan contingencies.
  Soft-spoken and well mannered, he is nonetheless a 
  fanatical Nazi, albeit a suave and sophisticated one. As he 
  often tells his comrades, a soft touch can often achieve 
  more than a club. That said, he will let nothing come 
  between him and his goal—to ﬁ nd the Hollow Earth 
  and make contact with the Aryan supermen he believes 
  inhabit the subterranean realm.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Knowl-
  edge (History) d10, Persuasion d10, Shooting d8, Street-
  wise d8, Survival d8, Tracking d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Delusional (believes in the Hol-
  low Earth), Greedy (Major), One Eye
  Edges: Block, Command, Fervor, Improved Dodge, Im-
  proved Frenzy, Improved Level Headed, Strong Willed, 
  Woodsman
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), long 
  sword (Str+d8)
  CENTIPEDE SWARM
  CENTIPEDE SWARM
  Small and black, the centipedes are vile creatures, 
  capable of climbing up trouser legs and crawling down 
  open shirts to bite at exposed ﬂ esh.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Centipede swarms inﬂ ict dozens of tiny bites ev-
  ery round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d4 damage to everyone covered by the template.
  • Distracting: Any hero attacked by a swarm must make 
  a Spirit roll or be Shaken due to distraction as the spiders 
  crawl over his body. This is a non-physical effect.
  • Swarm: Parry +2; Cutting and piercing weapons do 
  no real damage. Area-effect weapons work normally, and 
  a character can stomp to inﬂ ict his damage in Strength 
  each round.
  CENTIPEDE, GIANT
  CENTIPEDE, GIANT
  Long, black, armored, and possessing powerful man-
  dibles, the giant centipede is the mother of the swarms.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +3: Thick chitin armor.
  • Bite: Str+d8, AP 2.
  • Large: Attackers add +2 when attacking a giant centi-
  pede due to their size.
  • Poison (–2): Victims must make a Vigor roll or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue for the next hour. This can lead to Inca-
  pacitation, but never Death.
  • Size +4: Giant centipedes grow up to 20’ long.
  DEGENERATE TRIBESMAN
  DEGENERATE TRIBESMAN
  Centuries of inbreeding and a savage lifestyle have 
  degenerated the tribesmen to little more than animals. 
  They wear only the simplest of garments, made from 
  leaves woven together with grass, animal entrails, and 
  hair. Many have sharp pieces of bone pierced through 
  their cheeks, noses, and tongues. Even their language 
  has devolved, and is no longer recognizable as a human 
  tongue.
  Note that while Bloodthirsty, the savages do take pris-
  oners—they sacriﬁ ce them to their bloody gods and then 
  eat their ﬂ esh.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Throwing d6, Tracking d8
  Charisma: –6; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Bloodthirsty, Illiterate, Ugly
  Edges: Woodsman
  Gear: Two crude short spears (Range: 3/6/12; Damage: 
  Str+d6)
  EORAPTOR LUNENSIS
  EORAPTOR LUNENSIS
  Modern paleontologists believe eoraptors are the 
  ancestor of many dinosaur species. They run upright 
  on their hind legs, have ﬁ ve digits on each hand (two of 
  which are long claws for handling prey), and sharp teeth. 
  Unlike the better-known velociraptors, they do not have 
  the pronounced foot claw for gutting or gripping prey, 
  though skeletons do show the start of this evolution. 
  Eoraptors are pack animals, and use Gang Up tactics on 
  larger prey.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  ISLAND OF TERROR
  1717
  That’s the end of the adventure! It concludes in Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure #10, which picks up right where 
  this one leaves off.
   SS-Colonel Stampfer: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldiers (1 per hero): See page 18.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  A member of the SS-Ahnenerbe, Stampfer is part 
  scholar and part warrior. His male ancestors going back 
  many generations all served Prussia as military ofﬁ cers. 
  Unlike the stereotypical Prussian ofﬁ cer class, Stampfer 
  never lets his pride override his head. He has seen too 
  many expeditions fail because of arrogant and proud 
  leaders. As such, he has learned to respect his enemy and 
  always plan contingencies.
  Soft-spoken and well mannered, he is nonetheless a 
  fanatical Nazi, albeit a suave and sophisticated one. As he 
  often tells his comrades, a soft touch can often achieve 
  more than a club. That said, he will let nothing come 
  between him and his goal—to ﬁ nd the Hollow Earth 
  and make contact with the Aryan supermen he believes 
  inhabit the subterranean realm.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Knowl-
  edge (History) d10, Persuasion d10, Shooting d8, Street-
  wise d8, Survival d8, Tracking d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Delusional (believes in the Hol-
  low Earth), Greedy (Major), One Eye
  Edges: Block, Command, Fervor, Improved Dodge, Im-
  proved Frenzy, Improved Level Headed, Strong Willed, 
  Woodsman
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), long 
  sword (Str+d8)
  CENTIPEDE SWARM
  CENTIPEDE SWARM
  Small and black, the centipedes are vile creatures, 
  capable of climbing up trouser legs and crawling down 
  open shirts to bite at exposed ﬂ esh.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Centipede swarms inﬂ ict dozens of tiny bites ev-
  ery round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d4 damage to everyone covered by the template.
  • Distracting: Any hero attacked by a swarm must make 
  a Spirit roll or be Shaken due to distraction as the spiders 
  crawl over his body. This is a non-physical effect.
  • Swarm: Parry +2; Cutting and piercing weapons do 
  no real damage. Area-effect weapons work normally, and 
  a character can stomp to inﬂ ict his damage in Strength 
  each round.
  CENTIPEDE, GIANT
  CENTIPEDE, GIANT
  Long, black, armored, and possessing powerful man-
  dibles, the giant centipede is the mother of the swarms.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +3: Thick chitin armor.
  • Bite: Str+d8, AP 2.
  • Large: Attackers add +2 when attacking a giant centi-
  pede due to their size.
  • Poison (–2): Victims must make a Vigor roll or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue for the next hour. This can lead to Inca-
  pacitation, but never Death.
  • Size +4: Giant centipedes grow up to 20’ long.
  DEGENERATE TRIBESMAN
  DEGENERATE TRIBESMAN
  Centuries of inbreeding and a savage lifestyle have 
  degenerated the tribesmen to little more than animals. 
  They wear only the simplest of garments, made from 
  leaves woven together with grass, animal entrails, and 
  hair. Many have sharp pieces of bone pierced through 
  their cheeks, noses, and tongues. Even their language 
  has devolved, and is no longer recognizable as a human 
  tongue.
  Note that while Bloodthirsty, the savages do take pris-
  oners—they sacriﬁ ce them to their bloody gods and then 
  eat their ﬂ esh.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Throwing d6, Tracking d8
  Charisma: –6; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Bloodthirsty, Illiterate, Ugly
  Edges: Woodsman
  Gear: Two crude short spears (Range: 3/6/12; Damage: 
  Str+d6)
  EORAPTOR LUNENSIS
  EORAPTOR LUNENSIS
  Modern paleontologists believe eoraptors are the 
  ancestor of many dinosaur species. They run upright 
  on their hind legs, have ﬁ ve digits on each hand (two of 
  which are long claws for handling prey), and sharp teeth. 
  Unlike the better-known velociraptors, they do not have 
  the pronounced foot claw for gutting or gripping prey, 
  though skeletons do show the start of this evolution. 
  Eoraptors are pack animals, and use Gang Up tactics on 
  larger prey.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1818
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d6.
  • Size –1: Eoraptors stand about 1 yard tall and weigh 
  about 25 pounds.
  NAZI SOLDIER
  NAZI SOLDIER
  These aren’t fanatical and bloodthirsty SS stormtroop-
  ers, but they are dedicated to Hitler’s cause. They follow 
  orders without question.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Helmet (+3), SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP 1) or riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, AP 2), dagger (Str+d4), 1 grenade (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 3d6–2, Medium Burst Template)
  PLESIOSAUR
  PLESIOSAUR
  Plesiosaurs are aquatic carnivores. Their seal-like body 
  has four ﬂ ippers, which propel them nimbly through the 
  water. Their most notable feature is their long, thin neck, 
  which counts for almost half their length.
  The plesiosaur is treated as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  • Ambush: The plesiosaur favors ambush tactics. Each 
  round, its head emerges from the water, attacks, and 
  then withdraws. The creature makes a Stealth roll op-
  posed by the intended victim’s Notice. With success, the 
  creature gains +2 to attack and damage that round, +4 
  if it gets a raise. If the victim wins and was on Hold, he 
  may try to interrupt as normal. Other characters on Hold 
  may try to attack the head normally.
  • Aquatic: Pace 8.
  • Bite: Str+d6, Reach 1.
  • Capsize: If the plesiosaur draws a black action card, 
  it tries to capsize the raft. Every character aboard must 
  make an Agility roll opposed by the creature’s Strength 
  die. With failure, the hero enters the water.
  • Quick: Plesiosaurs redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  • Size +3: This species measures 5 yards in length.
  PTERANODON
  PTERANODON
  Pteranodons are ﬂ ying reptiles with long, leathery 
  wings and a pronounced head crest. Its name comes 
  from the Greek for “wing” and “toothless.” Rather than 
  bite, it uses its long beak to impale its prey.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 2; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Beak: Str+d6.
  • Flight: Pace 12.
  • Size +1: Pteranodons measure about 6’ in length and 
  have a wingspan of 25’.
  TYRANNOSAURUS-REX
  TYRANNOSAURUS-REX
  Perhaps one of the most iconic dinosaurs, the Tyran-
  nosaurus Rex is a fearsome carnivore. Equipped with 
  huge teeth for crippling and killing prey, T. rex also has a 
  very acute sense of smell.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d10, 
  Stealth d8, Tracking d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 14
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d8.
  • Cumbersome: T. rexes have difﬁ culty turning quickly 
  at speed due to their anatomy. When moving, a T. rex 
  must use 1” of movement for each 45 degrees it turns.
  • Fleet-Footed: T. rex rolls a d10 running die, instead 
  of a d6.
  • Large: Attackers are +2 to attack rolls due to its size.
  • Size +7: T. rex can measure up to 40’ long and an up 
  to 12’ at the hip.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #09
  1818
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d6.
  • Size –1: Eoraptors stand about 1 yard tall and weigh 
  about 25 pounds.
  NAZI SOLDIER
  NAZI SOLDIER
  These aren’t fanatical and bloodthirsty SS stormtroop-
  ers, but they are dedicated to Hitler’s cause. They follow 
  orders without question.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Helmet (+3), SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP 1) or riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, AP 2), dagger (Str+d4), 1 grenade (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 3d6–2, Medium Burst Template)
  PLESIOSAUR
  PLESIOSAUR
  Plesiosaurs are aquatic carnivores. Their seal-like body 
  has four ﬂ ippers, which propel them nimbly through the 
  water. Their most notable feature is their long, thin neck, 
  which counts for almost half their length.
  The plesiosaur is treated as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  • Ambush: The plesiosaur favors ambush tactics. Each 
  round, its head emerges from the water, attacks, and 
  then withdraws. The creature makes a Stealth roll op-
  posed by the intended victim’s Notice. With success, the 
  creature gains +2 to attack and damage that round, +4 
  if it gets a raise. If the victim wins and was on Hold, he 
  may try to interrupt as normal. Other characters on Hold 
  may try to attack the head normally.
  • Aquatic: Pace 8.
  • Bite: Str+d6, Reach 1.
  • Capsize: If the plesiosaur draws a black action card, 
  it tries to capsize the raft. Every character aboard must 
  make an Agility roll opposed by the creature’s Strength 
  die. With failure, the hero enters the water.
  • Quick: Plesiosaurs redraw action cards of 5 or lower.
  • Size +3: This species measures 5 yards in length.
  PTERANODON
  PTERANODON
  Pteranodons are ﬂ ying reptiles with long, leathery 
  wings and a pronounced head crest. Its name comes 
  from the Greek for “wing” and “toothless.” Rather than 
  bite, it uses its long beak to impale its prey.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 2; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Beak: Str+d6.
  • Flight: Pace 12.
  • Size +1: Pteranodons measure about 6’ in length and 
  have a wingspan of 25’.
  TYRANNOSAURUS-REX
  TYRANNOSAURUS-REX
  Perhaps one of the most iconic dinosaurs, the Tyran-
  nosaurus Rex is a fearsome carnivore. Equipped with 
  huge teeth for crippling and killing prey, T. rex also has a 
  very acute sense of smell.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d10, 
  Stealth d8, Tracking d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 14
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d8.
  • Cumbersome: T. rexes have difﬁ culty turning quickly 
  at speed due to their anatomy. When moving, a T. rex 
  must use 1” of movement for each 45 degrees it turns.
  • Fleet-Footed: T. rex rolls a d10 running die, instead 
  of a d6.
  • Large: Attackers are +2 to attack rolls due to its size.
  • Size +7: T. rex can measure up to 40’ long and an up 
  to 12’ at the hip.
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31020
  31020
  $6.99
  $6.99
  When a scientiﬁ c mission to a 
  previously unexplored island off the 
  South American coast goes missing, 
  it is up to the brave and fearless 
  heroes to come to the rescue!
  But all does not go well, for the 
  rescuers soon become stranded 
  on the mysterious, jungle-swathed 
  island. Exploration brings the 
  heroes into contact with degenerate 
  tribesmen, ferocious beasts from a 
  bygone age, deadly traps, and vile 
  Nazis plague our heroes every step 
  of the way.
  Can the heroes discover what happened to the lost expedition? Will 
  they end up as dinner for the local inhabitants? Are they capable of 
  decoding ancient hieroglyphs in order to avoid a terrible fate? Can 
  they thwart the Nazis’ dastardly plan?
  Find out in this action-packed pulp adventure from Triple Ace Games!
  This adventure is part one of a two part story. 
  You will require Daring Tales of Adventure #10: Kingdom of the 
  Blood Gods to run the complete adventure. Kingdom of the Blood 
  Gods picks up the action exactly where this issue ends!
  crazed savages & dinosaurs.....
  crazed savages & dinosaurs.....
  welcome to the island of terror!
  welcome to the island of terror!
  
  kingdom of the blood gods
  kingdom of the blood gods
  kingdom of the blood gods
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31022
  31022
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring tales of adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1010
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring tales of adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1010
  
  Belief in the Hollow Earth is actually as old as man’s 
  recorded history, though it is often veiled in myth. Virtu-
  ally every ancient culture told of a subterranean realm, 
  sometimes as a fearful place and other times as a realm 
  of wisdom.
  The Greek Hades, Egyptian Duat, Viking Niﬂ heim, 
  Naraka of the Buddhist faith, the Celtic land of Annwn, 
  Babylonian Kurnugia, Hawaiki, the subterranean birth-
  place of the Maori, the Mayan Xibalba, and the Inuit 
  Adlivun are just a small few of the names attributed to 
  this realm. The Aztecs recorded their original homeland 
  as a place of seven caverns, a clear reference to a subter-
  ranean land.
  You see, what the ancients knew, and what modern 
  man now dismisses as myth, is that the Hollow Earth is a 
  very real place, as the heroes are about to discover.
  This adventure does not concern itself with the entire 
  Hollow Earth. Instead, the action takes place in a very 
  small section. Within this territory, the dominant culture 
  is that of the Chicomoztoci, the ancestors of the settlers 
  of the mysterious island in Daring Tales of Adventure #9 
  and the cruel, ruling elite mentioned in Aztec Codices as 
  the reason the Aztecs ﬂ ed to the surface world.
  Their bloodthirsty gods demand frequent human 
  sacriﬁ ces, something the ruling priest caste are only too 
  pleased to provide. Raiding parties are sent out across 
  a sea to distant lands, to acquire slaves and sacriﬁ ces. 
  Among their preferred targets is a race of Amazons.
  Unable to spare an army to invade the Amazon lands 
  (the Chicomoztoci have enemies as well), the priests 
  must make do with kidnapping hostages. So far the ploy 
  has failed, and all the prisoners have been sacriﬁ ced. 
  For their part, the Amazons simply lack the numbers to 
  launch an invasion and eliminate their enemy.
  The hostage taking is an attempt to get the Amazons 
  to reveal the location of an ancient temple, a temple sup-
  posedly haunted by fearsome ghosts yet ﬁ lled with won-
  drous power. According to popular legend, the temple 
  has the ability to transform men into gods!
  This temple is actually of Atlantean origin (something 
  we’ll be looking at in a later issue). Although the subter-
  ranean settlers have forgotten much of their history over 
  the millennia, they are mostly all descendants of this an-
  tediluvian race. (We say mostly, because there are settlers 
  who have come here from the surface world, willing or 
  unwillingly, and either chose to stay or have so far been 
  unable to ﬁ nd a way back to the surface.)
  GM’s Note: This adventure has plenty of opportuni-
  ties for interaction with NPCs. However, due to the near-
  limitless ways conversations could go, actual detailed 
  interaction occurs only when required by the plot. Let 
  the players enjoy some banter, and give them chance to 
  insert suitable pulp quips, but keep the action moving at 
  a good pace.
  IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE
  IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE
  Usually we allow pulp heroes to replenish their am-
  munition every new scene. This assumes the characters 
  can scavenge replacement ammo from slain foes or can 
  pick it up in a handily placed store. However, in the Hol-
  low Earth there are no gun stores, and the natives do not 
  use ﬁ rearms. As such, ammunition (but not Power Points) 
  must be carefully tracked. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 70 XP.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  2
  Belief in the Hollow Earth is actually as old as man’s 
  recorded history, though it is often veiled in myth. Virtu-
  ally every ancient culture told of a subterranean realm, 
  sometimes as a fearful place and other times as a realm 
  of wisdom.
  The Greek Hades, Egyptian Duat, Viking Niﬂ heim, 
  Naraka of the Buddhist faith, the Celtic land of Annwn, 
  Babylonian Kurnugia, Hawaiki, the subterranean birth-
  place of the Maori, the Mayan Xibalba, and the Inuit 
  Adlivun are just a small few of the names attributed to 
  this realm. The Aztecs recorded their original homeland 
  as a place of seven caverns, a clear reference to a subter-
  ranean land.
  You see, what the ancients knew, and what modern 
  man now dismisses as myth, is that the Hollow Earth is a 
  very real place, as the heroes are about to discover.
  This adventure does not concern itself with the entire 
  Hollow Earth. Instead, the action takes place in a very 
  small section. Within this territory, the dominant culture 
  is that of the Chicomoztoci, the ancestors of the settlers 
  of the mysterious island in Daring Tales of Adventure #9 
  and the cruel, ruling elite mentioned in Aztec Codices as 
  the reason the Aztecs ﬂ ed to the surface world.
  Their bloodthirsty gods demand frequent human 
  sacriﬁ ces, something the ruling priest caste are only too 
  pleased to provide. Raiding parties are sent out across 
  a sea to distant lands, to acquire slaves and sacriﬁ ces. 
  Among their preferred targets is a race of Amazons.
  Unable to spare an army to invade the Amazon lands 
  (the Chicomoztoci have enemies as well), the priests 
  must make do with kidnapping hostages. So far the ploy 
  has failed, and all the prisoners have been sacriﬁ ced. 
  For their part, the Amazons simply lack the numbers to 
  launch an invasion and eliminate their enemy.
  The hostage taking is an attempt to get the Amazons 
  to reveal the location of an ancient temple, a temple sup-
  posedly haunted by fearsome ghosts yet ﬁ lled with won-
  drous power. According to popular legend, the temple 
  has the ability to transform men into gods!
  This temple is actually of Atlantean origin (something 
  we’ll be looking at in a later issue). Although the subter-
  ranean settlers have forgotten much of their history over 
  the millennia, they are mostly all descendants of this an-
  tediluvian race. (We say mostly, because there are settlers 
  who have come here from the surface world, willing or 
  unwillingly, and either chose to stay or have so far been 
  unable to ﬁ nd a way back to the surface.)
  GM’s Note: This adventure has plenty of opportuni-
  ties for interaction with NPCs. However, due to the near-
  limitless ways conversations could go, actual detailed 
  interaction occurs only when required by the plot. Let 
  the players enjoy some banter, and give them chance to 
  insert suitable pulp quips, but keep the action moving at 
  a good pace.
  IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE
  IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE
  Usually we allow pulp heroes to replenish their am-
  munition every new scene. This assumes the characters 
  can scavenge replacement ammo from slain foes or can 
  pick it up in a handily placed store. However, in the Hol-
  low Earth there are no gun stores, and the natives do not 
  use ﬁ rearms. As such, ammunition (but not Power Points) 
  must be carefully tracked. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 70 XP.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  2
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  3
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: LADIES GALORE
  ACT 1: LADIES GALORE
  The action picks up exactly where Daring Tales of 
  Adventure #9 left off—with the heroes and their mining 
  cart (or carts) ﬂ ying into an inky abyss! Since it is the start 
  of a new Act, every character recovers one wound.
  SCENE 1: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
  SCENE 1: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
  BANG! The cart’s arcing dive is arrested with a 
  sudden jolt as the buggy shoots into a tunnel 
  mouth in the side of a cavern! A fountain of 
  sparks erupts from the wheels as they seek grip on 
  the smooth surface. The noise is deafening as the 
  cart careens down the steeply angled tunnel.
  Looking back, you can see the cave entrance dwin-
  dling to a pinprick of glowing red light as the lava 
  rises, and rises, and ﬁ nally spills into the tunnel! 
  Driven forward by the surging magma behind 
  it and forced down into the tunnel by gravity, a 
  wall of molten rock is rushing toward you!
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, except there 
  are no Obstacles. The lava is three Range Increments 
  behind the characters 
  and each Range Incre-
  ment represents 10”. 
  Unlike 
  the 
  regular 
  Chase rules, this scene 
  ends when the char-
  acters 
  have 
  moved 
  a total of 10 Range 
  Increments from their 
  starting position (see 
  below).
  The cart, which is 
  not running on tracks, 
  handles more like a mo-
  torbike now, and can be 
  steered by the passen-
  gers leaning to one side 
  or the other. The brake 
  still works, though not 
  quite as well as intend-
  ed. As such, the primary 
  skill remains Driving. 
  The lava river has d8 in 
  any Trait roll it requires 
  for the purposes of this 
  scene.
  The heroes cannot 
  use Force maneuvers 
  against the lava since 
  the ﬂ ow is indestructible. Distract can still be used. This 
  represents sudden turns down side tunnels and the like. 
  These have the effect of slowing the lava ﬂ ow, at least 
  temporarily. Any Out of Control entry simply causes the 
  lava to suffer a –2 penalty to its next Agility roll.
  The lava only uses one stunt—Parallel. Once level, the 
  lava automatically makes an attack as a free action, as the 
  heat begins to scorch the characters’ clothing or small 
  lava droplets splash them. Everyone in the cart suffers 
  2d8 damage, as from an Extra.
  Should the front of the lava ﬂ ow actually overtake the 
  cart, the buggy is carried along on the molten rock. In 
  this instance, the lava, which ﬁ lls every Range Increment 
  behind the front edge, can make an attack against the 
  cart as above without requiring the Parallel maneuver. 
  The driver can still make Driving rolls to overtake the 
  front of the lava ﬁ eld, however.
  When the heroes have moved a total of 10 Range Incre-
  ments, the world vanishes beneath their wheels once again!
  WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
  WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
  The tunnel ends in a sheer drop! The cart’s wheels 
  stop clattering, as they leave the rocky surface, 
  and begin spinning freely in open air. For a mo-
  ment the cart continues its forward motion, but 
  then gravity takes control, and the small vehicle 
  begins to quickly drop into the darkness below. 
  The impact is hard and wet.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  3
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: LADIES GALORE
  ACT 1: LADIES GALORE
  The action picks up exactly where Daring Tales of 
  Adventure #9 left off—with the heroes and their mining 
  cart (or carts) ﬂ ying into an inky abyss! Since it is the start 
  of a new Act, every character recovers one wound.
  SCENE 1: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
  SCENE 1: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
  BANG! The cart’s arcing dive is arrested with a 
  sudden jolt as the buggy shoots into a tunnel 
  mouth in the side of a cavern! A fountain of 
  sparks erupts from the wheels as they seek grip on 
  the smooth surface. The noise is deafening as the 
  cart careens down the steeply angled tunnel.
  Looking back, you can see the cave entrance dwin-
  dling to a pinprick of glowing red light as the lava 
  rises, and rises, and ﬁ nally spills into the tunnel! 
  Driven forward by the surging magma behind 
  it and forced down into the tunnel by gravity, a 
  wall of molten rock is rushing toward you!
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, except there 
  are no Obstacles. The lava is three Range Increments 
  behind the characters 
  and each Range Incre-
  ment represents 10”. 
  Unlike 
  the 
  regular 
  Chase rules, this scene 
  ends when the char-
  acters 
  have 
  moved 
  a total of 10 Range 
  Increments from their 
  starting position (see 
  below).
  The cart, which is 
  not running on tracks, 
  handles more like a mo-
  torbike now, and can be 
  steered by the passen-
  gers leaning to one side 
  or the other. The brake 
  still works, though not 
  quite as well as intend-
  ed. As such, the primary 
  skill remains Driving. 
  The lava river has d8 in 
  any Trait roll it requires 
  for the purposes of this 
  scene.
  The heroes cannot 
  use Force maneuvers 
  against the lava since 
  the ﬂ ow is indestructible. Distract can still be used. This 
  represents sudden turns down side tunnels and the like. 
  These have the effect of slowing the lava ﬂ ow, at least 
  temporarily. Any Out of Control entry simply causes the 
  lava to suffer a –2 penalty to its next Agility roll.
  The lava only uses one stunt—Parallel. Once level, the 
  lava automatically makes an attack as a free action, as the 
  heat begins to scorch the characters’ clothing or small 
  lava droplets splash them. Everyone in the cart suffers 
  2d8 damage, as from an Extra.
  Should the front of the lava ﬂ ow actually overtake the 
  cart, the buggy is carried along on the molten rock. In 
  this instance, the lava, which ﬁ lls every Range Increment 
  behind the front edge, can make an attack against the 
  cart as above without requiring the Parallel maneuver. 
  The driver can still make Driving rolls to overtake the 
  front of the lava ﬁ eld, however.
  When the heroes have moved a total of 10 Range Incre-
  ments, the world vanishes beneath their wheels once again!
  WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
  WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
  The tunnel ends in a sheer drop! The cart’s wheels 
  stop clattering, as they leave the rocky surface, 
  and begin spinning freely in open air. For a mo-
  ment the cart continues its forward motion, but 
  then gravity takes control, and the small vehicle 
  begins to quickly drop into the darkness below. 
  The impact is hard and wet.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  4
  Water quickly ﬂ oods the cart, which sinks beneath 
  icy, fast-ﬂ owing water. As you’re swept down-
  stream, you see the lava blast from the tunnel 
  and drop into the cold water with a terriﬁ c roar. 
  Tremendous amounts of steam spew into the air.
  Your ﬁ ngers fail to grab handholds on the slick 
  walls of the partially submerged tunnel, and 
  you’re carried further and further into the dark-
  ness. Soon even the glow of the lava has been left 
  behind. Dear gods! The roof of the tunnel you are 
  in gets lower and lower! Taking a deep breath, 
  you can only hope it rises again before your lungs 
  burst! It doesn’t. Everything goes black…
  SCENE 2: FAIR MAIDENS
  SCENE 2: FAIR MAIDENS
  Sunlight streams into the room through an open 
  window. The room is bare of furnishings except 
  for a small table, on which stands an intricately 
  carved wooden bowl. It seems whoever rescued 
  you practices sexual discrimination. The women 
  in your party awaken in soft beds covered with 
  thin furs, their heads propped upon pillows stuffed 
  with feathers. The men, however, share a crude 
  cot, are covered with an itchy straw mattress, and 
  rest against solid wooden blocks as pillows. Their 
  ankles feel strangely heavy as well.
  Every character recovers one wound taken in the last 
  scene when he awakens. Any wounds or burns are ex-
  pertly bandaged, and covered in a healing poultice.
  Any character who looks under the covers quickly dis-
  covers they are totally naked. Male heroes taking a peek 
  realize the source of their heavy limbs—they have been 
  manacled together! A long length of chain connects them 
  to an iron ring in a nearby wall. The manacles are held 
  in place with crude padlocks. A Lockpicking roll suffers a 
  –2 if a hero has a hair pin or similar item, and cannot be 
  attempted if no such items are carried.
  Give the party chance to adjust to their new surround-
  ings. After a few minutes, or as soon as someone heads 
  for the door or window, the door opens. Framed there 
  is a young woman, perhaps in her late teens, clad in a 
  leather skirt and bikini top, and knee-high leather boots. 
  At her hip rests a short sword. She speaks to the party.
  The language is a variant of Greek, debased with 
  strange pronunciations and words in an alien language, 
  but still understandable. If no one in your group speaks 
  Greek, the language is based on Latin, Egyptian, Aztec, 
  or some other foreign tongue. In the event there are no 
  female player characters, check the sidebar.
  “Ah,” she smiles to any female characters, “you 
  have awoken at last. Our healers were worried 
  you might not survive. Please, my lady, wash and 
  refresh yourself. When you are ready, I shall take 
  you to meet the others.”
  The girl is happy to talk more, but only to females. 
  She simply ignores questions put to her by men. Possible 
  questions, and the girl’s answers, are detailed below.
  Q: Where are we?
  A: “You are on the island of Gynaikokratumene (Guy-
  ny-ko-krat-oo-maynay), lady. You are quite safe.”
  Gynaikokratumene is Greek for “ruled by women.” 
  Any character with Knowledge (History) can make a roll. 
  Other heroes use Common Knowledge at –2. Success 
  means the character recalls the Greek myths about the 
  Amazons, a tribe of ferocious warrior women.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Cassandra, daughter of Antiope (ant-EYE-oh-
  pay), former handmaiden to our late queen, Hypsipyle 
  (Hype-sip-ee-ly).”
  Q: How did the queen die?
  A: “She was old. Her due time had come. We do not 
  mourn those who die at the appointed hour.”
  Q: What happened to us?
  A: “You were found upon the beach, half-drowned 
  and unconscious. The healers said you had been in the 
  water with your slaves,” she says, indicating the male 
  characters, “for many days. A hunting party found you 
  and brought you here.”
  Q: Where are our clothes and equipment?
  A: “Your clothes were torn and ruined. We burnt them. 
  But I bring you fresh clothing, lady. Your other equipment 
  will only be returned if the new queen decides.”
  Cassandra has only brought clothes for the female 
  heroes. The outﬁ ts are identical to the Amazon’s garb. 
  In their culture, men are kept naked. Naturally, male 
  characters may take objection to this tradition.
  Acquiring clothes (a simple loin cloth and sandals) 
  requires a Persuasion roll. Female heroes who invent 
  a suitable reason for clothing male slaves, such as, “In 
  my culture things are different,” receive a +2 bonus. 
  Any male making the request automatically suffers a –4 
  penalty.
  SUPRISES
  SUPRISES
  Throughout the rest of this Act you’ll ﬁ nd several 
  sidebars like this one. They provide information 
  of how to tweak the adventure if there are no fe-
  male heroes in the group or if Athena wins the chal-
  lenge.
  Cassandra gives only curt responses to questions 
  put to her by males, using the word “slave” fre-
  quently and acting very superior.
  There’s a chance the players will forget the pulp 
  spirit and have their characters try to overpower the 
  girl and escape. In this instance, have a bunch of 
  Amazon warriors stop them. Unarmed and against 
  experienced ﬁ ghters, the party should soon realize 
  it’s better to play along with the attractive women, 
  even if just for a little while.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  4
  Water quickly ﬂ oods the cart, which sinks beneath 
  icy, fast-ﬂ owing water. As you’re swept down-
  stream, you see the lava blast from the tunnel 
  and drop into the cold water with a terriﬁ c roar. 
  Tremendous amounts of steam spew into the air.
  Your ﬁ ngers fail to grab handholds on the slick 
  walls of the partially submerged tunnel, and 
  you’re carried further and further into the dark-
  ness. Soon even the glow of the lava has been left 
  behind. Dear gods! The roof of the tunnel you are 
  in gets lower and lower! Taking a deep breath, 
  you can only hope it rises again before your lungs 
  burst! It doesn’t. Everything goes black…
  SCENE 2: FAIR MAIDENS
  SCENE 2: FAIR MAIDENS
  Sunlight streams into the room through an open 
  window. The room is bare of furnishings except 
  for a small table, on which stands an intricately 
  carved wooden bowl. It seems whoever rescued 
  you practices sexual discrimination. The women 
  in your party awaken in soft beds covered with 
  thin furs, their heads propped upon pillows stuffed 
  with feathers. The men, however, share a crude 
  cot, are covered with an itchy straw mattress, and 
  rest against solid wooden blocks as pillows. Their 
  ankles feel strangely heavy as well.
  Every character recovers one wound taken in the last 
  scene when he awakens. Any wounds or burns are ex-
  pertly bandaged, and covered in a healing poultice.
  Any character who looks under the covers quickly dis-
  covers they are totally naked. Male heroes taking a peek 
  realize the source of their heavy limbs—they have been 
  manacled together! A long length of chain connects them 
  to an iron ring in a nearby wall. The manacles are held 
  in place with crude padlocks. A Lockpicking roll suffers a 
  –2 if a hero has a hair pin or similar item, and cannot be 
  attempted if no such items are carried.
  Give the party chance to adjust to their new surround-
  ings. After a few minutes, or as soon as someone heads 
  for the door or window, the door opens. Framed there 
  is a young woman, perhaps in her late teens, clad in a 
  leather skirt and bikini top, and knee-high leather boots. 
  At her hip rests a short sword. She speaks to the party.
  The language is a variant of Greek, debased with 
  strange pronunciations and words in an alien language, 
  but still understandable. If no one in your group speaks 
  Greek, the language is based on Latin, Egyptian, Aztec, 
  or some other foreign tongue. In the event there are no 
  female player characters, check the sidebar.
  “Ah,” she smiles to any female characters, “you 
  have awoken at last. Our healers were worried 
  you might not survive. Please, my lady, wash and 
  refresh yourself. When you are ready, I shall take 
  you to meet the others.”
  The girl is happy to talk more, but only to females. 
  She simply ignores questions put to her by men. Possible 
  questions, and the girl’s answers, are detailed below.
  Q: Where are we?
  A: “You are on the island of Gynaikokratumene (Guy-
  ny-ko-krat-oo-maynay), lady. You are quite safe.”
  Gynaikokratumene is Greek for “ruled by women.” 
  Any character with Knowledge (History) can make a roll. 
  Other heroes use Common Knowledge at –2. Success 
  means the character recalls the Greek myths about the 
  Amazons, a tribe of ferocious warrior women.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Cassandra, daughter of Antiope (ant-EYE-oh-
  pay), former handmaiden to our late queen, Hypsipyle 
  (Hype-sip-ee-ly).”
  Q: How did the queen die?
  A: “She was old. Her due time had come. We do not 
  mourn those who die at the appointed hour.”
  Q: What happened to us?
  A: “You were found upon the beach, half-drowned 
  and unconscious. The healers said you had been in the 
  water with your slaves,” she says, indicating the male 
  characters, “for many days. A hunting party found you 
  and brought you here.”
  Q: Where are our clothes and equipment?
  A: “Your clothes were torn and ruined. We burnt them. 
  But I bring you fresh clothing, lady. Your other equipment 
  will only be returned if the new queen decides.”
  Cassandra has only brought clothes for the female 
  heroes. The outﬁ ts are identical to the Amazon’s garb. 
  In their culture, men are kept naked. Naturally, male 
  characters may take objection to this tradition.
  Acquiring clothes (a simple loin cloth and sandals) 
  requires a Persuasion roll. Female heroes who invent 
  a suitable reason for clothing male slaves, such as, “In 
  my culture things are different,” receive a +2 bonus. 
  Any male making the request automatically suffers a –4 
  penalty.
  SUPRISES
  SUPRISES
  Throughout the rest of this Act you’ll ﬁ nd several 
  sidebars like this one. They provide information 
  of how to tweak the adventure if there are no fe-
  male heroes in the group or if Athena wins the chal-
  lenge.
  Cassandra gives only curt responses to questions 
  put to her by males, using the word “slave” fre-
  quently and acting very superior.
  There’s a chance the players will forget the pulp 
  spirit and have their characters try to overpower the 
  girl and escape. In this instance, have a bunch of 
  Amazon warriors stop them. Unarmed and against 
  experienced ﬁ ghters, the party should soon realize 
  it’s better to play along with the attractive women, 
  even if just for a little while.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  5
  Q: What happens to us know?
  A: “You have come at a fortunate time. We are about 
  to choose a new queen. She will decide your fate. Please, 
  follow me.”
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19) but with no ranged weapon.
  ELECTION TIME
  ELECTION TIME
  Clothed or otherwise, the characters are led outside. 
  The village dominates a large jungle clearing and is sur-
  rounded by a stout palisade. Most of the buildings are 
  simple wooden affairs, though two are much larger. Cas-
  sandra says these are the queen’s house and the great 
  temple to Athena, their principal goddess.
  Gathered outside the temple are perhaps a hundred 
  attractive and scantily clad women. Appearances are 
  deceptive, for each is a hardened warrior, not a beauty 
  queen. Heroes with wayward eyes, or hands, are swiftly 
  rebuked for their insolence. Cassandra guides the party 
  to the front of the crowd.
  The temple doors swing open, and out steps a 
  dark-haired Amazon of outstanding beauty. She 
  raises her arms and addresses the throng. “In ac-
  cordance with our ancient laws, I, Athena, cham-
  pion of the late queen, state my claim to be your 
  next ruler. Do any oppose me?”
  If a female character doesn’t step up, someone stand-
  ing behind a female character (pick one at random if 
  you have more than one) shoves them forward into the 
  space between the crowd and the temple steps. Athena 
  has heard about the arrival of outsiders and senses a pos-
  sible threat. By having the character “nominate” herself, 
  she hopes to kill her in the arena.
  Athena’s look is one of disgust. “So, the outsider 
  thinks she has what it takes to rule? The laws are 
  clear, however. Any female may nominate herself 
  for queen, but when more than one steps forward, 
  ritual combat must ensue. Prepare the arena! 
  You,” she snarls at you, “must pick the slaves who 
  will accompany in the ﬁ ght.”
  Protestations of innocence and trying to backtrack on 
  the “nomination” do not go down well. Such an act is an 
  affront to the gods, and punishable by immediate death. 
  With a hundred armed Amazons ready for blood, hope-
  fully the characters do the wise thing and face their fate.
  Cassandra takes the party aside and explains the rules 
  while a hasty arena (four long ropes laid on the ground) 
  is prepared.
  “It is very simple,” she says. “You and your slaves 
  must face Athena and her slaves in a ﬁ ght. No 
  weapons are permitted, except your hands, feet, 
  knees, elbows, and so on. A slave who leaves the 
  boundary of the arena is forbidden from return-
  ing to the ﬁ ght. Unfortunately,” she grimaces, 
  “only one contender for the throne leaves alive.”
  A loud horn blast echoes through the village, indicat-
  ing everything is prepared. The only slaves the heroine 
  has to hand are, of course, her comrades. Athena, who 
  holds an important position, has picked a large number 
  of brutish thugs from her harem.
  Deal action cards and run the ﬁ ght!
  The arena covers an area 8” to a side. The party begins 
  adjacent to the southern edge, while the Amazon and her 
  thugs start adjacent to the opposite side. As a Wild card, 
  Athena gets two bennies. She won’t need them later in 
  the adventure, so the GM should ensure she uses them.
  Pushing someone from the arena ﬁ rst requires a 
  Fighting roll. Damage is based purely on Strength, and is 
  opposed by the target’s Strength. Success pushes the foe 
  back 1”, while a raise moves him back 2”. This special at-
  tack causes no actual damage. A character forced beyond 
  the boundary is forbidden from re-entering the arena on 
  pain of death. Heroes who try are attacked by the crowd 
  (who use weapons).
  The thugs make use of this maneuver whenever they 
  are adjacent to a hero near the edge of the arena. They 
  Gang Up where possible, and combine their Strength us-
  ing the rules for Cooperative rolls.
  Athena has no intention of playing fair. She wants the 
  throne and is willing to go to any lengths. Once half her 
  slaves are out of the ﬁ ght, or when she takes a single 
  wound, she signals to the crowd. 
  At the start of the next round, weapons are thrown 
  into the arena at the feet of the Amazon and her slaves. 
  Athena is armed with a battle axe (Str+d8), while the 
  slaves each receive a short sword or hand axe (Str+d6). 
  Whether or not they reach them before the characters can 
  all depends on the action cards. Picking up the weapon 
  is an action as normal, though Athena can use her Quick 
  Draw to offset this.
  Once Athena reaches Incapacitated, she slumps to her 
  knees (don’t roll on the Incapacitation Table). She looks 
  up at the female character and says, “Earn your throne. 
  Take my life!” Since this is a pulp game, it’s hoped the 
  hero refuses to deal a Finishing Move.
  Should the female hero reach Incapacitated ﬁ rst, Cas-
  NO FEMALES?
  NO FEMALES?
  Without any female characters, this part of the scene 
  (Election Time) unfolds slightly differently. Cassan-
  dra is prodded forward. By law, her stepping for-
  ward cannot be retracted, so she is forced to ﬁ ght. 
  Athena never liked the girl, so she has arranged for 
  one of her minions to push her forward, thus giving 
  her a chance to kill her in the ﬁ ght.
  Cassandra is low ranking and has no slaves of her 
  own. She picks the characters to aid her. By law, 
  they have two choices—become Cassandra’s slaves 
  or die a horrible death.”
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  5
  Q: What happens to us know?
  A: “You have come at a fortunate time. We are about 
  to choose a new queen. She will decide your fate. Please, 
  follow me.”
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19) but with no ranged weapon.
  ELECTION TIME
  ELECTION TIME
  Clothed or otherwise, the characters are led outside. 
  The village dominates a large jungle clearing and is sur-
  rounded by a stout palisade. Most of the buildings are 
  simple wooden affairs, though two are much larger. Cas-
  sandra says these are the queen’s house and the great 
  temple to Athena, their principal goddess.
  Gathered outside the temple are perhaps a hundred 
  attractive and scantily clad women. Appearances are 
  deceptive, for each is a hardened warrior, not a beauty 
  queen. Heroes with wayward eyes, or hands, are swiftly 
  rebuked for their insolence. Cassandra guides the party 
  to the front of the crowd.
  The temple doors swing open, and out steps a 
  dark-haired Amazon of outstanding beauty. She 
  raises her arms and addresses the throng. “In ac-
  cordance with our ancient laws, I, Athena, cham-
  pion of the late queen, state my claim to be your 
  next ruler. Do any oppose me?”
  If a female character doesn’t step up, someone stand-
  ing behind a female character (pick one at random if 
  you have more than one) shoves them forward into the 
  space between the crowd and the temple steps. Athena 
  has heard about the arrival of outsiders and senses a pos-
  sible threat. By having the character “nominate” herself, 
  she hopes to kill her in the arena.
  Athena’s look is one of disgust. “So, the outsider 
  thinks she has what it takes to rule? The laws are 
  clear, however. Any female may nominate herself 
  for queen, but when more than one steps forward, 
  ritual combat must ensue. Prepare the arena! 
  You,” she snarls at you, “must pick the slaves who 
  will accompany in the ﬁ ght.”
  Protestations of innocence and trying to backtrack on 
  the “nomination” do not go down well. Such an act is an 
  affront to the gods, and punishable by immediate death. 
  With a hundred armed Amazons ready for blood, hope-
  fully the characters do the wise thing and face their fate.
  Cassandra takes the party aside and explains the rules 
  while a hasty arena (four long ropes laid on the ground) 
  is prepared.
  “It is very simple,” she says. “You and your slaves 
  must face Athena and her slaves in a ﬁ ght. No 
  weapons are permitted, except your hands, feet, 
  knees, elbows, and so on. A slave who leaves the 
  boundary of the arena is forbidden from return-
  ing to the ﬁ ght. Unfortunately,” she grimaces, 
  “only one contender for the throne leaves alive.”
  A loud horn blast echoes through the village, indicat-
  ing everything is prepared. The only slaves the heroine 
  has to hand are, of course, her comrades. Athena, who 
  holds an important position, has picked a large number 
  of brutish thugs from her harem.
  Deal action cards and run the ﬁ ght!
  The arena covers an area 8” to a side. The party begins 
  adjacent to the southern edge, while the Amazon and her 
  thugs start adjacent to the opposite side. As a Wild card, 
  Athena gets two bennies. She won’t need them later in 
  the adventure, so the GM should ensure she uses them.
  Pushing someone from the arena ﬁ rst requires a 
  Fighting roll. Damage is based purely on Strength, and is 
  opposed by the target’s Strength. Success pushes the foe 
  back 1”, while a raise moves him back 2”. This special at-
  tack causes no actual damage. A character forced beyond 
  the boundary is forbidden from re-entering the arena on 
  pain of death. Heroes who try are attacked by the crowd 
  (who use weapons).
  The thugs make use of this maneuver whenever they 
  are adjacent to a hero near the edge of the arena. They 
  Gang Up where possible, and combine their Strength us-
  ing the rules for Cooperative rolls.
  Athena has no intention of playing fair. She wants the 
  throne and is willing to go to any lengths. Once half her 
  slaves are out of the ﬁ ght, or when she takes a single 
  wound, she signals to the crowd. 
  At the start of the next round, weapons are thrown 
  into the arena at the feet of the Amazon and her slaves. 
  Athena is armed with a battle axe (Str+d8), while the 
  slaves each receive a short sword or hand axe (Str+d6). 
  Whether or not they reach them before the characters can 
  all depends on the action cards. Picking up the weapon 
  is an action as normal, though Athena can use her Quick 
  Draw to offset this.
  Once Athena reaches Incapacitated, she slumps to her 
  knees (don’t roll on the Incapacitation Table). She looks 
  up at the female character and says, “Earn your throne. 
  Take my life!” Since this is a pulp game, it’s hoped the 
  hero refuses to deal a Finishing Move.
  Should the female hero reach Incapacitated ﬁ rst, Cas-
  NO FEMALES?
  NO FEMALES?
  Without any female characters, this part of the scene 
  (Election Time) unfolds slightly differently. Cassan-
  dra is prodded forward. By law, her stepping for-
  ward cannot be retracted, so she is forced to ﬁ ght. 
  Athena never liked the girl, so she has arranged for 
  one of her minions to push her forward, thus giving 
  her a chance to kill her in the ﬁ ght.
  Cassandra is low ranking and has no slaves of her 
  own. She picks the characters to aid her. By law, 
  they have two choices—become Cassandra’s slaves 
  or die a horrible death.”
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  6
  sandra shouts out an ancient law, which permits the loser 
  to survive if she swears fealty to the new queen. Athena 
  then offers the explorer a simple choice—total subservi-
  ence or death. The latter will result in a Finishing Move.
  In the event the ﬁ ght is lost, Athena becomes queen. 
  The characters still get to be heroic and aid in the defense 
  of the village in the next scene. However, rather than 
  Athena going to free the Aztecs, she charges the heroes 
  to complete the rescue, thus enabling the adventure to 
  continue almost as written.
   Athena: See page 18.
   Amazon Slaves (2 per hero): See page 19.
  VICTORY
  VICTORY
  Once the character is crowned queen, the party’s 
  gear is arrayed before her. The explorers’ weapons are 
  largely intact. Unless a character had a heavier weapon 
  as a Trademark Weapon, only pistols survived the trip to 
  the island. Worse still, half the ammunition they party 
  was carrying has been lost. Remember, bullets cannot be 
  replaced during this adventure.
  Any Weird Science gizmos are intact, though currently 
  out of Power Points (they recharge at the start of the next 
  scene as normal). If the characters didn’t retrieve their 
  gizmos at the end of the previous adventure, fate has 
  reunited the heroes with their devices.
  The crowd reacts angrily if any male is given an ob-
  vious weapon. Pacifying them requires either a Persua-
  sion roll at –2, or pulling rank (“I am queen, and I have 
  changed the law.”). The Amazons haven’t seen a ﬁ rearm, 
  so they don’t react if guns are handed out.
  Healers (Healing d8+2) tend the characters’ wounds 
  if the party is victorious, though each hero gets only a 
  single roll.
  SCENE 3: AZTEC RAIDERS
  SCENE 3: AZTEC RAIDERS
  The victory celebrations are cut short by the ar-
  rival of an Amazon warrior from outside the vil-
  lage. She falls half conscious at the queen’s feet, 
  her head bowed. Blood pours from a wound in 
  her left arm. “My queen,” she gasps, “the Chico-
  moztoci have attacked our ﬁ shing village! There 
  were too many for us. Please, you must send help! 
  They are taking captives to feed their vile gods’ 
  hunger!”
  Athena raises her arm and points in the direction 
  of the distant shore. She is about to speak, when 
  she suddenly pauses. Instead, she lowers her arm 
  and looks at the queen.
  The Amazons do not immediately rush off to help—
  they look to their new queen to give the order. Cassan-
  dra informs the characters the village is only a mile or so 
  away through the jungle. If they run, they should be able 
  to get there before the raiders depart.
  Although the ﬁ ght involves many dozens of com-
  batants, this scene focuses on the heroes and a small 
  number of Amazons pitted against a larger Chicomoztoc 
  force. If the queen is an NPC, reduce the combatants to 
  2 raiders per hero and no Amazons—the larger battle 
  was to help reinforce the notion that the hero really does 
  rule the roost.
  The characters have their ﬁ rearms and Weird Science 
  gizmos, and melee weapons can be taken (as an action) 
  from any defeated raiders.
  The jungle suddenly gives way to a short area 
  of grassland, a narrow strip of sand, and then 
  a massive expanse of water. Two large ships 
  are beached at the water’s edge. Burly men 
  wearing feathered headdresses and armed 
  with crude axes are hacking their way through 
  the village’s remaining defenders. Far out to 
  sea you can just make out four sails—it looks 
  like the raiders managed to take some prison-
  ers.
  After the run, have each hero make a Vigor roll. Those 
  who fail suffer a level of Fatigue until the beginning of 
  the next section (Athena’s Plot).
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” long and 16” deep. The north-
  ern edge of the map is shallow water for a further 4”. 
  Movement through this is treated as difﬁ cult ground. 
  Place four round huts at least 4” from any edge. Use 
  Large Burst Templates or objects of roughly similar size 
  to represent the structures.
  The characters and their allies begin on the southern 
  edge, while the raiders are dotted throughout the village 
  as the GM sees ﬁ t.
  Again, healers (Healing d8+2) are available after the 
  ﬁ ght.
   Chicomoztoc Raider (4 per hero): As Chicomoz-
  toc warrior (page 19), but with no blowguns or poison 
  darts.
   Amazon Warrior (2 per hero): See page 19.
  NO FEMALES - 1
  NO FEMALES - 1
  Cassandra refuses to hand her slaves any obvious 
  weapons, such as melee weapons, bows, throwing 
  knives, a slingshot, and so on, for slaves may never 
  be armed in Amazon society.
  She has no idea about guns or Weird Science gizmos, 
  though, so she asks her slaves what the devices are. 
  If they reply they are weapons, they are forbidden 
  from carrying them, at least for now. A plausible lie 
  sees them armed. Athena, if victorious, is none the 
  wiser, either, and asks the same question.
  Should Cassandra be defeated during the ﬁ ght, she 
  quotes the ancient law and swears featly. Athena 
  leads the attack on the ﬁ shing village, though the 
  heroes are still expected to come along and ﬁ ght 
  with their bare hands.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  6
  sandra shouts out an ancient law, which permits the loser 
  to survive if she swears fealty to the new queen. Athena 
  then offers the explorer a simple choice—total subservi-
  ence or death. The latter will result in a Finishing Move.
  In the event the ﬁ ght is lost, Athena becomes queen. 
  The characters still get to be heroic and aid in the defense 
  of the village in the next scene. However, rather than 
  Athena going to free the Aztecs, she charges the heroes 
  to complete the rescue, thus enabling the adventure to 
  continue almost as written.
   Athena: See page 18.
   Amazon Slaves (2 per hero): See page 19.
  VICTORY
  VICTORY
  Once the character is crowned queen, the party’s 
  gear is arrayed before her. The explorers’ weapons are 
  largely intact. Unless a character had a heavier weapon 
  as a Trademark Weapon, only pistols survived the trip to 
  the island. Worse still, half the ammunition they party 
  was carrying has been lost. Remember, bullets cannot be 
  replaced during this adventure.
  Any Weird Science gizmos are intact, though currently 
  out of Power Points (they recharge at the start of the next 
  scene as normal). If the characters didn’t retrieve their 
  gizmos at the end of the previous adventure, fate has 
  reunited the heroes with their devices.
  The crowd reacts angrily if any male is given an ob-
  vious weapon. Pacifying them requires either a Persua-
  sion roll at –2, or pulling rank (“I am queen, and I have 
  changed the law.”). The Amazons haven’t seen a ﬁ rearm, 
  so they don’t react if guns are handed out.
  Healers (Healing d8+2) tend the characters’ wounds 
  if the party is victorious, though each hero gets only a 
  single roll.
  SCENE 3: AZTEC RAIDERS
  SCENE 3: AZTEC RAIDERS
  The victory celebrations are cut short by the ar-
  rival of an Amazon warrior from outside the vil-
  lage. She falls half conscious at the queen’s feet, 
  her head bowed. Blood pours from a wound in 
  her left arm. “My queen,” she gasps, “the Chico-
  moztoci have attacked our ﬁ shing village! There 
  were too many for us. Please, you must send help! 
  They are taking captives to feed their vile gods’ 
  hunger!”
  Athena raises her arm and points in the direction 
  of the distant shore. She is about to speak, when 
  she suddenly pauses. Instead, she lowers her arm 
  and looks at the queen.
  The Amazons do not immediately rush off to help—
  they look to their new queen to give the order. Cassan-
  dra informs the characters the village is only a mile or so 
  away through the jungle. If they run, they should be able 
  to get there before the raiders depart.
  Although the ﬁ ght involves many dozens of com-
  batants, this scene focuses on the heroes and a small 
  number of Amazons pitted against a larger Chicomoztoc 
  force. If the queen is an NPC, reduce the combatants to 
  2 raiders per hero and no Amazons—the larger battle 
  was to help reinforce the notion that the hero really does 
  rule the roost.
  The characters have their ﬁ rearms and Weird Science 
  gizmos, and melee weapons can be taken (as an action) 
  from any defeated raiders.
  The jungle suddenly gives way to a short area 
  of grassland, a narrow strip of sand, and then 
  a massive expanse of water. Two large ships 
  are beached at the water’s edge. Burly men 
  wearing feathered headdresses and armed 
  with crude axes are hacking their way through 
  the village’s remaining defenders. Far out to 
  sea you can just make out four sails—it looks 
  like the raiders managed to take some prison-
  ers.
  After the run, have each hero make a Vigor roll. Those 
  who fail suffer a level of Fatigue until the beginning of 
  the next section (Athena’s Plot).
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” long and 16” deep. The north-
  ern edge of the map is shallow water for a further 4”. 
  Movement through this is treated as difﬁ cult ground. 
  Place four round huts at least 4” from any edge. Use 
  Large Burst Templates or objects of roughly similar size 
  to represent the structures.
  The characters and their allies begin on the southern 
  edge, while the raiders are dotted throughout the village 
  as the GM sees ﬁ t.
  Again, healers (Healing d8+2) are available after the 
  ﬁ ght.
   Chicomoztoc Raider (4 per hero): As Chicomoz-
  toc warrior (page 19), but with no blowguns or poison 
  darts.
   Amazon Warrior (2 per hero): See page 19.
  NO FEMALES - 1
  NO FEMALES - 1
  Cassandra refuses to hand her slaves any obvious 
  weapons, such as melee weapons, bows, throwing 
  knives, a slingshot, and so on, for slaves may never 
  be armed in Amazon society.
  She has no idea about guns or Weird Science gizmos, 
  though, so she asks her slaves what the devices are. 
  If they reply they are weapons, they are forbidden 
  from carrying them, at least for now. A plausible lie 
  sees them armed. Athena, if victorious, is none the 
  wiser, either, and asks the same question.
  Should Cassandra be defeated during the ﬁ ght, she 
  quotes the ancient law and swears featly. Athena 
  leads the attack on the ﬁ shing village, though the 
  heroes are still expected to come along and ﬁ ght 
  with their bare hands.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  7
  ATHENA’S PLOT
  ATHENA’S PLOT
  The characters may wish to set sail after the raiders. 
  Despite being queen, the heroine can’t get any to fol-
  low her into the large ships. The Amazons just tend to 
  their wounded and then return to the village. The ships 
  require a crew of 10, meaning the heroes alone cannot 
  sail them.
  Cassandra tells the characters the Chicomoztoci will 
  offer to ransom the captives back. Amazon law, laid down 
  centuries ago, forbids this, however. The Amazons also 
  lack the military might to challenge the Chicomoztoc 
  on their home territory. So the prisoners will end up as 
  sacriﬁ ces to the dark gods of the savage Chicomoztoci. 
  According to survivors, the raiders took 10 captives.
  On returning to the main village, the party is con-
  fronted by Athena, her bodyguard of Amazons, and a 
  wizened old woman, the high priestess.
  “New queen,” cackles the elderly priestess, “it 
  seems fate and the laws of our land have come 
  together. By the ancient wisdom of the gods, a 
  new queen must undertake a quest before she can 
  fully claim the title and enter her home as our 
  ruler. The gods have given me a vision regarding 
  the nature of your quest—you must travel to the 
  land of the Chicomoztoci and free the prisoners!”
  Athena’s smirk is all-too obvious. “Before that,” 
  Athena says with an evil grin, “you and your 
  slaves must face the Trial of Dedication. Succeed, 
  and the gods will bless your quest. Fail, and we 
  shall be seeking a new ruler before the sun sets.”
  Should any male explorers openly display captured 
  weapons, Athena demands the queen order them to dis-
  pose of them, quoting the law that forbids males to carry 
  weapons. Whether or not the queen acquiesces is up to 
  her (Cassandra does so if queen, though reluctantly).
  SCENE 4: TRIAL OF DEDICATION
  SCENE 4: TRIAL OF DEDICATION
  The trial takes place beneath the Temple of Athena. 
  As usual, the queen may nominate slaves to accompany 
  her. The slaves share the risks, but also the rewards. No 
  weapons are allowed during the challenge. Don’t worry 
  if the group has their ﬁ rearms, they are soon nulliﬁ ed for 
  this encounter.
  The elderly priestess leads you into the temple. At 
  the far end, ﬂ anked by a pair of burning braziers, 
  is a life-sized statue of Athena. The crone shufﬂ es 
  forward, and then drops to her knees. She digs 
  her claws into the wooden ﬂ oor, and lifts up a 
  trapdoor.
  The characters spot a ladder descending into a small 
  chamber. The priestess gestures for them to step forward 
  and descend the ladder. Once everyone is down, she 
  slams the door shut. From above, they can just make out 
  her words. “The door will only open again if you are 
  victorious!”
  The stone-lined chamber is large, maybe 20 yards 
  to a side, yet completely empty. There aren’t even 
  any engravings on the walls. Suddenly a bright 
  green light begins strobing. After just a few sec-
  onds it suddenly stops. Your arms and legs feel 
  extremely weak. Emerging from the walls are 
  ghostly ﬁ gures, dressed in strange costumes, 
  which appear to be a mix of Egyptian, Aztec, and 
  Babylonian attire.
  The green ray has weakened the characters, dropping 
  their Strength to d4. It also disables their ﬁ rearms and 
  any Weird Science gizmos.
  The name of the trial refers not to physical prowess, 
  but to mental strength. Instead of Strength, Spirit is used 
  for damage. But there is a catch—if the Spirit die comes 
  up a 1, regardless of Wild Die, the character’s Spirit die 
  drops one step, to a minimum of d4. Lost dice return as 
  soon as the test ends.
  Characters with Arcane Background (Psionics) ﬁ nd 
  their powers work perfectly well. The original chamber 
  was built by Atlantean survivors as a testing ground for 
  their psychic warriors and to build mental resolve. How 
  the Amazons found it and discovered its purpose is un-
  known, but it has served to judge their queens for many 
  generations.
  After the last specter is defeated, the trapdoor opens 
  by itself. No one rushes to greet the characters as they 
  emerge from the darkness, but the entire tribe, even 
  Athena, bows low and praises the new queen. Custom 
  dictates the details of the trial never be discussed—that 
  the queen emerged is proof enough that she is ﬁ t to 
  rule.
   Atlantean Specters (2 per hero): See page 19.
  REWARD
  REWARD
  Victorious heroes are indeed rewarded by Athena. 
  Give each player three colored gaming stones, poker 
  chips, or other marker—one red, one white, and one 
  blue.
  The white stone acts like a regular benny, except any 
  roll it is spent on has a +2 bonus (this includes Soak 
  NO FEMALES - 2
  NO FEMALES - 2
  This section (Athena’s Plot) does not occur if Cas-
  sandra is not queen and there are no female heroes. 
  Instead, Athena orders Cassandra and the heroes to 
  fetch back the prisoners. She believes it is a suicide 
  mission, thus ridding her of her enemies in a per-
  fectly legitimate manner.
  If Cassandra is queen, she is forced to undertake the 
  trial. She chooses the heroes to accompany her.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  7
  ATHENA’S PLOT
  ATHENA’S PLOT
  The characters may wish to set sail after the raiders. 
  Despite being queen, the heroine can’t get any to fol-
  low her into the large ships. The Amazons just tend to 
  their wounded and then return to the village. The ships 
  require a crew of 10, meaning the heroes alone cannot 
  sail them.
  Cassandra tells the characters the Chicomoztoci will 
  offer to ransom the captives back. Amazon law, laid down 
  centuries ago, forbids this, however. The Amazons also 
  lack the military might to challenge the Chicomoztoc 
  on their home territory. So the prisoners will end up as 
  sacriﬁ ces to the dark gods of the savage Chicomoztoci. 
  According to survivors, the raiders took 10 captives.
  On returning to the main village, the party is con-
  fronted by Athena, her bodyguard of Amazons, and a 
  wizened old woman, the high priestess.
  “New queen,” cackles the elderly priestess, “it 
  seems fate and the laws of our land have come 
  together. By the ancient wisdom of the gods, a 
  new queen must undertake a quest before she can 
  fully claim the title and enter her home as our 
  ruler. The gods have given me a vision regarding 
  the nature of your quest—you must travel to the 
  land of the Chicomoztoci and free the prisoners!”
  Athena’s smirk is all-too obvious. “Before that,” 
  Athena says with an evil grin, “you and your 
  slaves must face the Trial of Dedication. Succeed, 
  and the gods will bless your quest. Fail, and we 
  shall be seeking a new ruler before the sun sets.”
  Should any male explorers openly display captured 
  weapons, Athena demands the queen order them to dis-
  pose of them, quoting the law that forbids males to carry 
  weapons. Whether or not the queen acquiesces is up to 
  her (Cassandra does so if queen, though reluctantly).
  SCENE 4: TRIAL OF DEDICATION
  SCENE 4: TRIAL OF DEDICATION
  The trial takes place beneath the Temple of Athena. 
  As usual, the queen may nominate slaves to accompany 
  her. The slaves share the risks, but also the rewards. No 
  weapons are allowed during the challenge. Don’t worry 
  if the group has their ﬁ rearms, they are soon nulliﬁ ed for 
  this encounter.
  The elderly priestess leads you into the temple. At 
  the far end, ﬂ anked by a pair of burning braziers, 
  is a life-sized statue of Athena. The crone shufﬂ es 
  forward, and then drops to her knees. She digs 
  her claws into the wooden ﬂ oor, and lifts up a 
  trapdoor.
  The characters spot a ladder descending into a small 
  chamber. The priestess gestures for them to step forward 
  and descend the ladder. Once everyone is down, she 
  slams the door shut. From above, they can just make out 
  her words. “The door will only open again if you are 
  victorious!”
  The stone-lined chamber is large, maybe 20 yards 
  to a side, yet completely empty. There aren’t even 
  any engravings on the walls. Suddenly a bright 
  green light begins strobing. After just a few sec-
  onds it suddenly stops. Your arms and legs feel 
  extremely weak. Emerging from the walls are 
  ghostly ﬁ gures, dressed in strange costumes, 
  which appear to be a mix of Egyptian, Aztec, and 
  Babylonian attire.
  The green ray has weakened the characters, dropping 
  their Strength to d4. It also disables their ﬁ rearms and 
  any Weird Science gizmos.
  The name of the trial refers not to physical prowess, 
  but to mental strength. Instead of Strength, Spirit is used 
  for damage. But there is a catch—if the Spirit die comes 
  up a 1, regardless of Wild Die, the character’s Spirit die 
  drops one step, to a minimum of d4. Lost dice return as 
  soon as the test ends.
  Characters with Arcane Background (Psionics) ﬁ nd 
  their powers work perfectly well. The original chamber 
  was built by Atlantean survivors as a testing ground for 
  their psychic warriors and to build mental resolve. How 
  the Amazons found it and discovered its purpose is un-
  known, but it has served to judge their queens for many 
  generations.
  After the last specter is defeated, the trapdoor opens 
  by itself. No one rushes to greet the characters as they 
  emerge from the darkness, but the entire tribe, even 
  Athena, bows low and praises the new queen. Custom 
  dictates the details of the trial never be discussed—that 
  the queen emerged is proof enough that she is ﬁ t to 
  rule.
   Atlantean Specters (2 per hero): See page 19.
  REWARD
  REWARD
  Victorious heroes are indeed rewarded by Athena. 
  Give each player three colored gaming stones, poker 
  chips, or other marker—one red, one white, and one 
  blue.
  The white stone acts like a regular benny, except any 
  roll it is spent on has a +2 bonus (this includes Soak 
  NO FEMALES - 2
  NO FEMALES - 2
  This section (Athena’s Plot) does not occur if Cas-
  sandra is not queen and there are no female heroes. 
  Instead, Athena orders Cassandra and the heroes to 
  fetch back the prisoners. She believes it is a suicide 
  mission, thus ridding her of her enemies in a per-
  fectly legitimate manner.
  If Cassandra is queen, she is forced to undertake the 
  trial. She chooses the heroes to accompany her.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  8
  rolls). Cashing in the red marker allows a hero to roll 
  two Trait dice and one Wild Die and pick the best for a 
  single die roll. The blue stone allows a character to roll 
  as extra d6 and add it to any Trait roll. This can be spent 
  after the initial roll is made. These beneﬁ ts are good only 
  until the end of Act 2, however.
  ACT 2: REALM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  ACT 2: REALM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  No feast is held to honor the new queen. Instead, the 
  queen is outﬁ tted with a leather breastplate, greaves, 
  and bracers (+1 Armor) and given a bronze long sword 
  (Str+d8). The slaves are not armed, nor do they accept 
  weapons if offered. The party is then escorted down to 
  the ﬁ shing village, where a number of slaves wait in one 
  of the captured Chicomoztoc ships.
  The heroes are given a crude map, which details the 
  crossing in terms of landmarks and wind directions, 
  rather than miles, and provisions for two weeks.
  SCENE 1: PIRATES ON THE PORT BEAM
  SCENE 1: PIRATES ON THE PORT BEAM
  For ﬁ ve days you have made good speed across 
  the sea. Now a fog has risen, mufﬂ ing sounds and 
  making the lookout’s job tricky. According to your 
  map, you should be a day or so from your desti-
  nation. It also indicates you’re entering an area 
  of reefs and sandbars.
  Two distant explosions are clearly heard through 
  the mist. Seconds later, twin plumes of water, one 
  on each side of your craft, erupt into the air, cov-
  ering you in spray. Looking behind, you can just 
  make out the masts of a sailing ship!
  A voice, distant and faint, calls out in Spanish. 
  “Strike yer colors and prepare to be boarded!”
  The characters have two real choices—they can try to 
  board the pirate ship (either openly or by pretending to 
  surrender) or they can try to outrun her. Both situations 
  are covered below. In either case, if the characters are 
  captured, they are disarmed, manacled, and sold to the 
  Chicomoztoci. Unless the characters devise an escape 
  plan, proceed straight to Scene 3.
  The scene takes place in fog, and the lighting is Dim 
  (–1).
  FIGHT
  FIGHT
  Boarding the pirate vessel is quite easy—the charac-
  ters can row against the wind, and the seadogs aren’t 
  expecting a small ship to pull alongside and instigate a 
  boarding action. However, the characters do not gain 
  any surprise. Climbing the side rigging takes an action.
  Should the characters surrender, the wily pirate 
  captain orders them to drop their weapons into the sea 
  before they approach too close. He knows enough about 
  ﬁ rearms to recognize a modern gun for what it is, so they 
  must be dumped as well. Of course, the characters can 
  hide pistols and small melee weapons on their person, 
  but unless they board and immediately begin ﬁ ghting, 
  they are quickly searched.
  The male slaves only provide assistance if a female 
  hero makes a successful Intimidation roll as an action. 
  Even then, they are reluctant to engage armed foes. They 
  count as Unarmed Defenders, will not pick up dropped 
  weapons, and immediately surrender if Shaken.
  The deck is 20” long and 8” wide. The small craft has 
  no raised rear deck, and only a cargo hold beneath (the 
  crew sleep on deck).
  If the captain is slain, the remaining pirates immedi-
  ately surrender. The ﬁ rst mate approaches the heroes 
  and tells them their code demands whoever slays the 
  captain take his place. Whether they trust the pirates or 
  not, the group now has an armed ship at its disposal.
  Fortunately, the pirates have dealt with the Chico-
  moztoci many times, and know the location of their city. 
  However, their code doesn’t require them to follow their 
  captain on shore (the adventure is also about the heroes’ 
  brave deeds, not their hired helpers). If the characters 
  take control of the vessel, the pirates drop them off at a 
  secluded cove an hour’s walk from the Chicomoztoc city 
  and then retreat to a safe distance and drop anchor.
  CHASE
  CHASE
  The pirates begin 3 Range Increments behind the 
  heroes’ ship. Each Range Increment equates to 50”. 
  GMs will note the characters are faster, so they get +1 
  to Boating rolls. However, their ship has a short Range 
  Increment, meaning there is a –1 penalty. The modiﬁ ers 
  thus cancel out.
  The chase takes place in and around a reef. As well as 
  rocks on which to run aground, there are strong currents 
  and sandbars. These are treated as Sparse Obstacles. In-
  stead of an automatic collision on a failed roll, consult 
  the table below for what occurs.
  Card 
  Result
  2–10 
  Rock (use the regular Obstacles rules).
  Jack–Queen Strong current. Failure gives –2 to next 
  Boating roll.
  King–Ace 
  Sandbar. Failure causes the ship to lose 
  one Range Increment, representing the 
  time it takes to free the ship.
  Eager for treasure and slaves, the pirates prefer to 
  close the distance and board, rather than blast their prey 
  out of the water. A successful Parallel stunt brings the 
  pirate ship to come alongside, allowing boarders to drop 
  down into the character’s craft. Until then, the pirates 
  ﬁ re their cannons, hoping that a single hit will encourage 
  their victims to strike their colors.
  With no weapons capable of damaging the pirate 
  ship, the only ways for the characters to end the chase 
  are to move more than 10 Range Increments from the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  8
  rolls). Cashing in the red marker allows a hero to roll 
  two Trait dice and one Wild Die and pick the best for a 
  single die roll. The blue stone allows a character to roll 
  as extra d6 and add it to any Trait roll. This can be spent 
  after the initial roll is made. These beneﬁ ts are good only 
  until the end of Act 2, however.
  ACT 2: REALM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  ACT 2: REALM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  No feast is held to honor the new queen. Instead, the 
  queen is outﬁ tted with a leather breastplate, greaves, 
  and bracers (+1 Armor) and given a bronze long sword 
  (Str+d8). The slaves are not armed, nor do they accept 
  weapons if offered. The party is then escorted down to 
  the ﬁ shing village, where a number of slaves wait in one 
  of the captured Chicomoztoc ships.
  The heroes are given a crude map, which details the 
  crossing in terms of landmarks and wind directions, 
  rather than miles, and provisions for two weeks.
  SCENE 1: PIRATES ON THE PORT BEAM
  SCENE 1: PIRATES ON THE PORT BEAM
  For ﬁ ve days you have made good speed across 
  the sea. Now a fog has risen, mufﬂ ing sounds and 
  making the lookout’s job tricky. According to your 
  map, you should be a day or so from your desti-
  nation. It also indicates you’re entering an area 
  of reefs and sandbars.
  Two distant explosions are clearly heard through 
  the mist. Seconds later, twin plumes of water, one 
  on each side of your craft, erupt into the air, cov-
  ering you in spray. Looking behind, you can just 
  make out the masts of a sailing ship!
  A voice, distant and faint, calls out in Spanish. 
  “Strike yer colors and prepare to be boarded!”
  The characters have two real choices—they can try to 
  board the pirate ship (either openly or by pretending to 
  surrender) or they can try to outrun her. Both situations 
  are covered below. In either case, if the characters are 
  captured, they are disarmed, manacled, and sold to the 
  Chicomoztoci. Unless the characters devise an escape 
  plan, proceed straight to Scene 3.
  The scene takes place in fog, and the lighting is Dim 
  (–1).
  FIGHT
  FIGHT
  Boarding the pirate vessel is quite easy—the charac-
  ters can row against the wind, and the seadogs aren’t 
  expecting a small ship to pull alongside and instigate a 
  boarding action. However, the characters do not gain 
  any surprise. Climbing the side rigging takes an action.
  Should the characters surrender, the wily pirate 
  captain orders them to drop their weapons into the sea 
  before they approach too close. He knows enough about 
  ﬁ rearms to recognize a modern gun for what it is, so they 
  must be dumped as well. Of course, the characters can 
  hide pistols and small melee weapons on their person, 
  but unless they board and immediately begin ﬁ ghting, 
  they are quickly searched.
  The male slaves only provide assistance if a female 
  hero makes a successful Intimidation roll as an action. 
  Even then, they are reluctant to engage armed foes. They 
  count as Unarmed Defenders, will not pick up dropped 
  weapons, and immediately surrender if Shaken.
  The deck is 20” long and 8” wide. The small craft has 
  no raised rear deck, and only a cargo hold beneath (the 
  crew sleep on deck).
  If the captain is slain, the remaining pirates immedi-
  ately surrender. The ﬁ rst mate approaches the heroes 
  and tells them their code demands whoever slays the 
  captain take his place. Whether they trust the pirates or 
  not, the group now has an armed ship at its disposal.
  Fortunately, the pirates have dealt with the Chico-
  moztoci many times, and know the location of their city. 
  However, their code doesn’t require them to follow their 
  captain on shore (the adventure is also about the heroes’ 
  brave deeds, not their hired helpers). If the characters 
  take control of the vessel, the pirates drop them off at a 
  secluded cove an hour’s walk from the Chicomoztoc city 
  and then retreat to a safe distance and drop anchor.
  CHASE
  CHASE
  The pirates begin 3 Range Increments behind the 
  heroes’ ship. Each Range Increment equates to 50”. 
  GMs will note the characters are faster, so they get +1 
  to Boating rolls. However, their ship has a short Range 
  Increment, meaning there is a –1 penalty. The modiﬁ ers 
  thus cancel out.
  The chase takes place in and around a reef. As well as 
  rocks on which to run aground, there are strong currents 
  and sandbars. These are treated as Sparse Obstacles. In-
  stead of an automatic collision on a failed roll, consult 
  the table below for what occurs.
  Card 
  Result
  2–10 
  Rock (use the regular Obstacles rules).
  Jack–Queen Strong current. Failure gives –2 to next 
  Boating roll.
  King–Ace 
  Sandbar. Failure causes the ship to lose 
  one Range Increment, representing the 
  time it takes to free the ship.
  Eager for treasure and slaves, the pirates prefer to 
  close the distance and board, rather than blast their prey 
  out of the water. A successful Parallel stunt brings the 
  pirate ship to come alongside, allowing boarders to drop 
  down into the character’s craft. Until then, the pirates 
  ﬁ re their cannons, hoping that a single hit will encourage 
  their victims to strike their colors.
  With no weapons capable of damaging the pirate 
  ship, the only ways for the characters to end the chase 
  are to move more than 10 Range Increments from the 
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  9
  pirates, turn around and board their ship, surrender, or 
  have their ship sunk.
   Pirate Captain: See page 20.
   Pirates (4 per hero): See page 20.
  PIRATE SHIP
  PIRATE SHIP
  Due to the vagaries of positioning a ship to ﬁ re can-
  non, the pirate vessel can only ﬁ re one-quarter of its gun 
  in any combat round. If the captain succeeds at a Force 
  maneuver at –2, he can present a broadside, allowing 
  her to ﬁ re four guns in the same round. However, using 
  this maneuver gives a –2 penalty to Boating rolls on the 
  next round.
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6; Toughness: 16 (2); Crew: 16+40
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  8 cannon (Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d6+1, AP 4, 
  HW)
  RAIDER SHIP
  RAIDER SHIP
  Acc/Top Speed: 3/9; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 10+20
  Notes: —
  SCENE 2: NETS AND NOOSES
  SCENE 2: NETS AND NOOSES
  Whether they arrive on the Chicomoztoc vessel or the 
  pirate ship, the only easy anchorage is a small, secluded 
  cove. The male slaves are too fearful of the Chicomoztoci 
  to venture onto land. Instead, they wait just offshore in 
  the ship for the characters’ return.
  The jungle is quiet, although there are signs of animals 
  and birds. After some 20 minutes of walking, the party 
  enters an area patrolled by Chicomoztoci warriors.
  The hero leading the party triggers a concealed 
  noose trap (see below). If the group doesn’t have a 
  “marching order,” deal each character a card. Whoever 
  draws the lowest card is caught. He must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 to avoid being snared and strung up by 
  one leg.
  As soon as the trap is sprung, whether it catches 
  someone or not, a band of Chicomoztoci warriors burst 
  from the undergrowth and attack. Check for Surprise as 
  normal. The warriors begin 1” into the undergrwoth (see 
  below).
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” square. A 3” wide strip running 
  through the center indicates a cleared trail. On either 
  side is light jungle. Movement through this is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground and attacks at targets more than 1” away 
  while in the bush are made at –1.
  Any character dealt a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card 
  in a round has stumbled into a carefully concealed 
  trap. He must make an immediate Agility roll at –2 to 
  avoid being caught in the trap. A red deuce indicates 
  he has been caught in a net. The net ﬁ lls a Medium 
  Burst Template centered on the unfortunate victim. 
  He and any other characters under the template are 
  affected by the trap. A black card means his foot has 
  been snared in a noose. In both cases, he is hauled 20 
  feet into the air.
  The Chicomoztoci know the location of the traps 
  and how to avoid activating them, so deuces do not af-
  fect them (although they can accidentally be caught in 
  nets). The warriors use their blowgun against characters 
  caught in the traps (Medium Range). Heroes in traps do 
  not beneﬁ t from the Dodge or Improved Dodge Edges.
  The nets and nooses have Toughness 7, but can only 
  be damaged by slashing weapons. Fighting roll are made 
  at –4 due to the difﬁ culty of movement or reaching the 
  rope. Acrobatic heroes suffer only a –2 penalty. Heroes 
  who free themselves drop 20 feet to the earth below, tak-
  ing 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  The aim of this scene is to have the heroes captured. 
  The Chicomoztoci have the advantage in numbers and 
  can weaken heroes with poison darts, so it shouldn’t be 
  too hard. If necessary, bring in reinforcements to ensure 
  captivity awaits the explorers.
  Heroes who surrender are pelted with enough darts 
  to ensure their Traits drop to a d4. They are then dis-
  armed, bound with hemp rope, and lead back to the 
  Chicomoztoc city.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
  SCENE 3: GLADIATORS
  SCENE 3: GLADIATORS
  Regardless of whether the explorers were captured 
  by the Chicomoztoci or brought here as prisoners of the 
  pirates, the adventurers are dragged through the city and 
  into an arena. A large crowd of Chicomoztoci are seated 
  on raised terraces, baying for blood. A tall ﬁ gure weaing 
  a feathered cloak and elaborate headdress sits in what 
  they assume is a royal box.
  The feathered ﬁ gure rises to his feet and the crowd 
  falls silent. A gate in one of the arena walls slides 
  open. Another person is roughly bundled in the 
  arena by armed guards, who quickly retreat back 
  behind the gate. It’s Colonel Stampfer!
  The Nazi quickly hurries over to your side. “We 
  meet again, Amerikaners,” he says, snapping his 
  heels together and bowing his head.
  The robed ﬁ gure begins to speak in an unknown 
  tongue, at least one unknown to you. Stampfer, 
  it seems, speaks the local language! “A dialect of 
  Nahuatl,” the Nazi says quietly, the language of 
  the Incas. “It appears we are not worthy of being 
  sacriﬁ ced to the gods. Instead, we are to provide 
  entertainment for the natives. Ignorant savages,” 
  he murmurs. “And to think, I thought they would 
  be a race of enlightened beings possessed of fan-
  tastic technology.
  “Despite my having tried to kill you,” Stampfer 
  says, “I think it is in our best interests to work 
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  9
  pirates, turn around and board their ship, surrender, or 
  have their ship sunk.
   Pirate Captain: See page 20.
   Pirates (4 per hero): See page 20.
  PIRATE SHIP
  PIRATE SHIP
  Due to the vagaries of positioning a ship to ﬁ re can-
  non, the pirate vessel can only ﬁ re one-quarter of its gun 
  in any combat round. If the captain succeeds at a Force 
  maneuver at –2, he can present a broadside, allowing 
  her to ﬁ re four guns in the same round. However, using 
  this maneuver gives a –2 penalty to Boating rolls on the 
  next round.
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6; Toughness: 16 (2); Crew: 16+40
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  8 cannon (Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d6+1, AP 4, 
  HW)
  RAIDER SHIP
  RAIDER SHIP
  Acc/Top Speed: 3/9; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 10+20
  Notes: —
  SCENE 2: NETS AND NOOSES
  SCENE 2: NETS AND NOOSES
  Whether they arrive on the Chicomoztoc vessel or the 
  pirate ship, the only easy anchorage is a small, secluded 
  cove. The male slaves are too fearful of the Chicomoztoci 
  to venture onto land. Instead, they wait just offshore in 
  the ship for the characters’ return.
  The jungle is quiet, although there are signs of animals 
  and birds. After some 20 minutes of walking, the party 
  enters an area patrolled by Chicomoztoci warriors.
  The hero leading the party triggers a concealed 
  noose trap (see below). If the group doesn’t have a 
  “marching order,” deal each character a card. Whoever 
  draws the lowest card is caught. He must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 to avoid being snared and strung up by 
  one leg.
  As soon as the trap is sprung, whether it catches 
  someone or not, a band of Chicomoztoci warriors burst 
  from the undergrowth and attack. Check for Surprise as 
  normal. The warriors begin 1” into the undergrwoth (see 
  below).
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” square. A 3” wide strip running 
  through the center indicates a cleared trail. On either 
  side is light jungle. Movement through this is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground and attacks at targets more than 1” away 
  while in the bush are made at –1.
  Any character dealt a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card 
  in a round has stumbled into a carefully concealed 
  trap. He must make an immediate Agility roll at –2 to 
  avoid being caught in the trap. A red deuce indicates 
  he has been caught in a net. The net ﬁ lls a Medium 
  Burst Template centered on the unfortunate victim. 
  He and any other characters under the template are 
  affected by the trap. A black card means his foot has 
  been snared in a noose. In both cases, he is hauled 20 
  feet into the air.
  The Chicomoztoci know the location of the traps 
  and how to avoid activating them, so deuces do not af-
  fect them (although they can accidentally be caught in 
  nets). The warriors use their blowgun against characters 
  caught in the traps (Medium Range). Heroes in traps do 
  not beneﬁ t from the Dodge or Improved Dodge Edges.
  The nets and nooses have Toughness 7, but can only 
  be damaged by slashing weapons. Fighting roll are made 
  at –4 due to the difﬁ culty of movement or reaching the 
  rope. Acrobatic heroes suffer only a –2 penalty. Heroes 
  who free themselves drop 20 feet to the earth below, tak-
  ing 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  The aim of this scene is to have the heroes captured. 
  The Chicomoztoci have the advantage in numbers and 
  can weaken heroes with poison darts, so it shouldn’t be 
  too hard. If necessary, bring in reinforcements to ensure 
  captivity awaits the explorers.
  Heroes who surrender are pelted with enough darts 
  to ensure their Traits drop to a d4. They are then dis-
  armed, bound with hemp rope, and lead back to the 
  Chicomoztoc city.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
  SCENE 3: GLADIATORS
  SCENE 3: GLADIATORS
  Regardless of whether the explorers were captured 
  by the Chicomoztoci or brought here as prisoners of the 
  pirates, the adventurers are dragged through the city and 
  into an arena. A large crowd of Chicomoztoci are seated 
  on raised terraces, baying for blood. A tall ﬁ gure weaing 
  a feathered cloak and elaborate headdress sits in what 
  they assume is a royal box.
  The feathered ﬁ gure rises to his feet and the crowd 
  falls silent. A gate in one of the arena walls slides 
  open. Another person is roughly bundled in the 
  arena by armed guards, who quickly retreat back 
  behind the gate. It’s Colonel Stampfer!
  The Nazi quickly hurries over to your side. “We 
  meet again, Amerikaners,” he says, snapping his 
  heels together and bowing his head.
  The robed ﬁ gure begins to speak in an unknown 
  tongue, at least one unknown to you. Stampfer, 
  it seems, speaks the local language! “A dialect of 
  Nahuatl,” the Nazi says quietly, the language of 
  the Incas. “It appears we are not worthy of being 
  sacriﬁ ced to the gods. Instead, we are to provide 
  entertainment for the natives. Ignorant savages,” 
  he murmurs. “And to think, I thought they would 
  be a race of enlightened beings possessed of fan-
  tastic technology.
  “Despite my having tried to kill you,” Stampfer 
  says, “I think it is in our best interests to work 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1010
  together to escape our current predicament. Shall 
  we call a truce to any hostility?”
  Stampfer may be a dastardly Nazi, but he is an honor-
  able man. He also has a good point—there is safety in 
  numbers.
  A number of gates slide open, releasing your op-
  ponents. No men stand before you. Oh no, the Chi-
  comoztoci have delivered a far more dangerous 
  foe—large velociraptors!
  The arena is square, and measures 20” to a side. The 
  walls are 3” high and covered in downward pointing 
  spikes to prevent escapes. The ﬂ oor is a mixture of sand 
  and gravel.
  The number of velociraptors includes one for Stamp-
  fer as well. Without any weapons, this is going to be a 
  tough ﬁ ght for the party. Clever tactics (Tricks and Gang-
  ing Up) and wise use of bennies (saving them for Soak 
  rolls rather than wasting them on failed attacks) should 
  see them through.
  Don’t spend any bennies for Stampfer during the 
  ﬁ ght—he needs them later. His survival is virtually guar-
  anteed, though, as the dinosaurs concentrate more on 
  the heroes.
  At some point during the ﬁ ght, however, Stampfer 
  should require saving. Perhaps he loses his footing and 
  falls, a velociraptor towering above him and about to go 
  in for the kill with its curved toe claw. Rescuing a villain 
  from certain death is a pulp staple, and shows that the 
  heroes really are the good guys. That and the Heroic 
  Hindrance doesn’t differentiate between helping inno-
  cents in danger and unarmed bad guys who are at least 
  trying to make amends.
  There are only two ways out of this ﬁ ght—victory for 
  the characters or a bloody end, as the ‘raptors tear them 
  limb from limb and devour their ﬂ esh.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Raptors (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
  SCENE 4: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
  The crowd, which was wildly cheering during the 
  ﬁ ght, falls silent as the last velociraptor drops. 
  Within seconds they are howling and screaming, 
  apparently angry they did not see your blood and 
  guts spread over the arena.
  The cloaked ﬁ gure rises again, but this time the 
  crowd does not cease their rowdy behavior. He 
  shouts above the din, his words translated by 
  Stampfer. “The gods have given us a sign! Such 
  brave souls have been declared prime sacriﬁ ces 
  and will appease the gods for many moons! Pre-
  pare the temple! Prepare the Amazon sacriﬁ ces.”
  The Nazi gives a broad grin. “You must admit, 
  Amerikaners, he knows how to please his peo-
  ple.”
  With that, a large number of warriors enter the arena 
  and surround the characters while porters drag away the 
  battered velociraptors. The adventurers are again bound 
  with hemp rope, as is Stampfer.
  After being hauled through town, the heroes are 
  roughly shoved up a ﬂ ight of steps, which front an enor-
  mous pyramid. Standing on the blood soaked platform 
  at the very top is the priest they saw in the arena and a 
  handful of guards. Far below, and perhaps a 100 yards 
  away (beyond the temple boundary), a large crowd of 
  citizens has gathered to watch the bloody spectacle 
  about to unfold.
  Lying in a heap on top of the pyramid is the characters’ 
  gear and Stampfer’s sword. Unsure as to what many of 
  the artifacts are, the priest intends to have them melted 
  down and mixed with the sacriﬁ ces’ blood as offerings 
  to the goods.
  The priest begins chanting. Stampfer quietly whispers 
  that if the heroes have a plan to escape, they should think 
  about implementing it very soon.
  Arrogant in the extreme, and with the characters in 
  the center of their city, the Chicomoztoci do not antici-
  pate an attempted escape. As such, any bid for freedom 
  means the guards are caught be Surprise, giving the 
  characters one complete round of actions before their 
  captors can respond. As soon as a hero makes a break for 
  freedom, the Amazons join in.
  Escaping the bonds requires either an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –1 as an action. Alternately, a comrade 
  can slice through them with a blade as an action. Bound 
  characters can still perform Tricks and Tests of Will, and 
  they can use the rules for pushing on page 5 to knock 
  foes back.
  The top platform of the temple is 6” to a side. The 
  next tier down is 8” to a side, and so on down to the 
  base, which is 40” wide. Each tier is 1” higher than the 
  one below. Climbing to a new level requires an action 
  unless the characters use the steps, which run down the 
  eastern face. The steps are 2” wide.
  The characters and Stampfer are on the top platform, 
  along with the priest and six guards. Standing in two 
  columns on the steps are the Amazons. The remaining 
  warriors stand on the next three lower tiers, on either 
  side of the steps.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Chicomoztoc Blood Priest: See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
   Amazons (10): See page 19.
  SCENE 5: JUNGLE CHASE
  SCENE 5: JUNGLE CHASE
  Shocked at the bloodshed atop the pyramid, and 
  rattled by any gunﬁ re, the citizens take a long pause 
  before they respond to the heroes’ escape. If they’re 
  quick to act, the characters can reach the bottom of the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1010
  together to escape our current predicament. Shall 
  we call a truce to any hostility?”
  Stampfer may be a dastardly Nazi, but he is an honor-
  able man. He also has a good point—there is safety in 
  numbers.
  A number of gates slide open, releasing your op-
  ponents. No men stand before you. Oh no, the Chi-
  comoztoci have delivered a far more dangerous 
  foe—large velociraptors!
  The arena is square, and measures 20” to a side. The 
  walls are 3” high and covered in downward pointing 
  spikes to prevent escapes. The ﬂ oor is a mixture of sand 
  and gravel.
  The number of velociraptors includes one for Stamp-
  fer as well. Without any weapons, this is going to be a 
  tough ﬁ ght for the party. Clever tactics (Tricks and Gang-
  ing Up) and wise use of bennies (saving them for Soak 
  rolls rather than wasting them on failed attacks) should 
  see them through.
  Don’t spend any bennies for Stampfer during the 
  ﬁ ght—he needs them later. His survival is virtually guar-
  anteed, though, as the dinosaurs concentrate more on 
  the heroes.
  At some point during the ﬁ ght, however, Stampfer 
  should require saving. Perhaps he loses his footing and 
  falls, a velociraptor towering above him and about to go 
  in for the kill with its curved toe claw. Rescuing a villain 
  from certain death is a pulp staple, and shows that the 
  heroes really are the good guys. That and the Heroic 
  Hindrance doesn’t differentiate between helping inno-
  cents in danger and unarmed bad guys who are at least 
  trying to make amends.
  There are only two ways out of this ﬁ ght—victory for 
  the characters or a bloody end, as the ‘raptors tear them 
  limb from limb and devour their ﬂ esh.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Raptors (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
  SCENE 4: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
  The crowd, which was wildly cheering during the 
  ﬁ ght, falls silent as the last velociraptor drops. 
  Within seconds they are howling and screaming, 
  apparently angry they did not see your blood and 
  guts spread over the arena.
  The cloaked ﬁ gure rises again, but this time the 
  crowd does not cease their rowdy behavior. He 
  shouts above the din, his words translated by 
  Stampfer. “The gods have given us a sign! Such 
  brave souls have been declared prime sacriﬁ ces 
  and will appease the gods for many moons! Pre-
  pare the temple! Prepare the Amazon sacriﬁ ces.”
  The Nazi gives a broad grin. “You must admit, 
  Amerikaners, he knows how to please his peo-
  ple.”
  With that, a large number of warriors enter the arena 
  and surround the characters while porters drag away the 
  battered velociraptors. The adventurers are again bound 
  with hemp rope, as is Stampfer.
  After being hauled through town, the heroes are 
  roughly shoved up a ﬂ ight of steps, which front an enor-
  mous pyramid. Standing on the blood soaked platform 
  at the very top is the priest they saw in the arena and a 
  handful of guards. Far below, and perhaps a 100 yards 
  away (beyond the temple boundary), a large crowd of 
  citizens has gathered to watch the bloody spectacle 
  about to unfold.
  Lying in a heap on top of the pyramid is the characters’ 
  gear and Stampfer’s sword. Unsure as to what many of 
  the artifacts are, the priest intends to have them melted 
  down and mixed with the sacriﬁ ces’ blood as offerings 
  to the goods.
  The priest begins chanting. Stampfer quietly whispers 
  that if the heroes have a plan to escape, they should think 
  about implementing it very soon.
  Arrogant in the extreme, and with the characters in 
  the center of their city, the Chicomoztoci do not antici-
  pate an attempted escape. As such, any bid for freedom 
  means the guards are caught be Surprise, giving the 
  characters one complete round of actions before their 
  captors can respond. As soon as a hero makes a break for 
  freedom, the Amazons join in.
  Escaping the bonds requires either an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –1 as an action. Alternately, a comrade 
  can slice through them with a blade as an action. Bound 
  characters can still perform Tricks and Tests of Will, and 
  they can use the rules for pushing on page 5 to knock 
  foes back.
  The top platform of the temple is 6” to a side. The 
  next tier down is 8” to a side, and so on down to the 
  base, which is 40” wide. Each tier is 1” higher than the 
  one below. Climbing to a new level requires an action 
  unless the characters use the steps, which run down the 
  eastern face. The steps are 2” wide.
  The characters and Stampfer are on the top platform, 
  along with the priest and six guards. Standing in two 
  columns on the steps are the Amazons. The remaining 
  warriors stand on the next three lower tiers, on either 
  side of the steps.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Chicomoztoc Blood Priest: See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
   Amazons (10): See page 19.
  SCENE 5: JUNGLE CHASE
  SCENE 5: JUNGLE CHASE
  Shocked at the bloodshed atop the pyramid, and 
  rattled by any gunﬁ re, the citizens take a long pause 
  before they respond to the heroes’ escape. If they’re 
  quick to act, the characters can reach the bottom of the 
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1111
  pyramid and be halfway out of town before the Chico-
  moztoci react. Should they elect to hang around, the 
  party will face over 100 warriors, not to mention the 
  baying mob.
  The mob begins three Range Increments behind the 
  characters. Each Range Increment in this scene repre-
  sents 5”. The mob, which is very large, covers ﬁ ve adjoin-
  ing Range Increments and moves as one. Since the mob 
  comprises hundreds of individuals, all rolls are made as 
  Group rolls.
  The mob does not use any stunts, but it does use the 
  Push maneuver if the heroes get too far ahead. If the 
  mob ends up on the same marker as a hero, or moves 
  ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d8 damage (from an 
  Extra) at the end of the current round. This rule exists 
  to make the action cinematic—not reduce the heroes to 
  a bloody pulp.
  Example: Brent moves on the ﬁ fth marker, and the 
  mob moves to the fourth position after scoring two 
  raises in the previous round. Next round, Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. 
  The mob rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing it 
  level with Brent. He suffers 2d8 damage when the round 
  ends.
  Next round, the mob draws a higher action card and 
  gets a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead of 
  the screaming savages, emerging from a ﬂ urry of raised 
  ﬁ sts. Since he’s ahead of the mob at the end of the round, 
  he takes no damage.
  Attacking the mob has absolutely no effect. Shots or 
  blows may take out individuals, but their place is in-
  stantly ﬁ lled by another citizen. Likewise, Distract and 
  Force maneuvers do nothing to halt their progress. This 
  is basically a drag race.
  Ideally, Stampfer should survive. However, if he is 
  caught by the mob and Incapacitated, the last the heroes 
  see of him is the Nazi being dragged to the ground and 
  pummeled. As written, the adventure assumes he makes 
  it safely to the ship. See the sidebar, Stampfer Falls, for 
  guidelines on how to change the adventure.
  In order to escape, the heroes must move a total of 
  10 Range Increments. The ﬁ rst nine of these are on land, 
  and so use Agility as normal. The ﬁ nal one, however, 
  requires them to swim out to their ship (the slaves won’t 
  come closer and the pirates can’t). Swimming rolls are 
  required to move the last marker. Fortunately, the mob 
  can’t swim very well (roll unskilled).
  Should the characters have secured the pirate 
  ship, the crew spots the heroes and their pursuers ap-
  proaching. They load grapeshot into the cannons and 
  let loose a broadside when the character reach the 9th 
  Range Increment. The blast shreds the front rank of 
  the mob, effectively moving the horde back one Range 
  Increment.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Amazons (survivors from last scene): See page 
  19.
   Mob: Use stats for a Chicomoztoci warrior when 
  required (page 19).
  ACT 3: THE WILD EARTH
  ACT 3: THE WILD EARTH
  Once aboard the ship, Stampfer hands over any 
  weapons he has acquired and offers his surrender. All 
  he wants to do now is return to Germany and report the 
  failure of his mission. Technically he hasn’t committed 
  any crime, and Germany is not at war with the world 
  yet. He knows the party will never fully trust him, so he 
  asks to be placed under house arrest when they reach 
  their destination until the heroes are able to escape the 
  Hollow Earth.
  On the journey back, the characters get chance to 
  make one natural Healing roll.
  SCENE 1: THE QUEEN IS CROWNED
  SCENE 1: THE QUEEN IS CROWNED
  A week after escaping from the Chicomoztoci the ship 
  docks safely at the Amazons’ island. The queen is greeted 
  like a returning hero so long as at least one Amazon was 
  rescued. The former prisoner conﬁ rms the story of the 
  rescue attempt and the chase from the city. Athena makes 
  snide comments about how the queen found time to ac-
  quire new slaves if Stampfer or the pirates are present.
  The pirates have no wish to live out their lives as slaves, 
  however, and ask their captain if they can “go about their 
  business elsewhere.” It’s left to the characters to decide 
  whether to have them enslaved or set them free—their 
  role in the adventure is over now.
  A lavish feast is thrown in the queen’s honor, both to 
  welcome her back from her quest and seal her role as 
  monarch of the warrior women. Take a break from the 
  action and let the heroes enjoy their celebratory status. 
  At least one Amazon should take an interest in an adult 
  male character. She offers to buy him from the queen.
  During the feast, the Amazons’ ceremonial garb is 
  brought forth and presented to the queen. Among the 
  items are a silver scepter, a golden headband, and a cloak 
  on which is embroidered a map of the Hollow Earth as 
  known to the Amazons. One part of the map stands out 
  as rather strange. A squat building of some sort has rays 
  emanating from it.
  If asked, Cassandra (or another Amazon) says the 
  building is an ancient ruin located on the northern 
  continent. It is much feared, for strange beams of light 
  sometimes shoot forth from a tall spire, scorching the 
  ground for miles around. The Amazon has no idea who 
  built the temple, but knows it is very old.
  Assuming Stampfer returned with the party and was 
  placed under arrest, he escapes during the night. In-
  trigued by the new slave, Athena went to visit him. He 
  NO MEN
  NO MEN
  If Athena won, she has already been crowned. Re-
  turning heroes catch site of the cloak as Cassandra, 
  or a defeated female character, makes her report. 
  Events then unfold as below.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1111
  pyramid and be halfway out of town before the Chico-
  moztoci react. Should they elect to hang around, the 
  party will face over 100 warriors, not to mention the 
  baying mob.
  The mob begins three Range Increments behind the 
  characters. Each Range Increment in this scene repre-
  sents 5”. The mob, which is very large, covers ﬁ ve adjoin-
  ing Range Increments and moves as one. Since the mob 
  comprises hundreds of individuals, all rolls are made as 
  Group rolls.
  The mob does not use any stunts, but it does use the 
  Push maneuver if the heroes get too far ahead. If the 
  mob ends up on the same marker as a hero, or moves 
  ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d8 damage (from an 
  Extra) at the end of the current round. This rule exists 
  to make the action cinematic—not reduce the heroes to 
  a bloody pulp.
  Example: Brent moves on the ﬁ fth marker, and the 
  mob moves to the fourth position after scoring two 
  raises in the previous round. Next round, Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. 
  The mob rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing it 
  level with Brent. He suffers 2d8 damage when the round 
  ends.
  Next round, the mob draws a higher action card and 
  gets a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead of 
  the screaming savages, emerging from a ﬂ urry of raised 
  ﬁ sts. Since he’s ahead of the mob at the end of the round, 
  he takes no damage.
  Attacking the mob has absolutely no effect. Shots or 
  blows may take out individuals, but their place is in-
  stantly ﬁ lled by another citizen. Likewise, Distract and 
  Force maneuvers do nothing to halt their progress. This 
  is basically a drag race.
  Ideally, Stampfer should survive. However, if he is 
  caught by the mob and Incapacitated, the last the heroes 
  see of him is the Nazi being dragged to the ground and 
  pummeled. As written, the adventure assumes he makes 
  it safely to the ship. See the sidebar, Stampfer Falls, for 
  guidelines on how to change the adventure.
  In order to escape, the heroes must move a total of 
  10 Range Increments. The ﬁ rst nine of these are on land, 
  and so use Agility as normal. The ﬁ nal one, however, 
  requires them to swim out to their ship (the slaves won’t 
  come closer and the pirates can’t). Swimming rolls are 
  required to move the last marker. Fortunately, the mob 
  can’t swim very well (roll unskilled).
  Should the characters have secured the pirate 
  ship, the crew spots the heroes and their pursuers ap-
  proaching. They load grapeshot into the cannons and 
  let loose a broadside when the character reach the 9th 
  Range Increment. The blast shreds the front rank of 
  the mob, effectively moving the horde back one Range 
  Increment.
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18, but with no gear.
   Amazons (survivors from last scene): See page 
  19.
   Mob: Use stats for a Chicomoztoci warrior when 
  required (page 19).
  ACT 3: THE WILD EARTH
  ACT 3: THE WILD EARTH
  Once aboard the ship, Stampfer hands over any 
  weapons he has acquired and offers his surrender. All 
  he wants to do now is return to Germany and report the 
  failure of his mission. Technically he hasn’t committed 
  any crime, and Germany is not at war with the world 
  yet. He knows the party will never fully trust him, so he 
  asks to be placed under house arrest when they reach 
  their destination until the heroes are able to escape the 
  Hollow Earth.
  On the journey back, the characters get chance to 
  make one natural Healing roll.
  SCENE 1: THE QUEEN IS CROWNED
  SCENE 1: THE QUEEN IS CROWNED
  A week after escaping from the Chicomoztoci the ship 
  docks safely at the Amazons’ island. The queen is greeted 
  like a returning hero so long as at least one Amazon was 
  rescued. The former prisoner conﬁ rms the story of the 
  rescue attempt and the chase from the city. Athena makes 
  snide comments about how the queen found time to ac-
  quire new slaves if Stampfer or the pirates are present.
  The pirates have no wish to live out their lives as slaves, 
  however, and ask their captain if they can “go about their 
  business elsewhere.” It’s left to the characters to decide 
  whether to have them enslaved or set them free—their 
  role in the adventure is over now.
  A lavish feast is thrown in the queen’s honor, both to 
  welcome her back from her quest and seal her role as 
  monarch of the warrior women. Take a break from the 
  action and let the heroes enjoy their celebratory status. 
  At least one Amazon should take an interest in an adult 
  male character. She offers to buy him from the queen.
  During the feast, the Amazons’ ceremonial garb is 
  brought forth and presented to the queen. Among the 
  items are a silver scepter, a golden headband, and a cloak 
  on which is embroidered a map of the Hollow Earth as 
  known to the Amazons. One part of the map stands out 
  as rather strange. A squat building of some sort has rays 
  emanating from it.
  If asked, Cassandra (or another Amazon) says the 
  building is an ancient ruin located on the northern 
  continent. It is much feared, for strange beams of light 
  sometimes shoot forth from a tall spire, scorching the 
  ground for miles around. The Amazon has no idea who 
  built the temple, but knows it is very old.
  Assuming Stampfer returned with the party and was 
  placed under arrest, he escapes during the night. In-
  trigued by the new slave, Athena went to visit him. He 
  NO MEN
  NO MEN
  If Athena won, she has already been crowned. Re-
  turning heroes catch site of the cloak as Cassandra, 
  or a defeated female character, makes her report. 
  Events then unfold as below.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1212
  spoke to her of his reasons for coming, and the Amazon 
  told him of the ancient Atlantean ruin. After convincing 
  Athena he could provide her with weapons to become 
  queen, Stampfer, Athena, and a number of her closest 
  supporters slip out of the village during the night and 
  head for the ruin. Unless the characters perform regular 
  checks, his absence goes unnoticed till the morning.
  The party’s interest should be piqued by the cloak-
  map. Stampfer’s disappearance, along with Athena, 
  should also be motive enough to head off in search of 
  the ruin. After all, Stampfer has always admitted he came 
  here in search of ancient technology, and the scorching 
  rays seem to ﬁ t the bill. Cassandra, who journeyed near 
  to the temple years ago, offers to act as guide.
  When the characters are ready to depart, a ship sails 
  them across the ocean to the northern continent. The 
  voyage takes three days.
  SCENE 2: THE FUNGUS FOREST
  SCENE 2: THE FUNGUS FOREST
  The scrubland beyond the beach quickly gives way 
  to spongy moss and ﬁ elds of mushrooms. Further 
  on, the ground fungus begins to grow thicker and 
  the mushrooms begin reaching chest height. Soon 
  you are standing on the edge of a veritable mush-
  room forest, with stalks towering dozens of feet 
  and tops wider than a bus. The ground is moist 
  with rotten fungus, bulbous puffballs, and fungal 
  growths. It doesn’t look like a pleasant place, but 
  Cassandra assures you it is the only route to the 
  ruin.
  Cassandra warns the heroes not to touch any of the fun-
  gi as they release poisonous spores, if disturbed. Likewise, 
  they should move slowly through any ground growing 
  fungus to avoid triggering an explosion of nasty spores.
  Have the heroes make Notice rolls as they walk 
  through the forest. Those who fail are Surprised when 
  a host of fungus-covered humanoids, fungal zombies, 
  spring out from the undergrowth and attack. Half the 
  fungal zombies emerge from the spongy vegetation 5” 
  away from the character. The others begin 10” away.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Mark twenty squares 
  with gaming stones, or other objects, to represent the 
  stalks of the towering mushrooms. No movement is pos-
  sible through a square containing a stalk. Half the re-
  maining area should be highlighted to show it is covered 
  in ground fungus, such as puffballs.
  A roll of 1 on an attack die, regardless of the Wild Die, 
  while adjacent to a mushroom causes it to vibrate. This 
  may be because the attack missed and struck the stem, 
  or the victim of an attack which succeeded because of 
  the Wild Die was knocked into it. Regardless, a cloud of 
  spores ﬁ lling a Medium Burst Template centered on the 
  mushroom ﬁ lls the air.
  Characters under the template must make a Vigor roll 
  or gain a level of Fatigue from inhaling the spores. One 
  level of Fatigue is removed at the end of each scene. The 
  fungal zombies are immune to this effect.
  Creatures that run through an area of ground fungus, 
  and who roll a 1 on their running die, have triggered 
  a cloud of spores. This ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template 
  centered on the hero. Roll a d4 and consult the fungal 
  zombie table on page 20 to determine the spore type. 
  Again, fungals are unaffected, though they can trigger a 
  spore cloud.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Fungal Zombies (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 3: JUNGLE SWINGERS
  SCENE 3: JUNGLE SWINGERS
  The fetid fungus forest slowly gives way to tow-
  ering trees covered in long, snakelike vines. The 
  ground becomes increasingly boggier. Stinking 
  pools of bubbling mud and quicksand of un-
  known depth makes the going hard. Suddenly, 
  Cassandra is whisked off her feet into the air in a 
  graceful arc! A half-naked man has her clutched 
  in his arms as he swings through the trees on a 
  vine. A low undulating cry, perhaps some sort of 
  victory shout, echoes through the forest.
  STAMPFER CAPTURED
  STAMPFER CAPTURED
  Stampfer’s capture by the Chicomoztoci requires a 
  few changes to the adventure.
  The Nazi is dragged back to the Chicomoztoc city. 
  He convinces the blood priests he can give them the 
  weapons to destroy their enemies once and for all. 
  Eager for more captives, they agree to listen to him 
  (planning on sacriﬁ cing him later).
  As written, the adventure assumes the Chicomoz-
  toci don’t know the location of the Atlantean ruin 
  (see page 14). In this tweak, they already know its 
  location but have never entered it. Stampfer leads 
  an expedition to the site. 
  Athena still disappears in the night with her war-
  riors, though. She becomes convinced only some-
  thing within the ancient ruin can secure her posi-
  tion as queen.
  In the ﬁ nal battle (Act 4, Scene 3), the positions of 
  the various forces is switched. Chicomoztoci war-
  riors and blood priests are already present. A blood 
  priest (there are two present) is sent ﬂ ying into the 
  air, but instead of hanging over the lava he is in-
  cinerated. The remaining blood priest orders his 
  forces to attack Stampfer and the heroes.
  Replace the Chicomoztoci who arrive shortly after-
  ward with Athena and her Amazons. Athena quickly 
  realizes that power corrupts and her actions and 
  desires were unjust. She orders her warband to 
  side with the heroes. She can still kill Stampfer if 
  the need arises, as she is still a minor villain seeking 
  redemption.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1212
  spoke to her of his reasons for coming, and the Amazon 
  told him of the ancient Atlantean ruin. After convincing 
  Athena he could provide her with weapons to become 
  queen, Stampfer, Athena, and a number of her closest 
  supporters slip out of the village during the night and 
  head for the ruin. Unless the characters perform regular 
  checks, his absence goes unnoticed till the morning.
  The party’s interest should be piqued by the cloak-
  map. Stampfer’s disappearance, along with Athena, 
  should also be motive enough to head off in search of 
  the ruin. After all, Stampfer has always admitted he came 
  here in search of ancient technology, and the scorching 
  rays seem to ﬁ t the bill. Cassandra, who journeyed near 
  to the temple years ago, offers to act as guide.
  When the characters are ready to depart, a ship sails 
  them across the ocean to the northern continent. The 
  voyage takes three days.
  SCENE 2: THE FUNGUS FOREST
  SCENE 2: THE FUNGUS FOREST
  The scrubland beyond the beach quickly gives way 
  to spongy moss and ﬁ elds of mushrooms. Further 
  on, the ground fungus begins to grow thicker and 
  the mushrooms begin reaching chest height. Soon 
  you are standing on the edge of a veritable mush-
  room forest, with stalks towering dozens of feet 
  and tops wider than a bus. The ground is moist 
  with rotten fungus, bulbous puffballs, and fungal 
  growths. It doesn’t look like a pleasant place, but 
  Cassandra assures you it is the only route to the 
  ruin.
  Cassandra warns the heroes not to touch any of the fun-
  gi as they release poisonous spores, if disturbed. Likewise, 
  they should move slowly through any ground growing 
  fungus to avoid triggering an explosion of nasty spores.
  Have the heroes make Notice rolls as they walk 
  through the forest. Those who fail are Surprised when 
  a host of fungus-covered humanoids, fungal zombies, 
  spring out from the undergrowth and attack. Half the 
  fungal zombies emerge from the spongy vegetation 5” 
  away from the character. The others begin 10” away.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Mark twenty squares 
  with gaming stones, or other objects, to represent the 
  stalks of the towering mushrooms. No movement is pos-
  sible through a square containing a stalk. Half the re-
  maining area should be highlighted to show it is covered 
  in ground fungus, such as puffballs.
  A roll of 1 on an attack die, regardless of the Wild Die, 
  while adjacent to a mushroom causes it to vibrate. This 
  may be because the attack missed and struck the stem, 
  or the victim of an attack which succeeded because of 
  the Wild Die was knocked into it. Regardless, a cloud of 
  spores ﬁ lling a Medium Burst Template centered on the 
  mushroom ﬁ lls the air.
  Characters under the template must make a Vigor roll 
  or gain a level of Fatigue from inhaling the spores. One 
  level of Fatigue is removed at the end of each scene. The 
  fungal zombies are immune to this effect.
  Creatures that run through an area of ground fungus, 
  and who roll a 1 on their running die, have triggered 
  a cloud of spores. This ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template 
  centered on the hero. Roll a d4 and consult the fungal 
  zombie table on page 20 to determine the spore type. 
  Again, fungals are unaffected, though they can trigger a 
  spore cloud.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Fungal Zombies (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 3: JUNGLE SWINGERS
  SCENE 3: JUNGLE SWINGERS
  The fetid fungus forest slowly gives way to tow-
  ering trees covered in long, snakelike vines. The 
  ground becomes increasingly boggier. Stinking 
  pools of bubbling mud and quicksand of un-
  known depth makes the going hard. Suddenly, 
  Cassandra is whisked off her feet into the air in a 
  graceful arc! A half-naked man has her clutched 
  in his arms as he swings through the trees on a 
  vine. A low undulating cry, perhaps some sort of 
  victory shout, echoes through the forest.
  STAMPFER CAPTURED
  STAMPFER CAPTURED
  Stampfer’s capture by the Chicomoztoci requires a 
  few changes to the adventure.
  The Nazi is dragged back to the Chicomoztoc city. 
  He convinces the blood priests he can give them the 
  weapons to destroy their enemies once and for all. 
  Eager for more captives, they agree to listen to him 
  (planning on sacriﬁ cing him later).
  As written, the adventure assumes the Chicomoz-
  toci don’t know the location of the Atlantean ruin 
  (see page 14). In this tweak, they already know its 
  location but have never entered it. Stampfer leads 
  an expedition to the site. 
  Athena still disappears in the night with her war-
  riors, though. She becomes convinced only some-
  thing within the ancient ruin can secure her posi-
  tion as queen.
  In the ﬁ nal battle (Act 4, Scene 3), the positions of 
  the various forces is switched. Chicomoztoci war-
  riors and blood priests are already present. A blood 
  priest (there are two present) is sent ﬂ ying into the 
  air, but instead of hanging over the lava he is in-
  cinerated. The remaining blood priest orders his 
  forces to attack Stampfer and the heroes.
  Replace the Chicomoztoci who arrive shortly after-
  ward with Athena and her Amazons. Athena quickly 
  realizes that power corrupts and her actions and 
  desires were unjust. She orders her warband to 
  side with the heroes. She can still kill Stampfer if 
  the need arises, as she is still a minor villain seeking 
  redemption.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1313
  This scene is a Chase and uses our alternate Obstacles 
  rules. Agility is used to swing from vine to vine. The vil-
  lain begins three Range Increments ahead of the heroes, 
  and each Range Increment represents 5”. Movement 
  on a vine counts as an Unstable Platform. Two-handed 
  weapons cannot be used easily while swinging. All at-
  tacks with such weapons suffer a –2 penalty.
  Heroes who can ﬂ y don’t need to swing. They use 
  Piloting as their skill. Power Points must be spent as 
  normal each round to remain airborne. Flyers use the 
  regular Obstacles rules (Sparse), which represent ﬂ ying 
  into trees or becoming tangled in branches.
  Characters who would rather run are in for a hard 
  time. The soil is extremely boggy, which reduces Pace 
  by half, and prevents running. As such, those on vines 
  gain +2 to Agility rolls (for moving more than double the 
  walker’s Pace) and the walker suffers a –1 penalty to his 
  Agility roll as he has a lower Range Increment (1”).
  The wild man has Cassandra clutched close to his 
  body. She provides him with Medium Cover (–2). Any 
  shot which misses due to the Cover, automatically strikes 
  Cassandra. This should hopefully deter the characters 
  from taking shots.
  At the start of round two, the wild man lets loose a 
  long and undulating cry. Other wild men swing down 
  from the trees and give chase to the characters. They 
  begin two Range Increments behind the characters.
  Rather than making an attack against a foe, a Parallel 
  character can try to cut the swinger’s vine. Vines have 
  Toughness 6. A vine which takes a wound snaps, dump-
  ing the unfortunate character into the mire. He is auto-
  matically Shaken and drops back two Range Increments 
  (to account for him having to climb a tree).
  If the wild man chief escapes with his captive, proceed 
  to Scene 4. Otherwise, move on to Act 4.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Wild Man Chief: See page 20.
   Wild Men (2 per hero): See page 21.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) That’s Not A Vine: What the hero 
  thought was a thick vine turns out to be a large snake! 
  With failure, the character panics and lets go of the an-
  noyed serpent. He is automatically Shaken and drops 
  back two Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Slippery: The swinger’s hands have difﬁ -
  culty maintaining grip on the slick vine. With failure, the 
  character slips and lands in the swamp. He is automati-
  cally Shaken and drops back two Range Increments.
  Four (–2) I Thought It Was Closer: The next vine is 
  a little further away than the hero thought. With a failed 
  roll, he fails to grasp the vine. He drops back one Range 
  Increment as his arc reaches its zenith and carries back 
  the way he just came.
  Five (–2) Too Long: The vine is longer than the hero 
  anticipated, and his arc takes him dangerously near the 
  ground. A failed roll causes a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Six (–2/0) Angry Bees: The swinger has a choice of 
  two routes. One is a longer route, but it’s safer than the 
  shorter, alternate one, which is swarming with angry 
  bees. Ask the character which way he wants to go. The 
  wild man opts for the safer route unless the heroes are 
  within 2 Range Increments. The lesser wild men always 
  avoid the bees.
  Taking the long but safe route carries a –2 penalty. A 
  failed roll simply means the swinger failed to make any 
  real headway, due to the longer route.
  Swinging through the bees carries no penalty to the 
  Agility roll. However, a failed roll means the character 
  has been stung multiple times, as well as gaining no 
  distance. He gains a level of Fatigue until the end of the 
  scene.
  Seven (–2) Too Short: The vine the character has just 
  grabbed is short, limiting his arc. A failed roll causes him 
  to drop back one Range Increment, as he makes several 
  attempts to increase his arc to reach the next vine.
  Eight (–2) Corkscrewing: The vine actually wraps 
  around a nearby tree. Unless the swinger is really careful, 
  his movement carries round and round the tree, before 
  smashing him into the trunk. A failed Agility roll causes a 
  collision with a hard Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Left or Right: The explorer’s arc is taking 
  him straight toward a tree trunk. On a failed roll, the 
  hero collides with the trunk and is Shaken.
  Ten (–1) Ants: Brightly colored ants are swarming all 
  over the vine. With failure, the hero has been bitten mul-
  tiple times on his hands, as well as gaining no distance. 
  He suffers a –1 penalty to Agility and Agility-linked skill 
  rolls until the end of the scene.
  Jack (–1) Unraveling Vine: As the character grabs 
  the vine it begins to unravel! A failed roll causes him 
  to slam into the mire. He is automatically Shaken and 
  drops back two Range Increments.
  Queen (–1) Trap: The vine is attached to a trap. As 
  the character tugs on the creeper, a net swings upward 
  into his path. With a failure, the hero crashes into the net 
  and is entangled. Next round, he must make an Agility 
  or Strength roll (his choice) to escape. Until he does, 
  he cannot take any other actions. He may take a multi 
  action penalty in the hope of escaping and moving in the 
  same round.
  King (0) Nuts: Two rival tribes of monkeys are throw-
  ing large nuts at each other. The character’s arc takes 
  him right through the center of the monkey war. Roll 
  3d6. For each die that comes up 1, the adventurer is hit 
  by a nut. He takes 2d6 damage (from an Extra) for each 
  hit.
  Ace (0) Weak Vine: A thin vine snaps halfway through 
  the explorer’s swing. He lands facedown in the dirt on a 
  failure. He is automatically Shaken and drops back one 
  Range Increment (his arcing fall actually carries him fur-
  ther forward than normal).
  SCENE 4: ON TOP OF THE WORLD
  SCENE 4: ON TOP OF THE WORLD
  The wild man chief carries Cassandra back to a treetop 
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1313
  This scene is a Chase and uses our alternate Obstacles 
  rules. Agility is used to swing from vine to vine. The vil-
  lain begins three Range Increments ahead of the heroes, 
  and each Range Increment represents 5”. Movement 
  on a vine counts as an Unstable Platform. Two-handed 
  weapons cannot be used easily while swinging. All at-
  tacks with such weapons suffer a –2 penalty.
  Heroes who can ﬂ y don’t need to swing. They use 
  Piloting as their skill. Power Points must be spent as 
  normal each round to remain airborne. Flyers use the 
  regular Obstacles rules (Sparse), which represent ﬂ ying 
  into trees or becoming tangled in branches.
  Characters who would rather run are in for a hard 
  time. The soil is extremely boggy, which reduces Pace 
  by half, and prevents running. As such, those on vines 
  gain +2 to Agility rolls (for moving more than double the 
  walker’s Pace) and the walker suffers a –1 penalty to his 
  Agility roll as he has a lower Range Increment (1”).
  The wild man has Cassandra clutched close to his 
  body. She provides him with Medium Cover (–2). Any 
  shot which misses due to the Cover, automatically strikes 
  Cassandra. This should hopefully deter the characters 
  from taking shots.
  At the start of round two, the wild man lets loose a 
  long and undulating cry. Other wild men swing down 
  from the trees and give chase to the characters. They 
  begin two Range Increments behind the characters.
  Rather than making an attack against a foe, a Parallel 
  character can try to cut the swinger’s vine. Vines have 
  Toughness 6. A vine which takes a wound snaps, dump-
  ing the unfortunate character into the mire. He is auto-
  matically Shaken and drops back two Range Increments 
  (to account for him having to climb a tree).
  If the wild man chief escapes with his captive, proceed 
  to Scene 4. Otherwise, move on to Act 4.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Wild Man Chief: See page 20.
   Wild Men (2 per hero): See page 21.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) That’s Not A Vine: What the hero 
  thought was a thick vine turns out to be a large snake! 
  With failure, the character panics and lets go of the an-
  noyed serpent. He is automatically Shaken and drops 
  back two Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Slippery: The swinger’s hands have difﬁ -
  culty maintaining grip on the slick vine. With failure, the 
  character slips and lands in the swamp. He is automati-
  cally Shaken and drops back two Range Increments.
  Four (–2) I Thought It Was Closer: The next vine is 
  a little further away than the hero thought. With a failed 
  roll, he fails to grasp the vine. He drops back one Range 
  Increment as his arc reaches its zenith and carries back 
  the way he just came.
  Five (–2) Too Long: The vine is longer than the hero 
  anticipated, and his arc takes him dangerously near the 
  ground. A failed roll causes a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Six (–2/0) Angry Bees: The swinger has a choice of 
  two routes. One is a longer route, but it’s safer than the 
  shorter, alternate one, which is swarming with angry 
  bees. Ask the character which way he wants to go. The 
  wild man opts for the safer route unless the heroes are 
  within 2 Range Increments. The lesser wild men always 
  avoid the bees.
  Taking the long but safe route carries a –2 penalty. A 
  failed roll simply means the swinger failed to make any 
  real headway, due to the longer route.
  Swinging through the bees carries no penalty to the 
  Agility roll. However, a failed roll means the character 
  has been stung multiple times, as well as gaining no 
  distance. He gains a level of Fatigue until the end of the 
  scene.
  Seven (–2) Too Short: The vine the character has just 
  grabbed is short, limiting his arc. A failed roll causes him 
  to drop back one Range Increment, as he makes several 
  attempts to increase his arc to reach the next vine.
  Eight (–2) Corkscrewing: The vine actually wraps 
  around a nearby tree. Unless the swinger is really careful, 
  his movement carries round and round the tree, before 
  smashing him into the trunk. A failed Agility roll causes a 
  collision with a hard Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Left or Right: The explorer’s arc is taking 
  him straight toward a tree trunk. On a failed roll, the 
  hero collides with the trunk and is Shaken.
  Ten (–1) Ants: Brightly colored ants are swarming all 
  over the vine. With failure, the hero has been bitten mul-
  tiple times on his hands, as well as gaining no distance. 
  He suffers a –1 penalty to Agility and Agility-linked skill 
  rolls until the end of the scene.
  Jack (–1) Unraveling Vine: As the character grabs 
  the vine it begins to unravel! A failed roll causes him 
  to slam into the mire. He is automatically Shaken and 
  drops back two Range Increments.
  Queen (–1) Trap: The vine is attached to a trap. As 
  the character tugs on the creeper, a net swings upward 
  into his path. With a failure, the hero crashes into the net 
  and is entangled. Next round, he must make an Agility 
  or Strength roll (his choice) to escape. Until he does, 
  he cannot take any other actions. He may take a multi 
  action penalty in the hope of escaping and moving in the 
  same round.
  King (0) Nuts: Two rival tribes of monkeys are throw-
  ing large nuts at each other. The character’s arc takes 
  him right through the center of the monkey war. Roll 
  3d6. For each die that comes up 1, the adventurer is hit 
  by a nut. He takes 2d6 damage (from an Extra) for each 
  hit.
  Ace (0) Weak Vine: A thin vine snaps halfway through 
  the explorer’s swing. He lands facedown in the dirt on a 
  failure. He is automatically Shaken and drops back one 
  Range Increment (his arcing fall actually carries him fur-
  ther forward than normal).
  SCENE 4: ON TOP OF THE WORLD
  SCENE 4: ON TOP OF THE WORLD
  The wild man chief carries Cassandra back to a treetop 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1414
  village. It takes the party several hours to track it down, 
  by which time a celebratory feast is in full swing.
  The village comprises a number of circular platforms 
  constructed around tree trunks and on sturdy branches. 
  These stand 8” above the forest ﬂ oor. Platforms erected 
  around trees are the same size as a Large Burst Template, 
  with a 2” hole in the center (the trunk). The smaller ones 
  are the same size as Medium Burst Templates. Small 
  Burst Templates are used to represent guard platforms 
  or areas where multiple catwalks and bridges connect.
  Connecting these are 1” wide wooden catwalks and 
  rope bridges. Catwalks extend for 4”, whereas rope 
  bridges go as far as 8”. The GM can make the village as 
  large as his tabletop allows. Rope bridges count as an 
  Unstable Platform. The ropes have Toughness 8, but can 
  only be severed by slashing or cutting weapons.
  The wild men use rope ladders to reach the village, 
  which drop down through holes in the platforms. How-
  ever, the ladders are currently bundled up on the plat-
  forms. Gnarled branches allow an easy climb, though. 
  Climbing rolls are made at +2.
  Lone sentries (inactive) are posted on each platform, 
  on the outskirts of the village. The majority of the revel-
  ers are on a large, central platform, dancing and chanting 
  in honor of their chieftain’s forthcoming wedding! Cas-
  sandra is standing beside the chieftain, too frightened to 
  try and escape.
  Characters wishing to plan a night assault are out of 
  luck—the sun never sets in the Hollow Earth! The dense 
  vegetation of the forest ﬂ oor allows the characters to sneak 
  beneath a platform unseen, though. The party is outnum-
  bered, but the village layout actually favors them. Wild men 
  can only cross the rope bridges and catwalks in single ﬁ le, 
  which limits their ability to use Gang Up tactics.
  The scene need not end in a bloody massacre. The 
  chief, who ﬁ rst saw Cassandra many years ago, is simply 
  a man in love. Destiny brought the two together again, 
  and he acted to claim her, as is the way of his people. As 
  an Amazon, though, Cassandra has no love for the man 
  (or any man, come to that). If this cultural difference can 
  be explained to the chief, he reluctantly allows her to 
  leave with the heroes.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Wild Man Chief: See page 20.
   Wild Men (3 per hero): See page 21.
  ACT 4: THE ATLANTEAN TEMPLE
  ACT 4: THE ATLANTEAN TEMPLE
  After rescuing Cassandra, the party continues on. The 
  forest grows thicker, but the ground dries as it begins 
  to climb into rolling hills. A day later, the heroes cut 
  through a dense patch of brambles and catch sight of 
  their goal.
  SCENE 1: DISCOVERIES OLD AND NEW
  SCENE 1: DISCOVERIES OLD AND NEW
  The forest ends abruptly. Ahead, the ground is 
  blackened, 
  scorched, 
  and cracked. Standing 
  no more than a dozen 
  feet away is the start of 
  a paved road, its slabs 
  black 
  and 
  glistening, 
  reﬂ ecting the sun like a 
  dark pool of still water. A 
  long row of stone sphinx-
  es with bearded, human 
  heads and squared head-
  dresses, face each other 
  along each side. 
  The causeway leads to the 
  base of a tall hill, atop 
  which sits a wondrous 
  site—an ancient city or 
  temple complex of un-
  known age, yet seemingly 
  undamaged by nature or 
  attack.
  The sphinxes are 20’ 
  long and stand 10’ tall. The 
  pathway glistens because the 
  stones are scorched black 
  to an almost supernatural 
  sheen.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1414
  village. It takes the party several hours to track it down, 
  by which time a celebratory feast is in full swing.
  The village comprises a number of circular platforms 
  constructed around tree trunks and on sturdy branches. 
  These stand 8” above the forest ﬂ oor. Platforms erected 
  around trees are the same size as a Large Burst Template, 
  with a 2” hole in the center (the trunk). The smaller ones 
  are the same size as Medium Burst Templates. Small 
  Burst Templates are used to represent guard platforms 
  or areas where multiple catwalks and bridges connect.
  Connecting these are 1” wide wooden catwalks and 
  rope bridges. Catwalks extend for 4”, whereas rope 
  bridges go as far as 8”. The GM can make the village as 
  large as his tabletop allows. Rope bridges count as an 
  Unstable Platform. The ropes have Toughness 8, but can 
  only be severed by slashing or cutting weapons.
  The wild men use rope ladders to reach the village, 
  which drop down through holes in the platforms. How-
  ever, the ladders are currently bundled up on the plat-
  forms. Gnarled branches allow an easy climb, though. 
  Climbing rolls are made at +2.
  Lone sentries (inactive) are posted on each platform, 
  on the outskirts of the village. The majority of the revel-
  ers are on a large, central platform, dancing and chanting 
  in honor of their chieftain’s forthcoming wedding! Cas-
  sandra is standing beside the chieftain, too frightened to 
  try and escape.
  Characters wishing to plan a night assault are out of 
  luck—the sun never sets in the Hollow Earth! The dense 
  vegetation of the forest ﬂ oor allows the characters to sneak 
  beneath a platform unseen, though. The party is outnum-
  bered, but the village layout actually favors them. Wild men 
  can only cross the rope bridges and catwalks in single ﬁ le, 
  which limits their ability to use Gang Up tactics.
  The scene need not end in a bloody massacre. The 
  chief, who ﬁ rst saw Cassandra many years ago, is simply 
  a man in love. Destiny brought the two together again, 
  and he acted to claim her, as is the way of his people. As 
  an Amazon, though, Cassandra has no love for the man 
  (or any man, come to that). If this cultural difference can 
  be explained to the chief, he reluctantly allows her to 
  leave with the heroes.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Wild Man Chief: See page 20.
   Wild Men (3 per hero): See page 21.
  ACT 4: THE ATLANTEAN TEMPLE
  ACT 4: THE ATLANTEAN TEMPLE
  After rescuing Cassandra, the party continues on. The 
  forest grows thicker, but the ground dries as it begins 
  to climb into rolling hills. A day later, the heroes cut 
  through a dense patch of brambles and catch sight of 
  their goal.
  SCENE 1: DISCOVERIES OLD AND NEW
  SCENE 1: DISCOVERIES OLD AND NEW
  The forest ends abruptly. Ahead, the ground is 
  blackened, 
  scorched, 
  and cracked. Standing 
  no more than a dozen 
  feet away is the start of 
  a paved road, its slabs 
  black 
  and 
  glistening, 
  reﬂ ecting the sun like a 
  dark pool of still water. A 
  long row of stone sphinx-
  es with bearded, human 
  heads and squared head-
  dresses, face each other 
  along each side. 
  The causeway leads to the 
  base of a tall hill, atop 
  which sits a wondrous 
  site—an ancient city or 
  temple complex of un-
  known age, yet seemingly 
  undamaged by nature or 
  attack.
  The sphinxes are 20’ 
  long and stand 10’ tall. The 
  pathway glistens because the 
  stones are scorched black 
  to an almost supernatural 
  sheen.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1515
  Heroes making a Common Knowledge (–2) or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll recognize the sphinxes as having dis-
  tinctive Babylonian features, notably the beard and head-
  dress. The body, however, is leonine, like many Egyptian 
  and Greek ediﬁ ces. The architecture of the buildings 
  mixes elements of Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Per-
  sian design. It is impossible to date them with accuracy, 
  but given their architecture, a rough estimate is at least 
  5,000 years! In truth, the structure was erected around 
  11,500 years ago, by survivors of the Atlantis disaster.
  INTERIOR
  INTERIOR
  The interiors of the buildings are in pristine condition, 
  and look like they were abandoned only recently, despite 
  being devoid of any furnishings or trappings commonly 
  associated with inhabited structures. Murals depicting 
  winged sphinxes of similar design to those outside, gi-
  gantic statues of animal-headed humanoids, carvings of 
  ﬂ eets of warships, and so on adorn every wall. The ﬂ oors 
  are tiled in elaborate patterns, resembling Celtic knot 
  work designs.
  There are numerous inscriptions on the walls and 
  ﬂ oors, and on bases of statues, but the language is un-
  known to the heroes. It has elements of many ancient 
  languages mixed together but, rather than being a later 
  invention, actually seems to be a precursor to these hoary 
  tongues, for it looks fully developed.
  Several rooms, possibly ancient bathhouses, contain 
  large pools of steaming water, which emit a sulfurous 
  odor. The water is warm to the touch. The water bubbles 
  up from geothermal springs beneath the hill, and ﬂ ows 
  into the former bathhouses through stone-lined chan-
  nels.
  In the highest temple, the party discovers the ﬁ rst 
  signs of damage. Part of the ﬂ oor has been smashed, 
  revealing a ﬂ ight of steps descending into the craggy 
  hill below. The shards of stone are sharp and fresh, but 
  given the state of the rest of the ediﬁ ce, it is impossible 
  to tell whether the damage is recent or was caused in 
  antiquity.
  DARK WATER
  DARK WATER
  The stairs lead to a tunnel (no light), which extends 
  northward for a dozen feet before opening into a large 
  chamber. A stone pathway, 1” wide and 16” long, runs 
  through a ﬂ ooded, rough-hewn chamber. The ﬂ oor was 
  once many yards below, a natural fault in the rock the 
  Atlanteans chose to leave as nature designed and bridge 
  the gap. At some time in prehistory, a thermal spring 
  broke through the lower area, bringing with it the water. 
  It also brought something else.
  Deep within the chamber dwells a monster. Its great, 
  bulbous body never rises from the cavern ﬂ oor, and nor-
  mally it slumbers, occasionally waking to snatch a blind, 
  white ﬁ sh. But the recent passage of human feet above 
  has awoken it, and it is hungry. Sensing vibrations on the 
  water, it shoots out long tentacles.
  Have each hero make a Notice roll. Those who fail are 
  Surprised, as the black, snaking tentacles burst from the 
  surface and begin ﬂ ailing wildly. It’s unlikely the party is 
  complacently ambling along, but if they are, the tentacles 
  also get the Drop on the ﬁ rst round.
  Characters who enter the water don’t touch the bot-
  tom. The liquid is extremely dark, and visibility beneath 
  the surface is treated as Pitch Darkness (–6). An action is 
  required to clamber back onto the causeway.
  The heroes don’t have to defeat the tentacles. If they 
  reach the far end of the bridge and proceed into the area 
  beyond, the tentacles cannot reach them. The creature 
  places spare tentacles across the bridge, though, to 
  try and prevent escape. Adventurers can pass through 
  a square containing a tentacle, but leaving it counts as 
  Withdrawing from Melee.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Tentacles (3 per hero): See page 21.
  GHOSTS OF THE PAST
  GHOSTS OF THE PAST
  The chamber beyond has rows of stone benches fac-
  ing a raised dais. Surrounding the dais is a semi-circular 
  stone railing, giving it a similar look to a church pulpit. 
  Atop the railing is a hand-shaped indentation. Inspection 
  of the dais reveals inscriptions, the language identical to 
  that in the ruins above, which adorn the walls. There are 
  no obvious exits.
  If a character sits on a bench, a ghostly ﬁ gure sud-
  denly appears on the dais. It is human, though its culture 
  is hard to determine. Like the statues and inscriptions, 
  its clothes are a blend of many ancient cultures.
  The specter begins speaking, though the language is 
  total gibberish until a hero places his hand in the indenta-
  tion. At that instant it switches to the character’s native 
  tongue (regardless of whether others can understand it).
  “…abandoned Atlantis, the greatest of our cities, 
  and moved to the underworld to begin again. 
  Great and long were our labors, for much had 
  been lost. Yet of our treasures, we saved our most 
  powerful, the psychic enhancer. But you,” the 
  ghostly ﬁ gure says, pointing directly at you, “are 
  not of our blood, and will never reach it!”
  At that moment panels slide open in the ﬂ oor 
  beneath your feet, sending you tumbling into the 
  darkness below…
  SCENE 2: BURN, BABY, BURN
  SCENE 2: BURN, BABY, BURN
  The characters have landed on a fast-moving con-
  veyor belt inside a cramped, metal-lined tunnel. The 
  panel above has shut, and cannot be opened from down 
  here. The party appears to be at the end of some sort of 
  industrial process, for the conveyor belt is rapidly carry-
  ing them toward an open blast furnace door! Uniformly 
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1515
  Heroes making a Common Knowledge (–2) or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll recognize the sphinxes as having dis-
  tinctive Babylonian features, notably the beard and head-
  dress. The body, however, is leonine, like many Egyptian 
  and Greek ediﬁ ces. The architecture of the buildings 
  mixes elements of Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Per-
  sian design. It is impossible to date them with accuracy, 
  but given their architecture, a rough estimate is at least 
  5,000 years! In truth, the structure was erected around 
  11,500 years ago, by survivors of the Atlantis disaster.
  INTERIOR
  INTERIOR
  The interiors of the buildings are in pristine condition, 
  and look like they were abandoned only recently, despite 
  being devoid of any furnishings or trappings commonly 
  associated with inhabited structures. Murals depicting 
  winged sphinxes of similar design to those outside, gi-
  gantic statues of animal-headed humanoids, carvings of 
  ﬂ eets of warships, and so on adorn every wall. The ﬂ oors 
  are tiled in elaborate patterns, resembling Celtic knot 
  work designs.
  There are numerous inscriptions on the walls and 
  ﬂ oors, and on bases of statues, but the language is un-
  known to the heroes. It has elements of many ancient 
  languages mixed together but, rather than being a later 
  invention, actually seems to be a precursor to these hoary 
  tongues, for it looks fully developed.
  Several rooms, possibly ancient bathhouses, contain 
  large pools of steaming water, which emit a sulfurous 
  odor. The water is warm to the touch. The water bubbles 
  up from geothermal springs beneath the hill, and ﬂ ows 
  into the former bathhouses through stone-lined chan-
  nels.
  In the highest temple, the party discovers the ﬁ rst 
  signs of damage. Part of the ﬂ oor has been smashed, 
  revealing a ﬂ ight of steps descending into the craggy 
  hill below. The shards of stone are sharp and fresh, but 
  given the state of the rest of the ediﬁ ce, it is impossible 
  to tell whether the damage is recent or was caused in 
  antiquity.
  DARK WATER
  DARK WATER
  The stairs lead to a tunnel (no light), which extends 
  northward for a dozen feet before opening into a large 
  chamber. A stone pathway, 1” wide and 16” long, runs 
  through a ﬂ ooded, rough-hewn chamber. The ﬂ oor was 
  once many yards below, a natural fault in the rock the 
  Atlanteans chose to leave as nature designed and bridge 
  the gap. At some time in prehistory, a thermal spring 
  broke through the lower area, bringing with it the water. 
  It also brought something else.
  Deep within the chamber dwells a monster. Its great, 
  bulbous body never rises from the cavern ﬂ oor, and nor-
  mally it slumbers, occasionally waking to snatch a blind, 
  white ﬁ sh. But the recent passage of human feet above 
  has awoken it, and it is hungry. Sensing vibrations on the 
  water, it shoots out long tentacles.
  Have each hero make a Notice roll. Those who fail are 
  Surprised, as the black, snaking tentacles burst from the 
  surface and begin ﬂ ailing wildly. It’s unlikely the party is 
  complacently ambling along, but if they are, the tentacles 
  also get the Drop on the ﬁ rst round.
  Characters who enter the water don’t touch the bot-
  tom. The liquid is extremely dark, and visibility beneath 
  the surface is treated as Pitch Darkness (–6). An action is 
  required to clamber back onto the causeway.
  The heroes don’t have to defeat the tentacles. If they 
  reach the far end of the bridge and proceed into the area 
  beyond, the tentacles cannot reach them. The creature 
  places spare tentacles across the bridge, though, to 
  try and prevent escape. Adventurers can pass through 
  a square containing a tentacle, but leaving it counts as 
  Withdrawing from Melee.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Tentacles (3 per hero): See page 21.
  GHOSTS OF THE PAST
  GHOSTS OF THE PAST
  The chamber beyond has rows of stone benches fac-
  ing a raised dais. Surrounding the dais is a semi-circular 
  stone railing, giving it a similar look to a church pulpit. 
  Atop the railing is a hand-shaped indentation. Inspection 
  of the dais reveals inscriptions, the language identical to 
  that in the ruins above, which adorn the walls. There are 
  no obvious exits.
  If a character sits on a bench, a ghostly ﬁ gure sud-
  denly appears on the dais. It is human, though its culture 
  is hard to determine. Like the statues and inscriptions, 
  its clothes are a blend of many ancient cultures.
  The specter begins speaking, though the language is 
  total gibberish until a hero places his hand in the indenta-
  tion. At that instant it switches to the character’s native 
  tongue (regardless of whether others can understand it).
  “…abandoned Atlantis, the greatest of our cities, 
  and moved to the underworld to begin again. 
  Great and long were our labors, for much had 
  been lost. Yet of our treasures, we saved our most 
  powerful, the psychic enhancer. But you,” the 
  ghostly ﬁ gure says, pointing directly at you, “are 
  not of our blood, and will never reach it!”
  At that moment panels slide open in the ﬂ oor 
  beneath your feet, sending you tumbling into the 
  darkness below…
  SCENE 2: BURN, BABY, BURN
  SCENE 2: BURN, BABY, BURN
  The characters have landed on a fast-moving con-
  veyor belt inside a cramped, metal-lined tunnel. The 
  panel above has shut, and cannot be opened from down 
  here. The party appears to be at the end of some sort of 
  industrial process, for the conveyor belt is rapidly carry-
  ing them toward an open blast furnace door! Uniformly 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1616
  shaped slabs of steaming rock are being transported into 
  the furnace.
  Peering the other way (against the movement of the 
  conveyor belt), the characters see slicing blades, smash-
  ing hammers, and a strange sort of gas! Beyond the gas 
  is the dull glow of molten rock, which seems to mark the 
  start of the process, and possibly the way out.
  Characters who make a Weird Science roll, or Com-
  mon Knowledge at –4, deduce the process takes molten 
  lava and converts it into something else, perhaps the 
  strange heatproof and lightweight metal used to con-
  struct the mining carts in the previous adventure.
  In order to escape the machinery, the characters must 
  complete the tasks below in the order they are written. 
  Characters who can ﬂ y, and who wish to go airborne, use 
  Piloting instead of Agility. 
  Unfortunately for the explorers, the heat is stiﬂ ing, 
  and moving against the motion of the conveyor belt is 
  energy draining. Unless the heroes escape within six 
  rounds, they suffer a level of Fatigue at the start of each 
  round thereafter. Once Incapacitated, they are carried 
  one stage back along the process. Since they cannot 
  avoid the machinery, damage is taken automatically. The 
  round after they pass through the saw, they are dumped 
  in the furnace and vaporized! Fatigue from this source is 
  removed once the scene ends.
  * 
  Powerful saws dart out from the walls, slicing 
  large metal blocks into smaller sections. Heroes who fail 
  an Agility roll suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and fail 
  to make any headway. They must repeat the roll next 
  round.
  * 
  Blobs of cooled rock are beaten into a long 
  rectangle by powerful blows from huge hammers. Avoid-
  ing the blows, which beat to a strange rhythmic pattern, 
  requires an Agility roll at -4. A hero who uses a complete 
  round to study the pattern can make a Smarts roll. With 
  success, he calculates the hammers’ beat. On the next 
  round, he can make an Agility roll with no penalty.
  A failed Agility roll causes 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) and the hero fails to make any headway. He may 
  repeat the roll next round.
  * 
  Now near the beginning of the process, the 
  characters can see the rock begins as molten lava. The 
  irregular blobs of red-hot goo pass through gas nozzles, 
  which squirt a constant cloud of freezing gas. A hero who 
  fails an Agility roll at –2 is partly frozen, and suffers from 
  intense shivers. All Agility and Agility-linked skill rolls 
  suffer a –1 penalty until the hero draws a Joker (or the 
  adventure ends).
  * 
  At the start of the process is a large, heavy blade. 
  Lava emerges from a tunnel and is cut into rough shapes. 
  Above this is a ladder (a maintenance ladder) leading up 
  into a shaft. Bright light can be seen shining down from 
  the hole.
  Grabbing it requires an Agility roll. Even ﬂ ying heroes 
  must make a Piloting roll, as the rising heat causes buffet-
  ing. A failed roll leaves the character on the conveyor belt 
  (or hovering in mid air). A critical failure means he has 
  landed on a blob of lava, suffering 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra). Flying heroes are instead caught by a spray of lava 
  from the rising blade, and suffer the same damage.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
  SCENE 3: A NEW BREED OF GOD
  SCENE 3: A NEW BREED OF GOD
  Clambering up the ladder, you emerge into a large 
  chamber formed of two concentric walkways and 
  open platforms. You stand on the outermost ring. 
  The walkways and platforms are raised above the 
  ﬂ oor, a bubbling pool of lava. Poking through the 
  ceiling you can see what looks like a mechani-
  cal drilling machine. It seems someone else has 
  reached the Hollow Earth from the surface, or at 
  least almost succeeded.
  Armed Amazons stand on four small platforms 
  on the inner ring. Their attention is focused on 
  events elsewhere in the chamber.
  Squinting through the bright light, you can just 
  make out Colonel Stampfer standing in the 
  middle of a large, circular platform in the center 
  of the room. Above him is a long, metal cylinder. 
  A glowing crystal in the base bathes the Nazi in 
  intense light. He has a look of sheer ecstasy on his 
  face. Athena stands nearby, watching eagerly.
  Heroes who pass a Common Knowledge roll at –2, or 
  a Knowledge (History) roll, deduce the concentric rings 
  and inner platform roughly match Plato’s description of 
  Atlantis, with its circular walls and canals.
  Stampfer is immune to damage at this point, pro-
  tected behind a power psychic energy ﬁ eld. Any shots 
  simply drop to the ﬂ oor, inches from him (and alert the 
  Amazons to the characters’ presence). However, the 
  STAMPFER
  STAMPFER
  Stampfer had played his cards carefully during his 
  captivity, and had told the blood priests of the likely 
  existence of technology which could make them 
  rulers of the Hollow Earth. Although they didn’t be-
  lieve him initially, his escape (and the likely use of 
  ﬁ rearms) convinced them there may be some truth 
  in his story.
  As such, after the escape, they sent a ship to the 
  Amazon isle. It arrived just in time to see Stampfer 
  and Athena depart. Following at a discrete distance, 
  the warriors reached the northern continent and 
  followed their foes.
  At ﬁ rst awed by the size of the Atlantean ruin, they 
  choose to wait and watch, fearful of what might lie 
  within. When they saw the characters enter, whom 
  they hate beyond measure for offending their gods, 
  revenge overcame fear, and they set off in pursuit.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1616
  shaped slabs of steaming rock are being transported into 
  the furnace.
  Peering the other way (against the movement of the 
  conveyor belt), the characters see slicing blades, smash-
  ing hammers, and a strange sort of gas! Beyond the gas 
  is the dull glow of molten rock, which seems to mark the 
  start of the process, and possibly the way out.
  Characters who make a Weird Science roll, or Com-
  mon Knowledge at –4, deduce the process takes molten 
  lava and converts it into something else, perhaps the 
  strange heatproof and lightweight metal used to con-
  struct the mining carts in the previous adventure.
  In order to escape the machinery, the characters must 
  complete the tasks below in the order they are written. 
  Characters who can ﬂ y, and who wish to go airborne, use 
  Piloting instead of Agility. 
  Unfortunately for the explorers, the heat is stiﬂ ing, 
  and moving against the motion of the conveyor belt is 
  energy draining. Unless the heroes escape within six 
  rounds, they suffer a level of Fatigue at the start of each 
  round thereafter. Once Incapacitated, they are carried 
  one stage back along the process. Since they cannot 
  avoid the machinery, damage is taken automatically. The 
  round after they pass through the saw, they are dumped 
  in the furnace and vaporized! Fatigue from this source is 
  removed once the scene ends.
  * 
  Powerful saws dart out from the walls, slicing 
  large metal blocks into smaller sections. Heroes who fail 
  an Agility roll suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra) and fail 
  to make any headway. They must repeat the roll next 
  round.
  * 
  Blobs of cooled rock are beaten into a long 
  rectangle by powerful blows from huge hammers. Avoid-
  ing the blows, which beat to a strange rhythmic pattern, 
  requires an Agility roll at -4. A hero who uses a complete 
  round to study the pattern can make a Smarts roll. With 
  success, he calculates the hammers’ beat. On the next 
  round, he can make an Agility roll with no penalty.
  A failed Agility roll causes 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) and the hero fails to make any headway. He may 
  repeat the roll next round.
  * 
  Now near the beginning of the process, the 
  characters can see the rock begins as molten lava. The 
  irregular blobs of red-hot goo pass through gas nozzles, 
  which squirt a constant cloud of freezing gas. A hero who 
  fails an Agility roll at –2 is partly frozen, and suffers from 
  intense shivers. All Agility and Agility-linked skill rolls 
  suffer a –1 penalty until the hero draws a Joker (or the 
  adventure ends).
  * 
  At the start of the process is a large, heavy blade. 
  Lava emerges from a tunnel and is cut into rough shapes. 
  Above this is a ladder (a maintenance ladder) leading up 
  into a shaft. Bright light can be seen shining down from 
  the hole.
  Grabbing it requires an Agility roll. Even ﬂ ying heroes 
  must make a Piloting roll, as the rising heat causes buffet-
  ing. A failed roll leaves the character on the conveyor belt 
  (or hovering in mid air). A critical failure means he has 
  landed on a blob of lava, suffering 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra). Flying heroes are instead caught by a spray of lava 
  from the rising blade, and suffer the same damage.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
  SCENE 3: A NEW BREED OF GOD
  SCENE 3: A NEW BREED OF GOD
  Clambering up the ladder, you emerge into a large 
  chamber formed of two concentric walkways and 
  open platforms. You stand on the outermost ring. 
  The walkways and platforms are raised above the 
  ﬂ oor, a bubbling pool of lava. Poking through the 
  ceiling you can see what looks like a mechani-
  cal drilling machine. It seems someone else has 
  reached the Hollow Earth from the surface, or at 
  least almost succeeded.
  Armed Amazons stand on four small platforms 
  on the inner ring. Their attention is focused on 
  events elsewhere in the chamber.
  Squinting through the bright light, you can just 
  make out Colonel Stampfer standing in the 
  middle of a large, circular platform in the center 
  of the room. Above him is a long, metal cylinder. 
  A glowing crystal in the base bathes the Nazi in 
  intense light. He has a look of sheer ecstasy on his 
  face. Athena stands nearby, watching eagerly.
  Heroes who pass a Common Knowledge roll at –2, or 
  a Knowledge (History) roll, deduce the concentric rings 
  and inner platform roughly match Plato’s description of 
  Atlantis, with its circular walls and canals.
  Stampfer is immune to damage at this point, pro-
  tected behind a power psychic energy ﬁ eld. Any shots 
  simply drop to the ﬂ oor, inches from him (and alert the 
  Amazons to the characters’ presence). However, the 
  STAMPFER
  STAMPFER
  Stampfer had played his cards carefully during his 
  captivity, and had told the blood priests of the likely 
  existence of technology which could make them 
  rulers of the Hollow Earth. Although they didn’t be-
  lieve him initially, his escape (and the likely use of 
  ﬁ rearms) convinced them there may be some truth 
  in his story.
  As such, after the escape, they sent a ship to the 
  Amazon isle. It arrived just in time to see Stampfer 
  and Athena depart. Following at a discrete distance, 
  the warriors reached the northern continent and 
  followed their foes.
  At ﬁ rst awed by the size of the Atlantean ruin, they 
  choose to wait and watch, fearful of what might lie 
  within. When they saw the characters enter, whom 
  they hate beyond measure for offending their gods, 
  revenge overcame fear, and they set off in pursuit.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1717
  cylinder can be targeted. It has no Toughness—any hit 
  causes the light to suddenly cease.
  The colonel is connected to an Atlantean machine, 
  which boosts mental strength and psychic ability. In a bid 
  to gain as much power as possible, he has cranked it to 
  full capacity. As the light dies down, whether because of a 
  ranged attack or because the characters let the scene run 
  its course, the Nazi staggers from the machine, clutching 
  his head.
  “Yes, YES!” he shouts. “I can feel it, inside my head, 
  growing, changing me. Such power! Through this 
  contraption, Germany shall rule the world, and I 
  shall rule Germany as a god!”
  Athena runs up to the Nazi. “What of me? You said 
  you could make me queen of the Amazons if I 
  helped you.”
  Stampfer tilts his head back and laughs a long, 
  hollow laugh. “Did you really think I have any 
  interest in helping a barbarian? Insect! You were 
  nothing more than a pawn.” With that, he ﬂ icks 
  his hand gently toward her, as if dismissing a 
  servant.
  The Amazon ﬂ ies across the chamber, as if picked 
  up by some invisible hand. She lands hard, slides, 
  and plummets into the lava. At the last second, 
  she reaches out a hand and grips the edge. She 
  hangs there, her knuckles white from the strain, 
  as Stampfer continues his laugh.
  The heroes gain Surprise over the Amazons if they 
  launch an attack (and haven’t already ﬁ red at Stampfer), 
  though not the Drop. Stampfer, with his newfound psy-
  chic powers, is not caught unawares. Deal only the party 
  and Stampfer action cards on the ﬁ rst round of combat. 
  Stampfer’s ﬁ rst action is to activate his special form of 
  barrier. He then uses his other powers, as appropriate, 
  to rid himself of his foes.
  Should they not act, Stampfer automatically notices 
  them through his Danger Sense, which represents the 
  ability to sense minds. He activates his barrier while 
  moving closer, and then ﬁ res a psychic burst at them, 
  which should force them into action.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  In the center of the chamber is a circular platform the 
  size of a Large Burst Template (6” diameter). Hanging 
  down over the center is a metal cylinder with a large 
  crystal at the end (the psychic machine).
  Four metal catwalks, each 1” wide, extend 4” toward 
  the cardinal points. At the end of each is a smaller plat-
  form (the size of a Medium Burst Template, or 4”). These 
  are linked together by a circular catwalk (1” wide).
  Each smaller platform also has a 4” long and 1” wide 
  catwalk projecting from it. The northern platform’s 
  catwalk goes north, the western one west, and so on. 
  These extend to another circular catwalk, which marks 
  the edge of the chamber.
  Neither the catwalks nor platforms have any form of 
  railing.
  The ﬂ oor, some 10’ below the platforms and catwalks, 
  is a bubbling pool of lava (used by the Atlanteans to 
  power their machines). The metal used to construct the 
  platforms and walkways doesn’t conduct heat, and its 
  melting point is exceptionally high.
  STAMPFER’S GROWING POWER
  STAMPFER’S GROWING POWER
  The power Stampfer gains through the machine 
  continues to grow each round. Changes to his stat block 
  occur at the start of the round listed below, and are thus 
  available when his action card is called.
  Round 1: Arcane Background (Psionics), Psionics d8. 
  Stampfer has no Power Points—he can use his abilities 
  at will and maintain powers indeﬁ nitely, though he still 
  suffers appropriate penalties for maintaining multiple 
  powers. Such is his power that he can use multiple 
  Psionic powers in the same round, though he suffers a 
  multi action penalty as normal. His psychic powers are 
  detailed in his stat block.
  Round 2: Psionics d10, Spirit d12.
  Round 3: Psionics d12, Mentalist Edge.
  Round 4: Professional (Psionics), Psionics d12+1.
  Round 5: Expert (Psionics), Psionics d12+2.
  Round 6: Master (Psionics), d10 Wild Die when using 
  Psionics.
  THE FIGHT
  THE FIGHT
  Stampfer begins under the cylinder. The heroes enter 
  on the outer catwalk, in line with the small platform. 
  Divide the Amazons equally among the other platforms.
  Athena is dangling over the lava on the southern edge 
  of the small platform below where the characters begin, 
  and cannot rescue herself (it’s a pulp thing). This is an 
  opportunity for a hero to set aside Athena’s duplicity and 
  do the right thing—rescue her. Dragging her to safety 
  requires a Strength roll as an action from an adjacent 
  character. At the start of the next round, Athena realizes 
  the error of her ways and orders her Amazons to attack 
  Stampfer.
  Chicomoztoc Warriors: At that exact same time, a 
  group of Chicomoztoc warriors, led by a blood priest, 
  bursts into the chamber. (See the sidebar.) Half emerge 
  onto the northern part of the outer catwalk, and half 
  to the south. The ﬁ nal ﬁ ght thus ends with a three-way 
  battle—Stampfer versus the heroes and Amazons versus 
  the Chicomoztoci! Let the players control the Amazons 
  (even Athena, for now).
  Overload: Once the Chicomoztoci arrive, things 
  start going badly awry. Stampfer’s use of the machine 
  at full power has caused the system, which has suffered 
  through lack of maintenance over the millennia, to go 
  into overload and meltdown. Electricity arcs along its 
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1717
  cylinder can be targeted. It has no Toughness—any hit 
  causes the light to suddenly cease.
  The colonel is connected to an Atlantean machine, 
  which boosts mental strength and psychic ability. In a bid 
  to gain as much power as possible, he has cranked it to 
  full capacity. As the light dies down, whether because of a 
  ranged attack or because the characters let the scene run 
  its course, the Nazi staggers from the machine, clutching 
  his head.
  “Yes, YES!” he shouts. “I can feel it, inside my head, 
  growing, changing me. Such power! Through this 
  contraption, Germany shall rule the world, and I 
  shall rule Germany as a god!”
  Athena runs up to the Nazi. “What of me? You said 
  you could make me queen of the Amazons if I 
  helped you.”
  Stampfer tilts his head back and laughs a long, 
  hollow laugh. “Did you really think I have any 
  interest in helping a barbarian? Insect! You were 
  nothing more than a pawn.” With that, he ﬂ icks 
  his hand gently toward her, as if dismissing a 
  servant.
  The Amazon ﬂ ies across the chamber, as if picked 
  up by some invisible hand. She lands hard, slides, 
  and plummets into the lava. At the last second, 
  she reaches out a hand and grips the edge. She 
  hangs there, her knuckles white from the strain, 
  as Stampfer continues his laugh.
  The heroes gain Surprise over the Amazons if they 
  launch an attack (and haven’t already ﬁ red at Stampfer), 
  though not the Drop. Stampfer, with his newfound psy-
  chic powers, is not caught unawares. Deal only the party 
  and Stampfer action cards on the ﬁ rst round of combat. 
  Stampfer’s ﬁ rst action is to activate his special form of 
  barrier. He then uses his other powers, as appropriate, 
  to rid himself of his foes.
  Should they not act, Stampfer automatically notices 
  them through his Danger Sense, which represents the 
  ability to sense minds. He activates his barrier while 
  moving closer, and then ﬁ res a psychic burst at them, 
  which should force them into action.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  In the center of the chamber is a circular platform the 
  size of a Large Burst Template (6” diameter). Hanging 
  down over the center is a metal cylinder with a large 
  crystal at the end (the psychic machine).
  Four metal catwalks, each 1” wide, extend 4” toward 
  the cardinal points. At the end of each is a smaller plat-
  form (the size of a Medium Burst Template, or 4”). These 
  are linked together by a circular catwalk (1” wide).
  Each smaller platform also has a 4” long and 1” wide 
  catwalk projecting from it. The northern platform’s 
  catwalk goes north, the western one west, and so on. 
  These extend to another circular catwalk, which marks 
  the edge of the chamber.
  Neither the catwalks nor platforms have any form of 
  railing.
  The ﬂ oor, some 10’ below the platforms and catwalks, 
  is a bubbling pool of lava (used by the Atlanteans to 
  power their machines). The metal used to construct the 
  platforms and walkways doesn’t conduct heat, and its 
  melting point is exceptionally high.
  STAMPFER’S GROWING POWER
  STAMPFER’S GROWING POWER
  The power Stampfer gains through the machine 
  continues to grow each round. Changes to his stat block 
  occur at the start of the round listed below, and are thus 
  available when his action card is called.
  Round 1: Arcane Background (Psionics), Psionics d8. 
  Stampfer has no Power Points—he can use his abilities 
  at will and maintain powers indeﬁ nitely, though he still 
  suffers appropriate penalties for maintaining multiple 
  powers. Such is his power that he can use multiple 
  Psionic powers in the same round, though he suffers a 
  multi action penalty as normal. His psychic powers are 
  detailed in his stat block.
  Round 2: Psionics d10, Spirit d12.
  Round 3: Psionics d12, Mentalist Edge.
  Round 4: Professional (Psionics), Psionics d12+1.
  Round 5: Expert (Psionics), Psionics d12+2.
  Round 6: Master (Psionics), d10 Wild Die when using 
  Psionics.
  THE FIGHT
  THE FIGHT
  Stampfer begins under the cylinder. The heroes enter 
  on the outer catwalk, in line with the small platform. 
  Divide the Amazons equally among the other platforms.
  Athena is dangling over the lava on the southern edge 
  of the small platform below where the characters begin, 
  and cannot rescue herself (it’s a pulp thing). This is an 
  opportunity for a hero to set aside Athena’s duplicity and 
  do the right thing—rescue her. Dragging her to safety 
  requires a Strength roll as an action from an adjacent 
  character. At the start of the next round, Athena realizes 
  the error of her ways and orders her Amazons to attack 
  Stampfer.
  Chicomoztoc Warriors: At that exact same time, a 
  group of Chicomoztoc warriors, led by a blood priest, 
  bursts into the chamber. (See the sidebar.) Half emerge 
  onto the northern part of the outer catwalk, and half 
  to the south. The ﬁ nal ﬁ ght thus ends with a three-way 
  battle—Stampfer versus the heroes and Amazons versus 
  the Chicomoztoci! Let the players control the Amazons 
  (even Athena, for now).
  Overload: Once the Chicomoztoci arrive, things 
  start going badly awry. Stampfer’s use of the machine 
  at full power has caused the system, which has suffered 
  through lack of maintenance over the millennia, to go 
  into overload and meltdown. Electricity arcs along its 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1818
  length, and it begins emitting bolts of psychic energy in 
  random directions. Deal it an action card.
  On the machine’s card, roll a d8 and count clockwise 
  around the adjacent squares, with the square directly 
  above counting as 1. Place a Cone Template pointing 
  into the indicated square. Anyone under the template 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage.
  Athena’s Sacriﬁ ce: With his new powers, Stampfer is 
  a tough opponent. His barrier must be knocked down 
  before he can even be harmed, and the Nazi can sim-
  ply use an action on the following round to activate it 
  again.
  In true pulp tradition, Athena decides to make amends 
  for her previous errors in a dramatic and fatal way. In 
  the 7th round, assuming Stampfer hasn’t already been 
  defeated, she throws herself at him while shouting, “For 
  the Amazons and their true queen!” She knocks them 
  both into the lava, killing herself and Stampfer instantly.
  Stampfer is Dead: If Stampfer reaches Incapacitated 
  before then (don’t roll on the Incapacitation Table), he 
  falls into the nearest pool of lava, and is instantly sucked 
  under. An earth tremor causes the strange drilling ma-
  chine to break free from its lofty position and plummets 
  to the earth. It splashes into the lava, submerges brieﬂ y, 
  and then bobs back to the surface. Its thick shielding 
  protects it from the worst excesses of the heat.
  However Stampfer dies, the structure begins to col-
  lapse as he perishes. Large chunks of the ceiling fall into 
  the lava and crash onto the ﬂ oor. Cassandra, if alive, 
  urges the characters to use the strange machine to es-
  cape back to their own world before they are trapped 
  here forever. Allow the party chance to say their farewells 
  (which might include promoting Cassandra to queen). 
  Cassandra then leads her Amazons to safety.
  Should the characters not use the machine, they’re 
  trapped in the Hollow Earth. The entire Atlantean ruin 
  collapses around the characters as they ﬂ ee on foot, 
  preventing any further exploration. The GM will have to 
  create an adventure allowing them to escape back to the 
  surface world.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18.
   Athena: See page 18.
   Amazon Warriors (3 per hero): See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Blood Priest: See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
  RUN AWAY!
  RUN AWAY!
  The interior of the machine contains six passenger 
  seats and a small cabin ﬁ lled with dials and levers. Ex-
  cept for a battered satchel, there is nothing else of any 
  interest. Engraved on it are the letters, “J.C.” and “HEX.” 
  They’re meaningless to the characters. Inside the satchel 
  is an original copy of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center 
  of the Earth.
  Operating the machine requires a character with the 
  Driving skill to take the helm, but no roll is required. 
  With a roar, the engine kicks into life. The machine tilts at 
  an angle of 45 degrees and the drill begins to spin. Blast-
  ing through the lava, the device begins cutting through 
  the surrounding stone and back toward the surface of 
  the Earth. After a relatively short but bumpy ride, the 
  machine breaks through the Earth’s crust.
  The characters have surfaced in a farmer’s ﬁ eld in 
  Mexico, much to the surprise of the locals.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  After fulﬁ lling his dream and reaching the Hollow 
  Earth, Stampfer is disgusted to discover the inhabitants 
  are technological primitives. He still suspects there is 
  ancient technology here, however, and will do anything 
  to retrieve it to secure Germany’s ascendance.
  Abilities in italics are available only in the ﬁ nal scene 
  of the adventure. Stampfer has no Power Points—he can 
  use his abilities at will and maintain powers indeﬁ nitely, 
  though he still suffers appropriate penalties for main-
  taining multiple powers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Knowl-
  edge (History) d10, Persuasion d10, Psionics dX (see 
  text), Shooting d8, Streetwise d8, Survival d8, Tracking 
  d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Greedy (Major), One Eye
  Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics; see text), Block, 
  Command, Danger Sense, Fervor, Improved Dodge, Im-
  proved Frenzy, Improved Level Headed, Quick, Strong 
  Willed, Woodsman
  Powers: barrier* (wall of psychic energy), burst** 
  (telekinetic force), deﬂ ection (telekinesis), entangle 
  (telekinetic grip), puppet (mind control), telekinesis
  Gear: Long sword (Str+d8)
  * The barrier completely surrounds the space Stamp-
  fer occupies and cannot be cast to affect anyone else. It 
  moves with him. He can make physic attacks through the 
  shield, but cannot use mundane weapons.
  ** Victims are also knocked back 1” and sent prone. 
  Characters pushed into the lava are left hanging on the 
  edge. A Strength roll is required as an action to climb 
  back onto a catwalk or platform.
  (WC) ATHENA
  (WC) ATHENA
  Athena served the late-queen Hypsipyle as her loyal 
  champion. With the old queen dead, Athena covets the 
  Amazon throne. She is ruthless, conniving, and totally 
  dedicated to her goal. Should she ever become queen, 
  she would be a dictator, removing her enemies through 
  fair means or foul.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  1818
  length, and it begins emitting bolts of psychic energy in 
  random directions. Deal it an action card.
  On the machine’s card, roll a d8 and count clockwise 
  around the adjacent squares, with the square directly 
  above counting as 1. Place a Cone Template pointing 
  into the indicated square. Anyone under the template 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage.
  Athena’s Sacriﬁ ce: With his new powers, Stampfer is 
  a tough opponent. His barrier must be knocked down 
  before he can even be harmed, and the Nazi can sim-
  ply use an action on the following round to activate it 
  again.
  In true pulp tradition, Athena decides to make amends 
  for her previous errors in a dramatic and fatal way. In 
  the 7th round, assuming Stampfer hasn’t already been 
  defeated, she throws herself at him while shouting, “For 
  the Amazons and their true queen!” She knocks them 
  both into the lava, killing herself and Stampfer instantly.
  Stampfer is Dead: If Stampfer reaches Incapacitated 
  before then (don’t roll on the Incapacitation Table), he 
  falls into the nearest pool of lava, and is instantly sucked 
  under. An earth tremor causes the strange drilling ma-
  chine to break free from its lofty position and plummets 
  to the earth. It splashes into the lava, submerges brieﬂ y, 
  and then bobs back to the surface. Its thick shielding 
  protects it from the worst excesses of the heat.
  However Stampfer dies, the structure begins to col-
  lapse as he perishes. Large chunks of the ceiling fall into 
  the lava and crash onto the ﬂ oor. Cassandra, if alive, 
  urges the characters to use the strange machine to es-
  cape back to their own world before they are trapped 
  here forever. Allow the party chance to say their farewells 
  (which might include promoting Cassandra to queen). 
  Cassandra then leads her Amazons to safety.
  Should the characters not use the machine, they’re 
  trapped in the Hollow Earth. The entire Atlantean ruin 
  collapses around the characters as they ﬂ ee on foot, 
  preventing any further exploration. The GM will have to 
  create an adventure allowing them to escape back to the 
  surface world.
   Cassandra: As Henchman Amazon warrior (page 
  19).
   Colonel Stampfer: See page 18.
   Athena: See page 18.
   Amazon Warriors (3 per hero): See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Blood Priest: See page 19.
   Chicomoztoc Warriors (3 per hero): See page 
  19.
  RUN AWAY!
  RUN AWAY!
  The interior of the machine contains six passenger 
  seats and a small cabin ﬁ lled with dials and levers. Ex-
  cept for a battered satchel, there is nothing else of any 
  interest. Engraved on it are the letters, “J.C.” and “HEX.” 
  They’re meaningless to the characters. Inside the satchel 
  is an original copy of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center 
  of the Earth.
  Operating the machine requires a character with the 
  Driving skill to take the helm, but no roll is required. 
  With a roar, the engine kicks into life. The machine tilts at 
  an angle of 45 degrees and the drill begins to spin. Blast-
  ing through the lava, the device begins cutting through 
  the surrounding stone and back toward the surface of 
  the Earth. After a relatively short but bumpy ride, the 
  machine breaks through the Earth’s crust.
  The characters have surfaced in a farmer’s ﬁ eld in 
  Mexico, much to the surprise of the locals.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  SS-COLONEL REINHARDT STAMPFER
  After fulﬁ lling his dream and reaching the Hollow 
  Earth, Stampfer is disgusted to discover the inhabitants 
  are technological primitives. He still suspects there is 
  ancient technology here, however, and will do anything 
  to retrieve it to secure Germany’s ascendance.
  Abilities in italics are available only in the ﬁ nal scene 
  of the adventure. Stampfer has no Power Points—he can 
  use his abilities at will and maintain powers indeﬁ nitely, 
  though he still suffers appropriate penalties for main-
  taining multiple powers.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Knowl-
  edge (History) d10, Persuasion d10, Psionics dX (see 
  text), Shooting d8, Streetwise d8, Survival d8, Tracking 
  d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Cautious, Greedy (Major), One Eye
  Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics; see text), Block, 
  Command, Danger Sense, Fervor, Improved Dodge, Im-
  proved Frenzy, Improved Level Headed, Quick, Strong 
  Willed, Woodsman
  Powers: barrier* (wall of psychic energy), burst** 
  (telekinetic force), deﬂ ection (telekinesis), entangle 
  (telekinetic grip), puppet (mind control), telekinesis
  Gear: Long sword (Str+d8)
  * The barrier completely surrounds the space Stamp-
  fer occupies and cannot be cast to affect anyone else. It 
  moves with him. He can make physic attacks through the 
  shield, but cannot use mundane weapons.
  ** Victims are also knocked back 1” and sent prone. 
  Characters pushed into the lava are left hanging on the 
  edge. A Strength roll is required as an action to climb 
  back onto a catwalk or platform.
  (WC) ATHENA
  (WC) ATHENA
  Athena served the late-queen Hypsipyle as her loyal 
  champion. With the old queen dead, Athena covets the 
  Amazon throne. She is ruthless, conniving, and totally 
  dedicated to her goal. Should she ever become queen, 
  she would be a dictator, removing her enemies through 
  fair means or foul.
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1919
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d10, Survival d8, Taunt 
  d10, Throwing d10, Tracking d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean, Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Acrobat, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved 
  Block, Improved Dodge, Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Sweep, Level Headed, Quick Draw, Strong Willed, Very 
  Attractive, Woodsman
  Gear: Battle axe (Str+d8), throwing spear (Range: 
  3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), short bow (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6)
  AMAZON WARRIOR
  AMAZON WARRIOR
  Attractive and deadly, every Amazon woman over the age 
  of 10 receives training as a warrior and hunter. By the time 
  they reach 16, they are well-trained ﬁ ghters. By law, an Ama-
  zon can only take slaves once she passes her Rite of Adult-
  hood, which can occur anytime after her 16th birthday.
  Cassandra uses these stats, but is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Throwing d8, 
  Tracking d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Illiterate, Loyal
  Edges: Attractive, Combat Reﬂ exes, Woodsman
  Gear: Short sword or hand axe (Str+d6), throwing spear 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), short bow (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6)
  AMAZON SLAVE
  AMAZON SLAVE
  Well-muscled, hairless, and completely naked, Ama-
  zon slaves are all male. They have no rights and few 
  privileges. Their only duty is to serve their mistresses 
  in whatever way they desire. Male children born to an 
  Amazon are sold as slaves to other families. No maternal 
  bond exists between mother and son.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Illiterate, Loyal
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: —
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  1919
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d10, Survival d8, Taunt 
  d10, Throwing d10, Tracking d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean, Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Acrobat, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved 
  Block, Improved Dodge, Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Sweep, Level Headed, Quick Draw, Strong Willed, Very 
  Attractive, Woodsman
  Gear: Battle axe (Str+d8), throwing spear (Range: 
  3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), short bow (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6)
  AMAZON WARRIOR
  AMAZON WARRIOR
  Attractive and deadly, every Amazon woman over the age 
  of 10 receives training as a warrior and hunter. By the time 
  they reach 16, they are well-trained ﬁ ghters. By law, an Ama-
  zon can only take slaves once she passes her Rite of Adult-
  hood, which can occur anytime after her 16th birthday.
  Cassandra uses these stats, but is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Throwing d8, 
  Tracking d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Illiterate, Loyal
  Edges: Attractive, Combat Reﬂ exes, Woodsman
  Gear: Short sword or hand axe (Str+d6), throwing spear 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), short bow (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6)
  AMAZON SLAVE
  AMAZON SLAVE
  Well-muscled, hairless, and completely naked, Ama-
  zon slaves are all male. They have no rights and few 
  privileges. Their only duty is to serve their mistresses 
  in whatever way they desire. Male children born to an 
  Amazon are sold as slaves to other families. No maternal 
  bond exists between mother and son.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Illiterate, Loyal
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: —
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  2020
  CHICOMOZTOC BLOOD PRIEST
  CHICOMOZTOC BLOOD PRIEST
  One of the ruling council of priests, the priest wears 
  a feathered robe and elaborate headdress. Around his 
  belt are the shriveled hearts of previous victims. His 
  spells are the equivalent of 25 Power Points (with no 
  maintenance).
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Spellcasting 
  d10
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7(1)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Frenzy, 
  Sweep
  Powers: During the encounter the priest can use the 
  following spells: 3 x bolt (rips out heart; 2 bolts for 
  2d6 damage), 1 x deﬂ ection (spectral skulls intercept 
  attacks), 1 x fear (shrieking screams of previous vic-
  tims), 5 x zombie (each use animates one corpse. He 
  can cast multiple spells with a single die roll, but not 
  decide in advance how many spells he will use before 
  he rolls). Spells that can be maintained are instead ﬁ xed 
  at 3 rounds per casting.
  Gear: Feathered cloak (+1), obsidian dagger (Str+d4)
  CHICOMOZTOC WARRIORS
  CHICOMOZTOC WARRIORS
  Dressed and equipped much like Aztecs, the Chico-
  moztoci are relentless in their quest to provide sacriﬁ ces 
  for their gods. Should they fail in their duties, they know 
  only too well one of them may be chosen to have his 
  beating heart ripped from his chest and offered up on 
  a plate.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Shoot-
  ing d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Frenzy, Sweep
  Gear: Obsidian hand axe (Str+d6), 3 x throwing spear 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), blowgun (Range: 
  2/4/8, Damage: 2d4 + poison)
  Special Abilities:
  * Poison: Victims hit by a dart, whether or not they 
  are injured, must make a Vigor roll at –1. With fail-
  ure, they lose a die of Strength, Agility, and all Agility-
  linked skills (minimum d4). The effects wear off after 
  an hour.
  ATLANTEAN SPECTERS
  ATLANTEAN SPECTERS
  The specters are not creatures of ﬂ esh and blood, but 
  psychic projections powered by ancient Atlantean tech-
  nology. They have no feelings of any sort, and cannot be 
  communicated with.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Limited Immunity: +2 to resist opposed Psionic 
  powers and +2 Armor against damage-causing Psi-
  onic powers. Immune to puppet (they have no minds 
  to speak of). Completely immune to all other forms of 
  arcane attack.
  * Psychic Blows: The specters are armed with a variety 
  of one-handed melee weapons. Regardless of type, 
  they cause Str+d6 damage.
  * Psychic Projection: The specters are psychic projec-
  tions, and are immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  PIRATE CAPTAIN
  PIRATE CAPTAIN
  The captain is not the original commander of the ves-
  sel, which was sucked into the Hollow Earth centuries 
  ago while navigating the Bermuda Triangle, but he is a 
  direct blood relation. A scurvy seadog if ever there was, 
  he preys on unarmed merchant ships, selling their pre-
  cious cargoes across the Hollow Earth and selling prison-
  ers to anyone willing to meet his price.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  Shooting d10, Stealth d8, Taunt d8, Swimming d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Mean
  Edges: Command, Improved Frenzy
  Gear: Cutlass (Str+d6), ﬂ intlock pistol (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 2d6 +1, 2 rounds to reload), 20 rounds
  PIRATE
  PIRATE
  Most of the seadogs are descendants of the original 
  mariners, but a few are natives, turned to a life of crime 
  and debauchery.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6, Swimming d4
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Cutlass (Str+d6), ﬂ intlock pistol (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 2d6 +1, 2 rounds to reload), 10 rounds
  VELOCIRAPTOR
  VELOCIRAPTOR
  Unlike the eoraptors from the previous adventure, 
  these are much bigger dinosaurs, more akin to the ve-
  lociraptors in the Jurassic Park movie trilogy. Fast and 
  deadly, their instincts are simply to kill and eat whatever 
  they see.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #10
  2020
  CHICOMOZTOC BLOOD PRIEST
  CHICOMOZTOC BLOOD PRIEST
  One of the ruling council of priests, the priest wears 
  a feathered robe and elaborate headdress. Around his 
  belt are the shriveled hearts of previous victims. His 
  spells are the equivalent of 25 Power Points (with no 
  maintenance).
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Spellcasting 
  d10
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7(1)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Frenzy, 
  Sweep
  Powers: During the encounter the priest can use the 
  following spells: 3 x bolt (rips out heart; 2 bolts for 
  2d6 damage), 1 x deﬂ ection (spectral skulls intercept 
  attacks), 1 x fear (shrieking screams of previous vic-
  tims), 5 x zombie (each use animates one corpse. He 
  can cast multiple spells with a single die roll, but not 
  decide in advance how many spells he will use before 
  he rolls). Spells that can be maintained are instead ﬁ xed 
  at 3 rounds per casting.
  Gear: Feathered cloak (+1), obsidian dagger (Str+d4)
  CHICOMOZTOC WARRIORS
  CHICOMOZTOC WARRIORS
  Dressed and equipped much like Aztecs, the Chico-
  moztoci are relentless in their quest to provide sacriﬁ ces 
  for their gods. Should they fail in their duties, they know 
  only too well one of them may be chosen to have his 
  beating heart ripped from his chest and offered up on 
  a plate.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Shoot-
  ing d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Frenzy, Sweep
  Gear: Obsidian hand axe (Str+d6), 3 x throwing spear 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d6), blowgun (Range: 
  2/4/8, Damage: 2d4 + poison)
  Special Abilities:
  * Poison: Victims hit by a dart, whether or not they 
  are injured, must make a Vigor roll at –1. With fail-
  ure, they lose a die of Strength, Agility, and all Agility-
  linked skills (minimum d4). The effects wear off after 
  an hour.
  ATLANTEAN SPECTERS
  ATLANTEAN SPECTERS
  The specters are not creatures of ﬂ esh and blood, but 
  psychic projections powered by ancient Atlantean tech-
  nology. They have no feelings of any sort, and cannot be 
  communicated with.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Limited Immunity: +2 to resist opposed Psionic 
  powers and +2 Armor against damage-causing Psi-
  onic powers. Immune to puppet (they have no minds 
  to speak of). Completely immune to all other forms of 
  arcane attack.
  * Psychic Blows: The specters are armed with a variety 
  of one-handed melee weapons. Regardless of type, 
  they cause Str+d6 damage.
  * Psychic Projection: The specters are psychic projec-
  tions, and are immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  PIRATE CAPTAIN
  PIRATE CAPTAIN
  The captain is not the original commander of the ves-
  sel, which was sucked into the Hollow Earth centuries 
  ago while navigating the Bermuda Triangle, but he is a 
  direct blood relation. A scurvy seadog if ever there was, 
  he preys on unarmed merchant ships, selling their pre-
  cious cargoes across the Hollow Earth and selling prison-
  ers to anyone willing to meet his price.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  Shooting d10, Stealth d8, Taunt d8, Swimming d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Mean
  Edges: Command, Improved Frenzy
  Gear: Cutlass (Str+d6), ﬂ intlock pistol (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 2d6 +1, 2 rounds to reload), 20 rounds
  PIRATE
  PIRATE
  Most of the seadogs are descendants of the original 
  mariners, but a few are natives, turned to a life of crime 
  and debauchery.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Shoot-
  ing d6, Swimming d4
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Cutlass (Str+d6), ﬂ intlock pistol (Range: 5/10/20, 
  Damage: 2d6 +1, 2 rounds to reload), 10 rounds
  VELOCIRAPTOR
  VELOCIRAPTOR
  Unlike the eoraptors from the previous adventure, 
  these are much bigger dinosaurs, more akin to the ve-
  lociraptors in the Jurassic Park movie trilogy. Fast and 
  deadly, their instincts are simply to kill and eat whatever 
  they see.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8
  
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  2121
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite/Foot Claw: Str+d8
  * Pounce: A velociraptor can leap up to 4” to gain +4 
  to its attack and damage. Its Parry is reduced by –2 
  until its next action when performing the maneuver 
  however.
  FUNGAL ZOMBIES
  FUNGAL ZOMBIES
  Fungal zombies, also known as fungals, aren’t actu-
  ally undead, though it’s hard to tell just from looking at 
  them. Victims of certain spores, the creatures are now 
  part plant and part human. Their skin is a mass of bul-
  bous fungus of many hues, prone to exploding suddenly 
  and releasing a cloud of spores.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Claws: Str+d4.
  * Immunity: Immune to poison and disease.
  * Plant: +2 to recover from being Shaken. Called Shots 
  do no extra damage.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: These fungal abominations roll a d4 
  running die, instead of a d6.
  * Spores: Once a day, a fungal zombie can release a 
  cloud of spores. The spores ﬁ ll a Medium Burst Tem-
  plate centered on the fungal, and last until the fun-
  gal’s next action. Any creature in the cloud must make 
  a Vigor roll or be affected. (A victim caught in mul-
  tiple clouds must roll for each one separately.) The 
  nature of the afﬂ iction depends on the type of spore 
  released. Each cloud contains only one type of spore. 
  Roll a d4 and consult the table below. Fungals are im-
  mune to these spores.
  FUNGAL SPORES
  FUNGAL SPORES
  d4 
  Spore Type
  1 
  Paralysis: The victim is paralyzed for 2d6 
  rounds, during which time he can take no 
  actions.
  2 
  Choking: Victims are Shaken for 1d6 rounds. 
  This does not count as a physical attack and 
  cannot be removed with a benny.
  3 
  Blinding: The victim is blinded. He has –6 to all 
  trait rolls involving sight, and his Parry drops to 
  2. He may make an Agility roll each round as an 
  action to rub the spores free of his eyes. With 
  success, the spores are removed but it consumes 
  the entire round. With a raise, the hero regains 
  his sight and may act as normal.
  4 
  Berserk: The victim automatically goes berserk 
  (as per the Edge) and attacks the nearest crea-
  ture, friend or foe, with a Wild Attack. If there 
  are multiple targets available, roll randomly to 
  see which one the victim attacks. Calming down 
  is as normal for the Berserk Edge.
  WILD MAN CHIEF
  WILD MAN CHIEF
  The strongest, smartest, and most agile member of 
  the tribe, the chief rules the tribe through charisma, not 
  force of arms. His kidnapping of Cassandra is not an evil 
  act. Indeed, the chief ﬁ rst caught sight of her years ago, 
  when she visited the Atlantean ruin, and set his heart on 
  capturing her. Now, years later, fate has delivered him 
  into his arms.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d8, Stealth d8, Survival d10, Tracking d10, Swim-
  ming d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Clueless, Illiterate
  Edges: Acrobat, Beast Bond, Beast Master, Brawny, Char-
  ismatic, Combat Reﬂ exes, Fleet Footed, Woodsman
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  WILD MAN
  WILD MAN
  Although they lack the basic trappings of civiliza-
  tion, these are not mindless savages. Rather, they have, 
  through choice or necessity, chosen to live a simple 
  life.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Tracking d8, Swimming d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Clueless, Illiterate
  Edges: Acrobat, Woodsman
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  TENTACLES
  TENTACLES
  Long, snakelike, and powerful, each tentacle is treated 
  as an individual Extra. Wounds do not harm the creature 
  lurking beneath. When a tentacle is wounded, it sinks 
  beneath the water and does not return.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * First Strike: Each tentacle may make a free Fighting 
  roll against one opponent who moves adjacent to it.
  * Mindless: The tentacles are immune to Smarts Tricks 
  and Tests of Will.
  * Size –1: The tentacles are long but thin.
  * Slam: Str. On a raise, the creature has grappled the 
  victim. An entangled victim may only attempt an op-
  posed Strength roll each round to escape. Once grap-
  pled, the tentacle does its Strength damage automati-
  cally by crushing its prey.
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  KINGDOM OF THE BLOOD GODS
  2121
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite/Foot Claw: Str+d8
  * Pounce: A velociraptor can leap up to 4” to gain +4 
  to its attack and damage. Its Parry is reduced by –2 
  until its next action when performing the maneuver 
  however.
  FUNGAL ZOMBIES
  FUNGAL ZOMBIES
  Fungal zombies, also known as fungals, aren’t actu-
  ally undead, though it’s hard to tell just from looking at 
  them. Victims of certain spores, the creatures are now 
  part plant and part human. Their skin is a mass of bul-
  bous fungus of many hues, prone to exploding suddenly 
  and releasing a cloud of spores.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities:
  * Claws: Str+d4.
  * Immunity: Immune to poison and disease.
  * Plant: +2 to recover from being Shaken. Called Shots 
  do no extra damage.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: These fungal abominations roll a d4 
  running die, instead of a d6.
  * Spores: Once a day, a fungal zombie can release a 
  cloud of spores. The spores ﬁ ll a Medium Burst Tem-
  plate centered on the fungal, and last until the fun-
  gal’s next action. Any creature in the cloud must make 
  a Vigor roll or be affected. (A victim caught in mul-
  tiple clouds must roll for each one separately.) The 
  nature of the afﬂ iction depends on the type of spore 
  released. Each cloud contains only one type of spore. 
  Roll a d4 and consult the table below. Fungals are im-
  mune to these spores.
  FUNGAL SPORES
  FUNGAL SPORES
  d4 
  Spore Type
  1 
  Paralysis: The victim is paralyzed for 2d6 
  rounds, during which time he can take no 
  actions.
  2 
  Choking: Victims are Shaken for 1d6 rounds. 
  This does not count as a physical attack and 
  cannot be removed with a benny.
  3 
  Blinding: The victim is blinded. He has –6 to all 
  trait rolls involving sight, and his Parry drops to 
  2. He may make an Agility roll each round as an 
  action to rub the spores free of his eyes. With 
  success, the spores are removed but it consumes 
  the entire round. With a raise, the hero regains 
  his sight and may act as normal.
  4 
  Berserk: The victim automatically goes berserk 
  (as per the Edge) and attacks the nearest crea-
  ture, friend or foe, with a Wild Attack. If there 
  are multiple targets available, roll randomly to 
  see which one the victim attacks. Calming down 
  is as normal for the Berserk Edge.
  WILD MAN CHIEF
  WILD MAN CHIEF
  The strongest, smartest, and most agile member of 
  the tribe, the chief rules the tribe through charisma, not 
  force of arms. His kidnapping of Cassandra is not an evil 
  act. Indeed, the chief ﬁ rst caught sight of her years ago, 
  when she visited the Atlantean ruin, and set his heart on 
  capturing her. Now, years later, fate has delivered him 
  into his arms.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d8, Stealth d8, Survival d10, Tracking d10, Swim-
  ming d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Clueless, Illiterate
  Edges: Acrobat, Beast Bond, Beast Master, Brawny, Char-
  ismatic, Combat Reﬂ exes, Fleet Footed, Woodsman
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  WILD MAN
  WILD MAN
  Although they lack the basic trappings of civiliza-
  tion, these are not mindless savages. Rather, they have, 
  through choice or necessity, chosen to live a simple 
  life.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Tracking d8, Swimming d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: All Thumbs, Clueless, Illiterate
  Edges: Acrobat, Woodsman
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  TENTACLES
  TENTACLES
  Long, snakelike, and powerful, each tentacle is treated 
  as an individual Extra. Wounds do not harm the creature 
  lurking beneath. When a tentacle is wounded, it sinks 
  beneath the water and does not return.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * First Strike: Each tentacle may make a free Fighting 
  roll against one opponent who moves adjacent to it.
  * Mindless: The tentacles are immune to Smarts Tricks 
  and Tests of Will.
  * Size –1: The tentacles are long but thin.
  * Slam: Str. On a raise, the creature has grappled the 
  victim. An entangled victim may only attempt an op-
  posed Strength roll each round to escape. Once grap-
  pled, the tentacle does its Strength damage automati-
  cally by crushing its prey.
  
  EPIC FANTASY IN A FROZEN WORLD!
  The Hellfrost Player’s Guide contains everything 
  you need to begin adventuring in the frozen 
  wastes:
  ✹ 128 page full colour hardcover rulebook.
  ✹ Six player character races.
  ✹ Dozens of new Edges, including Disciple Edges for 
  religious heroes.
  ✹ Rules for hedge magic.
  ✹ Six alternate magical Arcane Backgrounds, a revised 
  casting system removing the need for Power Points, 
  and the effects of the magic-draining phenomenon 
  known as the Siphoning.
  ✹ Details on 24 deities and their followers.
  ✹ Rules for Glory, a new trait that measures the great 
  deeds of your heroes.
  ✹ Organizations suitable for character membership, 
  including the Convocation of Elementalists, Hearth 
  Knights, Reliquary, and Sisters of Mercy.
  ✹ Complete setting rules for adventuring in Rassilon.
  Welcome to the world of Rassilon. Welcome to the Hellfrost!
  Hellfrost is an epic fantasy setting for the award-winning Savage Worlds RPG
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  MSRP: $29.99
  SKU#: 30001
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31022
  31022
  $7.50
  $7.50
  When last we left our intrepid heroes 
  they were plummeting down a mine 
  shaft inside an erupting volcano. 
  Where have they ended up?
  Prepare to unlock the secrets of 
  the world beneath your feet, as 
  the Daring Tales enter the hollow 
  earth. In their quest to escape to the 
  world they know, the adventurers 
  must tangle with nubile but deadly 
  Amazons, battle pirates from a bygone 
  age, face the bloodthirsty ancestors 
  of the Aztecs, cross through deadly swamps, explore the ruins of a lost 
  city, and defeat the Nazis!
  With death lurking at every step of their journey, will the heroes 
  have what it takes to survive the Kingdom of the Blood Gods?
  Daring Tales of Adventure: Kingdom of the Blood Gods is the tenth 
  publication in this popular Savage Worlds line by Triple Ace Games.
  where under the world are they!
  where under the world are they!
  
  the hands of kali
  the hands of kali
  the hands of kali
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31023
  31023
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1111
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1111
  
  The Thuggee are perhaps one of the best-known 
  criminal gangs in history. Operating for centuries in the 
  backwaters of India, their modus operandi (strangula-
  tion) and links to the goddess Kali have made them 
  popular pulp villains.
  In truth, the Thuggee were not a vast, organized 
  network of killers, but rather independent gangs who 
  shared a common methodology and history. Ranks were 
  informal, and often Thuggee could trace their ancestry 
  back along lines of murderers.
  In 1835, William Sleeman, a British ofﬁ cial, was ap-
  pointed head of the “Thuggee and Dacoity Department.” 
  Through the use of intelligence and informants, Sleeman 
  began to systematically eradicate the Thuggee. By 1870, 
  Thuggee had vanished, and the roads of India were safer 
  than they had been for many generations. The Thuggee 
  and Dacoity Department remained in force until 1904, 
  after which time it was superseded by the Central Crimi-
  nal Intelligence Department.
  Eradicating Thuggee did not only ensure safer travel 
  through the subcontinent. Sleeman’s work also helped 
  secure Indian support for the British Raj, and was thus as 
  much a political victory as one over criminality.
  The year is now 1937 and times are changing rapidly. Af-
  ter centuries of British dominance, India now has indepen-
  dent provincial assemblies. Although full independence is 
  still a decade away (1947), the seeds have been sown.
  This has not gone down well with every British of-
  ﬁ cial. One in particular, Sir Walter Sleeman, a distant 
  descendant of William Sleeman and head of the CCID, 
  has taken great offense at the possibility of a free India. 
  Sleeman is a colonial through and through, and one of 
  the worst kind. In his eyes, only the British are ﬁ t to rule 
  the subcontinent. To that end, he has taken steps to en-
  sure British rule remains in force.
  A former engineer and student of Weird Science, 
  Sleeman has used his advanced technical knowledge to 
  create a number of mechanical hands. Wrapped in black 
  bandages, his inventions have been used in a dozen mur-
  ders, leaving no sign of a break in and a victim obviously 
  strangled with extreme force. Sleeman, acting through 
  agents, has started rumors of a Thuggee resurgence. 
  Rumors are also rife that the ancient cult is using vile 
  black magic rituals to reanimate the hands of former 
  Thuggee.
  Following the deaths of a number of British govern-
  ment ofﬁ cials and minor Indian nobility, India is rapidly 
  descending into chaos. Many important Indian nobles 
  and ofﬁ cials have already asked the British for military 
  support in stamping out the Thuggee, exactly as Slee-
  man hoped. British ofﬁ cials have begun eying the Indi-
  ans with suspicion, creating tension across the land. All 
  is exactly as Sleeman planned.
  Knowing that India failed to eradicate the Thuggee 
  cult before without British help, he hopes that the kill-
  ings will prompt an increased British military presence 
  in India and a ﬁ rmer grip over political affairs, resulting 
  in eternal British rule.
  But now something has caught his eye which threat-
  ens to derail his plans. A group of famous American 
  adventurers are en route to India to collect historical 
  artifacts for their museum. At ﬁ rst, Sleeman seeks to kill 
  our heroes, blaming the deaths of “foreign tourists” on 
  the Thuggee, but as the adventure unfolds, he makes 
  them scapegoats in an assassination attempt.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  2
  The Thuggee are perhaps one of the best-known 
  criminal gangs in history. Operating for centuries in the 
  backwaters of India, their modus operandi (strangula-
  tion) and links to the goddess Kali have made them 
  popular pulp villains.
  In truth, the Thuggee were not a vast, organized 
  network of killers, but rather independent gangs who 
  shared a common methodology and history. Ranks were 
  informal, and often Thuggee could trace their ancestry 
  back along lines of murderers.
  In 1835, William Sleeman, a British ofﬁ cial, was ap-
  pointed head of the “Thuggee and Dacoity Department.” 
  Through the use of intelligence and informants, Sleeman 
  began to systematically eradicate the Thuggee. By 1870, 
  Thuggee had vanished, and the roads of India were safer 
  than they had been for many generations. The Thuggee 
  and Dacoity Department remained in force until 1904, 
  after which time it was superseded by the Central Crimi-
  nal Intelligence Department.
  Eradicating Thuggee did not only ensure safer travel 
  through the subcontinent. Sleeman’s work also helped 
  secure Indian support for the British Raj, and was thus as 
  much a political victory as one over criminality.
  The year is now 1937 and times are changing rapidly. Af-
  ter centuries of British dominance, India now has indepen-
  dent provincial assemblies. Although full independence is 
  still a decade away (1947), the seeds have been sown.
  This has not gone down well with every British of-
  ﬁ cial. One in particular, Sir Walter Sleeman, a distant 
  descendant of William Sleeman and head of the CCID, 
  has taken great offense at the possibility of a free India. 
  Sleeman is a colonial through and through, and one of 
  the worst kind. In his eyes, only the British are ﬁ t to rule 
  the subcontinent. To that end, he has taken steps to en-
  sure British rule remains in force.
  A former engineer and student of Weird Science, 
  Sleeman has used his advanced technical knowledge to 
  create a number of mechanical hands. Wrapped in black 
  bandages, his inventions have been used in a dozen mur-
  ders, leaving no sign of a break in and a victim obviously 
  strangled with extreme force. Sleeman, acting through 
  agents, has started rumors of a Thuggee resurgence. 
  Rumors are also rife that the ancient cult is using vile 
  black magic rituals to reanimate the hands of former 
  Thuggee.
  Following the deaths of a number of British govern-
  ment ofﬁ cials and minor Indian nobility, India is rapidly 
  descending into chaos. Many important Indian nobles 
  and ofﬁ cials have already asked the British for military 
  support in stamping out the Thuggee, exactly as Slee-
  man hoped. British ofﬁ cials have begun eying the Indi-
  ans with suspicion, creating tension across the land. All 
  is exactly as Sleeman planned.
  Knowing that India failed to eradicate the Thuggee 
  cult before without British help, he hopes that the kill-
  ings will prompt an increased British military presence 
  in India and a ﬁ rmer grip over political affairs, resulting 
  in eternal British rule.
  But now something has caught his eye which threat-
  ens to derail his plans. A group of famous American 
  adventurers are en route to India to collect historical 
  artifacts for their museum. At ﬁ rst, Sleeman seeks to kill 
  our heroes, blaming the deaths of “foreign tourists” on 
  the Thuggee, but as the adventure unfolds, he makes 
  them scapegoats in an assassination attempt.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  2
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  3
  Characters: 75 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: LOCO IN LAHORE
  ACT 1: LOCO IN LAHORE
  The Boston Museum has hired the heroes to go to 
  India and oversee the ﬁ nal stages of an archaeological 
  dig sponsored by the Museum. Their ﬁ rst stop is Lahore, 
  where they are scheduled to meet a British ofﬁ cial. From 
  there, their plans involve a train journey to the dig site, 
  which lies near to the Khyber Pass.
  SCENE 1: DANGER IN THE SKIES
  SCENE 1: DANGER IN THE SKIES
  After arriving in Delhi you switched planes for 
  the hop up to the mountainous northern region 
  of India and your ﬁ rst destination—Lahore. The 
  plane, a DC-3, is crowded with human passengers 
  and a number of goats and chickens. The tem-
  perature is abominable, the smell of the animals 
  overpowering, but at least the food is good.
  After serving you, the steward vanishes into the 
  cockpit. The plane suddenly sways violently from 
  left to right, before the nose tips down at a steep 
  angle! Six gunshots reverberate through the plane! 
  The steward emerges from the cockpit, a smoking 
  revolver in one hand, a long dagger in the other, 
  and a look of maniacal glee in his eyes.
  Deal action cards.
  Both pilots have been killed—one stabbed and the 
  other strangled. Worse, the shots were not ﬁ red into 
  the pilots, but into the control panel. Hydraulic ﬂ uid is 
  leaking everywhere and sparks are spitting from the shat-
  tered instrumentation. One engine is in ﬂ ames, having 
  suffered a severe case of over revving due to a fractured 
  throttle cable.
  There are only six rounds until disaster! Landing re-
  quires a Piloting roll at –8 and only one roll is allowed. 
  There a few things the adventurers can do to make 
  landing easier, though they also have to deal with the 
  Thuggee threat in the same timeframe. Note that the 
  pilot must use an action to keep the plane ﬂ ying—he can 
  help with other tasks in the cockpit, but suffers a multi 
  action penalty.
  The interior of the plane is, for game purposes, 3” 
  wide and 10” long. The cockpit is 1” deep. All movement 
  counts as difﬁ cult ground due to the number of passen-
  gers and animals aboard and the motion of the aircraft.
  Use of ﬁ rearms is hampered by the Unstable Platform 
  rule, and there is also a chance a stray shot could hit 
  an innocent. All shots use the Innocent Bystanders 
  rule, and there is an innocent adjacent to everyone not 
  in the cockpit at all times (Toughness 5). It’s time for a 
  ﬁ stﬁ ght!
  Although there is only one obvious Thuggee (the guy 
  with the empty revolver), there are three more hidden 
  among the passengers. Unless the heroes keep a careful 
  eye on the passengers once the action begins, the con-
  cealed Thuggee gain the Drop on their ﬁ rst attack.
  (Sleeman has used a variation of the method used by 
  the Assassins to ensure total loyalty and no fear of death. 
  The men were drugged, pampered to excess by “heav-
  enly maidens,” and told that their deaths in the greater 
  cause would ensure a swift trip to heaven and eternal 
  pampering. It’s crude brainwashing, but effective.)
  If the Piloting roll to land hasn’t been made before 
  the end of the sixth round, the remaining engine erupts 
  in ﬂ ames from the stress, and the plane slams into the 
  dirt. The violent impact causes injuries to many passen-
  gers and inﬂ icts 4d6 damage (from a Wild Card) on the 
  heroes.
  * Flap Lever Damaged: The ﬂ ap controls are dam-
  aged. Making a quick repair ﬁ rst requires the instrument 
  panel to be unscrewed (Agility roll at –2) or ripped off 
  (Strength roll at –2) as an action. Following this, a Repair 
  roll at –2 is needed to jury-rig a patch. With success, the 
  pilot has +2 to his Piloting roll.
  * Trim Unresponsive: A shot has severed several 
  cables, limiting the plane’s ability to perform maneuvers. 
  By shifting the passengers left and right or forward or 
  backward along the fuselage, a hero can make the pilot’s 
  job much easier.
  This requires an Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2. 
  Both suffer a further –2 penalty unless the character giv-
  ing the orders speaks Indian. Success gets the passengers 
  cooperating, and grants the pilot a +2 bonus to his roll.
  * Wheels Jammed: The wheels won’t respond to 
  automatic controls. Unless someone hand cranks them 
  into place, the plane is going to hit belly ﬁ rst.
  In order to perform this backbreaking task, a hero 
  must make Strength rolls. He needs to score a total of 
  four successes (a raise counts as two successes, but no 
  more than one raise per roll counts). When the total is 
  achieved, the pilot gains +2 to his Piloting roll.
   Thuggee (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: THE RUNAWAY BOMB
  SCENE 2: THE RUNAWAY BOMB
  At the bottom of the steps stands a European. 
  Despite the oppressive heat, he wears a full tweed 
  suit, hat, and leather gloves. As you descend, he 
  approaches and offers a hand in friendship.
  “Good morning,” he says politely. “I’m Sir Walter 
  Sleeman, your man in Lahore, so to speak. If you’ll 
  hurry this way, we’ll get you to your lodgings. I’ll 
  explain things on the way. All a bit of a bloody 
  mess, don’t you know.”
  Characters who mention the in-ﬂ ight trouble are 
  simply told, “Really? Well, you better come and make 
  a report.” Any Thuggee taken alive are dragged away by 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  3
  Characters: 75 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: LOCO IN LAHORE
  ACT 1: LOCO IN LAHORE
  The Boston Museum has hired the heroes to go to 
  India and oversee the ﬁ nal stages of an archaeological 
  dig sponsored by the Museum. Their ﬁ rst stop is Lahore, 
  where they are scheduled to meet a British ofﬁ cial. From 
  there, their plans involve a train journey to the dig site, 
  which lies near to the Khyber Pass.
  SCENE 1: DANGER IN THE SKIES
  SCENE 1: DANGER IN THE SKIES
  After arriving in Delhi you switched planes for 
  the hop up to the mountainous northern region 
  of India and your ﬁ rst destination—Lahore. The 
  plane, a DC-3, is crowded with human passengers 
  and a number of goats and chickens. The tem-
  perature is abominable, the smell of the animals 
  overpowering, but at least the food is good.
  After serving you, the steward vanishes into the 
  cockpit. The plane suddenly sways violently from 
  left to right, before the nose tips down at a steep 
  angle! Six gunshots reverberate through the plane! 
  The steward emerges from the cockpit, a smoking 
  revolver in one hand, a long dagger in the other, 
  and a look of maniacal glee in his eyes.
  Deal action cards.
  Both pilots have been killed—one stabbed and the 
  other strangled. Worse, the shots were not ﬁ red into 
  the pilots, but into the control panel. Hydraulic ﬂ uid is 
  leaking everywhere and sparks are spitting from the shat-
  tered instrumentation. One engine is in ﬂ ames, having 
  suffered a severe case of over revving due to a fractured 
  throttle cable.
  There are only six rounds until disaster! Landing re-
  quires a Piloting roll at –8 and only one roll is allowed. 
  There a few things the adventurers can do to make 
  landing easier, though they also have to deal with the 
  Thuggee threat in the same timeframe. Note that the 
  pilot must use an action to keep the plane ﬂ ying—he can 
  help with other tasks in the cockpit, but suffers a multi 
  action penalty.
  The interior of the plane is, for game purposes, 3” 
  wide and 10” long. The cockpit is 1” deep. All movement 
  counts as difﬁ cult ground due to the number of passen-
  gers and animals aboard and the motion of the aircraft.
  Use of ﬁ rearms is hampered by the Unstable Platform 
  rule, and there is also a chance a stray shot could hit 
  an innocent. All shots use the Innocent Bystanders 
  rule, and there is an innocent adjacent to everyone not 
  in the cockpit at all times (Toughness 5). It’s time for a 
  ﬁ stﬁ ght!
  Although there is only one obvious Thuggee (the guy 
  with the empty revolver), there are three more hidden 
  among the passengers. Unless the heroes keep a careful 
  eye on the passengers once the action begins, the con-
  cealed Thuggee gain the Drop on their ﬁ rst attack.
  (Sleeman has used a variation of the method used by 
  the Assassins to ensure total loyalty and no fear of death. 
  The men were drugged, pampered to excess by “heav-
  enly maidens,” and told that their deaths in the greater 
  cause would ensure a swift trip to heaven and eternal 
  pampering. It’s crude brainwashing, but effective.)
  If the Piloting roll to land hasn’t been made before 
  the end of the sixth round, the remaining engine erupts 
  in ﬂ ames from the stress, and the plane slams into the 
  dirt. The violent impact causes injuries to many passen-
  gers and inﬂ icts 4d6 damage (from a Wild Card) on the 
  heroes.
  * Flap Lever Damaged: The ﬂ ap controls are dam-
  aged. Making a quick repair ﬁ rst requires the instrument 
  panel to be unscrewed (Agility roll at –2) or ripped off 
  (Strength roll at –2) as an action. Following this, a Repair 
  roll at –2 is needed to jury-rig a patch. With success, the 
  pilot has +2 to his Piloting roll.
  * Trim Unresponsive: A shot has severed several 
  cables, limiting the plane’s ability to perform maneuvers. 
  By shifting the passengers left and right or forward or 
  backward along the fuselage, a hero can make the pilot’s 
  job much easier.
  This requires an Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2. 
  Both suffer a further –2 penalty unless the character giv-
  ing the orders speaks Indian. Success gets the passengers 
  cooperating, and grants the pilot a +2 bonus to his roll.
  * Wheels Jammed: The wheels won’t respond to 
  automatic controls. Unless someone hand cranks them 
  into place, the plane is going to hit belly ﬁ rst.
  In order to perform this backbreaking task, a hero 
  must make Strength rolls. He needs to score a total of 
  four successes (a raise counts as two successes, but no 
  more than one raise per roll counts). When the total is 
  achieved, the pilot gains +2 to his Piloting roll.
   Thuggee (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: THE RUNAWAY BOMB
  SCENE 2: THE RUNAWAY BOMB
  At the bottom of the steps stands a European. 
  Despite the oppressive heat, he wears a full tweed 
  suit, hat, and leather gloves. As you descend, he 
  approaches and offers a hand in friendship.
  “Good morning,” he says politely. “I’m Sir Walter 
  Sleeman, your man in Lahore, so to speak. If you’ll 
  hurry this way, we’ll get you to your lodgings. I’ll 
  explain things on the way. All a bit of a bloody 
  mess, don’t you know.”
  Characters who mention the in-ﬂ ight trouble are 
  simply told, “Really? Well, you better come and make 
  a report.” Any Thuggee taken alive are dragged away by 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  4
  the authorities. Interrogation by the characters reveals 
  nothing of use—the thugs have no idea whom they 
  serve, except Kali, the goddess of death,
  Sleeman takes the party to the ofﬁ cial in charge of the 
  airport, and has them tell their story, prompting them to 
  leave out no details. Copious notes are taken in silence. 
  Afterward he looks at Sleeman and says, “Damn Thuggee 
  again, eh, Sir Walter?” Sleeman nods in response, before 
  ushering the characters out onto the airstrip and toward 
  his waiting car,
  Sleeman’s driver, a hulking Indian with bulging 
  muscles, picks up the heroes’ bags like they are feather 
  pillows, and loads them carefully into the trunk.
  On the short journey into town, Sleeman tells the 
  characters the following:
  “Sounds like your trouble on the plane is related 
  to events elsewhere,” Sleeman sighs as he wipes 
  a handkerchief across his brow. “Have you ever 
  heard of the Thuggee? They were a murderous band 
  of stranglers who plagued India for centuries. The 
  British, actually one of my ancestors, put a stop to 
  their foul play back in the 1870’s, but it seems like 
  they’ve popped back to the surface. A dozen British 
  government ofﬁ cials and Indian nobles have been 
  found strangled in the last few months.
  “Dashed disgraceful, and causing no end of prob-
  lems for us. You know India is getting a degree of 
  autonomy, don’t you? No? Well, I imagine it takes 
  time for news to cross the Atlantic. Anyway, this 
  Thuggee business is threatening to put the stop-
  pers in that process. Forcing His Majesty to send 
  more troops and crack down on criminal activity. 
  It’s souring Anglo-India relations to no end.
  “As for you, not many Americans out in these 
  parts,” Sleeman grins. “Killing a few rich foreign-
  ers would really put the kibosh on things, and 
  upset our former colony’s government, eh?”
  If the characters mentioned Sleeman’s leather gloves, 
  he holds up his hands. Under no circumstances will he 
  take his gloves off to show his “scars.”
  “Vanity,” he smiles, “I used to be an engineer, un-
  til an industrial accident left me badly burned. 
  I have limited mobility, but the scars have never 
  healed. Don’t like to upset folks, so I keep them 
  covered.”
   Sir Walter Sleeman: See page 19.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
  BOMB TRUCK
  BOMB TRUCK
  The car pulls up outside a small building atop a 
  steep hill. “Your train to the Khyber Pass doesn’t 
  leave until tomorrow morning,” Sleeman says, 
  stepping onto the crowded street. “There’s a small 
  amount of formal paperwork you need to sign, 
  but then you’ll have the run of this place.” He 
  gestures toward the building. “We use it to put up 
  guests of His Majesty’s government. Quite grand 
  inside, really, and much cooler. I’m sure you’ll be 
  very comfortable.”
  Sleeman looks down the hill toward a government 
  ofﬁ ce and points. “Ah! That,” he says, “is the young 
  Maharaja. He’s likely to be an important ﬁ gure 
  in Indian politics in years to come.” Following 
  his gaze, you spy a young lad of about 12 years 
  dressed in ﬁ ne silks emerging from the ofﬁ ce with 
  a number of heavies at his side.
  As the driver unloads your bags from the trunk, 
  he is forced to leap aside as a truck comes hur-
  tling down the hill at breakneck speed. “My God!” 
  shouts Sleeman. “It’s going to ram the colonial 
  ofﬁ ces! Save the maharaja!”
  As the truck barrels along, the driver leaps out 
  and vanishes into the crowd. All you saw of him 
  was a distinctive red turban.
  Have the heroes make a Notice roll. Those who suc-
  ceed spot the tarpaulin on the back ﬂ ap up in the wind to 
  reveal a number of crates. All are labeled nitroglycerine!
  Unless the characters want to watch a very large ex-
  plosion, this is their cue to leap into action. In order to 
  stop the truck, the characters have to perform four tasks 
  in order within six rounds. At the end of the 6th round, 
  the vehicle smashes through a wooden barrier, slams 
  into the government ofﬁ ce, and explodes!
  Heroes who failed their Notice roll may begin chasing 
  the truck one round after those who succeeded. In the 
  event no one passed, Sleeman spots the nitroglycerine 
  and informs the heroes. The dastardly ofﬁ cial actually 
  arranged this whole event. Knowing the heroes’ reputa-
  tion, he hoped they would try to stop the truck, and in 
  doing so be blown to pieces.
  * The ﬁ rst thing the characters must do is draw level 
  with the truck. This requires an Agility roll if running or a 
  Driving roll if someone thinks quickly and uses Sleeman’s 
  car. Despite the truck’s speed, a running hero always has 
  chance to catch it—it’s good pulp.
  * Next, they must get aboard the truck by making an 
  Agility roll at –2. This gets them either onto the back of 
  the truck or onto the hood. Drivers should note that the 
  route of their vehicle will cause it to crash into a sturdy 
  building if they abandon it to leap onto the truck, so it 
  won’t cause any injuries to innocents.
  The street is crowded. Throwing the nitroglycerine 
  off the back will kill people. Also, the truck is far too 
  heavy for the car to knock off course. There is also the 
  chance the impact will detonate its deadly cargo. Make 
  sure the heroes understand this.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  4
  the authorities. Interrogation by the characters reveals 
  nothing of use—the thugs have no idea whom they 
  serve, except Kali, the goddess of death,
  Sleeman takes the party to the ofﬁ cial in charge of the 
  airport, and has them tell their story, prompting them to 
  leave out no details. Copious notes are taken in silence. 
  Afterward he looks at Sleeman and says, “Damn Thuggee 
  again, eh, Sir Walter?” Sleeman nods in response, before 
  ushering the characters out onto the airstrip and toward 
  his waiting car,
  Sleeman’s driver, a hulking Indian with bulging 
  muscles, picks up the heroes’ bags like they are feather 
  pillows, and loads them carefully into the trunk.
  On the short journey into town, Sleeman tells the 
  characters the following:
  “Sounds like your trouble on the plane is related 
  to events elsewhere,” Sleeman sighs as he wipes 
  a handkerchief across his brow. “Have you ever 
  heard of the Thuggee? They were a murderous band 
  of stranglers who plagued India for centuries. The 
  British, actually one of my ancestors, put a stop to 
  their foul play back in the 1870’s, but it seems like 
  they’ve popped back to the surface. A dozen British 
  government ofﬁ cials and Indian nobles have been 
  found strangled in the last few months.
  “Dashed disgraceful, and causing no end of prob-
  lems for us. You know India is getting a degree of 
  autonomy, don’t you? No? Well, I imagine it takes 
  time for news to cross the Atlantic. Anyway, this 
  Thuggee business is threatening to put the stop-
  pers in that process. Forcing His Majesty to send 
  more troops and crack down on criminal activity. 
  It’s souring Anglo-India relations to no end.
  “As for you, not many Americans out in these 
  parts,” Sleeman grins. “Killing a few rich foreign-
  ers would really put the kibosh on things, and 
  upset our former colony’s government, eh?”
  If the characters mentioned Sleeman’s leather gloves, 
  he holds up his hands. Under no circumstances will he 
  take his gloves off to show his “scars.”
  “Vanity,” he smiles, “I used to be an engineer, un-
  til an industrial accident left me badly burned. 
  I have limited mobility, but the scars have never 
  healed. Don’t like to upset folks, so I keep them 
  covered.”
   Sir Walter Sleeman: See page 19.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
  BOMB TRUCK
  BOMB TRUCK
  The car pulls up outside a small building atop a 
  steep hill. “Your train to the Khyber Pass doesn’t 
  leave until tomorrow morning,” Sleeman says, 
  stepping onto the crowded street. “There’s a small 
  amount of formal paperwork you need to sign, 
  but then you’ll have the run of this place.” He 
  gestures toward the building. “We use it to put up 
  guests of His Majesty’s government. Quite grand 
  inside, really, and much cooler. I’m sure you’ll be 
  very comfortable.”
  Sleeman looks down the hill toward a government 
  ofﬁ ce and points. “Ah! That,” he says, “is the young 
  Maharaja. He’s likely to be an important ﬁ gure 
  in Indian politics in years to come.” Following 
  his gaze, you spy a young lad of about 12 years 
  dressed in ﬁ ne silks emerging from the ofﬁ ce with 
  a number of heavies at his side.
  As the driver unloads your bags from the trunk, 
  he is forced to leap aside as a truck comes hur-
  tling down the hill at breakneck speed. “My God!” 
  shouts Sleeman. “It’s going to ram the colonial 
  ofﬁ ces! Save the maharaja!”
  As the truck barrels along, the driver leaps out 
  and vanishes into the crowd. All you saw of him 
  was a distinctive red turban.
  Have the heroes make a Notice roll. Those who suc-
  ceed spot the tarpaulin on the back ﬂ ap up in the wind to 
  reveal a number of crates. All are labeled nitroglycerine!
  Unless the characters want to watch a very large ex-
  plosion, this is their cue to leap into action. In order to 
  stop the truck, the characters have to perform four tasks 
  in order within six rounds. At the end of the 6th round, 
  the vehicle smashes through a wooden barrier, slams 
  into the government ofﬁ ce, and explodes!
  Heroes who failed their Notice roll may begin chasing 
  the truck one round after those who succeeded. In the 
  event no one passed, Sleeman spots the nitroglycerine 
  and informs the heroes. The dastardly ofﬁ cial actually 
  arranged this whole event. Knowing the heroes’ reputa-
  tion, he hoped they would try to stop the truck, and in 
  doing so be blown to pieces.
  * The ﬁ rst thing the characters must do is draw level 
  with the truck. This requires an Agility roll if running or a 
  Driving roll if someone thinks quickly and uses Sleeman’s 
  car. Despite the truck’s speed, a running hero always has 
  chance to catch it—it’s good pulp.
  * Next, they must get aboard the truck by making an 
  Agility roll at –2. This gets them either onto the back of 
  the truck or onto the hood. Drivers should note that the 
  route of their vehicle will cause it to crash into a sturdy 
  building if they abandon it to leap onto the truck, so it 
  won’t cause any injuries to innocents.
  The street is crowded. Throwing the nitroglycerine 
  off the back will kill people. Also, the truck is far too 
  heavy for the car to knock off course. There is also the 
  chance the impact will detonate its deadly cargo. Make 
  sure the heroes understand this.
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  5
  * The door is locked! Characters aboard the truck 
  have to make a Strength roll at –2 to either smash the 
  windshield or rip open the door. It’s their choice which 
  route they use.
  * Now inside, the likely action is to pump the brakes. 
  Unfortunately, the brake hose has been severed! Steering 
  the vehicle away from the ofﬁ ce and onto an uphill slope 
  (which will slow its speed) requires a Driving roll at –2.
  Should the 6th round expire and the truck not be 
  stopped, it explodes on impact. Anyone aboard suffers 
  4d10 damage from an Extra. We’re assuming the hero 
  realizes the futility of the task at the last minute and 
  rolls clear, rather than riding the bomb to destruction. 
  Fortunately, the maharaja is bundled to safety by his 
  bodyguards in time to escape serious injury.
  Soldiers from the compound surround any heroes 
  near the scene, their riﬂ es readied for use. Sleeman 
  quickly appears on the scene and orders the guards 
  to lower arms, explaining that they have just saved the 
  maharaja’s life.
  A few moments later, the maharaja appears with his 
  bodyguard. He eyes the heroes up and down for a mo-
  ment, and then deigns to speak about them. He only 
  makes eye contact with the characters if there is a female 
  in the party. The young king is looking for a beautiful 
  bride, and the childish part of his personality seeks a 
  feisty woman of adventure.
  “Sir Walter,” the youth says in a quiet, distin-
  guished voice, “it seems I owe you and your guests 
  my life. Invite them to the ball I am hosting this 
  evening at the governor’s mansion.” With that, the 
  youth walks away, ﬂ anked by his guards.
  Sir Walter turns to you. “Well,” he smiles broadly, “you’ve 
  been here for barely an hour and already you’ve got an 
  invite to the most prestigious social event in India. Best 
  we get you some suitable clothes, eh?”
   Sir Walter Sleeman: See page 19.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: PARTY WITH THE MAHARAJA
  SCENE 3: PARTY WITH THE MAHARAJA
  Sleeman arranges for tuxedoes and dresses, as appro-
  priate, to be sent to the heroes ready for their attendance 
  at the ball. The Englishman, and his ever-present body-
  guard, are also attending, and insist the characters share 
  the same car.
  A servant announces each of the guests in turn by 
  their full title. When it comes to the heroes, who don’t 
  have a written invitation with their names and titles on, 
  the servant quietly asks for the information. If you’re us-
  ing the pre-generated characters, the servant commits a 
  slight faux pas, introducing Brent and Amelia as “Lord 
  and Lady Valentine.” He introduces any others by their 
  proper name, any title they are to use, and the epitaph, 
  “an American.”
  The ballroom is packed with Indian noblemen and 
  ladies in ﬁ ne silks, British ofﬁ cers in their scarlet jackets, 
  and tuxedo-clad ofﬁ cials, complete with ladies on their 
  arms, in ball gowns adorned with peacock feathers.
  The party, held in a colonial mansion, mixes Indian 
  and European traditions. The banquet is all Indian food, 
  whereas the dancing that follows is European. GMs who 
  want to have some fun should feel free to have chilled 
  monkey brains and constrictor stuffed with live baby 
  snakes on the menu—not particularly Indian, but amus-
  ing nonetheless.
  The ﬁ rst part of this scene is a chance for the players 
  to roleplay their characters. The GM should invent a few 
  NPCs for the characters to converse with. A pilot might 
  meet a former British ace of the Great War with whom to 
  share stories, a noble could meet fellow gentry, a rufﬁ an 
  may end up talking to a clergyman about the sinful na-
  ture of mankind, while a movie star might meet an ador-
  ing fan. At some point, the maharaja will order (not ask) 
  a female adventurer to dance with him (see below).
  Dancing: Check the Reaction Table if a hero asks a 
  lady to dance to determine her initial reaction. Her Cha-
  risma is 3 minus the roll of 1d4 (giving a range of 2 to 
  –1).
  The hero then makes an Agility roll to determine how 
  well he dances. His partner has a d6 Agility and grants 
  bonuses as per a Cooperative roll. Heroes likely to know 
  ballroom dances should receive a small bonus (+1 or 
  +2), whereas those who think the Charleston is still 
  the height of fashion should suffer a penalty (from –1 
  to –4).
  With success or a single raise, the pair enjoys them-
  selves without making any major mistakes, and may even 
  turn a few heads. Two or more raises wows the crowd. 
  A failure means the hero embarrasses himself somehow, 
  such as bumping into other couples or stepping on toes. 
  A Critical Failure leads to a major social faux pas.
  Female characters should be asked to dance at least 
  once by a male guest. Roll Charisma as above, but do not 
  roll on the Reaction Table—how the hero reacts to the 
  gesture is up to her.
  UNHAND THAT WOMAN
  UNHAND THAT WOMAN
  Before the players get bored with socializing, an In-
  dian gentleman rushes past them, blood streaming from 
  his nose. If approached, he says that a group of British 
  army ofﬁ cers are harassing his sister, Indrani. He tried 
  to intervene, but received a punch in the nose for his 
  trouble.
  The ofﬁ cers are bored and drunk. They’ve turned 
  their amorous attention to a young Indian noblewoman, 
  blatantly ignoring the Indian caste system and govern-
  ment restrictions about dallying with the natives while in 
  uniform. They are led by one Captain Gerald Hastings, a 
  frightful bore of a man who laments missing the Great War 
  and how he’d have sent “the Bosch ﬂ eeing in terror.”
  Any attempts to protect the woman result in a ﬁ stﬁ ght. 
  The ofﬁ cers do have swords and pistols (heightened 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  5
  * The door is locked! Characters aboard the truck 
  have to make a Strength roll at –2 to either smash the 
  windshield or rip open the door. It’s their choice which 
  route they use.
  * Now inside, the likely action is to pump the brakes. 
  Unfortunately, the brake hose has been severed! Steering 
  the vehicle away from the ofﬁ ce and onto an uphill slope 
  (which will slow its speed) requires a Driving roll at –2.
  Should the 6th round expire and the truck not be 
  stopped, it explodes on impact. Anyone aboard suffers 
  4d10 damage from an Extra. We’re assuming the hero 
  realizes the futility of the task at the last minute and 
  rolls clear, rather than riding the bomb to destruction. 
  Fortunately, the maharaja is bundled to safety by his 
  bodyguards in time to escape serious injury.
  Soldiers from the compound surround any heroes 
  near the scene, their riﬂ es readied for use. Sleeman 
  quickly appears on the scene and orders the guards 
  to lower arms, explaining that they have just saved the 
  maharaja’s life.
  A few moments later, the maharaja appears with his 
  bodyguard. He eyes the heroes up and down for a mo-
  ment, and then deigns to speak about them. He only 
  makes eye contact with the characters if there is a female 
  in the party. The young king is looking for a beautiful 
  bride, and the childish part of his personality seeks a 
  feisty woman of adventure.
  “Sir Walter,” the youth says in a quiet, distin-
  guished voice, “it seems I owe you and your guests 
  my life. Invite them to the ball I am hosting this 
  evening at the governor’s mansion.” With that, the 
  youth walks away, ﬂ anked by his guards.
  Sir Walter turns to you. “Well,” he smiles broadly, “you’ve 
  been here for barely an hour and already you’ve got an 
  invite to the most prestigious social event in India. Best 
  we get you some suitable clothes, eh?”
   Sir Walter Sleeman: See page 19.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
  SCENE 3: PARTY WITH THE MAHARAJA
  SCENE 3: PARTY WITH THE MAHARAJA
  Sleeman arranges for tuxedoes and dresses, as appro-
  priate, to be sent to the heroes ready for their attendance 
  at the ball. The Englishman, and his ever-present body-
  guard, are also attending, and insist the characters share 
  the same car.
  A servant announces each of the guests in turn by 
  their full title. When it comes to the heroes, who don’t 
  have a written invitation with their names and titles on, 
  the servant quietly asks for the information. If you’re us-
  ing the pre-generated characters, the servant commits a 
  slight faux pas, introducing Brent and Amelia as “Lord 
  and Lady Valentine.” He introduces any others by their 
  proper name, any title they are to use, and the epitaph, 
  “an American.”
  The ballroom is packed with Indian noblemen and 
  ladies in ﬁ ne silks, British ofﬁ cers in their scarlet jackets, 
  and tuxedo-clad ofﬁ cials, complete with ladies on their 
  arms, in ball gowns adorned with peacock feathers.
  The party, held in a colonial mansion, mixes Indian 
  and European traditions. The banquet is all Indian food, 
  whereas the dancing that follows is European. GMs who 
  want to have some fun should feel free to have chilled 
  monkey brains and constrictor stuffed with live baby 
  snakes on the menu—not particularly Indian, but amus-
  ing nonetheless.
  The ﬁ rst part of this scene is a chance for the players 
  to roleplay their characters. The GM should invent a few 
  NPCs for the characters to converse with. A pilot might 
  meet a former British ace of the Great War with whom to 
  share stories, a noble could meet fellow gentry, a rufﬁ an 
  may end up talking to a clergyman about the sinful na-
  ture of mankind, while a movie star might meet an ador-
  ing fan. At some point, the maharaja will order (not ask) 
  a female adventurer to dance with him (see below).
  Dancing: Check the Reaction Table if a hero asks a 
  lady to dance to determine her initial reaction. Her Cha-
  risma is 3 minus the roll of 1d4 (giving a range of 2 to 
  –1).
  The hero then makes an Agility roll to determine how 
  well he dances. His partner has a d6 Agility and grants 
  bonuses as per a Cooperative roll. Heroes likely to know 
  ballroom dances should receive a small bonus (+1 or 
  +2), whereas those who think the Charleston is still 
  the height of fashion should suffer a penalty (from –1 
  to –4).
  With success or a single raise, the pair enjoys them-
  selves without making any major mistakes, and may even 
  turn a few heads. Two or more raises wows the crowd. 
  A failure means the hero embarrasses himself somehow, 
  such as bumping into other couples or stepping on toes. 
  A Critical Failure leads to a major social faux pas.
  Female characters should be asked to dance at least 
  once by a male guest. Roll Charisma as above, but do not 
  roll on the Reaction Table—how the hero reacts to the 
  gesture is up to her.
  UNHAND THAT WOMAN
  UNHAND THAT WOMAN
  Before the players get bored with socializing, an In-
  dian gentleman rushes past them, blood streaming from 
  his nose. If approached, he says that a group of British 
  army ofﬁ cers are harassing his sister, Indrani. He tried 
  to intervene, but received a punch in the nose for his 
  trouble.
  The ofﬁ cers are bored and drunk. They’ve turned 
  their amorous attention to a young Indian noblewoman, 
  blatantly ignoring the Indian caste system and govern-
  ment restrictions about dallying with the natives while in 
  uniform. They are led by one Captain Gerald Hastings, a 
  frightful bore of a man who laments missing the Great War 
  and how he’d have sent “the Bosch ﬂ eeing in terror.”
  Any attempts to protect the woman result in a ﬁ stﬁ ght. 
  The ofﬁ cers do have swords and pistols (heightened 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  6
  security after the recent strangulations), but they only 
  draw them if a hero is stupid enough to do so ﬁ rst.
  Heroes who want to pack a heftier punch can use 
  crockery (Str+d4, smashes after one use) or silver serv-
  ing trays (Str+d4 if one-handed and Str+d6 used two-
  handed). The ofﬁ cers make a grab for such items once 
  the rumble begins. Picking up one of these improvised 
  weapons is an action unless a hero has Quick Draw.
  Once one side is incapable of continuing, Sleeman 
  and an army colonel arrive on the scene to break up the 
  ﬁ ght. The soldiers are duly admonished for disgracing 
  the uniform, while the characters receive a rebuking for 
  getting into a ﬁ ght at the maharaja’s ball. Sleeman asks 
  the heroes to apologize to the maharaja in person.
  Perversely, the maharaja is very excited and intrigued 
  if a female adventurer has joined in the ﬁ ght. At the GM’s 
  discretion, he may be overheard to say, “She is like a ti-
  gress! She would make a very good wife and mother of 
  the many children I wish to sire. Arrange things in the 
  morning to make it happen.”
  Whether the heroine simply avoids the young king or 
  approaches him and makes her feelings known is left to 
  the player to decide. The latter does not have the desired 
  effect—it only makes the maharaja want her more!
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   British Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: THE RED TURBAN
  SCENE 4: THE RED TURBAN
  In the morning, Sleeman and his hulking, silent body-
  guard escort the characters to the train station. Among 
  the many passengers waiting on the platform are crowds 
  of Indians, British army ofﬁ cers and their wives, govern-
  ment ofﬁ cials, hawkers pushing all manner of wares, and 
  so on. 
  Sleeman shakes your hands and wishes you a safe 
  journey. “I would stay to see you off,” he says, “but 
  other duties mean I’m required back at the ofﬁ ce 
  as soon as possible. Oh, before I forget, you’ll have 
  a guard on the way back. Sepoys, native Indian 
  lads serving the Crown. All men I handpicked my-
  self and deem very trustworthy. Do telegraph me 
  immediately if there are any problems. I’ve got a 
  bit of political clout in these parts. I look forward 
  to seeing you on your return.” With that, the of-
  ﬁ cial and his bodyguard depart.
  The crowd on the platform grows larger, as the 
  time to the train’s arrival nears. Across the throng 
  you spot a distinctive red turban. Whether it is 
  the truck driver or not is swiftly answered as the 
  wearer, an Indian man of middling years, spots 
  you. He promptly turns toward the exit and be-
  gins ﬁ ghting his way through the crowd.
  This scene uses the Chase rules and our alternate Ob-
  stacle rules. The turbaned man begins three Range Incre-
  ments ahead of the heroes, and each Range Increment 
  equates to 1”. The Indian seeks only to escape, having no 
  interest in starting a ﬁ ght with four foreigners in public.
  Whatever happens, he must either escape or die. 
  Should a hero close the gap to one Range Increment, the 
  Thuggee throws himself under a passing train. He dies 
  instantly and messily.
  (M) Red Turbaned Man: Treat as a Thuggee (page 
  20) Wild Card.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Surge: A vast throng of passengers surge 
  toward an arrived train, crossing the hero’s path. On a 
  failure, he is caught in the surge and swept back two 
  Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Urchins: A crowd of urchins swarms 
  around the character in search of charity. The hero has 
  two choices—hand over some money or try to push past 
  them. The thug always takes the second option.
  Generosity is a noble trait, but in this case it can back-
  ﬁ re. A failed Agility roll means the hero gains no distance 
  this round. Worse still, his act attracts more beggars, giv-
  ing him a –2 penalty to his next Agility roll. Heroes who 
  try to push through simply gain no distance on a failed 
  roll, as per normal.
  Four (–2) Time Check: An English gent accosts the 
  hero and asks for the correct time. He keeps blocking 
  the character’s path until he gets an answer or is pushed 
  aside. Either way, a remark about, “Rude foreigners,” can 
  be heard after the character rushes past.
  Five (–2) Steam Blast: A waiting train lets loose a 
  blast of steam from the wheels, temporarily creating a 
  cloud over the platform. A failed roll means the hero is 
  momentarily confused and makes no ground.
  Six (–2) Left or Right: A rotund gentleman blocks 
  the hero’s path. As the character goes left, so does the 
  man. The same thing occurs when the adventurer ducks 
  to the right. This could take a while! Failure means the 
  hero drops back one Range Increment due to the added 
  delay.
  Seven (–2) He Went That Way: A helpful youth 
  points out the route of the villain as he momentarily 
  vanishes from sight. Unfortunately, the lad got the wrong 
  direction and the hero must waste time recovering old 
  ground. A failed roll moves the hero back one Range 
  Increment.
  If the Thuggee draws this card, he simply gets caught 
  up in a crowd of pedestrians.
  Eight (0/–2) Baggage Train: A long line of baggage 
  trolleys stacked with suitcases cuts across the runner’s 
  path. He must either try to jump them or go around. 
  The Thuggee tries to jump them only if his pursuers are 
  within two Range Increments.
  Jumping incurs no Agility penalty, but a failed roll 
  leaves the hero tangled up in spilled cases and sur-
  rounded by angry porters. He is automatically Shaken.
  Going around incurs a –2 penalty due to the lateral 
  distance the character must use before he can move 
  forward.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  6
  security after the recent strangulations), but they only 
  draw them if a hero is stupid enough to do so ﬁ rst.
  Heroes who want to pack a heftier punch can use 
  crockery (Str+d4, smashes after one use) or silver serv-
  ing trays (Str+d4 if one-handed and Str+d6 used two-
  handed). The ofﬁ cers make a grab for such items once 
  the rumble begins. Picking up one of these improvised 
  weapons is an action unless a hero has Quick Draw.
  Once one side is incapable of continuing, Sleeman 
  and an army colonel arrive on the scene to break up the 
  ﬁ ght. The soldiers are duly admonished for disgracing 
  the uniform, while the characters receive a rebuking for 
  getting into a ﬁ ght at the maharaja’s ball. Sleeman asks 
  the heroes to apologize to the maharaja in person.
  Perversely, the maharaja is very excited and intrigued 
  if a female adventurer has joined in the ﬁ ght. At the GM’s 
  discretion, he may be overheard to say, “She is like a ti-
  gress! She would make a very good wife and mother of 
  the many children I wish to sire. Arrange things in the 
  morning to make it happen.”
  Whether the heroine simply avoids the young king or 
  approaches him and makes her feelings known is left to 
  the player to decide. The latter does not have the desired 
  effect—it only makes the maharaja want her more!
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   British Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: THE RED TURBAN
  SCENE 4: THE RED TURBAN
  In the morning, Sleeman and his hulking, silent body-
  guard escort the characters to the train station. Among 
  the many passengers waiting on the platform are crowds 
  of Indians, British army ofﬁ cers and their wives, govern-
  ment ofﬁ cials, hawkers pushing all manner of wares, and 
  so on. 
  Sleeman shakes your hands and wishes you a safe 
  journey. “I would stay to see you off,” he says, “but 
  other duties mean I’m required back at the ofﬁ ce 
  as soon as possible. Oh, before I forget, you’ll have 
  a guard on the way back. Sepoys, native Indian 
  lads serving the Crown. All men I handpicked my-
  self and deem very trustworthy. Do telegraph me 
  immediately if there are any problems. I’ve got a 
  bit of political clout in these parts. I look forward 
  to seeing you on your return.” With that, the of-
  ﬁ cial and his bodyguard depart.
  The crowd on the platform grows larger, as the 
  time to the train’s arrival nears. Across the throng 
  you spot a distinctive red turban. Whether it is 
  the truck driver or not is swiftly answered as the 
  wearer, an Indian man of middling years, spots 
  you. He promptly turns toward the exit and be-
  gins ﬁ ghting his way through the crowd.
  This scene uses the Chase rules and our alternate Ob-
  stacle rules. The turbaned man begins three Range Incre-
  ments ahead of the heroes, and each Range Increment 
  equates to 1”. The Indian seeks only to escape, having no 
  interest in starting a ﬁ ght with four foreigners in public.
  Whatever happens, he must either escape or die. 
  Should a hero close the gap to one Range Increment, the 
  Thuggee throws himself under a passing train. He dies 
  instantly and messily.
  (M) Red Turbaned Man: Treat as a Thuggee (page 
  20) Wild Card.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Surge: A vast throng of passengers surge 
  toward an arrived train, crossing the hero’s path. On a 
  failure, he is caught in the surge and swept back two 
  Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Urchins: A crowd of urchins swarms 
  around the character in search of charity. The hero has 
  two choices—hand over some money or try to push past 
  them. The thug always takes the second option.
  Generosity is a noble trait, but in this case it can back-
  ﬁ re. A failed Agility roll means the hero gains no distance 
  this round. Worse still, his act attracts more beggars, giv-
  ing him a –2 penalty to his next Agility roll. Heroes who 
  try to push through simply gain no distance on a failed 
  roll, as per normal.
  Four (–2) Time Check: An English gent accosts the 
  hero and asks for the correct time. He keeps blocking 
  the character’s path until he gets an answer or is pushed 
  aside. Either way, a remark about, “Rude foreigners,” can 
  be heard after the character rushes past.
  Five (–2) Steam Blast: A waiting train lets loose a 
  blast of steam from the wheels, temporarily creating a 
  cloud over the platform. A failed roll means the hero is 
  momentarily confused and makes no ground.
  Six (–2) Left or Right: A rotund gentleman blocks 
  the hero’s path. As the character goes left, so does the 
  man. The same thing occurs when the adventurer ducks 
  to the right. This could take a while! Failure means the 
  hero drops back one Range Increment due to the added 
  delay.
  Seven (–2) He Went That Way: A helpful youth 
  points out the route of the villain as he momentarily 
  vanishes from sight. Unfortunately, the lad got the wrong 
  direction and the hero must waste time recovering old 
  ground. A failed roll moves the hero back one Range 
  Increment.
  If the Thuggee draws this card, he simply gets caught 
  up in a crowd of pedestrians.
  Eight (0/–2) Baggage Train: A long line of baggage 
  trolleys stacked with suitcases cuts across the runner’s 
  path. He must either try to jump them or go around. 
  The Thuggee tries to jump them only if his pursuers are 
  within two Range Increments.
  Jumping incurs no Agility penalty, but a failed roll 
  leaves the hero tangled up in spilled cases and sur-
  rounded by angry porters. He is automatically Shaken.
  Going around incurs a –2 penalty due to the lateral 
  distance the character must use before he can move 
  forward.
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  7
  Nine (0/—) Pickpocket: As the character passes by a 
  youth, he snatches something from the character’s pock-
  et. The adventurer feels the item being lifted and sees 
  the kid run off into the crowd. He can either ignore the 
  thief or give chase. The Thuggee doesn’t care about los-
  ing a few rupees, and so always ignores the pickpocket.
  Ignoring the child means the roll is made at no pen-
  alty. The stolen item is never seen again. The GM should 
  decide what has been lifted by the light-ﬁ ngered rogue.
  If he elects to chase the kid, who thinks his act went 
  unnoticed, he makes no Agility roll this round. Instead, 
  he automatically loses two Range Increments due to the 
  delay of hounding the lad and retrieving his belongings.
  Ten (–1) Vendor: A food vendor with a small cart 
  pushes his trolley in front of the hero. A failed roll causes 
  the hero to knock over the cart. The character is left 
  Shaken and covered in curry sauce.
  Jack (–1) Crowds: A small crowd has gathered, block-
  ing the only clear route. Failure causes the hero to drop 
  back one Range Increment.
  Queen (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides 
  to take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. 
  With success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 
  damage (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility 
  roll.
  King (0/–4) Autograph Hunter: By this stage in 
  their career the heroes are widely known, at least among 
  Americans and Europeans. An attractive lady (or hand-
  some man if the hero drawing this card is a woman) asks 
  the hero to sign an autograph and pose for a photo. Ask 
  the character if he wants to ignore his fan or take time 
  out to shake hands. The Thuggee is merely caught up in 
  a crowd.
  Ignoring the fan gives no penalty. Stopping to sign 
  something and pose for a photograph imparts a hefty 
  –4 penalty, but he is rewarded with a kiss. This “lucky 
  charm” earns the character a benny.
  Ace (0/–2) Trolley Surﬁ ng: Porters are pushing an 
  empty trolley through the station. Ask the hero whether 
  he wants to run around the trolley or try to surf it. The 
  Thuggee always goes around.
  Going around the trolley gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to use it as a giant roller skate gives the char-
  acter a –2 penalty to his Agility roll, but if successful 
  he gains an extra Range Increment. This bonus (and 
  the penalty) stacks with the Push maneuver. Failure 
  causes him to move out of control. He smashes into 
  a wall and is Shaken. The trolley can be used for this 
  round only.
  ACT 2: A TRIP OF TROUBLES
  ACT 2: A TRIP OF TROUBLES
  The journey to Peshawar, the nearest town to the dig, 
  takes two days. Fortunately, Sleeman has booked them 
  a sleeper compartment. The heroes’ seats are in a ﬁ rst 
  class carriage.
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK HAND OF KALI
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK HAND OF KALI
  After the long journey, the heroes reach the train sta-
  tion at Peshawar, the nearest major town. From there, it 
  is a three-day mule ride into the mountains and the site 
  of the dig. On arriving, they are greeted by an English ar-
  chaeologist, Doctor Mortimer Fitzstanley Watson-Hume.
  “Bit of a mouthful, I know,” the doctor says af-
  ter introducing himself. “Most people just call 
  me Mortimer. I don’t hold to titles, so please 
  don’t call me doctor. Frightfully stuffy and old-
  fashioned. Anyway, welcome to my little dig. 
  You are from the Boston Museum, aren’t you? 
  Thought so. Unmistakable accents, you Ameri-
  cans have.
  “Anyway, we’re just crating up your artifacts. 
  Shouldn’t be more than a few hours at most. Until 
  then, grab a trowel and feel free to have a dig. 
  Afternoon tea is at 5 o’clock sharp.”
  The site is little more than a jumble of walls and 
  excavated foundations. If asked, the doctor informs the 
  characters the site is an old temple of Kali. According 
  to Indian folklore, it has stood for centuries before suc-
  cumbing to Afghan raiders only a few decades ago. The 
  expedition is here to rescue any ﬁ nds before the bandits 
  claim the rest.
  Should the heroes elect to nose around, they ﬁ nd a 
  quiet corner of the temple devoid of any diggers. One 
  hero (chosen at random) accidentally steps through a 
  paving slab, revealing a void below. A little excavation 
  reveals a set of worn stairs.
  Mortimer, if informed, replies that it’s just likely an-
  other storage cellar, but the character should feel free to 
  nose around. They might, he jokes, ﬁ nd an undiscovered 
  treasure trove. He reminds them to take ﬂ ashlights.
  KALI’S TEMPLE
  KALI’S TEMPLE
  The stairs lead down to a very long corridor. At the 
  far end is a stone door, engraved with the image of Kali. 
  The icon shows her with four arms, holding a sword, 
  trident, severed head, and a bowl in which to catch the 
  head’s dripping blood. Characters who inspect the im-
  age closely may make a Notice roll. With success, they 
  detect faint traces of dried blood on the bowl.
  Any adventurer making a Common Knowledge roll 
  (–2) or a Knowledge (History) roll can identify the god-
  dess. According to myth, she is associated with death and 
  destruction. More revealingly, the Thuggee worshipped 
  her as their patron.
  Opening the door can be achieved through destruc-
  tive force, such as using pickaxes (there are plenty at the 
  dig site) or by rubbing a small amount of blood onto 
  the bowl. The latter causes the door to slide sideways, 
  revealing a dank chamber beyond.
  The dark chamber is 50 feet long and half that wide. 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  7
  Nine (0/—) Pickpocket: As the character passes by a 
  youth, he snatches something from the character’s pock-
  et. The adventurer feels the item being lifted and sees 
  the kid run off into the crowd. He can either ignore the 
  thief or give chase. The Thuggee doesn’t care about los-
  ing a few rupees, and so always ignores the pickpocket.
  Ignoring the child means the roll is made at no pen-
  alty. The stolen item is never seen again. The GM should 
  decide what has been lifted by the light-ﬁ ngered rogue.
  If he elects to chase the kid, who thinks his act went 
  unnoticed, he makes no Agility roll this round. Instead, 
  he automatically loses two Range Increments due to the 
  delay of hounding the lad and retrieving his belongings.
  Ten (–1) Vendor: A food vendor with a small cart 
  pushes his trolley in front of the hero. A failed roll causes 
  the hero to knock over the cart. The character is left 
  Shaken and covered in curry sauce.
  Jack (–1) Crowds: A small crowd has gathered, block-
  ing the only clear route. Failure causes the hero to drop 
  back one Range Increment.
  Queen (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides 
  to take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. 
  With success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 
  damage (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility 
  roll.
  King (0/–4) Autograph Hunter: By this stage in 
  their career the heroes are widely known, at least among 
  Americans and Europeans. An attractive lady (or hand-
  some man if the hero drawing this card is a woman) asks 
  the hero to sign an autograph and pose for a photo. Ask 
  the character if he wants to ignore his fan or take time 
  out to shake hands. The Thuggee is merely caught up in 
  a crowd.
  Ignoring the fan gives no penalty. Stopping to sign 
  something and pose for a photograph imparts a hefty 
  –4 penalty, but he is rewarded with a kiss. This “lucky 
  charm” earns the character a benny.
  Ace (0/–2) Trolley Surﬁ ng: Porters are pushing an 
  empty trolley through the station. Ask the hero whether 
  he wants to run around the trolley or try to surf it. The 
  Thuggee always goes around.
  Going around the trolley gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to use it as a giant roller skate gives the char-
  acter a –2 penalty to his Agility roll, but if successful 
  he gains an extra Range Increment. This bonus (and 
  the penalty) stacks with the Push maneuver. Failure 
  causes him to move out of control. He smashes into 
  a wall and is Shaken. The trolley can be used for this 
  round only.
  ACT 2: A TRIP OF TROUBLES
  ACT 2: A TRIP OF TROUBLES
  The journey to Peshawar, the nearest town to the dig, 
  takes two days. Fortunately, Sleeman has booked them 
  a sleeper compartment. The heroes’ seats are in a ﬁ rst 
  class carriage.
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK HAND OF KALI
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK HAND OF KALI
  After the long journey, the heroes reach the train sta-
  tion at Peshawar, the nearest major town. From there, it 
  is a three-day mule ride into the mountains and the site 
  of the dig. On arriving, they are greeted by an English ar-
  chaeologist, Doctor Mortimer Fitzstanley Watson-Hume.
  “Bit of a mouthful, I know,” the doctor says af-
  ter introducing himself. “Most people just call 
  me Mortimer. I don’t hold to titles, so please 
  don’t call me doctor. Frightfully stuffy and old-
  fashioned. Anyway, welcome to my little dig. 
  You are from the Boston Museum, aren’t you? 
  Thought so. Unmistakable accents, you Ameri-
  cans have.
  “Anyway, we’re just crating up your artifacts. 
  Shouldn’t be more than a few hours at most. Until 
  then, grab a trowel and feel free to have a dig. 
  Afternoon tea is at 5 o’clock sharp.”
  The site is little more than a jumble of walls and 
  excavated foundations. If asked, the doctor informs the 
  characters the site is an old temple of Kali. According 
  to Indian folklore, it has stood for centuries before suc-
  cumbing to Afghan raiders only a few decades ago. The 
  expedition is here to rescue any ﬁ nds before the bandits 
  claim the rest.
  Should the heroes elect to nose around, they ﬁ nd a 
  quiet corner of the temple devoid of any diggers. One 
  hero (chosen at random) accidentally steps through a 
  paving slab, revealing a void below. A little excavation 
  reveals a set of worn stairs.
  Mortimer, if informed, replies that it’s just likely an-
  other storage cellar, but the character should feel free to 
  nose around. They might, he jokes, ﬁ nd an undiscovered 
  treasure trove. He reminds them to take ﬂ ashlights.
  KALI’S TEMPLE
  KALI’S TEMPLE
  The stairs lead down to a very long corridor. At the 
  far end is a stone door, engraved with the image of Kali. 
  The icon shows her with four arms, holding a sword, 
  trident, severed head, and a bowl in which to catch the 
  head’s dripping blood. Characters who inspect the im-
  age closely may make a Notice roll. With success, they 
  detect faint traces of dried blood on the bowl.
  Any adventurer making a Common Knowledge roll 
  (–2) or a Knowledge (History) roll can identify the god-
  dess. According to myth, she is associated with death and 
  destruction. More revealingly, the Thuggee worshipped 
  her as their patron.
  Opening the door can be achieved through destruc-
  tive force, such as using pickaxes (there are plenty at the 
  dig site) or by rubbing a small amount of blood onto 
  the bowl. The latter causes the door to slide sideways, 
  revealing a dank chamber beyond.
  The dark chamber is 50 feet long and half that wide. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  8
  Thick cobwebs cover the ceiling and walls. At the far end 
  stands a tall statue of the goddess, her skin jet black, 
  a necklace of white skulls (real human skulls) around 
  her neck, and bright, red lips to show she has recently 
  feasted on a victim. At the feet of the statue is a plain 
  wooden box.
  Inside is a large mummiﬁ ed hand. The appendage is 
  twice the size of a regular hand. Any hero who makes a 
  Common Knowledge (–4) or Knowledge (History) roll 
  recalls an old legend concerning an item just like this 
  one.
  The story goes that the hand was discovered by a 
  group of British explorers in the late 19th century, who 
  took the hand back to England. However, Thuggee cult-
  ists, to whom the relic was sacred, hunted down the 
  expedition members and slew them. That the hand was 
  returned to India seems evident, unless there is more 
  than one in existence.
  Should the roll fail, Mortimer tells the tale if shown 
  the artifact later. Except as a scientiﬁ c curiosity it’s worth-
  less, so he happily lets the explorers retain possession of 
  the object for the Boston Museum.
  ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING
  ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING
  As the party is on its way toward the exit tunnel they 
  see a heavy stone block sliding down over the exit. Un-
  less they are quick, the only way out will be sealed shut, 
  trapping them in. From the outside, it looks like the 
  stairs descend to a dead-end, so it may be days before 
  they are discovered, if at all.
  In order to escape, the heroes must score four suc-
  cesses on Agility rolls. They only have four attempts, 
  though. A raise counts as two successes, but only one 
  raise per roll counts. If they reach the total in four goes, 
  they dive through in time and can ascend the stairs. Oth-
  erwise, they are trapped in the corridor.
  Unfortunately, the door activates another trap when 
  it closes. A huge stone ball bursts through the far wall 
  of the temple and begins thundering down the tunnel. 
  There isn’t time to run back into the temple, so they’d 
  better be quick in searching for a way out.
  At the end of the 6th round, the ball crushes the he-
  roes, inﬂ icting 3d10 damage (from a Wild card source). 
  To escape, they must complete the following tasks in 
  order.
  * First they must make a Notice roll. With success, 
  they detect a slight breeze coming from a section of wall 
  halfway down the tunnel.
  * Having found a possible exit, the characters must 
  smash down the wall to reveal whatever lies beyond. 
  This requires a Strength roll at –2 (–4 if they don’t have 
  any heavy tools), but may be done as a Cooperative ac-
  tion by a maximum of three characters. With success, a 
  small crawlway is revealed.
  * Each hero must make an Agility roll to squeeze into 
  the narrow tunnel. There is a cumulative –1 penalty for 
  each additional hero after the ﬁ rst who wants to make the 
  roll in the same round. In addition, Brawny and Obese 
  characters suffer a –1 penalty, whereas Small heroes have 
  a +1 bonus.
  The cramped tunnel leads at a right angle to the en-
  trance tunnel for a few dozen yards, before ending at a 
  stone wall. A few kicks cause the thin brickwork to col-
  lapse. Sunlight and fresh air stream into the darkness as 
  the character emerge from a low hill on the far side of 
  the dig. Mortimer is working nearby. As the dusty char-
  acters crawl out, he turns and greets them with a cheery 
  wave and says, “Looks like you’ve had a fun time! Find 
  anything of interest?”
  SCENE 2: NO TICKET
  SCENE 2: NO TICKET
  After any discussions with Mortimer, the archaeolo-
  gist shows them to the crates, which have already been 
  loaded onto mules. Inside are a few gold beads and 
  coins, but the vast majority of ﬁ nds are statuettes, pieces 
  of pottery, and inscriptions. After a bite to eat, Mortimer 
  bids the characters farewell. An escort of sepoys (equal 
  to two per hero) falls in behind the mule train. The sol-
  diers are taciturn, but follow any orders loyally.
  The journey back to Peshawar is dull and dusty. After 
  a brief wait, the cargo is loaded onto the train to Lahore. 
  Unfortunately, Sleeman didn’t book ﬁ rst class tickets on 
  the return trip, so the characters are halfway down the 
  train. Luckily, there aren’t many passengers yet, so the 
  heroes and sepoys have a car all to themselves.
  As the second day dawns, the characters have passed 
  the city of Rawalpindi and are on their way to Gujarat, 
  the next place the train will stop for any length of time. 
  Breakfast, supplied by a food vendor who joined the train 
  at the last stop, is interrupted by gunﬁ re and smashing 
  windows. The train is under attack!
  Looking out the windows, the characters see a throng 
  of horsemen galloping along the train, ﬁ ring riﬂ es 
  one-handed into the compartments. Heroes who have 
  completed Daring Tales of Adventure #4: The Talons of 
  Lo-Peng instantly recognize them as Afghan tribesmen, 
  though sadly not a tribe they are friendly with.
  Deal action cards.
  Round 1: The attack is being conducted by Afghan 
  tribesmen. They’re incidental to the plot, seeking only 
  to rob the train of its valuables. There are a lot more 
  attackers than those mentioned below—those detailed 
  here are the only ones bothering the heroes, though. All 
  along the train, the Afghans are ﬁ ring into the cars, while 
  British soldiers and government ofﬁ cials are ﬁ ring back.
  Heroes standing in a window and shooting back re-
  ceive Medium Cover, while those crouched down receive 
  Heavy Cover.
  Round 3: The sepoys reveal their true colors. Al-
  though they are soldiers, they are also part of Sleeman’s 
  new Thuggee sect. Their orders were to strangle the 
  characters at an opportune time, so Sleeman could blame 
  the resurgent Thuggees for their deaths. The middle of 
  a ﬁ ght in which the characters are distracted seems like 
  the ideal opportunity. The thugs have the Drop on the 
  ﬁ rst round.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  8
  Thick cobwebs cover the ceiling and walls. At the far end 
  stands a tall statue of the goddess, her skin jet black, 
  a necklace of white skulls (real human skulls) around 
  her neck, and bright, red lips to show she has recently 
  feasted on a victim. At the feet of the statue is a plain 
  wooden box.
  Inside is a large mummiﬁ ed hand. The appendage is 
  twice the size of a regular hand. Any hero who makes a 
  Common Knowledge (–4) or Knowledge (History) roll 
  recalls an old legend concerning an item just like this 
  one.
  The story goes that the hand was discovered by a 
  group of British explorers in the late 19th century, who 
  took the hand back to England. However, Thuggee cult-
  ists, to whom the relic was sacred, hunted down the 
  expedition members and slew them. That the hand was 
  returned to India seems evident, unless there is more 
  than one in existence.
  Should the roll fail, Mortimer tells the tale if shown 
  the artifact later. Except as a scientiﬁ c curiosity it’s worth-
  less, so he happily lets the explorers retain possession of 
  the object for the Boston Museum.
  ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING
  ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING
  As the party is on its way toward the exit tunnel they 
  see a heavy stone block sliding down over the exit. Un-
  less they are quick, the only way out will be sealed shut, 
  trapping them in. From the outside, it looks like the 
  stairs descend to a dead-end, so it may be days before 
  they are discovered, if at all.
  In order to escape, the heroes must score four suc-
  cesses on Agility rolls. They only have four attempts, 
  though. A raise counts as two successes, but only one 
  raise per roll counts. If they reach the total in four goes, 
  they dive through in time and can ascend the stairs. Oth-
  erwise, they are trapped in the corridor.
  Unfortunately, the door activates another trap when 
  it closes. A huge stone ball bursts through the far wall 
  of the temple and begins thundering down the tunnel. 
  There isn’t time to run back into the temple, so they’d 
  better be quick in searching for a way out.
  At the end of the 6th round, the ball crushes the he-
  roes, inﬂ icting 3d10 damage (from a Wild card source). 
  To escape, they must complete the following tasks in 
  order.
  * First they must make a Notice roll. With success, 
  they detect a slight breeze coming from a section of wall 
  halfway down the tunnel.
  * Having found a possible exit, the characters must 
  smash down the wall to reveal whatever lies beyond. 
  This requires a Strength roll at –2 (–4 if they don’t have 
  any heavy tools), but may be done as a Cooperative ac-
  tion by a maximum of three characters. With success, a 
  small crawlway is revealed.
  * Each hero must make an Agility roll to squeeze into 
  the narrow tunnel. There is a cumulative –1 penalty for 
  each additional hero after the ﬁ rst who wants to make the 
  roll in the same round. In addition, Brawny and Obese 
  characters suffer a –1 penalty, whereas Small heroes have 
  a +1 bonus.
  The cramped tunnel leads at a right angle to the en-
  trance tunnel for a few dozen yards, before ending at a 
  stone wall. A few kicks cause the thin brickwork to col-
  lapse. Sunlight and fresh air stream into the darkness as 
  the character emerge from a low hill on the far side of 
  the dig. Mortimer is working nearby. As the dusty char-
  acters crawl out, he turns and greets them with a cheery 
  wave and says, “Looks like you’ve had a fun time! Find 
  anything of interest?”
  SCENE 2: NO TICKET
  SCENE 2: NO TICKET
  After any discussions with Mortimer, the archaeolo-
  gist shows them to the crates, which have already been 
  loaded onto mules. Inside are a few gold beads and 
  coins, but the vast majority of ﬁ nds are statuettes, pieces 
  of pottery, and inscriptions. After a bite to eat, Mortimer 
  bids the characters farewell. An escort of sepoys (equal 
  to two per hero) falls in behind the mule train. The sol-
  diers are taciturn, but follow any orders loyally.
  The journey back to Peshawar is dull and dusty. After 
  a brief wait, the cargo is loaded onto the train to Lahore. 
  Unfortunately, Sleeman didn’t book ﬁ rst class tickets on 
  the return trip, so the characters are halfway down the 
  train. Luckily, there aren’t many passengers yet, so the 
  heroes and sepoys have a car all to themselves.
  As the second day dawns, the characters have passed 
  the city of Rawalpindi and are on their way to Gujarat, 
  the next place the train will stop for any length of time. 
  Breakfast, supplied by a food vendor who joined the train 
  at the last stop, is interrupted by gunﬁ re and smashing 
  windows. The train is under attack!
  Looking out the windows, the characters see a throng 
  of horsemen galloping along the train, ﬁ ring riﬂ es 
  one-handed into the compartments. Heroes who have 
  completed Daring Tales of Adventure #4: The Talons of 
  Lo-Peng instantly recognize them as Afghan tribesmen, 
  though sadly not a tribe they are friendly with.
  Deal action cards.
  Round 1: The attack is being conducted by Afghan 
  tribesmen. They’re incidental to the plot, seeking only 
  to rob the train of its valuables. There are a lot more 
  attackers than those mentioned below—those detailed 
  here are the only ones bothering the heroes, though. All 
  along the train, the Afghans are ﬁ ring into the cars, while 
  British soldiers and government ofﬁ cials are ﬁ ring back.
  Heroes standing in a window and shooting back re-
  ceive Medium Cover, while those crouched down receive 
  Heavy Cover.
  Round 3: The sepoys reveal their true colors. Al-
  though they are soldiers, they are also part of Sleeman’s 
  new Thuggee sect. Their orders were to strangle the 
  characters at an opportune time, so Sleeman could blame 
  the resurgent Thuggees for their deaths. The middle of 
  a ﬁ ght in which the characters are distracted seems like 
  the ideal opportunity. The thugs have the Drop on the 
  ﬁ rst round.
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  9
  Don’t stop the Afghan attack while this is going on! 
  With the Thuggee trying to strangle their foes, the In-
  nocent Bystander rule is likely to get a lot of use.
  Round 5: The Afghans have a “secret weapon”—a 
  stolen British staff car and Vickers machinegun! The staff 
  car’s roof has been cut off, and the large, water-cooled 
  machinegun mounted in place of the back seats. The 
  gunner doesn’t have Rock and Roll, but that doesn’t stop 
  him using full auto. Bullets smash through the remain-
  ing windows and pepper the side of the carriage!
  The car is considered indestructible (the heroes will 
  need it soon). In the event the driver is killed, a horse-
  men leaps into the driver’s seat and takes control.
  The machinegun has Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 1. There are three Afghans in the car: the 
  driver, the gunner, and a loader.
  Round 7: The train appears to be slowing! A hero 
  who looks out of the window sees their carriage has 
  been uncoupled from the head of the train and is already 
  falling behind. Up ahead, he sees the driver fall from the 
  engine, obviously dead. To emphasize that all is not well, 
  the character spots a sepoy leaping after him!
  As if that wasn’t bad enough, the train is heading 
  for a bend along a gorge, and it’s steaming far too fast. 
  The engine is still pulling several carriages packed with 
  innocent commuters, so leaving it to go over shouldn’t 
  be an option. Naturally, the only people who can stop a 
  disaster are the adventurers.
  The train ﬂ ies off the rails at the end of the 6th round. 
  In order to prevent this, the characters have to complete 
  the following tasks in order.
  While all this is going on, the Afghans stop their attack 
  on the apparently ﬂ eeing train and turn back to the de-
  coupled wagons. Any heroes not taking part in the action 
  to slow the train can keep ﬁ ghting the tribesmen.
  * The characters must secure some means of catch-
  ing the train. There are two options. First, they can leap 
  from the carriage (which is still moving) onto the car. 
  Second, they can try to commandeer a horse using the 
  same tactic. Either method requires an Agility roll at –2. 
  With failure, the adventurer is either hanging off the back 
  off the car or from the saddle. A Strength roll is required 
  as an action to drag himself onto the vehicle.
  Characters who want to wait until the carriage stops 
  don’t suffer the penalty, but they automatically lose two 
  rounds of action—they have just four rounds to prevent 
  an accident.
  Should the heroes fail in their endeavors, the train 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  9
  Don’t stop the Afghan attack while this is going on! 
  With the Thuggee trying to strangle their foes, the In-
  nocent Bystander rule is likely to get a lot of use.
  Round 5: The Afghans have a “secret weapon”—a 
  stolen British staff car and Vickers machinegun! The staff 
  car’s roof has been cut off, and the large, water-cooled 
  machinegun mounted in place of the back seats. The 
  gunner doesn’t have Rock and Roll, but that doesn’t stop 
  him using full auto. Bullets smash through the remain-
  ing windows and pepper the side of the carriage!
  The car is considered indestructible (the heroes will 
  need it soon). In the event the driver is killed, a horse-
  men leaps into the driver’s seat and takes control.
  The machinegun has Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 1. There are three Afghans in the car: the 
  driver, the gunner, and a loader.
  Round 7: The train appears to be slowing! A hero 
  who looks out of the window sees their carriage has 
  been uncoupled from the head of the train and is already 
  falling behind. Up ahead, he sees the driver fall from the 
  engine, obviously dead. To emphasize that all is not well, 
  the character spots a sepoy leaping after him!
  As if that wasn’t bad enough, the train is heading 
  for a bend along a gorge, and it’s steaming far too fast. 
  The engine is still pulling several carriages packed with 
  innocent commuters, so leaving it to go over shouldn’t 
  be an option. Naturally, the only people who can stop a 
  disaster are the adventurers.
  The train ﬂ ies off the rails at the end of the 6th round. 
  In order to prevent this, the characters have to complete 
  the following tasks in order.
  While all this is going on, the Afghans stop their attack 
  on the apparently ﬂ eeing train and turn back to the de-
  coupled wagons. Any heroes not taking part in the action 
  to slow the train can keep ﬁ ghting the tribesmen.
  * The characters must secure some means of catch-
  ing the train. There are two options. First, they can leap 
  from the carriage (which is still moving) onto the car. 
  Second, they can try to commandeer a horse using the 
  same tactic. Either method requires an Agility roll at –2. 
  With failure, the adventurer is either hanging off the back 
  off the car or from the saddle. A Strength roll is required 
  as an action to drag himself onto the vehicle.
  Characters who want to wait until the carriage stops 
  don’t suffer the penalty, but they automatically lose two 
  rounds of action—they have just four rounds to prevent 
  an accident.
  Should the heroes fail in their endeavors, the train 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1010
  ﬂ ies over the edge of the gorge. Luckily for them, and 
  the other passengers, the gorge isn’t actually very deep. 
  Characters on the engine suffer 3d6 damage (from a Wild 
  Card). The passengers suffer cuts, bruises, and a few bro-
  ken limbs. Either way, the engine has been damaged by 
  the Thuggee and isn’t going anywhere fast.
  * Once aboard some means of transportation, the 
  characters must remove the Afghans. This requires a 
  Fighting roll against the Afghan’s Parry. With success, the 
  heroes have control of the vehicle.
  * It’s time to put the pedal to the metal, or whip that 
  horse into a full gallop. Catching up with the engine re-
  quires either a Driving or Riding roll at –2, as appropriate 
  to the mode of transportation chosen.
  * Now level with the engine, the characters have two 
  choices how to slow it. The ﬁ rst involves a daring leap 
  onto the engine and the application of the brake. This 
  requires the hero to make an Agility roll at –2. Again, 
  failure means he is left dangling from the engine, his feet 
  scraping along the tracks. A Strength roll is required as 
  an action to reach the engine proper. A hero aboard the 
  train can apply the brakes as a free action, bringing the 
  train to a rapid halt.
  The second is to shoot away the coupling. This re-
  quires a Shooting roll. Remember any penalties for the 
  Unstable Platform and autoﬁ re!
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Afghan Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 20.
  YOU GO AHEAD
  YOU GO AHEAD
  By the time the train is saved, the Afghan’s have ﬂ ed. 
  Passengers ﬂ ee from the cars, dragging belongings, valu-
  ables, and livestock with them. The senior British ofﬁ cer 
  on the train, who just happens to be Captain Hastings, 
  approaches them.
  “Dashed good show, chaps,” he says. “Look, it 
  seems the engine is badly damaged. You’ve got 
  that car, so how about who drive into Rawalpindi 
  and summon reinforcements. Me and my men 
  will guard the passengers in case those tribes-
  men come back for a second look. If you leave 
  us that Vickers, we’ll be able to keep them at bay 
  for ages.”
  SCENE 3: A HANDY BATH
  SCENE 3: A HANDY BATH
  Rawalpindi is a bustling city. Like all large settlements, 
  it contains both a telegraph ofﬁ ce and a British govern-
  ment ofﬁ ce. If Sleeman is telegraphed, a reply comes 
  back very quickly. He orders the heroes to stay put while 
  he makes arrangements to have the train dealt with and 
  arrange alternate transport for them. In the event the 
  characters don’t contact the villain, a local ofﬁ cial does 
  so once the attack on the train is reported.
  Within the hour, an open-top car pulls up outside the 
  ofﬁ ce. Driving it is a studious-looking man by the name 
  of Winston Caruthers, one of Sleeman’s aides. Parked 
  beside his car is a truck full of British soldiers.
  “Hello!” the man beams. “Name’s Caruthers. I’m 
  one of the local bureaucrats working under Sir 
  Walter. Listen, these army chaps are going to go 
  and guard the train while things out are sorted 
  out with the trains.
  “Damned nationalist rebels have blown the 
  tracks between here and Lahore, so it’ll be days 
  before the train can take you back. Sir Walter has 
  ordered me to chauffeur you back to Lahore im-
  mediately. Can’t have important guests getting 
  into any bother. Won’t look good for the Raj.”
  Caruthers tries to dissuade the characters from going 
  back to the train for the artifacts, promising the British 
  army will take good care of them, and informing the ad-
  venturers the journey to Lahore is going to take the best 
  of two days as it is.
  However, if the characters are pushy, he caves in and 
  drives them to the scene of the ﬁ ght. Whether or not 
  they collect the artifacts is irrelevant—they don’t come 
  to any harm.
  Caruthers is a pleasant chap and is happy to talk with 
  the heroes. He lets nothing slip about Sleeman’s plans to 
  create chaos in India, but instead goes on about cricket, 
  the weather, and the state of affairs in Europe.
  THE HANDS APPEAR
  THE HANDS APPEAR
  That night, Caruthers stops over in Gujarat. He knows 
  a decent hotel that caters to Westerners. He refuses any 
  offers of payment, saying it is the least the Crown can 
  do for the characters after their heroic efforts. The ho-
  tel is almost full, but Caruthers manages to book two 
  rooms—one for male characters and one for females. He 
  isn’t staying at the hotel, but instead is lodging with an 
  old friend just a few streets away.
  While waiting in the lobby for their rooms to be pre-
  pared, the characters are approached by an Indian in a 
  porter’s uniform.
  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he beams. 
  “My name is Sanjeev. I am pleased to let your Ex-
  cellencies know that your rooms are ready. I have 
  taken the liberty of preparing baths for you. Mr. 
  Caruthers has told us of your most troubling day, 
  and thought you might like to wash away the dirt 
  before you dine.”
  Sanjeev is actually a Thuggee (Sleeman has agents all 
  throughout this part of India), sent by Caruthers. That 
  won’t stop him holding out his hand for a tip once he 
  shows the guests to their rooms.
  The rooms, which have an adjoining door, are well 
  appointed. The furnishings are a blend of Indian and 
  European, with stout, solid furniture of English oak and 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1010
  ﬂ ies over the edge of the gorge. Luckily for them, and 
  the other passengers, the gorge isn’t actually very deep. 
  Characters on the engine suffer 3d6 damage (from a Wild 
  Card). The passengers suffer cuts, bruises, and a few bro-
  ken limbs. Either way, the engine has been damaged by 
  the Thuggee and isn’t going anywhere fast.
  * Once aboard some means of transportation, the 
  characters must remove the Afghans. This requires a 
  Fighting roll against the Afghan’s Parry. With success, the 
  heroes have control of the vehicle.
  * It’s time to put the pedal to the metal, or whip that 
  horse into a full gallop. Catching up with the engine re-
  quires either a Driving or Riding roll at –2, as appropriate 
  to the mode of transportation chosen.
  * Now level with the engine, the characters have two 
  choices how to slow it. The ﬁ rst involves a daring leap 
  onto the engine and the application of the brake. This 
  requires the hero to make an Agility roll at –2. Again, 
  failure means he is left dangling from the engine, his feet 
  scraping along the tracks. A Strength roll is required as 
  an action to reach the engine proper. A hero aboard the 
  train can apply the brakes as a free action, bringing the 
  train to a rapid halt.
  The second is to shoot away the coupling. This re-
  quires a Shooting roll. Remember any penalties for the 
  Unstable Platform and autoﬁ re!
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Afghan Tribesmen (3 per hero): See page 20.
  YOU GO AHEAD
  YOU GO AHEAD
  By the time the train is saved, the Afghan’s have ﬂ ed. 
  Passengers ﬂ ee from the cars, dragging belongings, valu-
  ables, and livestock with them. The senior British ofﬁ cer 
  on the train, who just happens to be Captain Hastings, 
  approaches them.
  “Dashed good show, chaps,” he says. “Look, it 
  seems the engine is badly damaged. You’ve got 
  that car, so how about who drive into Rawalpindi 
  and summon reinforcements. Me and my men 
  will guard the passengers in case those tribes-
  men come back for a second look. If you leave 
  us that Vickers, we’ll be able to keep them at bay 
  for ages.”
  SCENE 3: A HANDY BATH
  SCENE 3: A HANDY BATH
  Rawalpindi is a bustling city. Like all large settlements, 
  it contains both a telegraph ofﬁ ce and a British govern-
  ment ofﬁ ce. If Sleeman is telegraphed, a reply comes 
  back very quickly. He orders the heroes to stay put while 
  he makes arrangements to have the train dealt with and 
  arrange alternate transport for them. In the event the 
  characters don’t contact the villain, a local ofﬁ cial does 
  so once the attack on the train is reported.
  Within the hour, an open-top car pulls up outside the 
  ofﬁ ce. Driving it is a studious-looking man by the name 
  of Winston Caruthers, one of Sleeman’s aides. Parked 
  beside his car is a truck full of British soldiers.
  “Hello!” the man beams. “Name’s Caruthers. I’m 
  one of the local bureaucrats working under Sir 
  Walter. Listen, these army chaps are going to go 
  and guard the train while things out are sorted 
  out with the trains.
  “Damned nationalist rebels have blown the 
  tracks between here and Lahore, so it’ll be days 
  before the train can take you back. Sir Walter has 
  ordered me to chauffeur you back to Lahore im-
  mediately. Can’t have important guests getting 
  into any bother. Won’t look good for the Raj.”
  Caruthers tries to dissuade the characters from going 
  back to the train for the artifacts, promising the British 
  army will take good care of them, and informing the ad-
  venturers the journey to Lahore is going to take the best 
  of two days as it is.
  However, if the characters are pushy, he caves in and 
  drives them to the scene of the ﬁ ght. Whether or not 
  they collect the artifacts is irrelevant—they don’t come 
  to any harm.
  Caruthers is a pleasant chap and is happy to talk with 
  the heroes. He lets nothing slip about Sleeman’s plans to 
  create chaos in India, but instead goes on about cricket, 
  the weather, and the state of affairs in Europe.
  THE HANDS APPEAR
  THE HANDS APPEAR
  That night, Caruthers stops over in Gujarat. He knows 
  a decent hotel that caters to Westerners. He refuses any 
  offers of payment, saying it is the least the Crown can 
  do for the characters after their heroic efforts. The ho-
  tel is almost full, but Caruthers manages to book two 
  rooms—one for male characters and one for females. He 
  isn’t staying at the hotel, but instead is lodging with an 
  old friend just a few streets away.
  While waiting in the lobby for their rooms to be pre-
  pared, the characters are approached by an Indian in a 
  porter’s uniform.
  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he beams. 
  “My name is Sanjeev. I am pleased to let your Ex-
  cellencies know that your rooms are ready. I have 
  taken the liberty of preparing baths for you. Mr. 
  Caruthers has told us of your most troubling day, 
  and thought you might like to wash away the dirt 
  before you dine.”
  Sanjeev is actually a Thuggee (Sleeman has agents all 
  throughout this part of India), sent by Caruthers. That 
  won’t stop him holding out his hand for a tip once he 
  shows the guests to their rooms.
  The rooms, which have an adjoining door, are well 
  appointed. The furnishings are a blend of Indian and 
  European, with stout, solid furniture of English oak and 
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1111
  portraits of the king, contrasting with brightly-colored 
  silk cushions. The baths are in the middle of the rooms 
  and full of luxuriant, fragrant bubbles.
  Lurking in two of the baths (one in each room if there 
  are both sexes in the party) is a hand of Kali, a mechanical 
  killing machine of Sleeman’s invention. They respond to 
  movement, and do nothing until a hero enters the bath. 
  When this occurs, check for Surprise.
  Attacking the creature while it’s in the bath gives the 
  attacker a –2 penalty due to the bubbles concealing it. 
  Tipping over the bath requires an action, but no die 
  roll.
  The hands don’t show any signs of being mechanical 
  unless the damages are cut open. Should an autopsy be 
  performed, their technological nature becomes readily 
  apparent. Any character making a Repair roll at –4 or a 
  Weird Science roll realizes they are cutting edge technol-
  ogy, and deﬁ nitely in the realm of “weird science.”
  There is no sign of Sanjeev anywhere in the hotel. If 
  described to the manager, he denies having anyone ﬁ t-
  ting that description on staff. Caruthers, when informed, 
  smoothes over any rufﬂ ed feathers due to gunshots or 
  damage to the room. He knows nothing about the hands, 
  and is as shocked as the characters if shown one (with or 
  without its bandages).
  In the morning, Caruthers bustles the characters into 
  the car for the ﬁ nal leg of the journey back to Lahore.
   Hand of Kali (2): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: TRUNK CALL
  SCENE 4: TRUNK CALL
  Caruthers’ next stop is at Gujranwalla, a large town 
  halfway between Gujarat and Lahore. There’s a local 
  festival taking place, and the ofﬁ cial wants to show the 
  heroes a bit of Indian culture before they grab a bite to 
  eat. In truth, the sneak received orders from Sleeman 
  last night to bring the characters here, where an ambush 
  has been arranged.
  The town is awash with pilgrims and holy men. 
  Within minutes of leaving the car, the heroes are wear-
  ing garlands of red ﬂ owers and carrying incense sticks 
  given them by smiling pilgrims. Small donations (money 
  or food) to the holy men are accepted, but are not re-
  quired.
  Caruthers explains that the festival is to honor Ga-
  nesha, a four-armed deity with an elephant’s head. He 
  further tells that elephants are sacred to Ganesha, and it 
  is customary for holy elephants to be present at his fes-
  tivals. In return for offering them sweets, the elephants 
  touch the head of pilgrims with their trunk, so bestowing 
  the deity’s blessing.
  Indeed, there are a number of elephants further down 
  the street, bedecked in red ﬂ owers (red is Ganesha’s fa-
  vored color) and body paint. As pilgrims place sweets in 
  a bowl, the elephant blesses them.
  Should a hero accept a blessing, he receives a free 
  benny. However, only the ﬁ rst character is blessed in this 
  way. The second receives a swipe from the elephant’s 
  trunk, knocking him sideways and inﬂ icting d12+3 dam-
  age (from an Extra). When this occurs, read the following 
  text to the players.
  The powerful swipe sends you tumbling into a 
  nearby stand. Before you can recover, the ele-
  phant’s foot stamps down hard, just inches from 
  your head. From somewhere nearby, you can hear 
  Caruthers shouting, “They’ve gone berserk! Run!” 
  It looks the pilgrims are taking his advice.
  Ideally, the characters should take this opportunity to 
  run. If they don’t, they’re likely to end up badly wound-
  ed. Once ﬂ eeing starts, run the scene as a Chase.
  The characters are just two Range Increments ahead 
  of the rampaging elephants, and each Range Increment 
  equates to 5”. The elephants have a base Range Incre-
  ment of 5”, which makes them faster than the heroes 
  (Range Increment 1”). To that end, the characters have a 
  –1 penalty to their Agility rolls.
  Caruthers has just two stats—Agility d6 and Tough-
  ness 5. Whatever happens, he must die in this scene. 
  Whether he is shot or crushed depends on the dice.
  Things aren’t going in the adventurers’ favor. The 
  crowd counts as Thick Obstacles (–4). Cards of the Club 
  suit don’t indicate a collision, though. The penalty mere-
  ly increases the chances a hero will be stymied by the 
  wall of heaving ﬂ esh and fail to make any headway. The 
  elephants don’t suffer any penalties for Obstacles—they 
  just charge through the crowds, sending pilgrims ﬂ ying 
  in all directions.
  Elephants can make Force (using their trunks to knock 
  a hero aside), Distract (throwing things with their trunks 
  or simply running close enough to a hero to put fear of 
  being crushed into him), Parallel, and Push maneuvers.
  An elephant successfully using the Parallel maneuver 
  doesn’t make a Fighting roll to inﬂ ict damage. Instead, 
  the emphasis is on the hero avoiding harm. Avoiding be-
  ing trampled requires an Agility roll at –2 (because the 
  character is likely to want to run in the same round).
  Shooting the elephants is an option, but only if the 
  characters want to risk hitting innocent pilgrims. The 
  Innocent Bystander rule is in strict force. Any shot auto-
  matically invokes the rule, such is the size of the crowd. 
  Innocents have Toughness 5. Targeting the riders, how-
  ever, incurs no such penalty, as they are far above the 
  screaming crowd. Once both Thuggee on the elephants 
  are dead, the beast stops rampaging.
   Elephants (1 per 2 heroes): See page 21.
   Thuggees (1 per hero): See page 20. The Thugs 
  are divided equally on the backs of the elephants. Each 
  has a pistol concealed in his robes, which they will use 
  against the heroes (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1). 
  The Innocent Bystander rule still applies to them—they 
  just don’t care about the pilgrims.
  ACT 3: THE HANDS OF KALI
  ACT 3: THE HANDS OF KALI
  Caruthers may be dead, but the heroes still have his 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1111
  portraits of the king, contrasting with brightly-colored 
  silk cushions. The baths are in the middle of the rooms 
  and full of luxuriant, fragrant bubbles.
  Lurking in two of the baths (one in each room if there 
  are both sexes in the party) is a hand of Kali, a mechanical 
  killing machine of Sleeman’s invention. They respond to 
  movement, and do nothing until a hero enters the bath. 
  When this occurs, check for Surprise.
  Attacking the creature while it’s in the bath gives the 
  attacker a –2 penalty due to the bubbles concealing it. 
  Tipping over the bath requires an action, but no die 
  roll.
  The hands don’t show any signs of being mechanical 
  unless the damages are cut open. Should an autopsy be 
  performed, their technological nature becomes readily 
  apparent. Any character making a Repair roll at –4 or a 
  Weird Science roll realizes they are cutting edge technol-
  ogy, and deﬁ nitely in the realm of “weird science.”
  There is no sign of Sanjeev anywhere in the hotel. If 
  described to the manager, he denies having anyone ﬁ t-
  ting that description on staff. Caruthers, when informed, 
  smoothes over any rufﬂ ed feathers due to gunshots or 
  damage to the room. He knows nothing about the hands, 
  and is as shocked as the characters if shown one (with or 
  without its bandages).
  In the morning, Caruthers bustles the characters into 
  the car for the ﬁ nal leg of the journey back to Lahore.
   Hand of Kali (2): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: TRUNK CALL
  SCENE 4: TRUNK CALL
  Caruthers’ next stop is at Gujranwalla, a large town 
  halfway between Gujarat and Lahore. There’s a local 
  festival taking place, and the ofﬁ cial wants to show the 
  heroes a bit of Indian culture before they grab a bite to 
  eat. In truth, the sneak received orders from Sleeman 
  last night to bring the characters here, where an ambush 
  has been arranged.
  The town is awash with pilgrims and holy men. 
  Within minutes of leaving the car, the heroes are wear-
  ing garlands of red ﬂ owers and carrying incense sticks 
  given them by smiling pilgrims. Small donations (money 
  or food) to the holy men are accepted, but are not re-
  quired.
  Caruthers explains that the festival is to honor Ga-
  nesha, a four-armed deity with an elephant’s head. He 
  further tells that elephants are sacred to Ganesha, and it 
  is customary for holy elephants to be present at his fes-
  tivals. In return for offering them sweets, the elephants 
  touch the head of pilgrims with their trunk, so bestowing 
  the deity’s blessing.
  Indeed, there are a number of elephants further down 
  the street, bedecked in red ﬂ owers (red is Ganesha’s fa-
  vored color) and body paint. As pilgrims place sweets in 
  a bowl, the elephant blesses them.
  Should a hero accept a blessing, he receives a free 
  benny. However, only the ﬁ rst character is blessed in this 
  way. The second receives a swipe from the elephant’s 
  trunk, knocking him sideways and inﬂ icting d12+3 dam-
  age (from an Extra). When this occurs, read the following 
  text to the players.
  The powerful swipe sends you tumbling into a 
  nearby stand. Before you can recover, the ele-
  phant’s foot stamps down hard, just inches from 
  your head. From somewhere nearby, you can hear 
  Caruthers shouting, “They’ve gone berserk! Run!” 
  It looks the pilgrims are taking his advice.
  Ideally, the characters should take this opportunity to 
  run. If they don’t, they’re likely to end up badly wound-
  ed. Once ﬂ eeing starts, run the scene as a Chase.
  The characters are just two Range Increments ahead 
  of the rampaging elephants, and each Range Increment 
  equates to 5”. The elephants have a base Range Incre-
  ment of 5”, which makes them faster than the heroes 
  (Range Increment 1”). To that end, the characters have a 
  –1 penalty to their Agility rolls.
  Caruthers has just two stats—Agility d6 and Tough-
  ness 5. Whatever happens, he must die in this scene. 
  Whether he is shot or crushed depends on the dice.
  Things aren’t going in the adventurers’ favor. The 
  crowd counts as Thick Obstacles (–4). Cards of the Club 
  suit don’t indicate a collision, though. The penalty mere-
  ly increases the chances a hero will be stymied by the 
  wall of heaving ﬂ esh and fail to make any headway. The 
  elephants don’t suffer any penalties for Obstacles—they 
  just charge through the crowds, sending pilgrims ﬂ ying 
  in all directions.
  Elephants can make Force (using their trunks to knock 
  a hero aside), Distract (throwing things with their trunks 
  or simply running close enough to a hero to put fear of 
  being crushed into him), Parallel, and Push maneuvers.
  An elephant successfully using the Parallel maneuver 
  doesn’t make a Fighting roll to inﬂ ict damage. Instead, 
  the emphasis is on the hero avoiding harm. Avoiding be-
  ing trampled requires an Agility roll at –2 (because the 
  character is likely to want to run in the same round).
  Shooting the elephants is an option, but only if the 
  characters want to risk hitting innocent pilgrims. The 
  Innocent Bystander rule is in strict force. Any shot auto-
  matically invokes the rule, such is the size of the crowd. 
  Innocents have Toughness 5. Targeting the riders, how-
  ever, incurs no such penalty, as they are far above the 
  screaming crowd. Once both Thuggee on the elephants 
  are dead, the beast stops rampaging.
   Elephants (1 per 2 heroes): See page 21.
   Thuggees (1 per hero): See page 20. The Thugs 
  are divided equally on the backs of the elephants. Each 
  has a pistol concealed in his robes, which they will use 
  against the heroes (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1). 
  The Innocent Bystander rule still applies to them—they 
  just don’t care about the pilgrims.
  ACT 3: THE HANDS OF KALI
  ACT 3: THE HANDS OF KALI
  Caruthers may be dead, but the heroes still have his 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1212
  car. The local police, aided by a detachment of British 
  soldiers, bring the situation under control, while medics 
  attend the many injured. Routine questions are asked of 
  the characters, but they are not detained long. As far as 
  the authorities are concerned, the whole scene was an 
  unfortunate accident.
  Talk of a Thuggee attack is dismissed with a nervous 
  laugh and a quiet whisper—“Hush now, sir. We don’t 
  want to frighten the locals any more than they have 
  been already.”
  SCENE 1: WHOSE HAND IS IT?
  SCENE 1: WHOSE HAND IS IT?
  The characters are likely to want to speak to Sir Wal-
  ter on their return, if only to inform him of his aide’s 
  untimely death. A true Englishman, Sir Walter takes the 
  news stoically and merely says, “Poor chap. He was a 
  good bureaucrat.”
  If questioned about his handpicked men actually be-
  ing Thuggee, Sir Walter puts on a show of feigned shock 
  and alarm.
  “Dear Lord!” the noble exclaims. “Those men 
  served the Crown loyally for years! It looks like 
  the threat is more prevalent than I ﬁ rst imagined. 
  I’ll order a full review of the situation, immedi-
  ately.”
  The train carrying the artifacts won’t arrive for a few 
  days, so the characters can’t leave India just yet. Sleeman 
  informs the group that various papers need to be signed 
  before the relics can leave the country. He instructs them 
  to visit Reginald Peregue, “the man who handles this 
  sort of thing.” He allows them to use Caruthers’ car and 
  provides the address. Peregue, he adds, is expecting the 
  characters.
  On arriving at Peregue’s ofﬁ ce, an Indian servant 
  opens the door and welcomes the heroes inside. While 
  they wait in the foyer, he scurries off to inform his master 
  of their arrival. Moments later, a scream pierces the air!
  Reaching the ofﬁ ce, you discover the servant 
  standing in the doorway, his hands clasped to 
  his mouth. He gestures into the room. Slumped 
  back in a chair is a middle-aged man dressed 
  in a smart suit. Heavy bruising around his neck 
  points clearly to the cause of death—strangula-
  tion. There are minimal signs of a struggle—just a 
  spilled ink pot and an overturned decorative jar.
  The ofﬁ ce measures 8” by 8”. The desk is located on 
  the eastern wall, in front of a large window. Arranged 
  along the northern wall are bookshelves and ﬁ ling cabi-
  nets. The jar is in the northwest corner, beside a small 
  circular table.
  The killers are still lurking in the room. One is under 
  the desk, while the other has crawled back into the jar 
  in which it was delivered. When the characters enter the 
  room, have them check for Surprise. Deal action cards 
  as appropriate. The hands don’t get the Drop unless the 
  adventurers are completely blasé about the killer still 
  being present and enter without any concern of being 
  attacked.
   Hand of Kali (1 per 2 heroes): See page 20.
  A CLUE
  A CLUE
  If the heroes question the servant about the jar, he 
  explains it was delivered just before Peregue entered his 
  ofﬁ ce. A letter accompanied it. The servant has no idea 
  who sent it, but it was delivered as a gift.
  The latter is still on Peregue’s desk, though it is 
  soaked in black ink. All that can be seen is the sender’s 
  name—Gupta Singh. The servant, if asked, explains that 
  Mr. Singh is a very prominent businessman in Lahore.
  SCENE 2: THE POTTERY
  SCENE 2: THE POTTERY
  Mr. Singh is present if the heroes visit (or telephone) 
  and agrees to speak with them. He is openly and hon-
  estly shocked by Peregue’s death. He has heard of the 
  resurgent Thuggee, for whom he has no love. As far as 
  he is concerned, the Thuggee were a blight on the good 
  name of India.
  He explains that he operates a pottery in downtown 
  Lahore, specializing in traditional ceramics. This is mere-
  ly one of his businesses, and he leaves the daily running 
  to the manager, Nagendra Chakravarti. When a new line 
  of pottery is produced, gifts are automatically sent to all 
  the British ofﬁ cials in Lahore.
  THE POTTERY
  THE POTTERY
  The characters’ refusal to die is a thorn in Sleeman’s 
  side. Fearing they might actually be clever enough to dis-
  cover his role in the Thuggee attacks, he has contacted 
  the warehouse and informed the manager (a Thuggee) 
  that they might come snooping. Orders have been given 
  to ensure the foreigners never leave.
  The business operates day and night. If the characters 
  approach by day, use the following text as written. A 
  nighttime excursion runs a little differently. The Thuggee 
  are waiting in ambush behind crates. Check for Surprise 
  once the characters enter the building.
  As the heroes arrive, they spot a delivery truck, bear-
  ing the company logo, disappearing around a corner. 
  Several workers are outside smoking, having just loaded 
  the truck. They don’t speak any English, and simply ges-
  ture into the warehouse if spoken to.
  On entering, Chakravarti approaches them with 
  a warm smile. He asks if they have come for a guided 
  tour of the facility or are seeking to buy in bulk. Talk of 
  animated hands and Thuggee cultists is dismissed with a 
  nervous smile.
  “Oh no, sir, you must be mistaken. The Thuggee 
  were wiped out many, many years ago by the 
  British soldiers. A bad time for India, indeed, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1212
  car. The local police, aided by a detachment of British 
  soldiers, bring the situation under control, while medics 
  attend the many injured. Routine questions are asked of 
  the characters, but they are not detained long. As far as 
  the authorities are concerned, the whole scene was an 
  unfortunate accident.
  Talk of a Thuggee attack is dismissed with a nervous 
  laugh and a quiet whisper—“Hush now, sir. We don’t 
  want to frighten the locals any more than they have 
  been already.”
  SCENE 1: WHOSE HAND IS IT?
  SCENE 1: WHOSE HAND IS IT?
  The characters are likely to want to speak to Sir Wal-
  ter on their return, if only to inform him of his aide’s 
  untimely death. A true Englishman, Sir Walter takes the 
  news stoically and merely says, “Poor chap. He was a 
  good bureaucrat.”
  If questioned about his handpicked men actually be-
  ing Thuggee, Sir Walter puts on a show of feigned shock 
  and alarm.
  “Dear Lord!” the noble exclaims. “Those men 
  served the Crown loyally for years! It looks like 
  the threat is more prevalent than I ﬁ rst imagined. 
  I’ll order a full review of the situation, immedi-
  ately.”
  The train carrying the artifacts won’t arrive for a few 
  days, so the characters can’t leave India just yet. Sleeman 
  informs the group that various papers need to be signed 
  before the relics can leave the country. He instructs them 
  to visit Reginald Peregue, “the man who handles this 
  sort of thing.” He allows them to use Caruthers’ car and 
  provides the address. Peregue, he adds, is expecting the 
  characters.
  On arriving at Peregue’s ofﬁ ce, an Indian servant 
  opens the door and welcomes the heroes inside. While 
  they wait in the foyer, he scurries off to inform his master 
  of their arrival. Moments later, a scream pierces the air!
  Reaching the ofﬁ ce, you discover the servant 
  standing in the doorway, his hands clasped to 
  his mouth. He gestures into the room. Slumped 
  back in a chair is a middle-aged man dressed 
  in a smart suit. Heavy bruising around his neck 
  points clearly to the cause of death—strangula-
  tion. There are minimal signs of a struggle—just a 
  spilled ink pot and an overturned decorative jar.
  The ofﬁ ce measures 8” by 8”. The desk is located on 
  the eastern wall, in front of a large window. Arranged 
  along the northern wall are bookshelves and ﬁ ling cabi-
  nets. The jar is in the northwest corner, beside a small 
  circular table.
  The killers are still lurking in the room. One is under 
  the desk, while the other has crawled back into the jar 
  in which it was delivered. When the characters enter the 
  room, have them check for Surprise. Deal action cards 
  as appropriate. The hands don’t get the Drop unless the 
  adventurers are completely blasé about the killer still 
  being present and enter without any concern of being 
  attacked.
   Hand of Kali (1 per 2 heroes): See page 20.
  A CLUE
  A CLUE
  If the heroes question the servant about the jar, he 
  explains it was delivered just before Peregue entered his 
  ofﬁ ce. A letter accompanied it. The servant has no idea 
  who sent it, but it was delivered as a gift.
  The latter is still on Peregue’s desk, though it is 
  soaked in black ink. All that can be seen is the sender’s 
  name—Gupta Singh. The servant, if asked, explains that 
  Mr. Singh is a very prominent businessman in Lahore.
  SCENE 2: THE POTTERY
  SCENE 2: THE POTTERY
  Mr. Singh is present if the heroes visit (or telephone) 
  and agrees to speak with them. He is openly and hon-
  estly shocked by Peregue’s death. He has heard of the 
  resurgent Thuggee, for whom he has no love. As far as 
  he is concerned, the Thuggee were a blight on the good 
  name of India.
  He explains that he operates a pottery in downtown 
  Lahore, specializing in traditional ceramics. This is mere-
  ly one of his businesses, and he leaves the daily running 
  to the manager, Nagendra Chakravarti. When a new line 
  of pottery is produced, gifts are automatically sent to all 
  the British ofﬁ cials in Lahore.
  THE POTTERY
  THE POTTERY
  The characters’ refusal to die is a thorn in Sleeman’s 
  side. Fearing they might actually be clever enough to dis-
  cover his role in the Thuggee attacks, he has contacted 
  the warehouse and informed the manager (a Thuggee) 
  that they might come snooping. Orders have been given 
  to ensure the foreigners never leave.
  The business operates day and night. If the characters 
  approach by day, use the following text as written. A 
  nighttime excursion runs a little differently. The Thuggee 
  are waiting in ambush behind crates. Check for Surprise 
  once the characters enter the building.
  As the heroes arrive, they spot a delivery truck, bear-
  ing the company logo, disappearing around a corner. 
  Several workers are outside smoking, having just loaded 
  the truck. They don’t speak any English, and simply ges-
  ture into the warehouse if spoken to.
  On entering, Chakravarti approaches them with 
  a warm smile. He asks if they have come for a guided 
  tour of the facility or are seeking to buy in bulk. Talk of 
  animated hands and Thuggee cultists is dismissed with a 
  nervous smile.
  “Oh no, sir, you must be mistaken. The Thuggee 
  were wiped out many, many years ago by the 
  British soldiers. A bad time for India, indeed, 
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1313
  but things are much better now. This is a time of 
  peace. Come, come, I shall brew tea, and you can 
  tell me more.”
  Once the heroes reach the center of the warehouse, 
  Chakravarti whistles loudly. A number of workers cease 
  their activities and draw knotted scarves from their belts. 
  Deal action cards!
  The GM should space the Thuggee evenly around the 
  pottery. Remember, until the signal was given they were 
  engaged in their jobs.
  The Thuggee are not mindless thugs (no pun in-
  tended). Much of the terrain in the pottery can be used 
  in some manner. Show this to the players by having the 
  Thugee throw ash in their faces, topple crates, and so on, 
  rather than just telling them what props can be used.
  Once half the Thuggee are incapacitated, one of them 
  rushes to the back wall and tips over the stack of porce-
  lain jars. Each contains a hand of Kali! The vile constructs 
  quickly form a swarm. Deal the swarm an action card at 
  the start of the next round.
  The swarm does not distinguish between the heroes 
  and Thuggees. Rather, it automatically moves toward the 
  nearest person who moved during this round or the pre-
  vious one and attacks. This is an ideal time to reveal the 
  hands’ weakness, if the heroes haven’t yet discovered it.
  The Thuggee who tips over the jars pauses in terror. 
  The swarm passes him by on the ﬁ rst round, seeking a 
  target who has moved. On the next round, the Thuggee 
  panics and ﬂ ees. The swarm doubles back and mauls 
  him down, even if there is a closer target. This should 
  hopefully give alert players an important clue on how to 
  stay alive (the swarm is quite tough).
  TERRAIN FEATURES
  TERRAIN FEATURES
  The factory measures 18” in length and 12” wide.
  Kilns: Against the east wall (one of the long ones) 
  stand three huge kilns (each ﬁ lls a 2” square). Even with 
  the doors closed, the heat in the warehouse is intense. 
  The kilns are fuelled by wood, coal, and dung (basically 
  whatever is to hand), which is shoveled into the bottom 
  of the oven. Inside is a hot layer of charcoal and ash. This 
  can be used as a weapon.
  Opening the door requires an action, as does scoop-
  ing up a shovel of hot coals (there is a shovel beside each 
  kiln). Chucking the coals is treated as a Throwing area ef-
  fect attack. Range is 1/2/4, and the coals ﬁ ll a Small Burst 
  Template. Victims suffer 1d10 damage (from an Extra) 
  and have a chance of catching ﬁ re. The bandages of the 
  hands of kali cause them to catch ﬁ re on a roll of 4+ on 
  a d6.
  Ash Bin: Beside each kiln is a large bin of cold ash 
  (used to help fertilize the local ﬁ elds). A handful can 
  be scooped up as part of an Agility Trick to blind a foe. 
  Alternately, a shovel full can be used to affect a group of 
  foes. This works as an Agility Trick, but ﬁ lls a Small Burst 
  Template and can be used on foes up to 1” distant. Grab-
  bing a shovel counts as an action, however.
  Crane: Dangling over the center of the warehouse 
  is a large crate, held aloft by a crane. The controls are 
  near the entrance (in the south wall). As an action, the 
  crane can be moved 3” in any direction. Releasing the 
  crate, also an action, causes it to smash onto the ﬂ oor. It 
  ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template and inﬂ icts 3d6 damage to 
  anyone beneath. This is an ideal weapon for use against 
  the hand swarm.
  Shovels: The shovels can be used as weapons. They 
  cause Str+d6 damage and require 2 hands to wield.
  Crates: Against the west wall (opposite the kilns) 
  are stacks of crates. Each contains ﬁ nished porcelain. 
  The crates are stacked three layers high. Climbing them 
  is treated as difﬁ cult ground. A crate shoved from the 
  second layer ﬁ lls a 1” square on impact and inﬂ icts 2d6 
  damage. One toppled from the highest layer ﬁ lls a Small 
  Burst Template on landing and causes 2d6 damage to 
  everyone in the template.
  Potter’s Wheels: Two dozen potters’ wheels are lined 
  up in two rows in the center of the building. Assume 
  each ﬁ lls a 1” square. Movement through these squares 
  is difﬁ cult ground. Nearby are lumps of clay which can 
  be used as part of an Agility Trick or as thrown weapons 
  (Range: 1/2/4, Damage: Str).
  Finished Jars: Near the back wall are a number of 
  porcelain jars. These are identical to the one found in 
  Peregue’s ofﬁ ce. See above for how they are used.
   Chakravarti : Treat as a Henchman Thuggee (page 
  20).
   Thuggee (3 per hero): See page 20.
   Hand of Kali Swarm (1): See page 20.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once the Thuggee and swarm have been dispatched 
  the heroes can search the pottery for clues. Amid a pile 
  of papers are two vital pieces of evidence.
  The ﬁ rst is a list of British ofﬁ cials. The top six all have 
  dates and ticks by their names. Peregue’s name is the last 
  one so marked. A hero making a Common Knowledge 
  roll recalls the other names—Sleeman mentioned them 
  as all having been strangled! The name below Peregue’s, 
  Samuel Phelps, has today’s date, but has not yet been 
  ticked. If the characters don’t ﬁ gure out the delivery 
  truck might have been heading for Phelps’ residence, 
  allow them a Common Knowledge roll.
  The second document is from Sleeman to Chakravarti. 
  It orders him to ﬁ re the workers and replace them with 
  men “loyal to the cause.” It is dated a few weeks ago, just 
  before the strangulations started.
  Should the heroes contact Mr. Singh, he informs 
  them that he had seen a few new faces at the pottery, but 
  Chakravarti told him several of the older workers had left 
  suddenly. Singh is an innocent dupe in this affair, not a 
  co-conspirator.
  SCENE 3: TO THE RESCUE!
  SCENE 3: TO THE RESCUE!
  The pottery has a phone, but the characters don’t 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1313
  but things are much better now. This is a time of 
  peace. Come, come, I shall brew tea, and you can 
  tell me more.”
  Once the heroes reach the center of the warehouse, 
  Chakravarti whistles loudly. A number of workers cease 
  their activities and draw knotted scarves from their belts. 
  Deal action cards!
  The GM should space the Thuggee evenly around the 
  pottery. Remember, until the signal was given they were 
  engaged in their jobs.
  The Thuggee are not mindless thugs (no pun in-
  tended). Much of the terrain in the pottery can be used 
  in some manner. Show this to the players by having the 
  Thugee throw ash in their faces, topple crates, and so on, 
  rather than just telling them what props can be used.
  Once half the Thuggee are incapacitated, one of them 
  rushes to the back wall and tips over the stack of porce-
  lain jars. Each contains a hand of Kali! The vile constructs 
  quickly form a swarm. Deal the swarm an action card at 
  the start of the next round.
  The swarm does not distinguish between the heroes 
  and Thuggees. Rather, it automatically moves toward the 
  nearest person who moved during this round or the pre-
  vious one and attacks. This is an ideal time to reveal the 
  hands’ weakness, if the heroes haven’t yet discovered it.
  The Thuggee who tips over the jars pauses in terror. 
  The swarm passes him by on the ﬁ rst round, seeking a 
  target who has moved. On the next round, the Thuggee 
  panics and ﬂ ees. The swarm doubles back and mauls 
  him down, even if there is a closer target. This should 
  hopefully give alert players an important clue on how to 
  stay alive (the swarm is quite tough).
  TERRAIN FEATURES
  TERRAIN FEATURES
  The factory measures 18” in length and 12” wide.
  Kilns: Against the east wall (one of the long ones) 
  stand three huge kilns (each ﬁ lls a 2” square). Even with 
  the doors closed, the heat in the warehouse is intense. 
  The kilns are fuelled by wood, coal, and dung (basically 
  whatever is to hand), which is shoveled into the bottom 
  of the oven. Inside is a hot layer of charcoal and ash. This 
  can be used as a weapon.
  Opening the door requires an action, as does scoop-
  ing up a shovel of hot coals (there is a shovel beside each 
  kiln). Chucking the coals is treated as a Throwing area ef-
  fect attack. Range is 1/2/4, and the coals ﬁ ll a Small Burst 
  Template. Victims suffer 1d10 damage (from an Extra) 
  and have a chance of catching ﬁ re. The bandages of the 
  hands of kali cause them to catch ﬁ re on a roll of 4+ on 
  a d6.
  Ash Bin: Beside each kiln is a large bin of cold ash 
  (used to help fertilize the local ﬁ elds). A handful can 
  be scooped up as part of an Agility Trick to blind a foe. 
  Alternately, a shovel full can be used to affect a group of 
  foes. This works as an Agility Trick, but ﬁ lls a Small Burst 
  Template and can be used on foes up to 1” distant. Grab-
  bing a shovel counts as an action, however.
  Crane: Dangling over the center of the warehouse 
  is a large crate, held aloft by a crane. The controls are 
  near the entrance (in the south wall). As an action, the 
  crane can be moved 3” in any direction. Releasing the 
  crate, also an action, causes it to smash onto the ﬂ oor. It 
  ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template and inﬂ icts 3d6 damage to 
  anyone beneath. This is an ideal weapon for use against 
  the hand swarm.
  Shovels: The shovels can be used as weapons. They 
  cause Str+d6 damage and require 2 hands to wield.
  Crates: Against the west wall (opposite the kilns) 
  are stacks of crates. Each contains ﬁ nished porcelain. 
  The crates are stacked three layers high. Climbing them 
  is treated as difﬁ cult ground. A crate shoved from the 
  second layer ﬁ lls a 1” square on impact and inﬂ icts 2d6 
  damage. One toppled from the highest layer ﬁ lls a Small 
  Burst Template on landing and causes 2d6 damage to 
  everyone in the template.
  Potter’s Wheels: Two dozen potters’ wheels are lined 
  up in two rows in the center of the building. Assume 
  each ﬁ lls a 1” square. Movement through these squares 
  is difﬁ cult ground. Nearby are lumps of clay which can 
  be used as part of an Agility Trick or as thrown weapons 
  (Range: 1/2/4, Damage: Str).
  Finished Jars: Near the back wall are a number of 
  porcelain jars. These are identical to the one found in 
  Peregue’s ofﬁ ce. See above for how they are used.
   Chakravarti : Treat as a Henchman Thuggee (page 
  20).
   Thuggee (3 per hero): See page 20.
   Hand of Kali Swarm (1): See page 20.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once the Thuggee and swarm have been dispatched 
  the heroes can search the pottery for clues. Amid a pile 
  of papers are two vital pieces of evidence.
  The ﬁ rst is a list of British ofﬁ cials. The top six all have 
  dates and ticks by their names. Peregue’s name is the last 
  one so marked. A hero making a Common Knowledge 
  roll recalls the other names—Sleeman mentioned them 
  as all having been strangled! The name below Peregue’s, 
  Samuel Phelps, has today’s date, but has not yet been 
  ticked. If the characters don’t ﬁ gure out the delivery 
  truck might have been heading for Phelps’ residence, 
  allow them a Common Knowledge roll.
  The second document is from Sleeman to Chakravarti. 
  It orders him to ﬁ re the workers and replace them with 
  men “loyal to the cause.” It is dated a few weeks ago, just 
  before the strangulations started.
  Should the heroes contact Mr. Singh, he informs 
  them that he had seen a few new faces at the pottery, but 
  Chakravarti told him several of the older workers had left 
  suddenly. Singh is an innocent dupe in this affair, not a 
  co-conspirator.
  SCENE 3: TO THE RESCUE!
  SCENE 3: TO THE RESCUE!
  The pottery has a phone, but the characters don’t 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1414
  know Phelp’s phone number, only his address. The 
  switchboard is busy, anyway, so the adventurers can’t 
  reach an operator to connect them. If they want to save 
  Phelps, they’ll have to drive!
  The clock is ticking. If the characters rush, they might 
  just reach Phelp’s house in time. It’s too far to run to his 
  abode, so taking the car through the crowded streets is 
  the only option.
  Shortly after the characters head into the busy streets 
  of Lahore, several Thuggee on motorbikes appear be-
  hind the characters. They were watching the pottery, and 
  have orders to kill the heroes in the unlikely event they 
  escape.
  This scene is run as a Chase using our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The Range Increment is 5”, the chase 
  begins at Medium range, and there are Rough Obstacles 
  (other road users). The motorbikes are twice as fast as 
  the heroes’ car, so the Thuggee have +2 to their Driving 
  rolls.
  There are four motorbikes, each carrying two Thug-
  gee. The bikes should be divided into pairs for the 
  purposes of initiative. Unless the passenger is killed, the 
  driver focuses on driving, leaving his comrade to open 
  ﬁ re. Should the bikes move within one Range Increment 
  of the car, the driver tries the Parallel maneuver, while 
  his colleague on the back leaps into the car and tries to 
  throttle the heroes.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20, but armed 
  with pistols (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  HEROES’ CAR
  HEROES’ CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1+5
  MOTORBIKES
  MOTORBIKES
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Sacred Cow: A cow has wandered onto 
  the road, causing the trafﬁ c ahead to break suddenly. 
  Success means the driver has spotted a gap in the trafﬁ c. 
  A failed Driving roll causes a collision with a stationary 
  hard Obstacle and the vehicle drops back one Range 
  Increment, as it waits for the blockage to clear.
  Three (–2) Potholes: A series of potholes force the 
  vehicle to swerve violently. A failed roll causes the vehicle 
  to go Out of Control as it bounces into a particular deep 
  hole.
  Four (–2) Buy A Chicken: Two youths on a moped 
  pull alongside the vehicle. The kid on the back shoves 
  a live chicken into the driver’s face, shouting, “You buy 
  chicken! Very good!” The distraction gives a –2 penalty to 
  the Driving roll, but no speciﬁ c penalty for failure—the 
  driver simply has to slow down until he can get the ﬂ ap-
  ping bird out of his face.
  Five (–2) Road Works: Trafﬁ c forces the vehicle into 
  a lane closed for road workers. The construction work-
  ers leap clear, but there’s still the matter of the wooden 
  fencing blocking off the site! A failed roll causes a colli-
  sion with a soft obstacle.
  Six (–2) Dangerous Drivers: A car pulls out right 
  into the path of the vehicle, forcing it to take evasive ac-
  tion. A failed Driving rolls means a collision with a soft 
  obstacle and the loss of one Range Increment, as the 
  vehicle reverses and maneuvers around the obstruction.
  Seven (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  Thugs always ignore the cop.
  Stopping causes the car to drop back two Range 
  Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the junction 
  the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. Failure 
  leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since this is a 
  “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle involved 
  in the Chase counts.
  Eight (–2) No Brake Lights: The vehicle in front 
  suddenly comes to a complete stop, forcing the car to 
  swerve to avoid a collision. A failure leads to a collision 
  with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Dangerous Overtaking: A truck pulls out 
  to avoid a parked car right into the path of the oncoming 
  vehicle! Failure leads to a head-on collision. The truck is 
  moving 10” per round.
  Ten (–1) Smoking Incense: As the heroes’ car slows 
  for a junction, a street peddler shoves a bundle of burn-
  ing sticks of incense into the car, and then holds out his 
  hand for money. The smell and smoke give a –1 penalty 
  to all Driving rolls until the sticks are thrown out. This 
  requires an Agility roll from either the driver (as a multi 
  action penalty) or a passenger.
  A passenger can throw the incense at nearby thugs as 
  a special Distract maneuver. This requires an opposed 
  roll of the hero’s Throwing against the thug’s Driving.
  If the thugs draw this card, they simply run into heavy 
  trafﬁ c for a single round.
  Jack (0/–2) Sheet of Glass: Two workmen are gin-
  gerly carrying a large sheet of glass across the road. The 
  heroes can either drive straight through the glass or 
  swerve to avoid the men. The Thugs always hit the glass, 
  though the driver does pull a wheelie (so the front tire, 
  not his head, hits it).
  Heading straight into the glass gives no penalty to the 
  Driving, but a failed roll causes everyone aboard to make 
  a Vigor roll or be Shaken as they suffer small cuts from 
  the shattered glass or shield their eyes.
  Swerving around gives a –2 penalty, but failure simply 
  means the vehicle made no ground this round.
  Queen (–1) Road Debris: Something sharp falls from 
  the back of the vehicle in front. This could be a sheet of 
  glass which shatters on impact, a box of tacks, or maybe 
  even a garden rake. Whatever the object, the driver must 
  take evasive action.
  On a failure, one of the tires is punctured. The car 
  suffers the effects of a Locomotion Critical Hit (but no 
  actual wound) and automatically goes Out of Control. 
  A bike hitting the object is automatically Wrecked as the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1414
  know Phelp’s phone number, only his address. The 
  switchboard is busy, anyway, so the adventurers can’t 
  reach an operator to connect them. If they want to save 
  Phelps, they’ll have to drive!
  The clock is ticking. If the characters rush, they might 
  just reach Phelp’s house in time. It’s too far to run to his 
  abode, so taking the car through the crowded streets is 
  the only option.
  Shortly after the characters head into the busy streets 
  of Lahore, several Thuggee on motorbikes appear be-
  hind the characters. They were watching the pottery, and 
  have orders to kill the heroes in the unlikely event they 
  escape.
  This scene is run as a Chase using our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The Range Increment is 5”, the chase 
  begins at Medium range, and there are Rough Obstacles 
  (other road users). The motorbikes are twice as fast as 
  the heroes’ car, so the Thuggee have +2 to their Driving 
  rolls.
  There are four motorbikes, each carrying two Thug-
  gee. The bikes should be divided into pairs for the 
  purposes of initiative. Unless the passenger is killed, the 
  driver focuses on driving, leaving his comrade to open 
  ﬁ re. Should the bikes move within one Range Increment 
  of the car, the driver tries the Parallel maneuver, while 
  his colleague on the back leaps into the car and tries to 
  throttle the heroes.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20, but armed 
  with pistols (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  HEROES’ CAR
  HEROES’ CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1+5
  MOTORBIKES
  MOTORBIKES
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Sacred Cow: A cow has wandered onto 
  the road, causing the trafﬁ c ahead to break suddenly. 
  Success means the driver has spotted a gap in the trafﬁ c. 
  A failed Driving roll causes a collision with a stationary 
  hard Obstacle and the vehicle drops back one Range 
  Increment, as it waits for the blockage to clear.
  Three (–2) Potholes: A series of potholes force the 
  vehicle to swerve violently. A failed roll causes the vehicle 
  to go Out of Control as it bounces into a particular deep 
  hole.
  Four (–2) Buy A Chicken: Two youths on a moped 
  pull alongside the vehicle. The kid on the back shoves 
  a live chicken into the driver’s face, shouting, “You buy 
  chicken! Very good!” The distraction gives a –2 penalty to 
  the Driving roll, but no speciﬁ c penalty for failure—the 
  driver simply has to slow down until he can get the ﬂ ap-
  ping bird out of his face.
  Five (–2) Road Works: Trafﬁ c forces the vehicle into 
  a lane closed for road workers. The construction work-
  ers leap clear, but there’s still the matter of the wooden 
  fencing blocking off the site! A failed roll causes a colli-
  sion with a soft obstacle.
  Six (–2) Dangerous Drivers: A car pulls out right 
  into the path of the vehicle, forcing it to take evasive ac-
  tion. A failed Driving rolls means a collision with a soft 
  obstacle and the loss of one Range Increment, as the 
  vehicle reverses and maneuvers around the obstruction.
  Seven (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  Thugs always ignore the cop.
  Stopping causes the car to drop back two Range 
  Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the junction 
  the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. Failure 
  leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since this is a 
  “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle involved 
  in the Chase counts.
  Eight (–2) No Brake Lights: The vehicle in front 
  suddenly comes to a complete stop, forcing the car to 
  swerve to avoid a collision. A failure leads to a collision 
  with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Dangerous Overtaking: A truck pulls out 
  to avoid a parked car right into the path of the oncoming 
  vehicle! Failure leads to a head-on collision. The truck is 
  moving 10” per round.
  Ten (–1) Smoking Incense: As the heroes’ car slows 
  for a junction, a street peddler shoves a bundle of burn-
  ing sticks of incense into the car, and then holds out his 
  hand for money. The smell and smoke give a –1 penalty 
  to all Driving rolls until the sticks are thrown out. This 
  requires an Agility roll from either the driver (as a multi 
  action penalty) or a passenger.
  A passenger can throw the incense at nearby thugs as 
  a special Distract maneuver. This requires an opposed 
  roll of the hero’s Throwing against the thug’s Driving.
  If the thugs draw this card, they simply run into heavy 
  trafﬁ c for a single round.
  Jack (0/–2) Sheet of Glass: Two workmen are gin-
  gerly carrying a large sheet of glass across the road. The 
  heroes can either drive straight through the glass or 
  swerve to avoid the men. The Thugs always hit the glass, 
  though the driver does pull a wheelie (so the front tire, 
  not his head, hits it).
  Heading straight into the glass gives no penalty to the 
  Driving, but a failed roll causes everyone aboard to make 
  a Vigor roll or be Shaken as they suffer small cuts from 
  the shattered glass or shield their eyes.
  Swerving around gives a –2 penalty, but failure simply 
  means the vehicle made no ground this round.
  Queen (–1) Road Debris: Something sharp falls from 
  the back of the vehicle in front. This could be a sheet of 
  glass which shatters on impact, a box of tacks, or maybe 
  even a garden rake. Whatever the object, the driver must 
  take evasive action.
  On a failure, one of the tires is punctured. The car 
  suffers the effects of a Locomotion Critical Hit (but no 
  actual wound) and automatically goes Out of Control. 
  A bike hitting the object is automatically Wrecked as the 
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1515
  front tire explodes, sending driver and passenger car 
  wheeling through the air.
  King (0) Sudden Turn: A vehicle pulling out from a 
  side road forces the driver to make a sudden turn. Suc-
  cess means the vehicle avoids the obstacle and for the 
  remainder of this round cannot be targeted by enemies. 
  Next round it rejoins the chase. Failure causes a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle. It’s a T-bone crash, so only the 
  speed of the vehicle in the chase is used.
  Ace (0/–2) A Ramp: A truck is parked with its rear 
  tailgate down, forming a handy ramp. Ask the players 
  whether they want to drive around it or aim for the 
  ramp. The thugs take the safe option unless the heroes 
  are more than three Range Increments ahead.
  Going around the truck gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to hit the ramp gives the driver a –2 penalty 
  to his Driving roll, but if successful he gains an extra 
  Range Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) stacks 
  with the Push maneuver. Failure causes him to ram the 
  truck, which is a stationary, heavy obstacle.
  SCENE 4: TOO LATE!
  SCENE 4: TOO LATE!
  Knocking at Phelps’ door quickly brings the attention 
  of a servant.
  “Oh, goodness me,” he says, apparently startled. 
  “I saw your car and thought you were the master 
  returning. You are looking for Mr. Phelps’, I pre-
  sume? You are too late, I am afraid. The master 
  just left for work in his car. It is very similar to 
  yours, hence my confusion.”
  If asked, the servant says that a porcelain jar was 
  delivered just before Phelps left for work. The servant 
  distinctly recalls Phelps placing it in the back of his car 
  and saying he’d place it in his ofﬁ ce.
  This scene uses the Chase rules. Apply the standard 
  Obstacles rules, but only to the heroes—Phelps is driv-
  ing slowly and not taking any risks. Because of this, the 
  characters have +1 to their Driving rolls.
  Phelps’ car is three Range Increments ahead, and 
  each Range Increment is 5”. For the ﬁ rst three rounds, 
  Phelps makes Driving rolls (d8) as normal. He ignores 
  any shouts or beeping horns, thinking the characters are 
  simply annoying foreigners, out for a joyride.
  At the start of round three, have the characters make 
  a Notice roll as a free action. With success, they see a pair 
  of black hands crawling up the back of Phelps’ seat! The 
  heroes get this round only to safely shoot at the hands.
  Starting on round four, the hands attack! Phelps is 
  busy ﬁ ghting them off, and in his panic rams his foot 
  onto the accelerator. Don’t make Driving rolls for him 
  from here on, but do deal him an action card. His car 
  automatically moves forward one Range Increment each 
  round. However, the vehicle is heading straight toward a 
  junction. Unless the characters can reach it in six rounds, 
  and either take control of the car or kill the hands, it 
  smashes into the wall at high speed, knocking Phelps 
  unconscious.
  Once the hands attack, they begin crawling over 
  Phelps. Both melee and ranged attacks use the Innocent 
  Bystander rule. Phelps has Toughness 5.
  Phelps won’t be killed by the hands, but the characters 
  shouldn’t know that. Rather, they should be hell-bent on 
  saving the bureaucrat’s life.
  One option is to have the driver use the Parallel 
  maneuver so as to allow passengers to leap over into 
  Phelps’ car or try to grab a hand. The latter requires a 
  grappling roll. As noted above, unless someone takes the 
  wheel, a collision is imminent. Fortunately (for Phelps at 
  least), the hands turn their attention to any hero in the 
  car. Phelps passes out through fright as this point, so he 
  can’t take the wheel.
  If the adventurers’ vehicle is on the same Range In-
  crement, one of the hands could even leap into their 
  vehicle! In the interests of an exciting scene, the leap 
  automatically succeeds.
  Note that throwing a hand from the car isn’t a par-
  ticularly wise move. While the construct suffers damage 
  as normal, unless it is killed it begins hunting down the 
  nearest innocent bystander. This could force the party to 
  split its attention between the rogue hand and Phelps’ 
  car.
  Once saved, the Englishman is grateful for the assis-
  tance, but demands to know what is going on. Any ac-
  cusations against Sleeman are instantly dismissed—“Sir 
  Walter? In league with Indian murderers? That’s prepos-
  terous! The man’s ancestor spent years wiping out the 
  Thuggee. I think you must have the wrong man.”
  The heroes will get no help from Phelps with regard 
  to hunting down Sleeman. The same applies if they con-
  tact any other British ofﬁ cial. If the heroes want to stop 
  the plot, they have to do so on their own.
   Hand of Kali (1 per hero): See page 20.
  ACT 4: GLORY TO THE RAJ
  ACT 4: GLORY TO THE RAJ
  Arrogantly convinced that Chakravarti and his men 
  have killed the meddling foreigners, Sleeman has 
  gone ahead with his master plan—to kill the maharaja! 
  However, part of him suspects the Americans are more 
  resourceful than they appear, so he has prepared a sur-
  prise at the obvious place they will come looking for him 
  if they uncover any evidence against him—his house.
  In the event the heroes phone ahead (to check if Slee-
  man is present), a servant says he is taking a bath, but 
  will be available shortly. This is a lie.
  SCENE 1: I’M A MUSCLE FAN
  SCENE 1: I’M A MUSCLE FAN
  Whether they call ahead or just turn up, Sleeman’s 
  butler (an Indian) answers the door. He invites them in-
  side and takes any hats. As is polite, he asks them to leave 
  any weapons by the door. Whether or not they comply, 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1515
  front tire explodes, sending driver and passenger car 
  wheeling through the air.
  King (0) Sudden Turn: A vehicle pulling out from a 
  side road forces the driver to make a sudden turn. Suc-
  cess means the vehicle avoids the obstacle and for the 
  remainder of this round cannot be targeted by enemies. 
  Next round it rejoins the chase. Failure causes a colli-
  sion with a hard Obstacle. It’s a T-bone crash, so only the 
  speed of the vehicle in the chase is used.
  Ace (0/–2) A Ramp: A truck is parked with its rear 
  tailgate down, forming a handy ramp. Ask the players 
  whether they want to drive around it or aim for the 
  ramp. The thugs take the safe option unless the heroes 
  are more than three Range Increments ahead.
  Going around the truck gives no penalty and failure 
  has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting for-
  ward movement.
  Trying to hit the ramp gives the driver a –2 penalty 
  to his Driving roll, but if successful he gains an extra 
  Range Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) stacks 
  with the Push maneuver. Failure causes him to ram the 
  truck, which is a stationary, heavy obstacle.
  SCENE 4: TOO LATE!
  SCENE 4: TOO LATE!
  Knocking at Phelps’ door quickly brings the attention 
  of a servant.
  “Oh, goodness me,” he says, apparently startled. 
  “I saw your car and thought you were the master 
  returning. You are looking for Mr. Phelps’, I pre-
  sume? You are too late, I am afraid. The master 
  just left for work in his car. It is very similar to 
  yours, hence my confusion.”
  If asked, the servant says that a porcelain jar was 
  delivered just before Phelps left for work. The servant 
  distinctly recalls Phelps placing it in the back of his car 
  and saying he’d place it in his ofﬁ ce.
  This scene uses the Chase rules. Apply the standard 
  Obstacles rules, but only to the heroes—Phelps is driv-
  ing slowly and not taking any risks. Because of this, the 
  characters have +1 to their Driving rolls.
  Phelps’ car is three Range Increments ahead, and 
  each Range Increment is 5”. For the ﬁ rst three rounds, 
  Phelps makes Driving rolls (d8) as normal. He ignores 
  any shouts or beeping horns, thinking the characters are 
  simply annoying foreigners, out for a joyride.
  At the start of round three, have the characters make 
  a Notice roll as a free action. With success, they see a pair 
  of black hands crawling up the back of Phelps’ seat! The 
  heroes get this round only to safely shoot at the hands.
  Starting on round four, the hands attack! Phelps is 
  busy ﬁ ghting them off, and in his panic rams his foot 
  onto the accelerator. Don’t make Driving rolls for him 
  from here on, but do deal him an action card. His car 
  automatically moves forward one Range Increment each 
  round. However, the vehicle is heading straight toward a 
  junction. Unless the characters can reach it in six rounds, 
  and either take control of the car or kill the hands, it 
  smashes into the wall at high speed, knocking Phelps 
  unconscious.
  Once the hands attack, they begin crawling over 
  Phelps. Both melee and ranged attacks use the Innocent 
  Bystander rule. Phelps has Toughness 5.
  Phelps won’t be killed by the hands, but the characters 
  shouldn’t know that. Rather, they should be hell-bent on 
  saving the bureaucrat’s life.
  One option is to have the driver use the Parallel 
  maneuver so as to allow passengers to leap over into 
  Phelps’ car or try to grab a hand. The latter requires a 
  grappling roll. As noted above, unless someone takes the 
  wheel, a collision is imminent. Fortunately (for Phelps at 
  least), the hands turn their attention to any hero in the 
  car. Phelps passes out through fright as this point, so he 
  can’t take the wheel.
  If the adventurers’ vehicle is on the same Range In-
  crement, one of the hands could even leap into their 
  vehicle! In the interests of an exciting scene, the leap 
  automatically succeeds.
  Note that throwing a hand from the car isn’t a par-
  ticularly wise move. While the construct suffers damage 
  as normal, unless it is killed it begins hunting down the 
  nearest innocent bystander. This could force the party to 
  split its attention between the rogue hand and Phelps’ 
  car.
  Once saved, the Englishman is grateful for the assis-
  tance, but demands to know what is going on. Any ac-
  cusations against Sleeman are instantly dismissed—“Sir 
  Walter? In league with Indian murderers? That’s prepos-
  terous! The man’s ancestor spent years wiping out the 
  Thuggee. I think you must have the wrong man.”
  The heroes will get no help from Phelps with regard 
  to hunting down Sleeman. The same applies if they con-
  tact any other British ofﬁ cial. If the heroes want to stop 
  the plot, they have to do so on their own.
   Hand of Kali (1 per hero): See page 20.
  ACT 4: GLORY TO THE RAJ
  ACT 4: GLORY TO THE RAJ
  Arrogantly convinced that Chakravarti and his men 
  have killed the meddling foreigners, Sleeman has 
  gone ahead with his master plan—to kill the maharaja! 
  However, part of him suspects the Americans are more 
  resourceful than they appear, so he has prepared a sur-
  prise at the obvious place they will come looking for him 
  if they uncover any evidence against him—his house.
  In the event the heroes phone ahead (to check if Slee-
  man is present), a servant says he is taking a bath, but 
  will be available shortly. This is a lie.
  SCENE 1: I’M A MUSCLE FAN
  SCENE 1: I’M A MUSCLE FAN
  Whether they call ahead or just turn up, Sleeman’s 
  butler (an Indian) answers the door. He invites them in-
  side and takes any hats. As is polite, he asks them to leave 
  any weapons by the door. Whether or not they comply, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1616
  the servant bows and shows them toward Sleeman’s 
  ofﬁ ce. As he opens the door, the servant says, “I shall 
  inform the master you are here.”
  No sooner has the door closed it opens again, this 
  time splintering off its hinges! Framed in the doorway is 
  Sleeman’s man mountain bodyguard, with four Thuggee 
  behind him.
  Deal action cards.
  The ofﬁ ce has a few furnishings, like an inkpot, 
  sheaves of paper, and a water jug, which could be 
  used as part of Agility Tricks. There are three chairs, 
  which can be used as weapons if the heroes handed 
  over their weapons. A chair inﬂ icts St+d6 damage and 
  must be used two-handed. It breaks on a roll of 1 on 
  the Fighting die, regardless of the Wild Die. However, 
  if the Wild Die indicates a success, it smashes after 
  inﬂ icting damage.
  WIN OR LOSE
  WIN OR LOSE
  Should the heroes lose the ﬁ ght, they are bound, tak-
  en to the maharaja’s place, and secretly thrown into the 
  dungeon. Proceed straight to Scene 3 below. Otherwise, 
  they discover a letter on Sleeman’s desk from the young 
  maharaja. It reads as follows.
  Sir Walter,
  Following recent disturbances and slayings, one 
  would be pleased to accept your generous gift 
  of a handpicked bodyguard of sepoys to protect 
  oneself from the vile threat of the Thuggee. With a 
  guard provided by your good self, one is sure one 
  will be in safe hands. One looks forward to your 
  visit at three o’clock, promptly.
  It is now shortly after 1 o’clock. If the characters hurry, 
  they can reach the maharaja’s palace in time. The young 
  king doesn’t have a telephone, so there is no way to alert 
  him of Sleeman’s plot in advance.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: GUILTY AS CHARGED
  SCENE 2: GUILTY AS CHARGED
  Surprisingly, the maharaja is expecting the heroes. 
  They are welcomed as guests, though because of the 
  king’s importance, they must hand over all their weap-
  ons. A squad of the maharaja’s guards (treat as Thuggees 
  equal to three times the number of heroes if a ﬁ ght oc-
  curs) pats them down, and then escorts them into the 
  throne room.
  The young maharaja is sat upon a throne carved 
  to resemble a crouching tiger. Beside him stands 
  Sleeman, his face devoid of any emotion. Flanking 
  the aisle on either side are the maharaja’s guard, 
  each armed with a halberd. “How may one help 
  you?” asks the maharaja.
  Naturally, the heroes are likely to want to tell their 
  story about animated hands, Thuggee murderers, the 
  pottery factory, and Sleeman’s role in all this. The maha-
  raja listens attentively, and then turns to Sleeman.
  “You see, Your Majesty,” says Sleeman, “it is exact-
  ly as I told you. A story concocted to conceal the 
  identity of the true villains—these foreign assas-
  sins! My sources have revealed that the Americans 
  hired the truck which almost killed you. Their at-
  tempt to stop it was nothing more than a ruse to 
  get close to you. At your ball a number of British 
  army ofﬁ cers came close to uncovering their plan, 
  hence the fracas which developed.
  “Fortunately for Your Majesty, the ﬁ ght created 
  enough uproar to dissuade these killers from mak-
  ing an attempt on your life. And now they come 
  here to accuse me of complicity in a murderous 
  plot, just as I said they would.”
  “Why would they want me dead?” asks the ma-
  haraja.
  “Majesty, there are many American companies 
  which would like to see the Raj gone. Without 
  the British presence, they would be able to move 
  in and secure lucrative business contracts. I’m 
  afraid, great king, that as with many crimes the 
  root of the plot if purely ﬁ nancial.”
  Give the characters time to voice their likely vocal 
  disapproval of Sleeman’s claims. Should they try to step 
  closer to the maharaja or Sleeman, the king’s bodyguards 
  move to intercept them.
  “Your Majesty,” Sleeman continues, oblivious 
  to your cries of innocence, “I have proof of my 
  words.” He hands the maharaja a bundle of pa-
  pers. “Receipts for the hire of a truck and purchase 
  of nitroglycerine, sworn testimonies from the ofﬁ -
  cers at the ball that these foreigners were plotting 
  against you, a witness statement which says they 
  pushed one of my aides into the path of a rampag-
  ing elephant after he discovered their true reason 
  for being in India, and so forth. I think you’ll see 
  the evidence is rather damning.”
  All the paperwork is forged, but the heroes can’t 
  prove anything. The maharaja ﬂ icks through the docu-
  ments brieﬂ y, and then turns to Sleeman.
  “What do you propose one does with them?” The 
  young maharaja looks uncomfortable.
  Sleeman smiles brieﬂ y. “Majesty, despite the 
  evidence against them, a confession would be 
  in order to ensure no trial is required. A public 
  trial would cause great embarrassment to the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1616
  the servant bows and shows them toward Sleeman’s 
  ofﬁ ce. As he opens the door, the servant says, “I shall 
  inform the master you are here.”
  No sooner has the door closed it opens again, this 
  time splintering off its hinges! Framed in the doorway is 
  Sleeman’s man mountain bodyguard, with four Thuggee 
  behind him.
  Deal action cards.
  The ofﬁ ce has a few furnishings, like an inkpot, 
  sheaves of paper, and a water jug, which could be 
  used as part of Agility Tricks. There are three chairs, 
  which can be used as weapons if the heroes handed 
  over their weapons. A chair inﬂ icts St+d6 damage and 
  must be used two-handed. It breaks on a roll of 1 on 
  the Fighting die, regardless of the Wild Die. However, 
  if the Wild Die indicates a success, it smashes after 
  inﬂ icting damage.
  WIN OR LOSE
  WIN OR LOSE
  Should the heroes lose the ﬁ ght, they are bound, tak-
  en to the maharaja’s place, and secretly thrown into the 
  dungeon. Proceed straight to Scene 3 below. Otherwise, 
  they discover a letter on Sleeman’s desk from the young 
  maharaja. It reads as follows.
  Sir Walter,
  Following recent disturbances and slayings, one 
  would be pleased to accept your generous gift 
  of a handpicked bodyguard of sepoys to protect 
  oneself from the vile threat of the Thuggee. With a 
  guard provided by your good self, one is sure one 
  will be in safe hands. One looks forward to your 
  visit at three o’clock, promptly.
  It is now shortly after 1 o’clock. If the characters hurry, 
  they can reach the maharaja’s palace in time. The young 
  king doesn’t have a telephone, so there is no way to alert 
  him of Sleeman’s plot in advance.
   Sleeman’s Bodyguard: See page 19.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: GUILTY AS CHARGED
  SCENE 2: GUILTY AS CHARGED
  Surprisingly, the maharaja is expecting the heroes. 
  They are welcomed as guests, though because of the 
  king’s importance, they must hand over all their weap-
  ons. A squad of the maharaja’s guards (treat as Thuggees 
  equal to three times the number of heroes if a ﬁ ght oc-
  curs) pats them down, and then escorts them into the 
  throne room.
  The young maharaja is sat upon a throne carved 
  to resemble a crouching tiger. Beside him stands 
  Sleeman, his face devoid of any emotion. Flanking 
  the aisle on either side are the maharaja’s guard, 
  each armed with a halberd. “How may one help 
  you?” asks the maharaja.
  Naturally, the heroes are likely to want to tell their 
  story about animated hands, Thuggee murderers, the 
  pottery factory, and Sleeman’s role in all this. The maha-
  raja listens attentively, and then turns to Sleeman.
  “You see, Your Majesty,” says Sleeman, “it is exact-
  ly as I told you. A story concocted to conceal the 
  identity of the true villains—these foreign assas-
  sins! My sources have revealed that the Americans 
  hired the truck which almost killed you. Their at-
  tempt to stop it was nothing more than a ruse to 
  get close to you. At your ball a number of British 
  army ofﬁ cers came close to uncovering their plan, 
  hence the fracas which developed.
  “Fortunately for Your Majesty, the ﬁ ght created 
  enough uproar to dissuade these killers from mak-
  ing an attempt on your life. And now they come 
  here to accuse me of complicity in a murderous 
  plot, just as I said they would.”
  “Why would they want me dead?” asks the ma-
  haraja.
  “Majesty, there are many American companies 
  which would like to see the Raj gone. Without 
  the British presence, they would be able to move 
  in and secure lucrative business contracts. I’m 
  afraid, great king, that as with many crimes the 
  root of the plot if purely ﬁ nancial.”
  Give the characters time to voice their likely vocal 
  disapproval of Sleeman’s claims. Should they try to step 
  closer to the maharaja or Sleeman, the king’s bodyguards 
  move to intercept them.
  “Your Majesty,” Sleeman continues, oblivious 
  to your cries of innocence, “I have proof of my 
  words.” He hands the maharaja a bundle of pa-
  pers. “Receipts for the hire of a truck and purchase 
  of nitroglycerine, sworn testimonies from the ofﬁ -
  cers at the ball that these foreigners were plotting 
  against you, a witness statement which says they 
  pushed one of my aides into the path of a rampag-
  ing elephant after he discovered their true reason 
  for being in India, and so forth. I think you’ll see 
  the evidence is rather damning.”
  All the paperwork is forged, but the heroes can’t 
  prove anything. The maharaja ﬂ icks through the docu-
  ments brieﬂ y, and then turns to Sleeman.
  “What do you propose one does with them?” The 
  young maharaja looks uncomfortable.
  Sleeman smiles brieﬂ y. “Majesty, despite the 
  evidence against them, a confession would be 
  in order to ensure no trial is required. A public 
  trial would cause great embarrassment to the 
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1717
  Raj, and possibly serve their goals just as well as 
  your death,
  “If you would permit, I will interrogate them down 
  in your dungeon. There is no need to tarnish your 
  good name by having you personally involved 
  in the questioning. Give me an hour, and I shall 
  bring you signed confessions of their guilt.”
  The maharaja sighs heavily. “Make it so, Sir Walter. 
  But do not harm the female too badly. It is not our 
  way to inﬂ ict harm on women, even a treacherous 
  tigress like this one. Guards! Arrest them!”
  The characters are outnumbered and short on weap-
  ons. Those spoiling for a ﬁ ght should be allowed a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll to realize Sleeman has them over a 
  barrel—any attempt to ﬁ ght the guards could easily be 
  twisted to look like an attempt on the maharaja’s life.
  Should a ﬁ ght occur, more guards equal to the num-
  ber of characters arrive each round. Eventually the he-
  roes will be pummeled into submission.
   Sleeman: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   Maharaja’s Guards (4 per hero): Treat as Thuggee 
  (page 20), but armed with halberds (Str+d8, Reach 1, 2 
  hands)
  SCENE 3: TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
  SCENE 3: TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
  The characters are escorted through the palace and 
  down into the dungeon. Although the young king hasn’t 
  used the place for its intended purpose, his grandfather 
  was rather fond of inﬂ icting pain on captives. The heroes 
  are led past numerous rooms containing instrument of 
  torture, down stairs, and along several corridors before 
  being deposited in an unadorned room with no door. The 
  characters are then manacled to the wall by their hands.
  “I would curse you for interfering with my plans, 
  but I shall instead take satisfaction in knowing 
  that your meddling achieved nothing.
  “My plan was remarkably simple yet effective. A 
  new wave of Thuggee activity sweeps across India, 
  targeting British ofﬁ cials. The Crown responds by 
  sending more troops and imposing a ﬁ rmer grip. 
  When the attacks keep occurring, the grip tightens 
  further. Indians will be removed from positions of 
  power, following the discovery of evidence linking 
  them to the attacks.
  “Eventually, Great Britain will stamp her author-
  ity on this land once and for all. This isn’t India, 
  you see. This is the British Raj, and it will be a 
  cold day in Hell before I see the jewel of the Em-
  pire handed back to these ungrateful fools!
  “As for the maharaja, his death will cause a tre-
  mendous backlash. The young whelp is immensely 
  popular with the locals. When he is found stran-
  gled a few days later by British-trained sepoys, 
  the Indians will revolt, and we will crush them!
  “But you will never see what comes to pass. I have 
  some ceremonial duties to attend. Now,” he says, 
  gesturing toward the second exit, “I suggest you 
  start praying. In just a few moments the guards will 
  release a pair of very hungry tigers. Good bye.”
  Sleeman isn’t joking about the tigers. Shortly after he 
  departs, growls and roars can be heard echoing through 
  the dungeon.
  The characters have four rounds to escape before the 
  beasts enter the room. Slipping free of one manacle or 
  ripping it from the wall requires an Agility or Strength 
  roll at –2 (character’s choice) as an action. With success, 
  one hand is freed. Removing the manacle from around 
  the other wrist requires pulling out a holding pin. This 
  takes an action, but requires no die roll.
  Freeing a trapped comrade takes an entire round, but 
  can only be achieved by a hero who has escaped both his 
  manacles.
  If the heroes have all escaped before the 5th round 
  begins, they can, if they so wish, make a dash through 
  the dungeon in the hope of ﬁ nding an alternate exit. 
  Otherwise, the tigers enter the room at the start of round 
  ﬁ ve. Either way, it’s time to deal action cards.
  Those who made a Strength roll to escape have pulled 
  the manacle and a short length of chain from the wall. 
  Used as a weapon, a chain inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage. It is 
  quite short, and grants no Reach modiﬁ er.
  Adventurers still chained to the walls can kick the 
  tigers. However, due to their lack of mobility such cap-
  tives suffer a –2 penalty to their Parry score. Remember, 
  the Unarmed Defender rule doesn’t apply in our pulp 
  adventurers, so don’t add that on top.
  In the event the characters make a run for it, they 
  begin two Range Increments ahead of the tigers plus one 
  extra Range Increment for each round of running before 
  the 5th. For instance, if the heroes manage to escape 
  during round three, they begin three Range Increment 
  ahead (2 base + the fourth round).
  The big cats have only one tactic—chase down their 
  prey, and then leap on them so they can bite and claw 
  them to shreds. This is achieved through the Parallel 
  maneuver as normal.
  In the event the big cats are defeated, or the prison-
  ers manage to move beyond ten Range Increments of 
  the tigers, they locate a spiral staircase in a gloomy back 
  corner of the dungeon complex. This leads to the upper 
  palace, and brings them out through a long-forgotten 
  secret door near the main foyer.
   Tiger (2 per hero): See page 21.
  SCENE 4: THE PLOT THWARTED
  SCENE 4: THE PLOT THWARTED
  After escaping from the deathtrap, the heroes can 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1717
  Raj, and possibly serve their goals just as well as 
  your death,
  “If you would permit, I will interrogate them down 
  in your dungeon. There is no need to tarnish your 
  good name by having you personally involved 
  in the questioning. Give me an hour, and I shall 
  bring you signed confessions of their guilt.”
  The maharaja sighs heavily. “Make it so, Sir Walter. 
  But do not harm the female too badly. It is not our 
  way to inﬂ ict harm on women, even a treacherous 
  tigress like this one. Guards! Arrest them!”
  The characters are outnumbered and short on weap-
  ons. Those spoiling for a ﬁ ght should be allowed a Com-
  mon Knowledge roll to realize Sleeman has them over a 
  barrel—any attempt to ﬁ ght the guards could easily be 
  twisted to look like an attempt on the maharaja’s life.
  Should a ﬁ ght occur, more guards equal to the num-
  ber of characters arrive each round. Eventually the he-
  roes will be pummeled into submission.
   Sleeman: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   Maharaja’s Guards (4 per hero): Treat as Thuggee 
  (page 20), but armed with halberds (Str+d8, Reach 1, 2 
  hands)
  SCENE 3: TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
  SCENE 3: TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
  The characters are escorted through the palace and 
  down into the dungeon. Although the young king hasn’t 
  used the place for its intended purpose, his grandfather 
  was rather fond of inﬂ icting pain on captives. The heroes 
  are led past numerous rooms containing instrument of 
  torture, down stairs, and along several corridors before 
  being deposited in an unadorned room with no door. The 
  characters are then manacled to the wall by their hands.
  “I would curse you for interfering with my plans, 
  but I shall instead take satisfaction in knowing 
  that your meddling achieved nothing.
  “My plan was remarkably simple yet effective. A 
  new wave of Thuggee activity sweeps across India, 
  targeting British ofﬁ cials. The Crown responds by 
  sending more troops and imposing a ﬁ rmer grip. 
  When the attacks keep occurring, the grip tightens 
  further. Indians will be removed from positions of 
  power, following the discovery of evidence linking 
  them to the attacks.
  “Eventually, Great Britain will stamp her author-
  ity on this land once and for all. This isn’t India, 
  you see. This is the British Raj, and it will be a 
  cold day in Hell before I see the jewel of the Em-
  pire handed back to these ungrateful fools!
  “As for the maharaja, his death will cause a tre-
  mendous backlash. The young whelp is immensely 
  popular with the locals. When he is found stran-
  gled a few days later by British-trained sepoys, 
  the Indians will revolt, and we will crush them!
  “But you will never see what comes to pass. I have 
  some ceremonial duties to attend. Now,” he says, 
  gesturing toward the second exit, “I suggest you 
  start praying. In just a few moments the guards will 
  release a pair of very hungry tigers. Good bye.”
  Sleeman isn’t joking about the tigers. Shortly after he 
  departs, growls and roars can be heard echoing through 
  the dungeon.
  The characters have four rounds to escape before the 
  beasts enter the room. Slipping free of one manacle or 
  ripping it from the wall requires an Agility or Strength 
  roll at –2 (character’s choice) as an action. With success, 
  one hand is freed. Removing the manacle from around 
  the other wrist requires pulling out a holding pin. This 
  takes an action, but requires no die roll.
  Freeing a trapped comrade takes an entire round, but 
  can only be achieved by a hero who has escaped both his 
  manacles.
  If the heroes have all escaped before the 5th round 
  begins, they can, if they so wish, make a dash through 
  the dungeon in the hope of ﬁ nding an alternate exit. 
  Otherwise, the tigers enter the room at the start of round 
  ﬁ ve. Either way, it’s time to deal action cards.
  Those who made a Strength roll to escape have pulled 
  the manacle and a short length of chain from the wall. 
  Used as a weapon, a chain inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage. It is 
  quite short, and grants no Reach modiﬁ er.
  Adventurers still chained to the walls can kick the 
  tigers. However, due to their lack of mobility such cap-
  tives suffer a –2 penalty to their Parry score. Remember, 
  the Unarmed Defender rule doesn’t apply in our pulp 
  adventurers, so don’t add that on top.
  In the event the characters make a run for it, they 
  begin two Range Increments ahead of the tigers plus one 
  extra Range Increment for each round of running before 
  the 5th. For instance, if the heroes manage to escape 
  during round three, they begin three Range Increment 
  ahead (2 base + the fourth round).
  The big cats have only one tactic—chase down their 
  prey, and then leap on them so they can bite and claw 
  them to shreds. This is achieved through the Parallel 
  maneuver as normal.
  In the event the big cats are defeated, or the prison-
  ers manage to move beyond ten Range Increments of 
  the tigers, they locate a spiral staircase in a gloomy back 
  corner of the dungeon complex. This leads to the upper 
  palace, and brings them out through a long-forgotten 
  secret door near the main foyer.
   Tiger (2 per hero): See page 21.
  SCENE 4: THE PLOT THWARTED
  SCENE 4: THE PLOT THWARTED
  After escaping from the deathtrap, the heroes can 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1818
  sneak back into the palace. Their weapons (and gizmos) 
  are in the main foyer where they left them, and are un-
  guarded. Unfortunately, so has the maharaja! Sleeman 
  has convinced him to remove his personal bodyguard 
  and have them secure the distant grounds in case more 
  assassins are lurking nearby.
  Assuming they rush to the throne room, the heroes 
  discover…a lone servant mopping the ﬂ oor. The room 
  is otherwise empty. Frightened by the characters’ sud-
  den appearance, and the likely presence of openly held 
  ﬁ rearms, he drops to his knees and begs for his life to 
  be spared.
  On being questioned, he reveals that Sleeman and the 
  maharaja are in the garden, inspecting the new sepoys. 
  He provides directions for the shortest route.
  Sleeman is in the ﬁ nal stages of presenting his hand-
  picked sepoys to the maharaja when the adventurers ﬁ nal-
  ly reach the garden. They are stood to attention in a line, 
  the young king and Sleeman inspecting them. Once the 
  characters make their presence known, Sleeman shoves 
  the young prince to the ground and snarls out orders.
  “Kill them!” the Englishman shouts vehemently. 
  “Kill them all! I will take care of this spoiled 
  brat! Don’t worry, your majesty,” he snarls, “this 
  won’t take long!” With that, he rips off his gloves 
  to reveal ﬂ eshless, mechanical hands. Flexing his 
  steely ﬁ ngers, he advances on the boy-king, who is 
  futilely trying to crawl away.
  Deal action cards. Hand the players an Ally Sheet for 
  the maharaja. He isn’t a fearsome ﬁ ghter, but he is on 
  their side now.
  The garden measures 24” to a side. In the centre is 
  an ornamental pond the size of a Large Burst Template. 
  It contains a number of large ﬁ sh, which can be used in 
  a Trick or as a weapon (Range: 2/4/8, Damage: Str+d4). 
  Treat movement through the shallow water as difﬁ cult 
  ground. 
  There are two beehives near the ornamental pond 
  (one on the side the heroes enter and one on the oppo-
  site side). Each ﬁ lls a 1” square, and movement through 
  them is difﬁ cult ground. Position a number of statues, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  1818
  sneak back into the palace. Their weapons (and gizmos) 
  are in the main foyer where they left them, and are un-
  guarded. Unfortunately, so has the maharaja! Sleeman 
  has convinced him to remove his personal bodyguard 
  and have them secure the distant grounds in case more 
  assassins are lurking nearby.
  Assuming they rush to the throne room, the heroes 
  discover…a lone servant mopping the ﬂ oor. The room 
  is otherwise empty. Frightened by the characters’ sud-
  den appearance, and the likely presence of openly held 
  ﬁ rearms, he drops to his knees and begs for his life to 
  be spared.
  On being questioned, he reveals that Sleeman and the 
  maharaja are in the garden, inspecting the new sepoys. 
  He provides directions for the shortest route.
  Sleeman is in the ﬁ nal stages of presenting his hand-
  picked sepoys to the maharaja when the adventurers ﬁ nal-
  ly reach the garden. They are stood to attention in a line, 
  the young king and Sleeman inspecting them. Once the 
  characters make their presence known, Sleeman shoves 
  the young prince to the ground and snarls out orders.
  “Kill them!” the Englishman shouts vehemently. 
  “Kill them all! I will take care of this spoiled 
  brat! Don’t worry, your majesty,” he snarls, “this 
  won’t take long!” With that, he rips off his gloves 
  to reveal ﬂ eshless, mechanical hands. Flexing his 
  steely ﬁ ngers, he advances on the boy-king, who is 
  futilely trying to crawl away.
  Deal action cards. Hand the players an Ally Sheet for 
  the maharaja. He isn’t a fearsome ﬁ ghter, but he is on 
  their side now.
  The garden measures 24” to a side. In the centre is 
  an ornamental pond the size of a Large Burst Template. 
  It contains a number of large ﬁ sh, which can be used in 
  a Trick or as a weapon (Range: 2/4/8, Damage: Str+d4). 
  Treat movement through the shallow water as difﬁ cult 
  ground. 
  There are two beehives near the ornamental pond 
  (one on the side the heroes enter and one on the oppo-
  site side). Each ﬁ lls a 1” square, and movement through 
  them is difﬁ cult ground. Position a number of statues, 
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1919
  benches, and topiary to provide Cover and help break 
  up the battleﬁ eld.
  The heroes begin along one edge. Sleeman and the 
  maharaja are on the opposite side of the pond, 3” from 
  the edge of the battleﬁ eld. Standing between the pond 
  and the villain are the Thuggee sepoys.
  The maharaja keeps a number of elephants as pets, 
  which roam the garden area freely. Startled by gunﬁ re, 
  they stampede. Starting the round after a gun is dis-
  charged, any draw of a deuce as a character’s ﬁ rst action 
  card in a round means an elephant charges across the 
  battleﬁ eld. 
  It enters at a point and angle determined by the 
  GM, and moves across the tabletop in a straight line (it 
  knocks aside any standing obstacles). Anyone in its way 
  risks being trampled. Multiple elephants can be involved 
  in the ﬁ ght on the same round, and there are effectively 
  an unlimited number.
  A hero who wishes to mount an elephant must make 
  an Agility roll as an action. He must then try to soothe 
  the beast. This requires either a Persuasion roll at –4 or 
  a Riding roll at –2. With success, the elephant is now 
  under his control.
  The beehives can be used as part of a Trick. Alternately, 
  knocking them over or shooting them causes the angry 
  inhabitants to swarm! They count as Innocent Bystanders 
  in the event a foe is standing adjacent. Deal the swarm an 
  action card the round after they are aroused.
  The bees don’t have any set tactics. Instead, each 
  round the GM should roll a d12 for each active swarm 
  and read the result as a clockface. The bees move their 
  full Pace in the indicated direction, attacking every-
  thing in their path (the elephants thick skin makes 
  them immune for the purposes of this scene). If they 
  reach the edge of the battleﬁ eld, they “bounce” back 
  into play.
  Finally, the GM has the option of bringing a tiger into 
  play. If the heroes are being badly mauled as a result of 
  poor dice, a lone tiger enters the battleﬁ eld near a group 
  of Thuggee and attacks. Should the characters be hav-
  ing too easy a time, it moves into play close to them. 
  Each round, it attacks the nearest creature, except for 
  the swarm (which it cannot harm) and any elephants (of 
  which it is afraid).
   Sleeman: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20. They are 
  armed with riﬂ es (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d8, AP 2), 
  which they use in the ﬁ ght.
   Elephant (variable): See page 21.
   Bee Swarm (1 per hive): See page 21.
   Tiger (1): See page 21.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once Sleeman is killed, the maharaja’s real body-
  guards arrive on the scene. Any remaining thugs quickly 
  surrender in the face of overwhelming odds.
  The maharaja thanks the heroes profusely, showing 
  his true age for once. To show his thanks, he gifts each 
  hero $1000 in gold and silver coins, and offers a female 
  hero to whom he has been attracted a chance to become 
  his bride. Accepting removes the character from the 
  game, but it’s a good way to go. Otherwise, letting the 
  youth down gently is advisable—he is a king, after all. A 
  huge feast is thrown in their honor.
  British ofﬁ cials are quickly summoned and informed 
  of recent events. Sleeman, if alive, is hauled away to face 
  trial. He is quietly found guilty and locked away for a long 
  time to come (or at least until the GM wants to bring him 
  back as a recurring villain), but that doesn’t happen until 
  long after the characters have returned home.
  Before they depart the country, a senior British diplo-
  mat takes the characters aside for a quiet chat.
  “The Maharaja has asked that you do not speak of 
  this incident. India is making slow steps toward 
  independence, and this story could lead to terrible 
  uprising and bloodshed. I’m sure you understand 
  it’s for the greater good.”
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SIR WALTER SLEEMAN
  SIR WALTER SLEEMAN
  A product of the old colonial rule, Sleeman is arrogant 
  and jingoistic. In his eyes, only the British are ﬁ t to rule, 
  and not just in India. As far as this dinosaur of Imperial-
  ism is concerned, Britain should rule the world.
  Following an industrial accident, Sleeman lost the 
  use of his left hand and his right one was badly burned. 
  Putting all his technical knowledge to work, he created 
  a mechanical hand. It provided him with limited dexter-
  ity, but great strength. As his master plan unfolded, he 
  replaced his right hand with a similar device. No one 
  knows about his mechanical appendages, as he has worn 
  gloves for many years.
  Although technically a Weird Scientist, Sleeman does 
  not have any powers. Instead, his gizmos are the animat-
  ed hands (page 2) and his own mechanical limbs, which 
  are strong enough to parry blows.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Knowledge (Me-
  chanics) d12, Notice d8, Persuasion d10, Streetwise d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Major: diehard colo-
  nial)
  Edges: Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Dodge, Fer-
  vor, Improved Level Headed, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Mechanical hands (Str)
  SLEEMAN’S BODYGUARD
  SLEEMAN’S BODYGUARD
  Sleeman’s bodyguard is a brute of a man. A mute from 
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  1919
  benches, and topiary to provide Cover and help break 
  up the battleﬁ eld.
  The heroes begin along one edge. Sleeman and the 
  maharaja are on the opposite side of the pond, 3” from 
  the edge of the battleﬁ eld. Standing between the pond 
  and the villain are the Thuggee sepoys.
  The maharaja keeps a number of elephants as pets, 
  which roam the garden area freely. Startled by gunﬁ re, 
  they stampede. Starting the round after a gun is dis-
  charged, any draw of a deuce as a character’s ﬁ rst action 
  card in a round means an elephant charges across the 
  battleﬁ eld. 
  It enters at a point and angle determined by the 
  GM, and moves across the tabletop in a straight line (it 
  knocks aside any standing obstacles). Anyone in its way 
  risks being trampled. Multiple elephants can be involved 
  in the ﬁ ght on the same round, and there are effectively 
  an unlimited number.
  A hero who wishes to mount an elephant must make 
  an Agility roll as an action. He must then try to soothe 
  the beast. This requires either a Persuasion roll at –4 or 
  a Riding roll at –2. With success, the elephant is now 
  under his control.
  The beehives can be used as part of a Trick. Alternately, 
  knocking them over or shooting them causes the angry 
  inhabitants to swarm! They count as Innocent Bystanders 
  in the event a foe is standing adjacent. Deal the swarm an 
  action card the round after they are aroused.
  The bees don’t have any set tactics. Instead, each 
  round the GM should roll a d12 for each active swarm 
  and read the result as a clockface. The bees move their 
  full Pace in the indicated direction, attacking every-
  thing in their path (the elephants thick skin makes 
  them immune for the purposes of this scene). If they 
  reach the edge of the battleﬁ eld, they “bounce” back 
  into play.
  Finally, the GM has the option of bringing a tiger into 
  play. If the heroes are being badly mauled as a result of 
  poor dice, a lone tiger enters the battleﬁ eld near a group 
  of Thuggee and attacks. Should the characters be hav-
  ing too easy a time, it moves into play close to them. 
  Each round, it attacks the nearest creature, except for 
  the swarm (which it cannot harm) and any elephants (of 
  which it is afraid).
   Sleeman: See page 19.
   The Maharaja: See page 20.
   Thuggee (2 per hero): See page 20. They are 
  armed with riﬂ es (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d8, AP 2), 
  which they use in the ﬁ ght.
   Elephant (variable): See page 21.
   Bee Swarm (1 per hive): See page 21.
   Tiger (1): See page 21.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Once Sleeman is killed, the maharaja’s real body-
  guards arrive on the scene. Any remaining thugs quickly 
  surrender in the face of overwhelming odds.
  The maharaja thanks the heroes profusely, showing 
  his true age for once. To show his thanks, he gifts each 
  hero $1000 in gold and silver coins, and offers a female 
  hero to whom he has been attracted a chance to become 
  his bride. Accepting removes the character from the 
  game, but it’s a good way to go. Otherwise, letting the 
  youth down gently is advisable—he is a king, after all. A 
  huge feast is thrown in their honor.
  British ofﬁ cials are quickly summoned and informed 
  of recent events. Sleeman, if alive, is hauled away to face 
  trial. He is quietly found guilty and locked away for a long 
  time to come (or at least until the GM wants to bring him 
  back as a recurring villain), but that doesn’t happen until 
  long after the characters have returned home.
  Before they depart the country, a senior British diplo-
  mat takes the characters aside for a quiet chat.
  “The Maharaja has asked that you do not speak of 
  this incident. India is making slow steps toward 
  independence, and this story could lead to terrible 
  uprising and bloodshed. I’m sure you understand 
  it’s for the greater good.”
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SIR WALTER SLEEMAN
  SIR WALTER SLEEMAN
  A product of the old colonial rule, Sleeman is arrogant 
  and jingoistic. In his eyes, only the British are ﬁ t to rule, 
  and not just in India. As far as this dinosaur of Imperial-
  ism is concerned, Britain should rule the world.
  Following an industrial accident, Sleeman lost the 
  use of his left hand and his right one was badly burned. 
  Putting all his technical knowledge to work, he created 
  a mechanical hand. It provided him with limited dexter-
  ity, but great strength. As his master plan unfolded, he 
  replaced his right hand with a similar device. No one 
  knows about his mechanical appendages, as he has worn 
  gloves for many years.
  Although technically a Weird Scientist, Sleeman does 
  not have any powers. Instead, his gizmos are the animat-
  ed hands (page 2) and his own mechanical limbs, which 
  are strong enough to parry blows.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Knowledge (Me-
  chanics) d12, Notice d8, Persuasion d10, Streetwise d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Major: diehard colo-
  nial)
  Edges: Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Dodge, Fer-
  vor, Improved Level Headed, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Mechanical hands (Str)
  SLEEMAN’S BODYGUARD
  SLEEMAN’S BODYGUARD
  Sleeman’s bodyguard is a brute of a man. A mute from 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  2020
  birth, he stands by Sleeman’s side like a giant sentinel, 
  always alert for danger.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 9
  Hindrances: Loyal, Ugly (terrible scar on face)
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, First Strike, Improved 
  Block, Improved Nerves of Steel, Level Headed, Mighty 
  Blow, Quick, Strong Willed, Tough as Nails
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Crush: The bodyguard’s favorite method of killing 
  foes is to crush them to death. He gains +2 to make 
  and maintain grapple attacks. Damage is Str+d6 due 
  to his knowledge of how to apply pressure.
  THUGGEE
  THUGGEE
  Sleeman’s so-called Thuggee are nothing but common 
  killers hired to play a speciﬁ c role. None know whom 
  they ultimately serve, and very few have any religious al-
  legiance to Kali.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Knotted scarf (Str+d4), long dagger (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Strangulation: Thuggee prefer to strangle their foes. 
  For the purposes of this adventure, this functions as 
  per the grappling rules, except damage is Str+d4 if 
  the Thuggee has his knotted scarf to hand.
  THE MAHARAJA
  THE MAHARAJA
  Although only 12 years old, the maharaja is head of 
  the local province. His rule is not absolute, for the Brit-
  ish control these lands by law. As such, the youthful king 
  is aided by a Resident, a diplomatic ofﬁ cial assigned to 
  the court.
  His position has made him arrogant, though at heart 
  he is still a child. Indeed, part of him yearns to play like 
  normal children, but the burden of responsibility for his 
  subjects is a heavy one, and prohibits anything resem-
  bling a normal lifestyle.
  Play him as a stuffy nobleman, who sees all those 
  beneath him as worthless chattel. Only when in the pres-
  ence of females does his attitude become more relaxed 
  and childish.
  The maharaja is a Henchman. His Young Hindrance 
  gives him a single benny.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion 
  d10, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Young
  Edges: Charismatic, Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, 
  Noble, Very Rich
  Gear: Dagger (Str+d4), army of servants
  BRITISH OFFICER
  BRITISH OFFICER
  These young men are still very much for the upper 
  classes. India remains a hotbed of colonial attitudes, and 
  these men share most of those beliefs. With no war to 
  ﬁ ght, their lives are spent playing polo and attending 
  social events, with a little military drill thrown in to keep 
  up appearances.
  They are all Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Riding 
  d8, Shooting d8, Survival d4
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Command
  Gear: Heavy revolver (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  AP 1), dress sword (Str+d6)
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  Fiercely loyal, highly territorial, and distrustful of 
  outsiders, the tribesmen defend their lands the old-fash-
  ioned way—with violence.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Riding d8, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8), sword 
  (Str+d6), riding horse
  HAND OF KALI
  HAND OF KALI
  Ancient legends speak of a “Black Hand of Kali,” a mum-
  miﬁ ed appendage of enormous size, which could animate 
  and throttle the goddess’ foes. Sleeman used that legend 
  to create mechanical hands. Covered in black bandages, 
  they are miniature versions of the legendary artifact. Slee-
  man uses them to murder his chosen victims.
  All hands of Kali are Henchmen due to their unusual 
  nature.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Swathed in bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #11
  2020
  birth, he stands by Sleeman’s side like a giant sentinel, 
  always alert for danger.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 9
  Hindrances: Loyal, Ugly (terrible scar on face)
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, First Strike, Improved 
  Block, Improved Nerves of Steel, Level Headed, Mighty 
  Blow, Quick, Strong Willed, Tough as Nails
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Crush: The bodyguard’s favorite method of killing 
  foes is to crush them to death. He gains +2 to make 
  and maintain grapple attacks. Damage is Str+d6 due 
  to his knowledge of how to apply pressure.
  THUGGEE
  THUGGEE
  Sleeman’s so-called Thuggee are nothing but common 
  killers hired to play a speciﬁ c role. None know whom 
  they ultimately serve, and very few have any religious al-
  legiance to Kali.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Knotted scarf (Str+d4), long dagger (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Strangulation: Thuggee prefer to strangle their foes. 
  For the purposes of this adventure, this functions as 
  per the grappling rules, except damage is Str+d4 if 
  the Thuggee has his knotted scarf to hand.
  THE MAHARAJA
  THE MAHARAJA
  Although only 12 years old, the maharaja is head of 
  the local province. His rule is not absolute, for the Brit-
  ish control these lands by law. As such, the youthful king 
  is aided by a Resident, a diplomatic ofﬁ cial assigned to 
  the court.
  His position has made him arrogant, though at heart 
  he is still a child. Indeed, part of him yearns to play like 
  normal children, but the burden of responsibility for his 
  subjects is a heavy one, and prohibits anything resem-
  bling a normal lifestyle.
  Play him as a stuffy nobleman, who sees all those 
  beneath him as worthless chattel. Only when in the pres-
  ence of females does his attitude become more relaxed 
  and childish.
  The maharaja is a Henchman. His Young Hindrance 
  gives him a single benny.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion 
  d10, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Young
  Edges: Charismatic, Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, 
  Noble, Very Rich
  Gear: Dagger (Str+d4), army of servants
  BRITISH OFFICER
  BRITISH OFFICER
  These young men are still very much for the upper 
  classes. India remains a hotbed of colonial attitudes, and 
  these men share most of those beliefs. With no war to 
  ﬁ ght, their lives are spent playing polo and attending 
  social events, with a little military drill thrown in to keep 
  up appearances.
  They are all Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Riding 
  d8, Shooting d8, Survival d4
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Command
  Gear: Heavy revolver (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  AP 1), dress sword (Str+d6)
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  AFGHAN TRIBESMEN
  Fiercely loyal, highly territorial, and distrustful of 
  outsiders, the tribesmen defend their lands the old-fash-
  ioned way—with violence.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Riding d8, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Steady Hands
  Gear: Riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8), sword 
  (Str+d6), riding horse
  HAND OF KALI
  HAND OF KALI
  Ancient legends speak of a “Black Hand of Kali,” a mum-
  miﬁ ed appendage of enormous size, which could animate 
  and throttle the goddess’ foes. Sleeman used that legend 
  to create mechanical hands. Covered in black bandages, 
  they are miniature versions of the legendary artifact. Slee-
  man uses them to murder his chosen victims.
  All hands of Kali are Henchmen due to their unusual 
  nature.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Swathed in bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  2121
  * Crush: Str.
  * Leap: The hands can leap by propelling themselves 
  with their ﬁ ngers. This allows them to reach a victim’s 
  neck.
  * Mindless: Immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  * Size –2: Each hand is the same size as a human 
  head.
  * Small: Attackers are –2 to attack rolls, due to the crea-
  ture’s size.
  * Weakness (Movement): The hands of Kali are at-
  tracted to movement through primitive sensors. A 
  hero who does not make any movement in a round 
  (an attack involves movement) is not attacked. This 
  typically means the hero must be on Hold unless he 
  wishes to forfeit his action. 
  HAND OF KALI SWARM
  HAND OF KALI SWARM
  The swarm ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template and is 
  treated as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Swathed in bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Crush: The swarm hits victims automatically and 
  causes d10+6 damage to everyone in the template, 
  so long as they have moved in this round or the previ-
  ous one.
  * Leap: The hands can leap by propelling themselves 
  with their ﬁ ngers. This allows them to reach a victim’s 
  neck.
  * Mindless: Immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Cutting and piercing weapons do 
  not real damage to the swarm. Area-effect weapons 
  work normally, and a character can stomp to inﬂ ict his 
  Strength damage each round.
  * Weakness (Movement): The hands of Kali are at-
  tracted to movement through primitive sensors. A 
  hero who does not make any movement in a round 
  (an attack involves movement) is not attacked. This 
  typically means the hero must be on Hold, unless he 
  wishes to forfeit his action.
  ELEPHANT
  ELEPHANT
  Elephants are Henchmen due to their size.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+5, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 13 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Leathery hide.
  * Large: Attacks are +2 to all attack rolls when target-
  ing an elephant.
  * Size +6: Elephants weigh over a ton.
  * Trample: Elephants can trample creatures of Size +3 
  or smaller. If the elephant runs, anyone in its path 
  must make an Agility roll or be crushed. Victims take 
  damage equal to the elephant’s Str (d12+5) and are 
  knocked prone.
  * Trunk: Str+d4.
  * Tusks: Str+d6.
  TIGER
  TIGER
  Tigers are the largest of the big cats. These are Indian 
  tigers, and so have the typical black and orange mark-
  ings. They are also rather hungry.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite or Claw: Str+d6.
  * Improved Frenzy: Tigers may make two Fighting at-
  tacks each action at no penalty.
  * Maul: A tiger that succeeds in a Grapple attack has 
  knocked its prey to the ﬂ oor and may make a Fighting 
  attack with no multi action penalty. So long as the victim 
  remains prone, subsequent attacks are made at +2.
  * Pounce: Tigers often pounce on their prey to best 
  bring their mass and claws to bear. It can leap 1d6” 
  to gain +4 to its attack and damage. Its Parry is re-
  duced by -2 until its next action when performing the 
  maneuver however.
  * Size +2: Male tigers can weigh over 800 pounds.
  BEE SWARM
  BEE SWARM
  The swarm ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Treasure: None.
  Special Abilities:
  * Distracting: Anyone in the swarm must make a Spirit 
  roll or be Shaken as they frantically try to swat the 
  stinging insects. This is a non-physical effect.
  * Mindless: Unaffected by Tests of Will, Tricks, or ar-
  cane powers like puppet.
  * Sting: Swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny stings every 
  round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d4 damage to everyone in the template. Damage 
  is applied to the least armored location.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed of 
  scores, hundreds, or thousands of creatures, cutting 
  and piercing weapons do no real damage. Area-effect 
  weapons work normally, and a character can inﬂ ict 
  his damage in Strength each round by swatting them. 
  The bees can be foiled by jumping in water.
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  THE HANDS OF KALI
  2121
  * Crush: Str.
  * Leap: The hands can leap by propelling themselves 
  with their ﬁ ngers. This allows them to reach a victim’s 
  neck.
  * Mindless: Immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  * Size –2: Each hand is the same size as a human 
  head.
  * Small: Attackers are –2 to attack rolls, due to the crea-
  ture’s size.
  * Weakness (Movement): The hands of Kali are at-
  tracted to movement through primitive sensors. A 
  hero who does not make any movement in a round 
  (an attack involves movement) is not attacked. This 
  typically means the hero must be on Hold unless he 
  wishes to forfeit his action. 
  HAND OF KALI SWARM
  HAND OF KALI SWARM
  The swarm ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template and is 
  treated as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Swathed in bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Crush: The swarm hits victims automatically and 
  causes d10+6 damage to everyone in the template, 
  so long as they have moved in this round or the previ-
  ous one.
  * Leap: The hands can leap by propelling themselves 
  with their ﬁ ngers. This allows them to reach a victim’s 
  neck.
  * Mindless: Immune to Smarts Tricks and Tests of 
  Will.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Cutting and piercing weapons do 
  not real damage to the swarm. Area-effect weapons 
  work normally, and a character can stomp to inﬂ ict his 
  Strength damage each round.
  * Weakness (Movement): The hands of Kali are at-
  tracted to movement through primitive sensors. A 
  hero who does not make any movement in a round 
  (an attack involves movement) is not attacked. This 
  typically means the hero must be on Hold, unless he 
  wishes to forfeit his action.
  ELEPHANT
  ELEPHANT
  Elephants are Henchmen due to their size.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+5, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 13 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Leathery hide.
  * Large: Attacks are +2 to all attack rolls when target-
  ing an elephant.
  * Size +6: Elephants weigh over a ton.
  * Trample: Elephants can trample creatures of Size +3 
  or smaller. If the elephant runs, anyone in its path 
  must make an Agility roll or be crushed. Victims take 
  damage equal to the elephant’s Str (d12+5) and are 
  knocked prone.
  * Trunk: Str+d4.
  * Tusks: Str+d6.
  TIGER
  TIGER
  Tigers are the largest of the big cats. These are Indian 
  tigers, and so have the typical black and orange mark-
  ings. They are also rather hungry.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite or Claw: Str+d6.
  * Improved Frenzy: Tigers may make two Fighting at-
  tacks each action at no penalty.
  * Maul: A tiger that succeeds in a Grapple attack has 
  knocked its prey to the ﬂ oor and may make a Fighting 
  attack with no multi action penalty. So long as the victim 
  remains prone, subsequent attacks are made at +2.
  * Pounce: Tigers often pounce on their prey to best 
  bring their mass and claws to bear. It can leap 1d6” 
  to gain +4 to its attack and damage. Its Parry is re-
  duced by -2 until its next action when performing the 
  maneuver however.
  * Size +2: Male tigers can weigh over 800 pounds.
  BEE SWARM
  BEE SWARM
  The swarm ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Treasure: None.
  Special Abilities:
  * Distracting: Anyone in the swarm must make a Spirit 
  roll or be Shaken as they frantically try to swat the 
  stinging insects. This is a non-physical effect.
  * Mindless: Unaffected by Tests of Will, Tricks, or ar-
  cane powers like puppet.
  * Sting: Swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny stings every 
  round to their victims, hitting automatically and caus-
  ing 2d4 damage to everyone in the template. Damage 
  is applied to the least armored location.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed of 
  scores, hundreds, or thousands of creatures, cutting 
  and piercing weapons do no real damage. Area-effect 
  weapons work normally, and a character can inﬂ ict 
  his damage in Strength each round by swatting them. 
  The bees can be foiled by jumping in water.
  
  EPIC FANTASY IN A FROZEN WORLD!
  The Hellfrost Player’s Guide contains everything 
  you need to begin adventuring in the frozen 
  wastes:
  ✹ 128 page full colour hardcover rulebook.
  ✹ Six player character races.
  ✹ Dozens of new Edges, including Disciple Edges for 
  religious heroes.
  ✹ Rules for hedge magic.
  ✹ Six alternate magical Arcane Backgrounds, a revised 
  casting system removing the need for Power Points, 
  and the effects of the magic-draining phenomenon 
  known as the Siphoning.
  ✹ Details on 24 deities and their followers.
  ✹ Rules for Glory, a new trait that measures the great 
  deeds of your heroes.
  ✹ Organizations suitable for character membership, 
  including the Convocation of Elementalists, Hearth 
  Knights, Reliquary, and Sisters of Mercy.
  ✹ Complete setting rules for adventuring in Rassilon.
  Welcome to the world of Rassilon. Welcome to the Hellfrost!
  Hellfrost is an epic fantasy setting for the award-winning Savage Worlds RPG
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  MSRP: $29.99
  SKU#: 30001
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31023
  31023
  $7.50
  $7.50
  It’s time for stiff upper lips and 
  daring adventure as the heroes 
  hit India! Hired by the Boston 
  Museum to oversee the ﬁ nal 
  stages of an archaeological 
  dig, the heroes are quickly 
  embroiled in a headlong series 
  of predicaments orchestrated 
  by the feared Thuggee cult as 
  part of their dastardly plot to 
  destabilize the British Raj.
  A young maharaja with an 
  eye for the ladies, devious deathtraps, wild bandits, 
  rampaging elephants, hungry tigers, and deadly Thuggee 
  cultists guarantee a thrilling ride across the subcontinent! 
  Can the heroes save the British Empire from a major 
  embarrassment, or will the Hands of Kali prevail?
  Find out in The Hands of Kali the 11th adventure in Triple 
  Ace Game’s popular Daring Tales of Adventure line.
  beware the hands of kali!
  beware the hands of kali!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31027
  31027
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1212
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING, DAVE BLEWER
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  ART: EMPTY ROOM STUDIOS
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1212
  
  On June 30, 1908 an event occurred in Siberia which 
  would, nearly a decade later, put a small region of Sibe-
  ria on the world stage. Early that morning eyewitnesses 
  reported seeing a blue streak moving across the sky. 
  Shortly afterward, a huge explosion knocked people off 
  their feet and shattered windows over a hundred miles 
  away.
  No one paid much attention to news of the event, for 
  Tunguska was at that time an extremely remote region. 
  In the years which followed, the Great War and the Rus-
  sian Revolution took precedent over launching scientiﬁ c 
  expeditions to some remote wasteland to study an event 
  which occurred years ago.
  The ﬁ rst expedition to explore the phenomenon 
  reached Tunguska in 1921. The party leader, Leonid 
  Kulik, a mineralogist, was not lured there by thoughts of 
  scientiﬁ c glory, but by the prospect by uncovering huge 
  quantities of meteoric iron for use in Russia’s expanding 
  industry.
  Instead of the huge impact crater they had anticipated, 
  all the party found was a circular pattern of ﬂ attened and 
  scorched trees, some 30 miles in diameter. Three more 
  expeditions by Kulik over the next decade found no evi-
  dence of an impact point, leading him to conclude the 
  explosion had occurred in the air. However, he remained 
  conﬁ dent there would be some traces of meteoric iron, 
  and scheduled an aerial survey for 1938, a year from 
  now.
  But this is recorded history. Our tale begins shortly 
  after the impact.
  In the winter of 1910, a trapper working in the area 
  became caught in a blizzard. In trying to ﬁ nd his way 
  back to his cabin, he inadvertently stumbled into the 
  devastated area. Half-blind and near frozen, he suddenly 
  saw a greenish glow amid the fallen trees, pale but dis-
  tinct. Crawling forward, he discovered the object was a 
  misshapen rock. Fascinated, he held out a gloved hand, 
  only to discover the object radiated heat. Curling up 
  around it, he weathered the storm thanks to the “blessed 
  rock.”
  The trapper took the rock back to his village and 
  showed it to the local priest, who declared it a miracu-
  lous object sent by the angels. Over the years, the glow-
  ing rock slowly moved up the theological ladder, ﬁ nally 
  ending up in the main church in Irkutsk in 1918.
  Civil war spread rapidly across the great state, and in 
  1920 the city was a battleground between Red (Commu-
  nist) and White (Tsarist) Russians. Fearing for the safety 
  of the holy relic, a priest smuggled it out of the city. It 
  then vanished from history for almost two decades.
  Last year (1936), a German researcher accidentally 
  stumbled across a reference to the stone and its appar-
  ent powers. Word soon reached the Nazi hierarchy, who 
  conﬁ scated all the researcher’s notes and forbade him to 
  discuss the situation again.
  The Nazi scientiﬁ c elite of the Sonderwaffen Abteilung 
  (Special Weapons Division, ﬁ rst introduced in Daring 
  Tales of Adventure #8: Terror of the Z-Bomb) discussed 
  the nature of the rock. After months of debate they 
  reached a conclusion—the rock was made of a mineral 
  which existed only in deep space, it was likely a radioac-
  tive isotope of some form, and it could thus be turned 
  into a devastating weapon. All they had to do was locate 
  the space rock and retrieve it, and potentially unlimited 
  power would be in German hands.
  However, two key obstacles blocked their path. First, 
  Germany and Russia, while not at war, were far from 
  friendly toward each other thanks to diametrically op-
  posed ideologies. Any activities inside Russia would have 
  to be kept low-key to avoid alerting the NKVD (a forerun-
  ner to the KGB). Second, they had no idea where the 
  rock ended up after it left Irkutsk.
  But fate, it seemed, was on the German side, for only 
  a few weeks ago, word reached the Gestapo of a priest 
  hiding out from Stalin’s secret police in the wilds of 
  Russia. This priest had seen the fabled stone in 1927, 
  seven years after it disappeared. An expedition was 
  quickly launched to kidnap the priest and return him to 
  Germany for “questioning.” Things did not go entirely 
  to plan…
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  2
  On June 30, 1908 an event occurred in Siberia which 
  would, nearly a decade later, put a small region of Sibe-
  ria on the world stage. Early that morning eyewitnesses 
  reported seeing a blue streak moving across the sky. 
  Shortly afterward, a huge explosion knocked people off 
  their feet and shattered windows over a hundred miles 
  away.
  No one paid much attention to news of the event, for 
  Tunguska was at that time an extremely remote region. 
  In the years which followed, the Great War and the Rus-
  sian Revolution took precedent over launching scientiﬁ c 
  expeditions to some remote wasteland to study an event 
  which occurred years ago.
  The ﬁ rst expedition to explore the phenomenon 
  reached Tunguska in 1921. The party leader, Leonid 
  Kulik, a mineralogist, was not lured there by thoughts of 
  scientiﬁ c glory, but by the prospect by uncovering huge 
  quantities of meteoric iron for use in Russia’s expanding 
  industry.
  Instead of the huge impact crater they had anticipated, 
  all the party found was a circular pattern of ﬂ attened and 
  scorched trees, some 30 miles in diameter. Three more 
  expeditions by Kulik over the next decade found no evi-
  dence of an impact point, leading him to conclude the 
  explosion had occurred in the air. However, he remained 
  conﬁ dent there would be some traces of meteoric iron, 
  and scheduled an aerial survey for 1938, a year from 
  now.
  But this is recorded history. Our tale begins shortly 
  after the impact.
  In the winter of 1910, a trapper working in the area 
  became caught in a blizzard. In trying to ﬁ nd his way 
  back to his cabin, he inadvertently stumbled into the 
  devastated area. Half-blind and near frozen, he suddenly 
  saw a greenish glow amid the fallen trees, pale but dis-
  tinct. Crawling forward, he discovered the object was a 
  misshapen rock. Fascinated, he held out a gloved hand, 
  only to discover the object radiated heat. Curling up 
  around it, he weathered the storm thanks to the “blessed 
  rock.”
  The trapper took the rock back to his village and 
  showed it to the local priest, who declared it a miracu-
  lous object sent by the angels. Over the years, the glow-
  ing rock slowly moved up the theological ladder, ﬁ nally 
  ending up in the main church in Irkutsk in 1918.
  Civil war spread rapidly across the great state, and in 
  1920 the city was a battleground between Red (Commu-
  nist) and White (Tsarist) Russians. Fearing for the safety 
  of the holy relic, a priest smuggled it out of the city. It 
  then vanished from history for almost two decades.
  Last year (1936), a German researcher accidentally 
  stumbled across a reference to the stone and its appar-
  ent powers. Word soon reached the Nazi hierarchy, who 
  conﬁ scated all the researcher’s notes and forbade him to 
  discuss the situation again.
  The Nazi scientiﬁ c elite of the Sonderwaffen Abteilung 
  (Special Weapons Division, ﬁ rst introduced in Daring 
  Tales of Adventure #8: Terror of the Z-Bomb) discussed 
  the nature of the rock. After months of debate they 
  reached a conclusion—the rock was made of a mineral 
  which existed only in deep space, it was likely a radioac-
  tive isotope of some form, and it could thus be turned 
  into a devastating weapon. All they had to do was locate 
  the space rock and retrieve it, and potentially unlimited 
  power would be in German hands.
  However, two key obstacles blocked their path. First, 
  Germany and Russia, while not at war, were far from 
  friendly toward each other thanks to diametrically op-
  posed ideologies. Any activities inside Russia would have 
  to be kept low-key to avoid alerting the NKVD (a forerun-
  ner to the KGB). Second, they had no idea where the 
  rock ended up after it left Irkutsk.
  But fate, it seemed, was on the German side, for only 
  a few weeks ago, word reached the Gestapo of a priest 
  hiding out from Stalin’s secret police in the wilds of 
  Russia. This priest had seen the fabled stone in 1927, 
  seven years after it disappeared. An expedition was 
  quickly launched to kidnap the priest and return him to 
  Germany for “questioning.” Things did not go entirely 
  to plan…
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  2
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  3
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 80 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: ALASKA
  ACT 1: ALASKA
  Our brave heroes have been hired by the US govern-
  ment to track down a group of mobsters running a union 
  protection racket in Anchorage, Alaska. After conducting 
  investigations, the party tracked the mobsters to their 
  hideout. Unfortunately, some wise guy tipped them off, 
  and they made a break for it.
  As the adventure begins, the characters are involved 
  in a high speed chase across a frozen lake in the middle 
  of winter.
  SCENE 1: GOING FOR A SPIN
  SCENE 1: GOING FOR A SPIN
  “A simple job,” said the government man who 
  hired you. What he forgot to mention was it in-
  volved tracking down mobsters in Alaska in the 
  middle of winter. It’s below freezing outside, and 
  the car’s heater has stopped working.
  But you’re as good as your reputations. You 
  found the mobsters running the union protection 
  racket. You even tracked them to their backwater 
  hideout. But they knew you were coming, tipped 
  off no doubt by some no good scum back in Fair-
  banks.
  So here you are, freezing your butts off and driv-
  ing across a frozen lake in chase of mobsters. 
  What a life!
  This scene works as a Chase and uses our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The terrain is slippery ice. However, the 
  cars are ﬁ tted with snow chains, which reduce the dif-
  ﬁ cult ground penalty to Driving rolls to –1. This is on 
  top of any other modiﬁ ers. Remember that any Driving 
  roll of 1 or less causes a vehicle to go Out of Control. 
  Spinning and sliding is going to be very common.
  Nights in Alaska in winter tend to be dark, very dark. 
  Right now, it’s twilight, so the lighting is Dim (–1). This 
  doesn’t affect Driving rolls, only Notice and attack rolls.
  The villains are in two sedans, while the characters are 
  in a single sedan. Divide the mobsters equally between 
  the two vehicles. Both begin three Range Increments 
  ahead of the heroes, and each Range Increment equates 
  to 5”. Deal each car a separate action card.
  The mobsters want to get away, although they happily 
  spray their pursuers with lead. They’re not comfortable 
  driving on the ice, so only use Distract and Force stunts 
  if all their passengers are dead.
  In the event the chase devolves into a tabletop battle, 
  all movement is treated as difﬁ cult ground. A hero who 
  runs and rolls a 1 on his running die slips and falls at the 
  start of his run. Any Agility rolls, such as Agility Tricks or 
  rolls to avoid area effect weapons, suffer a –2 penalty. In 
  addition to any other effects, the character also slips and 
  falls prone.
  Once the last mobster is dealt with or escapes, pro-
  ceed immediately to Scene 2. Don’t give the heroes any 
  chance to catch their breath.
   Giuseppe Marconi: See page 19.
   Mobster (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Thin Ice: The ice ahead is dangerously 
  thin. A failed roll means the vehicle has plowed straight 
  onto the ice, which promptly collapses. The car is dan-
  gling over the ice, the front bumper touching the icy 
  water.
  In order to reverse out, the driver must make a Driv-
  ing roll as an action. Success frees the car, but doesn’t 
  allow any movement in the same round. Until the roll 
  succeeds, the car is stuck on the ice.
  Three (–2) Boulders: Large boulders, no doubt sit-
  ting atop a small island in the lake, present a dangerous 
  obstacle. Failure on the Driving roll indicates a collision 
  with a stationary, hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Really Slippery Ice: An area of ice as 
  ﬂ at as glass makes the going treacherous. There is no 
  unique penalty for failure—the penalty simply increases 
  the chances of going Out of Control as the vehicle loses 
  traction.
  Five (–2) Uneven Ice: Deep cracks and high ripples 
  in the ice cause the car to bounce and buck as it speeds 
  along. Failure on the Driving roll causes 2d6 damage to 
  the vehicle, as the suspension creaks and groans under 
  duress and the underside scrapes along the surface.
  Six (–2) Logs: Lumberjacks hauling logs across the 
  lake appear to have left some ﬂ oating in place when 
  winter set in. Now they’re frozen in place, and the car is 
  heading straight for them. A failed Driving roll causes a 
  collision with a stationary, hard Obstacle.
  Seven (–2) Snow Drifts: Powdery snow dunes criss-
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  3
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 80 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: ALASKA
  ACT 1: ALASKA
  Our brave heroes have been hired by the US govern-
  ment to track down a group of mobsters running a union 
  protection racket in Anchorage, Alaska. After conducting 
  investigations, the party tracked the mobsters to their 
  hideout. Unfortunately, some wise guy tipped them off, 
  and they made a break for it.
  As the adventure begins, the characters are involved 
  in a high speed chase across a frozen lake in the middle 
  of winter.
  SCENE 1: GOING FOR A SPIN
  SCENE 1: GOING FOR A SPIN
  “A simple job,” said the government man who 
  hired you. What he forgot to mention was it in-
  volved tracking down mobsters in Alaska in the 
  middle of winter. It’s below freezing outside, and 
  the car’s heater has stopped working.
  But you’re as good as your reputations. You 
  found the mobsters running the union protection 
  racket. You even tracked them to their backwater 
  hideout. But they knew you were coming, tipped 
  off no doubt by some no good scum back in Fair-
  banks.
  So here you are, freezing your butts off and driv-
  ing across a frozen lake in chase of mobsters. 
  What a life!
  This scene works as a Chase and uses our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The terrain is slippery ice. However, the 
  cars are ﬁ tted with snow chains, which reduce the dif-
  ﬁ cult ground penalty to Driving rolls to –1. This is on 
  top of any other modiﬁ ers. Remember that any Driving 
  roll of 1 or less causes a vehicle to go Out of Control. 
  Spinning and sliding is going to be very common.
  Nights in Alaska in winter tend to be dark, very dark. 
  Right now, it’s twilight, so the lighting is Dim (–1). This 
  doesn’t affect Driving rolls, only Notice and attack rolls.
  The villains are in two sedans, while the characters are 
  in a single sedan. Divide the mobsters equally between 
  the two vehicles. Both begin three Range Increments 
  ahead of the heroes, and each Range Increment equates 
  to 5”. Deal each car a separate action card.
  The mobsters want to get away, although they happily 
  spray their pursuers with lead. They’re not comfortable 
  driving on the ice, so only use Distract and Force stunts 
  if all their passengers are dead.
  In the event the chase devolves into a tabletop battle, 
  all movement is treated as difﬁ cult ground. A hero who 
  runs and rolls a 1 on his running die slips and falls at the 
  start of his run. Any Agility rolls, such as Agility Tricks or 
  rolls to avoid area effect weapons, suffer a –2 penalty. In 
  addition to any other effects, the character also slips and 
  falls prone.
  Once the last mobster is dealt with or escapes, pro-
  ceed immediately to Scene 2. Don’t give the heroes any 
  chance to catch their breath.
   Giuseppe Marconi: See page 19.
   Mobster (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Thin Ice: The ice ahead is dangerously 
  thin. A failed roll means the vehicle has plowed straight 
  onto the ice, which promptly collapses. The car is dan-
  gling over the ice, the front bumper touching the icy 
  water.
  In order to reverse out, the driver must make a Driv-
  ing roll as an action. Success frees the car, but doesn’t 
  allow any movement in the same round. Until the roll 
  succeeds, the car is stuck on the ice.
  Three (–2) Boulders: Large boulders, no doubt sit-
  ting atop a small island in the lake, present a dangerous 
  obstacle. Failure on the Driving roll indicates a collision 
  with a stationary, hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Really Slippery Ice: An area of ice as 
  ﬂ at as glass makes the going treacherous. There is no 
  unique penalty for failure—the penalty simply increases 
  the chances of going Out of Control as the vehicle loses 
  traction.
  Five (–2) Uneven Ice: Deep cracks and high ripples 
  in the ice cause the car to bounce and buck as it speeds 
  along. Failure on the Driving roll causes 2d6 damage to 
  the vehicle, as the suspension creaks and groans under 
  duress and the underside scrapes along the surface.
  Six (–2) Logs: Lumberjacks hauling logs across the 
  lake appear to have left some ﬂ oating in place when 
  winter set in. Now they’re frozen in place, and the car is 
  heading straight for them. A failed Driving roll causes a 
  collision with a stationary, hard Obstacle.
  Seven (–2) Snow Drifts: Powdery snow dunes criss-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  4
  cross the car’s path, forcing it to zig and zag to avoid 
  hitting them. A failed roll means the car slams into one. 
  It doesn’t take any damage, but it automatically drops 
  back one Range Increment, as next round the driver has 
  to restart its stalled engine and reverse.
  Eight (–2) Elk Herd: A herd of elk pick a ﬁ ne time to 
  take a shortcut. Only an idiot would try to drive through 
  a herd of large, muscular elk, so the Driving roll indi-
  cates a rapid turn to avoid them. There is no unique 
  drawback for failure—the penalty simply increases the 
  chances of going Out of Control as the vehicle suddenly 
  swerves.
  For comic value, a car which goes Out of Control 
  could be described as spinning through the herd. Lots of 
  startled elk peer in through the windows, and one may 
  even catch a short ride on the hood before it is thrown 
  clear (unharmed).
  Nine (–1) Slippery Ice: It isn’t quite a sheet of glass, 
  but it’s enough to cause a sudden loss of grip. There 
  is no unique drawback for failure—the penalty simply 
  increases the chances of going Out of Control as the 
  vehicle loses traction.
  Ten (–1) White Out: a brief but violent snow ﬂ urry 
  temporarily blinds the driver. A failed roll causes him to 
  drop back one Range Increment, as he slows to a more 
  sensible speed or heads into the ﬂ urry and comes out 
  facing the wrong direction.
  Jack (–1) Bright Light: A glint of light from the set-
  ting sun strikes the ice at just the wrong angle, momen-
  tarily blinding the driver. This is no speciﬁ c penalty for 
  failing the Driving roll associated with this card—it’s an 
  unexpected event, rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  Queen (0) Cough and Splutter: The engine takes an 
  intense dislike to the freezing temperatures and begins 
  to cough and splutter. Until the driver or a front-seat pas-
  senger takes an action to work the choke, subsequent 
  Driving rolls are at –1.
  This is no speciﬁ c penalty for failing the Driving roll 
  associated with this card—it’s an unexpected event, 
  rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  King (0) Frozen Windshield: A thin layer of ice 
  forms over the windshield, obscuring the driver’s view. 
  Until it is cleared by hand (an action from the driver or 
  a passenger in the front seat), there is an additional –1 
  penalty to all Driving rolls for this vehicle.
  This is no speciﬁ c penalty for failing the Driving roll 
  associated with this card—it’s an unexpected event, 
  rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  Ace (0/–2) Ramp: A mass of ice forms a handy ramp. 
  Ask the players whether they want to drive around it or 
  aim for the ramp. The thugs always take the safe option.
  Going around the obstacle gives no penalty, and fail-
  ure has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting 
  forward movement.
  Trying to hit the ramp gives the driver a –2 penalty to 
  his Driving roll, but if successful he gains an extra Range 
  Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) stacks with the 
  Push maneuver. Failure causes him to ram the ice block, 
  which is a stationary, heavy Obstacle.
  SCENE 2: LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT
  SCENE 2: LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT
  WHOOSH! An airplane drops through the leaden 
  clouds, skims the lake just above the top of your 
  car, and hits the ice with a heavy thump. The 
  undercarriage buckles, creating a shower of ice 
  and snow as the propellers snap and buckle, and 
  the fuselage rakes along the ice. Coughing black 
  smoke from its twin engines, the craft ﬁ nally 
  comes to a halt some 200 yards away.
  Small plumes of ice stitch across the lake surface 
  toward you, narrowly missing. A host of ﬂ ying 
  men descend from the heavy clouds, SMGs spit-
  ting lead.
  Characters with Piloting skill can make a Common 
  Knowledge roll to identify the make of airplane. With 
  success, they recognize it as a Russian Tupolev ANT-9, a 
  high-wing monoplane capable of carrying nine passen-
  gers and two pilots.
  If the heroes played through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #8: Terror of the Z-Bomb they’ve met these 
  guys before—Nazi SS-Raketentruppen (Rocket Troops). 
  Otherwise, the appearance of ﬂ ying Nazis makes a nice 
  change from the regular ones the characters have likely 
  faced in their adventuring careers.
  Should the characters be out of their car (perhaps it’s 
  crashed or been wrecked), they quickly discover they are 
  standing on thin ice—literally. Whenever a hero draws a 
  deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, the ice beneath 
  him gives way. The unfortunate soul must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 (this already includes the modiﬁ er for the icy 
  surface) or fall into the freezing water.
  Characters hitting the drink are automatically Shaken 
  by the intense cold. Scrambling out requires a Strength 
  roll at –2 as an action. Each round the hero is in the wa-
  ter, he must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. 
  This can lead to Incapacitation, but never Death—un-
  conscious heroes are left half in and half out of the water. 
  Recovering Fatigue is as per the standard rules for Cold.
  Note the Nazis, who are airborne, don’t suffer this 
  problem until they land, or are forced to land.
  If the heroes elect to hop back into their car and drive 
  away, use the Chase rules. The notes and Obstacles from 
  the previous scene apply, but only affect the characters—
  the Nazis ﬂ y above the lake. They’re also moving at twice 
  the speed of the characters’ car, so they have +2 to their 
  Piloting rolls.
  At some point during the engagement Ritter can be 
  heard shouting, “Hand over the priest and we will let 
  you live.” The Nazis reply to questions with a burst from 
  their SMGs.
  Ritter, the Nazi commander, is a skilled combatant 
  and overconﬁ dent, but he isn’t stupid. Once he takes 
  two wounds, he ﬂ ees, using the Recurring Villains rule 
  if necessary to ensure his survival. A simple burst of his 
  rocket pack carries him 10” straight up and well out of 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  4
  cross the car’s path, forcing it to zig and zag to avoid 
  hitting them. A failed roll means the car slams into one. 
  It doesn’t take any damage, but it automatically drops 
  back one Range Increment, as next round the driver has 
  to restart its stalled engine and reverse.
  Eight (–2) Elk Herd: A herd of elk pick a ﬁ ne time to 
  take a shortcut. Only an idiot would try to drive through 
  a herd of large, muscular elk, so the Driving roll indi-
  cates a rapid turn to avoid them. There is no unique 
  drawback for failure—the penalty simply increases the 
  chances of going Out of Control as the vehicle suddenly 
  swerves.
  For comic value, a car which goes Out of Control 
  could be described as spinning through the herd. Lots of 
  startled elk peer in through the windows, and one may 
  even catch a short ride on the hood before it is thrown 
  clear (unharmed).
  Nine (–1) Slippery Ice: It isn’t quite a sheet of glass, 
  but it’s enough to cause a sudden loss of grip. There 
  is no unique drawback for failure—the penalty simply 
  increases the chances of going Out of Control as the 
  vehicle loses traction.
  Ten (–1) White Out: a brief but violent snow ﬂ urry 
  temporarily blinds the driver. A failed roll causes him to 
  drop back one Range Increment, as he slows to a more 
  sensible speed or heads into the ﬂ urry and comes out 
  facing the wrong direction.
  Jack (–1) Bright Light: A glint of light from the set-
  ting sun strikes the ice at just the wrong angle, momen-
  tarily blinding the driver. This is no speciﬁ c penalty for 
  failing the Driving roll associated with this card—it’s an 
  unexpected event, rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  Queen (0) Cough and Splutter: The engine takes an 
  intense dislike to the freezing temperatures and begins 
  to cough and splutter. Until the driver or a front-seat pas-
  senger takes an action to work the choke, subsequent 
  Driving rolls are at –1.
  This is no speciﬁ c penalty for failing the Driving roll 
  associated with this card—it’s an unexpected event, 
  rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  King (0) Frozen Windshield: A thin layer of ice 
  forms over the windshield, obscuring the driver’s view. 
  Until it is cleared by hand (an action from the driver or 
  a passenger in the front seat), there is an additional –1 
  penalty to all Driving rolls for this vehicle.
  This is no speciﬁ c penalty for failing the Driving roll 
  associated with this card—it’s an unexpected event, 
  rather than an Obstacle to avoid.
  Ace (0/–2) Ramp: A mass of ice forms a handy ramp. 
  Ask the players whether they want to drive around it or 
  aim for the ramp. The thugs always take the safe option.
  Going around the obstacle gives no penalty, and fail-
  ure has no special effect beyond temporarily thwarting 
  forward movement.
  Trying to hit the ramp gives the driver a –2 penalty to 
  his Driving roll, but if successful he gains an extra Range 
  Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) stacks with the 
  Push maneuver. Failure causes him to ram the ice block, 
  which is a stationary, heavy Obstacle.
  SCENE 2: LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT
  SCENE 2: LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT
  WHOOSH! An airplane drops through the leaden 
  clouds, skims the lake just above the top of your 
  car, and hits the ice with a heavy thump. The 
  undercarriage buckles, creating a shower of ice 
  and snow as the propellers snap and buckle, and 
  the fuselage rakes along the ice. Coughing black 
  smoke from its twin engines, the craft ﬁ nally 
  comes to a halt some 200 yards away.
  Small plumes of ice stitch across the lake surface 
  toward you, narrowly missing. A host of ﬂ ying 
  men descend from the heavy clouds, SMGs spit-
  ting lead.
  Characters with Piloting skill can make a Common 
  Knowledge roll to identify the make of airplane. With 
  success, they recognize it as a Russian Tupolev ANT-9, a 
  high-wing monoplane capable of carrying nine passen-
  gers and two pilots.
  If the heroes played through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #8: Terror of the Z-Bomb they’ve met these 
  guys before—Nazi SS-Raketentruppen (Rocket Troops). 
  Otherwise, the appearance of ﬂ ying Nazis makes a nice 
  change from the regular ones the characters have likely 
  faced in their adventuring careers.
  Should the characters be out of their car (perhaps it’s 
  crashed or been wrecked), they quickly discover they are 
  standing on thin ice—literally. Whenever a hero draws a 
  deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, the ice beneath 
  him gives way. The unfortunate soul must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 (this already includes the modiﬁ er for the icy 
  surface) or fall into the freezing water.
  Characters hitting the drink are automatically Shaken 
  by the intense cold. Scrambling out requires a Strength 
  roll at –2 as an action. Each round the hero is in the wa-
  ter, he must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. 
  This can lead to Incapacitation, but never Death—un-
  conscious heroes are left half in and half out of the water. 
  Recovering Fatigue is as per the standard rules for Cold.
  Note the Nazis, who are airborne, don’t suffer this 
  problem until they land, or are forced to land.
  If the heroes elect to hop back into their car and drive 
  away, use the Chase rules. The notes and Obstacles from 
  the previous scene apply, but only affect the characters—
  the Nazis ﬂ y above the lake. They’re also moving at twice 
  the speed of the characters’ car, so they have +2 to their 
  Piloting rolls.
  At some point during the engagement Ritter can be 
  heard shouting, “Hand over the priest and we will let 
  you live.” The Nazis reply to questions with a burst from 
  their SMGs.
  Ritter, the Nazi commander, is a skilled combatant 
  and overconﬁ dent, but he isn’t stupid. Once he takes 
  two wounds, he ﬂ ees, using the Recurring Villains rule 
  if necessary to ensure his survival. A simple burst of his 
  rocket pack carries him 10” straight up and well out of 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  5
  range of the characters’ weapons (he’s also hidden by 
  clouds).
  Once half the Nazis are dead (there can be no survi-
  vors) or Ritter ﬂ ees, the remainder immediately ﬂ y up 
  back into the clouds. At the end of the turn in which 
  they ﬂ ee they are out of sight, concealed by the low 
  clouds, and back to their zeppelin, which is ﬂ ying high 
  overhead.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (2 + 1 per hero): See page 19. 
  One has a Raketengewehr.
  THE PLANE! THE PLANE!
  THE PLANE! THE PLANE!
  On approaching the plane, it is startlingly obvious it 
  didn’t fall out of the sky without a little assistance. The 
  fuselage is peppered with bullet holes. There are two 
  pilots in the cockpit. Both are dead—one has been shot 
  several times, while the other broke his neck during the 
  crash landing.
  The ﬂ ight log and maps show the airplane left Anadyr, 
  a town in the extreme northeast of Russia, a distance of 
  1038 miles from Anchorage. A check of the fuel gauge 
  reveals the tanks are virtually dry (the ANT-9 has a maxi-
  mum range of 1118 miles).
  Among the few items in the fuselage are spare sets 
  of winter clothing, three parachutes, skis, and a well-
  thumbed Russian Orthodox Bible inscribed with the 
  name Viktor Rogachova. A check of the pilots’ identity 
  cards quickly indicates the Bible belonged to neither of 
  them.
  With nothing else of interest in the airplane, there is 
  little else for the heroes to do but return to Anchorage, 
  contact Washington, and wait for their ﬂ ight home to ar-
  rive.
  SCENE 3: ROUGHNECK RUMBLE
  SCENE 3: ROUGHNECK RUMBLE
  Alaska in 1937 is a US Territory, and has been since 
  1912. It doesn’t become a State within the Union until 
  1959. The entire Territory boasts a population of less 
  than 100,000 souls, and Anchorage barely tops 3,000. A 
  sizeable portion of Alaska’s population belongs to the 
  Russian Orthodox Church, a leftover from when the Ter-
  ritory was owned by the Russians (1741–1867).
  The town’s economy centers on the railroad, and is 
  beginning to boom. The only airﬁ eld is Merrill Field, 
  which was constructed in 1932 and lies on the east end 
  of 5th Avenue.
  Still a rough and ready sort of place with a strong 
  frontier feel, Anchorage has several bars to cater to the 
  growing number of railroad workers and teamsters. It 
  is in one of these, a dive known only as Davey’s, that 
  the group has its lodgings. Its cozy enough, but the 
  food is lousy, and the patrons are about as rough as 
  they come.
  After contacting Washington, the characters are “en-
  joying” a meal and a drink in the bar. Several of the locals 
  have been giving any female adventurers the eye since 
  they arrived and, emboldened by drink, are ready to 
  make their move and work their “irresistible charms.”
  In the event there are no female heroes, the locals 
  take a dislike to the characters and decide to start a brawl 
  to teach the “city boys” a lesson.
  A small group of rowdy workers staggers over to 
  your table. One, a burly chap with a beard down 
  to his waist, suddenly grabs <insert female ad-
  venturer’s name> and hauls her to her feet. Hold-
  ing her close to his barrel chest, he slurs, “Time 
  you and me found a new way to keep warm, 
  darling.”
  Any attempt to intervene, whether through threats, 
  polite conversation, or offers of drink results in a ﬁ st be-
  ing thrown. It’s time for a barroom brawl!
  The bar is 12” to a side. Mark at least 20 squares con-
  taining tables. Movement through these or through ad-
  jacent squares (which contain chairs) is difﬁ cult ground.
  Note that the entire bar erupts into a huge skirmish 
  once a punch is thrown. The thugs attacking the charac-
  ters are just one small part of a much larger battle. Divide 
  the thugs into pairs for action card purposes.
  Any character dealt a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a 
  round risks being struck by a wild punch or thrown ob-
  ject from elsewhere in the bar. At the start of the round, 
  before actions are taken, roll a d6 Fighting against the 
  victim’s Parry. Success means he takes d6+d4 damage 
  from an Extra.
  Half the locals have guns, but they only draw them if 
  the heroes use ﬁ rearms ﬁ rst (or when the Nazis arrive). 
  Otherwise, they are quite content to batter each other 
  unconscious. 
  At the start of round four, the door crashes open. 
  Staggering in from the howling wind and snow is a large, 
  bearded man in a fur coat. He staggers across the ﬂ oor 
  and collapses in the arms of the nearest character. Be-
  fore he passes out, he mumbles (in Russian preferably, 
  although he can use poor English if needs be), “I…Roga-
  chova…don’t let them…
  At the start of round ﬁ ve, some more gatecrashers 
  join the party. A small explosion rips away a chunk of the 
  wall, sending splinters of wood ﬂ ying. Charging through 
  the gap is a number of SS-Raketentruppen. They were on 
  patrol over Anchorage when they spotted their quarry. 
  Without waiting for orders, they swooped in to attack.
  Divide them into groups equal to the number of char-
  acters for the purposes of action cards. The low ceiling 
  prevents them from using their rocket packs. However, 
  a character can activate one as an Agility Trick. The likely 
  outcome is a goon smashing into the ceiling.
  Faced with obvious outsiders brandishing SMGs, the 
  local heavies decide to put their ﬁ ght on hold and turn 
  on the newcomers! Hand out Ally Sheets for the heavies 
  among the players. Regardless of how many the party has 
  put down, enough are still standing in the bar to bring 
  the number of allies up to one per character.
  Again, the Nazis ﬂ ee once half their number is out of 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  5
  range of the characters’ weapons (he’s also hidden by 
  clouds).
  Once half the Nazis are dead (there can be no survi-
  vors) or Ritter ﬂ ees, the remainder immediately ﬂ y up 
  back into the clouds. At the end of the turn in which 
  they ﬂ ee they are out of sight, concealed by the low 
  clouds, and back to their zeppelin, which is ﬂ ying high 
  overhead.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (2 + 1 per hero): See page 19. 
  One has a Raketengewehr.
  THE PLANE! THE PLANE!
  THE PLANE! THE PLANE!
  On approaching the plane, it is startlingly obvious it 
  didn’t fall out of the sky without a little assistance. The 
  fuselage is peppered with bullet holes. There are two 
  pilots in the cockpit. Both are dead—one has been shot 
  several times, while the other broke his neck during the 
  crash landing.
  The ﬂ ight log and maps show the airplane left Anadyr, 
  a town in the extreme northeast of Russia, a distance of 
  1038 miles from Anchorage. A check of the fuel gauge 
  reveals the tanks are virtually dry (the ANT-9 has a maxi-
  mum range of 1118 miles).
  Among the few items in the fuselage are spare sets 
  of winter clothing, three parachutes, skis, and a well-
  thumbed Russian Orthodox Bible inscribed with the 
  name Viktor Rogachova. A check of the pilots’ identity 
  cards quickly indicates the Bible belonged to neither of 
  them.
  With nothing else of interest in the airplane, there is 
  little else for the heroes to do but return to Anchorage, 
  contact Washington, and wait for their ﬂ ight home to ar-
  rive.
  SCENE 3: ROUGHNECK RUMBLE
  SCENE 3: ROUGHNECK RUMBLE
  Alaska in 1937 is a US Territory, and has been since 
  1912. It doesn’t become a State within the Union until 
  1959. The entire Territory boasts a population of less 
  than 100,000 souls, and Anchorage barely tops 3,000. A 
  sizeable portion of Alaska’s population belongs to the 
  Russian Orthodox Church, a leftover from when the Ter-
  ritory was owned by the Russians (1741–1867).
  The town’s economy centers on the railroad, and is 
  beginning to boom. The only airﬁ eld is Merrill Field, 
  which was constructed in 1932 and lies on the east end 
  of 5th Avenue.
  Still a rough and ready sort of place with a strong 
  frontier feel, Anchorage has several bars to cater to the 
  growing number of railroad workers and teamsters. It 
  is in one of these, a dive known only as Davey’s, that 
  the group has its lodgings. Its cozy enough, but the 
  food is lousy, and the patrons are about as rough as 
  they come.
  After contacting Washington, the characters are “en-
  joying” a meal and a drink in the bar. Several of the locals 
  have been giving any female adventurers the eye since 
  they arrived and, emboldened by drink, are ready to 
  make their move and work their “irresistible charms.”
  In the event there are no female heroes, the locals 
  take a dislike to the characters and decide to start a brawl 
  to teach the “city boys” a lesson.
  A small group of rowdy workers staggers over to 
  your table. One, a burly chap with a beard down 
  to his waist, suddenly grabs <insert female ad-
  venturer’s name> and hauls her to her feet. Hold-
  ing her close to his barrel chest, he slurs, “Time 
  you and me found a new way to keep warm, 
  darling.”
  Any attempt to intervene, whether through threats, 
  polite conversation, or offers of drink results in a ﬁ st be-
  ing thrown. It’s time for a barroom brawl!
  The bar is 12” to a side. Mark at least 20 squares con-
  taining tables. Movement through these or through ad-
  jacent squares (which contain chairs) is difﬁ cult ground.
  Note that the entire bar erupts into a huge skirmish 
  once a punch is thrown. The thugs attacking the charac-
  ters are just one small part of a much larger battle. Divide 
  the thugs into pairs for action card purposes.
  Any character dealt a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a 
  round risks being struck by a wild punch or thrown ob-
  ject from elsewhere in the bar. At the start of the round, 
  before actions are taken, roll a d6 Fighting against the 
  victim’s Parry. Success means he takes d6+d4 damage 
  from an Extra.
  Half the locals have guns, but they only draw them if 
  the heroes use ﬁ rearms ﬁ rst (or when the Nazis arrive). 
  Otherwise, they are quite content to batter each other 
  unconscious. 
  At the start of round four, the door crashes open. 
  Staggering in from the howling wind and snow is a large, 
  bearded man in a fur coat. He staggers across the ﬂ oor 
  and collapses in the arms of the nearest character. Be-
  fore he passes out, he mumbles (in Russian preferably, 
  although he can use poor English if needs be), “I…Roga-
  chova…don’t let them…
  At the start of round ﬁ ve, some more gatecrashers 
  join the party. A small explosion rips away a chunk of the 
  wall, sending splinters of wood ﬂ ying. Charging through 
  the gap is a number of SS-Raketentruppen. They were on 
  patrol over Anchorage when they spotted their quarry. 
  Without waiting for orders, they swooped in to attack.
  Divide them into groups equal to the number of char-
  acters for the purposes of action cards. The low ceiling 
  prevents them from using their rocket packs. However, 
  a character can activate one as an Agility Trick. The likely 
  outcome is a goon smashing into the ceiling.
  Faced with obvious outsiders brandishing SMGs, the 
  local heavies decide to put their ﬁ ght on hold and turn 
  on the newcomers! Hand out Ally Sheets for the heavies 
  among the players. Regardless of how many the party has 
  put down, enough are still standing in the bar to bring 
  the number of allies up to one per character.
  Again, the Nazis ﬂ ee once half their number is out of 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  6
  the ﬁ ght. In this instance, they must reach the outside 
  before activating their rocket packs and blasting off into 
  the night sky. Heroes who follow them spot lights far 
  overhead—the Nazi zeppelin.
  The bar is a veritable arsenal. Most of the furnishings 
  can also be used in Agility Tricks.
  Bottles: Range 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4. Bottles auto-
  matically smash after a single use.
  Chairs: Str+d6 damage, require 2 hands. A Fighting 
  roll of 1, regardless of Wild Die, indicates the chair breaks. 
  If the Wild Die indicates a success, the chair breaks after 
  damage is rolled.
  Elk Antlers: Several stuffed elk heads adorn the walls. 
  As an action a character can snap off one set of antlers. 
  These inﬂ ict Str+d4 damage if used as a weapon and 
  grant +1 Parry.
   Heavies (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19. Two 
  Nazis carry Raketengewehr, but are loathe to use them 
  if Rogachova falls in the template—they want him alive, 
  not blown to pieces.
  AFTER THE FIGHT
  AFTER THE FIGHT
  All being well, the ﬁ ght ends with the Nazis dead, 
  ﬂ ed, or unconscious. The locals, pleased with the re-
  sults of the ﬁ ght, decide to let bygones be bygones. The 
  characters are swiftly brought drinks, congratulated for 
  “being alright,” and allowed to continue their evening 
  in peace.
  Most of the town drunks head home, leaving the bar-
  keeper to clean up (he’s used to it) and the characters to 
  deal with the wounded man.
  SCENE 4: THE PRIEST’S TALE
  SCENE 4: THE PRIEST’S TALE
  The man who entered just before the Nazis is suffer-
  ing from hypothermia and has some frostbite, but noth-
  ing severe. A Healing roll or the patience to wait a few 
  hours brings him back to consciousness.
  Any hero who checks his skin sees plenty of old 
  scars. A Common Knowledge roll identiﬁ es two as bullet 
  wounds. Riﬂ ing through his pockets turns up an identity 
  card in the name of Vladimir Ivanovich (an alias), half a 
  pack of Russian cigarettes, a poor quality photo of a man 
  and woman, and a plain wooden cross.
  Once Rogachova is awake the heroes can question 
  him. Likely questions and Rogachova’s answers are 
  given below. If a hero speaks Russian, read the answers 
  below as written. Otherwise, the GM will have to break 
  them up a little to represent the monk’s poor grasp of 
  English.
  When Tunguska is mentioned, have the characters 
  make Common Knowledge rolls at –4. The event isn’t 
  yet well-known outside the Soviet Union. Rogachova 
  responds to any blank stares by ﬁ lling in the few details 
  currently known (see the ﬁ rst four paragraphs of the 
  introductory text).
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “First tell me where I am. Have I reached Ameri-
  ca?”
  Once he is convinced this isn’t some elaborate Ger-
  man plot, he replies, “My name is Rogachova, Viktor Ro-
  gachova. I am a priest of the Russian Orthodox faith.”
  Q: Your identity card says otherwise. Why the decep-
  tion?
  A: “Religion is not welcome in the Soviet Union these 
  days. We supported the Tsar during the Revolution. Per-
  secution, imprisonment, and death are our lot now. The 
  identity card is a fake.”
  Q: Were you in the plane? How did you get here?
  A: “I managed to persuade a pilot with Tsarist sym-
  pathies to ﬂ y me out of the Soviet Union to America. 
  We were attacked. Rather than risk being captured, I 
  jumped out without a parachute. God was with me, 
  because I landed in a snowdrift.”
  Q: Why are the Nazis chasing you?
  A: “It has something to do with the Tunguska 
  stone. I was captured a few weeks ago by Nazis. They 
  beat me while asking questions about the stone. I 
  managed to escape. Since then I have tried to reach 
  America.”
  Q: What is the Tunguska stone?
  A: “A holy relic. It was found in the Tunguska region 
  shortly after the explosion in 1908. The stone is very 
  special. It glows in the dark and radiates heat. This I 
  can say for fact.  Some say it is a holy item, sent by 
  God. I am not so sure. Whatever its origins, the Nazis 
  want it.”
  Q: Why did they kidnap you in particular?
  A: “The stone was placed in the church in Irkutsk for 
  safekeeping in 1918. In 1920 it was moved so it would 
  not fall into the hands of the Communists. Then it van-
  ished. I was fortunate enough to see it in 1927, when a 
  priest visited the village where I was hiding. Somehow 
  the Nazis discovered this and supposed I knew where it 
  was being hidden.
  “If I did, I would have brought it with me to America 
  for safekeeping. Please, you must help me. The stone 
  cannot fall into the hands of either the Soviets or the 
  Nazis. Come with me back to Russia and help me save 
  our heritage. I have little to offer in return, but surely 
  you can see that my cause is just.”
  Q: How did you get your bullet wounds?
  A: “I fought against the Germans in 1916. Eighteen 
  years old and sent to war. It seems a lifetime ago now. 
  Then, when the Church decided to back the Tsar, we 
  priests became embroiled in the Revolutionary War. I 
  did my part for liberty as both a priest and a soldier. 
  My wounds were the physical price I paid for defend-
  ing my beliefs and rights. I think you Americans can 
  understand that, yes?”
  Q: Who are the people in the photograph?
  A: “My parents. Both are dead now. They did not 
  live to see the Communists overthrow the Tsar, thank 
  God. Do you have the photograph? May I have it back, 
  please?”
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  6
  the ﬁ ght. In this instance, they must reach the outside 
  before activating their rocket packs and blasting off into 
  the night sky. Heroes who follow them spot lights far 
  overhead—the Nazi zeppelin.
  The bar is a veritable arsenal. Most of the furnishings 
  can also be used in Agility Tricks.
  Bottles: Range 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4. Bottles auto-
  matically smash after a single use.
  Chairs: Str+d6 damage, require 2 hands. A Fighting 
  roll of 1, regardless of Wild Die, indicates the chair breaks. 
  If the Wild Die indicates a success, the chair breaks after 
  damage is rolled.
  Elk Antlers: Several stuffed elk heads adorn the walls. 
  As an action a character can snap off one set of antlers. 
  These inﬂ ict Str+d4 damage if used as a weapon and 
  grant +1 Parry.
   Heavies (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19. Two 
  Nazis carry Raketengewehr, but are loathe to use them 
  if Rogachova falls in the template—they want him alive, 
  not blown to pieces.
  AFTER THE FIGHT
  AFTER THE FIGHT
  All being well, the ﬁ ght ends with the Nazis dead, 
  ﬂ ed, or unconscious. The locals, pleased with the re-
  sults of the ﬁ ght, decide to let bygones be bygones. The 
  characters are swiftly brought drinks, congratulated for 
  “being alright,” and allowed to continue their evening 
  in peace.
  Most of the town drunks head home, leaving the bar-
  keeper to clean up (he’s used to it) and the characters to 
  deal with the wounded man.
  SCENE 4: THE PRIEST’S TALE
  SCENE 4: THE PRIEST’S TALE
  The man who entered just before the Nazis is suffer-
  ing from hypothermia and has some frostbite, but noth-
  ing severe. A Healing roll or the patience to wait a few 
  hours brings him back to consciousness.
  Any hero who checks his skin sees plenty of old 
  scars. A Common Knowledge roll identiﬁ es two as bullet 
  wounds. Riﬂ ing through his pockets turns up an identity 
  card in the name of Vladimir Ivanovich (an alias), half a 
  pack of Russian cigarettes, a poor quality photo of a man 
  and woman, and a plain wooden cross.
  Once Rogachova is awake the heroes can question 
  him. Likely questions and Rogachova’s answers are 
  given below. If a hero speaks Russian, read the answers 
  below as written. Otherwise, the GM will have to break 
  them up a little to represent the monk’s poor grasp of 
  English.
  When Tunguska is mentioned, have the characters 
  make Common Knowledge rolls at –4. The event isn’t 
  yet well-known outside the Soviet Union. Rogachova 
  responds to any blank stares by ﬁ lling in the few details 
  currently known (see the ﬁ rst four paragraphs of the 
  introductory text).
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “First tell me where I am. Have I reached Ameri-
  ca?”
  Once he is convinced this isn’t some elaborate Ger-
  man plot, he replies, “My name is Rogachova, Viktor Ro-
  gachova. I am a priest of the Russian Orthodox faith.”
  Q: Your identity card says otherwise. Why the decep-
  tion?
  A: “Religion is not welcome in the Soviet Union these 
  days. We supported the Tsar during the Revolution. Per-
  secution, imprisonment, and death are our lot now. The 
  identity card is a fake.”
  Q: Were you in the plane? How did you get here?
  A: “I managed to persuade a pilot with Tsarist sym-
  pathies to ﬂ y me out of the Soviet Union to America. 
  We were attacked. Rather than risk being captured, I 
  jumped out without a parachute. God was with me, 
  because I landed in a snowdrift.”
  Q: Why are the Nazis chasing you?
  A: “It has something to do with the Tunguska 
  stone. I was captured a few weeks ago by Nazis. They 
  beat me while asking questions about the stone. I 
  managed to escape. Since then I have tried to reach 
  America.”
  Q: What is the Tunguska stone?
  A: “A holy relic. It was found in the Tunguska region 
  shortly after the explosion in 1908. The stone is very 
  special. It glows in the dark and radiates heat. This I 
  can say for fact.  Some say it is a holy item, sent by 
  God. I am not so sure. Whatever its origins, the Nazis 
  want it.”
  Q: Why did they kidnap you in particular?
  A: “The stone was placed in the church in Irkutsk for 
  safekeeping in 1918. In 1920 it was moved so it would 
  not fall into the hands of the Communists. Then it van-
  ished. I was fortunate enough to see it in 1927, when a 
  priest visited the village where I was hiding. Somehow 
  the Nazis discovered this and supposed I knew where it 
  was being hidden.
  “If I did, I would have brought it with me to America 
  for safekeeping. Please, you must help me. The stone 
  cannot fall into the hands of either the Soviets or the 
  Nazis. Come with me back to Russia and help me save 
  our heritage. I have little to offer in return, but surely 
  you can see that my cause is just.”
  Q: How did you get your bullet wounds?
  A: “I fought against the Germans in 1916. Eighteen 
  years old and sent to war. It seems a lifetime ago now. 
  Then, when the Church decided to back the Tsar, we 
  priests became embroiled in the Revolutionary War. I 
  did my part for liberty as both a priest and a soldier. 
  My wounds were the physical price I paid for defend-
  ing my beliefs and rights. I think you Americans can 
  understand that, yes?”
  Q: Who are the people in the photograph?
  A: “My parents. Both are dead now. They did not 
  live to see the Communists overthrow the Tsar, thank 
  God. Do you have the photograph? May I have it back, 
  please?”
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  7
  ACT 2: IRKUTSK, RUSSIA
  ACT 2: IRKUTSK, RUSSIA
  Assuming the adventurers accept the challenge of 
  entering Soviet Russia to ﬁ ght Nazis, Rogachova sug-
  gests they begin their investigation in Irkutsk, the last 
  known location of the Tunguska stone. The priest says 
  the Epiphany Minster, where the stone was housed, is 
  now abandoned, but there may be clues to the stone’s 
  current whereabouts somewhere inside.
  Irkutsk lies approximately 3,500 miles from Anchor-
  age as the crow ﬂ ies. Soviet Russia isn’t exactly welcom-
  ing of foreigners right now, but fortunately this is a pulp 
  game and such details can be hand waived (especially 
  true if a hero speaks Russian). The journey should be 
  treated like any other—a red line appears on a map, and 
  the characters arrive at their destination. Whether they 
  ﬂ y or go by boat to Vladivostok and then catch a train is 
  up to the GM.
  During the journey, Rogachova brings the adventur-
  ers up to speed on the city. Irkutsk is a former trading 
  city, founded in 1652. It prospered and grew, though it 
  has had a checkered history. During the early years of the 
  19th century it was a place of exile for artists, nobles, and 
  military ofﬁ cers who took part in a revolt against Tsar 
  Nicholas I. Due to this inﬂ ux, the city became a thriv-
  ing center of intellectualism and culture. A ﬁ re in 1879 
  destroyed many civic and public buildings, but the city 
  was quickly rebuilt.
  Fierce clashes between Red and White Russians in 
  1920 wrought more destruction. A large Communist 
  military presence still remains, partly to ensure no White 
  Russians remain in the region, partly to keep trade ﬂ ow-
  ing, and partly to guard the trains which are bringing in 
  the men and materiel necessary required to turn Irkutsk 
  into an industrial center. One such industry is the Irkutsk 
  Aviation Industrial Association (known simply as Irkut), 
  which was founded in 1932.
  SCENE 1: DING, DING
  SCENE 1: DING, DING
  The Epiphany Minster is boarded up, but not guard-
  ed. A sign on the door says the church was closed by 
  the order of Stalin to thwart “rebellious Tsarist elements 
  within the Church.” Cracking open the main door, which 
  is on a busy thoroughfare, isn’t a wise move. There are 
  plenty of windows around the back, which is sheltered 
  by trees from a public park.
  Inside all is silent and dark. A decade of dust lies on 
  every surface. All of the icons and religious tracts have 
  been taken away (and destroyed), and many of the pews 
  have been smashed into kindling.
  Have the characters make a Notice roll as they search 
  the church for clues. Should they fail, Rogachova uncov-
  ers the clue they seek. The altar stone, long-stripped of 
  its ﬁ nery, contains a small hollow space behind a loose 
  stone. Inside is a scrap of parchment containing a series 
  of letters and numbers.
  Have the characters make Common Knowledge (–2) 
  or Investigation rolls. With success, they recognize the 
  code as a library archive. Rogachova informs the party 
  Irkutsk has a large archive building.
  As the band leaves the church and heads onto the 
  street, they see two bright ﬂ ashes. A man standing next 
  to a trolley car has just taken two photographs of them. 
  The photographer quickly leaps onto the trolley, which 
  then starts up.
  The heroes don’t have to give chase to the man—it’s 
  their call. If they do, run this scene using the Chase rules 
  and our alternate Obstacles rules. The trolley isn’t affect-
  ed by Obstacles—things get out of its way as it trundles 
  along on its tracks.
  The Range Increment is 5” and the trolley begins 
  three Range Increments ahead. Because the trolley car 
  has a higher base Range Increment, the characters suffer 
  a –1 penalty to their Agility rolls.
  The trolley car driver doesn’t make Driving rolls—he 
  isn’t technically involved in the scene—but he does get 
  an action card. On the trolley’s turn, it automatically 
  moves one Range Increment for two successive rounds 
  and then Holds Steady on the third round (representing 
  it stopping to let passengers on and off). It repeats this 
  procedure for the duration of the scene.
  At the start of the 4th round, the lead player char-
  acter has the option of borrowing a car. A motorist has 
  stopped to post a letter, but has left the engine running. 
  Commandeering the car counts as an action. Other he-
  roes can jump into the vehicle, but only when they reach 
  the same Range Increment as the driver.
  Should the car be used, the controlling skill becomes 
  Driving and the –1 penalty for base Range Increment dif-
  ferences is ignored. The standard Obstacles rules apply if 
  the driver is dealt a Club. Passengers don’t have to check 
  for Obstacles.
  The photographer isn’t armed, nor is he a combatant. 
  If a character leaps onto the tram (which requires the 
  Parallel maneuver, as normal), the photographer quickly 
  surrenders. No other passengers interfere—they assume 
  the heroes are NKVD agents after a traitor.
  He claims he is just a tourist, but quickly caves if any 
  pressure is applied (or a character makes an Intimida-
  tion roll). Sobbing lightly, he reveals he was paid to keep 
  an eye on the church and take photographs of anyone 
  who passed. His orders were to develop the pictures and 
  send them to an address in Moscow. In return, he gets 
  money sent to him.
  The photographer isn’t particularly bright, and hasn’t 
  checked the Moscow address. An Investigation roll made 
  in the archive in the next scene reveals the location is the 
  German Embassy.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) A Parade: A street parade of Soviet work-
  ers looms into view as the car turns a corner! Success 
  means the hero notices a side street just in time and 
  emerges back in the chase. Any failure causes the hero 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  7
  ACT 2: IRKUTSK, RUSSIA
  ACT 2: IRKUTSK, RUSSIA
  Assuming the adventurers accept the challenge of 
  entering Soviet Russia to ﬁ ght Nazis, Rogachova sug-
  gests they begin their investigation in Irkutsk, the last 
  known location of the Tunguska stone. The priest says 
  the Epiphany Minster, where the stone was housed, is 
  now abandoned, but there may be clues to the stone’s 
  current whereabouts somewhere inside.
  Irkutsk lies approximately 3,500 miles from Anchor-
  age as the crow ﬂ ies. Soviet Russia isn’t exactly welcom-
  ing of foreigners right now, but fortunately this is a pulp 
  game and such details can be hand waived (especially 
  true if a hero speaks Russian). The journey should be 
  treated like any other—a red line appears on a map, and 
  the characters arrive at their destination. Whether they 
  ﬂ y or go by boat to Vladivostok and then catch a train is 
  up to the GM.
  During the journey, Rogachova brings the adventur-
  ers up to speed on the city. Irkutsk is a former trading 
  city, founded in 1652. It prospered and grew, though it 
  has had a checkered history. During the early years of the 
  19th century it was a place of exile for artists, nobles, and 
  military ofﬁ cers who took part in a revolt against Tsar 
  Nicholas I. Due to this inﬂ ux, the city became a thriv-
  ing center of intellectualism and culture. A ﬁ re in 1879 
  destroyed many civic and public buildings, but the city 
  was quickly rebuilt.
  Fierce clashes between Red and White Russians in 
  1920 wrought more destruction. A large Communist 
  military presence still remains, partly to ensure no White 
  Russians remain in the region, partly to keep trade ﬂ ow-
  ing, and partly to guard the trains which are bringing in 
  the men and materiel necessary required to turn Irkutsk 
  into an industrial center. One such industry is the Irkutsk 
  Aviation Industrial Association (known simply as Irkut), 
  which was founded in 1932.
  SCENE 1: DING, DING
  SCENE 1: DING, DING
  The Epiphany Minster is boarded up, but not guard-
  ed. A sign on the door says the church was closed by 
  the order of Stalin to thwart “rebellious Tsarist elements 
  within the Church.” Cracking open the main door, which 
  is on a busy thoroughfare, isn’t a wise move. There are 
  plenty of windows around the back, which is sheltered 
  by trees from a public park.
  Inside all is silent and dark. A decade of dust lies on 
  every surface. All of the icons and religious tracts have 
  been taken away (and destroyed), and many of the pews 
  have been smashed into kindling.
  Have the characters make a Notice roll as they search 
  the church for clues. Should they fail, Rogachova uncov-
  ers the clue they seek. The altar stone, long-stripped of 
  its ﬁ nery, contains a small hollow space behind a loose 
  stone. Inside is a scrap of parchment containing a series 
  of letters and numbers.
  Have the characters make Common Knowledge (–2) 
  or Investigation rolls. With success, they recognize the 
  code as a library archive. Rogachova informs the party 
  Irkutsk has a large archive building.
  As the band leaves the church and heads onto the 
  street, they see two bright ﬂ ashes. A man standing next 
  to a trolley car has just taken two photographs of them. 
  The photographer quickly leaps onto the trolley, which 
  then starts up.
  The heroes don’t have to give chase to the man—it’s 
  their call. If they do, run this scene using the Chase rules 
  and our alternate Obstacles rules. The trolley isn’t affect-
  ed by Obstacles—things get out of its way as it trundles 
  along on its tracks.
  The Range Increment is 5” and the trolley begins 
  three Range Increments ahead. Because the trolley car 
  has a higher base Range Increment, the characters suffer 
  a –1 penalty to their Agility rolls.
  The trolley car driver doesn’t make Driving rolls—he 
  isn’t technically involved in the scene—but he does get 
  an action card. On the trolley’s turn, it automatically 
  moves one Range Increment for two successive rounds 
  and then Holds Steady on the third round (representing 
  it stopping to let passengers on and off). It repeats this 
  procedure for the duration of the scene.
  At the start of the 4th round, the lead player char-
  acter has the option of borrowing a car. A motorist has 
  stopped to post a letter, but has left the engine running. 
  Commandeering the car counts as an action. Other he-
  roes can jump into the vehicle, but only when they reach 
  the same Range Increment as the driver.
  Should the car be used, the controlling skill becomes 
  Driving and the –1 penalty for base Range Increment dif-
  ferences is ignored. The standard Obstacles rules apply if 
  the driver is dealt a Club. Passengers don’t have to check 
  for Obstacles.
  The photographer isn’t armed, nor is he a combatant. 
  If a character leaps onto the tram (which requires the 
  Parallel maneuver, as normal), the photographer quickly 
  surrenders. No other passengers interfere—they assume 
  the heroes are NKVD agents after a traitor.
  He claims he is just a tourist, but quickly caves if any 
  pressure is applied (or a character makes an Intimida-
  tion roll). Sobbing lightly, he reveals he was paid to keep 
  an eye on the church and take photographs of anyone 
  who passed. His orders were to develop the pictures and 
  send them to an address in Moscow. In return, he gets 
  money sent to him.
  The photographer isn’t particularly bright, and hasn’t 
  checked the Moscow address. An Investigation roll made 
  in the archive in the next scene reveals the location is the 
  German Embassy.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) A Parade: A street parade of Soviet work-
  ers looms into view as the car turns a corner! Success 
  means the hero notices a side street just in time and 
  emerges back in the chase. Any failure causes the hero 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  8
  to inch forward through the workers, costing him two 
  Range Increments.
  Three (–2/—) Long Trolley: A long trolley bus moves 
  in front of the character. Ask the hero whether he wishes 
  to try and jump onto the trolley, move through the pas-
  sengers, and leap out the other side, or move around it.
  Moving through the trolley gives a –2 penalty to 
  Agility rolls. With success, the character moves an ex-
  tra Range Increment this round (this stacks with Push, 
  but so does the penalty), as the trolley carries him in 
  the same direction as his quarry before turning down 
  another street. Any failure means the character couldn’t 
  get off the trolley before it turned. He drops back one 
  Range Increment.
  Running around the trolley doesn’t require a roll—the 
  hero simply doesn’t gain any distance due to the delay.
  Four (–2) Mistaken Identity: The character thinks 
  he sees the man leap off the trolley and gives chase be-
  fore realizing he has the wrong man. Any failure means 
  the hero drops back one Range Increment.
  Five (–2) Soldiers: The character spots a group of 
  armed soldiers on a street corner. His run is reduced to a 
  hurried walk to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Any 
  failure results in a loss of one Range Increment, due to 
  the reduced pace.
  Six (–2) Slippery: A storeowner has been washing 
  his ﬂ oor, and the sidewalk is covered in soapy water. A 
  failed Agility roll indicates the hero slips and falls. His 
  Agility roll next round is made at –2 due to the time lost 
  having to regain his footing.
  Seven (–2) Sudden Surge: A surge of passengers 
  leave another trolley, sweeping a hero up in their exo-
  dus. If he fails his Agility roll, the character is forced back 
  one Range Increment by the crowd.
  Eight (–2) Damn Drivers: As the adventurer tries to 
  cross an intersection, a car pulls to a halt right in front of 
  him. Failure indicates the character slowed too late and 
  slams into the car for 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Nine (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides to 
  take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. 
  With success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 
  damage (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility 
  roll.
  Ten (–1) Left or Right: A rotund gentleman blocks 
  the hero’s path. As the character goes left, so does the 
  man. The same thing occurs when the adventurer ducks 
  to the right. This could take a while! Any failure means 
  the hero drops back one Range Increment, due to the 
  added delay.
  Jack (–1) Distracting: Running down the road 
  brings a series of beeps and rude calls, distracting the 
  hero. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for failure beyond not 
  gaining any distance (perhaps the adventurer spent time 
  shouting abuses back).
  Queen (–1) Old Friend: The hero is mistaken for a 
  passing Russian’s long lost friend. The Soviet grabs the 
  character and begins hugging him, jabbering on about 
  the “old days.” Any failure causes the character to drop 
  back a Range Increment, due to the delay.
  King (0) Road Works: Workers have left their wooden 
  barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving into 
  a utility trench they’re digging. Success avoids the road 
  works, while a failure leads to the hero upending into 
  the trench and being Shaken.
  Ace (–2/0) Catching a Ride: The character has the 
  opportunity to leap onto a car’s running board as it 
  zooms by. Ask the character if he wants to try to catch a 
  ride or keep moving on foot.
  Catching a lift requires an Agility roll at –2. With 
  success, the hero moves an additional two Range Incre-
  ments. This doesn’t stack with Push. Failure means the 
  hero falls from the running board. He takes 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll 
  next round as he gets to his feet.
  Characters who elect to keep moving on foot simply 
  roll their Agility die as normal.
  SCENE 2: ARCHIVE ANARCHY
  SCENE 2: ARCHIVE ANARCHY
  Whether the explorers captured the photographer, 
  lost him, or ignored him, their next port of call is the city 
  archive building. Although the building looks neat from 
  outside, within it is a multi-galleried sprawl of narrow 
  corridors, small rooms, and towering bookcases.
  Unfortunately for the heroes, the Soviets destroyed 
  many books after the Revolution and rearranged the re-
  maining documents. The index number they have takes 
  them to an empty section. The characters can hunt the 
  correct section themselves (an Investigation roll at –2) 
  or ask one of the staff. The dour-faced archivist they ask 
  points them to the relevant section, and then promptly 
  calls the NKVD (having heard foreign voices or detecting 
  something wrong about the adventurers’ mannerisms 
  that made her suspicious).
  Once the right section has been found, the characters 
  quickly locate the relevant bundle of documents. It’s a 
  collection of old maps covering northern Siberia. On one 
  map a small red X has been drawn. Rogachova doesn’t 
  know Siberia at all, but he suspects it is likely a small 
  village or summer hunting camp.
  Read the following aloud when the characters go to 
  leave. If the receptionist didn’t contact the NKVD, then 
  an informer in the archives who overheard the heroes 
  speaking non-Russian did.
  As they near to crack open the door, a burst of 
  machinegun ﬁ re rakes across the ground in front 
  of their feet. Peeking through the hap, you see, 
  parked outside, three light armored cars with a 
  squad of soldiers, with riﬂ es at the ﬁ ring position, 
  kneeling in front of them.
  “Enemies of the State,” calls a voice over a loud-
  speaker, “surrender now. You will be treated with 
  civility and kindness. This is your ﬁ nal warn-
  ing.”
  Rogachova’s face goes white. “If they catch us,” he 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  8
  to inch forward through the workers, costing him two 
  Range Increments.
  Three (–2/—) Long Trolley: A long trolley bus moves 
  in front of the character. Ask the hero whether he wishes 
  to try and jump onto the trolley, move through the pas-
  sengers, and leap out the other side, or move around it.
  Moving through the trolley gives a –2 penalty to 
  Agility rolls. With success, the character moves an ex-
  tra Range Increment this round (this stacks with Push, 
  but so does the penalty), as the trolley carries him in 
  the same direction as his quarry before turning down 
  another street. Any failure means the character couldn’t 
  get off the trolley before it turned. He drops back one 
  Range Increment.
  Running around the trolley doesn’t require a roll—the 
  hero simply doesn’t gain any distance due to the delay.
  Four (–2) Mistaken Identity: The character thinks 
  he sees the man leap off the trolley and gives chase be-
  fore realizing he has the wrong man. Any failure means 
  the hero drops back one Range Increment.
  Five (–2) Soldiers: The character spots a group of 
  armed soldiers on a street corner. His run is reduced to a 
  hurried walk to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Any 
  failure results in a loss of one Range Increment, due to 
  the reduced pace.
  Six (–2) Slippery: A storeowner has been washing 
  his ﬂ oor, and the sidewalk is covered in soapy water. A 
  failed Agility roll indicates the hero slips and falls. His 
  Agility roll next round is made at –2 due to the time lost 
  having to regain his footing.
  Seven (–2) Sudden Surge: A surge of passengers 
  leave another trolley, sweeping a hero up in their exo-
  dus. If he fails his Agility roll, the character is forced back 
  one Range Increment by the crowd.
  Eight (–2) Damn Drivers: As the adventurer tries to 
  cross an intersection, a car pulls to a halt right in front of 
  him. Failure indicates the character slowed too late and 
  slams into the car for 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  Nine (–1) Stray Dog: A vicious stray dog decides to 
  take a bite at the adventurer. Make a Fighting d8 roll. 
  With success, the hero has been bitten, suffering d6+d4 
  damage (from an Extra), before he makes his Agility 
  roll.
  Ten (–1) Left or Right: A rotund gentleman blocks 
  the hero’s path. As the character goes left, so does the 
  man. The same thing occurs when the adventurer ducks 
  to the right. This could take a while! Any failure means 
  the hero drops back one Range Increment, due to the 
  added delay.
  Jack (–1) Distracting: Running down the road 
  brings a series of beeps and rude calls, distracting the 
  hero. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for failure beyond not 
  gaining any distance (perhaps the adventurer spent time 
  shouting abuses back).
  Queen (–1) Old Friend: The hero is mistaken for a 
  passing Russian’s long lost friend. The Soviet grabs the 
  character and begins hugging him, jabbering on about 
  the “old days.” Any failure causes the character to drop 
  back a Range Increment, due to the delay.
  King (0) Road Works: Workers have left their wooden 
  barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving into 
  a utility trench they’re digging. Success avoids the road 
  works, while a failure leads to the hero upending into 
  the trench and being Shaken.
  Ace (–2/0) Catching a Ride: The character has the 
  opportunity to leap onto a car’s running board as it 
  zooms by. Ask the character if he wants to try to catch a 
  ride or keep moving on foot.
  Catching a lift requires an Agility roll at –2. With 
  success, the hero moves an additional two Range Incre-
  ments. This doesn’t stack with Push. Failure means the 
  hero falls from the running board. He takes 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll 
  next round as he gets to his feet.
  Characters who elect to keep moving on foot simply 
  roll their Agility die as normal.
  SCENE 2: ARCHIVE ANARCHY
  SCENE 2: ARCHIVE ANARCHY
  Whether the explorers captured the photographer, 
  lost him, or ignored him, their next port of call is the city 
  archive building. Although the building looks neat from 
  outside, within it is a multi-galleried sprawl of narrow 
  corridors, small rooms, and towering bookcases.
  Unfortunately for the heroes, the Soviets destroyed 
  many books after the Revolution and rearranged the re-
  maining documents. The index number they have takes 
  them to an empty section. The characters can hunt the 
  correct section themselves (an Investigation roll at –2) 
  or ask one of the staff. The dour-faced archivist they ask 
  points them to the relevant section, and then promptly 
  calls the NKVD (having heard foreign voices or detecting 
  something wrong about the adventurers’ mannerisms 
  that made her suspicious).
  Once the right section has been found, the characters 
  quickly locate the relevant bundle of documents. It’s a 
  collection of old maps covering northern Siberia. On one 
  map a small red X has been drawn. Rogachova doesn’t 
  know Siberia at all, but he suspects it is likely a small 
  village or summer hunting camp.
  Read the following aloud when the characters go to 
  leave. If the receptionist didn’t contact the NKVD, then 
  an informer in the archives who overheard the heroes 
  speaking non-Russian did.
  As they near to crack open the door, a burst of 
  machinegun ﬁ re rakes across the ground in front 
  of their feet. Peeking through the hap, you see, 
  parked outside, three light armored cars with a 
  squad of soldiers, with riﬂ es at the ﬁ ring position, 
  kneeling in front of them.
  “Enemies of the State,” calls a voice over a loud-
  speaker, “surrender now. You will be treated with 
  civility and kindness. This is your ﬁ nal warn-
  ing.”
  Rogachova’s face goes white. “If they catch us,” he 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  9
  says, “they will torture us. They will learn of the 
  Tunguska stone, and we will spend the rest of our 
  lives mining salt for Stalin. Please, we must ﬁ nd 
  another way out of the building.”
  This really isn’t one of those scenes where the char-
  acters are supposed to surrender. The Soviets have no 
  intention of using kindness. As far as they are concerned, 
  the characters are White Russians or foreign spies. All 
  that awaits them is brutal interrogation and a trip to a 
  gulag.
  The archive measures 40” long and 18” wide. The GM 
  can design the interior as he wishes, but it should be a 
  maze of corridors, requiring numerous turns to reach 
  the back door. Some of the corridors are formed by 
  walls, but most should be bookcases.
  Firing through a bookcase grants heavy cover. In true 
  pulp style, any missed shot should either rip apart books 
  or blow chunks from the walls. Flying scenery looks 
  good on the big screen.
  There are effectively an unlimited number of soldiers. 
  The aim of the scene is to force the characters to run, 
  not kill them. Hence, the Soviets are poor shots. At the 
  start of the ﬁ ght, two soldiers per hero and one ofﬁ cer 
  enter the archive. Each round thereafter, another squad 
  equal to one per adventurer joins in the battle. The ﬁ rst 
  two groups also contain an ofﬁ cer. All enter through the 
  front door.
  When the heroes reach the back door, they ﬁ nd it is 
  locked. It has Toughness 10. Alternately, a Lockpicking 
  roll as an action cracks the lock. Proceed to the next 
  scene.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cers (3): See page 20.
   NKVD Soldiers (unlimited): See page 21.
  SCENE 3: TANKS ON THE STREETS
  SCENE 3: TANKS ON THE STREETS
  Parked out the back is a BA 3 armored car. Although 
  lightly armored, it packs a 45mm gun and two machine-
  guns. The crew is currently out of the vehicle and a little 
  way up the street, warming their hands over a trashcan 
  ﬁ lled with hot coals. They aren’t involved in the ﬁ ght, 
  and their being here is a lucky coincidence.
  As the characters emerge from the archives, two 
  light tanks trundle around the corner, accompanied 
  by a squad of infantry. These are part of the NKVD 
  detachment after the characters! If the characters want 
  to ﬂ ee on foot, Rogachova suggests they take the tank 
  instead. Likewise, heroes who want a standup ﬁ ght are 
  prompted to ﬂ ee. “There are more of them than us, 
  and they likely have bigger tanks available. Please, 
  trust me on this. Head north quickly, out of the city. 
  There is an airﬁ eld there. This tank won’t get us very 
  far, and all the trains will be alerted. We can ﬂ y to 
  Siberia!”
  Unfortunately, the armored car can only hold four 
  crewmembers—someone is going to have to ride on 
  top! Because it’s dull having a character do nothing in an 
  action scene, Rogachova suggests he act as loader for the 
  main gun. Anyone riding the armored car gains Medium 
  Cover by crouching behind the turret.
  Since one machinegun is ﬁ xed ﬁ ring forward, a char-
  acter can elect instead to lean out of the armored side 
  door and ﬁ re behind him with a hand weapon. He gains 
  Medium Cover when doing so.
  Any adventurers atop the vehicle or leaning out 
  the door must make an Agility roll if the armored car 
  goes Out of Control. A failure means the passenger has 
  fallen out or off the vehicle, as appropriate, and is how 
  hanging on for dear life as the ground rushes past. 
  A Strength roll is required, as an action, to get back 
  onboard. Until this is done, the hero has no Cover 
  protection.
  This scene works as a Chase. The Soviet forces are 
  three Range Increments behind the characters, and each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”. The normal Obstacles 
  rules apply. The obstacles could be cars, buildings, or 
  small kiosks. Since the vehicles are heavily armored, 
  they’re unlikely to suffer much damage from a collision 
  unless they ram each other.
  The infantrymen have a base Range Increment two 
  steps lower than the armored vehicles, and thus suffer 
  a –2 penalty to Agility. It’s likely they’ll drop back very 
  quickly. Divide them into squads equal in number to the 
  player characters.
  In the unlikely event the characters are captured, the 
  GM will have to devise a scene allowing them a chance to 
  escape from the local police station, retrieve their gear, 
  and continue the adventure.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cers (1 per 6 soldiers): See page 20.
   NKVD Infantry (3 per hero): See page 21.
   NKVD Tank Crew (3 per tank): Treat as NKVD 
  infantry (page 21).
  BA 3 ARMORED CAR
  BA 3 ARMORED CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/16; Toughness: 13 (4); Crew: 4
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  * 45mm gun, turret (Range: 75/150/300, Damage: 3d8, 
  AP 4, HW)
  * Light MG, forward facing (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, atop turret (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  BT-7 LIGHT TANK
  BT-7 LIGHT TANK
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/21; Toughness: 15 (4); Crew: 3
  Notes: Heavy Armor, Tracked
  Weapons:
  * 45mm gun, turret (Range: 75/150/300, Damage: 3d8, 
  AP 4, HW)
  * Light MG, coaxial (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  9
  says, “they will torture us. They will learn of the 
  Tunguska stone, and we will spend the rest of our 
  lives mining salt for Stalin. Please, we must ﬁ nd 
  another way out of the building.”
  This really isn’t one of those scenes where the char-
  acters are supposed to surrender. The Soviets have no 
  intention of using kindness. As far as they are concerned, 
  the characters are White Russians or foreign spies. All 
  that awaits them is brutal interrogation and a trip to a 
  gulag.
  The archive measures 40” long and 18” wide. The GM 
  can design the interior as he wishes, but it should be a 
  maze of corridors, requiring numerous turns to reach 
  the back door. Some of the corridors are formed by 
  walls, but most should be bookcases.
  Firing through a bookcase grants heavy cover. In true 
  pulp style, any missed shot should either rip apart books 
  or blow chunks from the walls. Flying scenery looks 
  good on the big screen.
  There are effectively an unlimited number of soldiers. 
  The aim of the scene is to force the characters to run, 
  not kill them. Hence, the Soviets are poor shots. At the 
  start of the ﬁ ght, two soldiers per hero and one ofﬁ cer 
  enter the archive. Each round thereafter, another squad 
  equal to one per adventurer joins in the battle. The ﬁ rst 
  two groups also contain an ofﬁ cer. All enter through the 
  front door.
  When the heroes reach the back door, they ﬁ nd it is 
  locked. It has Toughness 10. Alternately, a Lockpicking 
  roll as an action cracks the lock. Proceed to the next 
  scene.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cers (3): See page 20.
   NKVD Soldiers (unlimited): See page 21.
  SCENE 3: TANKS ON THE STREETS
  SCENE 3: TANKS ON THE STREETS
  Parked out the back is a BA 3 armored car. Although 
  lightly armored, it packs a 45mm gun and two machine-
  guns. The crew is currently out of the vehicle and a little 
  way up the street, warming their hands over a trashcan 
  ﬁ lled with hot coals. They aren’t involved in the ﬁ ght, 
  and their being here is a lucky coincidence.
  As the characters emerge from the archives, two 
  light tanks trundle around the corner, accompanied 
  by a squad of infantry. These are part of the NKVD 
  detachment after the characters! If the characters want 
  to ﬂ ee on foot, Rogachova suggests they take the tank 
  instead. Likewise, heroes who want a standup ﬁ ght are 
  prompted to ﬂ ee. “There are more of them than us, 
  and they likely have bigger tanks available. Please, 
  trust me on this. Head north quickly, out of the city. 
  There is an airﬁ eld there. This tank won’t get us very 
  far, and all the trains will be alerted. We can ﬂ y to 
  Siberia!”
  Unfortunately, the armored car can only hold four 
  crewmembers—someone is going to have to ride on 
  top! Because it’s dull having a character do nothing in an 
  action scene, Rogachova suggests he act as loader for the 
  main gun. Anyone riding the armored car gains Medium 
  Cover by crouching behind the turret.
  Since one machinegun is ﬁ xed ﬁ ring forward, a char-
  acter can elect instead to lean out of the armored side 
  door and ﬁ re behind him with a hand weapon. He gains 
  Medium Cover when doing so.
  Any adventurers atop the vehicle or leaning out 
  the door must make an Agility roll if the armored car 
  goes Out of Control. A failure means the passenger has 
  fallen out or off the vehicle, as appropriate, and is how 
  hanging on for dear life as the ground rushes past. 
  A Strength roll is required, as an action, to get back 
  onboard. Until this is done, the hero has no Cover 
  protection.
  This scene works as a Chase. The Soviet forces are 
  three Range Increments behind the characters, and each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”. The normal Obstacles 
  rules apply. The obstacles could be cars, buildings, or 
  small kiosks. Since the vehicles are heavily armored, 
  they’re unlikely to suffer much damage from a collision 
  unless they ram each other.
  The infantrymen have a base Range Increment two 
  steps lower than the armored vehicles, and thus suffer 
  a –2 penalty to Agility. It’s likely they’ll drop back very 
  quickly. Divide them into squads equal in number to the 
  player characters.
  In the unlikely event the characters are captured, the 
  GM will have to devise a scene allowing them a chance to 
  escape from the local police station, retrieve their gear, 
  and continue the adventure.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cers (1 per 6 soldiers): See page 20.
   NKVD Infantry (3 per hero): See page 21.
   NKVD Tank Crew (3 per tank): Treat as NKVD 
  infantry (page 21).
  BA 3 ARMORED CAR
  BA 3 ARMORED CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/16; Toughness: 13 (4); Crew: 4
  Notes: Heavy Armor
  Weapons:
  * 45mm gun, turret (Range: 75/150/300, Damage: 3d8, 
  AP 4, HW)
  * Light MG, forward facing (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, atop turret (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  BT-7 LIGHT TANK
  BT-7 LIGHT TANK
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/21; Toughness: 15 (4); Crew: 3
  Notes: Heavy Armor, Tracked
  Weapons:
  * 45mm gun, turret (Range: 75/150/300, Damage: 3d8, 
  AP 4, HW)
  * Light MG, coaxial (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1010
  SCENE 4: UP AND AWAY
  SCENE 4: UP AND AWAY
  The armored car turns off the road at Rogacho-
  va’s request and bounces over ﬁ elds and low hills. 
  Cresting a small hill, you see before you an air-
  ﬁ eld. Two planes are parked near the chain link 
  fence at one end of a long airstrip. Suddenly an 
  alarm klaxon rings out. From a jumble of huts 
  you see men in ﬂ ying suits begin rushing toward 
  the planes. It looks like the NKVD has called for 
  reinforcements!
  The obvious thing for the characters to do is gun the 
  engine. Unfortunately, the armored car splutters and 
  stops. It’s out of gas! To make things worse, the armored 
  car’s guns are all out of ammunition! If a gun wasn’t 
  ﬁ red, then it simply wasn’t loaded in the ﬁ rst place.
  In order to reach the planes before the pilots, the 
  characters have to perform four tasks in order. They 
  have just six rounds in which to do these. So long as one 
  character with a ﬁ rearm makes it to the planes in time, 
  the pilots turn tail and run back toward the huts, calling 
  for soldiers to help them.
  Line of sight to the pilots is blocked for most of the 
  way by the planes, so the heroes can’t just gun them 
  down (which isn’t very heroic).
  * The ﬁ rst step is sprinting across the ﬁ eld outside the 
  airbase. This requires an Agility roll at –2 unless a charac-
  ter is Fleet Footed, in which case he suffers no penalty. A 
  failed roll means the character slipped or stumbled. He 
  can repeat the roll next round.
  * A previously unseen ditch blocks the way. Leaping it 
  requires a Strength roll. With failure, the hero ends up in 
  the ditch. Next round he must scramble up the slippery 
  bank. This requires a Strength or Climbing roll (hero’s 
  choice) at –2.
  * Getting through the fence can be achieved one of 
  two ways. First, a hero can try to scale it. This requires 
  a Climbing roll. The gaps in the links make good hand-
  holds, and grant a +2 bonus. Even unskilled heroes 
  therefore roll an unmodiﬁ ed d4 (and Wild Die). Alter-
  nately, a hero can try to exploit a broken section of fence 
  and make a Strength roll at –4 to rip it open. In either 
  case, failed rolls may be repeated next round.
  * The ﬁ nal task is a short sprint across the end of the 
  airﬁ eld. This requires an Agility roll (+2 if a hero has 
  Fleet Footed).
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  TOO SLOW
  TOO SLOW
  Should the characters fail to reach the planes in time, 
  the aircraft begin taxiing down the runway. It takes them 
  six more rounds to reach takeoff velocity. During that 
  time, the adventurers need to ﬁ nd a way to stop the 
  planes without destroying them. Fortunately, the handily 
  placed jeep (see page 15 for stats if needed) allows them 
  to at least give chase.
  Suggestions for stopping the planes include pointing 
  guns at the pilots and making an Intimidation roll (at 
  +2), leaping onto the wing and ripping open the cock-
  pit, or getting ahead and blocking the runway.
  This is a ﬁ xed duration chase. Place six markers on the 
  table to represent the runway. Each Range Increments 
  equates to 5”. Both planes and the jeep begin off the 
  market track (their ﬁ rst movement takes them onto it).
  Each round, the pilots make Piloting rolls while the 
  character makes a Driving roll. At the start of round 
  three, the planes are moving faster than the car, giving 
  the pilots a +1 bonus. When round ﬁ ve begins, their 
  speed increases enough to grant them a +2 Piloting roll 
  bonus.
  Instead of an inﬁ nite track of markers, there are just 
  six. Should the planes move beyond the last one, they 
  are airborne.
  ACT 3: SIBERIA
  ACT 3: SIBERIA
  Now in possession of two aircraft, the characters head 
  north into the wintry depths of Siberia. Unfortunately, 
  the planes haven’t yet been tested in cold conditions, 
  and quickly reveal a ﬂ aw.
  ONLY ONE PILOT?
  ONLY ONE PILOT?
  In the event your party has just a single pilot, re-
  place the two experimental ﬁ ghters with a single 
  bomber. It didn’t really ﬂ y until 1941, so it’s consid-
  ered an experimental aircraft in our pulp universe, 
  hence the “X” designation. Rogachova sits in the 
  empty bomb bay.
  TUPOLEV TU-2X
  TUPOLEV TU-2X
  The Tu-2 has four weapons, two of which have ﬁ xed 
  ﬁ ring arcs—forward for the autocannons and rear-
  ward for the canopy-mounted machinegun. The 
  two other MGs can ﬁ re in either direction. How-
  ever, because of maneuvering limitations, only one 
  per round may ﬁ re at the same target as the can-
  nons or canopy MG.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/130; Toughness: 16 (3); Crew: 4
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * Light MG, rear canopy (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, dorsal hatch (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, ventral hatch (Range: 24/48/96, Dam-
  age: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1010
  SCENE 4: UP AND AWAY
  SCENE 4: UP AND AWAY
  The armored car turns off the road at Rogacho-
  va’s request and bounces over ﬁ elds and low hills. 
  Cresting a small hill, you see before you an air-
  ﬁ eld. Two planes are parked near the chain link 
  fence at one end of a long airstrip. Suddenly an 
  alarm klaxon rings out. From a jumble of huts 
  you see men in ﬂ ying suits begin rushing toward 
  the planes. It looks like the NKVD has called for 
  reinforcements!
  The obvious thing for the characters to do is gun the 
  engine. Unfortunately, the armored car splutters and 
  stops. It’s out of gas! To make things worse, the armored 
  car’s guns are all out of ammunition! If a gun wasn’t 
  ﬁ red, then it simply wasn’t loaded in the ﬁ rst place.
  In order to reach the planes before the pilots, the 
  characters have to perform four tasks in order. They 
  have just six rounds in which to do these. So long as one 
  character with a ﬁ rearm makes it to the planes in time, 
  the pilots turn tail and run back toward the huts, calling 
  for soldiers to help them.
  Line of sight to the pilots is blocked for most of the 
  way by the planes, so the heroes can’t just gun them 
  down (which isn’t very heroic).
  * The ﬁ rst step is sprinting across the ﬁ eld outside the 
  airbase. This requires an Agility roll at –2 unless a charac-
  ter is Fleet Footed, in which case he suffers no penalty. A 
  failed roll means the character slipped or stumbled. He 
  can repeat the roll next round.
  * A previously unseen ditch blocks the way. Leaping it 
  requires a Strength roll. With failure, the hero ends up in 
  the ditch. Next round he must scramble up the slippery 
  bank. This requires a Strength or Climbing roll (hero’s 
  choice) at –2.
  * Getting through the fence can be achieved one of 
  two ways. First, a hero can try to scale it. This requires 
  a Climbing roll. The gaps in the links make good hand-
  holds, and grant a +2 bonus. Even unskilled heroes 
  therefore roll an unmodiﬁ ed d4 (and Wild Die). Alter-
  nately, a hero can try to exploit a broken section of fence 
  and make a Strength roll at –4 to rip it open. In either 
  case, failed rolls may be repeated next round.
  * The ﬁ nal task is a short sprint across the end of the 
  airﬁ eld. This requires an Agility roll (+2 if a hero has 
  Fleet Footed).
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  TOO SLOW
  TOO SLOW
  Should the characters fail to reach the planes in time, 
  the aircraft begin taxiing down the runway. It takes them 
  six more rounds to reach takeoff velocity. During that 
  time, the adventurers need to ﬁ nd a way to stop the 
  planes without destroying them. Fortunately, the handily 
  placed jeep (see page 15 for stats if needed) allows them 
  to at least give chase.
  Suggestions for stopping the planes include pointing 
  guns at the pilots and making an Intimidation roll (at 
  +2), leaping onto the wing and ripping open the cock-
  pit, or getting ahead and blocking the runway.
  This is a ﬁ xed duration chase. Place six markers on the 
  table to represent the runway. Each Range Increments 
  equates to 5”. Both planes and the jeep begin off the 
  market track (their ﬁ rst movement takes them onto it).
  Each round, the pilots make Piloting rolls while the 
  character makes a Driving roll. At the start of round 
  three, the planes are moving faster than the car, giving 
  the pilots a +1 bonus. When round ﬁ ve begins, their 
  speed increases enough to grant them a +2 Piloting roll 
  bonus.
  Instead of an inﬁ nite track of markers, there are just 
  six. Should the planes move beyond the last one, they 
  are airborne.
  ACT 3: SIBERIA
  ACT 3: SIBERIA
  Now in possession of two aircraft, the characters head 
  north into the wintry depths of Siberia. Unfortunately, 
  the planes haven’t yet been tested in cold conditions, 
  and quickly reveal a ﬂ aw.
  ONLY ONE PILOT?
  ONLY ONE PILOT?
  In the event your party has just a single pilot, re-
  place the two experimental ﬁ ghters with a single 
  bomber. It didn’t really ﬂ y until 1941, so it’s consid-
  ered an experimental aircraft in our pulp universe, 
  hence the “X” designation. Rogachova sits in the 
  empty bomb bay.
  TUPOLEV TU-2X
  TUPOLEV TU-2X
  The Tu-2 has four weapons, two of which have ﬁ xed 
  ﬁ ring arcs—forward for the autocannons and rear-
  ward for the canopy-mounted machinegun. The 
  two other MGs can ﬁ re in either direction. How-
  ever, because of maneuvering limitations, only one 
  per round may ﬁ re at the same target as the can-
  nons or canopy MG.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/130; Toughness: 16 (3); Crew: 4
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * Light MG, rear canopy (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, dorsal hatch (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * Light MG, ventral hatch (Range: 24/48/96, Dam-
  age: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1111
  SCENE 1: AN ICY TAIL
  SCENE 1: AN ICY TAIL
  The temperature inside the cockpits is liter-
  ally freezing. Suddenly the planes give a jolt. The 
  nose tips forward and the craft begin screaming 
  toward the ground. Pulling on the stick doesn’t 
  seem to work. The gunners have an excellent view 
  of the problem—ice has formed on the tail and is 
  jamming the controls!
  Clearing the ice can’t be done from inside. There are 
  two options available. First, the gunner can crawl along 
  the fuselage and smash the ice by hand! It’s a daring 
  maneuver, but unless it is done quickly the aircraft risks 
  smashing into the ground. Second, the gunner can stand 
  up in the rear seat and try to shoot the ice off!
  Shooting the ice requires a Shooting roll. There is a 
  –2 modiﬁ er if the character doesn’t have Steady Hands 
  and a –2 penalty for the ice being partially concealed by 
  the tail. A missed roll of 1 or lower strikes the plane. Roll 
  damage as normal. Treat Critical Hits of Engine or Loco-
  motion as Controls instead. All other Critical Hit entries 
  apply as normal, though applying them requires a little 
  creativity from the GM (“You dropped the gun and shot 
  the pilot!”)
  Clearing the ice in heroic fashion requires a character 
  in each plane to perform the following tasks in order. 
  In all cases, failed rolls may be reattempted in the next 
  round. There is a time limit. After six rounds the planes 
  don’t crash—they are spotted by a patrol of light ﬁ ghters 
  sent aloft to hunt down the stolen prototypes. Check the 
  Aerial Combat section below for details.
  *  Unless a hero is suicidal, his ﬁ rst task is to fashion 
  a makeshift safety line. He can use Common Knowledge 
  at –2 (gathering up seat straps and bits of parachute) or 
  Repair (ripping out “unnecessary” cables).
  While Repair has no penalty, a critical failure causes 
  problems, as part of the control cabling is snapped. All 
  Piloting rolls are made at –1 until the wiring is repaired 
  (an hour on the ground and a Repair roll).
  * Next the character must open the canopy and crawl 
  out along the fuselage. This requires a Strength roll at –2 
  due to the wind and freezing temperature. 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1111
  SCENE 1: AN ICY TAIL
  SCENE 1: AN ICY TAIL
  The temperature inside the cockpits is liter-
  ally freezing. Suddenly the planes give a jolt. The 
  nose tips forward and the craft begin screaming 
  toward the ground. Pulling on the stick doesn’t 
  seem to work. The gunners have an excellent view 
  of the problem—ice has formed on the tail and is 
  jamming the controls!
  Clearing the ice can’t be done from inside. There are 
  two options available. First, the gunner can crawl along 
  the fuselage and smash the ice by hand! It’s a daring 
  maneuver, but unless it is done quickly the aircraft risks 
  smashing into the ground. Second, the gunner can stand 
  up in the rear seat and try to shoot the ice off!
  Shooting the ice requires a Shooting roll. There is a 
  –2 modiﬁ er if the character doesn’t have Steady Hands 
  and a –2 penalty for the ice being partially concealed by 
  the tail. A missed roll of 1 or lower strikes the plane. Roll 
  damage as normal. Treat Critical Hits of Engine or Loco-
  motion as Controls instead. All other Critical Hit entries 
  apply as normal, though applying them requires a little 
  creativity from the GM (“You dropped the gun and shot 
  the pilot!”)
  Clearing the ice in heroic fashion requires a character 
  in each plane to perform the following tasks in order. 
  In all cases, failed rolls may be reattempted in the next 
  round. There is a time limit. After six rounds the planes 
  don’t crash—they are spotted by a patrol of light ﬁ ghters 
  sent aloft to hunt down the stolen prototypes. Check the 
  Aerial Combat section below for details.
  *  Unless a hero is suicidal, his ﬁ rst task is to fashion 
  a makeshift safety line. He can use Common Knowledge 
  at –2 (gathering up seat straps and bits of parachute) or 
  Repair (ripping out “unnecessary” cables).
  While Repair has no penalty, a critical failure causes 
  problems, as part of the control cabling is snapped. All 
  Piloting rolls are made at –1 until the wiring is repaired 
  (an hour on the ground and a Repair roll).
  * Next the character must open the canopy and crawl 
  out along the fuselage. This requires a Strength roll at –2 
  due to the wind and freezing temperature. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1212
  * Now at the rear end, the character has to smash 
  away the ice. This requires a Strength roll at –2, or –4 if 
  he forgot to bring something sharp or heavy.
  * Finally, the hero must crawl back into the canopy. The 
  procedure is identical to the second task detailed above.
   Soviet Pilots (2 per hero): See page 21.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  AERIAL COMBAT
  AERIAL COMBAT
  This combat uses the Chase rules. There are a number 
  of Soviet aircraft equal to number of player characters. 
  They begin at Far Range, and each Range Increment 
  represents 10”. Their orders are simple—shoot down 
  the thieves before they can deliver the prototypes to an 
  enemy nation!
  If the ice isn’t cleared (task three must be completed) 
  by the time the Soviets arrive, the pilot has a –2 penalty 
  to all Piloting rolls. If the gunner isn’t back inside (after 
  step 4), the rear machinegun cannot be ﬁ red.
  Should an adventurer still be clinging to the fuselage 
  when the chase begins, he’s in for a very rough ride. Each 
  round, he must make a Strength roll or lose his grip. If 
  the aircraft is Out of Control, there’s a –2 penalty. A fail-
  ure means the character is now dangling underneath the 
  plane! Each round, he must make a Strength roll to drag 
  himself back up the tether and onto the wing.
  Linked guns roll one set of Shooting dice as appropri-
  ate to their rate of ﬁ re. Bonuses to the Shooting dice 
  and damage for ﬁ ring linked weapons are listed in the 
  weapons’ stats. Guns mounted on the aircraft don’t give 
  the gunner a penalty for ﬁ ring on full auto—the operator 
  doesn’t have to counter the recoil.
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  These planes are (ﬁ ctional) prototypes of the Stur-
  movik, an anti-tank/ground attack aircraft which would 
  enter service in 1938. It requires two crew—a pilot, and 
  a gunner who controls the rear-facing machinegun—
  though these prototypes have a third seat installed for 
  an engineer. The pilot can ﬁ re either the autocannons or 
  linked machineguns each round, but not both.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/100; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 3
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * 2 x linked light MG, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x heavy MG, gunner (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  POLIKARPOV I-16 TYPE 6
  POLIKARPOV I-16 TYPE 6
  The I-16, introduced in 1934, forms a core part of the 
  Soviet air force. It has a few mechanical issues and limited 
  ﬁ repower, all of which are addressed in later models.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/116; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked light MG (+1 Shooting, Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 2: GAS POCKETS
  SCENE 2: GAS POCKETS
  Several hours later your charts indicate you’re 
  in the right place marked on the map. About 
  time too, because the fuel gauges are nearing 
  empty.
  Dropping through the clouds you see a small vil-
  lage below. It looks like there’s something going 
  on. Standing against the wall of a large building 
  is a group of people, possibly peasants. Arrayed 
  before them are soldiers, their riﬂ es held ready to 
  ﬁ re. Two men are crouched behind a machinegun. 
  It looks like a ﬁ ring squad!
  Each plane can make a straﬁ ng run against the NKVD 
  soldiers (the ofﬁ cer and brute are currently in a house). 
  Have the pilot make a Shooting roll as if he was making a 
  Suppressive Fire attack. The attack is conducted at Short 
  Range. Success means the area is ﬁ lled with hot lead. 
  Roll each victim’s Spirit normally (just grab a handful of 
  d6s). A failure on the attack means the gunner ﬁ red too 
  early or was simply off target.
  If the planes loop back round for a second run, each 
  attack can catch only half the soldiers—the may not be 
  trained warriors, but they’re clever enough to disperse. 
  Ask the heroes at what range they wish to open ﬁ re this 
  time. This is important, because the Maxim returns ﬁ re, 
  as do any surviving infantry (but not the brute or ofﬁ cer). 
  Conduct these attacks normally.
  A third attack run hits nobody—by the time the planes 
  get into ﬁ ring position the Soviets and citizens have all 
  ﬂ ed for cover in the houses. The adventurers have lost 
  the tactical advantage and must now ﬁ ght a house-by-
  house battle.
  The village contains a dozen small cottages, each mea-
  suring 4” by 3”. They have thatched roofs and thin, stone 
  walls, covered in a thick layer of plaster. Each building 
  has a single door with two small windows on either side. 
  There is also a communal barn, 9” long and 5”wide. It 
  has two large doors at the front. Inside is a variety of 
  farming tools, a broken tractor, a few cows, and bales of 
  hay and straw for the animals.
  When the heroes elect to land, they can position their 
  planes anywhere on the battleﬁ eld. If they land after mak-
  ing one or two straﬁ ng runs, the NKVD don’t respond 
  until the characters are down—they’re hugging the dirt 
  in fear of another attack. Deal action cards normally once 
  the planes stop.
  Leaving the airplanes requires an action from a crew-
  member to open the canopy, and another to unbuckle 
  the harness and jump down. The planes are treated as 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1212
  * Now at the rear end, the character has to smash 
  away the ice. This requires a Strength roll at –2, or –4 if 
  he forgot to bring something sharp or heavy.
  * Finally, the hero must crawl back into the canopy. The 
  procedure is identical to the second task detailed above.
   Soviet Pilots (2 per hero): See page 21.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  AERIAL COMBAT
  AERIAL COMBAT
  This combat uses the Chase rules. There are a number 
  of Soviet aircraft equal to number of player characters. 
  They begin at Far Range, and each Range Increment 
  represents 10”. Their orders are simple—shoot down 
  the thieves before they can deliver the prototypes to an 
  enemy nation!
  If the ice isn’t cleared (task three must be completed) 
  by the time the Soviets arrive, the pilot has a –2 penalty 
  to all Piloting rolls. If the gunner isn’t back inside (after 
  step 4), the rear machinegun cannot be ﬁ red.
  Should an adventurer still be clinging to the fuselage 
  when the chase begins, he’s in for a very rough ride. Each 
  round, he must make a Strength roll or lose his grip. If 
  the aircraft is Out of Control, there’s a –2 penalty. A fail-
  ure means the character is now dangling underneath the 
  plane! Each round, he must make a Strength roll to drag 
  himself back up the tether and onto the wing.
  Linked guns roll one set of Shooting dice as appropri-
  ate to their rate of ﬁ re. Bonuses to the Shooting dice 
  and damage for ﬁ ring linked weapons are listed in the 
  weapons’ stats. Guns mounted on the aircraft don’t give 
  the gunner a penalty for ﬁ ring on full auto—the operator 
  doesn’t have to counter the recoil.
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  These planes are (ﬁ ctional) prototypes of the Stur-
  movik, an anti-tank/ground attack aircraft which would 
  enter service in 1938. It requires two crew—a pilot, and 
  a gunner who controls the rear-facing machinegun—
  though these prototypes have a third seat installed for 
  an engineer. The pilot can ﬁ re either the autocannons or 
  linked machineguns each round, but not both.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/100; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 3
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * 2 x linked light MG, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x heavy MG, gunner (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  POLIKARPOV I-16 TYPE 6
  POLIKARPOV I-16 TYPE 6
  The I-16, introduced in 1934, forms a core part of the 
  Soviet air force. It has a few mechanical issues and limited 
  ﬁ repower, all of which are addressed in later models.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/116; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked light MG (+1 Shooting, Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 2: GAS POCKETS
  SCENE 2: GAS POCKETS
  Several hours later your charts indicate you’re 
  in the right place marked on the map. About 
  time too, because the fuel gauges are nearing 
  empty.
  Dropping through the clouds you see a small vil-
  lage below. It looks like there’s something going 
  on. Standing against the wall of a large building 
  is a group of people, possibly peasants. Arrayed 
  before them are soldiers, their riﬂ es held ready to 
  ﬁ re. Two men are crouched behind a machinegun. 
  It looks like a ﬁ ring squad!
  Each plane can make a straﬁ ng run against the NKVD 
  soldiers (the ofﬁ cer and brute are currently in a house). 
  Have the pilot make a Shooting roll as if he was making a 
  Suppressive Fire attack. The attack is conducted at Short 
  Range. Success means the area is ﬁ lled with hot lead. 
  Roll each victim’s Spirit normally (just grab a handful of 
  d6s). A failure on the attack means the gunner ﬁ red too 
  early or was simply off target.
  If the planes loop back round for a second run, each 
  attack can catch only half the soldiers—the may not be 
  trained warriors, but they’re clever enough to disperse. 
  Ask the heroes at what range they wish to open ﬁ re this 
  time. This is important, because the Maxim returns ﬁ re, 
  as do any surviving infantry (but not the brute or ofﬁ cer). 
  Conduct these attacks normally.
  A third attack run hits nobody—by the time the planes 
  get into ﬁ ring position the Soviets and citizens have all 
  ﬂ ed for cover in the houses. The adventurers have lost 
  the tactical advantage and must now ﬁ ght a house-by-
  house battle.
  The village contains a dozen small cottages, each mea-
  suring 4” by 3”. They have thatched roofs and thin, stone 
  walls, covered in a thick layer of plaster. Each building 
  has a single door with two small windows on either side. 
  There is also a communal barn, 9” long and 5”wide. It 
  has two large doors at the front. Inside is a variety of 
  farming tools, a broken tractor, a few cows, and bales of 
  hay and straw for the animals.
  When the heroes elect to land, they can position their 
  planes anywhere on the battleﬁ eld. If they land after mak-
  ing one or two straﬁ ng runs, the NKVD don’t respond 
  until the characters are down—they’re hugging the dirt 
  in fear of another attack. Deal action cards normally once 
  the planes stop.
  Leaving the airplanes requires an action from a crew-
  member to open the canopy, and another to unbuckle 
  the harness and jump down. The planes are treated as 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1313
  Innocent Bystanders, so using them for cover isn’t neces-
  sarily a wise move.
   NKVD Brute: See page 20.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20.
   NKVD Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 21. The 
  squad has a maxim machinegun mounted on a wheeled 
  chassis. Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2, 
  Snapﬁ re penalty).
  HE’S ALREADY GONE
  HE’S ALREADY GONE
  An elderly man greets you suspiciously. “I am Ivan 
  Korasnikov, headman of the village,” he says. 
  “What brings you to Siberia, strangers?”
  Let the characters tell their story. Rogachova translates 
  if necessary. The headman looks a little doubtful at the 
  tale, but after a few moments he invites the party into his 
  cottage. Over a bowl of hot stew and shots of burning, 
  home-made vodka, he tells his story.
  During his tale, the local women dress any wounds 
  their saviors have suffered. Each character beneﬁ ts from 
  a single d8 Healing roll.
  “We know the man you seek. Father Dmitri 
  Banchenko. A good man, a good man. He was 
  born here, you know. Our fathers were friends 
  and we new each other as boys. Father Dmitri ar-
  rived here in 1931. He wouldn’t say much at ﬁ rst, 
  only that he was on the run from the Communists 
  and needed shelter. We weren’t going to turn one 
  of our own away.
  “He never spoke of any stone, but he often gazed 
  west long into the night, toward Tunguska. He 
  joked often that it was where God has come to 
  Earth to deliver a powerful gift. Anyway, Dmitri 
  lived here until just a few hours ago.
  “Those men you killed were part of a larger force. 
  They came in trucks and armored cars. The trucks 
  were full of men and women. They only stopped 
  to rob us of food and drink, but one of them was 
  nosey. He discovered Dmitri hiding. Oh, the up-
  roar! They called us traitors and threatened to 
  send us all away to the gulags.
  “In one way we were fortunate—the trucks were 
  all full. But these were cruel men, evil men. The 
  ofﬁ cer gave orders we were to be executed. They 
  rounded us up and left us out in the cold to await 
  our fate while they ate our food and stole our few 
  valuables. Then you arrived to save us.
  “If you’re thinking of rescuing him, you can take 
  the soldiers’ jeep. It is outside. The truck will only 
  be a few miles up the road by now. They prob-
  ably heard the shooting and thought we had been 
  killed. They won’t be back anytime soon.”
  It may occur to the characters to swipe uniforms off 
  the dead soldiers as part of a deception. Any tears due 
  to wounds can be easily patched up. However, Brawny, 
  Obese, or Small characters don’t ﬁ nd one which ﬁ ts 
  convincingly.
  The headman offers to cover the planes in hay while 
  the characters are gone. First, this keeps the engines 
  from freezing, and second, it hides them from any pass-
  ing aircraft that might be snooping around.
  Once the characters are ready to leave, the villagers 
  supply the characters with a number of bottles of clear 
  liquid. The necks are stuffed with rags. An elderly citizen 
  winks at the characters and says, “Burns quickly whether 
  you drink it or light it.”
  These homemade Molotov cocktails can be thrown 
  to a range of 3/6/12. On impact they explode in a Small 
  Burst Template and inﬂ ict 2d6 damage, ignoring all ar-
  mor. Targets have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  Before they depart, one of the villagers speaks hur-
  riedly to the headman. The characters see the discussion 
  going on, but are too far away to hear what is being said. 
  The headman seems to have won the argument, for the 
  other citizen walks away, his head hung low. Only if di-
  rectly asked does the headman say what occurred.
  “Yuri owns the only tractor in the village,” he 
  sighs. “It is broken and we can’t ﬁ x it. He asked 
  if you knew how to repair tractors, but I told him 
  your task was more urgent than our tractor.”
  Staying to repair the tractor requires an hour’s work 
  and a Repair roll. It doesn’t change the next scene one 
  bit, but the characters won’t know that. If they agree to 
  delay their chase for a while, reward them with a benny. 
  Promising to return isn’t worth a benny (even when they 
  do come back), as the interlude was designed as a minor 
  moral quandary.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 21.
  SCENE 3: WE GOT US A CONVOY
  SCENE 3: WE GOT US A CONVOY
  Roaring through the Siberian countryside, the jeep 
  catches up with the Soviet convoy some 20 miles north 
  of the village.
  The convoy comprises four trucks, each one with a 
  driver up front and two soldiers sitting near the tailgate, 
  and two BA-20 armored cars, one at each end of the 
  convoy. The trucks do not have coverings—exposing the 
  prisoners to the biting wind reminds them that escape in 
  Siberia is futile.
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Ob-
  stacles rules. The Obstacles are Light. The characters 
  begin four Range Increments behind the BA-20, at the 
  rear of the convoy. One vehicle is positioned one Range 
  Increment ahead of the vehicle behind, so the entire 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1313
  Innocent Bystanders, so using them for cover isn’t neces-
  sarily a wise move.
   NKVD Brute: See page 20.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20.
   NKVD Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 21. The 
  squad has a maxim machinegun mounted on a wheeled 
  chassis. Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2, 
  Snapﬁ re penalty).
  HE’S ALREADY GONE
  HE’S ALREADY GONE
  An elderly man greets you suspiciously. “I am Ivan 
  Korasnikov, headman of the village,” he says. 
  “What brings you to Siberia, strangers?”
  Let the characters tell their story. Rogachova translates 
  if necessary. The headman looks a little doubtful at the 
  tale, but after a few moments he invites the party into his 
  cottage. Over a bowl of hot stew and shots of burning, 
  home-made vodka, he tells his story.
  During his tale, the local women dress any wounds 
  their saviors have suffered. Each character beneﬁ ts from 
  a single d8 Healing roll.
  “We know the man you seek. Father Dmitri 
  Banchenko. A good man, a good man. He was 
  born here, you know. Our fathers were friends 
  and we new each other as boys. Father Dmitri ar-
  rived here in 1931. He wouldn’t say much at ﬁ rst, 
  only that he was on the run from the Communists 
  and needed shelter. We weren’t going to turn one 
  of our own away.
  “He never spoke of any stone, but he often gazed 
  west long into the night, toward Tunguska. He 
  joked often that it was where God has come to 
  Earth to deliver a powerful gift. Anyway, Dmitri 
  lived here until just a few hours ago.
  “Those men you killed were part of a larger force. 
  They came in trucks and armored cars. The trucks 
  were full of men and women. They only stopped 
  to rob us of food and drink, but one of them was 
  nosey. He discovered Dmitri hiding. Oh, the up-
  roar! They called us traitors and threatened to 
  send us all away to the gulags.
  “In one way we were fortunate—the trucks were 
  all full. But these were cruel men, evil men. The 
  ofﬁ cer gave orders we were to be executed. They 
  rounded us up and left us out in the cold to await 
  our fate while they ate our food and stole our few 
  valuables. Then you arrived to save us.
  “If you’re thinking of rescuing him, you can take 
  the soldiers’ jeep. It is outside. The truck will only 
  be a few miles up the road by now. They prob-
  ably heard the shooting and thought we had been 
  killed. They won’t be back anytime soon.”
  It may occur to the characters to swipe uniforms off 
  the dead soldiers as part of a deception. Any tears due 
  to wounds can be easily patched up. However, Brawny, 
  Obese, or Small characters don’t ﬁ nd one which ﬁ ts 
  convincingly.
  The headman offers to cover the planes in hay while 
  the characters are gone. First, this keeps the engines 
  from freezing, and second, it hides them from any pass-
  ing aircraft that might be snooping around.
  Once the characters are ready to leave, the villagers 
  supply the characters with a number of bottles of clear 
  liquid. The necks are stuffed with rags. An elderly citizen 
  winks at the characters and says, “Burns quickly whether 
  you drink it or light it.”
  These homemade Molotov cocktails can be thrown 
  to a range of 3/6/12. On impact they explode in a Small 
  Burst Template and inﬂ ict 2d6 damage, ignoring all ar-
  mor. Targets have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  Before they depart, one of the villagers speaks hur-
  riedly to the headman. The characters see the discussion 
  going on, but are too far away to hear what is being said. 
  The headman seems to have won the argument, for the 
  other citizen walks away, his head hung low. Only if di-
  rectly asked does the headman say what occurred.
  “Yuri owns the only tractor in the village,” he 
  sighs. “It is broken and we can’t ﬁ x it. He asked 
  if you knew how to repair tractors, but I told him 
  your task was more urgent than our tractor.”
  Staying to repair the tractor requires an hour’s work 
  and a Repair roll. It doesn’t change the next scene one 
  bit, but the characters won’t know that. If they agree to 
  delay their chase for a while, reward them with a benny. 
  Promising to return isn’t worth a benny (even when they 
  do come back), as the interlude was designed as a minor 
  moral quandary.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 21.
  SCENE 3: WE GOT US A CONVOY
  SCENE 3: WE GOT US A CONVOY
  Roaring through the Siberian countryside, the jeep 
  catches up with the Soviet convoy some 20 miles north 
  of the village.
  The convoy comprises four trucks, each one with a 
  driver up front and two soldiers sitting near the tailgate, 
  and two BA-20 armored cars, one at each end of the 
  convoy. The trucks do not have coverings—exposing the 
  prisoners to the biting wind reminds them that escape in 
  Siberia is futile.
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Ob-
  stacles rules. The Obstacles are Light. The characters 
  begin four Range Increments behind the BA-20, at the 
  rear of the convoy. One vehicle is positioned one Range 
  Increment ahead of the vehicle behind, so the entire 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1414
  convoy stretches for six Range Increments. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 10”.
  The heroes’ jeep is faster than all the Soviet vehicles, 
  which grants the driver +1 to Driving rolls.
  Due to the narrow road and limited visibility, attacks 
  against vehicles further ahead suffer penalties. Attacking 
  past a single vehicle gives the target Light Cover (–1). 
  Through two vehicles is Medium Cover (–2), and three 
  vehicles provides Heavy Cover (–4). Missed shots harm-
  lessly splatter into the road.
  The NKVD men don’t react to the characters’ presence 
  until the heroes open ﬁ re, try to snatch the priest, or 
  overtake a vehicle and aren’t dressed in Soviet uniforms. 
  If any characters are wearing ill-ﬁ tting uniforms, make a 
  Group Notice roll for each vehicle the jeep passes. With 
  success, the soldiers spot the deception and open ﬁ re.
  The soldiers in the back of the truck can only ﬁ re at 
  targets behind them. Both the BA-20 and truck drivers 
  will use Force maneuvers to knock the characters’ jeep 
  off the road if they get a chance.
  Heroes who indiscriminately open ﬁ re on the trucks 
  with automatic weapons should be threatened with 
  the loss of a benny—every truck contains a number of 
  innocent men and women. Single shot weapons garner 
  no penalty, but Innocent Bystander rules apply for auto-
  matic weapons.
  The priest the heroes are looking for is in the second 
  truck down from the start of the convoy. Peering into the 
  back of a truck requires the jeep to be within one Range 
  Increment. At this range, a passenger (or the driver if he 
  takes a multi action penalty) can make a Notice roll at –2 
  as an action. There is no penalty if the jeep and truck are 
  on the same marker.
  Dragging the priest across to the jeep requires the use 
  of the Parallel maneuver. A character must then make a 
  Fighting roll at –2 to reach over the side of the truck and 
  grab the captive. Once grabbed, the character must make 
  a Strength roll as another action to physically pull the 
  elderly priest from the truck.
  Once the priest is saved the characters can try to 
  escape. While they may like to free all the prisoners, 
  Rogachova points out that the NKVD would likely launch 
  reprisals once it became apparent political prisoners 
  were rescued from an armed convoy. Many more inno-
  cent citizens will be murdered because of the adventur-
  ers’ good deed.
  The trucks don’t give chase, but the BA-20s will. The 
  BA-20s handle very poorly off-road, as Rogachova is 
  quick to point out—their off-road speed is one-quarter 
  the usual Top Speed (rather than half. The difference in 
  speeds gives the characters +2 to Driving rolls. Remove 
  the trucks from the chase as the characters head to open 
  country but keep the BA-20s and jeep on the same Range 
  Increments.
  Note that Father Dmitri doesn’t have any stats—they 
  aren’t required. When Dmitri is saved, the characters 
  soon realize he’s a very sick man. Unfortunately, radia-
  tion sickness hasn’t been studied yet, so the cause of 
  the illness cannot be determined. What’s obvious is 
  that he’s dying. He’s also unconscious, and can’t be 
  wakened.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20. He acts as gunner 
  in the lead BA-20.
   NKVD Vehicle Crew (7): Treat as NKVD infantry 
  (page 21).
   NKVD Soldiers (8): See page 20.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+4
  BA-20 ARMORED CAR
  BA-20 ARMORED CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/20; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 2
  Note: Heavy Armor
  Weapons: 
  * Light MG in turret (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  TRUCKS
  TRUCKS
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (1); Crew: 1+20
  SCENE 4: CAPTURED
  SCENE 4: CAPTURED
  Your journey back to the village is rudely inter-
  rupted by sprays of bullets stitching the ground 
  close to the jeep. Several explosions send plumes 
  of snow into the air. Looking up, you see a large 
  squad of Raketentruppen descending through the 
  clouds. A voice calls out for you to surrender or 
  be killed.
  The characters are free to put up a ﬁ ght, but they are 
  heavily outnumbered. Assuming they surrender, a num-
  ber of Raketentruppen land around them while others 
  keep vigil overhead. Once the adventurers are disarmed, 
  Ritter lands to address his captives.
  “A wise move, Amerikaners,” says the masked 
  ﬁ gure. “I am SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter. We met 
  brieﬂ y in Alaska, where you managed to thwart 
  me. Fate, it seems, is on Germany’s side, though. 
  Our scouts spotted your battle with the Russians, 
  and so we came to investigate.”
  The major orders two of his men to attend to the 
  sick priest. As they approach, Dmitri’s eyes open 
  brieﬂ y. He clutches <insert hero’s name> leg 
  brieﬂ y, then lapses back into unconsciousness. 
  You’re not sure, but you think he pushed some-
  thing into your boot.
  “Do you know what the Tunguska stone is?” Ritter 
  asks. “No, of course you don’t. You probably think 
  it is some religious icon, like this one does.” He 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1414
  convoy stretches for six Range Increments. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 10”.
  The heroes’ jeep is faster than all the Soviet vehicles, 
  which grants the driver +1 to Driving rolls.
  Due to the narrow road and limited visibility, attacks 
  against vehicles further ahead suffer penalties. Attacking 
  past a single vehicle gives the target Light Cover (–1). 
  Through two vehicles is Medium Cover (–2), and three 
  vehicles provides Heavy Cover (–4). Missed shots harm-
  lessly splatter into the road.
  The NKVD men don’t react to the characters’ presence 
  until the heroes open ﬁ re, try to snatch the priest, or 
  overtake a vehicle and aren’t dressed in Soviet uniforms. 
  If any characters are wearing ill-ﬁ tting uniforms, make a 
  Group Notice roll for each vehicle the jeep passes. With 
  success, the soldiers spot the deception and open ﬁ re.
  The soldiers in the back of the truck can only ﬁ re at 
  targets behind them. Both the BA-20 and truck drivers 
  will use Force maneuvers to knock the characters’ jeep 
  off the road if they get a chance.
  Heroes who indiscriminately open ﬁ re on the trucks 
  with automatic weapons should be threatened with 
  the loss of a benny—every truck contains a number of 
  innocent men and women. Single shot weapons garner 
  no penalty, but Innocent Bystander rules apply for auto-
  matic weapons.
  The priest the heroes are looking for is in the second 
  truck down from the start of the convoy. Peering into the 
  back of a truck requires the jeep to be within one Range 
  Increment. At this range, a passenger (or the driver if he 
  takes a multi action penalty) can make a Notice roll at –2 
  as an action. There is no penalty if the jeep and truck are 
  on the same marker.
  Dragging the priest across to the jeep requires the use 
  of the Parallel maneuver. A character must then make a 
  Fighting roll at –2 to reach over the side of the truck and 
  grab the captive. Once grabbed, the character must make 
  a Strength roll as another action to physically pull the 
  elderly priest from the truck.
  Once the priest is saved the characters can try to 
  escape. While they may like to free all the prisoners, 
  Rogachova points out that the NKVD would likely launch 
  reprisals once it became apparent political prisoners 
  were rescued from an armed convoy. Many more inno-
  cent citizens will be murdered because of the adventur-
  ers’ good deed.
  The trucks don’t give chase, but the BA-20s will. The 
  BA-20s handle very poorly off-road, as Rogachova is 
  quick to point out—their off-road speed is one-quarter 
  the usual Top Speed (rather than half. The difference in 
  speeds gives the characters +2 to Driving rolls. Remove 
  the trucks from the chase as the characters head to open 
  country but keep the BA-20s and jeep on the same Range 
  Increments.
  Note that Father Dmitri doesn’t have any stats—they 
  aren’t required. When Dmitri is saved, the characters 
  soon realize he’s a very sick man. Unfortunately, radia-
  tion sickness hasn’t been studied yet, so the cause of 
  the illness cannot be determined. What’s obvious is 
  that he’s dying. He’s also unconscious, and can’t be 
  wakened.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   NKVD Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20. He acts as gunner 
  in the lead BA-20.
   NKVD Vehicle Crew (7): Treat as NKVD infantry 
  (page 21).
   NKVD Soldiers (8): See page 20.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+4
  BA-20 ARMORED CAR
  BA-20 ARMORED CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/20; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 2
  Note: Heavy Armor
  Weapons: 
  * Light MG in turret (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  TRUCKS
  TRUCKS
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (1); Crew: 1+20
  SCENE 4: CAPTURED
  SCENE 4: CAPTURED
  Your journey back to the village is rudely inter-
  rupted by sprays of bullets stitching the ground 
  close to the jeep. Several explosions send plumes 
  of snow into the air. Looking up, you see a large 
  squad of Raketentruppen descending through the 
  clouds. A voice calls out for you to surrender or 
  be killed.
  The characters are free to put up a ﬁ ght, but they are 
  heavily outnumbered. Assuming they surrender, a num-
  ber of Raketentruppen land around them while others 
  keep vigil overhead. Once the adventurers are disarmed, 
  Ritter lands to address his captives.
  “A wise move, Amerikaners,” says the masked 
  ﬁ gure. “I am SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter. We met 
  brieﬂ y in Alaska, where you managed to thwart 
  me. Fate, it seems, is on Germany’s side, though. 
  Our scouts spotted your battle with the Russians, 
  and so we came to investigate.”
  The major orders two of his men to attend to the 
  sick priest. As they approach, Dmitri’s eyes open 
  brieﬂ y. He clutches <insert hero’s name> leg 
  brieﬂ y, then lapses back into unconsciousness. 
  You’re not sure, but you think he pushed some-
  thing into your boot.
  “Do you know what the Tunguska stone is?” Ritter 
  asks. “No, of course you don’t. You probably think 
  it is some religious icon, like this one does.” He 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1515
  gestures at Rogachova. “That stone fell from the 
  heavens, but it was not sent by God.
  “This old man is sick, not from any terrestrial 
  illness but from exposure to the stone. It is an 
  energy source of great power, one which can be 
  turned into a weapon of terrifying power. Once it 
  has been turned into a weapon, no one will dare 
  stand against Germany!
  “I imagine about now you are waiting for me to 
  have you shot, or stripped naked and buried in 
  the snow to die of cold, or maybe to have you 
  taken to a great height and dropped. No, I will 
  do nothing of the sort. I am not a butcher or a 
  cold-blooded killer. I am letting you go. Go. Now, 
  before I change my mind.”
  With that the Nazis, carrying Dmitri, blast off into 
  the sky. A few seconds later, several objects land 
  in the snow nearby. It seems Ritter either has a 
  great sense of irony or a sick sense of humor—he’s 
  returned your weapons.
  Inside the boot of the character Dmitri grabbed is a 
  scrap of fabric with a painting of the Virgin Mary on one 
  side. On the rear face is a set of numbers—map coordi-
  nates! The heroes likely don’t have a map on them, but 
  the planes have detailed charts. Once they check, they 
  discover the coordinates indicate a mountainous region 
  a few hundred miles away.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (4 per hero): See page 19. Four 
  are equipped with a Raketengewehr.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+4
  ACT 4: SHOWDOWN
  ACT 4: SHOWDOWN
  What the Nazis don’t know, of course, is that the 
  heroes’ planes are safely stored away in the village. A 
  character making a Survival roll can deduce the settle-
  ment lies only around 20 miles to the southeast. A few 
  hours hard walk through the snow will give the heroes a 
  ﬁ ghting chance to catch the zeppelin.
  SCENE 1: RUDOLPH’S RAMPAGE
  SCENE 1: RUDOLPH’S RAMPAGE
  The sound of thunder rumbles across the snow-
  covered plains. Strangely, the sky is clear, save 
  for a few wispy clouds. Behind, you catch 
  sight of a rising cloud of snow, kicked up by 
  something on the move. The sound gets closer 
  and closer. Something bounds over a hill. 
  It’s a…solitary reindeer. Your sigh of relief is 
  quickly cut short.
  Another reindeer appears, and another, and 
  another. The horizon is suddenly ﬁ lled with hun-
  dreds, maybe thousands of reindeer, and they’re 
  stampeding toward you!
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 5”. Since humans have a lower 
  base Range Increment, the characters suffer a –1 penalty 
  to their Agility rolls. The reindeers are faster then the 
  adventurers, so they get a +1 bonus.
  The herd doesn’t have stats—they’re a mobile hazard 
  to outrun, not something the party can kill. Both sides 
  use Agility as their skill (d8 for the reindeer). The herd is 
  large, and, while treated as a single entity, extends over 
  three adjacent Range Increments.
  Running sideways to escape the herd isn’t much use. 
  It extends over a wide area and consists of hundreds of 
  beasts.
  If the herd gets within one Range Increment of the 
  heroes, they always try a Force stunt. This is a free action, 
  so they also make an Agility roll to increase their distance 
  as normal. This isn’t a conscious attack, but instead rep-
  resents the animals trampling the unfortunate humans, 
  or goring them with antlers. Although not technically an 
  area effect attack, the herd is treated as such, so heroes 
  with Dodge and Improved Dodge receive appropriate 
  bonuses. Characters who fail the opposed Agility roll suf-
  fer 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  On round six, the chase moves into a forest. Charac-
  ters who wish to climb to safety must forfeit their Agil-
  ity roll (they are Holding Steady), and instead make a 
  Climbing roll. Success means the character is safely in 
  the branches, far above the herd.
  Alternately, an adventurer can take cover behind a 
  tree and hope for the best. This grants him Heavy Cover, 
  meaning the herd has –4 to its Force stunt roll.
  The cause of the stampede becomes apparent unless 
  the characters manage to escape the panicked reindeer. 
  When the herd moves past every hero (and is thus no 
  longer a threat), a pack of Siberian timber wolves, hun-
  gry and desperate, comes bounding through the snow. 
  While normal wolves rarely bother humans, this is a pulp 
  game, so two-legged prey is fair game.
  The battleﬁ eld is covered with trees. Each ﬁ lls a 1” 
  square and is impassable terrain.
   Wolves (2 per hero): See page 21.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  THE VILLAGE AGAIN
  THE VILLAGE AGAIN
  Once the wolves have been dealt with, the characters 
  can continue their march back to the village. The head-
  man greets them warmly, but is dismayed to hear Dmitri 
  has been captured again. He does have some good news, 
  though—he’s reﬁ lled the fuel tanks with a mix of petrol 
  and vodka. ”It will probably burn out the engines,” he 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1515
  gestures at Rogachova. “That stone fell from the 
  heavens, but it was not sent by God.
  “This old man is sick, not from any terrestrial 
  illness but from exposure to the stone. It is an 
  energy source of great power, one which can be 
  turned into a weapon of terrifying power. Once it 
  has been turned into a weapon, no one will dare 
  stand against Germany!
  “I imagine about now you are waiting for me to 
  have you shot, or stripped naked and buried in 
  the snow to die of cold, or maybe to have you 
  taken to a great height and dropped. No, I will 
  do nothing of the sort. I am not a butcher or a 
  cold-blooded killer. I am letting you go. Go. Now, 
  before I change my mind.”
  With that the Nazis, carrying Dmitri, blast off into 
  the sky. A few seconds later, several objects land 
  in the snow nearby. It seems Ritter either has a 
  great sense of irony or a sick sense of humor—he’s 
  returned your weapons.
  Inside the boot of the character Dmitri grabbed is a 
  scrap of fabric with a painting of the Virgin Mary on one 
  side. On the rear face is a set of numbers—map coordi-
  nates! The heroes likely don’t have a map on them, but 
  the planes have detailed charts. Once they check, they 
  discover the coordinates indicate a mountainous region 
  a few hundred miles away.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (4 per hero): See page 19. Four 
  are equipped with a Raketengewehr.
  JEEP
  JEEP
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+4
  ACT 4: SHOWDOWN
  ACT 4: SHOWDOWN
  What the Nazis don’t know, of course, is that the 
  heroes’ planes are safely stored away in the village. A 
  character making a Survival roll can deduce the settle-
  ment lies only around 20 miles to the southeast. A few 
  hours hard walk through the snow will give the heroes a 
  ﬁ ghting chance to catch the zeppelin.
  SCENE 1: RUDOLPH’S RAMPAGE
  SCENE 1: RUDOLPH’S RAMPAGE
  The sound of thunder rumbles across the snow-
  covered plains. Strangely, the sky is clear, save 
  for a few wispy clouds. Behind, you catch 
  sight of a rising cloud of snow, kicked up by 
  something on the move. The sound gets closer 
  and closer. Something bounds over a hill. 
  It’s a…solitary reindeer. Your sigh of relief is 
  quickly cut short.
  Another reindeer appears, and another, and 
  another. The horizon is suddenly ﬁ lled with hun-
  dreds, maybe thousands of reindeer, and they’re 
  stampeding toward you!
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 5”. Since humans have a lower 
  base Range Increment, the characters suffer a –1 penalty 
  to their Agility rolls. The reindeers are faster then the 
  adventurers, so they get a +1 bonus.
  The herd doesn’t have stats—they’re a mobile hazard 
  to outrun, not something the party can kill. Both sides 
  use Agility as their skill (d8 for the reindeer). The herd is 
  large, and, while treated as a single entity, extends over 
  three adjacent Range Increments.
  Running sideways to escape the herd isn’t much use. 
  It extends over a wide area and consists of hundreds of 
  beasts.
  If the herd gets within one Range Increment of the 
  heroes, they always try a Force stunt. This is a free action, 
  so they also make an Agility roll to increase their distance 
  as normal. This isn’t a conscious attack, but instead rep-
  resents the animals trampling the unfortunate humans, 
  or goring them with antlers. Although not technically an 
  area effect attack, the herd is treated as such, so heroes 
  with Dodge and Improved Dodge receive appropriate 
  bonuses. Characters who fail the opposed Agility roll suf-
  fer 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  On round six, the chase moves into a forest. Charac-
  ters who wish to climb to safety must forfeit their Agil-
  ity roll (they are Holding Steady), and instead make a 
  Climbing roll. Success means the character is safely in 
  the branches, far above the herd.
  Alternately, an adventurer can take cover behind a 
  tree and hope for the best. This grants him Heavy Cover, 
  meaning the herd has –4 to its Force stunt roll.
  The cause of the stampede becomes apparent unless 
  the characters manage to escape the panicked reindeer. 
  When the herd moves past every hero (and is thus no 
  longer a threat), a pack of Siberian timber wolves, hun-
  gry and desperate, comes bounding through the snow. 
  While normal wolves rarely bother humans, this is a pulp 
  game, so two-legged prey is fair game.
  The battleﬁ eld is covered with trees. Each ﬁ lls a 1” 
  square and is impassable terrain.
   Wolves (2 per hero): See page 21.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  THE VILLAGE AGAIN
  THE VILLAGE AGAIN
  Once the wolves have been dealt with, the characters 
  can continue their march back to the village. The head-
  man greets them warmly, but is dismayed to hear Dmitri 
  has been captured again. He does have some good news, 
  though—he’s reﬁ lled the fuel tanks with a mix of petrol 
  and vodka. ”It will probably burn out the engines,” he 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1616
  admits, “but you’ll have enough life to rescue Dmitri a 
  second time. Good luck, comrades.”
  Before they leave, each character receives a single 
  Healing d8 roll from the village women (if required).
  SCENE 2: ANGRY BEES
  SCENE 2: ANGRY BEES
  The planes’ engines scream like banshees as you 
  urge the aircraft to go faster. Clouds, dark and 
  heavy, are illuminated brieﬂ y by brilliant ﬂ ashes 
  of lightning as you roar over the forests far below. 
  There it is! Through the clouds you can just make 
  out the zeppelin. Strangely it seems to be getting 
  closer much quicker than you anticipated. And 
  what are those small ﬂ ying dots between you and 
  it? Raketentruppen! It looks like the Nazis were 
  waiting for you!
  Although this is a dogﬁ ght, it’s easiest to run this scene 
  using the Chase rules. That said, if you’ve got plenty of 
  miniatures and enjoy tabletop battles, you can play it 
  out in full. For a full skirmish it’s best to divide speed 
  and weapon ranges by at least a factor of 10 (20 is better 
  for a smaller playing surface) or you’ll have planes and 
  Raketentruppen screaming across 100+” of table each 
  round.
  Don’t worry if the characters are shot down. The 
  Nazis assume the heroes die a horrible death and don’t 
  bother checking the wreckage. Fortunately, the crash site 
  is only a few miles from the place where the Tunguska 
  stone lies.
  Each Range Increment in the chase equates to 10”. 
  The lighting is Dim (–1) due to the storm. This affects 
  both Piloting and Shooting rolls.
  The zeppelin begins eight Range Increments from 
  the characters, but it’s moving toward them. Screening 
  it is a ﬂ ight of SS-Raketentruppen. These are ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead of the heroes, and again are moving 
  to intercept. As with engagements in melee, the Rake-
  tentruppen can turn on a dime. Hence, they can always 
  bring weapons to bear on the heroes.
  The Raketentruppen don’t have to use their weapons 
  to be a danger to the adventurers. They can, and should, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1616
  admits, “but you’ll have enough life to rescue Dmitri a 
  second time. Good luck, comrades.”
  Before they leave, each character receives a single 
  Healing d8 roll from the village women (if required).
  SCENE 2: ANGRY BEES
  SCENE 2: ANGRY BEES
  The planes’ engines scream like banshees as you 
  urge the aircraft to go faster. Clouds, dark and 
  heavy, are illuminated brieﬂ y by brilliant ﬂ ashes 
  of lightning as you roar over the forests far below. 
  There it is! Through the clouds you can just make 
  out the zeppelin. Strangely it seems to be getting 
  closer much quicker than you anticipated. And 
  what are those small ﬂ ying dots between you and 
  it? Raketentruppen! It looks like the Nazis were 
  waiting for you!
  Although this is a dogﬁ ght, it’s easiest to run this scene 
  using the Chase rules. That said, if you’ve got plenty of 
  miniatures and enjoy tabletop battles, you can play it 
  out in full. For a full skirmish it’s best to divide speed 
  and weapon ranges by at least a factor of 10 (20 is better 
  for a smaller playing surface) or you’ll have planes and 
  Raketentruppen screaming across 100+” of table each 
  round.
  Don’t worry if the characters are shot down. The 
  Nazis assume the heroes die a horrible death and don’t 
  bother checking the wreckage. Fortunately, the crash site 
  is only a few miles from the place where the Tunguska 
  stone lies.
  Each Range Increment in the chase equates to 10”. 
  The lighting is Dim (–1) due to the storm. This affects 
  both Piloting and Shooting rolls.
  The zeppelin begins eight Range Increments from 
  the characters, but it’s moving toward them. Screening 
  it is a ﬂ ight of SS-Raketentruppen. These are ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead of the heroes, and again are moving 
  to intercept. As with engagements in melee, the Rake-
  tentruppen can turn on a dime. Hence, they can always 
  bring weapons to bear on the heroes.
  The Raketentruppen don’t have to use their weapons 
  to be a danger to the adventurers. They can, and should, 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1717
  use Distract stunts, like lying across the cockpit (they 
  can’t attack, as they’re holding on tightly), blasting the 
  cockpit with exhaust fumes, landing on a wing to change 
  the plane’s balance, or holding the rudder in place to 
  prevent the aircraft turning smoothly.
  If they want to actually land on the plane and engage 
  in melee or shoot the crew through the cockpit (Tough-
  ness 6), they need to perform the Parallel maneuver ﬁ rst 
  and then make an Agility roll at –2, just as if they were 
  on the ground. Although the tabletop shows ﬂ at travel, 
  in the game the vehicles are moving at high speeds and 
  maneuvering.
  The zeppelin and its gunners share a single action 
  card. Split the SS-Raketentruppen into pairs for action 
  cards. This reduces the odds of them all acting before the 
  characters and creates a more challenging engagement.
  When the zeppelin takes its 4th wound, it bursts into 
  ﬂ ame and plummets toward the ground. A handful of 
  Nazis manage to bail out in time, but they pose no threat 
  to the heroes or their quest.
  Although there are no solid obstacles to hit this high 
  in the air, there is a risk of being hit by lightning. When a 
  Club is drawn by a player character pilot (not a passenger 
  or gunner), the zeppelin, or one of the SS-Raketentrup-
  pen, check the table below. This works as the regular Ob-
  stacles rules except the damage for a failed roll is ﬁ xed. 
  All lightning damage is caused by an Extra.
  Value 
  Penalty 
  Damage
  Deuce 
  –4 
  5d6
  3–10 
  –2 
  4d6
  Jack–King 
  –1 
  3d6
  Ace 
  0 
  2d6
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19.
   Zeppelin Crew (15): The zeppelin crew has just a 
  few key stats, since they do not appear in person—Agility 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Toughness 5.
  ZEPPELIN Z-32B
  ZEPPELIN Z-32B
  The Z-32B is small but fast and well-armed. Originally 
  designed to provide static defense against ﬁ ghters, it was 
  modiﬁ ed by the Sonderwaffen Abteilung to function as 
  a mobile base for the SS-Raketentruppen. An armored 
  gondola protects the crew, while the troops sit inside 
  the envelope, waiting for the signal to drop out through 
  large hatches in the underside.
  The zeppelin has four turrets, two on each side split. 
  In any round, the airship can maneuver so one of these 
  can target an individual foe. Thus, if the airship is at-
  tacked by two planes, each aircraft can be ﬁ red upon by 
  a single set of guns.
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/55; Toughness: 23 (3); Crew: 15+24
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 1 x light MG, left aft (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, left fore (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, right aft (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, right fore (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/100; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 3
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * 2 x linked light MG, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x heavy MG, gunner (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  SCENE 3: DMITRI’S PASSING
  SCENE 3: DMITRI’S PASSING
  After several hours flight, the heroes arrive at their 
  final destination. Circling around the area indicated 
  by the coordinates, the characters spot a cave en-
  trance in the permafrost. The nearest landing area 
  is several miles away, due to the forest surrounding 
  the cave.
  On approaching, the characters spy a small group of 
  Raketentruppen on guard outside the cave. Lying beside 
  them is Dmitri. Although they heard engines overhead, 
  the Nazis think it was their zeppelin. As such, they are 
  inactive sentries and can easily be taken by Surprise.
  The prone ﬁ gure is Father Dmitri. He’s almost dead 
  of radiation sickness, but he’s currently conscious and 
  lucid.
  “I know you,” the elderly priest smiles as you 
  approach. “You saved me. And you,” he points 
  at Rogachova, “I saw you years ago. You saw the 
  stone, before I hid it. I was arrogant,” he whispers, 
  blood bubbling on his lips, “believing it was sent 
  by God. For that sin I have paid dearly.”
  “The stone is a tool of the Devil. It made me sick. 
  Its power eats away at me from inside. I should 
  have destroyed it years ago, but part of me always 
  held to the belief I was wrong. By the time I knew 
  the truth, I was too sick too travel and too fearful 
  to entrust others to the task. But now you are here 
  and all will be well.
  “It must be destroyed. Swear you will destroy it. 
  Mankind faces a terrible plague if you do not.”
  Once the characters swear to destroy the stone 
  (whether they mean it or not), Father Dmitri gives a ﬁ nal 
  cough and dies.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1717
  use Distract stunts, like lying across the cockpit (they 
  can’t attack, as they’re holding on tightly), blasting the 
  cockpit with exhaust fumes, landing on a wing to change 
  the plane’s balance, or holding the rudder in place to 
  prevent the aircraft turning smoothly.
  If they want to actually land on the plane and engage 
  in melee or shoot the crew through the cockpit (Tough-
  ness 6), they need to perform the Parallel maneuver ﬁ rst 
  and then make an Agility roll at –2, just as if they were 
  on the ground. Although the tabletop shows ﬂ at travel, 
  in the game the vehicles are moving at high speeds and 
  maneuvering.
  The zeppelin and its gunners share a single action 
  card. Split the SS-Raketentruppen into pairs for action 
  cards. This reduces the odds of them all acting before the 
  characters and creates a more challenging engagement.
  When the zeppelin takes its 4th wound, it bursts into 
  ﬂ ame and plummets toward the ground. A handful of 
  Nazis manage to bail out in time, but they pose no threat 
  to the heroes or their quest.
  Although there are no solid obstacles to hit this high 
  in the air, there is a risk of being hit by lightning. When a 
  Club is drawn by a player character pilot (not a passenger 
  or gunner), the zeppelin, or one of the SS-Raketentrup-
  pen, check the table below. This works as the regular Ob-
  stacles rules except the damage for a failed roll is ﬁ xed. 
  All lightning damage is caused by an Extra.
  Value 
  Penalty 
  Damage
  Deuce 
  –4 
  5d6
  3–10 
  –2 
  4d6
  Jack–King 
  –1 
  3d6
  Ace 
  0 
  2d6
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19.
   Zeppelin Crew (15): The zeppelin crew has just a 
  few key stats, since they do not appear in person—Agility 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Toughness 5.
  ZEPPELIN Z-32B
  ZEPPELIN Z-32B
  The Z-32B is small but fast and well-armed. Originally 
  designed to provide static defense against ﬁ ghters, it was 
  modiﬁ ed by the Sonderwaffen Abteilung to function as 
  a mobile base for the SS-Raketentruppen. An armored 
  gondola protects the crew, while the troops sit inside 
  the envelope, waiting for the signal to drop out through 
  large hatches in the underside.
  The zeppelin has four turrets, two on each side split. 
  In any round, the airship can maneuver so one of these 
  can target an individual foe. Thus, if the airship is at-
  tacked by two planes, each aircraft can be ﬁ red upon by 
  a single set of guns.
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/55; Toughness: 23 (3); Crew: 15+24
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 1 x light MG, left aft (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, left fore (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, right aft (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x light MG, right fore (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 
  2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  ILYUSHIN IL–X3
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/100; Toughness: 14 (3); Crew: 3
  Notes: —
  Weapons: 
  * 2 x linked 20mm autocannon, pilot (+1 Shooting, 
  Range: 50/100/200, Damage: 3d8+1, ROF 3, AP 4, 
  HW)
  * 2 x linked light MG, pilot (+1 Shooting, Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8+1, ROF 3, AP 2)
  * 1 x heavy MG, gunner (Range: 50/100/150; Damage: 
  2d10; ROF 3, AP 4)
  SCENE 3: DMITRI’S PASSING
  SCENE 3: DMITRI’S PASSING
  After several hours flight, the heroes arrive at their 
  final destination. Circling around the area indicated 
  by the coordinates, the characters spot a cave en-
  trance in the permafrost. The nearest landing area 
  is several miles away, due to the forest surrounding 
  the cave.
  On approaching, the characters spy a small group of 
  Raketentruppen on guard outside the cave. Lying beside 
  them is Dmitri. Although they heard engines overhead, 
  the Nazis think it was their zeppelin. As such, they are 
  inactive sentries and can easily be taken by Surprise.
  The prone ﬁ gure is Father Dmitri. He’s almost dead 
  of radiation sickness, but he’s currently conscious and 
  lucid.
  “I know you,” the elderly priest smiles as you 
  approach. “You saved me. And you,” he points 
  at Rogachova, “I saw you years ago. You saw the 
  stone, before I hid it. I was arrogant,” he whispers, 
  blood bubbling on his lips, “believing it was sent 
  by God. For that sin I have paid dearly.”
  “The stone is a tool of the Devil. It made me sick. 
  Its power eats away at me from inside. I should 
  have destroyed it years ago, but part of me always 
  held to the belief I was wrong. By the time I knew 
  the truth, I was too sick too travel and too fearful 
  to entrust others to the task. But now you are here 
  and all will be well.
  “It must be destroyed. Swear you will destroy it. 
  Mankind faces a terrible plague if you do not.”
  Once the characters swear to destroy the stone 
  (whether they mean it or not), Father Dmitri gives a ﬁ nal 
  cough and dies.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1818
   Raketentruppen (1 per hero): See page 19. One 
  has a Raketengewehr.
  SCENE 4: THE ICE CAVE
  SCENE 4: THE ICE CAVE
  The cave leads steeply down into the frozen earth. 
  The walls and floor are seemingly made of solid ice, 
  making the going treacherous, and the temperature 
  is well below freezing.
  After a few hundred yards, the characters catch 
  sight of two Nazis ahead of them, facing away from 
  the party. At first glance they look like sentries, but it 
  should occur to the adventurers they’re looking the 
  wrong way!
  It’s likely the characters will want to make a stealthy 
  attack. Have them make Stealth rolls, but don’t roll the 
  Raketentruppen’s Notice. When the heroes get within 
  5”, have them make Notice rolls. With success, they re-
  alize the Nazis are frozen solid! In front of the goons is 
  a wide hole ﬁ lled with icy slush. This is a slush geyser, 
  which erupted and froze the Nazis solid in an instant. 
  It’s a forewarning of what’s to come, as well.
  As you advance forward and deeper, the ground 
  beneath you wobbles. Suddenly a huge section 
  of the floor cracks and slips forward. You’re 
  being carried forward by the ice sheet, which 
  seems to be floating on a secondary layer. It’s 
  an avalanche!
  Have each hero make an Agility roll. Those who fail 
  suffer a level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises. The 
  slide deposits them in a large chamber, in which are 
  Ritter and his cronies. Ritter holds in his hands a glow-
  ing lump of rock about the same size as his head.
  The sudden appearance of the characters gives 
  them a full round of Surprise. However, they start 
  prone, having been rudely dumped in the now 
  crumbled ice.
  Divide the Raketentruppen into groups equal in 
  number to the player characters for action card pur-
  poses. This not only prevents them all going before 
  the heroes, but also makes it more likely they will 
  draw a Club (see below).
  The cavern measures 24” long and 18” wide. Col-
  umns of ice, each 1” wide, stretch from floor to ceil-
  ing. These can be used as cover and are considered 
  indestructible. The Nazis begin at one end of the 
  cavern and the explorers at the other.
  The floor was once solid, slippery ice. Now, thanks 
  to the heat radiating from the Tunguska stone, it is 
  covered in slush. Movement is unimpaired unless a 
  hero runs. Anyone who rolls a 1 on his running die 
  slips and falls prone. The Nazis can all fly, of course.
  The presence of the heat-radiating stone has 
  caused structural weakness in the ice cave’s ceiling 
  and floor. Ancient stalactites of frozen water, which 
  had hung and grew for centuries, are now extremely 
  fragile, and prone to breaking off. Beneath the ice 
  floor is a deep pool of near-freezing slush. Sporadi-
  cally, pressure builds up, sending a geyser of slush 
  high into the air through the weakened floor.
  Such events occur whenever a Club suit is used 
  for initiative, so they are frequent. See below for de-
  tails. For the Nazis, pick one Extra whenever a Club is 
  drawn to suffer the effects, not all of them!
  In all instances, everyone in the template must 
  make an Agility roll at –2 as a free action or suffer the 
  listed effect. Those who succeed in their roll should 
  be moved just outside the affected area. This is free 
  movement and does not provoke attacks due to With-
  drawing from Combat or First Strike.
  Deuce (Freezing Geyser): A column of icy slush 
  shoots up through the floor. The jet fills a Medium 
  Burst Template, centered on the hero (or one Extra 
  picked at random).
  The water rapidly freezes, causing victims to seize 
  up. A failed roll means the victim is affected as per the 
  entangle power (–2 Pace and skills linked to Agility 
  and Strength). A critical failure means he is affected 
  as if the spell scored a raise (no movement, cannot 
  use any skills linked to Agility or Strength). Shrugging 
  off the effects requires a Strength or Agility roll.
  Mark the area through which the geyser erupted in 
  some manner. This is now a hole in the floor. Charac-
  ters cannot walk through the affected area, but they 
  can jump or fly over it.
  3: As above, except the area affected is a Small 
  Burst Template.
  4: As deuce, except only a single 1” square is af-
  fected.
  5–6 (Falling Icicle): One of the stalactites snaps 
  off and falls. Place a Large Burst Template over the 
  character holding the Club. Damage is 3d6. When 
  Extras draw a Club, the GM should pick one Extra at 
  random as the intended victim. Once the “attack” has 
  been dealt with, the area covered by the template is 
  treated as difficult ground for the remainder of the 
  scene.
  7-10: As above, except the area affected is a Me-
  dium Burst Template and damage is 2d8.
  Jack–King: As a result of 5–6, except the stalactite 
  smashes over a Small Burst Template and inflicts 2d6 
  damage.
  Ace: As a result of 5–6, except the stalactite fills 
  only a single 1” square and damage is 1d10.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19. 
  One has a Raketengewehr.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  The Nazis have been thwarted! Getting home isn’t 
  necessarily easy for the heroes, for it doesn’t involve and 
  life-or-death situations. What the party does with the 
  Tunguska stone is up to them. Being radioactive, it’s not 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  1818
   Raketentruppen (1 per hero): See page 19. One 
  has a Raketengewehr.
  SCENE 4: THE ICE CAVE
  SCENE 4: THE ICE CAVE
  The cave leads steeply down into the frozen earth. 
  The walls and floor are seemingly made of solid ice, 
  making the going treacherous, and the temperature 
  is well below freezing.
  After a few hundred yards, the characters catch 
  sight of two Nazis ahead of them, facing away from 
  the party. At first glance they look like sentries, but it 
  should occur to the adventurers they’re looking the 
  wrong way!
  It’s likely the characters will want to make a stealthy 
  attack. Have them make Stealth rolls, but don’t roll the 
  Raketentruppen’s Notice. When the heroes get within 
  5”, have them make Notice rolls. With success, they re-
  alize the Nazis are frozen solid! In front of the goons is 
  a wide hole ﬁ lled with icy slush. This is a slush geyser, 
  which erupted and froze the Nazis solid in an instant. 
  It’s a forewarning of what’s to come, as well.
  As you advance forward and deeper, the ground 
  beneath you wobbles. Suddenly a huge section 
  of the floor cracks and slips forward. You’re 
  being carried forward by the ice sheet, which 
  seems to be floating on a secondary layer. It’s 
  an avalanche!
  Have each hero make an Agility roll. Those who fail 
  suffer a level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises. The 
  slide deposits them in a large chamber, in which are 
  Ritter and his cronies. Ritter holds in his hands a glow-
  ing lump of rock about the same size as his head.
  The sudden appearance of the characters gives 
  them a full round of Surprise. However, they start 
  prone, having been rudely dumped in the now 
  crumbled ice.
  Divide the Raketentruppen into groups equal in 
  number to the player characters for action card pur-
  poses. This not only prevents them all going before 
  the heroes, but also makes it more likely they will 
  draw a Club (see below).
  The cavern measures 24” long and 18” wide. Col-
  umns of ice, each 1” wide, stretch from floor to ceil-
  ing. These can be used as cover and are considered 
  indestructible. The Nazis begin at one end of the 
  cavern and the explorers at the other.
  The floor was once solid, slippery ice. Now, thanks 
  to the heat radiating from the Tunguska stone, it is 
  covered in slush. Movement is unimpaired unless a 
  hero runs. Anyone who rolls a 1 on his running die 
  slips and falls prone. The Nazis can all fly, of course.
  The presence of the heat-radiating stone has 
  caused structural weakness in the ice cave’s ceiling 
  and floor. Ancient stalactites of frozen water, which 
  had hung and grew for centuries, are now extremely 
  fragile, and prone to breaking off. Beneath the ice 
  floor is a deep pool of near-freezing slush. Sporadi-
  cally, pressure builds up, sending a geyser of slush 
  high into the air through the weakened floor.
  Such events occur whenever a Club suit is used 
  for initiative, so they are frequent. See below for de-
  tails. For the Nazis, pick one Extra whenever a Club is 
  drawn to suffer the effects, not all of them!
  In all instances, everyone in the template must 
  make an Agility roll at –2 as a free action or suffer the 
  listed effect. Those who succeed in their roll should 
  be moved just outside the affected area. This is free 
  movement and does not provoke attacks due to With-
  drawing from Combat or First Strike.
  Deuce (Freezing Geyser): A column of icy slush 
  shoots up through the floor. The jet fills a Medium 
  Burst Template, centered on the hero (or one Extra 
  picked at random).
  The water rapidly freezes, causing victims to seize 
  up. A failed roll means the victim is affected as per the 
  entangle power (–2 Pace and skills linked to Agility 
  and Strength). A critical failure means he is affected 
  as if the spell scored a raise (no movement, cannot 
  use any skills linked to Agility or Strength). Shrugging 
  off the effects requires a Strength or Agility roll.
  Mark the area through which the geyser erupted in 
  some manner. This is now a hole in the floor. Charac-
  ters cannot walk through the affected area, but they 
  can jump or fly over it.
  3: As above, except the area affected is a Small 
  Burst Template.
  4: As deuce, except only a single 1” square is af-
  fected.
  5–6 (Falling Icicle): One of the stalactites snaps 
  off and falls. Place a Large Burst Template over the 
  character holding the Club. Damage is 3d6. When 
  Extras draw a Club, the GM should pick one Extra at 
  random as the intended victim. Once the “attack” has 
  been dealt with, the area covered by the template is 
  treated as difficult ground for the remainder of the 
  scene.
  7-10: As above, except the area affected is a Me-
  dium Burst Template and damage is 2d8.
  Jack–King: As a result of 5–6, except the stalactite 
  smashes over a Small Burst Template and inflicts 2d6 
  damage.
  Ace: As a result of 5–6, except the stalactite fills 
  only a single 1” square and damage is 1d10.
   Viktor Rogachova: See page 19.
   SS-Sturmbahnführer Ritter: See page 19.
   Raketentruppen (2 per hero): See page 19. 
  One has a Raketengewehr.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  The Nazis have been thwarted! Getting home isn’t 
  necessarily easy for the heroes, for it doesn’t involve and 
  life-or-death situations. What the party does with the 
  Tunguska stone is up to them. Being radioactive, it’s not 
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1919
  the sort of souvenir one typically wants in one’s house. 
  Naturally, the US government would take it off the party’s 
  hands for a suitable fee.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  VIKTOR ROGACHOVA
  VIKTOR ROGACHOVA
  Viktor Rogachova is a 39-year-old idealist. When the 
  Revolution came, he was already a trainee priest within 
  the Russian Orthodox Church. Favoring liberty over 
  Communism, like most of his brethren, he took up arms 
  against the Red Russians, earning praise for his marks-
  manship. When the Tsarist forces were defeated, Stalin 
  ordered priests to be rounded up and executed. Roga-
  chova has been on the run since 1921.
  The Nazis found him a few weeks ago, but underes-
  timated the resourcefulness of the priest. Overpowering 
  his two captors, he quickly ﬂ ed, using what little cash he 
  had to hand and calling in favors from Tsarist sympathiz-
  ers to reach Anchorage. Rogachova only knows the Nazis 
  want the Tunguska stone—he has no idea why.
  Rogachova speaks Russian and a little English. Treat 
  him as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Cautious, Enemy (Minor; Soviet state)
  Edges: Brawny, Charismatic, Marksman
  Gear: Wooden cross
  SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER ADOLF RITTER
  SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER ADOLF RITTER
  A member of the Sonderwaffen Abteilung, Ritter is a 
  specialist in the ﬁ eld of cryogenics. Hideously scarred af-
  ter a liquid oxygen tank exploded, Ritter hides his visage 
  behind a leather mask.
  Strapped across his back are two small tanks. One is 
  an experimental rocket pack, similar to those worn by 
  the Raketentruppen but powered by liquid oxygen, and 
  the other is a liquid oxygen tank which powers his weird 
  science. The mad doctor has one gizmo, a ﬂ amethrower-
  like device. He has a pool of 50 Power Points, shared 
  between his powers. This is fully recharged each scene 
  in which he appears.
  His bulky gear means he is encumbered, and so suf-
  fers a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. He 
  also suffers –1 to Pace on the ground and rolls a d4 run-
  ning die, since his armored suit prevents swift mobility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d10, Shooting d10, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Overconﬁ dent, Ugly (scars)
  Edges: Arcane background (Weird Science), Combat 
  Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Improved Level Headed, Power Surge, 
  Wizard*
  * Powers: Barrier (wall of ice), burst (jet of freezing va-
  por), deﬂ ection (weapons freeze up as they near), entan-
  gle (freezes victims), speed (ice slides under foot)
  Gear: Thermal insulated armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), 
  pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmo): The storage tank on Ritter’s back 
  is a Small target (–4). Reduce Ritter’s Power Points by 
  the damage inﬂ icted by the attack.
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  * This Edge isn’t normally available to Weird Scientists. 
  It simply represents his ability to achieve effects with 
  less liquid oxygen.
  GIUSEPPE MARCONI, MOB BOSS
  GIUSEPPE MARCONI, MOB BOSS
  Marconi is a low-ranking mob boss. Powerful enough 
  to operate his own gang, but not so powerful he really 
  controls any territory. He’s a mean shot, something many 
  of his enemies learned to their cost.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Shooting d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll, Steady 
  Hands
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1), knuckleduster (Str+d4)
  MOBSTER
  MOBSTER
  Some folks call them “Goodfellas,” but there isn’t 
  much good about these wise guys. Armed with Tommy 
  guns and wearing smart suits, mobsters are the elite 
  troops of the criminal gangs, hired to mow down nosey 
  cops or Feds and keep the other hoods in line. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1), knuckleduster or knife (Str+d4)
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  An elite company, the SS-Raketentruppen serve only 
  with the Sonderwaffen Abteilung. Armed with advanced 
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  1919
  the sort of souvenir one typically wants in one’s house. 
  Naturally, the US government would take it off the party’s 
  hands for a suitable fee.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  VIKTOR ROGACHOVA
  VIKTOR ROGACHOVA
  Viktor Rogachova is a 39-year-old idealist. When the 
  Revolution came, he was already a trainee priest within 
  the Russian Orthodox Church. Favoring liberty over 
  Communism, like most of his brethren, he took up arms 
  against the Red Russians, earning praise for his marks-
  manship. When the Tsarist forces were defeated, Stalin 
  ordered priests to be rounded up and executed. Roga-
  chova has been on the run since 1921.
  The Nazis found him a few weeks ago, but underes-
  timated the resourcefulness of the priest. Overpowering 
  his two captors, he quickly ﬂ ed, using what little cash he 
  had to hand and calling in favors from Tsarist sympathiz-
  ers to reach Anchorage. Rogachova only knows the Nazis 
  want the Tunguska stone—he has no idea why.
  Rogachova speaks Russian and a little English. Treat 
  him as a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Cautious, Enemy (Minor; Soviet state)
  Edges: Brawny, Charismatic, Marksman
  Gear: Wooden cross
  SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER ADOLF RITTER
  SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER ADOLF RITTER
  A member of the Sonderwaffen Abteilung, Ritter is a 
  specialist in the ﬁ eld of cryogenics. Hideously scarred af-
  ter a liquid oxygen tank exploded, Ritter hides his visage 
  behind a leather mask.
  Strapped across his back are two small tanks. One is 
  an experimental rocket pack, similar to those worn by 
  the Raketentruppen but powered by liquid oxygen, and 
  the other is a liquid oxygen tank which powers his weird 
  science. The mad doctor has one gizmo, a ﬂ amethrower-
  like device. He has a pool of 50 Power Points, shared 
  between his powers. This is fully recharged each scene 
  in which he appears.
  His bulky gear means he is encumbered, and so suf-
  fers a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. He 
  also suffers –1 to Pace on the ground and rolls a d4 run-
  ning die, since his armored suit prevents swift mobility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d10, Shooting d10, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Overconﬁ dent, Ugly (scars)
  Edges: Arcane background (Weird Science), Combat 
  Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Improved Level Headed, Power Surge, 
  Wizard*
  * Powers: Barrier (wall of ice), burst (jet of freezing va-
  por), deﬂ ection (weapons freeze up as they near), entan-
  gle (freezes victims), speed (ice slides under foot)
  Gear: Thermal insulated armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), 
  pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Gizmo): The storage tank on Ritter’s back 
  is a Small target (–4). Reduce Ritter’s Power Points by 
  the damage inﬂ icted by the attack.
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  * This Edge isn’t normally available to Weird Scientists. 
  It simply represents his ability to achieve effects with 
  less liquid oxygen.
  GIUSEPPE MARCONI, MOB BOSS
  GIUSEPPE MARCONI, MOB BOSS
  Marconi is a low-ranking mob boss. Powerful enough 
  to operate his own gang, but not so powerful he really 
  controls any territory. He’s a mean shot, something many 
  of his enemies learned to their cost.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Shooting d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll, Steady 
  Hands
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1), knuckleduster (Str+d4)
  MOBSTER
  MOBSTER
  Some folks call them “Goodfellas,” but there isn’t 
  much good about these wise guys. Armed with Tommy 
  guns and wearing smart suits, mobsters are the elite 
  troops of the criminal gangs, hired to mow down nosey 
  cops or Feds and keep the other hoods in line. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1), knuckleduster or knife (Str+d4)
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  SS-RAKETENTRUPPEN
  An elite company, the SS-Raketentruppen serve only 
  with the Sonderwaffen Abteilung. Armed with advanced 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  2020
  riﬂ es, clad in armored ﬂ ight suits with full head protec-
  tion, and wearing an experimental rocket pack strapped 
  to their backs, the Raketentruppen are trained to drop 
  from the skies into the heart of enemy installations, 
  achieve their objective, and depart back to the heavens 
  before an alarm can be raised.
  Their bulky gear means they are encumbered, and so 
  suffer a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. 
  They also suffer –1 to Pace on the ground and roll a d4 
  running die, since their armored suits prevent swift mo-
  bility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Thermal insulated armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), Ra-
  ketengewehr (see below), knife (Str+d4), SMG (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 2 x potato mash-
  er grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template), experimental rocket pack (Pace 100, 
  good for 20 rounds of continual use).
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  HEAVY
  HEAVY
  Life on the railroad in Alaska is tough. When the labor-
  ers aren’t working, they like to spend their time drinking 
  and ﬁ ghting in no particular order.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: Improvised small weapon (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NKVD BRUTE
  NKVD BRUTE
  Well-muscled, bald, and as mean as sin, this thug 
  loves inﬂ icting pain on others. His preferred weapon of 
  choice is a short, wooden club, which he uses with great 
  efﬁ ciency.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9
  Hindrances: Mean, Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Im-
  proved Nerves of Steel, Improved Sweep, Mighty Blow, 
  Tough as Nails
  Equipment: Baton (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Crippling Blow: If the brute inﬂ icts a wound with 
  his club, he has struck a sensitive area or rendered a 
  limb temporarily useless. The victim must roll on the 
  Injury Table. The injury lasts until the end of the cur-
  rent scene.
  NKVD OFFICER
  NKVD OFFICER
  Fear is the main weapon of the NKVD, as this ofﬁ cer 
  knows full well. His men may not like him, but they obey 
  his orders to the full. Ofﬁ cers are treated as Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  RAKETENGEWEHR
  RAKETENGEWEHR
  The “rocket riﬂ e” is essentially a bulky, two-handed riﬂ e with a revolver-like magazine. Six light armor-piercing warheads 
  are stored in the cylindrical magazine. When ﬁ red, one warhead is launched at relatively low speeds. This helps reduce the 
  already immense recoil. Once clear of the barrel, a secondary booster ignites, propelling the round to tremendous velocity. 
  Its primary drawback is the slow reload time (one action per warhead).
  A built-in safety feature prevents the warhead from detonating until it has traveled at least 12 yards (6”). Damage at less 
  than 6” is 2d6 to a single target (a result of kinetic impact).
  Each squad (10 men or part thereof) carries one Raketengewehr. This replaces the soldier’s usual weapon. On this 
  mission, the soldiers carry no reloads.
  Type
  Range
  Damage
  ROF
  Weight
  Shots
  Min Str
  Notes
  Raketengewehr
  20/40/80
  3d8
  1
  20
  6
  d8
  Medium Burst, AP 4, HW, Snapﬁ re, 2 
  hands, see notes
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #12
  2020
  riﬂ es, clad in armored ﬂ ight suits with full head protec-
  tion, and wearing an experimental rocket pack strapped 
  to their backs, the Raketentruppen are trained to drop 
  from the skies into the heart of enemy installations, 
  achieve their objective, and depart back to the heavens 
  before an alarm can be raised.
  Their bulky gear means they are encumbered, and so 
  suffer a –1 to all Strength, Agility, and linked skill rolls. 
  They also suffer –1 to Pace on the ground and roll a d4 
  running die, since their armored suits prevent swift mo-
  bility.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice 
  d8, Piloting d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Thermal insulated armored ﬂ ight suit (+2), Ra-
  ketengewehr (see below), knife (Str+d4), SMG (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 2 x potato mash-
  er grenades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium 
  Burst Template), experimental rocket pack (Pace 100, 
  good for 20 rounds of continual use).
  Special Abilities:
  * Weakness (Rocketpack): The rocketpack may be 
  targeted. It is a Small target (–4), with Toughness 8 
  (2). A wound causes the pack to explode in a Medium 
  Burst Template for 2d8 damage. Even if the wearer 
  isn’t killed, he cannot maintain altitude.
  HEAVY
  HEAVY
  Life on the railroad in Alaska is tough. When the labor-
  ers aren’t working, they like to spend their time drinking 
  and ﬁ ghting in no particular order.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: Improvised small weapon (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NKVD BRUTE
  NKVD BRUTE
  Well-muscled, bald, and as mean as sin, this thug 
  loves inﬂ icting pain on others. His preferred weapon of 
  choice is a short, wooden club, which he uses with great 
  efﬁ ciency.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9
  Hindrances: Mean, Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Im-
  proved Nerves of Steel, Improved Sweep, Mighty Blow, 
  Tough as Nails
  Equipment: Baton (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Crippling Blow: If the brute inﬂ icts a wound with 
  his club, he has struck a sensitive area or rendered a 
  limb temporarily useless. The victim must roll on the 
  Injury Table. The injury lasts until the end of the cur-
  rent scene.
  NKVD OFFICER
  NKVD OFFICER
  Fear is the main weapon of the NKVD, as this ofﬁ cer 
  knows full well. His men may not like him, but they obey 
  his orders to the full. Ofﬁ cers are treated as Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  RAKETENGEWEHR
  RAKETENGEWEHR
  The “rocket riﬂ e” is essentially a bulky, two-handed riﬂ e with a revolver-like magazine. Six light armor-piercing warheads 
  are stored in the cylindrical magazine. When ﬁ red, one warhead is launched at relatively low speeds. This helps reduce the 
  already immense recoil. Once clear of the barrel, a secondary booster ignites, propelling the round to tremendous velocity. 
  Its primary drawback is the slow reload time (one action per warhead).
  A built-in safety feature prevents the warhead from detonating until it has traveled at least 12 yards (6”). Damage at less 
  than 6” is 2d6 to a single target (a result of kinetic impact).
  Each squad (10 men or part thereof) carries one Raketengewehr. This replaces the soldier’s usual weapon. On this 
  mission, the soldiers carry no reloads.
  Type
  Range
  Damage
  ROF
  Weight
  Shots
  Min Str
  Notes
  Raketengewehr
  20/40/80
  3d8
  1
  20
  6
  d8
  Medium Burst, AP 4, HW, Snapﬁ re, 2 
  hands, see notes
  
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  2121
  Edges: Command, Strong Willed
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NKVD SOLDIER
  NKVD SOLDIER
  Irkutsk is a major trading city even under the Soviet 
  regime. Guarding the town is a company of NKVD sol-
  diers backed up by armored cars and light tanks. Fortu-
  nately for the heroes, even the NKVD is poorly trained at 
  this stage in Soviet history.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d6, Throwing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), bolt-action riﬂ e (Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, AP 2), bayonet (Str+d4), 2 gre-
  nades (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: 3d6, Medium Burst Tem-
  plate)
  SOVIET PILOT
  SOVIET PILOT
  Although the USSR has pilots ﬁ ghting in the Spanish 
  Civil War, most of its aircrews have never seen active 
  combat. Many are young, idealistic, and poorly trained. 
  Note they don’t have Steady Hands, so they suffer a –2 
  penalty to Shooting rolls while ﬂ ying.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Repair d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Dam-
  age: 2d6, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  WOLF
  WOLF
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Wolves roll a d10 when running in-
  stead of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Wolves instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly-armored location.
  * Size -1: Wolves are relatively small creatures.
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  LEGACY OF TUNGUSKA
  2121
  Edges: Command, Strong Willed
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NKVD SOLDIER
  NKVD SOLDIER
  Irkutsk is a major trading city even under the Soviet 
  regime. Guarding the town is a company of NKVD sol-
  diers backed up by armored cars and light tanks. Fortu-
  nately for the heroes, even the NKVD is poorly trained at 
  this stage in Soviet history.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d6, Throwing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), bolt-action riﬂ e (Range: 
  24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, AP 2), bayonet (Str+d4), 2 gre-
  nades (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: 3d6, Medium Burst Tem-
  plate)
  SOVIET PILOT
  SOVIET PILOT
  Although the USSR has pilots ﬁ ghting in the Spanish 
  Civil War, most of its aircrews have never seen active 
  combat. Many are young, idealistic, and poorly trained. 
  Note they don’t have Steady Hands, so they suffer a –2 
  penalty to Shooting rolls while ﬂ ying.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Repair d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Flying jacket (+1), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Dam-
  age: 2d6, AP 1), knife (Str+d4)
  WOLF
  WOLF
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Wolves roll a d10 when running in-
  stead of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Wolves instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly-armored location.
  * Size -1: Wolves are relatively small creatures.
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31027
  31027
  $7.50
  $7.50
  Chasing mobsters over a frozen 
  Alaskan lake might be fun, but 
  when an airplane suddenly drops 
  from the sky and the heroes are 
  attacked by Nazi rocket troops 
  you know it’s not a normal 
  day! And when a Russian priest 
  staggers into their lives with a 
  tale of a holy relic from Tunguska 
  being sought by the Nazis, it’s 
  deﬁ nitely a day to remember!
  Following the clues, our intrepid 
  heroes visit the vast expanse 
  of Mother Russia. Here they must unravel the location of the 
  sacred Stone of Tunguska while avoiding ruthless NKVD agents, 
  the trigger happy Soviet airforce, and the evil machination of 
  a Nazi weird scientist with a love of cryogenics. The former 
  exile city of Irkutsk and the frozen wastes of Siberia form the 
  backdrop for the frantic chase.
  Can the adventurers uncover the Legacy of Tunguska? Find out 
  in this two-ﬁ sted tale of action and adventure!
  its getting hot in siberia!
  its getting hot in siberia!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31030
  31030
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1313
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1313
  
  The ancient Greeks wrote of ambrosia and nectar, the 
  food of the gods. The Spanish sought the Fountain of 
  Youth in vain. Crusaders waged war in their search for 
  the Holy Grail. Alchemists labored long over their ap-
  paratus but failed to ﬁ nd the elusive secret. Ironically, 
  men have killed and expended vast fortunes to learn the 
  secret of immortality, but those sacriﬁ ces were in vain, 
  for no human has ever discovered the path to eternal 
  life.
  But now the path to eternal life is a step closer thanks 
  to the legend of one man. Five centuries ago, a warlord 
  rose to power in Eastern Europe, a warlord history would 
  label a madman, a butcher, a vampire; a warlord known 
  today as Dracula.
  The story of Dracula’s life is well-known, but his death 
  and vampirism are shrouded in mystery. Most scholars 
  claim he died centuries ago after being beheaded by his 
  foes. A few, those on the fringe of scholastic circles, claim 
  he discovered a dark path to immortality, and rose as the 
  ﬁ rst vampire. It is the latter who are closest to the truth.
  After the death of his beloved wife through an act of 
  treachery, Dracula’s fury knew no bounds. He ranted 
  against God, believing the Almighty had done him an in-
  justice after his battles against the invading Turks. In an 
  unholy mockery of the legend of the Holy Grail, Dracula 
  seized a golden chalice from the altar in his castle’s cha-
  pel, ﬁ lled it with blood, and drank deeply, all the while 
  forsaking Christ.
  Cut off from God’s grace, Dracula became a tool of 
  the Devil. Satan made the warlord an immortal, but one 
  whose existence would require the blood of others. For 
  years, Dracula waged war against God through his inhu-
  man existence, until he suddenly vanished from history 
  a century or so later.
  Between his rebirth and disappearance, many legends 
  grew up around Dracula. Only one concerned itself with 
  his golden chalice of blood, and it was largely forgot-
  ten after the 17th century. But now the story has been 
  uncovered.
  Word of the cup has reached the ears of one Adolf Hit-
  ler. Though the German dictator has not yet mobilized 
  his armies, he has already designed the blueprint for his 
  Thousand Year Reich. Aware of his mortality, and believ-
  ing only he has the strength of will to lead Germany for 
  the full duration of the Reich, Hitler has ordered the 
  chalice be found by any means and at any cost.
  To lead the Nazi expedition, Hitler appointed Doctor 
  Wolfgang von Drachenstein, a notorious medical practi-
  tioner jailed for his sick experiments involving diseases 
  of the blood and an expert on vampire lore. Freed from 
  incarceration, von Drachenstein was given a laboratory 
  to continue his experiments and the rank of Sturmbahn-
  führer (Major) in the SS.
  The mad doctor quickly mobilized a personal army 
  of hardened SS soldiers and began his quest. He tracked 
  down a small, archaeological expedition in Romania (not 
  yet an ally of Germany) and interrogated the scientists. 
  To his disgust, he discovered a vital clue had been sent 
  to a Romanian folklore expert, now living in Boston, via 
  steamer.
  Commandeering a U-boat, von Drachenstein set 
  sail after the steamer. Fog and foul weather hampered 
  his efforts, and it was only just before the ship entered 
  American waters that it was stopped. After ﬁ nding what 
  he came for, von Drachenstein killed the crew.
  Realizing his own knowledge of Romanian folklore 
  would not be enough to complete Hitler’s quest, the Nazi 
  set a trap to lure the folklore expert into the open. In a 
  twisted imitation of Bram Stoker’s novel, von Drachen-
  stein lashed the dead skipper to the wheel, while he 
  steered it into harbor. Just before it reached the wharf, 
  he leapt overboard into a waiting dinghy.
  GM’s Notes: The use of a chalice in Dracula’s trans-
  formation into a vampire is based on events in the movie, 
  Bram Stoker’s Dracula, not the novel by Bram Stoker.
  While there are supernatural elements in this adven-
  ture, it remains ﬁ rmly rooted in the pulp mentality. Try to 
  remain focused on the action, rather than promoting an 
  overt air of mystery and horror. A little creepiness is cool, 
  but too much and the characters may develop a touch of 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  2
  The ancient Greeks wrote of ambrosia and nectar, the 
  food of the gods. The Spanish sought the Fountain of 
  Youth in vain. Crusaders waged war in their search for 
  the Holy Grail. Alchemists labored long over their ap-
  paratus but failed to ﬁ nd the elusive secret. Ironically, 
  men have killed and expended vast fortunes to learn the 
  secret of immortality, but those sacriﬁ ces were in vain, 
  for no human has ever discovered the path to eternal 
  life.
  But now the path to eternal life is a step closer thanks 
  to the legend of one man. Five centuries ago, a warlord 
  rose to power in Eastern Europe, a warlord history would 
  label a madman, a butcher, a vampire; a warlord known 
  today as Dracula.
  The story of Dracula’s life is well-known, but his death 
  and vampirism are shrouded in mystery. Most scholars 
  claim he died centuries ago after being beheaded by his 
  foes. A few, those on the fringe of scholastic circles, claim 
  he discovered a dark path to immortality, and rose as the 
  ﬁ rst vampire. It is the latter who are closest to the truth.
  After the death of his beloved wife through an act of 
  treachery, Dracula’s fury knew no bounds. He ranted 
  against God, believing the Almighty had done him an in-
  justice after his battles against the invading Turks. In an 
  unholy mockery of the legend of the Holy Grail, Dracula 
  seized a golden chalice from the altar in his castle’s cha-
  pel, ﬁ lled it with blood, and drank deeply, all the while 
  forsaking Christ.
  Cut off from God’s grace, Dracula became a tool of 
  the Devil. Satan made the warlord an immortal, but one 
  whose existence would require the blood of others. For 
  years, Dracula waged war against God through his inhu-
  man existence, until he suddenly vanished from history 
  a century or so later.
  Between his rebirth and disappearance, many legends 
  grew up around Dracula. Only one concerned itself with 
  his golden chalice of blood, and it was largely forgot-
  ten after the 17th century. But now the story has been 
  uncovered.
  Word of the cup has reached the ears of one Adolf Hit-
  ler. Though the German dictator has not yet mobilized 
  his armies, he has already designed the blueprint for his 
  Thousand Year Reich. Aware of his mortality, and believ-
  ing only he has the strength of will to lead Germany for 
  the full duration of the Reich, Hitler has ordered the 
  chalice be found by any means and at any cost.
  To lead the Nazi expedition, Hitler appointed Doctor 
  Wolfgang von Drachenstein, a notorious medical practi-
  tioner jailed for his sick experiments involving diseases 
  of the blood and an expert on vampire lore. Freed from 
  incarceration, von Drachenstein was given a laboratory 
  to continue his experiments and the rank of Sturmbahn-
  führer (Major) in the SS.
  The mad doctor quickly mobilized a personal army 
  of hardened SS soldiers and began his quest. He tracked 
  down a small, archaeological expedition in Romania (not 
  yet an ally of Germany) and interrogated the scientists. 
  To his disgust, he discovered a vital clue had been sent 
  to a Romanian folklore expert, now living in Boston, via 
  steamer.
  Commandeering a U-boat, von Drachenstein set 
  sail after the steamer. Fog and foul weather hampered 
  his efforts, and it was only just before the ship entered 
  American waters that it was stopped. After ﬁ nding what 
  he came for, von Drachenstein killed the crew.
  Realizing his own knowledge of Romanian folklore 
  would not be enough to complete Hitler’s quest, the Nazi 
  set a trap to lure the folklore expert into the open. In a 
  twisted imitation of Bram Stoker’s novel, von Drachen-
  stein lashed the dead skipper to the wheel, while he 
  steered it into harbor. Just before it reached the wharf, 
  he leapt overboard into a waiting dinghy.
  GM’s Notes: The use of a chalice in Dracula’s trans-
  formation into a vampire is based on events in the movie, 
  Bram Stoker’s Dracula, not the novel by Bram Stoker.
  While there are supernatural elements in this adven-
  ture, it remains ﬁ rmly rooted in the pulp mentality. Try to 
  remain focused on the action, rather than promoting an 
  overt air of mystery and horror. A little creepiness is cool, 
  but too much and the characters may develop a touch of 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  2
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  3
  hesitancy and forget the reckless bravado. With regard to 
  the movies and atmosphere, this is Van Helsing horror, 
  not Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guaran-
  teeing them an advance every mission until they reach 
  Legendary. After this time, they gain an advance every 
  second adventure (when the XPs are a multiple of ten). 
  All the players need do is tick the appropriate box and 
  start making use of the new upgrade.
  Characters: 85 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 gaming stones (with 5 of a dif-
  ferent color) and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  The morning newspapers all carry the same front 
  page—the story of a ship, the Dmitri, which steamed 
  into Boston Harbor and failed to stop. The story would 
  likely be minor news, except an undisclosed police 
  source said the crew was missing. With nothing else of 
  interest on their plates that morning, the adventurers 
  have descended on the crowded docks to take a look.
  SCENE 1: HARBORING A MYSTERY
  SCENE 1: HARBORING A MYSTERY
  It looks like half of Boston has crowded into the 
  harbor area. As you work through the crowd, 
  talk of smugglers, ghost ships, Nazi spies, a failed 
  American Navy experiment, a terrible storm, and 
  other rumors are already circulating wildly.
  Finally you reach the waterfront and catch your 
  ﬁ rst sight of… nothing. No, wait; there’s a small 
  ship, possibly a passenger steamer, far out into 
  the water and surrounded by police boats. A po-
  liceman stationed on the waterfront calls out to 
  you in a gruff tone, “You’ve had your look, now 
  move along.”
  Asking the policeman what happened requires a Per-
  suasion roll at –2. With success, he reveals a ship steamed 
  into harbor at full speed late last night and crashed into a 
  wharf. It’s been towed out into the harbor so the police 
  can check it over before the insurance agents arrive. The 
  crew has been detained, and there were no passengers. 
  A failure results in the constable tapping his nightstick 
  and gesturing the party toward the back of the crowd.
  Whether they stay or attempt to leave, a grubby hobo 
  tugs on their arms a few moments later. “Spare a dime,” 
  he says, his breath rank with the stench of strong spirits, 
  “and I’ll tell you what I saw. I was here when it hap-
  pened, I was.”
  The hobo, who goes by the name Archie (“just Ar-
  chie”), was indeed on the waterfront when the ship col-
  lided with the wharf. He was also under the inﬂ uence 
  at the time, and his story is a blend of fact and alcohol-
  induced errors. Once paid, Archie tells his story.
  “Me and Benny,” he gestures to his side and pats 
  his hand on thin air, “my dog, were walking here 
  last night when we saw lights out in the harbor. 
  They were moving real fast, straight toward the 
  wharf. Then I saw them, I did, I saw them.
  “A giant bat, big as a man, ﬂ ew off the ship into 
  the night sky. I didn’t get a clear look, ‘cause right 
  at that moment the ship banged hard into the 
  stone wall. Fearsome noise it was, like artillery 
  going off. That’s when the other man jumped off 
  and ran away. Big chap, he was, all covered in 
  hair and with evil eyes.”
  Archie’s story is a truth of sorts. The “giant bat” was 
  in fact the villain of our story—Wolfgang von Drachen-
  stein—leaping from the ship and into a waiting boat. The 
  bat wings were just the Nazi’s leather coat ﬂ apping in 
  the wind. His view blocked by the steamer, Archie never 
  saw the murderer land in the small craft, so his mind 
  invented a few details. The other man, the sole survivor 
  of the crew, ﬂ ed in terror into Boston. The characters 
  encounter him later.
  The police at the harbor has heard Archie’s story, but 
  dismissed his account as drunken ramblings.
  CONTACTS
  CONTACTS
  Characters with Connections to the police, a reporter, 
  or the harbormaster’s ofﬁ ce can acquire more informa-
  tion, as can a hero who uses a Contact. Information is 
  revealed only on the understanding that it isn’t broad-
  cast to the public—the police don’t want to alarm the 
  citizens of Boston.
  The police found six bodies onboard, all drained of 
  blood. The blood loss seemed to have occurred through 
  two puncture wounds in the neck, spaced about an inch 
  apart, but very little blood was found at the crime scene. 
  Identiﬁ cations have yet to take place, but the manifest 
  indicated six crewmembers, so the police believe they 
  have all been accounted for. There was no passenger 
  manifest. The police have taken this to mean there were 
  no passengers, but in truth the manifest has simply not 
  been found.
  The strangest thing was the captain. He was found 
  lashed to the wheel. The coroner has yet to make his 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  3
  hesitancy and forget the reckless bravado. With regard to 
  the movies and atmosphere, this is Van Helsing horror, 
  not Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guaran-
  teeing them an advance every mission until they reach 
  Legendary. After this time, they gain an advance every 
  second adventure (when the XPs are a multiple of ten). 
  All the players need do is tick the appropriate box and 
  start making use of the new upgrade.
  Characters: 85 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 gaming stones (with 5 of a dif-
  ferent color) and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  ACT 1: BOSTON
  The morning newspapers all carry the same front 
  page—the story of a ship, the Dmitri, which steamed 
  into Boston Harbor and failed to stop. The story would 
  likely be minor news, except an undisclosed police 
  source said the crew was missing. With nothing else of 
  interest on their plates that morning, the adventurers 
  have descended on the crowded docks to take a look.
  SCENE 1: HARBORING A MYSTERY
  SCENE 1: HARBORING A MYSTERY
  It looks like half of Boston has crowded into the 
  harbor area. As you work through the crowd, 
  talk of smugglers, ghost ships, Nazi spies, a failed 
  American Navy experiment, a terrible storm, and 
  other rumors are already circulating wildly.
  Finally you reach the waterfront and catch your 
  ﬁ rst sight of… nothing. No, wait; there’s a small 
  ship, possibly a passenger steamer, far out into 
  the water and surrounded by police boats. A po-
  liceman stationed on the waterfront calls out to 
  you in a gruff tone, “You’ve had your look, now 
  move along.”
  Asking the policeman what happened requires a Per-
  suasion roll at –2. With success, he reveals a ship steamed 
  into harbor at full speed late last night and crashed into a 
  wharf. It’s been towed out into the harbor so the police 
  can check it over before the insurance agents arrive. The 
  crew has been detained, and there were no passengers. 
  A failure results in the constable tapping his nightstick 
  and gesturing the party toward the back of the crowd.
  Whether they stay or attempt to leave, a grubby hobo 
  tugs on their arms a few moments later. “Spare a dime,” 
  he says, his breath rank with the stench of strong spirits, 
  “and I’ll tell you what I saw. I was here when it hap-
  pened, I was.”
  The hobo, who goes by the name Archie (“just Ar-
  chie”), was indeed on the waterfront when the ship col-
  lided with the wharf. He was also under the inﬂ uence 
  at the time, and his story is a blend of fact and alcohol-
  induced errors. Once paid, Archie tells his story.
  “Me and Benny,” he gestures to his side and pats 
  his hand on thin air, “my dog, were walking here 
  last night when we saw lights out in the harbor. 
  They were moving real fast, straight toward the 
  wharf. Then I saw them, I did, I saw them.
  “A giant bat, big as a man, ﬂ ew off the ship into 
  the night sky. I didn’t get a clear look, ‘cause right 
  at that moment the ship banged hard into the 
  stone wall. Fearsome noise it was, like artillery 
  going off. That’s when the other man jumped off 
  and ran away. Big chap, he was, all covered in 
  hair and with evil eyes.”
  Archie’s story is a truth of sorts. The “giant bat” was 
  in fact the villain of our story—Wolfgang von Drachen-
  stein—leaping from the ship and into a waiting boat. The 
  bat wings were just the Nazi’s leather coat ﬂ apping in 
  the wind. His view blocked by the steamer, Archie never 
  saw the murderer land in the small craft, so his mind 
  invented a few details. The other man, the sole survivor 
  of the crew, ﬂ ed in terror into Boston. The characters 
  encounter him later.
  The police at the harbor has heard Archie’s story, but 
  dismissed his account as drunken ramblings.
  CONTACTS
  CONTACTS
  Characters with Connections to the police, a reporter, 
  or the harbormaster’s ofﬁ ce can acquire more informa-
  tion, as can a hero who uses a Contact. Information is 
  revealed only on the understanding that it isn’t broad-
  cast to the public—the police don’t want to alarm the 
  citizens of Boston.
  The police found six bodies onboard, all drained of 
  blood. The blood loss seemed to have occurred through 
  two puncture wounds in the neck, spaced about an inch 
  apart, but very little blood was found at the crime scene. 
  Identiﬁ cations have yet to take place, but the manifest 
  indicated six crewmembers, so the police believe they 
  have all been accounted for. There was no passenger 
  manifest. The police have taken this to mean there were 
  no passengers, but in truth the manifest has simply not 
  been found.
  The strangest thing was the captain. He was found 
  lashed to the wheel. The coroner has yet to make his 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  4
  report, but by all accounts he too was drained of blood, 
  and therefore incapable of steering the stricken vessel 
  through the harbor mouth and around moored ships.
  SCENE 2: WATERFRONT CHASE
  SCENE 2: WATERFRONT CHASE
  As the adventurers return to their car, they spot a 
  shabbily dressed man, hurrying away from the water-
  front. He keeps glancing back at the distant steamer, and 
  is obviously very nervous.
  Before the heroes can approach him, a convertible 
  sedan squeals to a halt beside him. Words are exchanged 
  with the four passengers. The pedestrian seems about to 
  make a run for it, but his eyes catch sight of something 
  in the car. Reluctantly, he climbs into the vehicle. Char-
  acters who succeed at a Notice roll spot the distinctive 
  muzzle of a Schmeisser (a German SMG) pointed at the 
  man. The car then screams away, tires smoking (yes, we 
  know the MP-38, erroneously called a Schmeisser, wasn’t 
  available in 1937, but it’s an iconic weapon so we’ve 
  included it).
  Even if the Notice rolls fail, the characters should have 
  their curiosity piqued and decide to follow the car. The 
  Nazis quickly realize they are being tailed and open ﬁ re!
  The ﬂ eeing car begins three Range Increments ahead of 
  the heroes, and each Range Increment equates to 5”. This 
  Scene uses Triple Ace Game’s alternate Obstacles rules.
  The Nazis are desperate to escape, not get involved in 
  a lengthy chase. Caring nothing for innocent bystanders, 
  the passengers happily spray the heroes’ car with lead 
  from their SMGs. They don’t have Steady Hands, so their 
  attacks suffer a –2 penalty.
  Flying characters, such as Doc Davenport, can ﬂ y 
  through the streets using Piloting. Despite the vague na-
  ture of how much distance is covered during a round in a 
  Chase, the character must burn Power Points each round 
  to maintain his ﬂ ight as normal. In addition, a ﬂ ying hero 
  moving at his Pace has a base Range Increment of just 
  1” (as if he were running), so he suffers a –1 penalty to 
  Piloting rolls. Moving at double Pace negates this.
  The Nazi’s car is a convertible, and the roof is folded 
  down. If the heroes’ driver can pull alongside using the 
  Parallel maneuver, a hero can try to reach over and pull 
  the captive into their car (though it’ll be a very tight 
  squeeze).
  Performing this stunt requires a Grapple attack against 
  the professor to grab hold of him. Instead of the usual ef-
  fects, the hero then makes a Strength roll at –4. With suc-
  cess, the hostage is dragged across. Otherwise, the hero 
  retains hold of him. Should the vehicles move apart, the 
  grabber must decide whether to release the man or pull 
  himself (a free action) into the Nazi’s vehicle!
  Once the professor has been rescued, the Nazis turn 
  their attention to their secondary orders—if they can’t 
  kidnap him, they must kill him!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Hardened SS Driver (1): As SS soldier (page 18), 
  except he has a Wild Die when making Driving rolls.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (3): See page 18.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10(3); Crew: 1+2
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  All damage from Obstacles is as from an Extra.
  Deuce (–4) Fish Out of Water: A spillage at a ﬁ sh 
  processing plant has resulted in a river of slippery ﬁ sh 
  across the characters’ path! On a failed Driving roll, the 
  vehicle automatically goes Out of Control. Flying heroes 
  instead must avoid a pile of crates which tumble as the 
  ﬂ yer nears them.
  Three (–2) Crates: Stacks of crates don’t leave much 
  room for maneuvering. On a failed roll, the vehicle suf-
  fers a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Delivery Truck: A truck pulls out from a 
  warehouse, partially blocking the road. A failed Driving 
  roll results in a collision with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Five (–2) That’s Tacky: Tacks, broken glass, pieces of 
  twisted metal, or some such object have spilled into the 
  road from a nearby warehouse. A failed Driving roll re-
  sults in a punctured tire (halves the vehicle’s Top Speed) 
  and causes it to go Out of Control.
  Flying heroes instead must perform a tight turn to 
  avoid becoming tangled in a laundry line, which clogs 
  their ﬂ ying device in some manner.
  Six (–2) Look Out Below!: A crane has dropped its 
  cargo. This could be a crate of ﬁ sh or machine parts, or 
  perhaps a steel girder. Whatever the load, a failed Driving 
  roll causes 3d6 to the vehicle (as from an Extra), as the 
  object smashes onto the hood.
  Seven (–2) Newspaper Stand: In order to avoid a 
  truck the car must mount the sidewalk. Doing so puts 
  a newspaper stand right in its path! Failure causes a 
  collision with a soft Obstacle and scatters papers every-
  where.
  Eight (–1) Leaky Hydrant: A faulty hydrant has left a 
  deep pool on the part of the road the car is driving along. 
  A failed Driving roll causes the vehicle to go Out of Con-
  trol as it skids on the standing water. A ﬂ ying character is 
  hit by the water jet if his Piloting roll fails.
  Nine (–1) Blocked Windshield: A seagull drops 
  something onto the windshield or a ﬂ ying hero’s goggles, 
  blocking the driver’s view. A failed roll means the car 
  drops back one Range Increment while the obstruction 
  is cleared.
  Ten (–1) Flocking Birds: A ﬂ ock of squawking sea 
  birds takes off to avoid the oncoming vehicle, but in do-
  ing so obstructs the driver’s view. A failed roll causes the 
  car to go Out of Control.
  Jack (0/–1) Long Vehicle: A truck hauling a ﬁ shing 
  boat to the harbor blocks the hero’s lane. The characters 
  have the choice of staying behind it until it turns off or 
  risking an overtaking maneuver, which takes them onto 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  4
  report, but by all accounts he too was drained of blood, 
  and therefore incapable of steering the stricken vessel 
  through the harbor mouth and around moored ships.
  SCENE 2: WATERFRONT CHASE
  SCENE 2: WATERFRONT CHASE
  As the adventurers return to their car, they spot a 
  shabbily dressed man, hurrying away from the water-
  front. He keeps glancing back at the distant steamer, and 
  is obviously very nervous.
  Before the heroes can approach him, a convertible 
  sedan squeals to a halt beside him. Words are exchanged 
  with the four passengers. The pedestrian seems about to 
  make a run for it, but his eyes catch sight of something 
  in the car. Reluctantly, he climbs into the vehicle. Char-
  acters who succeed at a Notice roll spot the distinctive 
  muzzle of a Schmeisser (a German SMG) pointed at the 
  man. The car then screams away, tires smoking (yes, we 
  know the MP-38, erroneously called a Schmeisser, wasn’t 
  available in 1937, but it’s an iconic weapon so we’ve 
  included it).
  Even if the Notice rolls fail, the characters should have 
  their curiosity piqued and decide to follow the car. The 
  Nazis quickly realize they are being tailed and open ﬁ re!
  The ﬂ eeing car begins three Range Increments ahead of 
  the heroes, and each Range Increment equates to 5”. This 
  Scene uses Triple Ace Game’s alternate Obstacles rules.
  The Nazis are desperate to escape, not get involved in 
  a lengthy chase. Caring nothing for innocent bystanders, 
  the passengers happily spray the heroes’ car with lead 
  from their SMGs. They don’t have Steady Hands, so their 
  attacks suffer a –2 penalty.
  Flying characters, such as Doc Davenport, can ﬂ y 
  through the streets using Piloting. Despite the vague na-
  ture of how much distance is covered during a round in a 
  Chase, the character must burn Power Points each round 
  to maintain his ﬂ ight as normal. In addition, a ﬂ ying hero 
  moving at his Pace has a base Range Increment of just 
  1” (as if he were running), so he suffers a –1 penalty to 
  Piloting rolls. Moving at double Pace negates this.
  The Nazi’s car is a convertible, and the roof is folded 
  down. If the heroes’ driver can pull alongside using the 
  Parallel maneuver, a hero can try to reach over and pull 
  the captive into their car (though it’ll be a very tight 
  squeeze).
  Performing this stunt requires a Grapple attack against 
  the professor to grab hold of him. Instead of the usual ef-
  fects, the hero then makes a Strength roll at –4. With suc-
  cess, the hostage is dragged across. Otherwise, the hero 
  retains hold of him. Should the vehicles move apart, the 
  grabber must decide whether to release the man or pull 
  himself (a free action) into the Nazi’s vehicle!
  Once the professor has been rescued, the Nazis turn 
  their attention to their secondary orders—if they can’t 
  kidnap him, they must kill him!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Hardened SS Driver (1): As SS soldier (page 18), 
  except he has a Wild Die when making Driving rolls.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (3): See page 18.
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  VILLAIN'S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  AMELIA'S ROADSTER
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10(3); Crew: 1+2
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  All damage from Obstacles is as from an Extra.
  Deuce (–4) Fish Out of Water: A spillage at a ﬁ sh 
  processing plant has resulted in a river of slippery ﬁ sh 
  across the characters’ path! On a failed Driving roll, the 
  vehicle automatically goes Out of Control. Flying heroes 
  instead must avoid a pile of crates which tumble as the 
  ﬂ yer nears them.
  Three (–2) Crates: Stacks of crates don’t leave much 
  room for maneuvering. On a failed roll, the vehicle suf-
  fers a collision with a soft Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Delivery Truck: A truck pulls out from a 
  warehouse, partially blocking the road. A failed Driving 
  roll results in a collision with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Five (–2) That’s Tacky: Tacks, broken glass, pieces of 
  twisted metal, or some such object have spilled into the 
  road from a nearby warehouse. A failed Driving roll re-
  sults in a punctured tire (halves the vehicle’s Top Speed) 
  and causes it to go Out of Control.
  Flying heroes instead must perform a tight turn to 
  avoid becoming tangled in a laundry line, which clogs 
  their ﬂ ying device in some manner.
  Six (–2) Look Out Below!: A crane has dropped its 
  cargo. This could be a crate of ﬁ sh or machine parts, or 
  perhaps a steel girder. Whatever the load, a failed Driving 
  roll causes 3d6 to the vehicle (as from an Extra), as the 
  object smashes onto the hood.
  Seven (–2) Newspaper Stand: In order to avoid a 
  truck the car must mount the sidewalk. Doing so puts 
  a newspaper stand right in its path! Failure causes a 
  collision with a soft Obstacle and scatters papers every-
  where.
  Eight (–1) Leaky Hydrant: A faulty hydrant has left a 
  deep pool on the part of the road the car is driving along. 
  A failed Driving roll causes the vehicle to go Out of Con-
  trol as it skids on the standing water. A ﬂ ying character is 
  hit by the water jet if his Piloting roll fails.
  Nine (–1) Blocked Windshield: A seagull drops 
  something onto the windshield or a ﬂ ying hero’s goggles, 
  blocking the driver’s view. A failed roll means the car 
  drops back one Range Increment while the obstruction 
  is cleared.
  Ten (–1) Flocking Birds: A ﬂ ock of squawking sea 
  birds takes off to avoid the oncoming vehicle, but in do-
  ing so obstructs the driver’s view. A failed roll causes the 
  car to go Out of Control.
  Jack (0/–1) Long Vehicle: A truck hauling a ﬁ shing 
  boat to the harbor blocks the hero’s lane. The characters 
  have the choice of staying behind it until it turns off or 
  risking an overtaking maneuver, which takes them onto 
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  5
  the wrong side of the road. The Nazis try to overtake 
  only if the characters are two Range Increments or closer 
  behind them or if they are trying to pursue the adventur-
  ers.
  Staying behind the truck requires no roll. Instead, the 
  car automatically drops back two Range Increments due 
  to the delay.
  A failed roll while overtaking causes a head on col-
  lision with a hard Obstacle (a car). The other vehicle is 
  moving at 10” per round.
  Queen (0/–2) Red Light: The trafﬁ c signal turns red. 
  Characters have the choice of stopping or running the 
  light. The Nazis always try to run the light.
  Stopping causes the car to drop back two Range In-
  crements due to the delay. Running the light requires a 
  Driving roll at –2. Failure leads to a collision with another 
  vehicle. Since this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed 
  of the vehicle involved in the Chase counts.
  King (0/–2) Bridge: A short but steep bridge over a 
  waterway gives the opportunity to put some air under the 
  tires! Ask the driver whether he wants to take the bridge 
  at normal or full speed. The Nazis take to the skies only 
  if the characters are within two Range Increments or if 
  they are now chasing the characters. Flying heroes treat 
  this card as a normal Piloting roll.
  Taking the bridge at normal speed gives no penalty to 
  the Driving roll, and no special result if it fails.
  Hitting the bridge at speed, though, has a –2 penalty. 
  With success, the car moves ahead an extra Range Incre-
  ment, as if the driver Pushed. This stacks with the Push 
  maneuver (so do the penalties), for a possible increase 
  of ﬁ ve Range Increments this round. On a failure, the 
  vehicle automatically goes Out of Control when it lands.
  Ace (0/–2) I Know A Shortcut: A hero swears he 
  knows a shortcut. Ask the driver whether he wants to 
  stay where he is or take the shortcut. The Nazis don’t 
  know Boston, so they always take the known road.
  Staying on the same road gives no penalty to the Driv-
  ing roll, and no special results for a failure. 
  Taking the shortcut gives a –2 penalty (due to trafﬁ c 
  and narrow alleys), but a successful Driving roll moves 
  the characters ahead an extra Range Increment, as if the 
  driver Pushed. This stacks with the Push maneuver (so 
  do the penalties), for a possible increase of ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments this round. Failure means the characters are 
  temporarily lost, and automatically drop back one Range 
  Increment when they eventually get back on the Nazis’ 
  tail.
  THE ROMANIAN SCHOLAR
  THE ROMANIAN SCHOLAR
  The rescued professor is Tomic Iordanescu (tom-itch 
  eeyor-dan-eshku), a Romanian scholar. He speaks pass-
  able English. After recovering his wits, rattled during the 
  frantic chase, he can be questioned. Possible questions 
  posed by the adventurers and the professor’s answers 
  are given below.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Professor Tomic Iordanescu, a Romanian 
  Jew. I live in America now to escape persecution in my 
  homeland.”
  Q:  What were you doing at the harbor?
  A: “That ship, the Dmitri. I was expecting a crate of 
  Romanian artifacts sent to me for study by compatriot 
  in Romania. When I heard about accident, I went to 
  investigate, to retrieve my cargo. But I was turned away 
  by police.”
  Q: Why did those men try to kidnap you?
  A: “I have no idea. I only assume it has something to 
  do with the cargo for which I was waiting.”
  Q: What’s in the cargo?
  A: “I do not know. I receive telegram from an old 
  friend, telling me he discovered something wonderful 
  regarding Prince Vlad III.”
  Q: Who is Prince Vlad III?
  A: “A warlord. He ruled Romanian in 15th century. 
  A very interesting historical ﬁ gure. I think you Ameri-
  cans know him better by other name—Dracula. Yes, he 
  was very real, though he was not vampire. That author, 
  Bram Stoker, merely used name in novel.”
  Q: We heard the crew was found drained of blood.
  A: “Please, do not be having joke with me. You are 
  not joking? That is terrible, terrible. Someone has very 
  sick sense of humor.”
  After the questioning is over, Iordanescu asks the 
  characters to help him sneak onto the ship that night and 
  search it for the cargo he was expecting. The police have 
  refused to let him onboard until damage and insurance 
  assessors have done their job. Should the characters re-
  fuse, he points out that someone has tried to kidnap him 
  already, and the only reason he can think of is because of 
  something contained in the ship’s hold.
  CAPTURED NAZIS
  CAPTURED NAZIS
  Any Nazis taken alive prove to be tight-lipped when 
  it comes to revealing information. Unless a hero uses 
  torture (which costs him a benny for being unheroic), 
  no information can be gained. Even with physical per-
  suasion, all that is revealed is the Nazis were ordered 
  to kidnap the professor and take him to Romania. They 
  have no idea why, nor do they care about their superior’s 
  motive.
  SCENE 3: THE SHIP OF DEATH
  SCENE 3: THE SHIP OF DEATH
  No amount of Intimidation or Persuasion allows the 
  heroes onto the ship legally. Until the various assessors 
  have done their work, it remains under police guard out 
  in the harbor. Likewise, no cargo can be removed before 
  the insurance agents have performed a thorough inspec-
  tion.
  Although the police claim the ship is guarded, no one 
  wants to watch over the vessel at night. The murders 
  have the men spooked, and rumors of vampires are al-
  ready circulating around the precinct. By day, the ofﬁ cers 
  laugh and mimic Bela Lugosi’s accent (Tod Browning’s 
  Dracula movie was released in 1931 and proved a box 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  5
  the wrong side of the road. The Nazis try to overtake 
  only if the characters are two Range Increments or closer 
  behind them or if they are trying to pursue the adventur-
  ers.
  Staying behind the truck requires no roll. Instead, the 
  car automatically drops back two Range Increments due 
  to the delay.
  A failed roll while overtaking causes a head on col-
  lision with a hard Obstacle (a car). The other vehicle is 
  moving at 10” per round.
  Queen (0/–2) Red Light: The trafﬁ c signal turns red. 
  Characters have the choice of stopping or running the 
  light. The Nazis always try to run the light.
  Stopping causes the car to drop back two Range In-
  crements due to the delay. Running the light requires a 
  Driving roll at –2. Failure leads to a collision with another 
  vehicle. Since this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed 
  of the vehicle involved in the Chase counts.
  King (0/–2) Bridge: A short but steep bridge over a 
  waterway gives the opportunity to put some air under the 
  tires! Ask the driver whether he wants to take the bridge 
  at normal or full speed. The Nazis take to the skies only 
  if the characters are within two Range Increments or if 
  they are now chasing the characters. Flying heroes treat 
  this card as a normal Piloting roll.
  Taking the bridge at normal speed gives no penalty to 
  the Driving roll, and no special result if it fails.
  Hitting the bridge at speed, though, has a –2 penalty. 
  With success, the car moves ahead an extra Range Incre-
  ment, as if the driver Pushed. This stacks with the Push 
  maneuver (so do the penalties), for a possible increase 
  of ﬁ ve Range Increments this round. On a failure, the 
  vehicle automatically goes Out of Control when it lands.
  Ace (0/–2) I Know A Shortcut: A hero swears he 
  knows a shortcut. Ask the driver whether he wants to 
  stay where he is or take the shortcut. The Nazis don’t 
  know Boston, so they always take the known road.
  Staying on the same road gives no penalty to the Driv-
  ing roll, and no special results for a failure. 
  Taking the shortcut gives a –2 penalty (due to trafﬁ c 
  and narrow alleys), but a successful Driving roll moves 
  the characters ahead an extra Range Increment, as if the 
  driver Pushed. This stacks with the Push maneuver (so 
  do the penalties), for a possible increase of ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments this round. Failure means the characters are 
  temporarily lost, and automatically drop back one Range 
  Increment when they eventually get back on the Nazis’ 
  tail.
  THE ROMANIAN SCHOLAR
  THE ROMANIAN SCHOLAR
  The rescued professor is Tomic Iordanescu (tom-itch 
  eeyor-dan-eshku), a Romanian scholar. He speaks pass-
  able English. After recovering his wits, rattled during the 
  frantic chase, he can be questioned. Possible questions 
  posed by the adventurers and the professor’s answers 
  are given below.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Professor Tomic Iordanescu, a Romanian 
  Jew. I live in America now to escape persecution in my 
  homeland.”
  Q:  What were you doing at the harbor?
  A: “That ship, the Dmitri. I was expecting a crate of 
  Romanian artifacts sent to me for study by compatriot 
  in Romania. When I heard about accident, I went to 
  investigate, to retrieve my cargo. But I was turned away 
  by police.”
  Q: Why did those men try to kidnap you?
  A: “I have no idea. I only assume it has something to 
  do with the cargo for which I was waiting.”
  Q: What’s in the cargo?
  A: “I do not know. I receive telegram from an old 
  friend, telling me he discovered something wonderful 
  regarding Prince Vlad III.”
  Q: Who is Prince Vlad III?
  A: “A warlord. He ruled Romanian in 15th century. 
  A very interesting historical ﬁ gure. I think you Ameri-
  cans know him better by other name—Dracula. Yes, he 
  was very real, though he was not vampire. That author, 
  Bram Stoker, merely used name in novel.”
  Q: We heard the crew was found drained of blood.
  A: “Please, do not be having joke with me. You are 
  not joking? That is terrible, terrible. Someone has very 
  sick sense of humor.”
  After the questioning is over, Iordanescu asks the 
  characters to help him sneak onto the ship that night and 
  search it for the cargo he was expecting. The police have 
  refused to let him onboard until damage and insurance 
  assessors have done their job. Should the characters re-
  fuse, he points out that someone has tried to kidnap him 
  already, and the only reason he can think of is because of 
  something contained in the ship’s hold.
  CAPTURED NAZIS
  CAPTURED NAZIS
  Any Nazis taken alive prove to be tight-lipped when 
  it comes to revealing information. Unless a hero uses 
  torture (which costs him a benny for being unheroic), 
  no information can be gained. Even with physical per-
  suasion, all that is revealed is the Nazis were ordered 
  to kidnap the professor and take him to Romania. They 
  have no idea why, nor do they care about their superior’s 
  motive.
  SCENE 3: THE SHIP OF DEATH
  SCENE 3: THE SHIP OF DEATH
  No amount of Intimidation or Persuasion allows the 
  heroes onto the ship legally. Until the various assessors 
  have done their work, it remains under police guard out 
  in the harbor. Likewise, no cargo can be removed before 
  the insurance agents have performed a thorough inspec-
  tion.
  Although the police claim the ship is guarded, no one 
  wants to watch over the vessel at night. The murders 
  have the men spooked, and rumors of vampires are al-
  ready circulating around the precinct. By day, the ofﬁ cers 
  laugh and mimic Bela Lugosi’s accent (Tod Browning’s 
  Dracula movie was released in 1931 and proved a box 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  6
  ofﬁ ce success, and there was a hit play on Broadway be-
  fore that), but at night they lose their bravado, and wait 
  out the long hours on the waterfront.
  The heroes can easily hire a small rowboat and row 
  out to the wreck under cover of darkness.
  As they near, the see the ship is listing badly to port. 
  A large gash in the port bow has been hastily repaired to 
  prevent the vessel from sinking. Due to the listing, and 
  the partially ﬂ ooded hold, all movement on the stricken 
  ship is treated as difﬁ cult ground.
  There are four important clues on the Dmitri, and 
  one red herring (the rats), though none need be discov-
  ered for the adventure to continue.
  * Investigating the bridge, the characters automati-
  cally see the telegraph machine was smashed. A Repair 
  roll made while studying the wreckage reveals the cause 
  was nothing supernatural—it was a 9mm slug, the sort 
  ﬁ red by a Schmeisser.
  * The ship is crawling with rats. Although rats are of-
  ten linked to vampires in Western myth, these are merely 
  stranded vermin, unwilling to leave the vessel until it is 
  towed nearer to the harbor. There appears to be a lot of 
  them, but that’s because a lot of the lower ship is under-
  water and the rats prefer to remain dry.
  * The captain’s cabin contains a small strongbox 
  secured to the wall. The police have not yet opened it, 
  preferring to wait until the ship is watertight before con-
  ducting a full investigation. Opening the box requires a 
  Lockpicking roll at –2 or inﬂ icting more than 12 points 
  of damage.
  Inside are a few personal items (small photo of a 
  woman, letters, and such like), and the passenger mani-
  fest. The list reveals there were two passengers—Marku 
  Nicelescu and Carol Stanescu. Neither is known to 
  Professor Iordanescu, though he can conﬁ rm both are 
  Romanian names.
  * The crates in the forward and aft cargo holds are 
  lashed in place by sturdy ropes and remain locked in 
  position despite the severe tilt of the ﬂ oor. None of the 
  crates bare any markings indicating Romanian origin. A 
  Notice roll reveal the outline of a small crate in the dirt 
  and rat ﬁ lth in the rear hold. A cursory examination of 
  the hold reveals no loose crates, hopefully leading to the 
  conclusion that a crate has been removed.
  Professor Iordanescu is distraught when he real-
  izes his crate is not among those in the cargo holds. 
  He becomes (correctly) convinced that whoever stole 
  the crate did so to prevent the contents from reaching 
  him.
  * A search of the forward hold reveals a hatch. This 
  leads to the bilges beneath the cargo deck. Looking in, 
  the characters’ ﬂ ashlights reveal a pale corpse ﬂ oating in 
  the ﬁ lthy water. Seeing this requires a Spirit roll to avoid 
  the effects of Fear.
  The corpse has been nibbled on by rats, but the 
  cause of death is readily apparent—two small puncture 
  wounds on the neck! A waterlogged identity card reveals 
  this to be Carol Stanescu.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  THAT SINKING FEELING
  THAT SINKING FEELING
  Once the characters have searched the ship, the vessel 
  gives a sudden lurch. The makeshift repairs have failed, 
  and it is starting to sink! Ideally, this occurs while the 
  characters are in the lower cargo hold.
  In order to escape, each character has to perform 
  the following tasks in strict order at the rate of one per 
  round. Until a task is completed, the heroes cannot 
  progress. Failed rolls may be repeated.
  At the end of the sixth round, the vessel capsizes and 
  ﬂ oods. Any heroes already in the water are pulled down 
  by the suction (despite this not being very scientiﬁ cally 
  accurate). In addition to any other rolls, adventurers still 
  aboard must make a Vigor roll as a free action or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue from drowning. Panic, the freezing water, 
  and moving objects slamming into the hero prevent him 
  from holding his breath properly.
  Worse still, the rats decide that hanging around is no 
  longer the right thing to do. In a screeching panic, they 
  too try to abandon ship! At the end of each “round,” 
  the rats automatically advance one task, starting with 
  the ﬁ rst, without requiring any Trait rolls. Heroes on 
  the same task automatically suffer 2d4 damage (from an 
  Extra) from bites and claws.
  For instance, at the end of the ﬁ rst round, the rats 
  advance to the ﬁ rst task. Any heroes yet to escape the 
  moving cargo are attacked. When the second round 
  ends, the rats advance to the second task, mauling any 
  heroes in their path.
  * The ship tilts to over 45 degrees to port. The ropes 
  securing the cargo snap! Avoiding them requires an Agil-
  ity roll at –2. Heroes who fail suffer 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra) and are pinned. Escaping requires a Strength roll 
  at –2. This can be a Cooperative roll, but only allies who 
  are not pinned and who remain on this task can assist.
  Once free, the character (and any helpers) must still 
  make his Agility roll at –2 to avoid being crushed again 
  and reach the next task.
  * With the ship at such a precarious angle, the heroes 
  must wade through the debris to reach the ladder. This 
  requires an Agility roll due to the water, debris, and dis-
  orientation caused by the vessel as it turns in the water.
  * Clambering up the ladder, which is almost horizon-
  tal and thus all-but submerged, requires a Strength roll. 
  From here, the heroes can slide into the water.
  * Getting far enough away from the vessel to avoid 
  being struck by debris or sucked under when it sinks 
  requires a Swimming roll. Failure inﬂ icts 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) from debris sliding off the deck and 
  sucking in water during the panicked swim.
  Once every character has escaped, the vessel disappears 
  from view beneath the water. The heroes can doggy paddle 
  to their rowboat and return to shore, wet but alive.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  SCENE 4: A REAL VAMPIRE?
  SCENE 4: A REAL VAMPIRE?
  The night is not yet over, though, and another encoun-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  6
  ofﬁ ce success, and there was a hit play on Broadway be-
  fore that), but at night they lose their bravado, and wait 
  out the long hours on the waterfront.
  The heroes can easily hire a small rowboat and row 
  out to the wreck under cover of darkness.
  As they near, the see the ship is listing badly to port. 
  A large gash in the port bow has been hastily repaired to 
  prevent the vessel from sinking. Due to the listing, and 
  the partially ﬂ ooded hold, all movement on the stricken 
  ship is treated as difﬁ cult ground.
  There are four important clues on the Dmitri, and 
  one red herring (the rats), though none need be discov-
  ered for the adventure to continue.
  * Investigating the bridge, the characters automati-
  cally see the telegraph machine was smashed. A Repair 
  roll made while studying the wreckage reveals the cause 
  was nothing supernatural—it was a 9mm slug, the sort 
  ﬁ red by a Schmeisser.
  * The ship is crawling with rats. Although rats are of-
  ten linked to vampires in Western myth, these are merely 
  stranded vermin, unwilling to leave the vessel until it is 
  towed nearer to the harbor. There appears to be a lot of 
  them, but that’s because a lot of the lower ship is under-
  water and the rats prefer to remain dry.
  * The captain’s cabin contains a small strongbox 
  secured to the wall. The police have not yet opened it, 
  preferring to wait until the ship is watertight before con-
  ducting a full investigation. Opening the box requires a 
  Lockpicking roll at –2 or inﬂ icting more than 12 points 
  of damage.
  Inside are a few personal items (small photo of a 
  woman, letters, and such like), and the passenger mani-
  fest. The list reveals there were two passengers—Marku 
  Nicelescu and Carol Stanescu. Neither is known to 
  Professor Iordanescu, though he can conﬁ rm both are 
  Romanian names.
  * The crates in the forward and aft cargo holds are 
  lashed in place by sturdy ropes and remain locked in 
  position despite the severe tilt of the ﬂ oor. None of the 
  crates bare any markings indicating Romanian origin. A 
  Notice roll reveal the outline of a small crate in the dirt 
  and rat ﬁ lth in the rear hold. A cursory examination of 
  the hold reveals no loose crates, hopefully leading to the 
  conclusion that a crate has been removed.
  Professor Iordanescu is distraught when he real-
  izes his crate is not among those in the cargo holds. 
  He becomes (correctly) convinced that whoever stole 
  the crate did so to prevent the contents from reaching 
  him.
  * A search of the forward hold reveals a hatch. This 
  leads to the bilges beneath the cargo deck. Looking in, 
  the characters’ ﬂ ashlights reveal a pale corpse ﬂ oating in 
  the ﬁ lthy water. Seeing this requires a Spirit roll to avoid 
  the effects of Fear.
  The corpse has been nibbled on by rats, but the 
  cause of death is readily apparent—two small puncture 
  wounds on the neck! A waterlogged identity card reveals 
  this to be Carol Stanescu.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  THAT SINKING FEELING
  THAT SINKING FEELING
  Once the characters have searched the ship, the vessel 
  gives a sudden lurch. The makeshift repairs have failed, 
  and it is starting to sink! Ideally, this occurs while the 
  characters are in the lower cargo hold.
  In order to escape, each character has to perform 
  the following tasks in strict order at the rate of one per 
  round. Until a task is completed, the heroes cannot 
  progress. Failed rolls may be repeated.
  At the end of the sixth round, the vessel capsizes and 
  ﬂ oods. Any heroes already in the water are pulled down 
  by the suction (despite this not being very scientiﬁ cally 
  accurate). In addition to any other rolls, adventurers still 
  aboard must make a Vigor roll as a free action or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue from drowning. Panic, the freezing water, 
  and moving objects slamming into the hero prevent him 
  from holding his breath properly.
  Worse still, the rats decide that hanging around is no 
  longer the right thing to do. In a screeching panic, they 
  too try to abandon ship! At the end of each “round,” 
  the rats automatically advance one task, starting with 
  the ﬁ rst, without requiring any Trait rolls. Heroes on 
  the same task automatically suffer 2d4 damage (from an 
  Extra) from bites and claws.
  For instance, at the end of the ﬁ rst round, the rats 
  advance to the ﬁ rst task. Any heroes yet to escape the 
  moving cargo are attacked. When the second round 
  ends, the rats advance to the second task, mauling any 
  heroes in their path.
  * The ship tilts to over 45 degrees to port. The ropes 
  securing the cargo snap! Avoiding them requires an Agil-
  ity roll at –2. Heroes who fail suffer 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra) and are pinned. Escaping requires a Strength roll 
  at –2. This can be a Cooperative roll, but only allies who 
  are not pinned and who remain on this task can assist.
  Once free, the character (and any helpers) must still 
  make his Agility roll at –2 to avoid being crushed again 
  and reach the next task.
  * With the ship at such a precarious angle, the heroes 
  must wade through the debris to reach the ladder. This 
  requires an Agility roll due to the water, debris, and dis-
  orientation caused by the vessel as it turns in the water.
  * Clambering up the ladder, which is almost horizon-
  tal and thus all-but submerged, requires a Strength roll. 
  From here, the heroes can slide into the water.
  * Getting far enough away from the vessel to avoid 
  being struck by debris or sucked under when it sinks 
  requires a Swimming roll. Failure inﬂ icts 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra) from debris sliding off the deck and 
  sucking in water during the panicked swim.
  Once every character has escaped, the vessel disappears 
  from view beneath the water. The heroes can doggy paddle 
  to their rowboat and return to shore, wet but alive.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  SCENE 4: A REAL VAMPIRE?
  SCENE 4: A REAL VAMPIRE?
  The night is not yet over, though, and another encoun-
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  7
  ter awaits the waterlogged heroes. Professor Iordanescu 
  asks to be taken home. He plans to collect his papers and 
  books and move to a new locale, at least until the current 
  situation has resolved itself.
  On the journey home, the heroes spy a young woman 
  stagger into the street and collapse to her knees, one 
  hand clutching her neck, the other waving frantically at 
  the characters. The lady, Miss Emily Spoon, is in a state 
  of shock.
  “A man,” she sobs, gesturing back to a dark alley, 
  “jumped out; attacked me. He bit me on my neck! 
  Oh God, I’m bleeding! I’m going to die!”
  Miss Spoon is a long way from death. The wound is 
  superﬁ cial, though it is still bleeding. Investigation re-
  veals not a set of twin puncture marks, as the heroes 
  likely expect to ﬁ nd, but the impression of a full set of 
  teeth. Any hero making a Common Knowledge roll spots 
  bruising around the wound. It looks much like a hickey.
  The woman is too distraught too give an accurate 
  description of her attacker, not that it matters. The clat-
  tering of trash cans from the alley alerts the heroes just 
  as a shadowy ﬁ gure emerges from the gloom, snarling 
  and spitting as he lunges to attack! Miss Spoon promptly 
  faints, thus removing her from the ﬁ ght.
  The attacker is Marku Nicelescu, a Romanian student. 
  He is deranged, having witnessed the murders on the 
  ship. Confused and delusional, he believes he is a vam-
  pire, and set out after dark to stalk the streets of Boston. 
  Of course, he has no vampiric powers, though his mania 
  and adrenaline rush gives him certain abilities he would 
  not normally possess.
  During the ﬁ ght, any hero in melee combat with their 
  assailant can make a Notice roll as a free action. With 
  success, they realize the man’s breath is steaming in the 
  chill night, hardly typical for an undead. His ﬂ esh is also 
  warm, and his eyes, while bloodshot, seem perfectly nor-
  mal. Hopefully these clues are enough to reveal the man 
  is not one of the undead, but a normal, albeit deranged, 
  human.
  When the “Boston Vampire” reaches Incapacitated, 
  he falls unconscious. Don’t roll on the Incapacitation 
  Table.
   The Boston Vampire: See page 19.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  QUESTIONING THE VAMPIRE
  QUESTIONING THE VAMPIRE
  Nicelescu regains consciousness a few minutes later. 
  He rants and raves for a few minutes, before fatigue re-
  duces him to a defeated slump. Possible questions put 
  to him and his answers are given below. He only speaks 
  Romanian, so Iordanescu translates. Nicelescu has seen 
  an import version of the Dracula movie, from where he 
  gained most of his vampire knowledge.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Marku Nicelescu. Flee while you can, for I 
  am a creature of darkness, a vampire!”
  Q: You don’t seem to have any fangs or powers...
  A: “I…I am newly turned to darkness. I will develop 
  powers later.”
  Q: How did you get here?
  A: “Aboard a ship, the Dmitri. I was in my cofﬁ n, 
  ﬁ lled with grave dirt from my homeland.”
  Q: We didn’t ﬁ nd a cofﬁ n. Where is it?
  A: “I…it…I hid it. You’ll never ﬁ nd it. Now let me go, 
  mortals!”
  Q: Did you see anyone take a crate from the ship?
  A: “Yes. I was hiding in the darkness, waiting to feed. 
  They took the crate, the ones in black, like Satan’s sol-
  diers. Black, black with silver streaks. Two streaks, like 
  lightning.”
  Q: What was in the crate?
  A: “Artifacts from my homeland. Dracula! Yes, 
  Dracula! I was sent to watch over them, to make sure 
  they…Dracula, my master, ordered me to guard them! 
  They are important to him! He returns!”
  Q: Did you witness the murders aboard the ship?
  A: “I killed them! I…it was… the man in black! Bat-
  like wings! Pale skin, oh such pale skin. He sucked their 
  blood! I saw him drain their blood! He killed them! He 
  killed them! Vampire! VAMPIRE!”
  Q: Why are you afraid of the cross?
  A: “It is an accursed symbol! No…not feared. The 
  man, on the ship, he had one around his neck. The 
  squared cross, black and silver, the mark of the Devil!”
  The squared cross refers to the German Iron Cross 
  military decoration, while the twin silver streaks on the 
  men in black are SS runes. The heroes have by this stage 
  in their careers fought more than a few Nazis. A Common 
  Knowledge roll at –2 allows a character to deduce this is 
  what Nicelescu means if the players don’t ﬁ gure it out.
  The characters can’t get anymore useful information 
  from the lunatic. Aside from biting Miss Spoon, who 
  never saw his face and therefore can’t positively identify 
  him, and entering America without going through prop-
  er immigration channels, he has committed no crimes. 
  However, he is a danger both to himself and the public. 
  If the heroes don’t think of it, Iordanescu suggests he be 
  handed over to the police, who should also be informed 
  about the mysterious man on the ship.
  The local police take statements from the heroes, but 
  don’t detain them for long. As far as they’re concerned, 
  until evidence to the contrary comes to light, Nicelescu 
  is their chief suspect. The other man is, they assume, a 
  convenient alibi, invented because the authorities can-
  not disprove his existence.
  SCENE 5: THE DEVIL’S MINION
  SCENE 5: THE DEVIL’S MINION
  After Nicelescu is dealt with, the professor asks to be 
  dropped off back at his house. Offers of a safer place to 
  stay are gratefully accepted, but he is insistent he collect 
  some papers and books ﬁ rst. Iordanescu brings up the 
  subjects of the attempted kidnapping, missing crate, and 
  multiple murders if suggestions are made he collect his 
  belongings in the morning.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  7
  ter awaits the waterlogged heroes. Professor Iordanescu 
  asks to be taken home. He plans to collect his papers and 
  books and move to a new locale, at least until the current 
  situation has resolved itself.
  On the journey home, the heroes spy a young woman 
  stagger into the street and collapse to her knees, one 
  hand clutching her neck, the other waving frantically at 
  the characters. The lady, Miss Emily Spoon, is in a state 
  of shock.
  “A man,” she sobs, gesturing back to a dark alley, 
  “jumped out; attacked me. He bit me on my neck! 
  Oh God, I’m bleeding! I’m going to die!”
  Miss Spoon is a long way from death. The wound is 
  superﬁ cial, though it is still bleeding. Investigation re-
  veals not a set of twin puncture marks, as the heroes 
  likely expect to ﬁ nd, but the impression of a full set of 
  teeth. Any hero making a Common Knowledge roll spots 
  bruising around the wound. It looks much like a hickey.
  The woman is too distraught too give an accurate 
  description of her attacker, not that it matters. The clat-
  tering of trash cans from the alley alerts the heroes just 
  as a shadowy ﬁ gure emerges from the gloom, snarling 
  and spitting as he lunges to attack! Miss Spoon promptly 
  faints, thus removing her from the ﬁ ght.
  The attacker is Marku Nicelescu, a Romanian student. 
  He is deranged, having witnessed the murders on the 
  ship. Confused and delusional, he believes he is a vam-
  pire, and set out after dark to stalk the streets of Boston. 
  Of course, he has no vampiric powers, though his mania 
  and adrenaline rush gives him certain abilities he would 
  not normally possess.
  During the ﬁ ght, any hero in melee combat with their 
  assailant can make a Notice roll as a free action. With 
  success, they realize the man’s breath is steaming in the 
  chill night, hardly typical for an undead. His ﬂ esh is also 
  warm, and his eyes, while bloodshot, seem perfectly nor-
  mal. Hopefully these clues are enough to reveal the man 
  is not one of the undead, but a normal, albeit deranged, 
  human.
  When the “Boston Vampire” reaches Incapacitated, 
  he falls unconscious. Don’t roll on the Incapacitation 
  Table.
   The Boston Vampire: See page 19.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  QUESTIONING THE VAMPIRE
  QUESTIONING THE VAMPIRE
  Nicelescu regains consciousness a few minutes later. 
  He rants and raves for a few minutes, before fatigue re-
  duces him to a defeated slump. Possible questions put 
  to him and his answers are given below. He only speaks 
  Romanian, so Iordanescu translates. Nicelescu has seen 
  an import version of the Dracula movie, from where he 
  gained most of his vampire knowledge.
  Q: Who are you?
  A: “I am Marku Nicelescu. Flee while you can, for I 
  am a creature of darkness, a vampire!”
  Q: You don’t seem to have any fangs or powers...
  A: “I…I am newly turned to darkness. I will develop 
  powers later.”
  Q: How did you get here?
  A: “Aboard a ship, the Dmitri. I was in my cofﬁ n, 
  ﬁ lled with grave dirt from my homeland.”
  Q: We didn’t ﬁ nd a cofﬁ n. Where is it?
  A: “I…it…I hid it. You’ll never ﬁ nd it. Now let me go, 
  mortals!”
  Q: Did you see anyone take a crate from the ship?
  A: “Yes. I was hiding in the darkness, waiting to feed. 
  They took the crate, the ones in black, like Satan’s sol-
  diers. Black, black with silver streaks. Two streaks, like 
  lightning.”
  Q: What was in the crate?
  A: “Artifacts from my homeland. Dracula! Yes, 
  Dracula! I was sent to watch over them, to make sure 
  they…Dracula, my master, ordered me to guard them! 
  They are important to him! He returns!”
  Q: Did you witness the murders aboard the ship?
  A: “I killed them! I…it was… the man in black! Bat-
  like wings! Pale skin, oh such pale skin. He sucked their 
  blood! I saw him drain their blood! He killed them! He 
  killed them! Vampire! VAMPIRE!”
  Q: Why are you afraid of the cross?
  A: “It is an accursed symbol! No…not feared. The 
  man, on the ship, he had one around his neck. The 
  squared cross, black and silver, the mark of the Devil!”
  The squared cross refers to the German Iron Cross 
  military decoration, while the twin silver streaks on the 
  men in black are SS runes. The heroes have by this stage 
  in their careers fought more than a few Nazis. A Common 
  Knowledge roll at –2 allows a character to deduce this is 
  what Nicelescu means if the players don’t ﬁ gure it out.
  The characters can’t get anymore useful information 
  from the lunatic. Aside from biting Miss Spoon, who 
  never saw his face and therefore can’t positively identify 
  him, and entering America without going through prop-
  er immigration channels, he has committed no crimes. 
  However, he is a danger both to himself and the public. 
  If the heroes don’t think of it, Iordanescu suggests he be 
  handed over to the police, who should also be informed 
  about the mysterious man on the ship.
  The local police take statements from the heroes, but 
  don’t detain them for long. As far as they’re concerned, 
  until evidence to the contrary comes to light, Nicelescu 
  is their chief suspect. The other man is, they assume, a 
  convenient alibi, invented because the authorities can-
  not disprove his existence.
  SCENE 5: THE DEVIL’S MINION
  SCENE 5: THE DEVIL’S MINION
  After Nicelescu is dealt with, the professor asks to be 
  dropped off back at his house. Offers of a safer place to 
  stay are gratefully accepted, but he is insistent he collect 
  some papers and books ﬁ rst. Iordanescu brings up the 
  subjects of the attempted kidnapping, missing crate, and 
  multiple murders if suggestions are made he collect his 
  belongings in the morning.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  8
  The car pulls off the main road onto the street 
  where the professor has his home. Flames and 
  smoke are billowing from a brownstone halfway 
  along the block. Iordanescu cries out, “My house! 
  They have set ﬁ re to my house!” In the glow of the 
  ﬁ re, four goons, armed with SMGs, can be seen.
  The road is 4” wide, and there’s a 1” sidewalk on 
  either side. It runs north-south. Mark ﬁ ve squares (or a 
  5” strip if you don’t use a battlemat) along one edge as 
  being the professor’s burning house. Three cars, each 2” 
  wide and 3” long for game purposes, are parked along 
  the street, and can be used as Cover.
  The SS soldiers begin adjacent to the burning build-
  ing, after having just thrown a few more petrol bobs into 
  the inferno. Von Drachenstein starts 4” to the north of 
  them. He wears a long, leather coat, which ﬂ aps in the 
  wind like a bat’s wings.
  The characters begin 20” from the southernmost 
  soldier. If they drove to the harbor that evening, they’re 
  in the vehicle when the ﬁ ght begins. Assume the car is 
  moving at 10” per round, having just rounded a bend.
  The ﬁ re is already out of control. Iordanescu’s house 
  is completely ruined, as are all his research papers and 
  books. Any character foolish enough to enter the build-
  ing takes 2d10 damage per round from a Wild Card and 
  has a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  During the ﬁ ght, von Drachenstein let’s slip an im-
  portant clue. While attacking a hero, he hisses, “Too late, 
  Americans! The chalice is as good as ours!”
  This scene serves to introduce the heroes to their 
  antagonist. To that end, von Drachenstein must escape 
  the scene. Use the Recurring Villain’s rule to ensure this 
  happens. One easy way is to have the ﬁ re brigade turn 
  up, having been alerted by a neighbor. A ﬁ re tender pulls 
  to a halt right in front of the villain, allowing him to make 
  his escape unseen.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Doctor von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  HISTORY LESSON
  HISTORY LESSON
  If the characters mention the chalice, Iordanescu 
  thinks for a moment, and then goes very white.
  “Dear Lord,” he mutters. “Can it be true? I’m sor-
  ry,” he says, “let me explain. There is old legend 
  that Dracula did not die but became vampire. 
  This is legend Bram Stoker used in novel. In story, 
  Dracula is given immortality by Satan after hav-
  ing head removed. But there is older legend about 
  how he became vampire.
  “In old legend, Dracula’s wife was tricked into 
  suicide. In rage, Dracula renounced God and 
  drank blood from holy chalice. According to story, 
  this made Dracula vampire. Anyone who drinks 
  from chalice also becomes vampire, an immortal 
  being. If Nazis want chalice, then story perhaps is 
  true, yes?”
  Iordanescu knows very little else about the chalice. 
  Until now, no scholar has ever researched it, for the tale 
  was too far-fetched to attract academic interest. There 
  are no stories about what befell it after Dracula faded 
  from history, and the object is never mentioned in any 
  later accounts of Dracula’s successors, nor the Turkish 
  invaders. If it existed, it must have been hidden during 
  the years Dracula was active.
  However, the professor suspects that a clue to its 
  whereabouts, or indeed, whether or not it even exists, 
  might be found at Snagov monastery in northern Ro-
  mania. According to Romanian legend, the monastery 
  is where Dracula was buried after being beheaded. 
  Iordanescu has never been able to see inside the tomb, 
  despite his academic credentials.
  ACT 2: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  ACT 2: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  Like much of Europe, Romania is suffering hard times. 
  Although it regained lost territory after the Great War and 
  enjoyed a brief period of stability, fascist, ultranational-
  ist, and communist political parties are on the rise. One 
  such party, the anti-Semitic Iron Guard, won over 15% of 
  the votes in the 1937 general election.
  Although the current political situation plays little 
  part in this adventure, history buffs may be interested 
  to know that in 1938, King Carol II abolishes parliament 
  and becomes a dictator. Over the next few years, Romania 
  loses part of its eastern territory to Russia, and then sides 
  with Germany after the forced abdication of the king and 
  the rise to power of Ion Antonescu, a military dictator.
  SCENE 1: SNAGOV MONASTERY
  SCENE 1: SNAGOV MONASTERY
  Snagov Monastery lies some 20 miles north of Bucha-
  rest in the middle of Lake Snagov. It can only be reached 
  by boat. Suitable rowing boats can be hired from the lo-
  cal village, which is also called Snagov.
  On landing, the heroes are met by an elderly monk, 
  who introduces himself as Alexandru, the monastery’s 
  custodian. He welcomes them to the island, and then 
  politely inquires as to their business. When Dracula is 
  mentioned, he smiles brieﬂ y, and gestures for them to 
  follow him into the chapel.
  The elderly monk shows the party into the main cha-
  pel. In the center of the ﬂ oor is an engraved marble slab, 
  beside which are four short, stone columns. 
  “This,” the monk says, gesturing to the marble 
  slab, “is the marker of Dracula’s grave. But there 
  are no bones inside. A German archaeological 
  expedition came here a few months ago and 
  found nothing. We protested, but they had ofﬁ cial 
  authorization. I am sorry your journey has been 
  wasted.”
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  8
  The car pulls off the main road onto the street 
  where the professor has his home. Flames and 
  smoke are billowing from a brownstone halfway 
  along the block. Iordanescu cries out, “My house! 
  They have set ﬁ re to my house!” In the glow of the 
  ﬁ re, four goons, armed with SMGs, can be seen.
  The road is 4” wide, and there’s a 1” sidewalk on 
  either side. It runs north-south. Mark ﬁ ve squares (or a 
  5” strip if you don’t use a battlemat) along one edge as 
  being the professor’s burning house. Three cars, each 2” 
  wide and 3” long for game purposes, are parked along 
  the street, and can be used as Cover.
  The SS soldiers begin adjacent to the burning build-
  ing, after having just thrown a few more petrol bobs into 
  the inferno. Von Drachenstein starts 4” to the north of 
  them. He wears a long, leather coat, which ﬂ aps in the 
  wind like a bat’s wings.
  The characters begin 20” from the southernmost 
  soldier. If they drove to the harbor that evening, they’re 
  in the vehicle when the ﬁ ght begins. Assume the car is 
  moving at 10” per round, having just rounded a bend.
  The ﬁ re is already out of control. Iordanescu’s house 
  is completely ruined, as are all his research papers and 
  books. Any character foolish enough to enter the build-
  ing takes 2d10 damage per round from a Wild Card and 
  has a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  During the ﬁ ght, von Drachenstein let’s slip an im-
  portant clue. While attacking a hero, he hisses, “Too late, 
  Americans! The chalice is as good as ours!”
  This scene serves to introduce the heroes to their 
  antagonist. To that end, von Drachenstein must escape 
  the scene. Use the Recurring Villain’s rule to ensure this 
  happens. One easy way is to have the ﬁ re brigade turn 
  up, having been alerted by a neighbor. A ﬁ re tender pulls 
  to a halt right in front of the villain, allowing him to make 
  his escape unseen.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Doctor von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  HISTORY LESSON
  HISTORY LESSON
  If the characters mention the chalice, Iordanescu 
  thinks for a moment, and then goes very white.
  “Dear Lord,” he mutters. “Can it be true? I’m sor-
  ry,” he says, “let me explain. There is old legend 
  that Dracula did not die but became vampire. 
  This is legend Bram Stoker used in novel. In story, 
  Dracula is given immortality by Satan after hav-
  ing head removed. But there is older legend about 
  how he became vampire.
  “In old legend, Dracula’s wife was tricked into 
  suicide. In rage, Dracula renounced God and 
  drank blood from holy chalice. According to story, 
  this made Dracula vampire. Anyone who drinks 
  from chalice also becomes vampire, an immortal 
  being. If Nazis want chalice, then story perhaps is 
  true, yes?”
  Iordanescu knows very little else about the chalice. 
  Until now, no scholar has ever researched it, for the tale 
  was too far-fetched to attract academic interest. There 
  are no stories about what befell it after Dracula faded 
  from history, and the object is never mentioned in any 
  later accounts of Dracula’s successors, nor the Turkish 
  invaders. If it existed, it must have been hidden during 
  the years Dracula was active.
  However, the professor suspects that a clue to its 
  whereabouts, or indeed, whether or not it even exists, 
  might be found at Snagov monastery in northern Ro-
  mania. According to Romanian legend, the monastery 
  is where Dracula was buried after being beheaded. 
  Iordanescu has never been able to see inside the tomb, 
  despite his academic credentials.
  ACT 2: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  ACT 2: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  Like much of Europe, Romania is suffering hard times. 
  Although it regained lost territory after the Great War and 
  enjoyed a brief period of stability, fascist, ultranational-
  ist, and communist political parties are on the rise. One 
  such party, the anti-Semitic Iron Guard, won over 15% of 
  the votes in the 1937 general election.
  Although the current political situation plays little 
  part in this adventure, history buffs may be interested 
  to know that in 1938, King Carol II abolishes parliament 
  and becomes a dictator. Over the next few years, Romania 
  loses part of its eastern territory to Russia, and then sides 
  with Germany after the forced abdication of the king and 
  the rise to power of Ion Antonescu, a military dictator.
  SCENE 1: SNAGOV MONASTERY
  SCENE 1: SNAGOV MONASTERY
  Snagov Monastery lies some 20 miles north of Bucha-
  rest in the middle of Lake Snagov. It can only be reached 
  by boat. Suitable rowing boats can be hired from the lo-
  cal village, which is also called Snagov.
  On landing, the heroes are met by an elderly monk, 
  who introduces himself as Alexandru, the monastery’s 
  custodian. He welcomes them to the island, and then 
  politely inquires as to their business. When Dracula is 
  mentioned, he smiles brieﬂ y, and gestures for them to 
  follow him into the chapel.
  The elderly monk shows the party into the main cha-
  pel. In the center of the ﬂ oor is an engraved marble slab, 
  beside which are four short, stone columns. 
  “This,” the monk says, gesturing to the marble 
  slab, “is the marker of Dracula’s grave. But there 
  are no bones inside. A German archaeological 
  expedition came here a few months ago and 
  found nothing. We protested, but they had ofﬁ cial 
  authorization. I am sorry your journey has been 
  wasted.”
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  9
  The monks are willing to lift the slab over the grave 
  if the characters ask. Beneath is a 6’ deep hole, lined in 
  marble. Any hero who taps around inside the grave hears 
  a hollow thump as it knocks the ﬂ oor—it sounds like 
  there is a cavity below the chapel.
  While the monks are generally opposed to excava-
  tions in the chapel, they are also pragmatic—a discovery 
  of any kind could mean increased sponsorship and pos-
  sibly even pilgrims if any ﬁ nds are religious in nature. As 
  such, they reluctantly agree to allow the party to smash a 
  hole in the ﬂ oor of the grave.
  After some hard work, the characters uncover a rusted 
  metal ladder descending deep beneath the island, pos-
  sibly below the level of the lake bottom.
  BREATH OF THE DRAGON
  BREATH OF THE DRAGON
  The shaft leads down 50 feet, before ending in a 
  damp chamber measuring 11” wide and 24” long. On 
  a dais at the far end is an upright metal plate covered 
  in sharp spikes. The walls are unadorned. A character 
  who gazes upward sees a number of stone dragon heads, 
  their mouths pointing toward the ﬂ agstone ﬂ oor.
  Writing on the spiked plate reads, “Those who seek 
  immortality must ﬁ rst embrace death.” A close inspec-
  tion of the device reveals small holes in the ﬂ oor. This is 
  a trap for foolish treasure seekers. The “obvious” thing to 
  do is impale someone on the spikes and let their blood 
  seep into the holes. In fact, any liquid poured down the 
  holes works just ﬁ ne. A hero who elects to become a 
  human pincushion suffers an automatic wound (which 
  he can Soak).
  Whether blood or some other liquid is used, ﬁ lling 
  the holes causes an adjacent ﬂ agstone to rise a few 
  inches from the ﬂ oor. Beneath is a small cavity, in which 
  sits a small chest.
  Within the chest is a gold seal, formed to resemble 
  a dragon biting its own tail, and a scrap of parchment. 
  Heroes who succeed in a Common Knowledge roll at –4 
  or a Knowledge (History) roll recognize the symbolism 
  as that of the Order of the Dragon, a medieval chivalric 
  order of which Dracula was a member.
  The parchment reads, “The dead of Sighişoara hold 
  the key.” Professor Iordanescu knows Sighişoara well, 
  as it is Dracula’s birthplace. He claims there is an old 
  cemetery a few miles to the north.
  The journey back across the ﬂ oor is not as unevent-
  ful as the ﬁ rst crossing. Deal every character an action 
  card as normal until their movement takes them onto 
  the ladder. Heroes who draw a Club suit are targeted 
  by a ﬂ aming gout, which spews forth from one of the 
  stone dragon heads. There is no pattern to their activa-
  tion, hence the use of a card suit. They are not activated 
  by ground pressure, either, so ﬂ ying heroes are equally 
  affected.
  Place a Medium Burst Template over the victim. He 
  and everyone else in the template must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage (from an Extra) and 
  have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  SCENE 2: BATTLE OF THE LAKE
  SCENE 2: BATTLE OF THE LAKE
  After leaving the monastery, the heroes must row back 
  across the lake. Unfortunately, the Nazis have been keep-
  ing tabs on the monastery. They ﬁ gured that anyone else 
  on the trail of the chalice would likely visit here at some 
  point.
  As the rowboat heads out into the water, two mo-
  torboats appear from behind a small island. A burst of 
  machinegun ﬁ re rips through the water just in front of 
  the rowboat.
  The characters’ boat starts three Range Increments 
  from its pursuers. Each Range Increment equates to 10”. 
  See below for Obstacles. Since all the boats are open, 
  crew and passengers may be targeted. The boat gives 
  them Medium Cover. Missed shots either whiz overhead 
  or cause superﬁ cial damage to the watercraft.
  Moving the rowboat requires either brute force 
  (Strength) or technique (Boating). Which Trait the char-
  acters use is up to them. Characters can Cooperate at this 
  task, but doing so counts as an action and all participants 
  must use the same Trait.
  The two Nazi boats are each equipped with a small 
  motor. The rowboat has a base Range Increment of 1”, 
  while the motorboats have 5”. Since they have the higher 
  Range Increment, the characters suffer a –1 penalty to 
  their Trait rolls at the start of each round. The Nazis get 
  +2 to Boating as their vehicles are twice as fast. The Nazis 
  also have an MG34 on each boat, although the Unstable 
  Platform penalty applies.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 17.
  ROWBOAT
  ROWBOAT
  Acc/Top Speed: 1/3; Toughness: 9 (2); Crew: 1+6
  MOTORBOAT
  MOTORBOAT
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+6
  Weapons:
  * 1 x MG34 (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  There are no really dangerous Obstacles in the lake. 
  However, if a deuce is drawn as the pilot’s action card in 
  a round, consult the table below. These events occur at 
  the start of the round, before other actions are taken.
  Suit 
  Result
  Club/Spade 
  Mosquitoes: A swarm of biting 
  insects ﬁ nds a tasty meal among the 
  crew and passengers. Each character 
  aboard the ship must make a Spirit 
  roll to avoid the numerous bites or 
  be Shaken as he frantically tries to 
  swat the bugs.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  9
  The monks are willing to lift the slab over the grave 
  if the characters ask. Beneath is a 6’ deep hole, lined in 
  marble. Any hero who taps around inside the grave hears 
  a hollow thump as it knocks the ﬂ oor—it sounds like 
  there is a cavity below the chapel.
  While the monks are generally opposed to excava-
  tions in the chapel, they are also pragmatic—a discovery 
  of any kind could mean increased sponsorship and pos-
  sibly even pilgrims if any ﬁ nds are religious in nature. As 
  such, they reluctantly agree to allow the party to smash a 
  hole in the ﬂ oor of the grave.
  After some hard work, the characters uncover a rusted 
  metal ladder descending deep beneath the island, pos-
  sibly below the level of the lake bottom.
  BREATH OF THE DRAGON
  BREATH OF THE DRAGON
  The shaft leads down 50 feet, before ending in a 
  damp chamber measuring 11” wide and 24” long. On 
  a dais at the far end is an upright metal plate covered 
  in sharp spikes. The walls are unadorned. A character 
  who gazes upward sees a number of stone dragon heads, 
  their mouths pointing toward the ﬂ agstone ﬂ oor.
  Writing on the spiked plate reads, “Those who seek 
  immortality must ﬁ rst embrace death.” A close inspec-
  tion of the device reveals small holes in the ﬂ oor. This is 
  a trap for foolish treasure seekers. The “obvious” thing to 
  do is impale someone on the spikes and let their blood 
  seep into the holes. In fact, any liquid poured down the 
  holes works just ﬁ ne. A hero who elects to become a 
  human pincushion suffers an automatic wound (which 
  he can Soak).
  Whether blood or some other liquid is used, ﬁ lling 
  the holes causes an adjacent ﬂ agstone to rise a few 
  inches from the ﬂ oor. Beneath is a small cavity, in which 
  sits a small chest.
  Within the chest is a gold seal, formed to resemble 
  a dragon biting its own tail, and a scrap of parchment. 
  Heroes who succeed in a Common Knowledge roll at –4 
  or a Knowledge (History) roll recognize the symbolism 
  as that of the Order of the Dragon, a medieval chivalric 
  order of which Dracula was a member.
  The parchment reads, “The dead of Sighişoara hold 
  the key.” Professor Iordanescu knows Sighişoara well, 
  as it is Dracula’s birthplace. He claims there is an old 
  cemetery a few miles to the north.
  The journey back across the ﬂ oor is not as unevent-
  ful as the ﬁ rst crossing. Deal every character an action 
  card as normal until their movement takes them onto 
  the ladder. Heroes who draw a Club suit are targeted 
  by a ﬂ aming gout, which spews forth from one of the 
  stone dragon heads. There is no pattern to their activa-
  tion, hence the use of a card suit. They are not activated 
  by ground pressure, either, so ﬂ ying heroes are equally 
  affected.
  Place a Medium Burst Template over the victim. He 
  and everyone else in the template must make an Agil-
  ity roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage (from an Extra) and 
  have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
  SCENE 2: BATTLE OF THE LAKE
  SCENE 2: BATTLE OF THE LAKE
  After leaving the monastery, the heroes must row back 
  across the lake. Unfortunately, the Nazis have been keep-
  ing tabs on the monastery. They ﬁ gured that anyone else 
  on the trail of the chalice would likely visit here at some 
  point.
  As the rowboat heads out into the water, two mo-
  torboats appear from behind a small island. A burst of 
  machinegun ﬁ re rips through the water just in front of 
  the rowboat.
  The characters’ boat starts three Range Increments 
  from its pursuers. Each Range Increment equates to 10”. 
  See below for Obstacles. Since all the boats are open, 
  crew and passengers may be targeted. The boat gives 
  them Medium Cover. Missed shots either whiz overhead 
  or cause superﬁ cial damage to the watercraft.
  Moving the rowboat requires either brute force 
  (Strength) or technique (Boating). Which Trait the char-
  acters use is up to them. Characters can Cooperate at this 
  task, but doing so counts as an action and all participants 
  must use the same Trait.
  The two Nazi boats are each equipped with a small 
  motor. The rowboat has a base Range Increment of 1”, 
  while the motorboats have 5”. Since they have the higher 
  Range Increment, the characters suffer a –1 penalty to 
  their Trait rolls at the start of each round. The Nazis get 
  +2 to Boating as their vehicles are twice as fast. The Nazis 
  also have an MG34 on each boat, although the Unstable 
  Platform penalty applies.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 17.
  ROWBOAT
  ROWBOAT
  Acc/Top Speed: 1/3; Toughness: 9 (2); Crew: 1+6
  MOTORBOAT
  MOTORBOAT
  Acc/Top Speed: 2/6; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+6
  Weapons:
  * 1 x MG34 (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  There are no really dangerous Obstacles in the lake. 
  However, if a deuce is drawn as the pilot’s action card in 
  a round, consult the table below. These events occur at 
  the start of the round, before other actions are taken.
  Suit 
  Result
  Club/Spade 
  Mosquitoes: A swarm of biting 
  insects ﬁ nds a tasty meal among the 
  crew and passengers. Each character 
  aboard the ship must make a Spirit 
  roll to avoid the numerous bites or 
  be Shaken as he frantically tries to 
  swat the bugs.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1010
  Diamond/Heart 
  Water Plants: The craft has drifted 
  into ﬂ oating vegetation. A failed 
  Boating (or Strength) roll means 
  the boat is entangled. Subsequent 
  rolls are made at –2 until a success is 
  scored, at which time the craft breaks 
  free.
  SCENE 3: THE GRAVEYARD
  SCENE 3: THE GRAVEYARD
  Sighişoara lies just over 100 miles from Snagov, in 
  the province of Transylvania. The old cemetery has been 
  abandoned for centuries. In the days of Vlad III, it served 
  as the resting place for his slain enemies, and local 
  legends say the warlord placed a curse on the grounds, 
  though the exact details of the curse are subject to much 
  variation depending on who is telling the tale and who 
  is listening.
  The graveyard is ringed by a spiked, metal fence. A 
  lone gate emblazoned with the emblem of a dragon bit-
  ing its own tail provides easy access. Shunned by sensible 
  folk, the cemetery is overgrown with weeds. Cracked and 
  weathered headstones are visible through the long grass 
  and choking vines. Several mausoleums are clustered in 
  the center of the cemetery.
  Moments after the characters enter, a pack of wolves, 
  half-mad with hunger after the harsh Romanian winter, 
  bound into the cemetery and attack. Deal action cards. 
  The wolves use Gang Up tactics to bring down their 
  prey.
  The graveyard is 24” to a side. Place a dozen markers 
  to represent gravestones. These do not impede move-
  ment, but a hero who steps onto one while he has a 
  black action card puts his foot through the thin soil and 
  into a rotten cofﬁ n. He must make an Agility or Strength 
  roll as an action to free himself. Until he does, he cannot 
  move.
  There are three mausoleums, each measuring 3” by 
  4”. Two of the doors have been smashed in antiquity, re-
  vealing an empty chamber within. The third door is solid 
  stone. In the center is an indentation, which perfectly 
  matches the seal found at Snagov Monastery. Placing the 
  seal in the indentation causes the door to swing open.
  All that lies within is a hole in the ﬂ oor and a metal 
  ladder. It descends into darkness for 30 feet, before end-
  ing in a crypt.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Wolves (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: IN FOR THE CHOP
  SCENE 4: IN FOR THE CHOP
  The crypt measures 13” in length and 7” wide. The 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1010
  Diamond/Heart 
  Water Plants: The craft has drifted 
  into ﬂ oating vegetation. A failed 
  Boating (or Strength) roll means 
  the boat is entangled. Subsequent 
  rolls are made at –2 until a success is 
  scored, at which time the craft breaks 
  free.
  SCENE 3: THE GRAVEYARD
  SCENE 3: THE GRAVEYARD
  Sighişoara lies just over 100 miles from Snagov, in 
  the province of Transylvania. The old cemetery has been 
  abandoned for centuries. In the days of Vlad III, it served 
  as the resting place for his slain enemies, and local 
  legends say the warlord placed a curse on the grounds, 
  though the exact details of the curse are subject to much 
  variation depending on who is telling the tale and who 
  is listening.
  The graveyard is ringed by a spiked, metal fence. A 
  lone gate emblazoned with the emblem of a dragon bit-
  ing its own tail provides easy access. Shunned by sensible 
  folk, the cemetery is overgrown with weeds. Cracked and 
  weathered headstones are visible through the long grass 
  and choking vines. Several mausoleums are clustered in 
  the center of the cemetery.
  Moments after the characters enter, a pack of wolves, 
  half-mad with hunger after the harsh Romanian winter, 
  bound into the cemetery and attack. Deal action cards. 
  The wolves use Gang Up tactics to bring down their 
  prey.
  The graveyard is 24” to a side. Place a dozen markers 
  to represent gravestones. These do not impede move-
  ment, but a hero who steps onto one while he has a 
  black action card puts his foot through the thin soil and 
  into a rotten cofﬁ n. He must make an Agility or Strength 
  roll as an action to free himself. Until he does, he cannot 
  move.
  There are three mausoleums, each measuring 3” by 
  4”. Two of the doors have been smashed in antiquity, re-
  vealing an empty chamber within. The third door is solid 
  stone. In the center is an indentation, which perfectly 
  matches the seal found at Snagov Monastery. Placing the 
  seal in the indentation causes the door to swing open.
  All that lies within is a hole in the ﬂ oor and a metal 
  ladder. It descends into darkness for 30 feet, before end-
  ing in a crypt.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Wolves (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: IN FOR THE CHOP
  SCENE 4: IN FOR THE CHOP
  The crypt measures 13” in length and 7” wide. The 
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1111
  ladder drops down into the central square at the south-
  ern end. Stone grave markers, each inscribed with curses 
  in Romanian, stand in both long walls, about a yard 
  from the ﬂ oor. Several are broken. Inside is a narrow, 
  stone-lined space. The stones have deep gouges in them. 
  Characters who check discover the marks are the same 
  width as human ﬁ ngers.
  These are the graves of former henchmen and vam-
  piric minions who offended Dracula, walled up as eter-
  nal punishment. Directly opposite the ladder, against the 
  northern wall, lies a gilded cofﬁ n secured sealed with 
  sturdy bolts.
  Removing the bolts requires a little effort, but no Trait 
  roll. As the last bolt slides open, or if one of the grave 
  markers is smashed (Toughness 12), piercing screams 
  ﬁ ll the room. Bursting through the grave markers is a 
  number of scrawny, bestial forms! Check for Surprise. 
  Half the brides and spawn emerge from each side of 
  the crypt, spaced as equally apart as possible. Spawn 
  and bride count as separate forces with regard to action 
  cards.
  The GM must deal the crypt an action card as well. 
  This should be kept secret from the players, even if you 
  normally display cards openly. Showing the card in ad-
  vance will enable the heroes to avoid the deadly trap.
  When the crypt’s card is called, large blades swing 
  down from the ceiling like pendulums, before locking 
  back in place in the ceiling. They affect all squares along 
  a given row, indicated by the card’s value. Treat the top-
  most row as a deuce, and count down from there. Since 
  the crypt is 13” in length, that covers deuce through 
  Ace.
  Every character in the row affected is attacked (Fight-
  ing d8). This functions like the Improved Sweep Edge, 
  so just make one attack roll and compare it to individual 
  Parry scores. Those struck suffer 2d8 damage, as from 
  as Extra.
  In the event a Joker is drawn, draw a second card im-
  mediately to determine which row is targeted. The trap 
  automatically goes ﬁ rst in the round, unless a hero has 
  an action card, in which case he can act ﬁ rst. Attack and 
  damage rolls for the blades are made at +2. If the second 
  card is a Joker, draw a third card and make attack and 
  damage rolls at +4!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Brides of Dracula (1 per hero): As vampire spawn 
  (page 19), but with the Alluring Special Ability.
   Vampire Spawn (2 per hero): See page 19.
  INSIDE THE COFFIN
  INSIDE THE COFFIN
  Inside the gilded cofﬁ n is a long sword. The hilt takes 
  the form of a dragon standing on its hind legs, while the 
  wings form the crossbar. The dragon’s clawed feet are 
  spaced apart, as if they once gripped something. The 
  golden orb is too large to ﬁ t between them. 
  Along the blade are inscribed words in the old Roma-
  nian tongue. They read, “Those who seek immortality 
  must impale the tower of the moon.” The words mean 
  nothing to Professor Iordanescu. However, he knows 
  somewhere the answers might be found—the Black Li-
  brary.
  There is nothing else in the cofﬁ n.
  ACT 3: THE LOCATION REVEALED
  ACT 3: THE LOCATION REVEALED
  The Black Library, a part of the Bistriţa Monastery, a 
  Romanian Orthodox Church building, lies in the eastern 
  Carpathians, in the province of Moldavia. Strangely, it is 
  on the opposite side of the mountains to the town of 
  Bistriţa. The nearest town is actually Piatra Neamţ, which 
  lies ﬁ ve miles east of the monastery.
  The monastery was an important center for callig-
  raphers and chroniclers throughout Romanian history, 
  and today houses an impressive collection of Romanian 
  works dating back to the 12th century. The monastery 
  and Black Library dates from the early 1400s.
  The library takes its name from the interior walls, 
  which according to local legend were ravaged by ﬁ re in 
  1538. However, the books were saved from destruction 
  by the intervention of Saint Anne, to whom the monas-
  tery is dedicated.
  Unfortunately for the heroes, the library’s collec-
  tion has already attracted the Nazis. Having locked up 
  the monks in the basement, the Nazis are posing as the 
  religious scholars in a bid to uncover vital clues in their 
  search for the chalice.
  Leading the party is SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain) 
  Karl Steiner, one of von Drachenstein’s henchmen. He 
  speaks ﬂ uent Romanian, which made him an ideal can-
  didate. His men only speak German. However, German 
  is spoken by many citizens in the region, thanks to the 
  immigration of Saxons during the 12th century. Professor 
  Iordanescu knows this full well, and thinks nothing of it.
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK LIBRARY
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK LIBRARY
  On arriving at the Black Library, the party is met by 
  Father Constantin (actually Steiner in disguise). The 
  “monk” greets them cordially and asks their business. He 
  listens attentively, and then welcomes them inside.
  The library is in a bit of a mess, many books having 
  been taken from their shelves. Steiner apologizes for the 
  chaos, and explains that many of the manuscripts are 
  centuries old and require conservation to ensure they 
  last many more centuries.
  He places himself at the party’s beck and call, order-
  ing his “monks” to fetch various tomes requested by the 
  adventurers. Unless deliberately shooed away, he tries 
  to remain as close as possible to the characters, so as 
  to eavesdrop on their conversation. He feigns a lack of 
  understanding of English, though he actually speaks it 
  ﬂ uently.
  Make Steiner out as helpful, not a nuisance or as 
  someone who asks too many questions. The characters 
  should believe he is simply a monk interested in Roma-
  nian history.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1111
  ladder drops down into the central square at the south-
  ern end. Stone grave markers, each inscribed with curses 
  in Romanian, stand in both long walls, about a yard 
  from the ﬂ oor. Several are broken. Inside is a narrow, 
  stone-lined space. The stones have deep gouges in them. 
  Characters who check discover the marks are the same 
  width as human ﬁ ngers.
  These are the graves of former henchmen and vam-
  piric minions who offended Dracula, walled up as eter-
  nal punishment. Directly opposite the ladder, against the 
  northern wall, lies a gilded cofﬁ n secured sealed with 
  sturdy bolts.
  Removing the bolts requires a little effort, but no Trait 
  roll. As the last bolt slides open, or if one of the grave 
  markers is smashed (Toughness 12), piercing screams 
  ﬁ ll the room. Bursting through the grave markers is a 
  number of scrawny, bestial forms! Check for Surprise. 
  Half the brides and spawn emerge from each side of 
  the crypt, spaced as equally apart as possible. Spawn 
  and bride count as separate forces with regard to action 
  cards.
  The GM must deal the crypt an action card as well. 
  This should be kept secret from the players, even if you 
  normally display cards openly. Showing the card in ad-
  vance will enable the heroes to avoid the deadly trap.
  When the crypt’s card is called, large blades swing 
  down from the ceiling like pendulums, before locking 
  back in place in the ceiling. They affect all squares along 
  a given row, indicated by the card’s value. Treat the top-
  most row as a deuce, and count down from there. Since 
  the crypt is 13” in length, that covers deuce through 
  Ace.
  Every character in the row affected is attacked (Fight-
  ing d8). This functions like the Improved Sweep Edge, 
  so just make one attack roll and compare it to individual 
  Parry scores. Those struck suffer 2d8 damage, as from 
  as Extra.
  In the event a Joker is drawn, draw a second card im-
  mediately to determine which row is targeted. The trap 
  automatically goes ﬁ rst in the round, unless a hero has 
  an action card, in which case he can act ﬁ rst. Attack and 
  damage rolls for the blades are made at +2. If the second 
  card is a Joker, draw a third card and make attack and 
  damage rolls at +4!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Brides of Dracula (1 per hero): As vampire spawn 
  (page 19), but with the Alluring Special Ability.
   Vampire Spawn (2 per hero): See page 19.
  INSIDE THE COFFIN
  INSIDE THE COFFIN
  Inside the gilded cofﬁ n is a long sword. The hilt takes 
  the form of a dragon standing on its hind legs, while the 
  wings form the crossbar. The dragon’s clawed feet are 
  spaced apart, as if they once gripped something. The 
  golden orb is too large to ﬁ t between them. 
  Along the blade are inscribed words in the old Roma-
  nian tongue. They read, “Those who seek immortality 
  must impale the tower of the moon.” The words mean 
  nothing to Professor Iordanescu. However, he knows 
  somewhere the answers might be found—the Black Li-
  brary.
  There is nothing else in the cofﬁ n.
  ACT 3: THE LOCATION REVEALED
  ACT 3: THE LOCATION REVEALED
  The Black Library, a part of the Bistriţa Monastery, a 
  Romanian Orthodox Church building, lies in the eastern 
  Carpathians, in the province of Moldavia. Strangely, it is 
  on the opposite side of the mountains to the town of 
  Bistriţa. The nearest town is actually Piatra Neamţ, which 
  lies ﬁ ve miles east of the monastery.
  The monastery was an important center for callig-
  raphers and chroniclers throughout Romanian history, 
  and today houses an impressive collection of Romanian 
  works dating back to the 12th century. The monastery 
  and Black Library dates from the early 1400s.
  The library takes its name from the interior walls, 
  which according to local legend were ravaged by ﬁ re in 
  1538. However, the books were saved from destruction 
  by the intervention of Saint Anne, to whom the monas-
  tery is dedicated.
  Unfortunately for the heroes, the library’s collec-
  tion has already attracted the Nazis. Having locked up 
  the monks in the basement, the Nazis are posing as the 
  religious scholars in a bid to uncover vital clues in their 
  search for the chalice.
  Leading the party is SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain) 
  Karl Steiner, one of von Drachenstein’s henchmen. He 
  speaks ﬂ uent Romanian, which made him an ideal can-
  didate. His men only speak German. However, German 
  is spoken by many citizens in the region, thanks to the 
  immigration of Saxons during the 12th century. Professor 
  Iordanescu knows this full well, and thinks nothing of it.
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK LIBRARY
  SCENE 1: THE BLACK LIBRARY
  On arriving at the Black Library, the party is met by 
  Father Constantin (actually Steiner in disguise). The 
  “monk” greets them cordially and asks their business. He 
  listens attentively, and then welcomes them inside.
  The library is in a bit of a mess, many books having 
  been taken from their shelves. Steiner apologizes for the 
  chaos, and explains that many of the manuscripts are 
  centuries old and require conservation to ensure they 
  last many more centuries.
  He places himself at the party’s beck and call, order-
  ing his “monks” to fetch various tomes requested by the 
  adventurers. Unless deliberately shooed away, he tries 
  to remain as close as possible to the characters, so as 
  to eavesdrop on their conversation. He feigns a lack of 
  understanding of English, though he actually speaks it 
  ﬂ uently.
  Make Steiner out as helpful, not a nuisance or as 
  someone who asks too many questions. The characters 
  should believe he is simply a monk interested in Roma-
  nian history.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1212
  After an hour or so of laborious searching, Iordanescu 
  stabs a ﬁ nger at a paragraph in an ancient tome.
  “Here it is!” exclaims the professor excitedly. “Di-
  rect reference to tower of moon! Apparently, when 
  Dracula built castle in Borgo Pass, he raised one 
  tower higher than others. This he called Tower 
  of the Moon. I must have visited castle a dozen 
  times, but I never knew this. Quickly, my friends, 
  we must get to tower by nightfall!”
  “Not so fast, Herr Professor,” snarls a voice from 
  behind. Turning, you see Father Constantin 
  ﬂ anked by four monks, all armed with SMGs! 
  “Did you honestly think we did not know about 
  this place? Bah! Typical untermenschen! Oh do not 
  fear, I am not a Nazi collaborator.” He chuckles 
  grimly. “My name is SS-Hauptsturmführer Steiner. 
  The real monks are alive and well, but currently 
  indisposed in the basement.
  “Now, hand over any items you have discovered 
  so far. Slowly! One false move and the professor 
  will be the ﬁ rst to die!”
  Whether or not the characters comply (they might 
  think this is one of those times when surrender is a good 
  idea), Steiner has no intention of letting them go. If they 
  have handed over their ﬁ nds, they’ll need to ﬁ ght to get 
  them back.
  “Now that you have uncovered this clue,” the 
  Nazi sneers, “you cannot be allowed to leave here 
  alive. Kill them!”
  It’s time to deal action cards.
  The characters begin against the north wall, while the 
  Nazis are 4” away. At the start of round two, the remain-
  ing soldiers enter through the door and join the ﬁ ght. 
  If the characters handed over the sword and orb, they 
  should be very keen to retrieve the artifacts. Ideally, 
  they’ll succeed, as Steiner isn’t vital to the plot.
  The main library measures 12” wide and 10” long. 
  The only door is in the center of the southern wall. Place 
  markers, indicating long tables, rows of tall bookcases, 
  and chairs, liberally around the tabletop. Heavy curtains 
  and tapestries adorn the walls.
  Various props include the following. Encourage he-
  roes to use what is around rather than instantly going for 
  their guns by awarding bennies for clever use of props.
  * Bookcases. The bookcases provide Medium Cover 
  to targets on the other side. Firing through two or more 
  gives Heavy Cover. Any missed shots automatically de-
  stroy a book, scattering paper around the room. Each 
  bookcase is 2” wide and 1” high.
  The bookcases can be tipped over. This requires a 
  Strength roll at –2. With success, the bookcase falls either 
  to the ﬂ oor or lands against an adjacent bookshelf. Vic-
  tims under the bookcase suffer 2d6 damage. The squares 
  it covers are now treated as difﬁ cult ground. On a raise, 
  a bookcase hitting another one causes a domino effect. 
  Bookcases keep falling into one another in a straight 
  line, their contents smashing, until a shelf either hits a 
  wall or there is only empty ﬂ oor adjacent.
  * Books. Light tomes have Range: 3/6/12 and cause 
  Strength damage, whereas thicker volumes are Range: 
  2/4/8. cause Str+d4, but give –1 to Throwing
  * Furniture. Chairs inﬂ ict Str+d6 damage but give –1 
  to Fighting. Tables can be tipped over as an action and 
  used for Cover (Armor +3).
  * Drapes: The drapes and tapestries can be pulled 
  from the walls to cover adjacent foes. This is treated as 
  an Agility Trick, except multiple targets can be affected. 
  There is a cumulative –1 penalty for each intended victim 
  after the ﬁ rst.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   SS-Hauptsturmführer Steiner: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  THE MONKS
  THE MONKS
  The Romanian monks are huddled in one of the cel-
  lars. A few of the younger ones sport bruises from failed 
  attempts to overpower the Nazis, but all are in good 
  health. They thank the heroes profusely for their assis-
  tance, but can do little to aid them in their quest.
  SCENE 2: ROAD RAGE
  SCENE 2: ROAD RAGE
  Heading up into the Borgo Pass, the characters come 
  across a Nazi convoy heading in the same direction. It 
  looks like the Nazis are on their way to Dracula’s Castle 
  as well.
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Obstacles 
  rules. The Obstacles are Light. The characters begin four 
  Range Increments behind the truck, the last vehicle in the 
  convoy. The kübelwagen is one Range Increment ahead 
  of that, and the two motorcycles one further on from the 
  car (the bikes are on the same Range Increment). Each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”.
  Due to the narrow road and limited visibility, attacks 
  against vehicles further ahead suffer penalties. Attacking 
  past a single vehicle gives the target Light Cover (–1). 
  Through two vehicles is Medium Cover (–2), and three 
  vehicles provides Heavy Cover (–4). Missed shots harm-
  lessly splatter into the road.
  For instance, the characters are behind the truck and 
  car, but a hero wants to shoot at one of the bikes at the 
  head of the convoy. Because there are two intervening 
  vehicles, the attack is made at –2.
  Note that all the German vehicles are faster than the 
  heroes’ car. The bikes and truck get +1 to Driving rolls. 
  The kübelwagen is twice as fast, so it gets +2 to Driving 
  rolls.
  The Nazis don’t react to the characters’ presence until 
  the heroes open ﬁ re or overtake a German vehicle. The 
  goons in the kübelwagen can use their SMGs freely.
  The soldiers in the back of the truck can only ﬁ re at 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1212
  After an hour or so of laborious searching, Iordanescu 
  stabs a ﬁ nger at a paragraph in an ancient tome.
  “Here it is!” exclaims the professor excitedly. “Di-
  rect reference to tower of moon! Apparently, when 
  Dracula built castle in Borgo Pass, he raised one 
  tower higher than others. This he called Tower 
  of the Moon. I must have visited castle a dozen 
  times, but I never knew this. Quickly, my friends, 
  we must get to tower by nightfall!”
  “Not so fast, Herr Professor,” snarls a voice from 
  behind. Turning, you see Father Constantin 
  ﬂ anked by four monks, all armed with SMGs! 
  “Did you honestly think we did not know about 
  this place? Bah! Typical untermenschen! Oh do not 
  fear, I am not a Nazi collaborator.” He chuckles 
  grimly. “My name is SS-Hauptsturmführer Steiner. 
  The real monks are alive and well, but currently 
  indisposed in the basement.
  “Now, hand over any items you have discovered 
  so far. Slowly! One false move and the professor 
  will be the ﬁ rst to die!”
  Whether or not the characters comply (they might 
  think this is one of those times when surrender is a good 
  idea), Steiner has no intention of letting them go. If they 
  have handed over their ﬁ nds, they’ll need to ﬁ ght to get 
  them back.
  “Now that you have uncovered this clue,” the 
  Nazi sneers, “you cannot be allowed to leave here 
  alive. Kill them!”
  It’s time to deal action cards.
  The characters begin against the north wall, while the 
  Nazis are 4” away. At the start of round two, the remain-
  ing soldiers enter through the door and join the ﬁ ght. 
  If the characters handed over the sword and orb, they 
  should be very keen to retrieve the artifacts. Ideally, 
  they’ll succeed, as Steiner isn’t vital to the plot.
  The main library measures 12” wide and 10” long. 
  The only door is in the center of the southern wall. Place 
  markers, indicating long tables, rows of tall bookcases, 
  and chairs, liberally around the tabletop. Heavy curtains 
  and tapestries adorn the walls.
  Various props include the following. Encourage he-
  roes to use what is around rather than instantly going for 
  their guns by awarding bennies for clever use of props.
  * Bookcases. The bookcases provide Medium Cover 
  to targets on the other side. Firing through two or more 
  gives Heavy Cover. Any missed shots automatically de-
  stroy a book, scattering paper around the room. Each 
  bookcase is 2” wide and 1” high.
  The bookcases can be tipped over. This requires a 
  Strength roll at –2. With success, the bookcase falls either 
  to the ﬂ oor or lands against an adjacent bookshelf. Vic-
  tims under the bookcase suffer 2d6 damage. The squares 
  it covers are now treated as difﬁ cult ground. On a raise, 
  a bookcase hitting another one causes a domino effect. 
  Bookcases keep falling into one another in a straight 
  line, their contents smashing, until a shelf either hits a 
  wall or there is only empty ﬂ oor adjacent.
  * Books. Light tomes have Range: 3/6/12 and cause 
  Strength damage, whereas thicker volumes are Range: 
  2/4/8. cause Str+d4, but give –1 to Throwing
  * Furniture. Chairs inﬂ ict Str+d6 damage but give –1 
  to Fighting. Tables can be tipped over as an action and 
  used for Cover (Armor +3).
  * Drapes: The drapes and tapestries can be pulled 
  from the walls to cover adjacent foes. This is treated as 
  an Agility Trick, except multiple targets can be affected. 
  There is a cumulative –1 penalty for each intended victim 
  after the ﬁ rst.
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   SS-Hauptsturmführer Steiner: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  THE MONKS
  THE MONKS
  The Romanian monks are huddled in one of the cel-
  lars. A few of the younger ones sport bruises from failed 
  attempts to overpower the Nazis, but all are in good 
  health. They thank the heroes profusely for their assis-
  tance, but can do little to aid them in their quest.
  SCENE 2: ROAD RAGE
  SCENE 2: ROAD RAGE
  Heading up into the Borgo Pass, the characters come 
  across a Nazi convoy heading in the same direction. It 
  looks like the Nazis are on their way to Dracula’s Castle 
  as well.
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Obstacles 
  rules. The Obstacles are Light. The characters begin four 
  Range Increments behind the truck, the last vehicle in the 
  convoy. The kübelwagen is one Range Increment ahead 
  of that, and the two motorcycles one further on from the 
  car (the bikes are on the same Range Increment). Each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”.
  Due to the narrow road and limited visibility, attacks 
  against vehicles further ahead suffer penalties. Attacking 
  past a single vehicle gives the target Light Cover (–1). 
  Through two vehicles is Medium Cover (–2), and three 
  vehicles provides Heavy Cover (–4). Missed shots harm-
  lessly splatter into the road.
  For instance, the characters are behind the truck and 
  car, but a hero wants to shoot at one of the bikes at the 
  head of the convoy. Because there are two intervening 
  vehicles, the attack is made at –2.
  Note that all the German vehicles are faster than the 
  heroes’ car. The bikes and truck get +1 to Driving rolls. 
  The kübelwagen is twice as fast, so it gets +2 to Driving 
  rolls.
  The Nazis don’t react to the characters’ presence until 
  the heroes open ﬁ re or overtake a German vehicle. The 
  goons in the kübelwagen can use their SMGs freely.
  The soldiers in the back of the truck can only ﬁ re at 
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1313
  targets behind them, and even then a maximum of four 
  per round may open up. Both the kübelwagen and truck 
  drivers will use Force maneuvers to knock the characters’ 
  car off the road if they get chance.
  Having forward-ﬁ ring weapons, the sidecar gunners 
  are limited to targets ahead of them. As such, the bike 
  drivers apply heavy braking to drop back behind the 
  characters once the shooting begins.
  Note that although the characters are outnumbered 
  and outgunned, they have just fought a bunch of Nazis. 
  A few grenades in the right place (like into the rear of 
  the truck or dropped into the kübelwagen) can quickly 
  even the odds.
  In the event the characters are captured, they are 
  disarmed and bound. The Germans spend several hours 
  fruitlessly exploring the castle, before setting up tem-
  porary barracks in the fortress. Two soldiers guard the 
  prisoners. Hopefully the heroes can conduct an escape 
  plan.
   Hardened SS Drivers (1 per vehicle): As SS sol-
  dier (page 18).
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 in kübelwagen): See 
  page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (1 in each sidecar): See 
  page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero in truck): See 
  page 18.
  HEROES’ CAR
  HEROES’ CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 11(2); Crew: 1+5
  KÜBELWAGEN
  KÜBELWAGEN
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/24; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+3
  GERMAN TRUCK
  GERMAN TRUCK
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 11 (1); Crew: 1+20
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 14/28; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: Fixed Weapon
  Weapons:
  * MG34 (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 3: CASTLE DRACULA
  SCENE 3: CASTLE DRACULA
  The hour is already late when the heroes reach the 
  castle in the Borgo Pass. Dilapidated and crumbling, the 
  castle stands as a monument to older times, an age when 
  Dracula impaled thousands of victims and ruled his do-
  main with an iron ﬁ st.
  Making their way through the courtyard and up into 
  the castle, the explorers quickly emerge onto the ﬂ at top 
  of the tallest tower. Throughout the long, spiral climb, 
  they noticed no doors giving access to other parts of 
  the tower. The view from the top is spectacular, and any 
  lookout stationed here would see enemies approaching 
  from many miles.
  In the center of the rooftop is a stone pedestal, about 
  a foot high and half that in diameter. In the top is a thin 
  slot. When the sword found in the graveyard is inserted 
  (tip ﬁ rst) under moonlight, the central section of the 
  circular tower roof begins slowly descending into the 
  tower. The platform isn’t a trap—it’s an elevator, which 
  travels down through the entire length of the castle and 
  into the hill on which the ediﬁ ce stands. Professor Iorda-
  nescu is ecstatic.
  “In all my years,” he exclaims, clapping his hands, 
  “never did I think tower was hollow! I always as-
  sumed it was solid structure, built as lookout post 
  for sentries. This is very exciting, yes?”
  The elevator ﬁ nally stops in a small chamber. A 
  wooden door provides the only exit. Beside the door 
  is another slotted dais. This is used to call the elevator 
  down again after it rises. The platform rises to its normal 
  position one minute (10 rounds) after the last character 
  steps from it.
  Beyond the door is a circular chamber. In the 
  center is a low stone dais. Standing around it are 
  armored ﬁ gures, their long boar spears dipped as 
  if in salute, resting lightly upon the dais. Protrud-
  ing from the walls are metal spikes.
  Engraved on the ﬂ oor in large letters is a riddle: 
  The red eye in the dragon’s claws shows the path to 
  immortality. To gain what you seek, my supposed 
  death must be duplicated. But if the warrior be 
  destroyed by other means, thine quest shall end.
  The chamber is 11” across. The dais is 1” in diameter 
  and sits in the center of the room. Any hero who gets 
  within 3” of the dais notices a thin slot, similar to the one 
  atop the tower. The skeletons stand adjacent to the dais, 
  their spear tips resting upon it.
  As soon as a single character moves within 3” of one of 
  the skeletons, they animate and attack. Unless the heroes 
  have stated they are being wary of such an event, they 
  risk being Surprised. Deal action cards appropriately!
  If a character is impaled, the skeleton tries to shove 
  his victim toward the spiked walls. Make an opposed 
  Strength roll. Success moves the victim and skeleton 
  1” toward the nearest wall, and 2” with a raise. Being 
  shoved onto the spikes causes 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra). On subsequent rounds, the skeleton continues 
  to use this maneuver, pulling back slightly and ramming 
  forward again, causing more impalement.
  The “red eye” is a ruby, which rests in the eye socket 
  of one of the armored skeletons (the GM should pick 
  which one). The “dragon’s claws” refers to the hilt of the 
  sword found in the graveyard. Dracula’s supposed death 
  occurred after he was beheaded. If the heroes don’t come 
  up with the solution, Iordanescu makes the suggestion 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1313
  targets behind them, and even then a maximum of four 
  per round may open up. Both the kübelwagen and truck 
  drivers will use Force maneuvers to knock the characters’ 
  car off the road if they get chance.
  Having forward-ﬁ ring weapons, the sidecar gunners 
  are limited to targets ahead of them. As such, the bike 
  drivers apply heavy braking to drop back behind the 
  characters once the shooting begins.
  Note that although the characters are outnumbered 
  and outgunned, they have just fought a bunch of Nazis. 
  A few grenades in the right place (like into the rear of 
  the truck or dropped into the kübelwagen) can quickly 
  even the odds.
  In the event the characters are captured, they are 
  disarmed and bound. The Germans spend several hours 
  fruitlessly exploring the castle, before setting up tem-
  porary barracks in the fortress. Two soldiers guard the 
  prisoners. Hopefully the heroes can conduct an escape 
  plan.
   Hardened SS Drivers (1 per vehicle): As SS sol-
  dier (page 18).
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 in kübelwagen): See 
  page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (1 in each sidecar): See 
  page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero in truck): See 
  page 18.
  HEROES’ CAR
  HEROES’ CAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/16; Toughness: 11(2); Crew: 1+5
  KÜBELWAGEN
  KÜBELWAGEN
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/24; Toughness: 7 (1); Crew: 1+3
  GERMAN TRUCK
  GERMAN TRUCK
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 11 (1); Crew: 1+20
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  MOTORBIKE & SIDECAR
  Acc/Top Speed: 14/28; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  Notes: Fixed Weapon
  Weapons:
  * MG34 (Range: 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  SCENE 3: CASTLE DRACULA
  SCENE 3: CASTLE DRACULA
  The hour is already late when the heroes reach the 
  castle in the Borgo Pass. Dilapidated and crumbling, the 
  castle stands as a monument to older times, an age when 
  Dracula impaled thousands of victims and ruled his do-
  main with an iron ﬁ st.
  Making their way through the courtyard and up into 
  the castle, the explorers quickly emerge onto the ﬂ at top 
  of the tallest tower. Throughout the long, spiral climb, 
  they noticed no doors giving access to other parts of 
  the tower. The view from the top is spectacular, and any 
  lookout stationed here would see enemies approaching 
  from many miles.
  In the center of the rooftop is a stone pedestal, about 
  a foot high and half that in diameter. In the top is a thin 
  slot. When the sword found in the graveyard is inserted 
  (tip ﬁ rst) under moonlight, the central section of the 
  circular tower roof begins slowly descending into the 
  tower. The platform isn’t a trap—it’s an elevator, which 
  travels down through the entire length of the castle and 
  into the hill on which the ediﬁ ce stands. Professor Iorda-
  nescu is ecstatic.
  “In all my years,” he exclaims, clapping his hands, 
  “never did I think tower was hollow! I always as-
  sumed it was solid structure, built as lookout post 
  for sentries. This is very exciting, yes?”
  The elevator ﬁ nally stops in a small chamber. A 
  wooden door provides the only exit. Beside the door 
  is another slotted dais. This is used to call the elevator 
  down again after it rises. The platform rises to its normal 
  position one minute (10 rounds) after the last character 
  steps from it.
  Beyond the door is a circular chamber. In the 
  center is a low stone dais. Standing around it are 
  armored ﬁ gures, their long boar spears dipped as 
  if in salute, resting lightly upon the dais. Protrud-
  ing from the walls are metal spikes.
  Engraved on the ﬂ oor in large letters is a riddle: 
  The red eye in the dragon’s claws shows the path to 
  immortality. To gain what you seek, my supposed 
  death must be duplicated. But if the warrior be 
  destroyed by other means, thine quest shall end.
  The chamber is 11” across. The dais is 1” in diameter 
  and sits in the center of the room. Any hero who gets 
  within 3” of the dais notices a thin slot, similar to the one 
  atop the tower. The skeletons stand adjacent to the dais, 
  their spear tips resting upon it.
  As soon as a single character moves within 3” of one of 
  the skeletons, they animate and attack. Unless the heroes 
  have stated they are being wary of such an event, they 
  risk being Surprised. Deal action cards appropriately!
  If a character is impaled, the skeleton tries to shove 
  his victim toward the spiked walls. Make an opposed 
  Strength roll. Success moves the victim and skeleton 
  1” toward the nearest wall, and 2” with a raise. Being 
  shoved onto the spikes causes 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra). On subsequent rounds, the skeleton continues 
  to use this maneuver, pulling back slightly and ramming 
  forward again, causing more impalement.
  The “red eye” is a ruby, which rests in the eye socket 
  of one of the armored skeletons (the GM should pick 
  which one). The “dragon’s claws” refers to the hilt of the 
  sword found in the graveyard. Dracula’s supposed death 
  occurred after he was beheaded. If the heroes don’t come 
  up with the solution, Iordanescu makes the suggestion 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1414
  that the “eye” is probably contained within one of the 
  skeleton’s heads and it shouldn’t be destroyed until the 
  eye is removed.
  Until the correct gem is located, the heroes are essen-
  tially reduced to defensive actions and Tricks. Of course, 
  the skeletons aren’t bound by such restrictions.
  Unfortunately, all the skeletons have red gemstones 
  for eyes, though only one is a ruby (the rest are just col-
  ored glass spheres). Due to their bucket helmets, spot-
  ting the right gem is far from easy. A character adjacent 
  to a skeleton may make a Notice roll at –2 as an action to 
  get a peek through the visor slit. Destroying a skeleton 
  except by a Called Shot to the head (–4) also destroys the 
  gems, which crumble to dust. If the head is severed, the 
  stones can be scooped up as an action.
  Another way to gain the gem is to ﬁ rst remove the 
  skeleton’s helmet, and then gouge out the stone. To do 
  this, the attacker must grapple his foe. On subsequent 
  rounds, he (or an adjacent ally) may use the Disarm ma-
  neuver to tear off the helmet. Someone must then make 
  a Fighting roll at –2 to pull out the gemstone.
  The ruby ﬁ ts loosely into the clawed hilt (the oth-
  ers are too big). As soon as the two are combined, the 
  claws snap shut around the stone. Nothing else happens, 
  though.
  Sliding the completed sword into the slot on the 
  central dais causes the skeletons to freeze in place im-
  mediately. A dull glow emanates from the ruby, growing 
  steadily brighter over the next few seconds. A crystal-
  clear image is then projected against one of the walls. It 
  shows a river running through a steep-sided canyon, atop 
  which stands a ruined castle. The image twists to reveal a 
  small side canyon, which ends in a waterfall. Iordanescu 
  recognizes the place immediately. “It’s Poienari Castle!” 
  he shouts. “Chalice must be near Dracula’s home along 
  banks of River Arge!”
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Armored Skeletons (2 per hero): See page 19.
  ACT 4: LAND OF BLOOD
  ACT 4: LAND OF BLOOD
  The Arge River ﬂ ows through southern Romania. It 
  begins in the Carpathians, and ends its journey over 200 
  miles later when it joins the mighty Danube. For much of 
  its course the Arge is a wide, gentle river. However, near 
  Poienari Castle, the valley narrows between steep, craggy 
  cliffs, and rapids ﬁ ll the narrow channel. Rowboats can be 
  hired in any of the villages upstream for a nominal sum.
  SCENE 1: HE WAS “THE IMPALER”
  SCENE 1: HE WAS “THE IMPALER”
  The towering cliffs ﬁ nally give way to reveal 
  a smaller channel with rocks on either side. At 
  some point in the distant past the cliffs must have 
  collapsed. The end of the channel is marked by a 
  waterfall, which thunders down into the water, 
  producing a spray of foam.
  Behind the waterfall is a narrow recess. Carved into 
  it is an indentation, which matches the dragon seal the 
  group used earlier. Placing the seal in the indentation 
  causes the wall to crumble away, leaving a dark opening. 
  The seal dissolves into dust.
  You pass through the gap and into a large cavern. 
  The walls and ceiling are natural rock, but the 
  ﬂ oor has been worked smooth and covered with 
  ﬂ agstones. Holes, hundreds of them, each as thick 
  as a man’s arm, dot the ﬂ agstones. The center 
  of the room is dominated by a stone sepulcher, 
  carved in the gigantic likeness of a beautiful 
  woman of regal bearing. The far wall contains 
  dozens of niches, each ﬁ lled with a goblet or chal-
  ice. Dracula sure wasn’t taking any chances!
  The chamber measures 24” long by 18” wide. The 
  stone sarcophagus is 2” long and 1” wide, and lies in the 
  center of the cavern.
  Inscribed on the tomb is a single name—Elizabeta. 
  The sepulcher has Toughness 20(8) and has Heavy Ar-
  mor. In the event the heroes manage to ﬁ nd a way inside, 
  all that can be found in a skeleton dressed in the tattered 
  remains of a ﬁ ne velvet dress.
  There are three goblets in each 1” wide section of the 
  back wall. Checking the chalices requires an action for 
  each one. The correct chalice is marked with the seal of 
  the Order of the Dragon—a dragon biting its own tail. 
  Each time one is checked, ﬂ ip the top card of the action 
  deck. If it’s a Joker, the hero has discovered the correct 
  one.
  As soon as the ﬁ rst chalice is checked, deal action 
  cards. Whenever a Club is dealt as a character’s action 
  card, long stakes, Dracula’s torture implement of choice, 
  shoot through the holes beneath and around the charac-
  ter. The stakes withdraw almost immediately.
  The chance of hitting a character and the damage 
  inﬂ icted is determined by the card’s value, as shown 
  below. All damage is treated as being dealt by an Extra. 
  The “Extras” column indicates how many Extras sharing 
  the same action card are affected. Exactly which ﬁ gures 
  in the group risk impalement should be determined by 
  the GM.
  Heroes who are impaled should be pierced through 
  an arm or leg. Impaled Nazis are punctured through the 
  stomach, and lifted off the group, only to collapse in a 
  bloody heap when the stake withdraws.
  Value 
  Fighting 
  Damage 
  Extras
  Deuce 
  d10 
  2d10 
  1
  3–10 
  d8 
  2d8 
  2
  Jack–Queen 
  d6 
  2d6 
  3
  King–Ace 
  d4 
  2d4 
  4
  At the start of the second round, a squad of Nazis ar-
  rives on the scene. They have been dispatched from the 
  nearby castle, where von Drachenstein has made his lair! 
  They don’t know about the stakes. Because there are 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1414
  that the “eye” is probably contained within one of the 
  skeleton’s heads and it shouldn’t be destroyed until the 
  eye is removed.
  Until the correct gem is located, the heroes are essen-
  tially reduced to defensive actions and Tricks. Of course, 
  the skeletons aren’t bound by such restrictions.
  Unfortunately, all the skeletons have red gemstones 
  for eyes, though only one is a ruby (the rest are just col-
  ored glass spheres). Due to their bucket helmets, spot-
  ting the right gem is far from easy. A character adjacent 
  to a skeleton may make a Notice roll at –2 as an action to 
  get a peek through the visor slit. Destroying a skeleton 
  except by a Called Shot to the head (–4) also destroys the 
  gems, which crumble to dust. If the head is severed, the 
  stones can be scooped up as an action.
  Another way to gain the gem is to ﬁ rst remove the 
  skeleton’s helmet, and then gouge out the stone. To do 
  this, the attacker must grapple his foe. On subsequent 
  rounds, he (or an adjacent ally) may use the Disarm ma-
  neuver to tear off the helmet. Someone must then make 
  a Fighting roll at –2 to pull out the gemstone.
  The ruby ﬁ ts loosely into the clawed hilt (the oth-
  ers are too big). As soon as the two are combined, the 
  claws snap shut around the stone. Nothing else happens, 
  though.
  Sliding the completed sword into the slot on the 
  central dais causes the skeletons to freeze in place im-
  mediately. A dull glow emanates from the ruby, growing 
  steadily brighter over the next few seconds. A crystal-
  clear image is then projected against one of the walls. It 
  shows a river running through a steep-sided canyon, atop 
  which stands a ruined castle. The image twists to reveal a 
  small side canyon, which ends in a waterfall. Iordanescu 
  recognizes the place immediately. “It’s Poienari Castle!” 
  he shouts. “Chalice must be near Dracula’s home along 
  banks of River Arge!”
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Armored Skeletons (2 per hero): See page 19.
  ACT 4: LAND OF BLOOD
  ACT 4: LAND OF BLOOD
  The Arge River ﬂ ows through southern Romania. It 
  begins in the Carpathians, and ends its journey over 200 
  miles later when it joins the mighty Danube. For much of 
  its course the Arge is a wide, gentle river. However, near 
  Poienari Castle, the valley narrows between steep, craggy 
  cliffs, and rapids ﬁ ll the narrow channel. Rowboats can be 
  hired in any of the villages upstream for a nominal sum.
  SCENE 1: HE WAS “THE IMPALER”
  SCENE 1: HE WAS “THE IMPALER”
  The towering cliffs ﬁ nally give way to reveal 
  a smaller channel with rocks on either side. At 
  some point in the distant past the cliffs must have 
  collapsed. The end of the channel is marked by a 
  waterfall, which thunders down into the water, 
  producing a spray of foam.
  Behind the waterfall is a narrow recess. Carved into 
  it is an indentation, which matches the dragon seal the 
  group used earlier. Placing the seal in the indentation 
  causes the wall to crumble away, leaving a dark opening. 
  The seal dissolves into dust.
  You pass through the gap and into a large cavern. 
  The walls and ceiling are natural rock, but the 
  ﬂ oor has been worked smooth and covered with 
  ﬂ agstones. Holes, hundreds of them, each as thick 
  as a man’s arm, dot the ﬂ agstones. The center 
  of the room is dominated by a stone sepulcher, 
  carved in the gigantic likeness of a beautiful 
  woman of regal bearing. The far wall contains 
  dozens of niches, each ﬁ lled with a goblet or chal-
  ice. Dracula sure wasn’t taking any chances!
  The chamber measures 24” long by 18” wide. The 
  stone sarcophagus is 2” long and 1” wide, and lies in the 
  center of the cavern.
  Inscribed on the tomb is a single name—Elizabeta. 
  The sepulcher has Toughness 20(8) and has Heavy Ar-
  mor. In the event the heroes manage to ﬁ nd a way inside, 
  all that can be found in a skeleton dressed in the tattered 
  remains of a ﬁ ne velvet dress.
  There are three goblets in each 1” wide section of the 
  back wall. Checking the chalices requires an action for 
  each one. The correct chalice is marked with the seal of 
  the Order of the Dragon—a dragon biting its own tail. 
  Each time one is checked, ﬂ ip the top card of the action 
  deck. If it’s a Joker, the hero has discovered the correct 
  one.
  As soon as the ﬁ rst chalice is checked, deal action 
  cards. Whenever a Club is dealt as a character’s action 
  card, long stakes, Dracula’s torture implement of choice, 
  shoot through the holes beneath and around the charac-
  ter. The stakes withdraw almost immediately.
  The chance of hitting a character and the damage 
  inﬂ icted is determined by the card’s value, as shown 
  below. All damage is treated as being dealt by an Extra. 
  The “Extras” column indicates how many Extras sharing 
  the same action card are affected. Exactly which ﬁ gures 
  in the group risk impalement should be determined by 
  the GM.
  Heroes who are impaled should be pierced through 
  an arm or leg. Impaled Nazis are punctured through the 
  stomach, and lifted off the group, only to collapse in a 
  bloody heap when the stake withdraws.
  Value 
  Fighting 
  Damage 
  Extras
  Deuce 
  d10 
  2d10 
  1
  3–10 
  d8 
  2d8 
  2
  Jack–Queen 
  d6 
  2d6 
  3
  King–Ace 
  d4 
  2d4 
  4
  At the start of the second round, a squad of Nazis ar-
  rives on the scene. They have been dispatched from the 
  nearby castle, where von Drachenstein has made his lair! 
  They don’t know about the stakes. Because there are 
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1515
  so many Nazis, divide them into as a number of groups 
  equal to the number of player characters.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 18.
  THE CHALICE TAKEN
  THE CHALICE TAKEN
  Unbeknownst to the heroes, von Drachenstein and 
  his cohorts chose to set up their headquarters in Poien-
  ari Castle, the mad doctor ﬁ nding it a most ﬁ tting base. 
  Sentries detected the heroes’ arrival downriver, and then 
  summoned their master. When the characters emerge 
  from the waterfall, von Drachenstein and a squad of SS 
  soldiers are waiting for them.
  “Welcome to Romania. We are so glad you could 
  join us in our hunt.” The speaker is the same Nazi 
  you fought outside the Professor’s house. “My 
  name is Wolfgang von Drachenstein, a medical 
  man by trade, but one perfectly suited to locate 
  Dracula’s Chalice. I trust you have found it?”
  It’s only natural the heroes will lie. Von Drachenstein 
  expects nothing less. Handing a fake chalice doesn’t fool 
  von Drachenstein—he’s already worked out the real one 
  would be marked in some special way.
  “Oh come now,” the Nazi sneers. “We can do this 
  the hard way, by which I mean my men must gun 
  you down where you stand and I can take the 
  chalice from your twitching ﬁ ngers, or the easy 
  way. The choice is yours.”
  Von Drachenstein isn’t joking. Further lies or attempts 
  to bluff him result in a burst of machinegun ﬁ re ripping 
  into Professor Iordanescu’s body. The scholar slumps to 
  the ﬂ oor, bleeding profusely. Iordanescu is Incapacitated. 
  Any hero with the Healing skill can see he won’t last long 
  without medical aid.
  “Hand over the chalice now and my medics will 
  attend to your friend. Are you really the sort of 
  men who could watch an innocent die in front of 
  your eyes? If you are, then perhaps we are on the 
  same side.” He lets loose a hollow laugh.
  Any attempt to administer ﬁ rst aid to Iordanescu is 
  met with another burst of machinegun ﬁ re, this time 
  at the feet of the would-be medic. Continued attempts 
  result in the character becoming the target.
  Assuming the characters don’t want to be responsible 
  for Iordanescu’s death, surrender is a wise option. They 
  are badly outnumbered and outgunned, and a live hero 
  has a much better chance of enacting revenge than a 
  dead one. Still, the option is theirs. If a ﬁ ght breaks out, 
  run it as normal. Another squad of Nazis equal to four 
  times the number of heroes arrives on the scene after 
  six rounds. 
  Von Drachenstein is true to his word and has Ior-
  danescu patched up once the characters surrender 
  (the medic stabilizes the professor and removes two 
  wounds).
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Wolfgang von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (4 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 2: INVOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS
  SCENE 2: INVOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS
  The Nazis disarm the heroes, and then escort them 
  at gunpoint into Poienari Castle. Once there, they are 
  lead down narrow winding steps and through cramped 
  passageways in the dungeons.
  Finally you are shoved into a room—a fully kitted 
  out torture chamber! But there are no iron maid-
  ens or racks. Rather there are four tables, above 
  which dangle dozens of ﬂ exible tubes tipped in 
  sharp needles. Standing behind them is a large, 
  glass tank, to which strange looking machinery 
  is attached.
  Your equipment is thrown in a pile in the corner 
  of the room.
  “My men discovered this room during a previous 
  visit,” von Drachenstein says casually, “ but I 
  had it modiﬁ ed for my own use. How foolish of 
  me not to realize that fate brought me and my 
  experiments to the very resting place of Dracula’s 
  chalice. “Still,” he continues, “your end will be 
  very ﬁ tting.”
  Von Drachenstein gives a curt nod. “Not this one,” 
  he says, pointing to the professor. “I think he will 
  be better suited to aiding me in my ﬁ nal experi-
  ment. Use the others.”
  His goons manhandle you onto the tables and 
  strap you down. Once you’re securely bound by 
  leather straps, the needles are roughly shoved 
  into your ﬂ esh.
  “This device is one of my own creations,” the vile 
  Nazi coos. “When I activate the machine, it will 
  suck your blood into that glass tank. Do not be 
  alarmed—you are aiding in the advancement of 
  medical science. Although history will not record 
  your names, your sacriﬁ ce will enable me to 
  revolutionize the study of diseases of the blood. A 
  noble cause, don’t you think?
  “Unfortunately, I have more pressing matters to 
  attend to elsewhere, so I will not be able to wit-
  ness your deaths. Still, I shall see the aftereffects 
  when I return.
  “As for this,” he says, holding the chalice in front 
  of his face, “this innocuous-looking trinket is the 
  secret to immortality. Think what wonders one 
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1515
  so many Nazis, divide them into as a number of groups 
  equal to the number of player characters.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 18.
  THE CHALICE TAKEN
  THE CHALICE TAKEN
  Unbeknownst to the heroes, von Drachenstein and 
  his cohorts chose to set up their headquarters in Poien-
  ari Castle, the mad doctor ﬁ nding it a most ﬁ tting base. 
  Sentries detected the heroes’ arrival downriver, and then 
  summoned their master. When the characters emerge 
  from the waterfall, von Drachenstein and a squad of SS 
  soldiers are waiting for them.
  “Welcome to Romania. We are so glad you could 
  join us in our hunt.” The speaker is the same Nazi 
  you fought outside the Professor’s house. “My 
  name is Wolfgang von Drachenstein, a medical 
  man by trade, but one perfectly suited to locate 
  Dracula’s Chalice. I trust you have found it?”
  It’s only natural the heroes will lie. Von Drachenstein 
  expects nothing less. Handing a fake chalice doesn’t fool 
  von Drachenstein—he’s already worked out the real one 
  would be marked in some special way.
  “Oh come now,” the Nazi sneers. “We can do this 
  the hard way, by which I mean my men must gun 
  you down where you stand and I can take the 
  chalice from your twitching ﬁ ngers, or the easy 
  way. The choice is yours.”
  Von Drachenstein isn’t joking. Further lies or attempts 
  to bluff him result in a burst of machinegun ﬁ re ripping 
  into Professor Iordanescu’s body. The scholar slumps to 
  the ﬂ oor, bleeding profusely. Iordanescu is Incapacitated. 
  Any hero with the Healing skill can see he won’t last long 
  without medical aid.
  “Hand over the chalice now and my medics will 
  attend to your friend. Are you really the sort of 
  men who could watch an innocent die in front of 
  your eyes? If you are, then perhaps we are on the 
  same side.” He lets loose a hollow laugh.
  Any attempt to administer ﬁ rst aid to Iordanescu is 
  met with another burst of machinegun ﬁ re, this time 
  at the feet of the would-be medic. Continued attempts 
  result in the character becoming the target.
  Assuming the characters don’t want to be responsible 
  for Iordanescu’s death, surrender is a wise option. They 
  are badly outnumbered and outgunned, and a live hero 
  has a much better chance of enacting revenge than a 
  dead one. Still, the option is theirs. If a ﬁ ght breaks out, 
  run it as normal. Another squad of Nazis equal to four 
  times the number of heroes arrives on the scene after 
  six rounds. 
  Von Drachenstein is true to his word and has Ior-
  danescu patched up once the characters surrender 
  (the medic stabilizes the professor and removes two 
  wounds).
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
   Wolfgang von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (4 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 2: INVOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS
  SCENE 2: INVOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS
  The Nazis disarm the heroes, and then escort them 
  at gunpoint into Poienari Castle. Once there, they are 
  lead down narrow winding steps and through cramped 
  passageways in the dungeons.
  Finally you are shoved into a room—a fully kitted 
  out torture chamber! But there are no iron maid-
  ens or racks. Rather there are four tables, above 
  which dangle dozens of ﬂ exible tubes tipped in 
  sharp needles. Standing behind them is a large, 
  glass tank, to which strange looking machinery 
  is attached.
  Your equipment is thrown in a pile in the corner 
  of the room.
  “My men discovered this room during a previous 
  visit,” von Drachenstein says casually, “ but I 
  had it modiﬁ ed for my own use. How foolish of 
  me not to realize that fate brought me and my 
  experiments to the very resting place of Dracula’s 
  chalice. “Still,” he continues, “your end will be 
  very ﬁ tting.”
  Von Drachenstein gives a curt nod. “Not this one,” 
  he says, pointing to the professor. “I think he will 
  be better suited to aiding me in my ﬁ nal experi-
  ment. Use the others.”
  His goons manhandle you onto the tables and 
  strap you down. Once you’re securely bound by 
  leather straps, the needles are roughly shoved 
  into your ﬂ esh.
  “This device is one of my own creations,” the vile 
  Nazi coos. “When I activate the machine, it will 
  suck your blood into that glass tank. Do not be 
  alarmed—you are aiding in the advancement of 
  medical science. Although history will not record 
  your names, your sacriﬁ ce will enable me to 
  revolutionize the study of diseases of the blood. A 
  noble cause, don’t you think?
  “Unfortunately, I have more pressing matters to 
  attend to elsewhere, so I will not be able to wit-
  ness your deaths. Still, I shall see the aftereffects 
  when I return.
  “As for this,” he says, holding the chalice in front 
  of his face, “this innocuous-looking trinket is the 
  secret to immortality. Think what wonders one 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1616
  could see while, all around, men wither to dust 
  with old age. A thousand years and a thousand 
  more! What great advances will mankind make 
  in that time? Ah well, it is best you do not dwell 
  on such matters. Your time is over!”
  With that, the evil doctor begins ﬁ ddling with the 
  machinery. A slow whine builds. Red ﬂ uid—your 
  precious blood—begins ﬂ owing up the tubes and 
  into the storage jar!
  “Radio me when they are dead,” he says to his 
  men. With that, von Drachenstein departs, leaving 
  just two guards behind to watch your demise.
  In order to escape the ﬁ endish device, the characters 
  must ﬁ rst break or slip their bonds. This requires either 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –2. Each character may make 
  one attempt per round.
  Each time the roll is failed, the guards mock the char-
  acters (“Don’t struggle, it will only hurt more!” “Look, 
  Hans, they ﬂ ap like ﬁ shes out of water.”) The heroes 
  also suffer 2d6 damage from a Wild Card source as their 
  blood is drained. With success, a hero frees his hands. 
  Deal action cards once the ﬁ rst hero has freed his 
  hands.
  The dungeon measures 8” by 8”. The four tables (each 
  is 1” long) occupy the center of the room. Movement 
  through the squares they occupy is treated as difﬁ cult 
  ground. The blood-draining machine ﬁ lls a 1” square and 
  is positioned against the northern wall. The two goons 
  begin adjacent to the southern wall, one either side of a 
  door. The heroes’ gear lies in the southwest corner.
  The Nazis are taken by Surprise the ﬁ rst round. Make 
  individual Notice rolls to see if they react. They can’t 
  shoot the characters (it’ll waste their blood and von 
  Drachenstein will likely use them as guinea pigs), so they 
  use their SMGs as clubs, instead (Str+d4).
  Ripping off the straps from his legs or removing the 
  needles requires an action but no die roll. Until the 
  needles are removed, the hero continues to take dam-
  age.
  Once a character is free, he can battle the Nazis or 
  try to save his friends. Removing the straps from a single 
  comrade requires a complete round—no 
  other actions are permitted except move-
  ment up to the hero’s Pace. Ripping out 
  the needles requires just a single action.
  Trying to switch off the machine re-
  quires a Weird Science roll. With failure, 
  the machine goes into overdrive, and 
  the damage increases one die step per 
  failed roll (2d8, 2d10, and ﬁ nally 2d12, 
  it’s highest setting). Smashing the device 
  (Toughness 10) is an option, but a risky 
  one. The ﬁ rst wound causes it to go into 
  overdrive as above. The second wound 
  generates a shower of sparks and stops it 
  draining blood.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (1 per 2 
  heroes): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: THE TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  SCENE 3: THE TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  Having escaped the dastardly machine 
  and overpowered their guards, the heroes 
  now have the run of the castle. Voices can 
  be heard echoing up a nearby stairwell.
  The distant voice of von Drachenstein 
  reaches your ears. “This, professor, 
  was Dracula’s throne room. Here 
  the Prince of Darkness dined and 
  watched his enemies writhe in pain 
  upon wooden stakes. This is where a 
  new warlord shall rise to power. With 
  this, Hitler will rule for eternity!”
  “You’re mad!” cries Professor Ior-
  danescu. “You don’t even know it 
  works.”
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1616
  could see while, all around, men wither to dust 
  with old age. A thousand years and a thousand 
  more! What great advances will mankind make 
  in that time? Ah well, it is best you do not dwell 
  on such matters. Your time is over!”
  With that, the evil doctor begins ﬁ ddling with the 
  machinery. A slow whine builds. Red ﬂ uid—your 
  precious blood—begins ﬂ owing up the tubes and 
  into the storage jar!
  “Radio me when they are dead,” he says to his 
  men. With that, von Drachenstein departs, leaving 
  just two guards behind to watch your demise.
  In order to escape the ﬁ endish device, the characters 
  must ﬁ rst break or slip their bonds. This requires either 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –2. Each character may make 
  one attempt per round.
  Each time the roll is failed, the guards mock the char-
  acters (“Don’t struggle, it will only hurt more!” “Look, 
  Hans, they ﬂ ap like ﬁ shes out of water.”) The heroes 
  also suffer 2d6 damage from a Wild Card source as their 
  blood is drained. With success, a hero frees his hands. 
  Deal action cards once the ﬁ rst hero has freed his 
  hands.
  The dungeon measures 8” by 8”. The four tables (each 
  is 1” long) occupy the center of the room. Movement 
  through the squares they occupy is treated as difﬁ cult 
  ground. The blood-draining machine ﬁ lls a 1” square and 
  is positioned against the northern wall. The two goons 
  begin adjacent to the southern wall, one either side of a 
  door. The heroes’ gear lies in the southwest corner.
  The Nazis are taken by Surprise the ﬁ rst round. Make 
  individual Notice rolls to see if they react. They can’t 
  shoot the characters (it’ll waste their blood and von 
  Drachenstein will likely use them as guinea pigs), so they 
  use their SMGs as clubs, instead (Str+d4).
  Ripping off the straps from his legs or removing the 
  needles requires an action but no die roll. Until the 
  needles are removed, the hero continues to take dam-
  age.
  Once a character is free, he can battle the Nazis or 
  try to save his friends. Removing the straps from a single 
  comrade requires a complete round—no 
  other actions are permitted except move-
  ment up to the hero’s Pace. Ripping out 
  the needles requires just a single action.
  Trying to switch off the machine re-
  quires a Weird Science roll. With failure, 
  the machine goes into overdrive, and 
  the damage increases one die step per 
  failed roll (2d8, 2d10, and ﬁ nally 2d12, 
  it’s highest setting). Smashing the device 
  (Toughness 10) is an option, but a risky 
  one. The ﬁ rst wound causes it to go into 
  overdrive as above. The second wound 
  generates a shower of sparks and stops it 
  draining blood.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (1 per 2 
  heroes): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: THE TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  SCENE 3: THE TEMPLE OF BLOOD
  Having escaped the dastardly machine 
  and overpowered their guards, the heroes 
  now have the run of the castle. Voices can 
  be heard echoing up a nearby stairwell.
  The distant voice of von Drachenstein 
  reaches your ears. “This, professor, 
  was Dracula’s throne room. Here 
  the Prince of Darkness dined and 
  watched his enemies writhe in pain 
  upon wooden stakes. This is where a 
  new warlord shall rise to power. With 
  this, Hitler will rule for eternity!”
  “You’re mad!” cries Professor Ior-
  danescu. “You don’t even know it 
  works.”
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1717
  “Ah, that is true, but fear not. What point is there 
  in giving Hitler the chalice if it does not work? No, 
  I shall test it ﬁ rst. I shall become the ﬁ rst of a new 
  breed of immortals!”
  No matter how quickly the heroes react, they arrive a 
  second too late.
  Von Drachenstein, standing beside a fountain 
  vomiting blood, drops the chalice to the ﬂ oor and 
  wipes the back of his hand across his lips. “Yes, 
  yes!” he murmurs. “I can feel it! New strength, 
  the strength of the undead! Come Professor,” he 
  smiles, turning to Iordanescu, “I shall give you the 
  privilege of becoming my ﬁ rst victim!”
  Von Drachenstein is deluding himself about feeling 
  more powerful. He is gaining new powers, but not the 
  ones he was expecting.
  Moving up or down the various platforms is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground, as is wading through the rivers of blood. 
  A hero who runs through the blood and rolls a 1 on his 
  running die slips and falls prone in the crimson river.
  The statues and pillars are impervious to non-Heavy 
  Weapons (Toughness 12), though chunks can be blasted 
  away by ﬁ rearms. If the Blood Beast smashes a pillar and 
  causes a wound, it collapses. Place a Small Burst Tem-
  plate over the pillar. Any character under the template 
  when it is placed must make an Agility roll at –2 as a free 
  action or suffer 2d6 damage (from an Extra) from col-
  lapsing rubble. Movement through the debris is difﬁ cult 
  ground.
  Transformation: When the ﬁ ght begins, as surely it 
  will, von Drachenstein is immune to all forms of dam-
  age. He can be Shaken by attacks, but never suffers an 
  actual wound. However, each wound he would have 
  taken causes a transformation, so the GM must record 
  his “injuries.” The Nazi’s skin begins to bubble and boil 
  as congealed blood breaks through from within, his arms 
  lengthen, the ﬁ ngers merging to form a leechlike mouth, 
  and he grows in height and gains mass.
  Whatever force controls the chalice has found the 
  Nazi unworthy of eternal life as a vampire. Instead, it is 
  transforming him into a Blood Beast.
  Once von Drachenstein takes his fourth “wound” his 
  transformation is complete. He uses the stats for the 
  Blood Beast from the start of the next turn. 
  The Blood Beast is insane and eternally hungry. It at-
  tacks the nearest creature, whether hero or Nazi, using its 
  most powerful attack form warranted by the situation.
  When the Blood Beast is ﬁ nally slain, the fountain 
  sprays a thick jet of blood high into the air. Each of 
  the four statues begins vomiting blood at an unbeliev-
  able rate. The chamber, vast as it is, is quickly ﬁ lling 
  with blood! Worse, a heavy stone block is sliding down 
  across the doorway. The heroes have six rounds to ﬂ ee 
  the chamber before they are sealed in and drowned in 
  blood!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
     Wolfgang von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   The Blood Beast: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  VICTORY
  VICTORY
  After escaping, the characters discover the Nazis else-
  where in the castle have already ﬂ ed. If they have the 
  chalice, they must decide what to do with it. Despite its 
  supernatural powers, it is a mundane object at heart, 
  and can be destroyed. Melting it down is the surest way 
  of guaranteeing it cannot be used again. A hero foolish 
  enough to drink blood from it gets what he deserves—he 
  too becomes a Blood Beast.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  PROFESSOR TOMIC IORDANESCU
  PROFESSOR TOMIC IORDANESCU
  Professor Tomic Iordanescu is a scholar, whose ﬁ eld 
  of expertise is the reign of Vlad III, better known in the 
  Western world as Count Dracula. A quiet, humble man, 
  Iordanescu ﬂ ed Romania a few years ago after being per-
  secuted by the Iron Guard, an ultra-nationalistic fascist 
  movement, for his Jewish ancestry.
  Professor Iordanescu is a Henchman. He speaks 
  German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Romanian, and passable 
  English. His Combat Edges represent his ability to avoid 
  blows, despite his low Fighting skill.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (History) d10, Knowl-
  edge (Occult) d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Curious, Paciﬁ st (Major)
  Edges: Block, Dodge, Scholar
  Gear: Pocket knife (Str+d4)
   SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER DR. WOLFGANG VON 
   SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER DR. WOLFGANG VON 
  DRACHENSTEIN
  DRACHENSTEIN
  A disgraced doctor fascinated with blood disorders, 
  vampirism, and immortality, von Drachenstein was the 
  perfect choice to lead an expedition to ﬁ nd Dracula’s 
  chalice. Pale skinned and gaunt, von Drachenstein suf-
  fers from a rare blood disorder, which requires him to 
  have transfusions every few days.
  Never one to rely on others, the mad doctor has cre-
  ated his own medical device for extracting blood from 
  unwilling patients. Von Drachenstein’s blood siphon 
  comprises two needles attached to a powerful pump 
  and blood reservoir. He wears this under his leather 
  coat, the needles protruding along his right index and 
  middle knuckle to allow him to punch foes. He has also 
  created a number of blood serums, which when injected 
  give him limited “supernatural” powers.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1717
  “Ah, that is true, but fear not. What point is there 
  in giving Hitler the chalice if it does not work? No, 
  I shall test it ﬁ rst. I shall become the ﬁ rst of a new 
  breed of immortals!”
  No matter how quickly the heroes react, they arrive a 
  second too late.
  Von Drachenstein, standing beside a fountain 
  vomiting blood, drops the chalice to the ﬂ oor and 
  wipes the back of his hand across his lips. “Yes, 
  yes!” he murmurs. “I can feel it! New strength, 
  the strength of the undead! Come Professor,” he 
  smiles, turning to Iordanescu, “I shall give you the 
  privilege of becoming my ﬁ rst victim!”
  Von Drachenstein is deluding himself about feeling 
  more powerful. He is gaining new powers, but not the 
  ones he was expecting.
  Moving up or down the various platforms is treated as 
  difﬁ cult ground, as is wading through the rivers of blood. 
  A hero who runs through the blood and rolls a 1 on his 
  running die slips and falls prone in the crimson river.
  The statues and pillars are impervious to non-Heavy 
  Weapons (Toughness 12), though chunks can be blasted 
  away by ﬁ rearms. If the Blood Beast smashes a pillar and 
  causes a wound, it collapses. Place a Small Burst Tem-
  plate over the pillar. Any character under the template 
  when it is placed must make an Agility roll at –2 as a free 
  action or suffer 2d6 damage (from an Extra) from col-
  lapsing rubble. Movement through the debris is difﬁ cult 
  ground.
  Transformation: When the ﬁ ght begins, as surely it 
  will, von Drachenstein is immune to all forms of dam-
  age. He can be Shaken by attacks, but never suffers an 
  actual wound. However, each wound he would have 
  taken causes a transformation, so the GM must record 
  his “injuries.” The Nazi’s skin begins to bubble and boil 
  as congealed blood breaks through from within, his arms 
  lengthen, the ﬁ ngers merging to form a leechlike mouth, 
  and he grows in height and gains mass.
  Whatever force controls the chalice has found the 
  Nazi unworthy of eternal life as a vampire. Instead, it is 
  transforming him into a Blood Beast.
  Once von Drachenstein takes his fourth “wound” his 
  transformation is complete. He uses the stats for the 
  Blood Beast from the start of the next turn. 
  The Blood Beast is insane and eternally hungry. It at-
  tacks the nearest creature, whether hero or Nazi, using its 
  most powerful attack form warranted by the situation.
  When the Blood Beast is ﬁ nally slain, the fountain 
  sprays a thick jet of blood high into the air. Each of 
  the four statues begins vomiting blood at an unbeliev-
  able rate. The chamber, vast as it is, is quickly ﬁ lling 
  with blood! Worse, a heavy stone block is sliding down 
  across the doorway. The heroes have six rounds to ﬂ ee 
  the chamber before they are sealed in and drowned in 
  blood!
   Professor Tomic Iordanescu: See page 17.
     Wolfgang von Drachenstein: See page 18.
   The Blood Beast: See page 18.
   Hardened SS Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 18.
  VICTORY
  VICTORY
  After escaping, the characters discover the Nazis else-
  where in the castle have already ﬂ ed. If they have the 
  chalice, they must decide what to do with it. Despite its 
  supernatural powers, it is a mundane object at heart, 
  and can be destroyed. Melting it down is the surest way 
  of guaranteeing it cannot be used again. A hero foolish 
  enough to drink blood from it gets what he deserves—he 
  too becomes a Blood Beast.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  PROFESSOR TOMIC IORDANESCU
  PROFESSOR TOMIC IORDANESCU
  Professor Tomic Iordanescu is a scholar, whose ﬁ eld 
  of expertise is the reign of Vlad III, better known in the 
  Western world as Count Dracula. A quiet, humble man, 
  Iordanescu ﬂ ed Romania a few years ago after being per-
  secuted by the Iron Guard, an ultra-nationalistic fascist 
  movement, for his Jewish ancestry.
  Professor Iordanescu is a Henchman. He speaks 
  German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Romanian, and passable 
  English. His Combat Edges represent his ability to avoid 
  blows, despite his low Fighting skill.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (History) d10, Knowl-
  edge (Occult) d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Curious, Paciﬁ st (Major)
  Edges: Block, Dodge, Scholar
  Gear: Pocket knife (Str+d4)
   SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER DR. WOLFGANG VON 
   SS-STURMBAHNFÜHRER DR. WOLFGANG VON 
  DRACHENSTEIN
  DRACHENSTEIN
  A disgraced doctor fascinated with blood disorders, 
  vampirism, and immortality, von Drachenstein was the 
  perfect choice to lead an expedition to ﬁ nd Dracula’s 
  chalice. Pale skinned and gaunt, von Drachenstein suf-
  fers from a rare blood disorder, which requires him to 
  have transfusions every few days.
  Never one to rely on others, the mad doctor has cre-
  ated his own medical device for extracting blood from 
  unwilling patients. Von Drachenstein’s blood siphon 
  comprises two needles attached to a powerful pump 
  and blood reservoir. He wears this under his leather 
  coat, the needles protruding along his right index and 
  middle knuckle to allow him to punch foes. He has also 
  created a number of blood serums, which when injected 
  give him limited “supernatural” powers.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1818
  Von Drachenstein has no Power Points, not any true 
  gizmos. Instead, he has a limited number of serums 
  available, which provide him with his powers. Each has 
  a ﬁ nite number of uses per encounter. To activate them, 
  he simply injects himself and makes a Weird Science roll 
  as normal. Each power lasts for 3 rounds per dose. His 
  power list is the equivalent of 30 Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Healing d10, Intimi-
  dation d8, Knowledge (Biochemistry) d10, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d8, Taunt d10, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Anemic, Greedy (Major; secret of immor-
  tality), Mean
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), Improved 
  Dodge, Improved Level Headed, Improved Nerves of 
  Steel, Strong Willed
  Powers: 4 x boost trait (no lower, various serums); 2 x 
  deﬂ ection (heightened reﬂ exes); 3 x healing (regenera-
  tive serum); 2 x quickness (adrenaline serum); 1 x speed 
  (metabolic boost)
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), mag-
  ic amulet (grants him Arcane Resistance Edge)
  Special Abilities:
  * Blood Siphon: A successful Touch Attack (+2 Fight-
  ing) causes Str+d6 damage.
  SS-HAUPTSTURMFÜHRER KARL STEINER
  SS-HAUPTSTURMFÜHRER KARL STEINER
  Steiner was raised in the circus, where he was a knife-
  thrower. Indeed, he is widely regarded among his com-
  patriots as the best knife man in Germany, if not Europe. 
  Despite being ordered to use a pistol, the weapon of 
  choice for ofﬁ cers, he always keeps half a dozen knives 
  on his person. Von Drachenstein, whose rank is honor-
  ary, doesn’t care what weapons Steiner uses, so long as 
  he achieves results. He speaks German, English, and 
  Romanian ﬂ uently.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d6, Stealth d8, Taunt d8, Throwing d12+2
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal
  Edges: Acrobat, Combat Reﬂ exes, Dead Shot, First 
  Strike, Improved Dodge, Level Headed, Marksman, Mas-
  ter (Throwing), Quick, Quick Draw
  Gear: 4 x throwing knives (Range: 3/6/12, Str+d4), pistol 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), dagger (Str+d4)
  THE BLOOD BEAST
  THE BLOOD BEAST
  The Blood Beast is a vaguely humanoid ﬁ end com-
  posed of nothing but congealed blood. Its numerous 
  long, snakelike tentacles end in leechlike maws, which 
  drain blood from victims.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Sweep
  Special Abilities:
  * No Organs: +2 Toughness; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots; ignores wound penalties.
  * Regeneration: Each wound inﬂ icted by the Blood 
  Beast removes one of its own wounds (if any).
  * Size +3: The Blood Beast is 15’ tall and weighs 400 
  pounds.
  * Slam: Str+d8, Reach 2, Heavy Weapons. With a raise 
  on a Fighting roll, the maw has attached to the victim. 
  The victim automatically suffers damage each round. 
  Removing the tentacle requires a Strength roll as an 
  action by the victim.
  * Unstable: The abomination is unstable. The more 
  blood it drains, the more bloated it becomes. Eventu-
  ally it reaches a point where it explodes. Record the 
  number of wounds the Blood Beast inﬂ icts on the he-
  roes or the Nazi soldiers. For every three wounds it 
  causes the creature takes a wound. This cannot be 
  Soaked, nor can it be regenerated. Once it reaches 
  Incapacitated, it explodes in a shower of blood ﬁ lling 
  a Large Burst Template. Anyone under the template 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 or be Shaken.
  * Vomit Blood: Once per round as a free action, the 
  Blood Beast can spray a Cone Template of blood as 
  a free action. Foes under the template must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or be Shaken.
  HARDENED SS SOLDIERS
  HARDENED SS SOLDIERS
  Although the Nazis have yet to unleash their war ma-
  chine, many of these men are veterans of the Great War. 
  Others are just brutal thugs, perfectly suited for the role 
  Hitler envisions when he ﬁ nally sets free his legions.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 
  1), dagger (Str+d4), helmet (+3), 2 x potato masher gre-
  nades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium Burst 
  Template)
  THE BOSTON VAMPIRE
  THE BOSTON VAMPIRE
  Marku Nicelescu is a history student at Bucharest Uni-
  versity. He agreed to accompany the crate of artifacts to 
  Romania, both to see the wonders of the New World and 
  meet the distinguished Professor Iordanescu in person. 
  During the attack on the ship, he went unnoticed (he 
  hid when he heard the disturbance), but witness von 
  Drachenstein seeming to drain the blood from the crew. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #13
  1818
  Von Drachenstein has no Power Points, not any true 
  gizmos. Instead, he has a limited number of serums 
  available, which provide him with his powers. Each has 
  a ﬁ nite number of uses per encounter. To activate them, 
  he simply injects himself and makes a Weird Science roll 
  as normal. Each power lasts for 3 rounds per dose. His 
  power list is the equivalent of 30 Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Healing d10, Intimi-
  dation d8, Knowledge (Biochemistry) d10, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d8, Taunt d10, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Anemic, Greedy (Major; secret of immor-
  tality), Mean
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), Improved 
  Dodge, Improved Level Headed, Improved Nerves of 
  Steel, Strong Willed
  Powers: 4 x boost trait (no lower, various serums); 2 x 
  deﬂ ection (heightened reﬂ exes); 3 x healing (regenera-
  tive serum); 2 x quickness (adrenaline serum); 1 x speed 
  (metabolic boost)
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), mag-
  ic amulet (grants him Arcane Resistance Edge)
  Special Abilities:
  * Blood Siphon: A successful Touch Attack (+2 Fight-
  ing) causes Str+d6 damage.
  SS-HAUPTSTURMFÜHRER KARL STEINER
  SS-HAUPTSTURMFÜHRER KARL STEINER
  Steiner was raised in the circus, where he was a knife-
  thrower. Indeed, he is widely regarded among his com-
  patriots as the best knife man in Germany, if not Europe. 
  Despite being ordered to use a pistol, the weapon of 
  choice for ofﬁ cers, he always keeps half a dozen knives 
  on his person. Von Drachenstein, whose rank is honor-
  ary, doesn’t care what weapons Steiner uses, so long as 
  he achieves results. He speaks German, English, and 
  Romanian ﬂ uently.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d8, Shoot-
  ing d6, Stealth d8, Taunt d8, Throwing d12+2
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal
  Edges: Acrobat, Combat Reﬂ exes, Dead Shot, First 
  Strike, Improved Dodge, Level Headed, Marksman, Mas-
  ter (Throwing), Quick, Quick Draw
  Gear: 4 x throwing knives (Range: 3/6/12, Str+d4), pistol 
  (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1), dagger (Str+d4)
  THE BLOOD BEAST
  THE BLOOD BEAST
  The Blood Beast is a vaguely humanoid ﬁ end com-
  posed of nothing but congealed blood. Its numerous 
  long, snakelike tentacles end in leechlike maws, which 
  drain blood from victims.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Improved 
  Sweep
  Special Abilities:
  * No Organs: +2 Toughness; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots; ignores wound penalties.
  * Regeneration: Each wound inﬂ icted by the Blood 
  Beast removes one of its own wounds (if any).
  * Size +3: The Blood Beast is 15’ tall and weighs 400 
  pounds.
  * Slam: Str+d8, Reach 2, Heavy Weapons. With a raise 
  on a Fighting roll, the maw has attached to the victim. 
  The victim automatically suffers damage each round. 
  Removing the tentacle requires a Strength roll as an 
  action by the victim.
  * Unstable: The abomination is unstable. The more 
  blood it drains, the more bloated it becomes. Eventu-
  ally it reaches a point where it explodes. Record the 
  number of wounds the Blood Beast inﬂ icts on the he-
  roes or the Nazi soldiers. For every three wounds it 
  causes the creature takes a wound. This cannot be 
  Soaked, nor can it be regenerated. Once it reaches 
  Incapacitated, it explodes in a shower of blood ﬁ lling 
  a Large Burst Template. Anyone under the template 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 or be Shaken.
  * Vomit Blood: Once per round as a free action, the 
  Blood Beast can spray a Cone Template of blood as 
  a free action. Foes under the template must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or be Shaken.
  HARDENED SS SOLDIERS
  HARDENED SS SOLDIERS
  Although the Nazis have yet to unleash their war ma-
  chine, many of these men are veterans of the Great War. 
  Others are just brutal thugs, perfectly suited for the role 
  Hitler envisions when he ﬁ nally sets free his legions.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: SMG (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 
  1), dagger (Str+d4), helmet (+3), 2 x potato masher gre-
  nades (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6–2, Medium Burst 
  Template)
  THE BOSTON VAMPIRE
  THE BOSTON VAMPIRE
  Marku Nicelescu is a history student at Bucharest Uni-
  versity. He agreed to accompany the crate of artifacts to 
  Romania, both to see the wonders of the New World and 
  meet the distinguished Professor Iordanescu in person. 
  During the attack on the ship, he went unnoticed (he 
  hid when he heard the disturbance), but witness von 
  Drachenstein seeming to drain the blood from the crew. 
  
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1919
  Driven insane by what he thought was a vampire 
  attack, he escaped the ship after it crashes and ran off 
  into the night. After spending the day hiding, he has now 
  emerged, under the psychotic belief he too must be a 
  vampire!
  Nicelescu’s fear of the cross has nothing to do with his 
  belief he is a vampire. The true villain, von Drachenstein, 
  wears an Iron Cross around his neck. It is the similarity 
  between a cruciﬁ x and this which causes his fear.
  Trait, Edges, Hindrances, and Special Abilities marked 
  “*” are a result of his current mania, not his usual per-
  sonality.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10*, Vigor d10*
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Anemic, Bloodthirsty*, Delusional (Major; 
  thinks he’s a vampire)*
  Edges: Berserk*, First Strike*, Improved Frenzy*, Im-
  proved Nerves of Steel*
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Berserk*: In addition to going berserk if wounded, 
  Nicelescu automatically ﬂ ies into a rage if he spots 
  blood. This occurs if a character is wounded.
  * Bite*: Str+d4.
  * Grapple*: Nicelescu’s preferred tactic is to grapple 
  a foe, and then bite them. If the grapple is success-
  ful, he automatically inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage on sub-
  sequent rounds as gnaws at his victim.
  * Weakness (Cross)*: If presented with a cross, Nice-
  lescu automatically cringes and starts hissing. He suf-
  fers a multi action penalty to all actions, even single 
  ones, due to his fear of the object.
  WOLVES
  WOLVES
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Wolves roll a d10 when running in-
  stead of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Wolves instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly armored location.
  * Size -1: Wolves are relatively small creatures.
  VAMPIRE SPAWN
  VAMPIRE SPAWN
  Frail and mad with starvation after centuries of im-
  prisonment, the vampire spawn and brides have lost 
  many of the special powers and abilities, including their 
  resistance to weapons. Indeed, these bloodthirsty ﬁ ends 
  are actually more susceptible to damage than healthy 
  vampires. Both types are feral-looking, though the brides 
  retain an earthly beauty, with red eyes, long claws, and 
  rags for clothing.
  Both Dracula’s brides and his vampiric minions use 
  the same stat block, but the female vampires have the 
  Alluring Special Ability.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Alluring: Only brides have this ability. Male charac-
  ters have –1 to all attack rolls against a bride.
  * Bite/Claws: Str+d4.
  * Frenzy: Vampires can makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round with a –2 penalty to each attack.
  * Partial Invulnerability: When injured, a vampire 
  spawn makes a Vigor roll opposed by the damage. If 
  successful, it ignores the damage. With failure, it dis-
  integrates into dust.
  * Undead: +2 to recover from being Shaken; +2 
  Toughness; no additional damage from Called Shots 
  (except as noted below); immune to poison and dis-
  ease.
  * Weakness (Holy Symbol): A character with a holy 
  symbol can keep a vampire at bay by displaying the 
  symbol. A vampire who wants to directly attack the 
  hero must beat her in an opposed test of Spirit.
  ARMORED SKELETONS
  ARMORED SKELETONS
  Former soldiers in Dracula’s employ, the skeletons 
  now serve the warlord in death as they do in life. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
  Pace: 7; Parry: 7; Toughness: 10 (3)
  Gear: Plate armor (+3), bucket helmet (+3), boar spear 
  (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Bony Claws: Str+d4.
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Impalement: Any hero wounded by a boar spear has 
  been impaled. He cannot move while impaled. Break-
  ing free requires a Strength roll as an action.
  * Undead: +2 to recover from being Shaken; +2 
  Toughness; no additional damage from Called Shots 
  (except as noted below); immune to poison and dis-
  ease.
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  THE DEVIL’S CHALICE
  1919
  Driven insane by what he thought was a vampire 
  attack, he escaped the ship after it crashes and ran off 
  into the night. After spending the day hiding, he has now 
  emerged, under the psychotic belief he too must be a 
  vampire!
  Nicelescu’s fear of the cross has nothing to do with his 
  belief he is a vampire. The true villain, von Drachenstein, 
  wears an Iron Cross around his neck. It is the similarity 
  between a cruciﬁ x and this which causes his fear.
  Trait, Edges, Hindrances, and Special Abilities marked 
  “*” are a result of his current mania, not his usual per-
  sonality.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10*, Vigor d10*
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d8
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Anemic, Bloodthirsty*, Delusional (Major; 
  thinks he’s a vampire)*
  Edges: Berserk*, First Strike*, Improved Frenzy*, Im-
  proved Nerves of Steel*
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Berserk*: In addition to going berserk if wounded, 
  Nicelescu automatically ﬂ ies into a rage if he spots 
  blood. This occurs if a character is wounded.
  * Bite*: Str+d4.
  * Grapple*: Nicelescu’s preferred tactic is to grapple 
  a foe, and then bite them. If the grapple is success-
  ful, he automatically inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage on sub-
  sequent rounds as gnaws at his victim.
  * Weakness (Cross)*: If presented with a cross, Nice-
  lescu automatically cringes and starts hissing. He suf-
  fers a multi action penalty to all actions, even single 
  ones, due to his fear of the object.
  WOLVES
  WOLVES
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Wolves roll a d10 when running in-
  stead of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Wolves instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly armored location.
  * Size -1: Wolves are relatively small creatures.
  VAMPIRE SPAWN
  VAMPIRE SPAWN
  Frail and mad with starvation after centuries of im-
  prisonment, the vampire spawn and brides have lost 
  many of the special powers and abilities, including their 
  resistance to weapons. Indeed, these bloodthirsty ﬁ ends 
  are actually more susceptible to damage than healthy 
  vampires. Both types are feral-looking, though the brides 
  retain an earthly beauty, with red eyes, long claws, and 
  rags for clothing.
  Both Dracula’s brides and his vampiric minions use 
  the same stat block, but the female vampires have the 
  Alluring Special Ability.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Alluring: Only brides have this ability. Male charac-
  ters have –1 to all attack rolls against a bride.
  * Bite/Claws: Str+d4.
  * Frenzy: Vampires can makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round with a –2 penalty to each attack.
  * Partial Invulnerability: When injured, a vampire 
  spawn makes a Vigor roll opposed by the damage. If 
  successful, it ignores the damage. With failure, it dis-
  integrates into dust.
  * Undead: +2 to recover from being Shaken; +2 
  Toughness; no additional damage from Called Shots 
  (except as noted below); immune to poison and dis-
  ease.
  * Weakness (Holy Symbol): A character with a holy 
  symbol can keep a vampire at bay by displaying the 
  symbol. A vampire who wants to directly attack the 
  hero must beat her in an opposed test of Spirit.
  ARMORED SKELETONS
  ARMORED SKELETONS
  Former soldiers in Dracula’s employ, the skeletons 
  now serve the warlord in death as they do in life. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
  Pace: 7; Parry: 7; Toughness: 10 (3)
  Gear: Plate armor (+3), bucket helmet (+3), boar spear 
  (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Bony Claws: Str+d4.
  * Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  * Impalement: Any hero wounded by a boar spear has 
  been impaled. He cannot move while impaled. Break-
  ing free requires a Strength roll as an action.
  * Undead: +2 to recover from being Shaken; +2 
  Toughness; no additional damage from Called Shots 
  (except as noted below); immune to poison and dis-
  ease.
  
  THE END IS NIGH!
  THE END IS NIGH!
  The popular Daring Tales of Adventure series is nearing the end.... 
  The popular Daring Tales of Adventure series is nearing the end.... 
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  adventures coming soon!
  adventures coming soon!
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  empire of the 
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  black pharaoh
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  07 — 15 — 09
  07 — 15 — 09
  08 — 12 — 09
  08 — 12 — 09
  09 — 09 — 09
  09 — 09 — 09
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31030
  31030
  $6.99
  $6.99
  A ship crashing into Boston 
  Harbor and a botched attempt by 
  the Nazis to kidnap a Romanian 
  scholar embroil the heroes in a 
  sinister plot which could have 
  serious repercussions for the 
  whole world!
  Hitler has dispatched his minions 
  to hunt down an ancient relic—
  the chalice Dracula used to 
  become an immortal vampire! 
  From the relative safety of Boston 
  to the wild Carpathian Mountains, 
  the heroes must track down and retrieve the legendary object 
  before the Nazis can deliver it to Berlin.
  Nazi agents who will stop at nothing to appease their master, 
  ﬁ endish traps set centuries ago to protect secrets, ancient clues, 
  and nightmarish creatures from mythology all stand before the 
  heroes and victory. The stakes are high as the hunt begins for 
  The Devil’s Chalice.
  BLOOD IS LIFE!
  BLOOD IS LIFE!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31032
  31032
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1414
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1414
  
  King Arthur. The name has inspired kings and com-
  moners, and poets and playwrights alike since the 
  Middle Ages, when stories of the Round Table ﬁ rst began 
  to circulate but our story begins not in the years after 
  the Roman abandonment of Britain, but some centuries 
  later.
  The second king to wield Excalibur was Alfred the 
  Great (849-899). He defended the Kingdom of Wessex, 
  which was comprised of much of southern England, 
  from marauding Danes. Where and how he discovered 
  Excalibur was never spoken of by the king. Excalibur 
  again disappeared into the mists of time.
  King Richard I, also known as the Lionheart, took the 
  Cross in 1187, when he was Count of Anjou, but delayed 
  departing for the Crusades, so history records, until he 
  was king of England.
  What history does not explain is that the delay was 
  not down to Richard’s social position. Rather, the future 
  king was questing for Excalibur, King Arthur’s fabled 
  sword. With this in his possession, he believed the Cru-
  sader army would be unstoppable. The blade was found 
  in 1189, just a few months before Richard defeated his 
  father’s (Henry II) army in battle, a battle waged to en-
  sure his succession over all of Henry’s lands (some had 
  been promised to John, Richard’s younger brother).
  Before he departed to battle Saladin’s forces, Richard 
  named his successor. With no heirs, the king chose his 
  nephew, Arthur of Brittany, as the next king. This was not 
  just a product of politics of the age, but a direct attempt 
  to ensure an Arthur, wielding Excalibur, once again oc-
  cupied the throne of England.
  Richard’s Crusade, while not disastrous, achieved 
  little. The king retreated from the Holy Land in 1192, 
  was imprisoned (ﬁ rst by Duke Leopold of Austria and 
  then the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, between late 
  1192 and 1194), and ﬁ nally died in 1199 while besieging 
  the poorly defended castle of a rebellious French vassal.
  Although the stories of Excalibur are many, the true 
  power belonged not to the sword, but to its scabbard. 
  Imbued with magic power, it protected the wearer 
  against physical harm. King Arthur did not wear it at the 
  Battle of Camlann, his ﬁ nal ﬁ ght, nor did Richard take it 
  from the tomb in which he found the blade. Both kings 
  died as a result.
  In between his ransom and death, however, Richard 
  returned to England, which had been governed in his ab-
  sence by John (the John of Robin Hood fame, although 
  those deeds occurred after he was actually king). Bowing 
  to political pressure, Richard changed his succession, 
  removing Arthur and naming John in his place.
  Realizing his young sibling was a poor choice for king, 
  Richard did not pass on Excalibur, whose existence he 
  had kept secret from all but a handful of his most-trusted 
  knights. Although Richard had intended to announce 
  his possession of the blade when he arrived, tensions 
  between the various Crusader lords prevented him. 
  Any such claim could have shattered the fragile alliance, 
  leaving Richard’s army badly outnumbered. Rather than 
  serve as a rallying point, Excalibur would have been the 
  weapon of the Crusaders’ undoing.
  In 1197, Richard moved the bodies of King Arthur 
  and his Round Table knights to a new tomb, and placed 
  the sword back with its rightful keeper. Excalibur again 
  vanished from history.
  Between them, Alfred and Richard are responsible 
  for the variations in the location of Arthur’s Court. Caer-
  leon (not Camelot) was listed as being Arthur’s court in 
  Alfred’s time. However, he moved Arthur’s remains to 
  Somerset, placing them beneath Cadbury Castle, which 
  has been associated with Camelot since the 1500s. This 
  is where Richard discovered them.
  Today, they lie under Glastonbury Tor, a famous 
  landmark on the Somerset Levels (a large ﬂ ood plain), 
  Richard having deposited them there for safekeeping. In 
  1191, the same year Richard landed in the Holy Land, 
  monks at Glastonbury Abbey “discovered” two graves, 
  who they quickly claimed were those of Arthur and 
  Guinevere. This was no coincidence, but a deliberate 
  ploy machinated by Richard. Where better to hide the 
  real King Arthur than just a few miles from a fake burial 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2
  King Arthur. The name has inspired kings and com-
  moners, and poets and playwrights alike since the 
  Middle Ages, when stories of the Round Table ﬁ rst began 
  to circulate but our story begins not in the years after 
  the Roman abandonment of Britain, but some centuries 
  later.
  The second king to wield Excalibur was Alfred the 
  Great (849-899). He defended the Kingdom of Wessex, 
  which was comprised of much of southern England, 
  from marauding Danes. Where and how he discovered 
  Excalibur was never spoken of by the king. Excalibur 
  again disappeared into the mists of time.
  King Richard I, also known as the Lionheart, took the 
  Cross in 1187, when he was Count of Anjou, but delayed 
  departing for the Crusades, so history records, until he 
  was king of England.
  What history does not explain is that the delay was 
  not down to Richard’s social position. Rather, the future 
  king was questing for Excalibur, King Arthur’s fabled 
  sword. With this in his possession, he believed the Cru-
  sader army would be unstoppable. The blade was found 
  in 1189, just a few months before Richard defeated his 
  father’s (Henry II) army in battle, a battle waged to en-
  sure his succession over all of Henry’s lands (some had 
  been promised to John, Richard’s younger brother).
  Before he departed to battle Saladin’s forces, Richard 
  named his successor. With no heirs, the king chose his 
  nephew, Arthur of Brittany, as the next king. This was not 
  just a product of politics of the age, but a direct attempt 
  to ensure an Arthur, wielding Excalibur, once again oc-
  cupied the throne of England.
  Richard’s Crusade, while not disastrous, achieved 
  little. The king retreated from the Holy Land in 1192, 
  was imprisoned (ﬁ rst by Duke Leopold of Austria and 
  then the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, between late 
  1192 and 1194), and ﬁ nally died in 1199 while besieging 
  the poorly defended castle of a rebellious French vassal.
  Although the stories of Excalibur are many, the true 
  power belonged not to the sword, but to its scabbard. 
  Imbued with magic power, it protected the wearer 
  against physical harm. King Arthur did not wear it at the 
  Battle of Camlann, his ﬁ nal ﬁ ght, nor did Richard take it 
  from the tomb in which he found the blade. Both kings 
  died as a result.
  In between his ransom and death, however, Richard 
  returned to England, which had been governed in his ab-
  sence by John (the John of Robin Hood fame, although 
  those deeds occurred after he was actually king). Bowing 
  to political pressure, Richard changed his succession, 
  removing Arthur and naming John in his place.
  Realizing his young sibling was a poor choice for king, 
  Richard did not pass on Excalibur, whose existence he 
  had kept secret from all but a handful of his most-trusted 
  knights. Although Richard had intended to announce 
  his possession of the blade when he arrived, tensions 
  between the various Crusader lords prevented him. 
  Any such claim could have shattered the fragile alliance, 
  leaving Richard’s army badly outnumbered. Rather than 
  serve as a rallying point, Excalibur would have been the 
  weapon of the Crusaders’ undoing.
  In 1197, Richard moved the bodies of King Arthur 
  and his Round Table knights to a new tomb, and placed 
  the sword back with its rightful keeper. Excalibur again 
  vanished from history.
  Between them, Alfred and Richard are responsible 
  for the variations in the location of Arthur’s Court. Caer-
  leon (not Camelot) was listed as being Arthur’s court in 
  Alfred’s time. However, he moved Arthur’s remains to 
  Somerset, placing them beneath Cadbury Castle, which 
  has been associated with Camelot since the 1500s. This 
  is where Richard discovered them.
  Today, they lie under Glastonbury Tor, a famous 
  landmark on the Somerset Levels (a large ﬂ ood plain), 
  Richard having deposited them there for safekeeping. In 
  1191, the same year Richard landed in the Holy Land, 
  monks at Glastonbury Abbey “discovered” two graves, 
  who they quickly claimed were those of Arthur and 
  Guinevere. This was no coincidence, but a deliberate 
  ploy machinated by Richard. Where better to hide the 
  real King Arthur than just a few miles from a fake burial 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  3
  site which attracted thousands of pilgrims? Arthur re-
  ceived the veneration he deserved, the monks grew rich, 
  and no one sought to look at the tall hill on the horizon 
  marked by a church.
  Richard’s death should have been the end of the 
  matter. However, one of the few knights who knew of 
  Excalibur wrote before his departure to the Holy Land 
  about Richard’s possession of the blade. That scroll was 
  uncovered by the-then Viscount Wincanton hear Rouen, 
  France, where King Richard’s heart is buried.
  Sir Percival Fanhard, the current Viscount Wincanton, 
  believes he is the next rightful ruler of England. Hav-
  ing traced his bloodline back to King Richard I, albeit 
  through a bastard son, the nobleman saw the discovery 
  of the “Excalibur Scroll” by his family as further proof of 
  his divine right to rule.
  Using his vast fortune and worldwide contacts, Fan-
  hard has sponsored dozens of expeditions across Britain, 
  France, and the eastern Mediterranean coast in search of 
  the burial place of the knight, though always under ano-
  nymity. The cad has no intention of sharing his prize with 
  the academic world. With the scroll in his possession, he 
  believes he will be shown the way to Excalibur.
  One such dig is taking place in the Holy Land in the 
  spring of 1937. A small Crusader fort, which would have 
  been ignored by Fanhard were it not for the extensive, 
  and previously hidden, crypt containing dozens of 
  Crusader knights. Helping on this dig are our intrepid 
  heroes.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 90 XP.
  The GM also needs the Pulp Rules from the TAG web-
  site.
  ACT 1: ISTANBUL
  ACT 1: ISTANBUL
  As written, the adventure assumes that you’re using 
  the pre-generated characters from our website. If not, 
  you’ll need to tweak the introductory text slightly. Per-
  haps one of the heroes is an archaeologist, in which case 
  he could have been hired to partake in the expedition. 
  Maybe they have strong ties to a museum, in which case 
  they are invited along as diggers. Or it could be a Rich 
  adventurer helped fund part of the dig.
  SCENE 1: THE CRUSADERS’ CRYPT
  SCENE 1: THE CRUSADERS’ CRYPT
  Who’d have thought little Jimmy could spare the 
  time to enter a competition at the Boston Mu-
  seum, yet alone win a trip to the western Levant 
  States, the name for the French Mandates of Syria 
  and Lebanon since 1920, to take part in an ar-
  chaeological expedition? Of course, as a minor he 
  needed his guardians along.
  For the best part of a month you’ve all been 
  scrabbling around in the dusty cellars of an old 
  Crusader fort outside Antioch, carefully excavat-
  ing a crypt full of stone sarcophagi. Leading the 
  expedition is Marcel DuPont, a French renowned 
  archaeologist and ﬁ rst-rate jerk.
  The prize didn’t say you’d get the best digging spot 
  or any preferential treatment. DuPont has had 
  you exploring and mapping the tunnels beneath 
  the fort while his men do the real archaeological 
  work in the crypt. So here you are, dozens of feet 
  underground and bent double in what is prob-
  ably little more than a medieval garbage chute.
  CRACK! That didn’t sound good. CRAAACK! The 
  stone ﬂ oor suddenly gives way, dropping you 
  down into inky darkness!
  The explorers have landed in a small chamber. Have 
  each character make an Agility roll. Those who fail suffer 
  a level of Fatigue for the rest of the scene from bumps 
  and bruises.
  The hole through which the party fell is ten feet above 
  their heads and close to the back wall. A Climbing roll is 
  required to get out, or an Agility roll from two people if 
  someone balances on a comrade’s shoulders.
  The only feature in the room is a low passage, which 
  heads west. Inscribed on the lintel, in Latin, are the 
  words, “Wisdom for those who know what they seek, 
  death for those who do not.”
  After several dozen yards of backbreaking, hunched 
  shufﬂ ing, the heroes emerge in a stone-lined chamber. 
  Seated on a simple stone-carved chair is the withered 
  corpse of a knight, its ﬂ esh mummiﬁ ed in the airtight 
  tomb. Rusted chain armor hangs from its bones, while 
  a decayed long sword lies on the ﬂ oor. Its mummy-like 
  legs are outstretched, the feet resting on a large, smooth 
  stone. On its lap rests a large stone tablet.
  The Sword: A character who inspects the sword 
  notices a number of strange notches along both edges. 
  These aren’t from damage taken in battle, instead being 
  squared and deep, as if deliberately cut into the metal.
  The Stone Footrest: Concealed in the stone beneath 
  the mummy’s feet is a slot. This will only be discovered if 
  a character speciﬁ cally says he is moving the feet.
  The chamber is actually trapped (see below). The 
  only way to disarm the trap is to shove the notched long 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  3
  site which attracted thousands of pilgrims? Arthur re-
  ceived the veneration he deserved, the monks grew rich, 
  and no one sought to look at the tall hill on the horizon 
  marked by a church.
  Richard’s death should have been the end of the 
  matter. However, one of the few knights who knew of 
  Excalibur wrote before his departure to the Holy Land 
  about Richard’s possession of the blade. That scroll was 
  uncovered by the-then Viscount Wincanton hear Rouen, 
  France, where King Richard’s heart is buried.
  Sir Percival Fanhard, the current Viscount Wincanton, 
  believes he is the next rightful ruler of England. Hav-
  ing traced his bloodline back to King Richard I, albeit 
  through a bastard son, the nobleman saw the discovery 
  of the “Excalibur Scroll” by his family as further proof of 
  his divine right to rule.
  Using his vast fortune and worldwide contacts, Fan-
  hard has sponsored dozens of expeditions across Britain, 
  France, and the eastern Mediterranean coast in search of 
  the burial place of the knight, though always under ano-
  nymity. The cad has no intention of sharing his prize with 
  the academic world. With the scroll in his possession, he 
  believes he will be shown the way to Excalibur.
  One such dig is taking place in the Holy Land in the 
  spring of 1937. A small Crusader fort, which would have 
  been ignored by Fanhard were it not for the extensive, 
  and previously hidden, crypt containing dozens of 
  Crusader knights. Helping on this dig are our intrepid 
  heroes.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 90 XP.
  The GM also needs the Pulp Rules from the TAG web-
  site.
  ACT 1: ISTANBUL
  ACT 1: ISTANBUL
  As written, the adventure assumes that you’re using 
  the pre-generated characters from our website. If not, 
  you’ll need to tweak the introductory text slightly. Per-
  haps one of the heroes is an archaeologist, in which case 
  he could have been hired to partake in the expedition. 
  Maybe they have strong ties to a museum, in which case 
  they are invited along as diggers. Or it could be a Rich 
  adventurer helped fund part of the dig.
  SCENE 1: THE CRUSADERS’ CRYPT
  SCENE 1: THE CRUSADERS’ CRYPT
  Who’d have thought little Jimmy could spare the 
  time to enter a competition at the Boston Mu-
  seum, yet alone win a trip to the western Levant 
  States, the name for the French Mandates of Syria 
  and Lebanon since 1920, to take part in an ar-
  chaeological expedition? Of course, as a minor he 
  needed his guardians along.
  For the best part of a month you’ve all been 
  scrabbling around in the dusty cellars of an old 
  Crusader fort outside Antioch, carefully excavat-
  ing a crypt full of stone sarcophagi. Leading the 
  expedition is Marcel DuPont, a French renowned 
  archaeologist and ﬁ rst-rate jerk.
  The prize didn’t say you’d get the best digging spot 
  or any preferential treatment. DuPont has had 
  you exploring and mapping the tunnels beneath 
  the fort while his men do the real archaeological 
  work in the crypt. So here you are, dozens of feet 
  underground and bent double in what is prob-
  ably little more than a medieval garbage chute.
  CRACK! That didn’t sound good. CRAAACK! The 
  stone ﬂ oor suddenly gives way, dropping you 
  down into inky darkness!
  The explorers have landed in a small chamber. Have 
  each character make an Agility roll. Those who fail suffer 
  a level of Fatigue for the rest of the scene from bumps 
  and bruises.
  The hole through which the party fell is ten feet above 
  their heads and close to the back wall. A Climbing roll is 
  required to get out, or an Agility roll from two people if 
  someone balances on a comrade’s shoulders.
  The only feature in the room is a low passage, which 
  heads west. Inscribed on the lintel, in Latin, are the 
  words, “Wisdom for those who know what they seek, 
  death for those who do not.”
  After several dozen yards of backbreaking, hunched 
  shufﬂ ing, the heroes emerge in a stone-lined chamber. 
  Seated on a simple stone-carved chair is the withered 
  corpse of a knight, its ﬂ esh mummiﬁ ed in the airtight 
  tomb. Rusted chain armor hangs from its bones, while 
  a decayed long sword lies on the ﬂ oor. Its mummy-like 
  legs are outstretched, the feet resting on a large, smooth 
  stone. On its lap rests a large stone tablet.
  The Sword: A character who inspects the sword 
  notices a number of strange notches along both edges. 
  These aren’t from damage taken in battle, instead being 
  squared and deep, as if deliberately cut into the metal.
  The Stone Footrest: Concealed in the stone beneath 
  the mummy’s feet is a slot. This will only be discovered if 
  a character speciﬁ cally says he is moving the feet.
  The chamber is actually trapped (see below). The 
  only way to disarm the trap is to shove the notched long 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  4
  sword into the slot and twist the weapon in a complete 
  circle in either direction (at which point it locks and can 
  be withdrawn).
  The sword functions as a key, the notches along its 
  edge settling against pins which allow the blade to turn 
  and the mechanism to be disarmed. Unless it is deac-
  tivated, the trap activates the instant someone lifts the 
  stone tablet from the knight’s lap.
  The Tablet: The writing on the tablet is in Latin, 
  however the words are gibberish to a character who hap-
  pens to read the language. In fact, they are a form of 
  primitive code. The alphabet is Latin, but the translated 
  letters spell out Welsh Gaelic words. Thus, to understand 
  the writing the heroes need ﬂ uency in both languages 
  (unlikely).
  Have each character make a Common Knowledge roll 
  at –2. Those with Knowledge (History) may substitute 
  that instead. With success, the adventurer knows of 
  Professor Martin Fletchley-Parkes, Professor of Medieval 
  Languages at Oxford University (in England), who might 
  be able to help decipher the stone.
  THE TRAP
  THE TRAP
  As soon as the trap activates, the narrow tunnel 
  through which the explorers entered the chamber be-
  gins to grow smaller as the ceiling starts to lower. Just 
  to ensure would-be tomb robbers didn’t send in a small 
  party and then excavate them once the trap had been 
  triggered, the ceiling in the main chamber beings to 
  drop as well!
  In order to escape, all the characters must crawl 
  through the shrinking gap. To succeed, they must make 
  three Agility rolls, one each round. As time passes, 
  however, the crawlspace shrinks drastically. On round 
  8, there is a –1 penalty, on round 9 a –2 modiﬁ er, and 
  on round 10 a –4 penalty. Characters with the Acrobat 
  Edge or the Small Hindrance have a +1 bonus to all their 
  Agility rolls in the tunnel. Brawny and Obese characters 
  suffer an additional –1 penalty.
  If all the explorers aren’t out by the end of the 10th 
  round, those left in the tunnel or chamber are automati-
  cally crushed to death. Well, that’s what they should be 
  told by the GM when the action begins. In truth, the trap 
  jams at the end of round 10 (it is 800 years old, after 
  all).
  But there’s a catch. The tunnel is only wide enough 
  for one person at a time to move through. The characters 
  have to move in single ﬁ le. Place three tokens on the 
  tabletop to represent the tunnel. Agility rolls are made in 
  order, from leader character back down the line. On the 
  ﬁ rst round, one character can try an Agility roll, while all 
  the others can do is wait and pray. 
  Until the ﬁ rst crawler has reached the second marker, 
  the next person in line can’t try his ﬁ rst Agility roll to 
  move onto the ﬁ rst marker. If a roll is failed, the explorer 
  is temporarily stuck—he can try again next round, but 
  no one behind him can advance to his position.
  Once a hero is out, he doesn’t have to sit around help-
  lessly. He can reach in and help pull out his comrades 
  from the third marker. This works as a Cooperative roll, 
  except the puller uses Strength to augment the crawler’s 
  Agility. A maximum of two adventurers can help a crawl-
  ing colleague in this way.
  THE STONE STOLEN
  THE STONE STOLEN
  When the dust-covered adventurers make their way 
  back to the main crypt DuPont demands to know what 
  all the ruckus was about. It isn’t possible to conceal the 
  huge tablet. Read the following text aloud when the 
  characters reveal their discovery.
  DuPont snatches the tablet from you and rushes 
  over to the large lantern hanging near the stair-
  well. After a few moments he turns to face you. 
  “Another worthless stone tablet,” he scoffs. He 
  hands it to one of the diggers. “Gibberish!” he 
  scowls. “The work of some illiterate soldier trying 
  to tell people how great he was in life.”
  “Not quite,” snarls one of the diggers, a gun in his 
  hand. “That stone tablet is extremely valuable. 
  Valuable enough to kill for!” BANG. A single shot 
  rings out, and DuPont drops dead.
  Deal action cards. Split the thugs into two equal 
  groups for the purposes of action cards—those with 
  guns and those with melee weapons.
  The thugs armed with tools have their weapons in 
  hand and can attack immediately. The others, save for the 
  one who shot DuPont, must draw their ﬁ rearms before 
  they can open ﬁ re. Half the thugs (a mixture of melee 
  weapons and guns) begin near the southern end, where 
  the exit is located. The rest begin scattered around the 
  crypt. The characters begin 4” from the north wall.
  The crypt measures 24” long and 8” wide. Two dozen 
  stone sarcophagi are scattered throughout the tomb. 
  Treat movement through squares containing one as 
  THE TRAP: DRAMATIC SUGGESTION
  THE TRAP: DRAMATIC SUGGESTION
  Since this scene could quickly devolve into a series 
  of boring die rolls, here are a few tips for keeping 
  up the feeling of suspense.
  First, set out 10 gaming stones or poker chips. At 
  the end of each round, take one away. This gives the 
  players a visual reference as the clock ticks down.
  Second, keep the rolls coming fast—don’t stop play 
  while the party has a discussion. Point to the lead 
  crawler and demand they make their roll immedi-
  ately. As soon as the results are checked, move onto 
  the next character in line.
  Third, describe the groaning as the ceiling moves 
  lower, the trickles of dust down the characters’ 
  necks, and the shrinking exit ahead.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  4
  sword into the slot and twist the weapon in a complete 
  circle in either direction (at which point it locks and can 
  be withdrawn).
  The sword functions as a key, the notches along its 
  edge settling against pins which allow the blade to turn 
  and the mechanism to be disarmed. Unless it is deac-
  tivated, the trap activates the instant someone lifts the 
  stone tablet from the knight’s lap.
  The Tablet: The writing on the tablet is in Latin, 
  however the words are gibberish to a character who hap-
  pens to read the language. In fact, they are a form of 
  primitive code. The alphabet is Latin, but the translated 
  letters spell out Welsh Gaelic words. Thus, to understand 
  the writing the heroes need ﬂ uency in both languages 
  (unlikely).
  Have each character make a Common Knowledge roll 
  at –2. Those with Knowledge (History) may substitute 
  that instead. With success, the adventurer knows of 
  Professor Martin Fletchley-Parkes, Professor of Medieval 
  Languages at Oxford University (in England), who might 
  be able to help decipher the stone.
  THE TRAP
  THE TRAP
  As soon as the trap activates, the narrow tunnel 
  through which the explorers entered the chamber be-
  gins to grow smaller as the ceiling starts to lower. Just 
  to ensure would-be tomb robbers didn’t send in a small 
  party and then excavate them once the trap had been 
  triggered, the ceiling in the main chamber beings to 
  drop as well!
  In order to escape, all the characters must crawl 
  through the shrinking gap. To succeed, they must make 
  three Agility rolls, one each round. As time passes, 
  however, the crawlspace shrinks drastically. On round 
  8, there is a –1 penalty, on round 9 a –2 modiﬁ er, and 
  on round 10 a –4 penalty. Characters with the Acrobat 
  Edge or the Small Hindrance have a +1 bonus to all their 
  Agility rolls in the tunnel. Brawny and Obese characters 
  suffer an additional –1 penalty.
  If all the explorers aren’t out by the end of the 10th 
  round, those left in the tunnel or chamber are automati-
  cally crushed to death. Well, that’s what they should be 
  told by the GM when the action begins. In truth, the trap 
  jams at the end of round 10 (it is 800 years old, after 
  all).
  But there’s a catch. The tunnel is only wide enough 
  for one person at a time to move through. The characters 
  have to move in single ﬁ le. Place three tokens on the 
  tabletop to represent the tunnel. Agility rolls are made in 
  order, from leader character back down the line. On the 
  ﬁ rst round, one character can try an Agility roll, while all 
  the others can do is wait and pray. 
  Until the ﬁ rst crawler has reached the second marker, 
  the next person in line can’t try his ﬁ rst Agility roll to 
  move onto the ﬁ rst marker. If a roll is failed, the explorer 
  is temporarily stuck—he can try again next round, but 
  no one behind him can advance to his position.
  Once a hero is out, he doesn’t have to sit around help-
  lessly. He can reach in and help pull out his comrades 
  from the third marker. This works as a Cooperative roll, 
  except the puller uses Strength to augment the crawler’s 
  Agility. A maximum of two adventurers can help a crawl-
  ing colleague in this way.
  THE STONE STOLEN
  THE STONE STOLEN
  When the dust-covered adventurers make their way 
  back to the main crypt DuPont demands to know what 
  all the ruckus was about. It isn’t possible to conceal the 
  huge tablet. Read the following text aloud when the 
  characters reveal their discovery.
  DuPont snatches the tablet from you and rushes 
  over to the large lantern hanging near the stair-
  well. After a few moments he turns to face you. 
  “Another worthless stone tablet,” he scoffs. He 
  hands it to one of the diggers. “Gibberish!” he 
  scowls. “The work of some illiterate soldier trying 
  to tell people how great he was in life.”
  “Not quite,” snarls one of the diggers, a gun in his 
  hand. “That stone tablet is extremely valuable. 
  Valuable enough to kill for!” BANG. A single shot 
  rings out, and DuPont drops dead.
  Deal action cards. Split the thugs into two equal 
  groups for the purposes of action cards—those with 
  guns and those with melee weapons.
  The thugs armed with tools have their weapons in 
  hand and can attack immediately. The others, save for the 
  one who shot DuPont, must draw their ﬁ rearms before 
  they can open ﬁ re. Half the thugs (a mixture of melee 
  weapons and guns) begin near the southern end, where 
  the exit is located. The rest begin scattered around the 
  crypt. The characters begin 4” from the north wall.
  The crypt measures 24” long and 8” wide. Two dozen 
  stone sarcophagi are scattered throughout the tomb. 
  Treat movement through squares containing one as 
  THE TRAP: DRAMATIC SUGGESTION
  THE TRAP: DRAMATIC SUGGESTION
  Since this scene could quickly devolve into a series 
  of boring die rolls, here are a few tips for keeping 
  up the feeling of suspense.
  First, set out 10 gaming stones or poker chips. At 
  the end of each round, take one away. This gives the 
  players a visual reference as the clock ticks down.
  Second, keep the rolls coming fast—don’t stop play 
  while the party has a discussion. Point to the lead 
  crawler and demand they make their roll immedi-
  ately. As soon as the results are checked, move onto 
  the next character in line.
  Third, describe the groaning as the ceiling moves 
  lower, the trickles of dust down the characters’ 
  necks, and the shrinking exit ahead.
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  5
  difﬁ cult ground. Missed shots due to cover simply blast 
  chunks out of the stone work.
  There are six lanterns scattered around the room. 
  One hangs near the exit, while the others sit atop sar-
  cophagi. The GM should place these at random. If two  
  are smashed (use the Innocent Bystander rule), the 
  lighting becomes Dim (–1). When four are wrecked it 
  becomes Dark (–2).
  A thrown lantern (Range: 2/4/8) smashes in a Small 
  Burst Template for 2d6 damage. Victims also have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re. Leave the template in place for 
  three rounds, after which the ﬂ ames die down. During 
  this time, any attacks through the template suffer a –1 
  penalty due to smoke.
  Whatever happens, the tablet must be stolen. The 
  thug holding it is near the stairs, so he has a good chance 
  of ﬂ eeing. If he falls, one of the others picks it up and 
  runs. Once he reaches the top, he slams the heavy 
  wooden door shut and bolts it. It has Toughness 10. He 
  then rushes through the castle, hops into a truck, and 
  heads off into the desert. Even if the characters somehow 
  manage to defeat the remaining goons in record time, 
  the cur has taken the only truck!
   Turkish Thug (3 per hero): See page 22. Only half 
  are armed with pistols. The remainder use picks and 
  shovels (Str+d6, requires two hands).
  NOW WHERE?
  NOW WHERE?
  Characters who have played through Daring Tales 
  of Adventure #6: The Palladium Peril, already know an 
  antiques dealer who might be able to help them—Stav-
  ros Papadopoulos. If they haven’t met Stavros, or have 
  forgotten him, allow  a Common Knowledge roll. With 
  success, they know of (or remember) Stavros. He’s re-
  nowned as a man who can get his hands on anything, 
  given enough time and money. He lives in Istanbul.
  The adventure assumes the heroes have played The 
  Palladium Peril. Stavros is more reserved and less prone 
  to using “my friends” otherwise.
  SCENE 2: MASSEUR MANGLING
  SCENE 2: MASSEUR MANGLING
  If the characters phone ahead to Stavros, he greets 
  them like old friends. He arranges to meet them in the 
  Turkish baths. If he already knows them personally, he 
  adds, “Do not worry, my friends, I have switched to a 
  new bath house since our last escapade!” No amount of 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  5
  difﬁ cult ground. Missed shots due to cover simply blast 
  chunks out of the stone work.
  There are six lanterns scattered around the room. 
  One hangs near the exit, while the others sit atop sar-
  cophagi. The GM should place these at random. If two  
  are smashed (use the Innocent Bystander rule), the 
  lighting becomes Dim (–1). When four are wrecked it 
  becomes Dark (–2).
  A thrown lantern (Range: 2/4/8) smashes in a Small 
  Burst Template for 2d6 damage. Victims also have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re. Leave the template in place for 
  three rounds, after which the ﬂ ames die down. During 
  this time, any attacks through the template suffer a –1 
  penalty due to smoke.
  Whatever happens, the tablet must be stolen. The 
  thug holding it is near the stairs, so he has a good chance 
  of ﬂ eeing. If he falls, one of the others picks it up and 
  runs. Once he reaches the top, he slams the heavy 
  wooden door shut and bolts it. It has Toughness 10. He 
  then rushes through the castle, hops into a truck, and 
  heads off into the desert. Even if the characters somehow 
  manage to defeat the remaining goons in record time, 
  the cur has taken the only truck!
   Turkish Thug (3 per hero): See page 22. Only half 
  are armed with pistols. The remainder use picks and 
  shovels (Str+d6, requires two hands).
  NOW WHERE?
  NOW WHERE?
  Characters who have played through Daring Tales 
  of Adventure #6: The Palladium Peril, already know an 
  antiques dealer who might be able to help them—Stav-
  ros Papadopoulos. If they haven’t met Stavros, or have 
  forgotten him, allow  a Common Knowledge roll. With 
  success, they know of (or remember) Stavros. He’s re-
  nowned as a man who can get his hands on anything, 
  given enough time and money. He lives in Istanbul.
  The adventure assumes the heroes have played The 
  Palladium Peril. Stavros is more reserved and less prone 
  to using “my friends” otherwise.
  SCENE 2: MASSEUR MANGLING
  SCENE 2: MASSEUR MANGLING
  If the characters phone ahead to Stavros, he greets 
  them like old friends. He arranges to meet them in the 
  Turkish baths. If he already knows them personally, he 
  adds, “Do not worry, my friends, I have switched to a 
  new bath house since our last escapade!” No amount of 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  6
  persuasion can alter the venue-Stavros always conducts 
  important business in the baths.
  A modern equivalent of the Roman baths, Turkish 
  baths are renowned for their steam rooms and the vigor 
  of the burly masseurs. Women and men are usually for-
  bidden from using the same bath. Let the heroes make a 
  Common Knowledge roll. With success, they know that 
  wearing clothes around the bath is prohibited—only 
  towels are allowed! Should they all fail the roll, the re-
  ceptionist points out the establishment’s rules to them 
  when they arrive.
  As per last time, Stavros has booked a private bath. 
  This allows mixed sex parties to stay together, something 
  otherwise prohibited. Unless a hero has a derringer, the 
  small towels reveal a tell-tale bulge if a character tries to 
  smuggle in a weapon.
  Stavros, a thin, white towel covering his groin, 
  is lying on a marble slab when you arrive. Two 
  large, hairy men, only slightly smaller than the 
  hulking Stavros, are pummeling his ﬂ esh and 
  twisting his limbs into unusual positions.
  “Ah, my friends!” the shady antiques dealer ex-
  claims loudly. “Close the door and come in. I’ve 
  arranged for a massage for you all. It’s very good 
  for the circulation and unknots cramped muscles. 
  You look like you need it. Come, come, lie down.”
  Stavros waits until the characters take their positions. 
  If any refuse, he becomes insistent, claiming he has paid 
  good money to have the characters pampered while they 
  are in Istanbul. Once all are ready, more masseurs enter 
  through a side door and begin giving the heroes a strong 
  massage.
  “Tell me, my friends, what trouble are you in this 
  time? Is it the Nazis again? I have come to hate 
  those guys. Don’t worry about the masseurs,” he 
  says. “They are well paid to hear nothing.”
  Allow the characters the opportunity to tell their story. 
  Stavros grunts and nods at appropriate times. When they 
  are ﬁ nished, he speaks again.
  “Unless your thieves already have a buyer, they’ll 
  deﬁ nitely try to sell the artifact in Istanbul. Tell 
  you what, save your hotel fares. Come and stay 
  with me and my family while arrangements are 
  made to ﬁ nd the tablet you so carelessly lost.” The 
  room echoes with the sound of thunder as the big 
  man let’s out a powerful, roaring laugh.
  “Until then, just lie back and…hey, not so rough!” 
  As Stavros tries to turn to the masseurs, each of 
  you feel your limbs being twisted and contorted 
  into very unhealthy positions. Tendons begin to 
  strain and pop as one of the masseurs says, “Shut 
  up, dog! Now you die!”
  Deal action cards. Stavros isn’t afraid to get his hands 
  bloody, so hand out an Ally Sheet for him to one of the 
  players. Each pair of masseurs, including those on Stav-
  ros, receive their own action card.
  The characters begin this ﬁ ght in an unusual posi-
  tion—they are already grappled! Each round a masseur 
  maintains his grip, which includes the ﬁ rst round, he 
  does his Strength die damage. This damage can Ace—
  these guys know how to break bones and pop limbs out 
  of joint! Only one masseur out of each pair has a grapple 
  at the start of the combat. The other uses his ﬁ sts to pum-
  mel the characters.
  The heroes are likely very short on weapons, save for 
  their ﬁ sts and feet. While not exactly feared as a weapon, 
  ripping off a towel, twirling it into a spiral, and ﬂ icking 
  someone with the end is a great Agility Trick. Due to 
  their current predicament, they can’t use this stunt on 
  the masseur grappling them.
  There are small pots of oil lying around (one per party 
  member, including Stavros), almost within reach of the 
  grappled characters. Stretching out to grab it requires an 
  Agility roll as an action.
  Each can serve as a weapon (Str+d4 damage), but 
  shatters after a single use. If thrown (Range: 3/6/12), 
  place a Small Burst Template over the impact point. Until 
  the end of the ﬁ ght, this counts as difﬁ cult ground, and 
  any hero who runs through it slips and falls if his run-
  ning die comes up 1. A character can also use one in an 
  Agility Trick, or empty the contents on himself. In the 
  latter case, he gains a +2 bonus to break out of or resist 
  grapples, but also suffers a –2 penalty to make grapples.
  Once the last masseur drops, the door the masseurs 
  entered by opens. Framed there is a swarthy man in a 
  white suit and red fez.
  “Have you ﬁ nished them off yet?” he says. “The 
  boss wants to…” His mouth drops as he sees you. 
  Without further pause he spins on his heels and 
  runs into the baths.
   Stavros: See page 21.
   Turkish Masseurs (2 per hero): See page 22.
  SCENE 3: NAKED SPRINTING
  SCENE 3: NAKED SPRINTING
  No matter how quickly the characters give chase, the 
  thug has dropped down an open hole in the foot of the 
  small chamber behind the door into the vast network of 
  tunnels which run beneath Istanbul. Some of these are 
  part of the sewer, but others, including this one, link to 
  the cistern system. Most of the tunnels date back to the 
  foundation of the city under Emperor Constantine.
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, but without 
  any Obstacles. The thug is 3 Range Increments ahead of 
  the characters if they give chase immediately. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 1” distance between the parties.
  Heroes who decide to give chase straight away 
  shouldn’t be reminded they are naked and unarmed. 
  If they stop to grab their clothes and don them, they 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  6
  persuasion can alter the venue-Stavros always conducts 
  important business in the baths.
  A modern equivalent of the Roman baths, Turkish 
  baths are renowned for their steam rooms and the vigor 
  of the burly masseurs. Women and men are usually for-
  bidden from using the same bath. Let the heroes make a 
  Common Knowledge roll. With success, they know that 
  wearing clothes around the bath is prohibited—only 
  towels are allowed! Should they all fail the roll, the re-
  ceptionist points out the establishment’s rules to them 
  when they arrive.
  As per last time, Stavros has booked a private bath. 
  This allows mixed sex parties to stay together, something 
  otherwise prohibited. Unless a hero has a derringer, the 
  small towels reveal a tell-tale bulge if a character tries to 
  smuggle in a weapon.
  Stavros, a thin, white towel covering his groin, 
  is lying on a marble slab when you arrive. Two 
  large, hairy men, only slightly smaller than the 
  hulking Stavros, are pummeling his ﬂ esh and 
  twisting his limbs into unusual positions.
  “Ah, my friends!” the shady antiques dealer ex-
  claims loudly. “Close the door and come in. I’ve 
  arranged for a massage for you all. It’s very good 
  for the circulation and unknots cramped muscles. 
  You look like you need it. Come, come, lie down.”
  Stavros waits until the characters take their positions. 
  If any refuse, he becomes insistent, claiming he has paid 
  good money to have the characters pampered while they 
  are in Istanbul. Once all are ready, more masseurs enter 
  through a side door and begin giving the heroes a strong 
  massage.
  “Tell me, my friends, what trouble are you in this 
  time? Is it the Nazis again? I have come to hate 
  those guys. Don’t worry about the masseurs,” he 
  says. “They are well paid to hear nothing.”
  Allow the characters the opportunity to tell their story. 
  Stavros grunts and nods at appropriate times. When they 
  are ﬁ nished, he speaks again.
  “Unless your thieves already have a buyer, they’ll 
  deﬁ nitely try to sell the artifact in Istanbul. Tell 
  you what, save your hotel fares. Come and stay 
  with me and my family while arrangements are 
  made to ﬁ nd the tablet you so carelessly lost.” The 
  room echoes with the sound of thunder as the big 
  man let’s out a powerful, roaring laugh.
  “Until then, just lie back and…hey, not so rough!” 
  As Stavros tries to turn to the masseurs, each of 
  you feel your limbs being twisted and contorted 
  into very unhealthy positions. Tendons begin to 
  strain and pop as one of the masseurs says, “Shut 
  up, dog! Now you die!”
  Deal action cards. Stavros isn’t afraid to get his hands 
  bloody, so hand out an Ally Sheet for him to one of the 
  players. Each pair of masseurs, including those on Stav-
  ros, receive their own action card.
  The characters begin this ﬁ ght in an unusual posi-
  tion—they are already grappled! Each round a masseur 
  maintains his grip, which includes the ﬁ rst round, he 
  does his Strength die damage. This damage can Ace—
  these guys know how to break bones and pop limbs out 
  of joint! Only one masseur out of each pair has a grapple 
  at the start of the combat. The other uses his ﬁ sts to pum-
  mel the characters.
  The heroes are likely very short on weapons, save for 
  their ﬁ sts and feet. While not exactly feared as a weapon, 
  ripping off a towel, twirling it into a spiral, and ﬂ icking 
  someone with the end is a great Agility Trick. Due to 
  their current predicament, they can’t use this stunt on 
  the masseur grappling them.
  There are small pots of oil lying around (one per party 
  member, including Stavros), almost within reach of the 
  grappled characters. Stretching out to grab it requires an 
  Agility roll as an action.
  Each can serve as a weapon (Str+d4 damage), but 
  shatters after a single use. If thrown (Range: 3/6/12), 
  place a Small Burst Template over the impact point. Until 
  the end of the ﬁ ght, this counts as difﬁ cult ground, and 
  any hero who runs through it slips and falls if his run-
  ning die comes up 1. A character can also use one in an 
  Agility Trick, or empty the contents on himself. In the 
  latter case, he gains a +2 bonus to break out of or resist 
  grapples, but also suffers a –2 penalty to make grapples.
  Once the last masseur drops, the door the masseurs 
  entered by opens. Framed there is a swarthy man in a 
  white suit and red fez.
  “Have you ﬁ nished them off yet?” he says. “The 
  boss wants to…” His mouth drops as he sees you. 
  Without further pause he spins on his heels and 
  runs into the baths.
   Stavros: See page 21.
   Turkish Masseurs (2 per hero): See page 22.
  SCENE 3: NAKED SPRINTING
  SCENE 3: NAKED SPRINTING
  No matter how quickly the characters give chase, the 
  thug has dropped down an open hole in the foot of the 
  small chamber behind the door into the vast network of 
  tunnels which run beneath Istanbul. Some of these are 
  part of the sewer, but others, including this one, link to 
  the cistern system. Most of the tunnels date back to the 
  foundation of the city under Emperor Constantine.
  This scene is run using the Chase rules, but without 
  any Obstacles. The thug is 3 Range Increments ahead of 
  the characters if they give chase immediately. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 1” distance between the parties.
  Heroes who decide to give chase straight away 
  shouldn’t be reminded they are naked and unarmed. 
  If they stop to grab their clothes and don them, they 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  7
  begin an additional 3 Range Increments back from the 
  ﬂ eeing thug (1 Range Increment if they just grab their 
  clothes from the pegs). If they stop just for their gear, 
  they begin an extra 1 Range Increment behind. These 
  penalties stack.
  Characters without a light source suffer a –1 penalty 
  as they run through the dark labyrinth of tunnels using 
  only the thug’s ﬂ ashlight ahead for guidance. An Agility 
  roll of 1 or less doesn’t cause a character to go Out of 
  Control. Instead, he slams into a wall and is automati-
  cally Shaken.
  If the characters catch the thug, they do so just inside 
  the Basilica Cistern (see the next scene), the largest cis-
  tern in Istanbul and an architectural wonder. If they lose 
  him, they blunder into the Basilica Cistern anyway.
   Turkish Thug, with pistol (1): See page 22.
  SCENE 4: THE BASILICA CISTERN
  SCENE 4: THE BASILICA CISTERN
  The Basilica Cistern is one of the underground won-
  ders of Istanbul. Enlarged by Emperor Justinian circa 532, 
  the cistern is 70” long and 25” wide. However, for the 
  purposes of this scene you don’t need the full length.
  Its vaulted ceiling is supported by 336 stone pillars, 
  constructed in a dozen rows of 28 pillars apiece. Across 
  the width of the chamber, the pillars are placed every 
  other square, starting 1” from the wall. Up the length, 
  they are placed every third square. Movement through 
  squares occupied by a pillar is impossible.
  The ground is ankle-deep in water. This doesn’t 
  hamper movement, but it does reveal the location of any 
  combatant. If a character wants to move more silently, he 
  must halve his Pace and cannot run. Should this be done, 
  the thugs don’t try to interrupt (see below) until the ad-
  venturer gets within 5”, whereupon any movement at all 
  can be heard.
  The cistern is a tourist attraction and is thus lit. How-
  ever, the lighting is designed to invoke mood, not pro-
  vide artiﬁ cial daylight conditions. As such, the lighting is 
  Dim (–1).
  The thugs begin 36” into the cistern. If the charac-
  ters caught the escaping thug, his comrades are sitting 
  around talking when the scene begins. His cries quickly 
  alert them and prevent them from being surprised. On 
  the other hand, if the thug evaded his pursuers, he has 
  alerted his friends, who are hiding behind pillars.
  The goons are not stupid. They know the pillars pro-
  vide excellent cover, and so use the tried-and-tested tac-
  tic of stepping out, ﬁ ring, and ducking back into cover. 
  If the heroes begin sneaking up through the columns, 
  thus preventing the hired killers from effectively using 
  their weapons, the thugs will go on Hold and attempt 
  to interrupt.
  Likely short of ranged weapons, the heroes’ ﬁ rst ac-
  tions should be to somehow acquire a gun and level the 
  odds a little. The thug they chased, if captured, does 
  have a pistol.
  The acoustics are such that a hero can perform a 
  Smarts Trick by calling out fake orders or throwing his 
  voice so it sounds like it is coming from behind the 
  goons. Using the Trick against more than one opponent 
  is handled by the character placing a Large Burst Tem-
  plate anywhere on the battleﬁ eld. Those in the template 
  can be affected by a single Trick of this nature, although 
  they are allowed a Group roll to resist.
   Turkish Thug, with pistol (1 per hero): See page 
  22.
   Turkish Thug, with shotgun (1 per 2 heroes): 
  See page 22.
   Turkish Thug, with Tommy Gun (1 per 2 he-
  roes): See page 22.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  After the thugs are defeated, the characters can liber-
  ate the stolen relic. It must have some value—men have 
  killed and been killed to acquire it. In the event no one 
  knew Fletchley-Parkes’ name, Stavros provides them 
  with the details.
  Sir Percival, who arranged for the capture of the 
  stone so he could work on ﬁ nding Excalibur in secret, 
  had planned to keep the artifact hidden down here for 
  several months, before having it secretly shipped back 
  to England.
  Captured goons know little of interest. Their orders 
  were to keep the tablet safe until they saw a certain 
  obituary in the Istanbul Times. They were then to deliver 
  the tablet to the docks. Sir Percival never intended to 
  go through with this plan. Instead, he was going to hire 
  other thugs to murder these patsies and then bring him 
  the tablet.
  ACT 2: THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
  ACT 2: THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
  Knowing the mysterious stone tablet is worth ﬁ ghting 
  over, our heroes likely head to Oxford University next. 
  If necessary, remind the party that Britain has very strict 
  gun laws. Running around in public with weapons drawn 
  is likely to attract a lot of unwanted attention.
  SCENE 1: OXFORD UNIVERSITY
  SCENE 1: OXFORD UNIVERSITY
  On arriving at Oxford University’s main reception, 
  the characters are given directions to Professor Fletchley-
  Parkes’ ofﬁ ce. The route is rather complex and soon the 
  characters ﬁ nd themselves lost. They are standing in a 
  long corridor, whose wood panel walls sport dozens of 
  coats-of-arms, among them Amelia Valentine’s family (or 
  those of any British noble in your group).
  Walking idly up the corridor, pipe in hand, is a 
  middle-aged man, apparently lost in thought. If asked 
  for directions, he politely provides them. As the heroes 
  move toward the end of the corridor, a student comes 
  bounding down a ﬂ ight of stairs, calling out, “Professor 
  Tolkien! Wait up, Professor! I have a question about 
  Beowulf!”
  Eventually, the group reaches the right ofﬁ ce. There’s 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  7
  begin an additional 3 Range Increments back from the 
  ﬂ eeing thug (1 Range Increment if they just grab their 
  clothes from the pegs). If they stop just for their gear, 
  they begin an extra 1 Range Increment behind. These 
  penalties stack.
  Characters without a light source suffer a –1 penalty 
  as they run through the dark labyrinth of tunnels using 
  only the thug’s ﬂ ashlight ahead for guidance. An Agility 
  roll of 1 or less doesn’t cause a character to go Out of 
  Control. Instead, he slams into a wall and is automati-
  cally Shaken.
  If the characters catch the thug, they do so just inside 
  the Basilica Cistern (see the next scene), the largest cis-
  tern in Istanbul and an architectural wonder. If they lose 
  him, they blunder into the Basilica Cistern anyway.
   Turkish Thug, with pistol (1): See page 22.
  SCENE 4: THE BASILICA CISTERN
  SCENE 4: THE BASILICA CISTERN
  The Basilica Cistern is one of the underground won-
  ders of Istanbul. Enlarged by Emperor Justinian circa 532, 
  the cistern is 70” long and 25” wide. However, for the 
  purposes of this scene you don’t need the full length.
  Its vaulted ceiling is supported by 336 stone pillars, 
  constructed in a dozen rows of 28 pillars apiece. Across 
  the width of the chamber, the pillars are placed every 
  other square, starting 1” from the wall. Up the length, 
  they are placed every third square. Movement through 
  squares occupied by a pillar is impossible.
  The ground is ankle-deep in water. This doesn’t 
  hamper movement, but it does reveal the location of any 
  combatant. If a character wants to move more silently, he 
  must halve his Pace and cannot run. Should this be done, 
  the thugs don’t try to interrupt (see below) until the ad-
  venturer gets within 5”, whereupon any movement at all 
  can be heard.
  The cistern is a tourist attraction and is thus lit. How-
  ever, the lighting is designed to invoke mood, not pro-
  vide artiﬁ cial daylight conditions. As such, the lighting is 
  Dim (–1).
  The thugs begin 36” into the cistern. If the charac-
  ters caught the escaping thug, his comrades are sitting 
  around talking when the scene begins. His cries quickly 
  alert them and prevent them from being surprised. On 
  the other hand, if the thug evaded his pursuers, he has 
  alerted his friends, who are hiding behind pillars.
  The goons are not stupid. They know the pillars pro-
  vide excellent cover, and so use the tried-and-tested tac-
  tic of stepping out, ﬁ ring, and ducking back into cover. 
  If the heroes begin sneaking up through the columns, 
  thus preventing the hired killers from effectively using 
  their weapons, the thugs will go on Hold and attempt 
  to interrupt.
  Likely short of ranged weapons, the heroes’ ﬁ rst ac-
  tions should be to somehow acquire a gun and level the 
  odds a little. The thug they chased, if captured, does 
  have a pistol.
  The acoustics are such that a hero can perform a 
  Smarts Trick by calling out fake orders or throwing his 
  voice so it sounds like it is coming from behind the 
  goons. Using the Trick against more than one opponent 
  is handled by the character placing a Large Burst Tem-
  plate anywhere on the battleﬁ eld. Those in the template 
  can be affected by a single Trick of this nature, although 
  they are allowed a Group roll to resist.
   Turkish Thug, with pistol (1 per hero): See page 
  22.
   Turkish Thug, with shotgun (1 per 2 heroes): 
  See page 22.
   Turkish Thug, with Tommy Gun (1 per 2 he-
  roes): See page 22.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  After the thugs are defeated, the characters can liber-
  ate the stolen relic. It must have some value—men have 
  killed and been killed to acquire it. In the event no one 
  knew Fletchley-Parkes’ name, Stavros provides them 
  with the details.
  Sir Percival, who arranged for the capture of the 
  stone so he could work on ﬁ nding Excalibur in secret, 
  had planned to keep the artifact hidden down here for 
  several months, before having it secretly shipped back 
  to England.
  Captured goons know little of interest. Their orders 
  were to keep the tablet safe until they saw a certain 
  obituary in the Istanbul Times. They were then to deliver 
  the tablet to the docks. Sir Percival never intended to 
  go through with this plan. Instead, he was going to hire 
  other thugs to murder these patsies and then bring him 
  the tablet.
  ACT 2: THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
  ACT 2: THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
  Knowing the mysterious stone tablet is worth ﬁ ghting 
  over, our heroes likely head to Oxford University next. 
  If necessary, remind the party that Britain has very strict 
  gun laws. Running around in public with weapons drawn 
  is likely to attract a lot of unwanted attention.
  SCENE 1: OXFORD UNIVERSITY
  SCENE 1: OXFORD UNIVERSITY
  On arriving at Oxford University’s main reception, 
  the characters are given directions to Professor Fletchley-
  Parkes’ ofﬁ ce. The route is rather complex and soon the 
  characters ﬁ nd themselves lost. They are standing in a 
  long corridor, whose wood panel walls sport dozens of 
  coats-of-arms, among them Amelia Valentine’s family (or 
  those of any British noble in your group).
  Walking idly up the corridor, pipe in hand, is a 
  middle-aged man, apparently lost in thought. If asked 
  for directions, he politely provides them. As the heroes 
  move toward the end of the corridor, a student comes 
  bounding down a ﬂ ight of stairs, calling out, “Professor 
  Tolkien! Wait up, Professor! I have a question about 
  Beowulf!”
  Eventually, the group reaches the right ofﬁ ce. There’s 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  8
  no sign of a secretary in the outer ofﬁ ce. Noises can be 
  heard from the inner ofﬁ ce, as if someone is moving 
  around. If the characters knock on the door or call out, 
  they are greeted by total silence. On opening the door, 
  read the following text aloud.
  A white-haired man lies slumped on the ﬂ oor, 
  a dagger through his chest. Nearby, it looks like 
  someone has been trying to burn papers in an 
  open ﬁ re. A huge wad of burning papers have 
  rolled out, and ﬂ ames now engulf a sofa. A near-
  by window is open, the curtains ﬂ apping in the 
  breeze dangerously near the ﬁ re.
  If the characters look out the window, a man can be 
  seen running away across the grass outside. Heroes who 
  give chase immediately must make an Agility roll to leap 
  safely from the second-story window. A failure causes the 
  character to begin the Chase (see below) scene Shaken.
  Preventing the ﬁ re from spreading requires an Agility 
  roll at –6. This can be done as a Cooperative roll. Using 
  the curtain to beat the ﬂ ames grants a +2 bonus. Each 
  round of ﬁ reﬁ ghting means the ﬂ eeing arsonist increases 
  his distance by one Range Increment.
  The man, Fletchley-Parkes, is dead. Checking him for 
  a pulse takes a round.
  Whether the characters chase or wait, they notice a 
  page of an ancient manuscript caught on a nail on the 
  windowsill. Grabbing it is a free action.
  THE CHASE
  THE CHASE
  Pursuers who don’t stop to ﬁ ght the ﬁ re begin 4 Range 
  Increments behind the man. Lay out a line of marker 
  stones as normal, but make the 5th and 8th of different 
  colors (or position them so they stand out). Position the 
  villain’s playing piece on the 4th Range Increment. The 
  characters begin not yet on the marker trail. Their ﬁ rst 
  successful movement brings them onto the track.
  The ﬁ rst eight markers equate to 1”. After this, the 
  distance increases to 10”. This accounts for the various 
  types of transport available in the chase.
  When the killer reaches the 5th marker he hops onto a 
  bicycle. Pedaling a bicycle uses Strength instead of Agility.
  The 7th marker represents the banks of the River 
  Thames. Once the villain reaches this point, he hops into 
  a motor launch. The key skill now switches to Boating 
  and the Range Increment increases. The heroes now suf-
  fer a –1 penalty to Agility and Strength if they are still on 
  foot or bicycles. When the adventurers reach the river-
  side, they ﬁ nd the only vessels available are sleek rowing 
  skiffs. The vessels are of varying sizes, the largest holding 
  a maximum of four crewmembers.
  Rowing requires a Strength (power) or Boating (tech-
  nique) roll. Up to four heroes can Cooperate on this task. 
  However, a character who wants to wait for colleagues to 
  catch up and share the boat must Hold Steady until they 
  reach the same Range Increment.
  The motorboat has a higher base Range Increment, 
  which gives the heroes –1 to their rolls. It is also faster, so 
  the escaping villain adds +1 to his Boating rolls.
  Although it completely bends historical accuracy into 
  a knot (this is a pulp game, after all), the GM can, if he so 
  chooses have the boat chase cut through the famous Boat 
  Race, held between Oxford and Cambridge Universities 
  each year. This actually takes place much closer to Lon-
  don. In 1937, Oxford won the race for the ﬁ rst time since 
  1924. Did the heroes have anything to do with this?
  Any Obstacles in the entirety of the Chase represent 
  students on foot or bicycles, or river trafﬁ c. Rather than 
  use the regular rules, check the value of the Club card 
  against the table below to determine the penalty.
  Value 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–5 
  –4
  6–9 
  –2
  Jack–Queen 
  –1
  King–Ace 
  0
  Penalties are applied to whichever skill is being used 
  in the Chase. A failed roll causes the participant to suffer 
  a –2 to his next roll. In the event of a shared rowing 
  boat, one character per boat should be nominated as the 
  strokeman (typically the one making the lead Strength 
  roll). Only his suit counts with regard to Obstacles.
  The GM should add descriptions of Obstacles as re-
  quired. Perhaps a runner bumps into a professor (maybe 
  Tolkien), a cyclist may have to avoid a party of attrac-
  tive female students or slips on wet grass, or the motor 
  launch might crash through an errant dinghy. Don’t ever 
  roll for collisions, though—none of the vehicles have 
  statistics.
   Killer: Use the stats for a Turkish thug (page 22), 
  except the man is unarmed and is a Wild Card.
  THE KILLER CAPTURED
  THE KILLER CAPTURED
  Professor Fletchley-Parkes’ killer is a London hatchet 
  man by the name of Johnny Bowler. He received £500 
  (a substantial amount of money) to kill the professor 
  and destroy his notes. He has no idea who supplied the 
  money. As a hardened, career criminal, nothing the char-
  acters do can get him to talk further.
  If the heroes didn’t grab the piece of vellum on the 
  professor’s windowsill, Bowler has a similar page in his 
  hands when he’s caught. Bowler says he was speciﬁ cally 
  ordered to burn the tome by his patron.
  SCENE 2: A COUNTRY FAIR
  SCENE 2: A COUNTRY FAIR
  A character making a Knowledge (History) roll knows 
  the manuscript page is written in Latin and probably 
  dates from the 14th century. Discovering its meaning can 
  be achieved through the university library (Investigation 
  roll) or by asking an Oxford professor who specializes in 
  that era (Streetwise).
  With success, the adventures learn the page belonged 
  to a work known as the Roll of Kings, a detailed work de-
  scribing England’s monarchs from 1066 (the time of the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  8
  no sign of a secretary in the outer ofﬁ ce. Noises can be 
  heard from the inner ofﬁ ce, as if someone is moving 
  around. If the characters knock on the door or call out, 
  they are greeted by total silence. On opening the door, 
  read the following text aloud.
  A white-haired man lies slumped on the ﬂ oor, 
  a dagger through his chest. Nearby, it looks like 
  someone has been trying to burn papers in an 
  open ﬁ re. A huge wad of burning papers have 
  rolled out, and ﬂ ames now engulf a sofa. A near-
  by window is open, the curtains ﬂ apping in the 
  breeze dangerously near the ﬁ re.
  If the characters look out the window, a man can be 
  seen running away across the grass outside. Heroes who 
  give chase immediately must make an Agility roll to leap 
  safely from the second-story window. A failure causes the 
  character to begin the Chase (see below) scene Shaken.
  Preventing the ﬁ re from spreading requires an Agility 
  roll at –6. This can be done as a Cooperative roll. Using 
  the curtain to beat the ﬂ ames grants a +2 bonus. Each 
  round of ﬁ reﬁ ghting means the ﬂ eeing arsonist increases 
  his distance by one Range Increment.
  The man, Fletchley-Parkes, is dead. Checking him for 
  a pulse takes a round.
  Whether the characters chase or wait, they notice a 
  page of an ancient manuscript caught on a nail on the 
  windowsill. Grabbing it is a free action.
  THE CHASE
  THE CHASE
  Pursuers who don’t stop to ﬁ ght the ﬁ re begin 4 Range 
  Increments behind the man. Lay out a line of marker 
  stones as normal, but make the 5th and 8th of different 
  colors (or position them so they stand out). Position the 
  villain’s playing piece on the 4th Range Increment. The 
  characters begin not yet on the marker trail. Their ﬁ rst 
  successful movement brings them onto the track.
  The ﬁ rst eight markers equate to 1”. After this, the 
  distance increases to 10”. This accounts for the various 
  types of transport available in the chase.
  When the killer reaches the 5th marker he hops onto a 
  bicycle. Pedaling a bicycle uses Strength instead of Agility.
  The 7th marker represents the banks of the River 
  Thames. Once the villain reaches this point, he hops into 
  a motor launch. The key skill now switches to Boating 
  and the Range Increment increases. The heroes now suf-
  fer a –1 penalty to Agility and Strength if they are still on 
  foot or bicycles. When the adventurers reach the river-
  side, they ﬁ nd the only vessels available are sleek rowing 
  skiffs. The vessels are of varying sizes, the largest holding 
  a maximum of four crewmembers.
  Rowing requires a Strength (power) or Boating (tech-
  nique) roll. Up to four heroes can Cooperate on this task. 
  However, a character who wants to wait for colleagues to 
  catch up and share the boat must Hold Steady until they 
  reach the same Range Increment.
  The motorboat has a higher base Range Increment, 
  which gives the heroes –1 to their rolls. It is also faster, so 
  the escaping villain adds +1 to his Boating rolls.
  Although it completely bends historical accuracy into 
  a knot (this is a pulp game, after all), the GM can, if he so 
  chooses have the boat chase cut through the famous Boat 
  Race, held between Oxford and Cambridge Universities 
  each year. This actually takes place much closer to Lon-
  don. In 1937, Oxford won the race for the ﬁ rst time since 
  1924. Did the heroes have anything to do with this?
  Any Obstacles in the entirety of the Chase represent 
  students on foot or bicycles, or river trafﬁ c. Rather than 
  use the regular rules, check the value of the Club card 
  against the table below to determine the penalty.
  Value 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–5 
  –4
  6–9 
  –2
  Jack–Queen 
  –1
  King–Ace 
  0
  Penalties are applied to whichever skill is being used 
  in the Chase. A failed roll causes the participant to suffer 
  a –2 to his next roll. In the event of a shared rowing 
  boat, one character per boat should be nominated as the 
  strokeman (typically the one making the lead Strength 
  roll). Only his suit counts with regard to Obstacles.
  The GM should add descriptions of Obstacles as re-
  quired. Perhaps a runner bumps into a professor (maybe 
  Tolkien), a cyclist may have to avoid a party of attrac-
  tive female students or slips on wet grass, or the motor 
  launch might crash through an errant dinghy. Don’t ever 
  roll for collisions, though—none of the vehicles have 
  statistics.
   Killer: Use the stats for a Turkish thug (page 22), 
  except the man is unarmed and is a Wild Card.
  THE KILLER CAPTURED
  THE KILLER CAPTURED
  Professor Fletchley-Parkes’ killer is a London hatchet 
  man by the name of Johnny Bowler. He received £500 
  (a substantial amount of money) to kill the professor 
  and destroy his notes. He has no idea who supplied the 
  money. As a hardened, career criminal, nothing the char-
  acters do can get him to talk further.
  If the heroes didn’t grab the piece of vellum on the 
  professor’s windowsill, Bowler has a similar page in his 
  hands when he’s caught. Bowler says he was speciﬁ cally 
  ordered to burn the tome by his patron.
  SCENE 2: A COUNTRY FAIR
  SCENE 2: A COUNTRY FAIR
  A character making a Knowledge (History) roll knows 
  the manuscript page is written in Latin and probably 
  dates from the 14th century. Discovering its meaning can 
  be achieved through the university library (Investigation 
  roll) or by asking an Oxford professor who specializes in 
  that era (Streetwise).
  With success, the adventures learn the page belonged 
  to a work known as the Roll of Kings, a detailed work de-
  scribing England’s monarchs from 1066 (the time of the 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  9
  Norman Conquest) through to Edward I (died in 1307). 
  Only two copies are known to exist—the now destroyed 
  one held by the university, and the other in the posses-
  sion of Sir Percival Fanhard, Viscount Wincanton.
  Lord Wincanton’s residence can be discovered in 
  Who’s Who, a biography of British nobles, senior clergy, 
  Members of Parliament, judges, distinguished academics, 
  scientists, and authors, and so on, published annually 
  since 1849. This requires an Investigation roll unless at 
  least one of the characters is British (foreigners are un-
  likely to have even heard of the publication). If there’s a 
  British noble in the party, he’s listed as well. Alternatively, 
  any English noble in the party can recall his residence 
  with a successful Common Knowledge roll at –2.
  Although his title lists him as Viscount Wincanton 
  (which is in the county of Somerset), his ancestral home 
  is in Northumberland (on the border with Scotland). 
  Handing out titles to nobles living far from their ﬁ ef is an 
  age-old practice in England.
  THE POLO MATCH
  THE POLO MATCH
  On reaching Sir Percival’s residence, a large stately 
  home, the characters are informed by the butler (Jeeves) 
  that his lordship is playing polo. He provides directions 
  to the event, which is just a few miles walk from the 
  house. If the heroes phone ahead, Jeeves tells them the 
  same thing.
  Polo is played on horseback and involves smashing a 
  ball with a long mallet into the opposition’s goal. First in-
  vented by the Persians some six centuries before the time 
  of Christ, the version played by the English aristocracy was 
  brought to Britain by ofﬁ cers serving in India a little un-
  der a century ago. Riders are mounted on what are called 
  “polo ponies,” although in fact they are regular horses.
  Typically the reserve of the wealthy, it has long been 
  a tradition that Viscount Wincanton holds a polo match 
  in the local village open to spectators from the general 
  public. Before the current Viscount, the villagers enjoyed 
  a medieval-style joust. Over the many generations, the 
  event has transformed into a spring fair, the polo match 
  now being the showpiece of the gala. However, class 
  divisions are strong in England during the 1930s, and 
  tensions run high when bored young noblemen get 
  drunk, as they frequently do, and begin harassing “the 
  peasants.”
  Identifying Lord Fanhard requires a Streetwise roll. 
  With success, a young man on a brown polo pony is indi-
  cated. He’s in the middle of a game. Any hero making a 
  Riding roll can see he’s an excellent horseman.
  Before the adventurers have a chance to meet the 
  lord, they have two encounters. The ﬁ rst is with a seem-
  ingly crazy woman, the second is a disturbance of a more 
  threatening nature.
  THE CRAZY WOMAN
  THE CRAZY WOMAN
  While enjoying the fair, a young woman approaches 
  the characters. She’s bespectacled, in her mid-twenties, 
  has her hair in a tight bun that gives her a severe ap-
  pearance, and wearing a tweed suit that makes her look 
  several decades older. She latches onto the hero with 
  the highest Spirit. In the event of a tie, decide randomly 
  which character receives her attention.
  “You have a very powerful aura,” she says, in a 
  soft, dreamy voice. “The spirits told me you’d be 
  here, you know. Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, sticking 
  out a hand. “My name is Holly, Holly Holling-
  berry. My spirit guide led me to you. I sense you 
  are on a very important quest, yes?”
  Holly isn’t a charlatan, but she isn’t exactly a powerful 
  psychic, either. She does have some latent ability, mostly 
  hunches rather than clear visions, but it’s completely un-
  focused. Questions about the “quest” are met with vague 
  answers about ancient treasure and spiritual energy.
  After a while, she says, “Tread carefully! This quest is 
  a perilous one. The black-hearted ones will try to thwart 
  you.” She then wanders off into the crowd.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  TO THE RESCUE
  TO THE RESCUE
  Two examples of suitable disturbances which require 
  heroic intervention are provided below, but the GM 
  should feel free to create his own based on his group. 
  Whichever event is used, the ﬁ nal outcome is the same—
  a brawl!
  * A horse left on the sidelines by its rider startles and 
  begins rearing up and kicking. Several small children are 
  standing nearby, frozen with terror. Unless a hero calms 
  it within four rounds, a young girl is kicked, leaving her 
  unconscious.
  Calming the beast requires just two steps. First, the 
  character must make an Agility roll at –2 to get close to 
  the beast. Each failure results in him taking 1d12 dam-
  age (from an Extra). Second, he must make a Persuasion 
  (–4) or Riding (–2) roll. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for 
  failure, beyond another round passing.
  * A dog rushes onto the polo pitch, followed closely 
  by its owner—a young lad of about seven years of age. 
  Polo is played at high speeds, and the riders, intent on 
  the game, have not spotted the boy. 
  Any adventurer wishing to save the lad from being 
  trampled must make two Agility rolls at –2 and a Fight-
  ing roll against Parry 4. The hero has just four rounds to 
  achieve this.
  Whatever the event and however it ends up, the 
  characters are approached by a gang of drunken young 
  gentry. They blame the heroes for the disturbance, and 
  demand they clear off immediately. Make them very an-
  noying and in your face types. They want a ﬁ ght, but they 
  want one of the “lower classes” to throw the ﬁ rst punch. 
  One near-guaranteed provocation is to have one of them 
  shove aside a female character, knocking her off her feet. 
  Any male hero (especially those with Heroic or Loyal) 
  should take this as an affront.
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  9
  Norman Conquest) through to Edward I (died in 1307). 
  Only two copies are known to exist—the now destroyed 
  one held by the university, and the other in the posses-
  sion of Sir Percival Fanhard, Viscount Wincanton.
  Lord Wincanton’s residence can be discovered in 
  Who’s Who, a biography of British nobles, senior clergy, 
  Members of Parliament, judges, distinguished academics, 
  scientists, and authors, and so on, published annually 
  since 1849. This requires an Investigation roll unless at 
  least one of the characters is British (foreigners are un-
  likely to have even heard of the publication). If there’s a 
  British noble in the party, he’s listed as well. Alternatively, 
  any English noble in the party can recall his residence 
  with a successful Common Knowledge roll at –2.
  Although his title lists him as Viscount Wincanton 
  (which is in the county of Somerset), his ancestral home 
  is in Northumberland (on the border with Scotland). 
  Handing out titles to nobles living far from their ﬁ ef is an 
  age-old practice in England.
  THE POLO MATCH
  THE POLO MATCH
  On reaching Sir Percival’s residence, a large stately 
  home, the characters are informed by the butler (Jeeves) 
  that his lordship is playing polo. He provides directions 
  to the event, which is just a few miles walk from the 
  house. If the heroes phone ahead, Jeeves tells them the 
  same thing.
  Polo is played on horseback and involves smashing a 
  ball with a long mallet into the opposition’s goal. First in-
  vented by the Persians some six centuries before the time 
  of Christ, the version played by the English aristocracy was 
  brought to Britain by ofﬁ cers serving in India a little un-
  der a century ago. Riders are mounted on what are called 
  “polo ponies,” although in fact they are regular horses.
  Typically the reserve of the wealthy, it has long been 
  a tradition that Viscount Wincanton holds a polo match 
  in the local village open to spectators from the general 
  public. Before the current Viscount, the villagers enjoyed 
  a medieval-style joust. Over the many generations, the 
  event has transformed into a spring fair, the polo match 
  now being the showpiece of the gala. However, class 
  divisions are strong in England during the 1930s, and 
  tensions run high when bored young noblemen get 
  drunk, as they frequently do, and begin harassing “the 
  peasants.”
  Identifying Lord Fanhard requires a Streetwise roll. 
  With success, a young man on a brown polo pony is indi-
  cated. He’s in the middle of a game. Any hero making a 
  Riding roll can see he’s an excellent horseman.
  Before the adventurers have a chance to meet the 
  lord, they have two encounters. The ﬁ rst is with a seem-
  ingly crazy woman, the second is a disturbance of a more 
  threatening nature.
  THE CRAZY WOMAN
  THE CRAZY WOMAN
  While enjoying the fair, a young woman approaches 
  the characters. She’s bespectacled, in her mid-twenties, 
  has her hair in a tight bun that gives her a severe ap-
  pearance, and wearing a tweed suit that makes her look 
  several decades older. She latches onto the hero with 
  the highest Spirit. In the event of a tie, decide randomly 
  which character receives her attention.
  “You have a very powerful aura,” she says, in a 
  soft, dreamy voice. “The spirits told me you’d be 
  here, you know. Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, sticking 
  out a hand. “My name is Holly, Holly Holling-
  berry. My spirit guide led me to you. I sense you 
  are on a very important quest, yes?”
  Holly isn’t a charlatan, but she isn’t exactly a powerful 
  psychic, either. She does have some latent ability, mostly 
  hunches rather than clear visions, but it’s completely un-
  focused. Questions about the “quest” are met with vague 
  answers about ancient treasure and spiritual energy.
  After a while, she says, “Tread carefully! This quest is 
  a perilous one. The black-hearted ones will try to thwart 
  you.” She then wanders off into the crowd.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  TO THE RESCUE
  TO THE RESCUE
  Two examples of suitable disturbances which require 
  heroic intervention are provided below, but the GM 
  should feel free to create his own based on his group. 
  Whichever event is used, the ﬁ nal outcome is the same—
  a brawl!
  * A horse left on the sidelines by its rider startles and 
  begins rearing up and kicking. Several small children are 
  standing nearby, frozen with terror. Unless a hero calms 
  it within four rounds, a young girl is kicked, leaving her 
  unconscious.
  Calming the beast requires just two steps. First, the 
  character must make an Agility roll at –2 to get close to 
  the beast. Each failure results in him taking 1d12 dam-
  age (from an Extra). Second, he must make a Persuasion 
  (–4) or Riding (–2) roll. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for 
  failure, beyond another round passing.
  * A dog rushes onto the polo pitch, followed closely 
  by its owner—a young lad of about seven years of age. 
  Polo is played at high speeds, and the riders, intent on 
  the game, have not spotted the boy. 
  Any adventurer wishing to save the lad from being 
  trampled must make two Agility rolls at –2 and a Fight-
  ing roll against Parry 4. The hero has just four rounds to 
  achieve this.
  Whatever the event and however it ends up, the 
  characters are approached by a gang of drunken young 
  gentry. They blame the heroes for the disturbance, and 
  demand they clear off immediately. Make them very an-
  noying and in your face types. They want a ﬁ ght, but they 
  want one of the “lower classes” to throw the ﬁ rst punch. 
  One near-guaranteed provocation is to have one of them 
  shove aside a female character, knocking her off her feet. 
  Any male hero (especially those with Heroic or Loyal) 
  should take this as an affront.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1010
  Once a ﬁ st is thrown, a brawl quickly develops. Deal 
  action cards.
  One of the drunks grabs a nearby polo mallet (Str+d6, 
  one-handed weapon) during the ﬁ ght. Once half the 
  noblemen or the characters are out for the count, a loud 
  voice calls out, “Stop this at once!” The voice belongs to 
  a young man, maybe in his mid-thirties, sitting astride a 
  polo pony. His mallet is casually resting on his shoulder. 
  One of the remaining rufﬁ ans goes to take a swipe at the 
  heroes, but the man calls out again.
  “Reginald,” the man says calmly, “stop this at 
  once!” The mallet-wielding goon, obviously Regi-
  nald, looks up at the man. “They started it,” he 
  says. “I don’t care if His Majesty started it,” the 
  horseman replies. “You will leave these good peo-
  ple in peace. Get home with you until you sober 
  up.” Reginald doesn’t move at ﬁ rst, but after the 
  rider says “now,” he turns and leaves, as do his 
  comrades.
  “I do apologize,” the man says, dismounting. “Too 
  much free champagne, I suspect. I’m Sir Percival 
  Fanhard, Viscount Wincanton if you want to be 
  formal. Now, would you like some English tea? 
  Least I can do by way of apology.”
  Fanhard asks the characters what they’re doing in 
  England (assuming he hears foreign accents). Any char-
  acters with Big Mouth are destined to spill the beans, 
  leaving out no important facts. If there are any English 
  nobles in the group, Fanhard recognizes them after a few 
  moments pause. Whoever the character is, he recalls a 
  few facts about their family.
   Fanhard’s Knights (2 per hero): See page 22.
  HIS LORDSHIP
  HIS LORDSHIP
  He appears genuinely shocked by news of Fletchley-
  Parkes death, though this is nothing more than a very 
  good act. Fanhard had the man killed because Fletchley-
  Parkes had discovered a veiled reference to Excalibur in 
  the Rolls of Kings. In order to ensure “his” prize could 
  not be discovered by anyone else, the nobleman took 
  drastic steps.
  Fanhard admits to having spoken with the professor 
  many times on matters of heraldry and history—“The 
  man helped me trace my genealogy back to King Rich-
  ard I, you know.”
  Once he learns about the burnt manuscript, his tone 
  changes slightly. Although still very polite, he looks a little 
  distant. Spotting this requires a Notice roll. The noble-
  man, if questioned on his change, comments lightly that 
  he is rather shocked, and wonders if whoever did it will 
  come looking for his family’s copy. In truth, he feels his 
  plans are in danger, what with the discoverers of Fletch-
  ley-Parkes’ murder now standing before him.
  On hearing of the existence of the stone tablet, his 
  mood changes again, this time to barely-contained ex-
  citement. The nobleman, realizing his mistake, promptly 
  composes himself. He apologizes for his excitement, but 
  says he has been researching a knight serving Richard I 
  who supposedly took to his grave the whereabouts of a 
  great treasure captured in the Holy Land.
  He invites the characters to stay with him at his manor 
  for a few days while he makes inquiries into the stone 
  and about having it translated through contacts at the 
  British Museum. The man is very insistent, claiming he 
  wishes to hear all about the adventurers’ exploits and 
  show them a little British tradition in the morning with 
  the annual fox hunt on his estate.
  There’s actually nowhere else to stay in the area, as all 
  the public houses for miles around are full thanks to the 
  fair and forthcoming fox hunt.
  SCENE 3: THE HUNTED
  SCENE 3: THE HUNTED
  Sir Percival throws an elaborate dinner for his guests, 
  and then asks to hear more about their adventures. Let 
  the characters retell their many deeds in as much detail 
  as they wish.
  During the conversation, Fanhard, a learned histo-
  rian, asks appropriate questions or makes astute com-
  ments. All the while he is plotting against the characters, 
  realizing from their stories exactly how resourceful they 
  are. One slip and his entire scheme could come crashing 
  down around him. By morning, a plan has formed in the 
  noble’s mind.
  THE HUNT
  THE HUNT
  The following morning, the characters and Sir Per-
  cival attend the hunt. Fox hunting is not just a sport for 
  the rich or landed gentry—it is as much a social event as 
  anything else. Among the many attendees, all identically 
  clad in black boots, white trousers, red jackets, and black 
  riding hats, are the rufﬁ ans from the polo match, still 
  sporting large bruises from the beating they took. They 
  ignore the heroes.
  Just before the hunt begins, one of the helpers throws 
  a bucket of raw livers to the pack of baying hounds. “Gives 
  ‘em the taste of blood,” he comments to the characters.
  Sir Percival explains that the characters can’t participate 
  in the hunt, but they are free to watch the start. After that 
  he recommends they move back to his estate and watch 
  from the West Field, as it gives a fantastic view over much 
  of the estate, allowing the spectators to watch the hunt 
  unfold. The hunt terminates back at the manor, anyway.
  While walking back, the characters hear the sounds 
  of horns and hounds. Strangely, they seem to be getting 
  closer. Just at that moment, Holly Hollingberry comes 
  running up the lane, blathering on about a change in the 
  heroes’ psychic energy. “I’ve had a vision!” she shouts, 
  approaching at a run. “I sense something bad is going 
  to happen to you!”
  Sure enough, a pack of foxhounds quickly rushes into 
  view. It looks like they’ve got the scent of prey, but it 
  isn’t a fox!
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1010
  Once a ﬁ st is thrown, a brawl quickly develops. Deal 
  action cards.
  One of the drunks grabs a nearby polo mallet (Str+d6, 
  one-handed weapon) during the ﬁ ght. Once half the 
  noblemen or the characters are out for the count, a loud 
  voice calls out, “Stop this at once!” The voice belongs to 
  a young man, maybe in his mid-thirties, sitting astride a 
  polo pony. His mallet is casually resting on his shoulder. 
  One of the remaining rufﬁ ans goes to take a swipe at the 
  heroes, but the man calls out again.
  “Reginald,” the man says calmly, “stop this at 
  once!” The mallet-wielding goon, obviously Regi-
  nald, looks up at the man. “They started it,” he 
  says. “I don’t care if His Majesty started it,” the 
  horseman replies. “You will leave these good peo-
  ple in peace. Get home with you until you sober 
  up.” Reginald doesn’t move at ﬁ rst, but after the 
  rider says “now,” he turns and leaves, as do his 
  comrades.
  “I do apologize,” the man says, dismounting. “Too 
  much free champagne, I suspect. I’m Sir Percival 
  Fanhard, Viscount Wincanton if you want to be 
  formal. Now, would you like some English tea? 
  Least I can do by way of apology.”
  Fanhard asks the characters what they’re doing in 
  England (assuming he hears foreign accents). Any char-
  acters with Big Mouth are destined to spill the beans, 
  leaving out no important facts. If there are any English 
  nobles in the group, Fanhard recognizes them after a few 
  moments pause. Whoever the character is, he recalls a 
  few facts about their family.
   Fanhard’s Knights (2 per hero): See page 22.
  HIS LORDSHIP
  HIS LORDSHIP
  He appears genuinely shocked by news of Fletchley-
  Parkes death, though this is nothing more than a very 
  good act. Fanhard had the man killed because Fletchley-
  Parkes had discovered a veiled reference to Excalibur in 
  the Rolls of Kings. In order to ensure “his” prize could 
  not be discovered by anyone else, the nobleman took 
  drastic steps.
  Fanhard admits to having spoken with the professor 
  many times on matters of heraldry and history—“The 
  man helped me trace my genealogy back to King Rich-
  ard I, you know.”
  Once he learns about the burnt manuscript, his tone 
  changes slightly. Although still very polite, he looks a little 
  distant. Spotting this requires a Notice roll. The noble-
  man, if questioned on his change, comments lightly that 
  he is rather shocked, and wonders if whoever did it will 
  come looking for his family’s copy. In truth, he feels his 
  plans are in danger, what with the discoverers of Fletch-
  ley-Parkes’ murder now standing before him.
  On hearing of the existence of the stone tablet, his 
  mood changes again, this time to barely-contained ex-
  citement. The nobleman, realizing his mistake, promptly 
  composes himself. He apologizes for his excitement, but 
  says he has been researching a knight serving Richard I 
  who supposedly took to his grave the whereabouts of a 
  great treasure captured in the Holy Land.
  He invites the characters to stay with him at his manor 
  for a few days while he makes inquiries into the stone 
  and about having it translated through contacts at the 
  British Museum. The man is very insistent, claiming he 
  wishes to hear all about the adventurers’ exploits and 
  show them a little British tradition in the morning with 
  the annual fox hunt on his estate.
  There’s actually nowhere else to stay in the area, as all 
  the public houses for miles around are full thanks to the 
  fair and forthcoming fox hunt.
  SCENE 3: THE HUNTED
  SCENE 3: THE HUNTED
  Sir Percival throws an elaborate dinner for his guests, 
  and then asks to hear more about their adventures. Let 
  the characters retell their many deeds in as much detail 
  as they wish.
  During the conversation, Fanhard, a learned histo-
  rian, asks appropriate questions or makes astute com-
  ments. All the while he is plotting against the characters, 
  realizing from their stories exactly how resourceful they 
  are. One slip and his entire scheme could come crashing 
  down around him. By morning, a plan has formed in the 
  noble’s mind.
  THE HUNT
  THE HUNT
  The following morning, the characters and Sir Per-
  cival attend the hunt. Fox hunting is not just a sport for 
  the rich or landed gentry—it is as much a social event as 
  anything else. Among the many attendees, all identically 
  clad in black boots, white trousers, red jackets, and black 
  riding hats, are the rufﬁ ans from the polo match, still 
  sporting large bruises from the beating they took. They 
  ignore the heroes.
  Just before the hunt begins, one of the helpers throws 
  a bucket of raw livers to the pack of baying hounds. “Gives 
  ‘em the taste of blood,” he comments to the characters.
  Sir Percival explains that the characters can’t participate 
  in the hunt, but they are free to watch the start. After that 
  he recommends they move back to his estate and watch 
  from the West Field, as it gives a fantastic view over much 
  of the estate, allowing the spectators to watch the hunt 
  unfold. The hunt terminates back at the manor, anyway.
  While walking back, the characters hear the sounds 
  of horns and hounds. Strangely, they seem to be getting 
  closer. Just at that moment, Holly Hollingberry comes 
  running up the lane, blathering on about a change in the 
  heroes’ psychic energy. “I’ve had a vision!” she shouts, 
  approaching at a run. “I sense something bad is going 
  to happen to you!”
  Sure enough, a pack of foxhounds quickly rushes into 
  view. It looks like they’ve got the scent of prey, but it 
  isn’t a fox!
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1111
  If the characters plan on engaging the dogs in melee, 
  the ﬁ ght runs its natural course. No one arrives to save 
  them. The dogs use Gang Up tactics on their prey. They 
  may be small, but there are a lot of them.
  The other option is to turn tail and run. This is a 
  Chase, with a base Increment of 5”. The Chases use our 
  Event Stages rules (see below). The heroes, having a 
  lower base Range Increment, suffer a –1 penalty to their 
  Agility rolls. Taking ﬂ ight immediately places the charac-
  ters 4 Range Increments ahead of the pack. Due to the 
  number of hounds present, they make Group rolls when 
  a Trait roll is required.
  If the hounds get within one Range Increment of 
  their prey, they try the Parallel maneuver. If success-
  ful, the hounds make a Fighting attack as a free action 
  as the lead dogs nip at the hero. Make the attack as a 
  Group roll.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the heroes and pack move through 
  the countryside. Space 20 markers in a line along the 
  table to present the ﬁ eld system. Place a different color 
  marker at the 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th positions. 
  These are the Event Stages. If the Chase carries on be-
  yond the 20th position the GM may either elect to create 
  his own events or assume the trail is clear.
  Move each participant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual person is in 
  relation to the events. When a character reaches a Stage 
  he must deal with an event. These are detailed below.
  6th Increment: A narrow gap in a hedge is the only 
  way forward. The character must make an Agility roll or 
  suffer a level of Fatigue until the end of the chase. The 
  same applies to the dogs.
  9th Increment: Some farmers are blasting away at 
  rabbits. The hero’s path takes him between hunter and 
  hunted. Roll four d6 individually. Each roll of 1 means 
  the character has taken a hit for 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra). Roll three dice if the character has Dodge, and 
  two dice if he has Improved Dodge.
  Roll 4d6 for the pack. Each roll of 1 reduces the num-
  ber of hounds by one. This reduction in pack size only 
  comes into play if the hounds catch the characters and 
  a ﬁ ght ensues.
  12th Increment: A stream crosses the character’s 
  path. He must make a Strength roll to clear the water-
  course or slip and fall prone. Any movement for the 
  round ends immediately if he falls. He also suffers a –2 
  penalty to his next Agility roll. If the hounds fail their 
  roll, they end their current movement for the round and 
  must Hold Steady next round while they search for the 
  scent on the other bank.
  15th Increment: Countless rabbit holes threaten to 
  trip the runner. Each runner must make an Agility roll 
  as a free action. A failed roll means he stumbles and is 
  Shaken as he twists his ankle. The dogs suffer a –2 pen-
  alty to their next Agility roll if they fail, as the pack splits 
  to avoid the holes.
  18th Increment: A herd of cattle is grazing in the 
  ﬁ eld. They pay little attention to the characters, forcing 
  the runners to dodge and weave around them. The char-
  acters next Agility roll is made at –2.
  When the dogs get here, the cattle stampede away 
  from them. Naturally, this drives them toward the heroes! 
  Any hero on the 18th or 19th Increments must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  OUTCOME
  OUTCOME
  The two possible outcomes are the adventurers man-
  age to outpace the dogs, or the pack catches up and 
  begins ripping them to shreds. In the latter case, Sir Per-
  cival and part of the hunt arrive after six rounds, drawn 
  by the frenzied barking. Unable to follow through with 
  his plan now he is in plain sight of the characters (who 
  might survive and put two and two together if he doesn’t 
  aid them), the nobleman reluctantly calls off the dogs.
  “Dear God,” Sir Percival exclaims loudly. He turns 
  to one of his colleagues. “Have Walters report to 
  me ﬁ rst thing in the morning. These people are my 
  guests, and I will not have them attacked on my 
  land by my hounds. Now take the dogs back to the 
  kennel and signal the hunt to end!” He nods in 
  Holly’s direction, “Who is your new friend?”
  Sir Percival suggests they retire to the manor. Holly 
  graciously declines, saying she has other business to at-
  tend to on behalf of her spirit guides. He orders another 
  colleague to go into the village and summon the doctor. 
  Back at the house, each character beneﬁ ts from a single 
  d8+2 Healing roll.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Hounds (3 per hero): See page 23.
  SCENE 4: HERE COME THE NAZIS
  SCENE 4: HERE COME THE NAZIS
  That evening, while sitting in the study enjoying an 
  after-dinner brandy digestif, Jeeves delivers a note to 
  Sir Percival. The nobleman reads the message and then 
  turns to the characters.
  “Excellent news!” he beams. “I’ve arranged for 
  you to take the stone tablet to the British Museum 
  tomorrow and have it translated. It’s the least I 
  can do giving all the frightful things that have oc-
  curred since you arrived. Train leaves at 7 o’clock 
  sharp. I’ll have Jeeves run you to the station in the 
  car. More brandy, anyone?”
  As Sir Percival goes to fetch more brandy (for him-
  self if no one else wants a drink), the glass in the tall 
  bay windows shatters inward and bullets rip across the 
  drinks cabinet, sending glass ﬂ ying in all directions. A 
  split second later, the curtains are pulled aside, the door 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1111
  If the characters plan on engaging the dogs in melee, 
  the ﬁ ght runs its natural course. No one arrives to save 
  them. The dogs use Gang Up tactics on their prey. They 
  may be small, but there are a lot of them.
  The other option is to turn tail and run. This is a 
  Chase, with a base Increment of 5”. The Chases use our 
  Event Stages rules (see below). The heroes, having a 
  lower base Range Increment, suffer a –1 penalty to their 
  Agility rolls. Taking ﬂ ight immediately places the charac-
  ters 4 Range Increments ahead of the pack. Due to the 
  number of hounds present, they make Group rolls when 
  a Trait roll is required.
  If the hounds get within one Range Increment of 
  their prey, they try the Parallel maneuver. If success-
  ful, the hounds make a Fighting attack as a free action 
  as the lead dogs nip at the hero. Make the attack as a 
  Group roll.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the heroes and pack move through 
  the countryside. Space 20 markers in a line along the 
  table to present the ﬁ eld system. Place a different color 
  marker at the 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th positions. 
  These are the Event Stages. If the Chase carries on be-
  yond the 20th position the GM may either elect to create 
  his own events or assume the trail is clear.
  Move each participant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual person is in 
  relation to the events. When a character reaches a Stage 
  he must deal with an event. These are detailed below.
  6th Increment: A narrow gap in a hedge is the only 
  way forward. The character must make an Agility roll or 
  suffer a level of Fatigue until the end of the chase. The 
  same applies to the dogs.
  9th Increment: Some farmers are blasting away at 
  rabbits. The hero’s path takes him between hunter and 
  hunted. Roll four d6 individually. Each roll of 1 means 
  the character has taken a hit for 2d6 damage (from an 
  Extra). Roll three dice if the character has Dodge, and 
  two dice if he has Improved Dodge.
  Roll 4d6 for the pack. Each roll of 1 reduces the num-
  ber of hounds by one. This reduction in pack size only 
  comes into play if the hounds catch the characters and 
  a ﬁ ght ensues.
  12th Increment: A stream crosses the character’s 
  path. He must make a Strength roll to clear the water-
  course or slip and fall prone. Any movement for the 
  round ends immediately if he falls. He also suffers a –2 
  penalty to his next Agility roll. If the hounds fail their 
  roll, they end their current movement for the round and 
  must Hold Steady next round while they search for the 
  scent on the other bank.
  15th Increment: Countless rabbit holes threaten to 
  trip the runner. Each runner must make an Agility roll 
  as a free action. A failed roll means he stumbles and is 
  Shaken as he twists his ankle. The dogs suffer a –2 pen-
  alty to their next Agility roll if they fail, as the pack splits 
  to avoid the holes.
  18th Increment: A herd of cattle is grazing in the 
  ﬁ eld. They pay little attention to the characters, forcing 
  the runners to dodge and weave around them. The char-
  acters next Agility roll is made at –2.
  When the dogs get here, the cattle stampede away 
  from them. Naturally, this drives them toward the heroes! 
  Any hero on the 18th or 19th Increments must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or suffer 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  OUTCOME
  OUTCOME
  The two possible outcomes are the adventurers man-
  age to outpace the dogs, or the pack catches up and 
  begins ripping them to shreds. In the latter case, Sir Per-
  cival and part of the hunt arrive after six rounds, drawn 
  by the frenzied barking. Unable to follow through with 
  his plan now he is in plain sight of the characters (who 
  might survive and put two and two together if he doesn’t 
  aid them), the nobleman reluctantly calls off the dogs.
  “Dear God,” Sir Percival exclaims loudly. He turns 
  to one of his colleagues. “Have Walters report to 
  me ﬁ rst thing in the morning. These people are my 
  guests, and I will not have them attacked on my 
  land by my hounds. Now take the dogs back to the 
  kennel and signal the hunt to end!” He nods in 
  Holly’s direction, “Who is your new friend?”
  Sir Percival suggests they retire to the manor. Holly 
  graciously declines, saying she has other business to at-
  tend to on behalf of her spirit guides. He orders another 
  colleague to go into the village and summon the doctor. 
  Back at the house, each character beneﬁ ts from a single 
  d8+2 Healing roll.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Hounds (3 per hero): See page 23.
  SCENE 4: HERE COME THE NAZIS
  SCENE 4: HERE COME THE NAZIS
  That evening, while sitting in the study enjoying an 
  after-dinner brandy digestif, Jeeves delivers a note to 
  Sir Percival. The nobleman reads the message and then 
  turns to the characters.
  “Excellent news!” he beams. “I’ve arranged for 
  you to take the stone tablet to the British Museum 
  tomorrow and have it translated. It’s the least I 
  can do giving all the frightful things that have oc-
  curred since you arrived. Train leaves at 7 o’clock 
  sharp. I’ll have Jeeves run you to the station in the 
  car. More brandy, anyone?”
  As Sir Percival goes to fetch more brandy (for him-
  self if no one else wants a drink), the glass in the tall 
  bay windows shatters inward and bullets rip across the 
  drinks cabinet, sending glass ﬂ ying in all directions. A 
  split second later, the curtains are pulled aside, the door 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1212
  to the study ﬂ ies open, and in bursts a gang of MP-35 
  SMG-wielding goons.
  Fanhard hasn’t hired these goons. They are Nazi 
  agents, also hunting for Excalibur. They learned of the 
  lord’s quest years ago and been secretly conducting their 
  own investigations. Contacts in Istanbul alerted them to 
  the existence of the stone after it was recovered, and 
  they tailed the heroes. Now they have come to steal it 
  and kill those who endanger their quest. Fanhard should 
  be targeted by the Nazis. He can even take wounds, but 
  he should not be killed.
  The study is 6” to a side. In the center of the north 
  wall is a ﬁ replace. The ﬁ re is lit. The bay windows are 
  directly opposite. The drinks cabinet is against the east 
  wall, while the door into the study is in the west wall. 
  Sofas and chairs occupy the center of the room.
  The furniture provides cover, but not for long. The 
  chairs have Toughness 9, while the sofa is Toughness 
  12. Sooner or later the characters are going to have to 
  engage their foes, whether they want to or not.
  Polite heroes won’t be armed. Regardless of whether 
  or not they are carrying weapons, Fanhard has a few 
  weapons at hand. Two long swords hang above the 
  ﬁ replace (Fanhard goes for one of these), and there’s an 
  antique musket nearby. The musket is loaded (Range: 
  5/10/20, Damage: 2d8), but it’s only good for a single 
  shot. The ﬁ re poker makes a handy weapon (Str+d4), 
  and numerous items (like coal from the bucket, or snif-
  ters of brandy) can be used in Tricks.
  The Nazis carry two sets of identity papers—one Eng-
  lish and the other German (identifying them as SS-VT 
  soldiers). Their SMGs are German MP35s, which should 
  be enough of a clue that these are most deﬁ nitely Nazis.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  FANHARD’S LIES
  FANHARD’S LIES
  Once the Nazis are dead, Fanhard admits he hasn’t 
  been entirely honest with the heroes. He had intended 
  to have them attacked again, but the appearance of the 
  Nazis has suddenly convinced him to use the heroes as 
  lackeys for as long as he can.
  “Look,” he begins, “I haven’t been entirely honest 
  with you. Please, sit down on what’s left of the 
  furniture and I’ll tell you the truth.
  “I sponsored the archaeological expedition you 
  were on, although anonymously. Several years 
  ago I came across an old scroll in my father’s col-
  lection. It was written by a knight of King Richard 
  I, a knight who made mention of a rather special 
  sword, discovered by the king before he took the 
  throne. It seems that Richard planned to use the 
  sword to rally the Crusaders, but politics got in 
  the way.
  “Since then, I’ve been sponsoring digs across 
  England, France, and the Middle East in search 
  of the knight’s tomb, in the hope he took more 
  information with him to the grave. I believe you 
  have found what I’ve been searching for.
  “The sword? Ah, I believe you’ll think me mad, 
  which is why I have refrained from telling you all 
  this before, but I am convinced Richard found Ex-
  calibur, King Arthur’s sword. Yes, I know, it sounds 
  farfetched, but all the evidence so far greatly hints 
  at that being the truth. I’m hoping the stone will 
  reveal clues to its whereabouts.
  “Everyone knows the Nazis are gaining strength 
  each day. I don’t care what Hitler or our politi-
  cians say, war is coming to Europe again. Maybe 
  not this year, but soon, very soon, and England 
  is going to get drawn in. Excalibur would serve 
  as a symbol for the British, to unify them against 
  whatever is coming. Hitler must know that. I guess 
  he has learned the truth behind all the digs, and 
  wants the sword for himself. They say he’s a nut 
  for all things occult.
  “So, I need your help. Will you help me ﬁ nd Ex-
  calibur, assuming the tablet reveals its location? 
  You’ll be handsomely rewarded for your troubles, 
  of course, and any travel expenses incurred in 
  your quest I’ll cover. Just keep me abreast of de-
  velopments and I’ll smooth over any red tape for 
  you.”
  The story is mostly the truth. Fanhard has naturally 
  omitted the real reason he seeks the sword.
  Characters who comment on Fanhard’s skill with a 
  sword are told, “Earned my fencing Blues at Cambridge. 
  Father also ran a medieval joust some years on the es-
  tate. Insisted I take part to honor my ancestors.”
  ACT 3: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  ACT 3: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  The train journey to London is uneventful. Once in 
  the city, a taxi quickly delivers the heroes to the imposing 
  front ediﬁ ce of the British Museum.
  SCENE 1: THE BRITISH MUSEUM
  SCENE 1: THE BRITISH MUSEUM
  Doctor Saint John (pronounced “sin-gin”) Jones is 
  waiting for the heroes when they arrive. After handshakes 
  and introductions, he leads them through the exhibit 
  galleries to his ofﬁ ce.
  “Now then,” he says, taking a seat behind his desk, 
  “how can I help you? Lord Wincanton mentioned 
  you needed something translated. Do you have it 
  with you?”
  If shown the stone, Jones pulls a pair of spectacles 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1212
  to the study ﬂ ies open, and in bursts a gang of MP-35 
  SMG-wielding goons.
  Fanhard hasn’t hired these goons. They are Nazi 
  agents, also hunting for Excalibur. They learned of the 
  lord’s quest years ago and been secretly conducting their 
  own investigations. Contacts in Istanbul alerted them to 
  the existence of the stone after it was recovered, and 
  they tailed the heroes. Now they have come to steal it 
  and kill those who endanger their quest. Fanhard should 
  be targeted by the Nazis. He can even take wounds, but 
  he should not be killed.
  The study is 6” to a side. In the center of the north 
  wall is a ﬁ replace. The ﬁ re is lit. The bay windows are 
  directly opposite. The drinks cabinet is against the east 
  wall, while the door into the study is in the west wall. 
  Sofas and chairs occupy the center of the room.
  The furniture provides cover, but not for long. The 
  chairs have Toughness 9, while the sofa is Toughness 
  12. Sooner or later the characters are going to have to 
  engage their foes, whether they want to or not.
  Polite heroes won’t be armed. Regardless of whether 
  or not they are carrying weapons, Fanhard has a few 
  weapons at hand. Two long swords hang above the 
  ﬁ replace (Fanhard goes for one of these), and there’s an 
  antique musket nearby. The musket is loaded (Range: 
  5/10/20, Damage: 2d8), but it’s only good for a single 
  shot. The ﬁ re poker makes a handy weapon (Str+d4), 
  and numerous items (like coal from the bucket, or snif-
  ters of brandy) can be used in Tricks.
  The Nazis carry two sets of identity papers—one Eng-
  lish and the other German (identifying them as SS-VT 
  soldiers). Their SMGs are German MP35s, which should 
  be enough of a clue that these are most deﬁ nitely Nazis.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  FANHARD’S LIES
  FANHARD’S LIES
  Once the Nazis are dead, Fanhard admits he hasn’t 
  been entirely honest with the heroes. He had intended 
  to have them attacked again, but the appearance of the 
  Nazis has suddenly convinced him to use the heroes as 
  lackeys for as long as he can.
  “Look,” he begins, “I haven’t been entirely honest 
  with you. Please, sit down on what’s left of the 
  furniture and I’ll tell you the truth.
  “I sponsored the archaeological expedition you 
  were on, although anonymously. Several years 
  ago I came across an old scroll in my father’s col-
  lection. It was written by a knight of King Richard 
  I, a knight who made mention of a rather special 
  sword, discovered by the king before he took the 
  throne. It seems that Richard planned to use the 
  sword to rally the Crusaders, but politics got in 
  the way.
  “Since then, I’ve been sponsoring digs across 
  England, France, and the Middle East in search 
  of the knight’s tomb, in the hope he took more 
  information with him to the grave. I believe you 
  have found what I’ve been searching for.
  “The sword? Ah, I believe you’ll think me mad, 
  which is why I have refrained from telling you all 
  this before, but I am convinced Richard found Ex-
  calibur, King Arthur’s sword. Yes, I know, it sounds 
  farfetched, but all the evidence so far greatly hints 
  at that being the truth. I’m hoping the stone will 
  reveal clues to its whereabouts.
  “Everyone knows the Nazis are gaining strength 
  each day. I don’t care what Hitler or our politi-
  cians say, war is coming to Europe again. Maybe 
  not this year, but soon, very soon, and England 
  is going to get drawn in. Excalibur would serve 
  as a symbol for the British, to unify them against 
  whatever is coming. Hitler must know that. I guess 
  he has learned the truth behind all the digs, and 
  wants the sword for himself. They say he’s a nut 
  for all things occult.
  “So, I need your help. Will you help me ﬁ nd Ex-
  calibur, assuming the tablet reveals its location? 
  You’ll be handsomely rewarded for your troubles, 
  of course, and any travel expenses incurred in 
  your quest I’ll cover. Just keep me abreast of de-
  velopments and I’ll smooth over any red tape for 
  you.”
  The story is mostly the truth. Fanhard has naturally 
  omitted the real reason he seeks the sword.
  Characters who comment on Fanhard’s skill with a 
  sword are told, “Earned my fencing Blues at Cambridge. 
  Father also ran a medieval joust some years on the es-
  tate. Insisted I take part to honor my ancestors.”
  ACT 3: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  ACT 3: THE TRAIL BEGINS
  The train journey to London is uneventful. Once in 
  the city, a taxi quickly delivers the heroes to the imposing 
  front ediﬁ ce of the British Museum.
  SCENE 1: THE BRITISH MUSEUM
  SCENE 1: THE BRITISH MUSEUM
  Doctor Saint John (pronounced “sin-gin”) Jones is 
  waiting for the heroes when they arrive. After handshakes 
  and introductions, he leads them through the exhibit 
  galleries to his ofﬁ ce.
  “Now then,” he says, taking a seat behind his desk, 
  “how can I help you? Lord Wincanton mentioned 
  you needed something translated. Do you have it 
  with you?”
  If shown the stone, Jones pulls a pair of spectacles 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1313
  from his jacket pocket and begins studying it. For a few 
  minutes he says nothing, and ignores any questions.
  “Deﬁ nitely Latin script of the early part of the 
  Middle Ages,” he mutters to himself, “but the words 
  don’t make any sense. They appear to be…Well, 
  I’ll be! Where did you say you found this tablet? 
  Never mind, that can wait. It’s a code! Look,” he 
  says, turning the stone so you can see the text. 
  “The letters are Latin, but the words are Welsh 
  Gaelic. Anyone who just reads Aramaic would 
  be stymied. Fortunately I was born in Wales and 
  speak the language ﬂ uently.
  “Now, if I’ve got this right, it mentions King Rich-
  ard I ﬁ nding a sword before he went on Crusade. 
  The only other notes of interest are lines from 
  Chrétien de Troyes’ story ‘Lancelot’, which was 
  written just before Richard’s death.
  “Let me see, it reads, ‘Upon a certain Ascension 
  Day, King Arthur had come from Caerleon, and 
  held a very magniﬁ cent court at Camelot as was 
  ﬁ tting on such a day.’”
  Have the characters make Knowledge (History) rolls. 
  English heroes can use Common Knowledge, instead, if 
  they prefer. With success, they know Caerleon contains 
  the remains of a Roman fort once known as Isca Augusta. 
  With a raise, they remember its name translates roughly 
  as, “Fortress of the Legion.” Doctor Jones can ﬁ ll in both 
  parts of the information is no one rolls well enough. 
  Caerleon lies in southern Wales, a few miles from the 
  city of Newport.
  Doctor Jones hands the tablet back to you. “I’m 
  not sure what it all means, I’m afraid. Likely part 
  of a romantic fable. They were very popular at 
  the time.
  “Strange, though, it mentioning Caerleon. I was 
  browsing through the Anglo-Saxon gallery just the 
  other day when I saw the name on another stone. 
  This one, just a fragment of a larger piece, dates 
  from the time of Alfred the Great. Apparently it 
  was discovered in a ﬁ eld near Caerleon, but that 
  was long before my tenure here. I can show you it 
  if you’d like?”
  Jones leads the party back into the museum proper, 
  and through a number of galleries. As the characters 
  enter the Anglo-Saxon gallery, alarm bells begin ringing. 
  Moments later, machine gun ﬁ re rakes across the room, 
  sending museum patrons diving for cover.
  Across the other side of the gallery are a number of 
  thugs, dressed like the goons who attacked Sir Percival’s 
  house and carrying German SMGs. One of them holds a 
  small stone tablet in his hand.
  Deal action cards. Jones is a noncombatant. On hear-
  ing the gunﬁ re he immediately ducks out of the gallery 
  and runs for his life.
  The gallery is 18” long and 5” wide. There is a door-
  way in the center at each end. Arranged in two columns 
  up the length of the room are display cases. Each is 2” 
  long and 1” wide. Place these in two columns up the 
  center of the room, separated from the walls and each 
  other by a 1” gap. The cases are approximately 3’ high, 
  allowing them to be used as cover. For convenience, 
  assume any missed shots ﬁ red against a target cowering 
  behind one smashes the glass and some of the objects 
  inside.
  At least one thug should escape with the tablet. Given 
  the distance between the parties and the number of Na-
  zis available, this shouldn’t be too hard to achieve. Time 
  is against the characters in this ﬁ ght—each round they 
  delay increases the gap between the escaping Nazi and 
  the heroes in the next scene.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  SCENE 2: LONDON CHASE
  SCENE 2: LONDON CHASE
  Hopefully the characters realize the Nazis have the 
  “Alfred stone” and give chase. The Nazi has hopped in 
  a getaway car and is making good his escape. Use the 
  regular Chase and Obstacles rules. The Obstacles are 
  Rough (–2) due to heavy trafﬁ c.
  For each round the heroes were held up ﬁ ghting off 
  the goons in the museum, the distance between the 
  Nazi car and the heroes is one Range Increment (to 
  a maximum of 5—they were held up in trafﬁ c). Each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”.
  There are a number of cars available for the adven-
  turers to “borrow” outside the British Museum—taxis 
  and those of the general public. For ease of play, they all 
  share the same stats (which they share with the villain’s 
  car). In the event the heroes want to steal a double-
  decker bus (like they did in Daring Tales #6), we’ve 
  included appropriate stats.
  Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack in the chase, 
  but it’s assumed he’s ﬂ ying at street level (because ﬂ y-
  ing above the action is just not the way of pulp action.) 
  If he moves at his regular Pace, he suffers a –2 penalty 
  to Piloting rolls (because his Range Increment is only 
  1” compared to the cars’ 10”). Moving at twice his Pace 
  reduces this to –1, but burns more Power Points on the 
  initial Weird Science roll.
  One Nazi is driving the getaway car, leaving the oth-
  ers free to blast away with their SMGs. Note that none 
  of them have Steady Hands. Since the goons opened 
  ﬁ re ﬁ rst, the characters should feel free to return ﬁ re 
  at will.
  It doesn’t matter whether the Nazis escape with the 
  stone or are defeated and the relic saved. In the former 
  case, Professor Jones can provide a transcript of the 
  text.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23. The 
  driver rolls a Wild Die for Driving rolls, but is otherwise 
  treated as an Extra.
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1313
  from his jacket pocket and begins studying it. For a few 
  minutes he says nothing, and ignores any questions.
  “Deﬁ nitely Latin script of the early part of the 
  Middle Ages,” he mutters to himself, “but the words 
  don’t make any sense. They appear to be…Well, 
  I’ll be! Where did you say you found this tablet? 
  Never mind, that can wait. It’s a code! Look,” he 
  says, turning the stone so you can see the text. 
  “The letters are Latin, but the words are Welsh 
  Gaelic. Anyone who just reads Aramaic would 
  be stymied. Fortunately I was born in Wales and 
  speak the language ﬂ uently.
  “Now, if I’ve got this right, it mentions King Rich-
  ard I ﬁ nding a sword before he went on Crusade. 
  The only other notes of interest are lines from 
  Chrétien de Troyes’ story ‘Lancelot’, which was 
  written just before Richard’s death.
  “Let me see, it reads, ‘Upon a certain Ascension 
  Day, King Arthur had come from Caerleon, and 
  held a very magniﬁ cent court at Camelot as was 
  ﬁ tting on such a day.’”
  Have the characters make Knowledge (History) rolls. 
  English heroes can use Common Knowledge, instead, if 
  they prefer. With success, they know Caerleon contains 
  the remains of a Roman fort once known as Isca Augusta. 
  With a raise, they remember its name translates roughly 
  as, “Fortress of the Legion.” Doctor Jones can ﬁ ll in both 
  parts of the information is no one rolls well enough. 
  Caerleon lies in southern Wales, a few miles from the 
  city of Newport.
  Doctor Jones hands the tablet back to you. “I’m 
  not sure what it all means, I’m afraid. Likely part 
  of a romantic fable. They were very popular at 
  the time.
  “Strange, though, it mentioning Caerleon. I was 
  browsing through the Anglo-Saxon gallery just the 
  other day when I saw the name on another stone. 
  This one, just a fragment of a larger piece, dates 
  from the time of Alfred the Great. Apparently it 
  was discovered in a ﬁ eld near Caerleon, but that 
  was long before my tenure here. I can show you it 
  if you’d like?”
  Jones leads the party back into the museum proper, 
  and through a number of galleries. As the characters 
  enter the Anglo-Saxon gallery, alarm bells begin ringing. 
  Moments later, machine gun ﬁ re rakes across the room, 
  sending museum patrons diving for cover.
  Across the other side of the gallery are a number of 
  thugs, dressed like the goons who attacked Sir Percival’s 
  house and carrying German SMGs. One of them holds a 
  small stone tablet in his hand.
  Deal action cards. Jones is a noncombatant. On hear-
  ing the gunﬁ re he immediately ducks out of the gallery 
  and runs for his life.
  The gallery is 18” long and 5” wide. There is a door-
  way in the center at each end. Arranged in two columns 
  up the length of the room are display cases. Each is 2” 
  long and 1” wide. Place these in two columns up the 
  center of the room, separated from the walls and each 
  other by a 1” gap. The cases are approximately 3’ high, 
  allowing them to be used as cover. For convenience, 
  assume any missed shots ﬁ red against a target cowering 
  behind one smashes the glass and some of the objects 
  inside.
  At least one thug should escape with the tablet. Given 
  the distance between the parties and the number of Na-
  zis available, this shouldn’t be too hard to achieve. Time 
  is against the characters in this ﬁ ght—each round they 
  delay increases the gap between the escaping Nazi and 
  the heroes in the next scene.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  SCENE 2: LONDON CHASE
  SCENE 2: LONDON CHASE
  Hopefully the characters realize the Nazis have the 
  “Alfred stone” and give chase. The Nazi has hopped in 
  a getaway car and is making good his escape. Use the 
  regular Chase and Obstacles rules. The Obstacles are 
  Rough (–2) due to heavy trafﬁ c.
  For each round the heroes were held up ﬁ ghting off 
  the goons in the museum, the distance between the 
  Nazi car and the heroes is one Range Increment (to 
  a maximum of 5—they were held up in trafﬁ c). Each 
  Range Increment equates to 10”.
  There are a number of cars available for the adven-
  turers to “borrow” outside the British Museum—taxis 
  and those of the general public. For ease of play, they all 
  share the same stats (which they share with the villain’s 
  car). In the event the heroes want to steal a double-
  decker bus (like they did in Daring Tales #6), we’ve 
  included appropriate stats.
  Doc Davenport can use his rocket pack in the chase, 
  but it’s assumed he’s ﬂ ying at street level (because ﬂ y-
  ing above the action is just not the way of pulp action.) 
  If he moves at his regular Pace, he suffers a –2 penalty 
  to Piloting rolls (because his Range Increment is only 
  1” compared to the cars’ 10”). Moving at twice his Pace 
  reduces this to –1, but burns more Power Points on the 
  initial Weird Science roll.
  One Nazi is driving the getaway car, leaving the oth-
  ers free to blast away with their SMGs. Note that none 
  of them have Steady Hands. Since the goons opened 
  ﬁ re ﬁ rst, the characters should feel free to return ﬁ re 
  at will.
  It doesn’t matter whether the Nazis escape with the 
  stone or are defeated and the relic saved. In the former 
  case, Professor Jones can provide a transcript of the 
  text.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23. The 
  driver rolls a Wild Die for Driving rolls, but is otherwise 
  treated as an Extra.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1414
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 15 (2); Crew: 1+50
  ALFRED’S MESSAGE
  ALFRED’S MESSAGE
  The stone is written in Latin. Once translated, it 
  reads:
  I, Alfred, in the  year of our Lord eight hundred 
  and seventy seven, did stand beneath Caerleon 
  and gaze upon a king and 12 knights of old. On 
  his head he wore a golden circlet and in his hand 
  he held a shining sword. From his hand I took the 
  sword, with which to rally my men in prepara-
  tions for the tribulations ahead. Then did I…
  That’s all the stone says. The rest of the text is miss-
  ing. Anyone looking at the edges of the stone can tell it 
  was damaged in antiquity—the edges are smoothed, not 
  rough as you’d get in a recent break.
  SCENE 3: FORTRESS OF THE LEGION
  SCENE 3: FORTRESS OF THE LEGION
  Caerleon, Isca Augusta to the Romans, served as the 
  headquarters of the Legio II Augusta from shortly after 
  Boudicca’s rebellion until the early 4th century. The size-
  able fortress once boasted an amphitheater, baths, and 
  an extensive barracks complex. All that remains today 
  are low stone walls of the rectangular buildings, the 
  foundations of the outer defensive wall, and part of the 
  circular amphitheater.
  Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the mid-12th cen-
  tury, added to existing mythology from Welsh chroniclers 
  when he wrote of Caerleon as being King Arthur’s court, 
  but he never called it Camelot. Indeed, it was de Troyes 
  who ﬁ rst used the name, but even he did not label it 
  as the main court. Rather, he too insisted that was at 
  Caerleon.
  Camelot’s transposition to the place of Arthur’s court 
  began in the 13th century with French 
  poets, but became cemented into folk-
  lore by Sir Thomas Malory, who wrote 
  of it in his Le Morte d’Arthur during the 
  15th century.
  Arthur did have a seat at Caerleon, 
  and indeed was buried here along with 
  his greatest knights at one time (as the 
  characters soon discover) but de Troyes’ 
  line of the Crusader stone states the site 
  cannot be Camelot. The writing quite 
  clearly states that Arthur came to Camelot 
  from Caerleon. Thus, they must be differ-
  ent places. However, Caerleon is the only 
  lead the characters have right now.
  THE TEMPLE OF MITHRAS
  THE TEMPLE OF MITHRAS
  Today, modern Caerleon is a tourist at-
  traction, but in the 1930s archaeologists 
  haven’t paid it much attention (what with 
  the Middle East throwing up far more 
  extravagant ﬁ nds).
  Any local can point the characters to 
  the ruins, which lie on the edge of the 
  village. Asking where the “Alfred stone” 
  was recovered requires a Streetwise roll. 
  With success, the adventurers are told to 
  see Farmer Williams, who owns the ﬁ eld 
  where it was found.
  Dai (“dye”) Williams, the farmer, is 
  happy to let the characters snoop around 
  the ﬁ eld, so long as they agree to split any 
  money from selling artifacts 50/50. For a 
  few shillings (about 50 cents), the farmer 
  loans them pickaxes and shovels.
  He shows them the exact position of 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1414
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/15; Toughness: 15 (2); Crew: 1+50
  ALFRED’S MESSAGE
  ALFRED’S MESSAGE
  The stone is written in Latin. Once translated, it 
  reads:
  I, Alfred, in the  year of our Lord eight hundred 
  and seventy seven, did stand beneath Caerleon 
  and gaze upon a king and 12 knights of old. On 
  his head he wore a golden circlet and in his hand 
  he held a shining sword. From his hand I took the 
  sword, with which to rally my men in prepara-
  tions for the tribulations ahead. Then did I…
  That’s all the stone says. The rest of the text is miss-
  ing. Anyone looking at the edges of the stone can tell it 
  was damaged in antiquity—the edges are smoothed, not 
  rough as you’d get in a recent break.
  SCENE 3: FORTRESS OF THE LEGION
  SCENE 3: FORTRESS OF THE LEGION
  Caerleon, Isca Augusta to the Romans, served as the 
  headquarters of the Legio II Augusta from shortly after 
  Boudicca’s rebellion until the early 4th century. The size-
  able fortress once boasted an amphitheater, baths, and 
  an extensive barracks complex. All that remains today 
  are low stone walls of the rectangular buildings, the 
  foundations of the outer defensive wall, and part of the 
  circular amphitheater.
  Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the mid-12th cen-
  tury, added to existing mythology from Welsh chroniclers 
  when he wrote of Caerleon as being King Arthur’s court, 
  but he never called it Camelot. Indeed, it was de Troyes 
  who ﬁ rst used the name, but even he did not label it 
  as the main court. Rather, he too insisted that was at 
  Caerleon.
  Camelot’s transposition to the place of Arthur’s court 
  began in the 13th century with French 
  poets, but became cemented into folk-
  lore by Sir Thomas Malory, who wrote 
  of it in his Le Morte d’Arthur during the 
  15th century.
  Arthur did have a seat at Caerleon, 
  and indeed was buried here along with 
  his greatest knights at one time (as the 
  characters soon discover) but de Troyes’ 
  line of the Crusader stone states the site 
  cannot be Camelot. The writing quite 
  clearly states that Arthur came to Camelot 
  from Caerleon. Thus, they must be differ-
  ent places. However, Caerleon is the only 
  lead the characters have right now.
  THE TEMPLE OF MITHRAS
  THE TEMPLE OF MITHRAS
  Today, modern Caerleon is a tourist at-
  traction, but in the 1930s archaeologists 
  haven’t paid it much attention (what with 
  the Middle East throwing up far more 
  extravagant ﬁ nds).
  Any local can point the characters to 
  the ruins, which lie on the edge of the 
  village. Asking where the “Alfred stone” 
  was recovered requires a Streetwise roll. 
  With success, the adventurers are told to 
  see Farmer Williams, who owns the ﬁ eld 
  where it was found.
  Dai (“dye”) Williams, the farmer, is 
  happy to let the characters snoop around 
  the ﬁ eld, so long as they agree to split any 
  money from selling artifacts 50/50. For a 
  few shillings (about 50 cents), the farmer 
  loans them pickaxes and shovels.
  He shows them the exact position of 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1515
  the ﬁ nd, adding that he’s unearthed a number of Ro-
  man coins and pieces of pottery in the ﬁ eld. The farmer 
  reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small shard of 
  decorated pottery. “Them archaeologists reckon this is a 
  piece from some temple that once stood here,” he says.
  Part of a bull’s head is clearly visible on the fragment. 
  Characters making a Common Knowledge (–2) or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll recall that Mithras was a popular de-
  ity among the legions. The bull was part of the Mithraic 
  mythology and iconography.
  The only way the characters are going to ﬁ nd anything 
  in the ﬁ eld is by digging near the spot the Alfred stone 
  was found. After several hours, they eventually uncover a 
  small ﬂ ight of stone steps. These descend just a few feet 
  before ending at a huge stone slab. Engraved on the slab 
  is the word “Aelfred.” (That’s the Saxon spelling.)
  An hour later, the soil above the slab is cleared and 
  the obstacle levered to one side. Beneath is a dark hole, 
  which drops down just six feet to a rectangular, stone-
  lined chamber.
  Within the chamber are a dozen stone sarcophagi, 
  arranged against the walls. One bears the inscription, 
  “Artorius.” The only artifact is part of a broken stone 
  tablet. If the characters have the Alfred stone with them, 
  they discover the two pieces ﬁ t together. The walls are 
  painted with murals depicting Mithras slaying a bull, the 
  most-common motif of the faith, although some early 
  Christian symbols have been scratched over these.
  As the party head back into Caerleon, they hear the 
  sound of motorbikes behind them. Tearing across the 
  ﬁ eld, guns blazing, are four Nazis on bikes. Ahead of 
  them, stampeding toward the group, is an enraged bull!
  THAT’S (A) BULL
  THAT’S (A) BULL
  The characters can either stand and ﬁ ght, or they can 
  run for the village.
  If they stand and ﬁ ght, the battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. 
  The terrain is predominantly grass, although there are 
  a few low walls crouching characters can use for cover. 
  Assume the walls are indestructible, and missed shots 
  just ricochet off. The bull begins 15” away, and the bikers 
  20”.
  Fleeing uses the Chase rules. The heroes have a base 
  Range Increment of 1”, the bull and motorbikes 5”. The 
  characters suffer a –1 penalty to Agility rolls because of 
  this. The bull is 3 Range Increments behind the char-
  acters and the bikes one behind the bull. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 5”.
  There are Light Obstacles (–1). These are mainly 
  lumps and bumps in the ground and low stone walls. 
  Rather than suffer a collision, characters who encounter 
  an Obstacle (and fail their roll) simply go Out of Con-
  trol.
  The bull uses the Parallel stunt to set itself up for a 
  gore attack if any foe is on the same Range Increment as 
  the creature or is one Range Increment ahead (it won’t 
  turn around and gore those behind it so long as the 
  bikes are there).
  When the chase begins, the motorbikes are sensibly 
  trying to stay behind the bull, and so are moving slowly. 
  If they draw a higher action card and are one Range 
  Increment behind the beast, they automatically Hold 
  Steady to avoid drawing level with the rampaging beast. 
  Should the bull be taken out, the bikers increase their 
  speed. However, the uneven terrain is difﬁ cult ground so 
  they gain no bonuses or penalties to their Driving rolls.
  Each motorbike is manned by just a driver. They use 
  their SMGs, but suffer multi action and Unstable Platform 
  penalties when ﬁ ring. However, they have Rock and Rol-
  land use full auto each round.
   Bull: See page 23.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  MOTORBIKE
  MOTORBIKE
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  THE SECOND ALFRED STONE
  THE SECOND ALFRED STONE
  The weathered stone fragment requires translation 
  from Latin. Translated, it reads:
  “…take the bodies of the great king and his knights 
  to a place of new safety, burying them beneath the 
  battle-fort by the River Cam, which overlooked the 
  ﬂ ooded lands. From where I raised my standard 
  I could see this fortress. It gave me inspiration, 
  knowing that I was continuing the tradition of 
  defending this land from invaders.”
  The last part is rather ironic, for King Arthur spent 
  his life ﬁ ghting the Saxons, from whom Alfred was de-
  scended. Of course, by Alfred’s time the Saxons were 
  effectively the native English population, their ties to 
  Saxony being few and far between except for political 
  and trading alliances.
  Adventurers with Knowledge (History) can make a 
  roll at –2. Knowledge of where Alfred raised his standard 
  is hardly commonplace today. With success, they learn 
  it was on the edge of the Somerset Levels. The site is 
  marked with a folly (a stone tower) erected to com-
  memorate the event in 1772. Professors Jones or Tolkien 
  can provide this information if contacted.
  SCENE 4: BOMBE FOR LUNCH
  SCENE 4: BOMBE FOR LUNCH
  However they had the stone fragment translated, 
  the adventurers are now destined for Somerset. The 
  train, again the fastest way, takes them as far as Frome 
  (“froom”), the nearest major town to Alfred’s Tower.
  Like a bad penny, Holly Hollingberry turns up again. 
  She pushes into the compartment and takes a seat be-
  tween two characters.
  “Right again!” she squeals excitedly. “I sense you are 
  close to your goal now. The spirits told me I’d ﬁ nd you 
  here.”
  Just then, a steward from the dining car arrives push-
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1515
  the ﬁ nd, adding that he’s unearthed a number of Ro-
  man coins and pieces of pottery in the ﬁ eld. The farmer 
  reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small shard of 
  decorated pottery. “Them archaeologists reckon this is a 
  piece from some temple that once stood here,” he says.
  Part of a bull’s head is clearly visible on the fragment. 
  Characters making a Common Knowledge (–2) or Knowl-
  edge (History) roll recall that Mithras was a popular de-
  ity among the legions. The bull was part of the Mithraic 
  mythology and iconography.
  The only way the characters are going to ﬁ nd anything 
  in the ﬁ eld is by digging near the spot the Alfred stone 
  was found. After several hours, they eventually uncover a 
  small ﬂ ight of stone steps. These descend just a few feet 
  before ending at a huge stone slab. Engraved on the slab 
  is the word “Aelfred.” (That’s the Saxon spelling.)
  An hour later, the soil above the slab is cleared and 
  the obstacle levered to one side. Beneath is a dark hole, 
  which drops down just six feet to a rectangular, stone-
  lined chamber.
  Within the chamber are a dozen stone sarcophagi, 
  arranged against the walls. One bears the inscription, 
  “Artorius.” The only artifact is part of a broken stone 
  tablet. If the characters have the Alfred stone with them, 
  they discover the two pieces ﬁ t together. The walls are 
  painted with murals depicting Mithras slaying a bull, the 
  most-common motif of the faith, although some early 
  Christian symbols have been scratched over these.
  As the party head back into Caerleon, they hear the 
  sound of motorbikes behind them. Tearing across the 
  ﬁ eld, guns blazing, are four Nazis on bikes. Ahead of 
  them, stampeding toward the group, is an enraged bull!
  THAT’S (A) BULL
  THAT’S (A) BULL
  The characters can either stand and ﬁ ght, or they can 
  run for the village.
  If they stand and ﬁ ght, the battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. 
  The terrain is predominantly grass, although there are 
  a few low walls crouching characters can use for cover. 
  Assume the walls are indestructible, and missed shots 
  just ricochet off. The bull begins 15” away, and the bikers 
  20”.
  Fleeing uses the Chase rules. The heroes have a base 
  Range Increment of 1”, the bull and motorbikes 5”. The 
  characters suffer a –1 penalty to Agility rolls because of 
  this. The bull is 3 Range Increments behind the char-
  acters and the bikes one behind the bull. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 5”.
  There are Light Obstacles (–1). These are mainly 
  lumps and bumps in the ground and low stone walls. 
  Rather than suffer a collision, characters who encounter 
  an Obstacle (and fail their roll) simply go Out of Con-
  trol.
  The bull uses the Parallel stunt to set itself up for a 
  gore attack if any foe is on the same Range Increment as 
  the creature or is one Range Increment ahead (it won’t 
  turn around and gore those behind it so long as the 
  bikes are there).
  When the chase begins, the motorbikes are sensibly 
  trying to stay behind the bull, and so are moving slowly. 
  If they draw a higher action card and are one Range 
  Increment behind the beast, they automatically Hold 
  Steady to avoid drawing level with the rampaging beast. 
  Should the bull be taken out, the bikers increase their 
  speed. However, the uneven terrain is difﬁ cult ground so 
  they gain no bonuses or penalties to their Driving rolls.
  Each motorbike is manned by just a driver. They use 
  their SMGs, but suffer multi action and Unstable Platform 
  penalties when ﬁ ring. However, they have Rock and Rol-
  land use full auto each round.
   Bull: See page 23.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  MOTORBIKE
  MOTORBIKE
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  THE SECOND ALFRED STONE
  THE SECOND ALFRED STONE
  The weathered stone fragment requires translation 
  from Latin. Translated, it reads:
  “…take the bodies of the great king and his knights 
  to a place of new safety, burying them beneath the 
  battle-fort by the River Cam, which overlooked the 
  ﬂ ooded lands. From where I raised my standard 
  I could see this fortress. It gave me inspiration, 
  knowing that I was continuing the tradition of 
  defending this land from invaders.”
  The last part is rather ironic, for King Arthur spent 
  his life ﬁ ghting the Saxons, from whom Alfred was de-
  scended. Of course, by Alfred’s time the Saxons were 
  effectively the native English population, their ties to 
  Saxony being few and far between except for political 
  and trading alliances.
  Adventurers with Knowledge (History) can make a 
  roll at –2. Knowledge of where Alfred raised his standard 
  is hardly commonplace today. With success, they learn 
  it was on the edge of the Somerset Levels. The site is 
  marked with a folly (a stone tower) erected to com-
  memorate the event in 1772. Professors Jones or Tolkien 
  can provide this information if contacted.
  SCENE 4: BOMBE FOR LUNCH
  SCENE 4: BOMBE FOR LUNCH
  However they had the stone fragment translated, 
  the adventurers are now destined for Somerset. The 
  train, again the fastest way, takes them as far as Frome 
  (“froom”), the nearest major town to Alfred’s Tower.
  Like a bad penny, Holly Hollingberry turns up again. 
  She pushes into the compartment and takes a seat be-
  tween two characters.
  “Right again!” she squeals excitedly. “I sense you are 
  close to your goal now. The spirits told me I’d ﬁ nd you 
  here.”
  Just then, a steward from the dining car arrives push-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1616
  ing a trolley. A large metal serving dish sits atop, covered 
  by a domed lid. He wheels it into the compartment and 
  nods his head politely. “Courtesy of your patron,” he 
  says. He then leaves, closing the door behind him. Holly 
  immediately cries out, “I’m famished!” and lifts the lid. 
  Whatever ﬁ ne food the characters are expecting, 
  they are likely surprised to discover a bomb beneath 
  the lid! Holly simply says, “Oops!” as a thin wire be-
  tween the lid and plate snaps.
  Have each hero make a Notice roll (before some 
  heroic type tries to throw it out of the window). With 
  success, he notices a small device attached to it. A 
  Repair roll identiﬁ es this as a trigger mechanism, set 
  to explode if the bomb is moved. Lifting the lid acti-
  vated the mechanism. The bomb, which comprises a 
  dozen sticks of dynamite, has a timer—there are only 
  seconds left!
  Picking up the device causes an instant explosion. 
  The heroes suffer 5d6 damage as if from an Extra.
  Characters with the Heroic Hindrance should be 
  reminded there are other passengers in the adjoining 
  compartments—unless they are moved an explosion 
  could endanger their lives. There are a total of four 
  compartments within the bomb’s estimated burst ra-
  dius.
  Getting the patrons to evacuate requires either an 
  Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2 in each compart-
  ment. One roll per hero taking part in this activity 
  may be taken per round. Mentioning the bomb grants 
  no bonus—“No one blows up ﬁ rst class carriages in 
  England, sir!”—but brandishing a ﬁ rearm openly gives 
  Intimidation rolls a +2 modiﬁ er.
  Opting to defuse the bomb requires the characters 
  to complete four tasks in order before the end of the 
  6th round.
  1) They must study the bomb mechanism to de-
  termine if there are any booby traps (there are). This 
  requires a Notice (–2) or Repair roll. A success detects 
  the booby trap. On a failure, the trap goes unnoticed. 
  The characters can advance straight to step three.
  2) Characters who detected the booby trap may at-
  tempt to deactivate it. This requires an Agility roll at 
  –2. With success, the wire is safely snipped. A failure 
  means the character was shaking too much and with-
  drew his hand in fear of setting off the charge.
  3) A hero must identify the correct wire to snip in 
  order to disable the timer. This requires a Common 
  Knowledge (–2) or Repair roll.
  4) If the heroes haven’t activated the booby trap, 
  it goes off as the hero moves in to snip the wire. The 
  clock speeds up! Immediately reduce the number of 
  rounds until detonation by one. If this is currently the 
  6th round, the bomb explodes! Assuming the charge 
  hasn’t yet exploded, the character can now make an 
  Agility roll at –2 to snip the wire. Failure means he 
  hesitated.
  In the event the characters are unsuccessful, the 
  bomb explodes.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  BATTLE OF THE KITCHEN
  BATTLE OF THE KITCHEN
  Whether the bomb explodes or not, the characters are 
  likely to want to hunt down the steward. He’s in the din-
  ing car, serving food. The man is genuinely horriﬁ ed if 
  told about the explosives. He points back to the kitchen 
  car, claiming a member of staff wheeled it out and or-
  dered him to deliver it to the characters’ compartment.
  The kitchen car is 3” wide and 12” long (for game pur-
  poses). Only the central aisle is completely clear. Kitchen 
  appliances and shelves occupy both sides, making the 
  terrain difﬁ cult ground. The kitchen staff are bound and 
  gagged at the far end. Standing nearby are Nazis, their 
  SMGs in hand.
  If the bomb exploded, the Nazis aren’t expecting the 
  heroes. Check for Surprise. No explosion causes them to 
  be on their guard—they’re ready for trouble (they plan 
  to get off at the next stop, but that is several minutes 
  away).
  As well as whatever weapons they are carrying, the 
  heroes have access to a veritable arsenal of weapons and 
  objects to use in Tricks. Frying pans and knives inﬂ ict 
  Str+d4 damage. Lumps of lard or sticks of butter can 
  be used in Agility Tricks, as can bags of ﬂ our, vegetables 
  (dried beans make handy ammo for a slingshot), or cuts 
  of meat.
  There’s even a pot of boiling water handy. Using this 
  requires a Fighting roll against an adjacent foe, or it can 
  be tossed to a maximum of 3” with a Throwing roll. Vic-
  tims suffer 2d6 damage.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  ACT 4: CAMELOT UNCOVERED
  ACT 4: CAMELOT UNCOVERED
  The remainder of the adventure takes place in four 
  different locations, all within 30 miles of each other in 
  the county of Somerset. For those interested in history, 
  Alfred’s Tower, Cadbury Castle, and Glastonbury Tor are 
  all very real places (and near the author’s childhood 
  home).
  The characters can hire a car in Frome. The tower is 
  some distance away and only reachable by taking minor 
  roads. Fortunately the structure is visible at a great dis-
  tance, which makes navigation relatively easy. There are 
  no road signs, not even when you get close to the site.
  Unless the characters really try hard, they can’t ditch 
  Holly. She sticks to them like glue. In the event they do 
  somehow leave her behind, she appears again in the ﬁ -
  nal scene. Holly enters the chamber, having been guided 
  by the spirits, just as the ﬁ ght kicks off.
  SCENE 1: ALFRED’S TOWER
  SCENE 1: ALFRED’S TOWER
  Erected in 1772 to commemorate Alfred’s victory over 
  the Danes, the end of the Seven Years’ War, and King 
  George III taking the throne, the tower sits on the edge 
  of a bluff overlooking the distant Somerset Levels. Ac-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1616
  ing a trolley. A large metal serving dish sits atop, covered 
  by a domed lid. He wheels it into the compartment and 
  nods his head politely. “Courtesy of your patron,” he 
  says. He then leaves, closing the door behind him. Holly 
  immediately cries out, “I’m famished!” and lifts the lid. 
  Whatever ﬁ ne food the characters are expecting, 
  they are likely surprised to discover a bomb beneath 
  the lid! Holly simply says, “Oops!” as a thin wire be-
  tween the lid and plate snaps.
  Have each hero make a Notice roll (before some 
  heroic type tries to throw it out of the window). With 
  success, he notices a small device attached to it. A 
  Repair roll identiﬁ es this as a trigger mechanism, set 
  to explode if the bomb is moved. Lifting the lid acti-
  vated the mechanism. The bomb, which comprises a 
  dozen sticks of dynamite, has a timer—there are only 
  seconds left!
  Picking up the device causes an instant explosion. 
  The heroes suffer 5d6 damage as if from an Extra.
  Characters with the Heroic Hindrance should be 
  reminded there are other passengers in the adjoining 
  compartments—unless they are moved an explosion 
  could endanger their lives. There are a total of four 
  compartments within the bomb’s estimated burst ra-
  dius.
  Getting the patrons to evacuate requires either an 
  Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2 in each compart-
  ment. One roll per hero taking part in this activity 
  may be taken per round. Mentioning the bomb grants 
  no bonus—“No one blows up ﬁ rst class carriages in 
  England, sir!”—but brandishing a ﬁ rearm openly gives 
  Intimidation rolls a +2 modiﬁ er.
  Opting to defuse the bomb requires the characters 
  to complete four tasks in order before the end of the 
  6th round.
  1) They must study the bomb mechanism to de-
  termine if there are any booby traps (there are). This 
  requires a Notice (–2) or Repair roll. A success detects 
  the booby trap. On a failure, the trap goes unnoticed. 
  The characters can advance straight to step three.
  2) Characters who detected the booby trap may at-
  tempt to deactivate it. This requires an Agility roll at 
  –2. With success, the wire is safely snipped. A failure 
  means the character was shaking too much and with-
  drew his hand in fear of setting off the charge.
  3) A hero must identify the correct wire to snip in 
  order to disable the timer. This requires a Common 
  Knowledge (–2) or Repair roll.
  4) If the heroes haven’t activated the booby trap, 
  it goes off as the hero moves in to snip the wire. The 
  clock speeds up! Immediately reduce the number of 
  rounds until detonation by one. If this is currently the 
  6th round, the bomb explodes! Assuming the charge 
  hasn’t yet exploded, the character can now make an 
  Agility roll at –2 to snip the wire. Failure means he 
  hesitated.
  In the event the characters are unsuccessful, the 
  bomb explodes.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  BATTLE OF THE KITCHEN
  BATTLE OF THE KITCHEN
  Whether the bomb explodes or not, the characters are 
  likely to want to hunt down the steward. He’s in the din-
  ing car, serving food. The man is genuinely horriﬁ ed if 
  told about the explosives. He points back to the kitchen 
  car, claiming a member of staff wheeled it out and or-
  dered him to deliver it to the characters’ compartment.
  The kitchen car is 3” wide and 12” long (for game pur-
  poses). Only the central aisle is completely clear. Kitchen 
  appliances and shelves occupy both sides, making the 
  terrain difﬁ cult ground. The kitchen staff are bound and 
  gagged at the far end. Standing nearby are Nazis, their 
  SMGs in hand.
  If the bomb exploded, the Nazis aren’t expecting the 
  heroes. Check for Surprise. No explosion causes them to 
  be on their guard—they’re ready for trouble (they plan 
  to get off at the next stop, but that is several minutes 
  away).
  As well as whatever weapons they are carrying, the 
  heroes have access to a veritable arsenal of weapons and 
  objects to use in Tricks. Frying pans and knives inﬂ ict 
  Str+d4 damage. Lumps of lard or sticks of butter can 
  be used in Agility Tricks, as can bags of ﬂ our, vegetables 
  (dried beans make handy ammo for a slingshot), or cuts 
  of meat.
  There’s even a pot of boiling water handy. Using this 
  requires a Fighting roll against an adjacent foe, or it can 
  be tossed to a maximum of 3” with a Throwing roll. Vic-
  tims suffer 2d6 damage.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  ACT 4: CAMELOT UNCOVERED
  ACT 4: CAMELOT UNCOVERED
  The remainder of the adventure takes place in four 
  different locations, all within 30 miles of each other in 
  the county of Somerset. For those interested in history, 
  Alfred’s Tower, Cadbury Castle, and Glastonbury Tor are 
  all very real places (and near the author’s childhood 
  home).
  The characters can hire a car in Frome. The tower is 
  some distance away and only reachable by taking minor 
  roads. Fortunately the structure is visible at a great dis-
  tance, which makes navigation relatively easy. There are 
  no road signs, not even when you get close to the site.
  Unless the characters really try hard, they can’t ditch 
  Holly. She sticks to them like glue. In the event they do 
  somehow leave her behind, she appears again in the ﬁ -
  nal scene. Holly enters the chamber, having been guided 
  by the spirits, just as the ﬁ ght kicks off.
  SCENE 1: ALFRED’S TOWER
  SCENE 1: ALFRED’S TOWER
  Erected in 1772 to commemorate Alfred’s victory over 
  the Danes, the end of the Seven Years’ War, and King 
  George III taking the throne, the tower sits on the edge 
  of a bluff overlooking the distant Somerset Levels. Ac-
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1717
  cording to folklore, it was here Alfred gathered his men 
  before marching north to defeat the Danes. From the top 
  of the 160 foot high structure one can see up to 50 miles 
  on a good day.
  The tower is open to the public. An elderly but spry 
  local by the name of Montague Welkes sits outside on 
  sunny days, and offers to take visitors to the top, where 
  he points out local landmarks. He’s present when the 
  characters arrive, and happy to take them up the tight 
  spiral staircase to the crenellated platform at the sum-
  mit.
  Standing at the top is a young man scanning the hori-
  zon with a pair of binoculars. An artist’s easel and paint-
  ing paraphernalia are nearby. It looks like he’s painting 
  the landscape to the north. He nods a greeting to the 
  characters. “Marvelous view up here,” he says. “On a 
  clear day you can almost see the Bristol Channel. Don’t 
  mind me,” he concludes, turning his attention back to 
  his painting.
  Paranoid characters might ask the painter to leave. He 
  gets rather upset and begins commenting on how rude 
  people are today, especially those “from the Colonies.” 
  He has no intention of vacating his seat unless physically 
  threatened.
  One clearly visible feature in the distance is a tall, con-
  ical hill with a tower atop. This is actually Glastonbury 
  Tor, a famous landmark. If asked about “the battle-fort 
  on the River Cam,” Welkes gives them a funny look.
  “Now that’s not something you hear every day, 
  now, is it,” he chuckles. “See that tall hill with the 
  tower on in the distance? Well, move around to 
  the south more and you’ll see a lower hill with a 
  ﬂ at top and trees around it. See it there, just in 
  line with that big tree?
  “That’s Cadbury Castle, that is. Only fort around 
  here you can see, and it does sit near the River 
  Cam. I reckon that ﬁ ts your description plenty 
  good. That’s not the same river as you’ll ﬁ nd in 
  Cambridge, mind you. Cadbury ain’t far from 
  Queen Camel and West Camel, which were named 
  after the river. Folk reckon that old hill fort was 
  Camelot. You know, where King Arthur lived.”
  A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
  A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
  As the characters pull away from the tower and drive 
  back down the winding lanes, motorbikes appear in 
  the rearview mirror, the passengers blasting away with 
  SMGs. The Nazis are back!
  The “painter” atop the tower is actually a Nazi agent. 
  Although the Nazis don’t know Alfred’s Tower is impor-
  tant in the Excalibur quest, they do know it’s got great 
  views of Somerset, a region closely associated with Ar-
  thur. Unfortunately for the characters, the agent recog-
  nized them from circulated descriptions.
  After they depart he runs back to his car and uses a 
  radio set to summon help. If he was allowed to remain 
  on the tower, he informs other agents to get to Cadbury 
  Castle immediately. Otherwise he pops back to the tower 
  and asks the guide what the characters were looking for. 
  Old Welkes is only too happy to oblige.
  Run this scene as a chase with 10” Range Increments 
  and Sparse (–1) Obstacles rules. Soft obstacles indicate a 
  tight bend and a scrape with a hedge or encounter, while 
  hard obstacles might be tractors, horse and carts, or even 
  a wild deer bounding across the lane.
  The Nazis begin 3 Range Increments behind the char-
  acters. The bikes have a lower base Range Increment 
  than the car, so the Nazis get a –1 Driving roll penalty. 
  However, they are faster, which grants a +1 bonus, for a 
  net result of no modiﬁ ers.
  Each bike has one driver and one passenger. Only the 
  passenger shoots initially, although he suffers the Unstable 
  Platform modiﬁ er. If the gunner is killed, the driver takes 
  over ﬁ ring, although he incurs a multi action penalty.
  The winding lanes and high hedges make sighting 
  difﬁ cult. At a distance of one to three Range Increments, 
  characters have a clear shot. Between four and six Range 
  Increments, there is a –2 penalty to Shooting rolls as 
  target vehicles are partially glimpsed. At seven Range 
  Increments and beyond, the penalty increases to –4.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 23.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  MOTORBIKE
  MOTORBIKE
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  SCENE 2: CADBURY CASTLE
  SCENE 2: CADBURY CASTLE
  The penultimate landmark on the characters’ quest is 
  the hill fort of Cadbury Castle. Despite the name, it has 
  never had a castle on its summit. Situated on the south-
  ern side of the Somerset Levels and rising 500 feet above 
  sea level, it has a commanding view of the countryside.
  Although the four sets of earth ramparts were con-
  structed around 500 BC, the hill fort remained in use 
  throughout the Roman period and into the early Dark 
  Ages, ﬁ nally being abandoned around the end of the 6th 
  century (save for a few decades of occupation in the early 
  11th century). It has been associated with Camelot since 
  1532.
  Parking at South Cadbury, a hamlet at the bottom of 
  the hill, the characters can begin the arduous climb up 
  the steep and muddy slope. Should they stop to ask the 
  farmer leaning on the gate at the foot of the slope about 
  the hill, he says that there’s nothing up the top except 
  for an old well near the summit. ”Arthur’s Well, folk call 
  that,” he adds. “Strange, isn’t it,” he continues. “No one 
  comes here for months on end, and then two groups of 
  foreigners arrive within 10 minutes of each other.”
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1717
  cording to folklore, it was here Alfred gathered his men 
  before marching north to defeat the Danes. From the top 
  of the 160 foot high structure one can see up to 50 miles 
  on a good day.
  The tower is open to the public. An elderly but spry 
  local by the name of Montague Welkes sits outside on 
  sunny days, and offers to take visitors to the top, where 
  he points out local landmarks. He’s present when the 
  characters arrive, and happy to take them up the tight 
  spiral staircase to the crenellated platform at the sum-
  mit.
  Standing at the top is a young man scanning the hori-
  zon with a pair of binoculars. An artist’s easel and paint-
  ing paraphernalia are nearby. It looks like he’s painting 
  the landscape to the north. He nods a greeting to the 
  characters. “Marvelous view up here,” he says. “On a 
  clear day you can almost see the Bristol Channel. Don’t 
  mind me,” he concludes, turning his attention back to 
  his painting.
  Paranoid characters might ask the painter to leave. He 
  gets rather upset and begins commenting on how rude 
  people are today, especially those “from the Colonies.” 
  He has no intention of vacating his seat unless physically 
  threatened.
  One clearly visible feature in the distance is a tall, con-
  ical hill with a tower atop. This is actually Glastonbury 
  Tor, a famous landmark. If asked about “the battle-fort 
  on the River Cam,” Welkes gives them a funny look.
  “Now that’s not something you hear every day, 
  now, is it,” he chuckles. “See that tall hill with the 
  tower on in the distance? Well, move around to 
  the south more and you’ll see a lower hill with a 
  ﬂ at top and trees around it. See it there, just in 
  line with that big tree?
  “That’s Cadbury Castle, that is. Only fort around 
  here you can see, and it does sit near the River 
  Cam. I reckon that ﬁ ts your description plenty 
  good. That’s not the same river as you’ll ﬁ nd in 
  Cambridge, mind you. Cadbury ain’t far from 
  Queen Camel and West Camel, which were named 
  after the river. Folk reckon that old hill fort was 
  Camelot. You know, where King Arthur lived.”
  A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
  A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
  As the characters pull away from the tower and drive 
  back down the winding lanes, motorbikes appear in 
  the rearview mirror, the passengers blasting away with 
  SMGs. The Nazis are back!
  The “painter” atop the tower is actually a Nazi agent. 
  Although the Nazis don’t know Alfred’s Tower is impor-
  tant in the Excalibur quest, they do know it’s got great 
  views of Somerset, a region closely associated with Ar-
  thur. Unfortunately for the characters, the agent recog-
  nized them from circulated descriptions.
  After they depart he runs back to his car and uses a 
  radio set to summon help. If he was allowed to remain 
  on the tower, he informs other agents to get to Cadbury 
  Castle immediately. Otherwise he pops back to the tower 
  and asks the guide what the characters were looking for. 
  Old Welkes is only too happy to oblige.
  Run this scene as a chase with 10” Range Increments 
  and Sparse (–1) Obstacles rules. Soft obstacles indicate a 
  tight bend and a scrape with a hedge or encounter, while 
  hard obstacles might be tractors, horse and carts, or even 
  a wild deer bounding across the lane.
  The Nazis begin 3 Range Increments behind the char-
  acters. The bikes have a lower base Range Increment 
  than the car, so the Nazis get a –1 Driving roll penalty. 
  However, they are faster, which grants a +1 bonus, for a 
  net result of no modiﬁ ers.
  Each bike has one driver and one passenger. Only the 
  passenger shoots initially, although he suffers the Unstable 
  Platform modiﬁ er. If the gunner is killed, the driver takes 
  over ﬁ ring, although he incurs a multi action penalty.
  The winding lanes and high hedges make sighting 
  difﬁ cult. At a distance of one to three Range Increments, 
  characters have a clear shot. Between four and six Range 
  Increments, there is a –2 penalty to Shooting rolls as 
  target vehicles are partially glimpsed. At seven Range 
  Increments and beyond, the penalty increases to –4.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 23.
   Nazi Agents (2 per hero): See page 23.
  MOTORBIKE
  MOTORBIKE
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/36; Toughness: 8 (2); Crew: 1+1
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  SCENE 2: CADBURY CASTLE
  SCENE 2: CADBURY CASTLE
  The penultimate landmark on the characters’ quest is 
  the hill fort of Cadbury Castle. Despite the name, it has 
  never had a castle on its summit. Situated on the south-
  ern side of the Somerset Levels and rising 500 feet above 
  sea level, it has a commanding view of the countryside.
  Although the four sets of earth ramparts were con-
  structed around 500 BC, the hill fort remained in use 
  throughout the Roman period and into the early Dark 
  Ages, ﬁ nally being abandoned around the end of the 6th 
  century (save for a few decades of occupation in the early 
  11th century). It has been associated with Camelot since 
  1532.
  Parking at South Cadbury, a hamlet at the bottom of 
  the hill, the characters can begin the arduous climb up 
  the steep and muddy slope. Should they stop to ask the 
  farmer leaning on the gate at the foot of the slope about 
  the hill, he says that there’s nothing up the top except 
  for an old well near the summit. ”Arthur’s Well, folk call 
  that,” he adds. “Strange, isn’t it,” he continues. “No one 
  comes here for months on end, and then two groups of 
  foreigners arrive within 10 minutes of each other.”
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1818
  Asked to describe the other “foreigners,” he replies, 
  “Different accent to you, but foreigners all the same.”
  If the characters move cautiously, have them make 
  Stealth rolls opposed by the Nazis’ Notice. Densely 
  grouped trees grant a + 2 bonus. There are four Nazis 
  on guard near the well. All count as active sentries. Suc-
  cess allows the characters to get within 6” of the goons. 
  A second roll is required to get within 5”. A failure means 
  the party is spotted at 12”.
  Once alerted to the characters’ presence, the goons 
  dive for cover behind the nearest trees and open ﬁ re. 
  Trained soldiers, they use this cover during the ﬁ reﬁ ght. 
  Typically, this grants them Heavy Cover (–4), as they peek 
  around the trunks to let rip with their SMGs.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. The goons begin in 
  the middle, next to the well. The well ﬁ lls a Small Burst 
  Template. Two ropes dangle down the well. Every fourth 
  square on a battlemat should be marked as containing a 
  tree. These ﬁ ll a 1” square and are impassable terrain.
  Where the characters begin depends on how close 
  they got before they were detected. However, they must 
  be placed on the southern side of the tabletop. The hill 
  slopes up from the south to north. The terrain is steep, 
  heavily wooded, and slippery. All movement counts as 
  difﬁ cult ground.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  DOWN THE WELL
  DOWN THE WELL
  The Nazis down the well haven’t heard the ﬁ reﬁ ght, 
  and for good reason—they’re all dead!
  The shaft descends down some thirty feet before end-
  ing in a small, domed, stone-lined chamber. A tunnel, 
  the only other exit, heads north and slightly downward 
  from here, the direction of the summit. Only the slow 
  drip of water can be heard up the tunnel.
  At the far end is a large chamber. Three Nazis, all de-
  capitated, lie just inside the chamber. Inscribed on the 
  lintel above the entrance are the words, “A king lies here. 
  Do what is right. Have courage in your convictions.”
  Visible inside the chamber are thirteen wooden 
  thrones with solid bases lined up against the far wall. 
  The center one is grander than the others, and is carved 
  with images of lions and swords. All are badly rotten 
  after centuries of neglect. A Nazi lies slumped at the feet 
  of one.
  To enter safely, one must walk forward at a low bow, 
  for blades slash from the walls as the threshold is crossed 
  (jumping doesn’t avoid the trap). The high blades ﬁ rst 
  sweep across at head, shoulder, and chest height. A bow-
  ing character feels the lowest one a mere fraction of an 
  inch above his back. He must make a Spirit roll to avoid 
  panicking and dropping to his knees to avoid the attack.
  A split second later, circular blades rise up to sever 
  the hands and head of anyone crawling forward on their 
  knees. Again, a bowed character gets a fright as he sees 
  the blade coming up out of the ground toward his face. 
  He must make another Spirit roll, this time to avoid 
  standing up and being caught by the upper blades as 
  they swing back across the passage.
  Failing a Spirit roll causes 2d8 damage from a Wild card 
  source. If a hero fails both, he takes two sets of damage.
  The traps were set up to punish those who would 
  arrogantly walk upright in the presence of a king or who 
  would grovel before one, for one should reserve that 
  respect for God, whose majesty is greater than all mortal 
  rulers.
  Inscribed in Latin on the seat of Arthur’s throne are 
  words which, when translated, read, “The Perilous Seat 
  shall judge those worthy.” If no one in the party speaks 
  Latin, use Old English instead. Any English speaker can 
  fathom the phrase after a little thought.
  All of the thrones appear identical, save one—the one 
  behind the dead Nazi. It has a series of slots in the seat. In 
  order to progress further, a worthy hero must fully sit on 
  the throne. The chosen party member must then make 
  a Spirit roll. He suffers a modiﬁ er to his roll depending 
  on his Hindrances, as shown below. All modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative. The GM should also apply penalties if the 
  character has tortured captives, is jingoistic, constantly 
  rude, and so on.
  Mod 
  Hindrance
  +2 
  Code of Honor, Heroic, honorable major   
   
  Vow (such as poverty or chastity)
  +1 
  Loyal, honorable minor Vow (as above)
  –1 
  Arrogant, Doubting Thomas, Greedy (Minor), 
   
  Mean, Stubborn, Vengeful (Minor)
  –2 
  Bloodthirsty, Greedy (Major), Vengeful (Major)
  A failure causes a number of sword blades to spring up 
  through the slots, piercing the victim for 2d10 damage. 
  With success, Arthur’s throne and the stone on which it 
  sits tip forward, revealing a small, metal box beneath.
  The box is unlocked. Inside is a scroll, written in the 
  Latin alphabet but with translation the characters recog-
  nize it as being in Old French. That being said, it’s still 
  gibberish to the heroes. However, they know Professor 
  Jones can translate it.
  TRANSLATIONS
  TRANSLATIONS
  If the characters try to contact Professor Jones, they 
  are told he is in Wincanton (not far from Cadbury Castle) 
  with Sir Percival. His lordship has left instructions at 
  the British Museum for the characters, asking them to 
  meet him at his home in Wincanton as soon as possible. 
  Likewise, characters who have kept in touch with their 
  patron learn the viscount is in Wincanton the next time 
  they call.
  SCENE 3: I SHALL BE KING!
  SCENE 3: I SHALL BE KING!
  Jeeves answers the door of Fanhard’s Wincanton 
  home and shows the heroes into the study. After a few 
  minutes, Sir Percival joins them, along with Professor 
  Jones.
  “Excellent work, excellent work,” he beams. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  1818
  Asked to describe the other “foreigners,” he replies, 
  “Different accent to you, but foreigners all the same.”
  If the characters move cautiously, have them make 
  Stealth rolls opposed by the Nazis’ Notice. Densely 
  grouped trees grant a + 2 bonus. There are four Nazis 
  on guard near the well. All count as active sentries. Suc-
  cess allows the characters to get within 6” of the goons. 
  A second roll is required to get within 5”. A failure means 
  the party is spotted at 12”.
  Once alerted to the characters’ presence, the goons 
  dive for cover behind the nearest trees and open ﬁ re. 
  Trained soldiers, they use this cover during the ﬁ reﬁ ght. 
  Typically, this grants them Heavy Cover (–4), as they peek 
  around the trunks to let rip with their SMGs.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. The goons begin in 
  the middle, next to the well. The well ﬁ lls a Small Burst 
  Template. Two ropes dangle down the well. Every fourth 
  square on a battlemat should be marked as containing a 
  tree. These ﬁ ll a 1” square and are impassable terrain.
  Where the characters begin depends on how close 
  they got before they were detected. However, they must 
  be placed on the southern side of the tabletop. The hill 
  slopes up from the south to north. The terrain is steep, 
  heavily wooded, and slippery. All movement counts as 
  difﬁ cult ground.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Nazi Agents (1 per hero): See page 23.
  DOWN THE WELL
  DOWN THE WELL
  The Nazis down the well haven’t heard the ﬁ reﬁ ght, 
  and for good reason—they’re all dead!
  The shaft descends down some thirty feet before end-
  ing in a small, domed, stone-lined chamber. A tunnel, 
  the only other exit, heads north and slightly downward 
  from here, the direction of the summit. Only the slow 
  drip of water can be heard up the tunnel.
  At the far end is a large chamber. Three Nazis, all de-
  capitated, lie just inside the chamber. Inscribed on the 
  lintel above the entrance are the words, “A king lies here. 
  Do what is right. Have courage in your convictions.”
  Visible inside the chamber are thirteen wooden 
  thrones with solid bases lined up against the far wall. 
  The center one is grander than the others, and is carved 
  with images of lions and swords. All are badly rotten 
  after centuries of neglect. A Nazi lies slumped at the feet 
  of one.
  To enter safely, one must walk forward at a low bow, 
  for blades slash from the walls as the threshold is crossed 
  (jumping doesn’t avoid the trap). The high blades ﬁ rst 
  sweep across at head, shoulder, and chest height. A bow-
  ing character feels the lowest one a mere fraction of an 
  inch above his back. He must make a Spirit roll to avoid 
  panicking and dropping to his knees to avoid the attack.
  A split second later, circular blades rise up to sever 
  the hands and head of anyone crawling forward on their 
  knees. Again, a bowed character gets a fright as he sees 
  the blade coming up out of the ground toward his face. 
  He must make another Spirit roll, this time to avoid 
  standing up and being caught by the upper blades as 
  they swing back across the passage.
  Failing a Spirit roll causes 2d8 damage from a Wild card 
  source. If a hero fails both, he takes two sets of damage.
  The traps were set up to punish those who would 
  arrogantly walk upright in the presence of a king or who 
  would grovel before one, for one should reserve that 
  respect for God, whose majesty is greater than all mortal 
  rulers.
  Inscribed in Latin on the seat of Arthur’s throne are 
  words which, when translated, read, “The Perilous Seat 
  shall judge those worthy.” If no one in the party speaks 
  Latin, use Old English instead. Any English speaker can 
  fathom the phrase after a little thought.
  All of the thrones appear identical, save one—the one 
  behind the dead Nazi. It has a series of slots in the seat. In 
  order to progress further, a worthy hero must fully sit on 
  the throne. The chosen party member must then make 
  a Spirit roll. He suffers a modiﬁ er to his roll depending 
  on his Hindrances, as shown below. All modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative. The GM should also apply penalties if the 
  character has tortured captives, is jingoistic, constantly 
  rude, and so on.
  Mod 
  Hindrance
  +2 
  Code of Honor, Heroic, honorable major   
   
  Vow (such as poverty or chastity)
  +1 
  Loyal, honorable minor Vow (as above)
  –1 
  Arrogant, Doubting Thomas, Greedy (Minor), 
   
  Mean, Stubborn, Vengeful (Minor)
  –2 
  Bloodthirsty, Greedy (Major), Vengeful (Major)
  A failure causes a number of sword blades to spring up 
  through the slots, piercing the victim for 2d10 damage. 
  With success, Arthur’s throne and the stone on which it 
  sits tip forward, revealing a small, metal box beneath.
  The box is unlocked. Inside is a scroll, written in the 
  Latin alphabet but with translation the characters recog-
  nize it as being in Old French. That being said, it’s still 
  gibberish to the heroes. However, they know Professor 
  Jones can translate it.
  TRANSLATIONS
  TRANSLATIONS
  If the characters try to contact Professor Jones, they 
  are told he is in Wincanton (not far from Cadbury Castle) 
  with Sir Percival. His lordship has left instructions at 
  the British Museum for the characters, asking them to 
  meet him at his home in Wincanton as soon as possible. 
  Likewise, characters who have kept in touch with their 
  patron learn the viscount is in Wincanton the next time 
  they call.
  SCENE 3: I SHALL BE KING!
  SCENE 3: I SHALL BE KING!
  Jeeves answers the door of Fanhard’s Wincanton 
  home and shows the heroes into the study. After a few 
  minutes, Sir Percival joins them, along with Professor 
  Jones.
  “Excellent work, excellent work,” he beams. 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1919
  “What did you ﬁ nd? Are we close to completing 
  our quest?”
  Whether the characters hand over the scroll or not, 
  Fanhard calls out for Jeeves. However, instead of Jeeves, 
  a dozen men (among them Reginald and the other drunk-
  en nobles from the polo match) enter. All are armed with 
  pistols, which are leveled at the characters. One has his 
  pistol pointed at Professor Jones’ head.
  “Now, if you’ll just hand over your weapons like 
  good chaps.” Fanhard’s men level pistols at you. 
  “And before you think about heroics, there are 
  men outside the windows and in the hall as well.” 
  Right on cue, other ﬁ gures emerge into view, all 
  brandishing shotguns aimed in your direction.
  Characters who haven’t handed over the scroll may 
  think they have a bargaining chip. They’re mistaken.
  “Are you really willing to watch a man be killed 
  over a piece of paper?” Fanhard asks. The trigger 
  man threatening Jones pulls back the hammer on 
  his Webley. “Could you live with the knowledge 
  your futile actions caused his death? Yes, futile ac-
  tions. We could just shoot you and take the paper 
  from you. Even if you destroy it, there will be other 
  clues. At best you’ll delay my plans a few years.
  “Of course, there is another choice. Join me. Be-
  come knights of the new Round Table and serve 
  the cause of righteousness against the darkness 
  festering in Europe. You have the skills to be lead-
  ers of men.”
  Holding out further forces Fanhard to begin a slow 
  countdown from three. When he reaches zero, Jones is 
  executed in cold blood. The next round, the goons open 
  ﬁ re on the heroes.
  The heroes can try and bluff it out by claiming to sup-
  port Fanhard. To prove their loyalty, he orders them to 
  kill Holly. Any hero worth his salt is going to stoop that 
  low.
  This is one of those scenes where surrender isn’t de-
  feat—it’s the way the character stay alive and don’t suffer 
  too many more wounds before the grand ﬁ nale. Remind 
  them, if necessary, that surrendering immediately earns 
  them a benny. If the ﬁ ght starts and they give up or are 
  defeated, there’s no bonus benny awarded.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Fanhard’s Knights (12): See page 22. Each has a 
  pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1).
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Lackeys (3 per hero): Use Turkish thug stats (page 
  22), but only armed with shotguns.
  THE END OF ARTHUR
  THE END OF ARTHUR
  However they are defeated (and victory is very un-
  likely against so many foes) the party is disarmed and 
  dragged down to the cellar.
  “I’m so glad you found the location of Excalibur 
  before those damned Nazis. You didn’t think I 
  was in league with them, did you? Heaven forbid! 
  No, England needs a strong ruler, but it needs 
  an English ruler. My ancestry, coupled with my 
  soon-to-be possession of Excalibur, gives me that 
  right. Once the people see Excalibur, they’ll depose 
  George VI and welcome me to the throne.
  “Now,” he says, studying the scroll from Cadbury, 
  “where is my prize? Ah, of course! How foolish of 
  me! All these years wandering Glastonbury Abbey 
  studying those graves, and the real Arthur lay 
  within clear site! Ah, Richard, beloved ancestor, 
  you were a devious sod!”
  He turns to Reginald. “Have Jeeves prepare the 
  car. We have to get to Saint Michael’s Tower in 
  Glastonbury immediately. As for you,” he says, 
  returning to face you, “I’m afraid I can’t let you 
  live. I have no doubt your sensibilities fail to see 
  my divine appointment to serve England as king, 
  and I certainly can’t allow you to inform the cur-
  rent king of my plans.
  “If you know your Arthurian legends, you’ll at 
  least face death understanding the irony of your 
  situation. Otherwise, you’ll just have to die in 
  ignorance.”
  Fanhard then departs. As the last mook exits, he 
  closes the door with a heavy slam and bolts it 
  shut.
  A few moments later, grilles slide open in the ceiling, 
  releasing swarms of European adders. Individually, the 
  adder, Britain’s only venomous snake, isn’t a particularly 
  dangerous creature (just 14 recorded deaths in Britain 
  since 1876). Like most snakes they don’t go looking for 
  trouble, but this is a pulp adventure, so they’re a lot 
  more vicious.
  Characters who make a Common Knowledge (–2) or 
  Knowledge (History) roll remember the legends regard-
  ing Arthur’s ﬁ nal battle. According to the tale, the two 
  armies were facing each other, the leaders near the center 
  of the ﬁ eld discussing possible terms to avoid bloodshed. 
  One knight saw an adder in the grass and drew his sword 
  to strike it dead. On seeing the weapon pulled from its 
  scabbard, the other army attacked, thinking it was an as-
  sassination attempt. The result was a bloodbath, leaving 
  just seven survivors.
  A new swarm joins the action at the start of each 
  round. The only escape route requires bashing down the 
  door. This requires a Strength roll at –2 (once the char-
  acters have escaped their bonds). Success earns a hero 
  a single token and a raise two tokens. Once 6 tokens 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  1919
  “What did you ﬁ nd? Are we close to completing 
  our quest?”
  Whether the characters hand over the scroll or not, 
  Fanhard calls out for Jeeves. However, instead of Jeeves, 
  a dozen men (among them Reginald and the other drunk-
  en nobles from the polo match) enter. All are armed with 
  pistols, which are leveled at the characters. One has his 
  pistol pointed at Professor Jones’ head.
  “Now, if you’ll just hand over your weapons like 
  good chaps.” Fanhard’s men level pistols at you. 
  “And before you think about heroics, there are 
  men outside the windows and in the hall as well.” 
  Right on cue, other ﬁ gures emerge into view, all 
  brandishing shotguns aimed in your direction.
  Characters who haven’t handed over the scroll may 
  think they have a bargaining chip. They’re mistaken.
  “Are you really willing to watch a man be killed 
  over a piece of paper?” Fanhard asks. The trigger 
  man threatening Jones pulls back the hammer on 
  his Webley. “Could you live with the knowledge 
  your futile actions caused his death? Yes, futile ac-
  tions. We could just shoot you and take the paper 
  from you. Even if you destroy it, there will be other 
  clues. At best you’ll delay my plans a few years.
  “Of course, there is another choice. Join me. Be-
  come knights of the new Round Table and serve 
  the cause of righteousness against the darkness 
  festering in Europe. You have the skills to be lead-
  ers of men.”
  Holding out further forces Fanhard to begin a slow 
  countdown from three. When he reaches zero, Jones is 
  executed in cold blood. The next round, the goons open 
  ﬁ re on the heroes.
  The heroes can try and bluff it out by claiming to sup-
  port Fanhard. To prove their loyalty, he orders them to 
  kill Holly. Any hero worth his salt is going to stoop that 
  low.
  This is one of those scenes where surrender isn’t de-
  feat—it’s the way the character stay alive and don’t suffer 
  too many more wounds before the grand ﬁ nale. Remind 
  them, if necessary, that surrendering immediately earns 
  them a benny. If the ﬁ ght starts and they give up or are 
  defeated, there’s no bonus benny awarded.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Fanhard’s Knights (12): See page 22. Each has a 
  pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1).
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Lackeys (3 per hero): Use Turkish thug stats (page 
  22), but only armed with shotguns.
  THE END OF ARTHUR
  THE END OF ARTHUR
  However they are defeated (and victory is very un-
  likely against so many foes) the party is disarmed and 
  dragged down to the cellar.
  “I’m so glad you found the location of Excalibur 
  before those damned Nazis. You didn’t think I 
  was in league with them, did you? Heaven forbid! 
  No, England needs a strong ruler, but it needs 
  an English ruler. My ancestry, coupled with my 
  soon-to-be possession of Excalibur, gives me that 
  right. Once the people see Excalibur, they’ll depose 
  George VI and welcome me to the throne.
  “Now,” he says, studying the scroll from Cadbury, 
  “where is my prize? Ah, of course! How foolish of 
  me! All these years wandering Glastonbury Abbey 
  studying those graves, and the real Arthur lay 
  within clear site! Ah, Richard, beloved ancestor, 
  you were a devious sod!”
  He turns to Reginald. “Have Jeeves prepare the 
  car. We have to get to Saint Michael’s Tower in 
  Glastonbury immediately. As for you,” he says, 
  returning to face you, “I’m afraid I can’t let you 
  live. I have no doubt your sensibilities fail to see 
  my divine appointment to serve England as king, 
  and I certainly can’t allow you to inform the cur-
  rent king of my plans.
  “If you know your Arthurian legends, you’ll at 
  least face death understanding the irony of your 
  situation. Otherwise, you’ll just have to die in 
  ignorance.”
  Fanhard then departs. As the last mook exits, he 
  closes the door with a heavy slam and bolts it 
  shut.
  A few moments later, grilles slide open in the ceiling, 
  releasing swarms of European adders. Individually, the 
  adder, Britain’s only venomous snake, isn’t a particularly 
  dangerous creature (just 14 recorded deaths in Britain 
  since 1876). Like most snakes they don’t go looking for 
  trouble, but this is a pulp adventure, so they’re a lot 
  more vicious.
  Characters who make a Common Knowledge (–2) or 
  Knowledge (History) roll remember the legends regard-
  ing Arthur’s ﬁ nal battle. According to the tale, the two 
  armies were facing each other, the leaders near the center 
  of the ﬁ eld discussing possible terms to avoid bloodshed. 
  One knight saw an adder in the grass and drew his sword 
  to strike it dead. On seeing the weapon pulled from its 
  scabbard, the other army attacked, thinking it was an as-
  sassination attempt. The result was a bloodbath, leaving 
  just seven survivors.
  A new swarm joins the action at the start of each 
  round. The only escape route requires bashing down the 
  door. This requires a Strength roll at –2 (once the char-
  acters have escaped their bonds). Success earns a hero 
  a single token and a raise two tokens. Once 6 tokens 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  2020
  have been gained, the door cracks open, allowing the 
  characters to ﬂ ee.
  Once the characters escape, they discover their gear 
  discarded in the study. A short run to the train station at 
  Wincanton gets them aboard a train to Glastonbury.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Adder Swarm: See page 23.
  SCENE 4: KILL THE KING
  SCENE 4: KILL THE KING
  Have each character make a Knowledge (History) roll. 
  British characters can use Common Knowledge instead, 
  but unless their background indicates a West Country 
  origin, the roll is at –2. With success, the hero knows 
  the tower of Saint Michael in Glastonbury refers to the 
  tower atop Glastonbury Tor, a tall hill on the outskirts of 
  the town.
  Failure means the characters have to make Streetwise 
  rolls when they reach Glastonbury to learn the location. 
  The delay is minimal, since every resident of Glaston-
  bury knows the Tor. Glastonbury Tor steeply rises over 
  500 feet from the Somerset Levels, making it visible 
  for many miles. In olden times, the Levels were boggy 
  marsh, which left the Tor and its surrounds an island 
  amid the dank waters. Even today, bad ﬂ ooding can cut 
  off Glastonbury (and similar locations above sea level) 
  from the surrounding countryside.
  Atop the Tor stands a single, rooﬂ ess, stone tower, 
  the only remaining part of a medieval church dedi-
  cated to Saint Michael. A powerful earthquake in 1275 
  toppled the ﬁ rst church. A second church, raised in the 
  14th century, was torn down in 1539. The tower is all 
  that remains of that second structure. The last abbot of 
  Glastonbury Abbey was hanged here by King Henry VIII 
  that same year.
  On entering the tower, the characters discover 
  someone has removed one of the ﬂ agstones. Beneath 
  is a vertical shaft with handholds cut into the rock. It 
  descends some 100 feet into a cramped, low-ceilinged 
  tunnel heading west.
  The claustrophobic shaft ﬁ nally ends. You emerge 
  into a high-ceilinged, circular chamber supported 
  by six pillars in the center. Around the edges are 
  a dozen stone biers. Upon each rests a knight in 
  plate armor, their swords stretching from chest to 
  shin, their hands locked around the hilt.
  At the far ends stands an armored knight, his 
  body bent slightly forward so his hands can grasp 
  the hilt of a sword embedded in a large stone.
  Without warning, the knight straightens slightly, 
  his hands still clutched to the hilt. “Ah, you sur-
  vived.” It isn’t the voice of some ancient king, but 
  that of Sir Percival! “Unfortunately, you are too 
  late to stop me. Once I draw the sword, I shall 
  be imbued with supernatural powers! You will 
  all bow before me! Awaken, Knights of the Round 
  Table! Awaken and destroy these invaders!” he 
  screams.
  As his voice echoes around the chamber, the 
  knights on the biers stir!
  The circular chamber measures 18” across. The dais 
  ﬁ lls a 2” square 1” from the back of the chamber oppo-
  site the entrance. Each bier on the lower level occupies 
  part of a 1” square. These are spaced equally around the 
  perimeter. 1” from the wall. Treat movement through a 
  square containing a bier as difﬁ cult ground. Six pillars 
  stretch from ﬂ oor to ceiling in the center of the room. 
  Each is 1” in diameter. These form the points of a hexa-
  gon around the edges of an open space the size of a 
  Medium Burst Template.
  On the ﬁ rst round, the “sleeping” knights must use 
  an action to climb off the biers. Their swords are already 
  drawn. Two automatically move adjacent to Fanhard, 
  shielding him from attacks. If one of the bodyguards is 
  slain, another disengages to ﬁ ll his place.
  Fanhard’s ﬁ rst action is to draw the sword. This re-
  quires a Strength roll at –2. With success, read the fol-
  lowing text aloud.
  “Yes!” Fanhard cries jubilantly, holding a silvery 
  long sword high above his head. “The power of 
  Arthur is mine! Now I shall…” His voice trails 
  away.
  As you watch, the sword crumbles into ﬂ akes of 
  rust. “No, no! What trickery is this?” he screams at 
  the top of his voice “Where is the real sword? What 
  have you done with it?”
  Fanhard’s next action is to draw his own long sword, 
  and then charge into battle. Treat him as being under the 
  inﬂ uence of the Berserk Edge until the ﬁ ght ends.
  From this point on, whenever a player character (Wild 
  Card or Extra) has a Spade suit for his action card, the 
  specters of Arthur’s knights come to his assistance. The 
  heroes may not be British, but the Round Table wasn’t 
  about nationality, it was about justice, honor, and the 
  courage to do what is right in the face of adversity. As 
  such, the shades recognize fellow warriors for the forces 
  of good. The value of the action card determines the 
  power the ghosts invoke (see Spectral Assistance be-
  low).
  Removing the lid from a stone sarcophagus requires a 
  Strength roll. Inside lies a skeleton clad in corroded scale 
  mail and chain armor, a rusted sword lying along its body. 
  The sarcophagus upon the dais doesn’t contain a corpse. 
  Instead, all that lies within is a golden headband and a 
  rotten leather scabbard. This is Arthur’s fabled magical 
  scabbard, but its magic didn’t grant it invulnerability to 
  the ravages of time. It has no supernatural powers in its 
  current state.
  If Fanhard and the knights are slain before he draws 
  the sword (unlikely, but possible), a character can try 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  2020
  have been gained, the door cracks open, allowing the 
  characters to ﬂ ee.
  Once the characters escape, they discover their gear 
  discarded in the study. A short run to the train station at 
  Wincanton gets them aboard a train to Glastonbury.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
   Adder Swarm: See page 23.
  SCENE 4: KILL THE KING
  SCENE 4: KILL THE KING
  Have each character make a Knowledge (History) roll. 
  British characters can use Common Knowledge instead, 
  but unless their background indicates a West Country 
  origin, the roll is at –2. With success, the hero knows 
  the tower of Saint Michael in Glastonbury refers to the 
  tower atop Glastonbury Tor, a tall hill on the outskirts of 
  the town.
  Failure means the characters have to make Streetwise 
  rolls when they reach Glastonbury to learn the location. 
  The delay is minimal, since every resident of Glaston-
  bury knows the Tor. Glastonbury Tor steeply rises over 
  500 feet from the Somerset Levels, making it visible 
  for many miles. In olden times, the Levels were boggy 
  marsh, which left the Tor and its surrounds an island 
  amid the dank waters. Even today, bad ﬂ ooding can cut 
  off Glastonbury (and similar locations above sea level) 
  from the surrounding countryside.
  Atop the Tor stands a single, rooﬂ ess, stone tower, 
  the only remaining part of a medieval church dedi-
  cated to Saint Michael. A powerful earthquake in 1275 
  toppled the ﬁ rst church. A second church, raised in the 
  14th century, was torn down in 1539. The tower is all 
  that remains of that second structure. The last abbot of 
  Glastonbury Abbey was hanged here by King Henry VIII 
  that same year.
  On entering the tower, the characters discover 
  someone has removed one of the ﬂ agstones. Beneath 
  is a vertical shaft with handholds cut into the rock. It 
  descends some 100 feet into a cramped, low-ceilinged 
  tunnel heading west.
  The claustrophobic shaft ﬁ nally ends. You emerge 
  into a high-ceilinged, circular chamber supported 
  by six pillars in the center. Around the edges are 
  a dozen stone biers. Upon each rests a knight in 
  plate armor, their swords stretching from chest to 
  shin, their hands locked around the hilt.
  At the far ends stands an armored knight, his 
  body bent slightly forward so his hands can grasp 
  the hilt of a sword embedded in a large stone.
  Without warning, the knight straightens slightly, 
  his hands still clutched to the hilt. “Ah, you sur-
  vived.” It isn’t the voice of some ancient king, but 
  that of Sir Percival! “Unfortunately, you are too 
  late to stop me. Once I draw the sword, I shall 
  be imbued with supernatural powers! You will 
  all bow before me! Awaken, Knights of the Round 
  Table! Awaken and destroy these invaders!” he 
  screams.
  As his voice echoes around the chamber, the 
  knights on the biers stir!
  The circular chamber measures 18” across. The dais 
  ﬁ lls a 2” square 1” from the back of the chamber oppo-
  site the entrance. Each bier on the lower level occupies 
  part of a 1” square. These are spaced equally around the 
  perimeter. 1” from the wall. Treat movement through a 
  square containing a bier as difﬁ cult ground. Six pillars 
  stretch from ﬂ oor to ceiling in the center of the room. 
  Each is 1” in diameter. These form the points of a hexa-
  gon around the edges of an open space the size of a 
  Medium Burst Template.
  On the ﬁ rst round, the “sleeping” knights must use 
  an action to climb off the biers. Their swords are already 
  drawn. Two automatically move adjacent to Fanhard, 
  shielding him from attacks. If one of the bodyguards is 
  slain, another disengages to ﬁ ll his place.
  Fanhard’s ﬁ rst action is to draw the sword. This re-
  quires a Strength roll at –2. With success, read the fol-
  lowing text aloud.
  “Yes!” Fanhard cries jubilantly, holding a silvery 
  long sword high above his head. “The power of 
  Arthur is mine! Now I shall…” His voice trails 
  away.
  As you watch, the sword crumbles into ﬂ akes of 
  rust. “No, no! What trickery is this?” he screams at 
  the top of his voice “Where is the real sword? What 
  have you done with it?”
  Fanhard’s next action is to draw his own long sword, 
  and then charge into battle. Treat him as being under the 
  inﬂ uence of the Berserk Edge until the ﬁ ght ends.
  From this point on, whenever a player character (Wild 
  Card or Extra) has a Spade suit for his action card, the 
  specters of Arthur’s knights come to his assistance. The 
  heroes may not be British, but the Round Table wasn’t 
  about nationality, it was about justice, honor, and the 
  courage to do what is right in the face of adversity. As 
  such, the shades recognize fellow warriors for the forces 
  of good. The value of the action card determines the 
  power the ghosts invoke (see Spectral Assistance be-
  low).
  Removing the lid from a stone sarcophagus requires a 
  Strength roll. Inside lies a skeleton clad in corroded scale 
  mail and chain armor, a rusted sword lying along its body. 
  The sarcophagus upon the dais doesn’t contain a corpse. 
  Instead, all that lies within is a golden headband and a 
  rotten leather scabbard. This is Arthur’s fabled magical 
  scabbard, but its magic didn’t grant it invulnerability to 
  the ravages of time. It has no supernatural powers in its 
  current state.
  If Fanhard and the knights are slain before he draws 
  the sword (unlikely, but possible), a character can try 
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2121
  to wield Excalibur. It still crumbles, but that’s due to its 
  age.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Fanhard’s Knights (12): See page 22.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  SPECTRAL ASSISTANCE
  SPECTRAL ASSISTANCE
  Most effects below mimic spells from the core rules. 
  Regardless of their standard Duration, non-instant effect 
  powers last just a single round. The beneﬁ ts expire on 
  the adventurer’s next action card. The specters don’t 
  have any arcane skill—their powers automatically func-
  tion with a success or a raise. Victims automatically fail 
  any opposed rolls.
  It is important to note that the ghostly shades are 
  never clearly seen by the player characters. A shadow 
  moving against the direction of other shadows, a ﬂ icker-
  ing image in the corner of one’s eye, or a wisp of smoke 
  are the only visible signs of their existence. For instance, 
  if a shade bestows deﬂ ection on a hero, the character 
  might see a glint of steel block an attacker’s sword. What 
  he doesn’t see is a ghostly knight parry the blow. Stunned 
  foes may suddenly reel back, with the character hearing 
  only a faint war cry from behind him.
  Deuce: Attackers just ignore the character for a round, 
  their minds having been momentarily clouded 
  to his existence.
  Three: Stun with a success (all adjacent foes are tar-
  geted)
  Four: 
  Entangle with a success (all adjacent foes are 
  affected)
  Five: 
  Fear with a success (Spirit roll to resist; one ad-
  jacent foe is targeted)
  Six: 
  Smite with a success (+2 damage to melee at-
  tacks only)
  Seven: Armor with a success (+2 Armor)
  Eight: 
  Deﬂ ection with a success (–2 to attackers’ attack 
  rolls)
  Nine: 
  Stun with a raise (all adjacent foes are target-
  ed)
  Ten: 
  Entangle with a raise (all adjacent foes are af-
  fected)
  Jack: 
  Fear (Spirit roll to resist; all adjacent foes are 
  targeted)
  Queen: Smite with a raise (+4 damage to melee attacks 
  only)
  King: 
  Armor with a raise (+4 Armor)
  Ace: 
  Deﬂ ection with a raise (–4 to attackers’ attack 
  rolls)
  A FAREWELL TO ARMS
  A FAREWELL TO ARMS
  When the characters ﬁ nally depart the chamber back 
  along the tunnel, they hear groaning and creaking com-
  ing from behind. Just as several of the support beams 
  collapse, the party catches a brief sight of a dozen ghostly 
  ﬁ gures in ancient armor. At their head is a man wearing 
  a gold circlet on his brow. He dips his sword in tribute a 
  split second before tons of rubble ﬁ ll the chamber.
  Were the corpses actually King Arthur’s knights, 
  or were they merely skeletons from the right era? Was 
  the rusty long sword really Excalibur, or does it lie hid-
  den elsewhere, perhaps moved by tomb robbers since 
  Richard’s day? Were there really ghostly knights, or did 
  the characters suffer a hallucination? Who knows!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SIR PERCIVAL FANHARD
  SIR PERCIVAL FANHARD
  Sir Percival, who holds the title Viscount Wincanton, 
  can trace his ancestry back to King Richard I of England 
  (the Lionheart). Raised on tales of chivalry and honor, 
  and schooled in the belief that the upper classes are 
  inherently superior and destined to rule, Fanhard has 
  become convinced his ancestry stretches back to King 
  Arthur.
  Fanhard has used his extensive resources and con-
  tacts around the globe to search for Excalibur, Arthur’s 
  sword. With this in his hand, he believes he can rise to 
  power, overthrow the king (George VI), and rule the ﬂ ag-
  ging British Empire. Of course, in his mind he, and only 
  he, can make Great Britain truly great again. His plans 
  involve the abolition of Parliament and the instigation 
  of rule through a Round Table of his most trusted men 
  (with him as the supreme power, naturally).
  GM’s should note the only scene in which he uses his 
  gear is the ﬁ nale. Stats in square brackets are used if the 
  noble goes berserk in the ﬁ nal scene.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8 
  [d8+2)] Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d10 [d10+2], Intimidation 
  d10, Knowledge (History) d10, Notice d8, Riding d10, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7 [5]; Toughness: 9 (3) 
  [11 (3)]
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Major), Stubborn
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Frenzy, 
  Level Headed, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Plate corselet, arms, legs (+3), full helm (+3), 
  long sword (Str+d8)
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  A former Turkish wrestling champion and currently 
  an antiques dealer of dubious character, Stavros is well-
  known in Istanbul to both criminal gangs and the authori-
  ties. He’s gained a lot of weight since he quit wrestling, 
  but he’s still as strong as his nickname suggests.
  Stavros’ code of honor is a simple one—take folks’ 
  money, but never get personally involved in their prob-
  lems unless the cause is a damn good one or they are 
  close friends. Stavros is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2121
  to wield Excalibur. It still crumbles, but that’s due to its 
  age.
   Sir Percival Fanhard: See page 21.
   Fanhard’s Knights (12): See page 22.
   Holly Hollingberry: See page 22.
  SPECTRAL ASSISTANCE
  SPECTRAL ASSISTANCE
  Most effects below mimic spells from the core rules. 
  Regardless of their standard Duration, non-instant effect 
  powers last just a single round. The beneﬁ ts expire on 
  the adventurer’s next action card. The specters don’t 
  have any arcane skill—their powers automatically func-
  tion with a success or a raise. Victims automatically fail 
  any opposed rolls.
  It is important to note that the ghostly shades are 
  never clearly seen by the player characters. A shadow 
  moving against the direction of other shadows, a ﬂ icker-
  ing image in the corner of one’s eye, or a wisp of smoke 
  are the only visible signs of their existence. For instance, 
  if a shade bestows deﬂ ection on a hero, the character 
  might see a glint of steel block an attacker’s sword. What 
  he doesn’t see is a ghostly knight parry the blow. Stunned 
  foes may suddenly reel back, with the character hearing 
  only a faint war cry from behind him.
  Deuce: Attackers just ignore the character for a round, 
  their minds having been momentarily clouded 
  to his existence.
  Three: Stun with a success (all adjacent foes are tar-
  geted)
  Four: 
  Entangle with a success (all adjacent foes are 
  affected)
  Five: 
  Fear with a success (Spirit roll to resist; one ad-
  jacent foe is targeted)
  Six: 
  Smite with a success (+2 damage to melee at-
  tacks only)
  Seven: Armor with a success (+2 Armor)
  Eight: 
  Deﬂ ection with a success (–2 to attackers’ attack 
  rolls)
  Nine: 
  Stun with a raise (all adjacent foes are target-
  ed)
  Ten: 
  Entangle with a raise (all adjacent foes are af-
  fected)
  Jack: 
  Fear (Spirit roll to resist; all adjacent foes are 
  targeted)
  Queen: Smite with a raise (+4 damage to melee attacks 
  only)
  King: 
  Armor with a raise (+4 Armor)
  Ace: 
  Deﬂ ection with a raise (–4 to attackers’ attack 
  rolls)
  A FAREWELL TO ARMS
  A FAREWELL TO ARMS
  When the characters ﬁ nally depart the chamber back 
  along the tunnel, they hear groaning and creaking com-
  ing from behind. Just as several of the support beams 
  collapse, the party catches a brief sight of a dozen ghostly 
  ﬁ gures in ancient armor. At their head is a man wearing 
  a gold circlet on his brow. He dips his sword in tribute a 
  split second before tons of rubble ﬁ ll the chamber.
  Were the corpses actually King Arthur’s knights, 
  or were they merely skeletons from the right era? Was 
  the rusty long sword really Excalibur, or does it lie hid-
  den elsewhere, perhaps moved by tomb robbers since 
  Richard’s day? Were there really ghostly knights, or did 
  the characters suffer a hallucination? Who knows!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  SIR PERCIVAL FANHARD
  SIR PERCIVAL FANHARD
  Sir Percival, who holds the title Viscount Wincanton, 
  can trace his ancestry back to King Richard I of England 
  (the Lionheart). Raised on tales of chivalry and honor, 
  and schooled in the belief that the upper classes are 
  inherently superior and destined to rule, Fanhard has 
  become convinced his ancestry stretches back to King 
  Arthur.
  Fanhard has used his extensive resources and con-
  tacts around the globe to search for Excalibur, Arthur’s 
  sword. With this in his hand, he believes he can rise to 
  power, overthrow the king (George VI), and rule the ﬂ ag-
  ging British Empire. Of course, in his mind he, and only 
  he, can make Great Britain truly great again. His plans 
  involve the abolition of Parliament and the instigation 
  of rule through a Round Table of his most trusted men 
  (with him as the supreme power, naturally).
  GM’s should note the only scene in which he uses his 
  gear is the ﬁ nale. Stats in square brackets are used if the 
  noble goes berserk in the ﬁ nal scene.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8 
  [d8+2)] Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d10 [d10+2], Intimidation 
  d10, Knowledge (History) d10, Notice d8, Riding d10, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7 [5]; Toughness: 9 (3) 
  [11 (3)]
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Delusional (Major), Stubborn
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Frenzy, 
  Level Headed, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Plate corselet, arms, legs (+3), full helm (+3), 
  long sword (Str+d8)
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  STAVROS “THE BULL” PAPADOPOULOS
  A former Turkish wrestling champion and currently 
  an antiques dealer of dubious character, Stavros is well-
  known in Istanbul to both criminal gangs and the authori-
  ties. He’s gained a lot of weight since he quit wrestling, 
  but he’s still as strong as his nickname suggests.
  Stavros’ code of honor is a simple one—take folks’ 
  money, but never get personally involved in their prob-
  lems unless the cause is a damn good one or they are 
  close friends. Stavros is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  2222
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (An-
  tiques) d10, Knowledge (History) d8, Persuasion d6, No-
  tice d8, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Code of Honor, Obese
  Edges: Block, Connections (lots), Scholar (Antiques & 
  History)
  Gear: Small pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1) 
  when clothed
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples.
  TURKISH MASSEURS
  TURKISH MASSEURS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples. Dam-
  age from a grapple can Ace.
  TURKISH THUG
  TURKISH THUG
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, AP 1), shotgun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 1–3d6, 
  +2 Shooting), or Tommy Gun (Range: 12/24/48, Dam-
  age: 2d6+1, ROF 3, AP 1)
  HOLLY HOLLINGBERRY
  HOLLY HOLLINGBERRY
  Holly’s mother was a well-regarded medium, able to 
  channel the spirits of the dead. She was also talented in the 
  ﬁ elds of astrology, palmistry, and divining. Her daughter is 
  also a psychic. At least, that’s what Holly tells people.
  In truth her “gift” is very limited, and often causes 
  more harm than good, though her intentions are never 
  malicious. Her “spirit voices” have recently told her 
  about a quest for a great reassure, and have led her to 
  the heroes.
  Play her as slightly dizzy, unbelievably clumsy, and 
  prone to distractions. She tends to quote the obvious, 
  but always does so through her “powers.” For instance, if 
  she is present when the characters reach Alfred’s Tower, 
  she says, “A great man once stood here. His psychic aura 
  left a powerful shadow.” When they get into the crypt 
  beneath Cadbury Castle, say something like, “Men have 
  died here! The spirits say to be careful.” The fact there 
  are a trio of dead Nazis right in front of the party makes 
  this patently obvious.
  Special Notes: Holly’s Block and Dodge Edges aren’t 
  overt combat abilities. They represent her innate psychic 
  talent to avoid attacks and her clumsiness, which car-
  ries her out of harm’s way at opportune moments (for 
  example, crouching to gather up a toppled vase just as 
  a knife is thrown). Her Attractive Edge remains hidden 
  until she adopts the classic ﬁ lm pose of removing her 
  glasses and shaking her hair loose. She does not suffer 
  Brainburn on a roll of 1 on her Psionics die.
  Holly is a Henchman, but has two bennies through 
  her Great Luck Edge.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d4, Knowledge (Occult) d8, 
  Persuasion d6, Psionics d4, Riding d6, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0 (+2); Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), Delusional (Minor; 
  things she’s psychic)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Attractive, Great 
  Luck, Improved Block, Improved Dodge, Strong Willed
  Gear: Umbrella (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Clumsy: If Holly rolls a 1 on an Agility or Agility-
  linked skill roll, she accidentally bumps into an adja-
  cent character, gets her umbrella tangled in his legs, 
  or otherwise causes a mishap. Her “victim,” friend or 
  foe, suffers some sort of setback determined by the 
  GM. Typically this should cost the victim an action. 
  For instance, she may accidentally bump into a hero 
  preparing to ﬁ re. When he acts, he suffers a multi ac-
  tion penalty (even if he takes a single action), a result 
  of Holly knocking his ﬁ rearm aside. If there are multi-
  ple possible targets, determine the victim randomly.
  * Powers: Holly’s only standard power is detect arcana 
  (no conceal). This is how she reads auras. She doesn’t 
  have any Power Points—she can use it at will. She also 
  has very limited clairvoyance. At the start of each com-
  bat round, before cards are dealt, the character with 
  whom she shares an action card must decide whether 
  to take her psychic advice (“He’s going to shoot you!”) 
  or ignore it. If he takes it, make a Psionics roll as a free 
  action. Otherwise, don’t bother rolling.
   
  With success, the hero is dealt an extra action card and 
  acts on the best. On a roll of 1, the character draws 
  an additional card but acts on the worst (erroneous 
  information). This applies even if the adventurer has 
  Level Headed.
  FANHARD’S KNIGHT
  FANHARD’S KNIGHT
  Totally loyal to their new “king,” each knight has 
  been promised a position of power in Fanhard’s “New 
  England.” All are wealthy gentry or minor nobles. GM’s 
  should note the only scene in which they carry the listed 
  gear is the ﬁ nale.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #14
  2222
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (An-
  tiques) d10, Knowledge (History) d8, Persuasion d6, No-
  tice d8, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Code of Honor, Obese
  Edges: Block, Connections (lots), Scholar (Antiques & 
  History)
  Gear: Small pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6–1) 
  when clothed
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples.
  TURKISH MASSEURS
  TURKISH MASSEURS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Grappler: +2 to make and maintain grapples. Dam-
  age from a grapple can Ace.
  TURKISH THUG
  TURKISH THUG
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, AP 1), shotgun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 1–3d6, 
  +2 Shooting), or Tommy Gun (Range: 12/24/48, Dam-
  age: 2d6+1, ROF 3, AP 1)
  HOLLY HOLLINGBERRY
  HOLLY HOLLINGBERRY
  Holly’s mother was a well-regarded medium, able to 
  channel the spirits of the dead. She was also talented in the 
  ﬁ elds of astrology, palmistry, and divining. Her daughter is 
  also a psychic. At least, that’s what Holly tells people.
  In truth her “gift” is very limited, and often causes 
  more harm than good, though her intentions are never 
  malicious. Her “spirit voices” have recently told her 
  about a quest for a great reassure, and have led her to 
  the heroes.
  Play her as slightly dizzy, unbelievably clumsy, and 
  prone to distractions. She tends to quote the obvious, 
  but always does so through her “powers.” For instance, if 
  she is present when the characters reach Alfred’s Tower, 
  she says, “A great man once stood here. His psychic aura 
  left a powerful shadow.” When they get into the crypt 
  beneath Cadbury Castle, say something like, “Men have 
  died here! The spirits say to be careful.” The fact there 
  are a trio of dead Nazis right in front of the party makes 
  this patently obvious.
  Special Notes: Holly’s Block and Dodge Edges aren’t 
  overt combat abilities. They represent her innate psychic 
  talent to avoid attacks and her clumsiness, which car-
  ries her out of harm’s way at opportune moments (for 
  example, crouching to gather up a toppled vase just as 
  a knife is thrown). Her Attractive Edge remains hidden 
  until she adopts the classic ﬁ lm pose of removing her 
  glasses and shaking her hair loose. She does not suffer 
  Brainburn on a roll of 1 on her Psionics die.
  Holly is a Henchman, but has two bennies through 
  her Great Luck Edge.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d4, Knowledge (Occult) d8, 
  Persuasion d6, Psionics d4, Riding d6, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0 (+2); Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), Delusional (Minor; 
  things she’s psychic)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Attractive, Great 
  Luck, Improved Block, Improved Dodge, Strong Willed
  Gear: Umbrella (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Clumsy: If Holly rolls a 1 on an Agility or Agility-
  linked skill roll, she accidentally bumps into an adja-
  cent character, gets her umbrella tangled in his legs, 
  or otherwise causes a mishap. Her “victim,” friend or 
  foe, suffers some sort of setback determined by the 
  GM. Typically this should cost the victim an action. 
  For instance, she may accidentally bump into a hero 
  preparing to ﬁ re. When he acts, he suffers a multi ac-
  tion penalty (even if he takes a single action), a result 
  of Holly knocking his ﬁ rearm aside. If there are multi-
  ple possible targets, determine the victim randomly.
  * Powers: Holly’s only standard power is detect arcana 
  (no conceal). This is how she reads auras. She doesn’t 
  have any Power Points—she can use it at will. She also 
  has very limited clairvoyance. At the start of each com-
  bat round, before cards are dealt, the character with 
  whom she shares an action card must decide whether 
  to take her psychic advice (“He’s going to shoot you!”) 
  or ignore it. If he takes it, make a Psionics roll as a free 
  action. Otherwise, don’t bother rolling.
   
  With success, the hero is dealt an extra action card and 
  acts on the best. On a roll of 1, the character draws 
  an additional card but acts on the worst (erroneous 
  information). This applies even if the adventurer has 
  Level Headed.
  FANHARD’S KNIGHT
  FANHARD’S KNIGHT
  Totally loyal to their new “king,” each knight has 
  been promised a position of power in Fanhard’s “New 
  England.” All are wealthy gentry or minor nobles. GM’s 
  should note the only scene in which they carry the listed 
  gear is the ﬁ nale.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2323
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Riding 
  d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Loyal (to Fanhard)
  Edges: Frenzy, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Plate corselet, arms, legs (+3), full helm (+3), 
  long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: All attacks against Fanhard automatically hit 
  an adjacent knight instead, as they throw themselves 
  in front of blows and bullets.
  FOXHOUNDS
  FOXHOUNDS
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Dogs roll a d10 when running instead 
  of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an oppo-
  nent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it hits 
  the target’s most weakly-armored location.
  * Size -1: Dogs are relatively small creatures.
  NAZI AGENTS
  NAZI AGENTS
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: SMG (MP-35) (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, 
  ROF 3, AP 1)
  BULL
  BULL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities
  * Gore: Bulls charge maneuver to gore their opponents 
  with their long horns. If they can move at least 6” be-
  fore attacking, they add +4 to their damage total.
  * Horns: Str+d6.
  * Size +2: Bulls are large creatures.
  ADDER SWARM
  ADDER SWARM
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: The swarm automatically hits for 2d4 damage to 
  everyone within a Medium Burst Template. Anyone 
  Shaken or wounded must make a Vigor roll or suffer 
  a level of Fatigue. This can lead to Incapacitation, but 
  never Death. Fatigue recovers at the start of the next 
  scene.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed 
  of several small snakes, cutting, piercing, and en-
  ergy weapons do no real damage. Area-effect weap-
  ons work normally. Stomping does Str damage each 
  round.
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  THE SWORD OF AVALON
  2323
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Riding 
  d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major), Loyal (to Fanhard)
  Edges: Frenzy, Noble, Sweep
  Gear: Plate corselet, arms, legs (+3), full helm (+3), 
  long sword (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: All attacks against Fanhard automatically hit 
  an adjacent knight instead, as they throw themselves 
  in front of blows and bullets.
  FOXHOUNDS
  FOXHOUNDS
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  * Bite: Str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Dogs roll a d10 when running instead 
  of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an oppo-
  nent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it hits 
  the target’s most weakly-armored location.
  * Size -1: Dogs are relatively small creatures.
  NAZI AGENTS
  NAZI AGENTS
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Dodge, Rock and Roll
  Gear: SMG (MP-35) (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, 
  ROF 3, AP 1)
  BULL
  BULL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities
  * Gore: Bulls charge maneuver to gore their opponents 
  with their long horns. If they can move at least 6” be-
  fore attacking, they add +4 to their damage total.
  * Horns: Str+d6.
  * Size +2: Bulls are large creatures.
  ADDER SWARM
  ADDER SWARM
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: The swarm automatically hits for 2d4 damage to 
  everyone within a Medium Burst Template. Anyone 
  Shaken or wounded must make a Vigor roll or suffer 
  a level of Fatigue. This can lead to Incapacitation, but 
  never Death. Fatigue recovers at the start of the next 
  scene.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed 
  of several small snakes, cutting, piercing, and en-
  ergy weapons do no real damage. Area-effect weap-
  ons work normally. Stomping does Str damage each 
  round.
  
  THE END IS NIGH!
  THE END IS NIGH!
  The popular Daring Tales of Adventure series is nearing the end.... 
  The popular Daring Tales of Adventure series is nearing the end.... 
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  adventures coming soon!
  adventures coming soon!
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  07 — 15 — 09
  07 — 15 — 09
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  08 — 12 — 09
  08 — 12 — 09
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  empire of the 
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  black pharaoh
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  09 — 09 — 09
  09 — 09 — 09
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31032
  31032
  $6.99
  $6.99
  When Jimmy wins a competition 
  to work on an archaeological dig 
  in a Crusader castle in the Holy 
  Land it seems like an ideal time for 
  a vacation, but nothing ever runs 
  smoothly when the heroes are 
  involved! The discovery of a secret 
  chamber embarks them on a quest 
  to locate the fabled sword of King 
  Arthur—Excalibur!
  Whoever wields Excalibur, so the 
  legends say, will be the rightful King 
  of England. But what if it falls into 
  the wrong hands!
  Our heroes’ quest takes them ﬁ rst from trapped Crusader ruins to 
  see their old friend Stavros in Istanbul. From there they have chance 
  to walk beneath the academic spires of Oxford University, peruse the 
  wondrous galleries of the British Museum, and even take part in fox 
  hunting through the English countryside. Finally, the heroes must 
  explore four (real world) sites connected to the legend of King Arthur.
  The heroes are on a desperate quest to retrieve the relic before 
  Nazis, but are they the only villains seeking the Sword of Kings?
  it’s time for high tea & hijinks 
  it’s time for high tea & hijinks 
  as the heroes visit england!
  as the heroes visit england!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31036
  31036
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1515
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  SCRIPT ASSISTANCE: STEPHEN RENWICK
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1515
  
  Sengo Muramasa was a Japanese swordsmith who 
  lived in Japan during the 16th century. Although a master 
  of his craft, Muramasa was unhinged and possessed of 
  a violent temperament. Some of that insanity found its 
  way into the blades he forged. While deadly weapons of 
  near-unparalleled craftsmanship, they developed a lust 
  for blood so strong it drove many wielders to commit 
  sepukku (ritual suicide) to sate the weapon’s voracious 
  appetite. In 1603, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu banned all 
  samurai from wearing swords forged by Muramasa.
  One such sword, “Winter Mountain,” belonged to a 
  samurai of the Oshiro family. He took part in the second 
  ill-fated invasion of Korea in 1597. The samurai was 
  slain in battle and his sword taken as a trophy by the 
  victorious Koreans. Over the centuries it was moved 
  from location to location, no owner being able to wield 
  the blade without falling victim to its deadly curse. At 
  some point in the early 18th century the blade arrived 
  in China.
  Two centuries later, General Oshiro Takeo, a descen-
  dant of the samurai who fell in Korea, was posted to 
  Manchuria. A region famed for its abundant coal and 
  iron reserves, as well as fertile farmland, Manchuria 
  fell to the Japanese in 1932. Renamed Manchukuo, it 
  is currently governed by a puppet emperor, Datong, 
  answerable to the Japanese government.
  During the pillaging of a Buddhist temple, General 
  Oshiro came across documents which mentioned Winter 
  Mountain. At ﬁ rst, the general dreamed only of restoring 
  his family’s honor by reclaiming the blade, but things in 
  Japan were taking a turn for the worst politically.
  Japan had begun steps toward a democratic govern-
  ment, but the Great Depression, which respected no 
  borders and was not halted by the vast Paciﬁ c, caused 
  massive economic turmoil. Militarism was on the rise, 
  and some senior ofﬁ cers, whose samurai families had 
  been stripped of power during the Meiji Restoration of 
  the 1860s, whispered of recreating the samurai class.
  Oshiro was privy to such conspiratorial discussions 
  before he left for Manchukuo. After learning of the con-
  tinued existence of Winter Mountain, his mind, perhaps 
  already affected by the Muramasa curse, wandered into 
  darker territory. Yes, Japan should rebuild the samurai 
  class, but why stop there? Why not remove the Prime 
  Minister and replace it with a military Shogunate? (Not 
  even Oshiro is insane enough to plot the death of the 
  Emperor, who is regarded as a living god.) And so the 
  seeds were laid in fertile ground.
  Since 1934, Oshiro has roamed deeper into China, 
  hunting down clues to the location of Winter Mountain. 
  Scholarly investigation has given way to brutal interro-
  gation and murder as the general’s mind spirals steadily 
  further into the black pit of total insanity.
  But Oshiro is not the only one who knows about Win-
  ter Mountain. Emperor Hirohito, who backed the inva-
  sion of Manchuria because it stymied Russian advances 
  in the region, has many spies and informants at his 
  disposal. He is wise to many of the threats which bubble 
  and seethe beneath Japan’s polite and orderly surface.
  While he does not know of Oshiro’s plan, he fully 
  comprehends that a Muramasa blade in the wrong 
  hands could spell disaster for Japan. Perhaps it would 
  not be used against him directly, but such a weapon 
  could inspire a military commander to lead Japan on 
  a disastrous crusade into Asia or against Soviet Russia 
  before it was ready. To ensure the cursed blade can 
  never be wielded, the Emperor has unleashed his most 
  deadly servants, ninja, to hunt down the last remaining 
  Muramasa blade.
  As our adventure begins, both Oshiro and the ninja 
  are heading for Shanghai in search of a very important 
  clue. The ninja plan to use their standard tactics of sub-
  terfuge and surprise to acquire what they seek. General 
  Oshiro plans a far more overt move—he has master-
  minded a full-blown invasion of the city!
  Note: Japanese does not distinguish between singu-
  lar and plural. This adventure uses the same grammati-
  cal structure. Thus, “ninja” may refer to a lone assassin 
  or an entire group. Determining plurality is achieved 
  through the context.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  2
  Sengo Muramasa was a Japanese swordsmith who 
  lived in Japan during the 16th century. Although a master 
  of his craft, Muramasa was unhinged and possessed of 
  a violent temperament. Some of that insanity found its 
  way into the blades he forged. While deadly weapons of 
  near-unparalleled craftsmanship, they developed a lust 
  for blood so strong it drove many wielders to commit 
  sepukku (ritual suicide) to sate the weapon’s voracious 
  appetite. In 1603, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu banned all 
  samurai from wearing swords forged by Muramasa.
  One such sword, “Winter Mountain,” belonged to a 
  samurai of the Oshiro family. He took part in the second 
  ill-fated invasion of Korea in 1597. The samurai was 
  slain in battle and his sword taken as a trophy by the 
  victorious Koreans. Over the centuries it was moved 
  from location to location, no owner being able to wield 
  the blade without falling victim to its deadly curse. At 
  some point in the early 18th century the blade arrived 
  in China.
  Two centuries later, General Oshiro Takeo, a descen-
  dant of the samurai who fell in Korea, was posted to 
  Manchuria. A region famed for its abundant coal and 
  iron reserves, as well as fertile farmland, Manchuria 
  fell to the Japanese in 1932. Renamed Manchukuo, it 
  is currently governed by a puppet emperor, Datong, 
  answerable to the Japanese government.
  During the pillaging of a Buddhist temple, General 
  Oshiro came across documents which mentioned Winter 
  Mountain. At ﬁ rst, the general dreamed only of restoring 
  his family’s honor by reclaiming the blade, but things in 
  Japan were taking a turn for the worst politically.
  Japan had begun steps toward a democratic govern-
  ment, but the Great Depression, which respected no 
  borders and was not halted by the vast Paciﬁ c, caused 
  massive economic turmoil. Militarism was on the rise, 
  and some senior ofﬁ cers, whose samurai families had 
  been stripped of power during the Meiji Restoration of 
  the 1860s, whispered of recreating the samurai class.
  Oshiro was privy to such conspiratorial discussions 
  before he left for Manchukuo. After learning of the con-
  tinued existence of Winter Mountain, his mind, perhaps 
  already affected by the Muramasa curse, wandered into 
  darker territory. Yes, Japan should rebuild the samurai 
  class, but why stop there? Why not remove the Prime 
  Minister and replace it with a military Shogunate? (Not 
  even Oshiro is insane enough to plot the death of the 
  Emperor, who is regarded as a living god.) And so the 
  seeds were laid in fertile ground.
  Since 1934, Oshiro has roamed deeper into China, 
  hunting down clues to the location of Winter Mountain. 
  Scholarly investigation has given way to brutal interro-
  gation and murder as the general’s mind spirals steadily 
  further into the black pit of total insanity.
  But Oshiro is not the only one who knows about Win-
  ter Mountain. Emperor Hirohito, who backed the inva-
  sion of Manchuria because it stymied Russian advances 
  in the region, has many spies and informants at his 
  disposal. He is wise to many of the threats which bubble 
  and seethe beneath Japan’s polite and orderly surface.
  While he does not know of Oshiro’s plan, he fully 
  comprehends that a Muramasa blade in the wrong 
  hands could spell disaster for Japan. Perhaps it would 
  not be used against him directly, but such a weapon 
  could inspire a military commander to lead Japan on 
  a disastrous crusade into Asia or against Soviet Russia 
  before it was ready. To ensure the cursed blade can 
  never be wielded, the Emperor has unleashed his most 
  deadly servants, ninja, to hunt down the last remaining 
  Muramasa blade.
  As our adventure begins, both Oshiro and the ninja 
  are heading for Shanghai in search of a very important 
  clue. The ninja plan to use their standard tactics of sub-
  terfuge and surprise to acquire what they seek. General 
  Oshiro plans a far more overt move—he has master-
  minded a full-blown invasion of the city!
  Note: Japanese does not distinguish between singu-
  lar and plural. This adventure uses the same grammati-
  cal structure. Thus, “ninja” may refer to a lone assassin 
  or an entire group. Determining plurality is achieved 
  through the context.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  2
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  3
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) to Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 95 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones(with ﬁ ve of a 
  different color) and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: THE QUEST BEGINS
  ACT 1: THE QUEST BEGINS
  The heroes have been hired by the Shanghai Museum 
  to recover Chinese artifacts from a tomb close to the 
  border with the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo to 
  prevent the invaders from looting China’s heritage.
  SCENE 1: THE DRAGON AWAKENS
  SCENE 1: THE DRAGON AWAKENS
  With the former Chinese province of Manchuria 
  in Japanese hands, the Chinese government has 
  taken to emptying tombs and temples near the 
  border in order of safeguard the country’s cul-
  tural heritage. Thanks to your world-renowned 
  work with the Boston Museum, you’ve been hired 
  to clear a subterranean, hillside tomb belonging 
  to a 17th century prince and return any artifacts 
  to Shanghai.
  After several weeks of exploration, the seaplane is 
  loaded with a decent haul, but now you’re after 
  the inner sanctum! Navigating the labyrinth of 
  passages and avoiding the ﬁ endish traps, you ﬁ -
  nally reach the core, a large hall supported by ﬁ ve 
  columns. Each column is engraved with a glyph 
  representing each of the ﬁ ve Chinese elements.
  On the far side of the chamber is a coiled stone 
  dragon. In its open maw sits a jade disc, about 
  two inches in diameter.
  The disc is inscribed with Chinese pictograms, which 
  read, “Winter Mountain. Taken from Oshiro, never to 
  taste blood again.”
  As soon as the jade talisman is removed from the drag-
  on’s mouth, its jaws snap shut and its eyelids withdraw 
  to reveal painted eyeballs. A heavy, metal portcullis clangs 
  shut, blocking the only escape route. Check for Surprise.
  The dragon isn’t just a statue—it’s a magically ani-
  mated simulacrum, placed here to prevent tomb robbers 
  from looting the treasure. The creature’s serpentine body 
  is impervious to all weapons. Its only vulnerable spot is 
  the inside of its mouth, which isn’t armored. Don’t tell 
  the characters this, though. They’ll have to learn how to 
  harm the beast through trial and error. Proceed to Scene 
  2 the instant the dragon is Incapacitated.
  The central tomb measures 15” by 15”. A single exit, 
  currently blocked, lies in the southern wall. Lifting the 
  portcullis requires a Strength roll at –4, but may be tried 
  as a Cooperative roll. It leads to another chamber similar 
  in size to the current one, but without any columns.
  Five stone columns, each 1” wide, support the ceiling. 
  These form the points of a pentagon in the center of the 
  room around a circle the size of a large Burst Template. 
  Each column is marked with a glyph representing one of 
  the ﬁ ve Chinese elements—metal, wood, water, ﬁ re, and 
  earth. The GM must determine in advance which column 
  bears which marking. Hiding behind one provides Heavy 
  Cover from the stone dragon’s breath.
  The columns are trapped, however, and actuate at the 
  same time the statue animates. Whenever a living char-
  acter draws a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, 
  one of the glyphs is triggered. Have the player roll a d10 
  and consult the table below to see which glyph glows. 
  Duplicate rolls require affected heroes to make a second 
  roll to avoid the effects.
  Each effect ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template centered on 
  the appropriate column. In all cases, characters within 
  the template must make the appropriate Trait roll as a 
  free action or suffer the effects. Heroes who enter the 
  template after it is placed must also roll to avoid the 
  effect. The traps are magical, and heroes with Arcane 
  Resistance gain +2 to their rolls.
  Events occur at the start of the round, before actions 
  begin, and last until the end of the round. The dragon is 
  immune to all effects.
  d10 
  Element Effect
  1–2 
  Metal 
  The stone magnetizes for the round. 
  All affected characters who fail a Vigor (–2) roll 
  have their weapons, and any other metallic ob-
  jects, ripped from their hands, belts and packs. 
  The objects then adhere to the column. Success 
  allows the hero to maintain his grip and/or 
  secure any affected items, but he suffers a –1 
  to attack rolls so long as he remains within the 
  template. On his turn, a hero may, if adjacent 
  to the column, try to pull the objects free. This 
  requires a Strength roll as an action.
  3–4 
  Wood 
  A failed Smarts (–2) roll means the 
  victim suffers hallucinations and confusing 
  mental images. He is Shaken. On his turn, he 
  may try to remove this condition with a Smarts 
  (not Spirit) roll as an action.
  5–6 
  Water 
  On a failed Spirit (–2), the adventur-
  er’s movements become slow and languid, as if 
  he is moving through water. He suffers a multi 
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  3
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) to Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 95 XP.
  The GM also needs 20 marker stones(with ﬁ ve of a 
  different color) and the pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT 1: THE QUEST BEGINS
  ACT 1: THE QUEST BEGINS
  The heroes have been hired by the Shanghai Museum 
  to recover Chinese artifacts from a tomb close to the 
  border with the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo to 
  prevent the invaders from looting China’s heritage.
  SCENE 1: THE DRAGON AWAKENS
  SCENE 1: THE DRAGON AWAKENS
  With the former Chinese province of Manchuria 
  in Japanese hands, the Chinese government has 
  taken to emptying tombs and temples near the 
  border in order of safeguard the country’s cul-
  tural heritage. Thanks to your world-renowned 
  work with the Boston Museum, you’ve been hired 
  to clear a subterranean, hillside tomb belonging 
  to a 17th century prince and return any artifacts 
  to Shanghai.
  After several weeks of exploration, the seaplane is 
  loaded with a decent haul, but now you’re after 
  the inner sanctum! Navigating the labyrinth of 
  passages and avoiding the ﬁ endish traps, you ﬁ -
  nally reach the core, a large hall supported by ﬁ ve 
  columns. Each column is engraved with a glyph 
  representing each of the ﬁ ve Chinese elements.
  On the far side of the chamber is a coiled stone 
  dragon. In its open maw sits a jade disc, about 
  two inches in diameter.
  The disc is inscribed with Chinese pictograms, which 
  read, “Winter Mountain. Taken from Oshiro, never to 
  taste blood again.”
  As soon as the jade talisman is removed from the drag-
  on’s mouth, its jaws snap shut and its eyelids withdraw 
  to reveal painted eyeballs. A heavy, metal portcullis clangs 
  shut, blocking the only escape route. Check for Surprise.
  The dragon isn’t just a statue—it’s a magically ani-
  mated simulacrum, placed here to prevent tomb robbers 
  from looting the treasure. The creature’s serpentine body 
  is impervious to all weapons. Its only vulnerable spot is 
  the inside of its mouth, which isn’t armored. Don’t tell 
  the characters this, though. They’ll have to learn how to 
  harm the beast through trial and error. Proceed to Scene 
  2 the instant the dragon is Incapacitated.
  The central tomb measures 15” by 15”. A single exit, 
  currently blocked, lies in the southern wall. Lifting the 
  portcullis requires a Strength roll at –4, but may be tried 
  as a Cooperative roll. It leads to another chamber similar 
  in size to the current one, but without any columns.
  Five stone columns, each 1” wide, support the ceiling. 
  These form the points of a pentagon in the center of the 
  room around a circle the size of a large Burst Template. 
  Each column is marked with a glyph representing one of 
  the ﬁ ve Chinese elements—metal, wood, water, ﬁ re, and 
  earth. The GM must determine in advance which column 
  bears which marking. Hiding behind one provides Heavy 
  Cover from the stone dragon’s breath.
  The columns are trapped, however, and actuate at the 
  same time the statue animates. Whenever a living char-
  acter draws a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, 
  one of the glyphs is triggered. Have the player roll a d10 
  and consult the table below to see which glyph glows. 
  Duplicate rolls require affected heroes to make a second 
  roll to avoid the effects.
  Each effect ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template centered on 
  the appropriate column. In all cases, characters within 
  the template must make the appropriate Trait roll as a 
  free action or suffer the effects. Heroes who enter the 
  template after it is placed must also roll to avoid the 
  effect. The traps are magical, and heroes with Arcane 
  Resistance gain +2 to their rolls.
  Events occur at the start of the round, before actions 
  begin, and last until the end of the round. The dragon is 
  immune to all effects.
  d10 
  Element Effect
  1–2 
  Metal 
  The stone magnetizes for the round. 
  All affected characters who fail a Vigor (–2) roll 
  have their weapons, and any other metallic ob-
  jects, ripped from their hands, belts and packs. 
  The objects then adhere to the column. Success 
  allows the hero to maintain his grip and/or 
  secure any affected items, but he suffers a –1 
  to attack rolls so long as he remains within the 
  template. On his turn, a hero may, if adjacent 
  to the column, try to pull the objects free. This 
  requires a Strength roll as an action.
  3–4 
  Wood 
  A failed Smarts (–2) roll means the 
  victim suffers hallucinations and confusing 
  mental images. He is Shaken. On his turn, he 
  may try to remove this condition with a Smarts 
  (not Spirit) roll as an action.
  5–6 
  Water 
  On a failed Spirit (–2), the adventur-
  er’s movements become slow and languid, as if 
  he is moving through water. He suffers a multi 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  4
  action penalty to all rolls this round and treats 
  movement as if through difﬁ cult ground.
  7–8 
  Fire 
  Jets of ﬁ re shoot out from the 
  column. All heroes within the template who fail 
  an Agility (–2) roll suffer 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) and have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  9–10 
  Earth 
  The stone ﬂ ows over the character’s 
  feet, pinning him in place. A failed Strength (–2) 
  roll means the character cannot move his feet. 
  Any Agility rolls, such as trying to perform a 
  Trick or avoiding the dragon’s breath, suffer an 
  additional –2 penalty while he is held fast. On 
  his turn, he may try to break free by making a 
  Strength roll as an action.
  (M) Stone Dragon: See page 19.
  SCENE 2: BAD ACID
  SCENE 2: BAD ACID
  Immediately after the dragon is Incapacitated it 
  crumbles to dust. Its “stomach” contents, a large quan-
  tity of salt crystals, begin reacting violently with the air. A 
  huge, billowing cloud of acrid, yellow gas quickly begins 
  to ﬁ ll the room. Everything it touches starts hissing and 
  dissolving!
  Deal action cards to the heroes.
  In order to escape the chamber, the characters must 
  ﬁ rst open the portcullis (if they haven’t done so already). 
  As noted above, this requires a Strength roll at –4, but 
  can be attempted as a Cooperative roll with adjacent al-
  lies. If the characters haven’t escaped by the end of the 
  second round, they each suffer 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra). However, the portcullis rots away by that time, 
  leaving the passageway open.
  Once the portcullis is removed, the escape uses a vari-
  ant of the Chase rules. Place ten markers on the tabletop 
  to represent the route out of the tomb. Each round, the 
  heroes make an Agility roll to move along the markers. 
  When they pass beyond the ﬁ nal one, they escape. Char-
  acters can Push as normal for extra distance.
  Once a hero reaches the fourth marker from the end, 
  he sees a huge stone block sliding down over the tomb 
  entrance! It seals the characters inside the tunnel, and 
  guarantees a horrible death after four more rounds.
  The gas has an Agility die of d10, but doesn’t roll to 
  move along the track until the third round begins. If the 
  characters succeed in opening the portcullis quickly, 
  they can secure a good lead. The cloud can’t Push, ei-
  ther. Success moves the gas one marker, and a raise two 
  markers. Use a token to represent the cloud.
  If the cloud ends up on the same marker as a hero or 
  moves ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d10 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round. This 
  rule exists to make the action cinematic—not reduce the 
  heroes to a sizzling mass of dissolved ﬂ esh. Any character 
  who falls unconscious while within the gas is subject to 
  a Finishing Move at the end of the next round unless he 
  is dragged clear. The characters are Legendary—the risks 
  are far greater now.
  Example: The party manages to lift the portcullis 
  on the ﬁ rst round. They then begin running! Brent ends 
  the second round on the ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a 
  success on his Agility die). Next round, the third since 
  the scene began, the cloud enters play. Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. 
  The gas rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing 
  it level with Brent. He suffers 2d10 damage when the 
  round ends.
  Next round, the gas draws a higher action card but 
  rolls a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead 
  of the yellow plume, emerging from the stinking cloud 
  with his clothes reduced to rags. Since he’s ahead of the 
  acid at the end of the round, he takes no damage.
  SCENE 3: GOT A CRUSH ON YOU
  SCENE 3: GOT A CRUSH ON YOU
  Your lungs bursting from the exertion, you leap 
  clear of the tomb entrance. Behind you, you hear 
  the stone block slam into place. Sighs of relief are 
  quickly cut short, for looking up you see the legs 
  of a dozen or more men. Straining to look higher, 
  you see the men are Japanese soldiers. Each has a 
  riﬂ e pointed at you!
  An ofﬁ cer, a senior one judging by his uniform, 
  steps forward. “I am General Oshiro Takeo.” The 
  man’s English is ﬂ awless. “Hand over the jade 
  talisman, gaijin scum, or you will be executed on 
  the spot!” He looks deadly serious.
  Far below, at the bottom of the steep hill into 
  which the tomb was built, you can see your sea-
  plane, parked on the shore of the lake. A truck full 
  of Japanese soldiers is approaching. Without that 
  plane, you’re going to be trapped in the Chinese 
  hinterlands!
  Oshiro isn’t interested in attempts at opening a 
  dialogue, nor does he appreciate attempts to bluff him. 
  While he’d rather not have to execute the foreigners, 
  he’s quite prepared to do so if pushed. He ﬁ gures he can 
  blame the heroes’ deaths on Chinese bandits.
  Hopefully after completing previous missions, the 
  characters are wise to the fact that surrender may be the 
  smartest option. However, they are free to start a ﬁ ght. 
  Group mentality and the number of wounds they have 
  suffered are likely to be the deciding factors. The terrain 
  is steep and counts as difﬁ cult ground. Oshiro, like any 
  villain introduced early, cannot die here. The Recurring 
  Villains rule ensures his survival. If he escapes, his last act 
  is to cause an avalanche (see below).
  If the adventurers prevaricate, Oshiro orders his men 
  to shoot one hero. Pick one at random and make a single 
  Shooting roll. Further refusals to cooperate are met with 
  a volley of ﬁ re from the entire squad, spread equally 
  among the group. The Japanese continue ﬁ ring until the 
  characters surrender the talisman.
  Once he has the jade token, Oshiro holds it up high. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  4
  action penalty to all rolls this round and treats 
  movement as if through difﬁ cult ground.
  7–8 
  Fire 
  Jets of ﬁ re shoot out from the 
  column. All heroes within the template who fail 
  an Agility (–2) roll suffer 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) and have a chance of catching ﬁ re.
  9–10 
  Earth 
  The stone ﬂ ows over the character’s 
  feet, pinning him in place. A failed Strength (–2) 
  roll means the character cannot move his feet. 
  Any Agility rolls, such as trying to perform a 
  Trick or avoiding the dragon’s breath, suffer an 
  additional –2 penalty while he is held fast. On 
  his turn, he may try to break free by making a 
  Strength roll as an action.
  (M) Stone Dragon: See page 19.
  SCENE 2: BAD ACID
  SCENE 2: BAD ACID
  Immediately after the dragon is Incapacitated it 
  crumbles to dust. Its “stomach” contents, a large quan-
  tity of salt crystals, begin reacting violently with the air. A 
  huge, billowing cloud of acrid, yellow gas quickly begins 
  to ﬁ ll the room. Everything it touches starts hissing and 
  dissolving!
  Deal action cards to the heroes.
  In order to escape the chamber, the characters must 
  ﬁ rst open the portcullis (if they haven’t done so already). 
  As noted above, this requires a Strength roll at –4, but 
  can be attempted as a Cooperative roll with adjacent al-
  lies. If the characters haven’t escaped by the end of the 
  second round, they each suffer 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra). However, the portcullis rots away by that time, 
  leaving the passageway open.
  Once the portcullis is removed, the escape uses a vari-
  ant of the Chase rules. Place ten markers on the tabletop 
  to represent the route out of the tomb. Each round, the 
  heroes make an Agility roll to move along the markers. 
  When they pass beyond the ﬁ nal one, they escape. Char-
  acters can Push as normal for extra distance.
  Once a hero reaches the fourth marker from the end, 
  he sees a huge stone block sliding down over the tomb 
  entrance! It seals the characters inside the tunnel, and 
  guarantees a horrible death after four more rounds.
  The gas has an Agility die of d10, but doesn’t roll to 
  move along the track until the third round begins. If the 
  characters succeed in opening the portcullis quickly, 
  they can secure a good lead. The cloud can’t Push, ei-
  ther. Success moves the gas one marker, and a raise two 
  markers. Use a token to represent the cloud.
  If the cloud ends up on the same marker as a hero or 
  moves ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d10 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round. This 
  rule exists to make the action cinematic—not reduce the 
  heroes to a sizzling mass of dissolved ﬂ esh. Any character 
  who falls unconscious while within the gas is subject to 
  a Finishing Move at the end of the next round unless he 
  is dragged clear. The characters are Legendary—the risks 
  are far greater now.
  Example: The party manages to lift the portcullis 
  on the ﬁ rst round. They then begin running! Brent ends 
  the second round on the ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a 
  success on his Agility die). Next round, the third since 
  the scene began, the cloud enters play. Brent wins the 
  initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no distance. 
  The gas rolls a 5, and moves one position, bringing 
  it level with Brent. He suffers 2d10 damage when the 
  round ends.
  Next round, the gas draws a higher action card but 
  rolls a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead 
  of the yellow plume, emerging from the stinking cloud 
  with his clothes reduced to rags. Since he’s ahead of the 
  acid at the end of the round, he takes no damage.
  SCENE 3: GOT A CRUSH ON YOU
  SCENE 3: GOT A CRUSH ON YOU
  Your lungs bursting from the exertion, you leap 
  clear of the tomb entrance. Behind you, you hear 
  the stone block slam into place. Sighs of relief are 
  quickly cut short, for looking up you see the legs 
  of a dozen or more men. Straining to look higher, 
  you see the men are Japanese soldiers. Each has a 
  riﬂ e pointed at you!
  An ofﬁ cer, a senior one judging by his uniform, 
  steps forward. “I am General Oshiro Takeo.” The 
  man’s English is ﬂ awless. “Hand over the jade 
  talisman, gaijin scum, or you will be executed on 
  the spot!” He looks deadly serious.
  Far below, at the bottom of the steep hill into 
  which the tomb was built, you can see your sea-
  plane, parked on the shore of the lake. A truck full 
  of Japanese soldiers is approaching. Without that 
  plane, you’re going to be trapped in the Chinese 
  hinterlands!
  Oshiro isn’t interested in attempts at opening a 
  dialogue, nor does he appreciate attempts to bluff him. 
  While he’d rather not have to execute the foreigners, 
  he’s quite prepared to do so if pushed. He ﬁ gures he can 
  blame the heroes’ deaths on Chinese bandits.
  Hopefully after completing previous missions, the 
  characters are wise to the fact that surrender may be the 
  smartest option. However, they are free to start a ﬁ ght. 
  Group mentality and the number of wounds they have 
  suffered are likely to be the deciding factors. The terrain 
  is steep and counts as difﬁ cult ground. Oshiro, like any 
  villain introduced early, cannot die here. The Recurring 
  Villains rule ensures his survival. If he escapes, his last act 
  is to cause an avalanche (see below).
  If the adventurers prevaricate, Oshiro orders his men 
  to shoot one hero. Pick one at random and make a single 
  Shooting roll. Further refusals to cooperate are met with 
  a volley of ﬁ re from the entire squad, spread equally 
  among the group. The Japanese continue ﬁ ring until the 
  characters surrender the talisman.
  Once he has the jade token, Oshiro holds it up high. 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  5
  His men drop to their knees, their heads touching the 
  ground.
  “At last!” Oshiro shouts. “Winter Mountain shall 
  soon be in the hands of its rightful master, and a 
  new era of samurai rule will begin!”
  The soldiers and Oshiro are paying absolutely no at-
  tention to the characters. This is their chance to escape. 
  If they haven’t yet realized this, Oshiro turns back to 
  them and tells them they are free to leave, but should do 
  so quickly before he changes his mind.
  Oshiro has no intention of actually letting the charac-
  ters go. While he could have had them shot and blamed 
  bandits, he prefers a more subtle approach. Thinking 
  quickly, he intends to have them killed in an “unfortu-
  nate accident.”
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (2): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
  AVALANCHE!
  AVALANCHE!
  Whether the adventurers make a break for it of their 
  own accord, make their way down the hill on Oshiro’s 
  orders, or defeat Oshiro in a ﬁ ght, they hear the sound 
  of an exploding grenade a few moments later. Glanc-
  ing back, they see that the Japanese have destroyed the 
  wooden supports holding back a massive pile of boul-
  ders and debris excavated from the tomb entrance. It 
  begins tumbling down the mountainside, gaining speed 
  all the time.
  Run the scene as a Chase using our alternate Obstacles 
  rules. Instead of being open-ended, place ten markers 
  on the tabletop, just like the scene above. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 10”. Because the characters have a 
  lower base Range Increment (1”), their Agility rolls suffer 
  a –2 penalty. Flying characters have –2 to their Piloting 
  roll if they activate their power with 3 Power Points, and 
  –1 if they use six Power Points.
  The characters have one round of movement (which 
  requires an Agility roll). The stones draw a card and be-
  gin moving on the second round.
  The avalanche has an Agility die of d10, but can’t 
  Push. Success moves the rubble one marker, and a raise 
  two markers. Use a token to represent the debris. If the 
  rubble ends up on the same marker as a hero or moves 
  ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) at the end of the current round.
  At the start of each round thereafter, the character 
  must make an Agility roll. With success, he receives a 
  card as normal. A failure results in him being carried 
  forward one Range Increment by the avalanche and suf-
  fering 2d10 damage. Incapacitated characters are auto-
  matically carried forward with the stones. Keep rolling 
  for damage—heroes still use the Incapacitation Table, 
  albeit for nonlethal wounds, and a character could end 
  up unconscious for quite a few hours.
  Example: Jimmy gets caught by the avalanche and 
  suffers 2d10 damage. The next round, he makes his Agil-
  ity roll and draws a higher card than the avalanche. 
  He scrabbles clear and regains his footing! However, his 
  roll for movement is a failure, whereas the avalanche 
  rolls a raise! Jimmy is again swept up in the avalanche 
  at the end of the round. He moves forward two markers 
  along with the boulders and takes another 2d10 dam-
  age.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Flying characters are unaffected by all the events 
  except for those resulting from a Jack. When they draw 
  a Club of any other value, they are buffeted by strong 
  winds. The same penalty as the card value applies. A 
  failure works as normal.
  If the character wants to ﬂ y above the avalanche (a 
  non-pulp thing to do), roll three d6 each round. Any die 
  that comes up 1 means the character has been shot by 
  Japanese soldiers and suffers 2d8 damage.
  Deuce (–4) Chasm: A large crack in the ground 
  blocks the hero’s route. He can try to jump it or go 
  around. The avalanche quickly ﬁ lls the chasm and rubble 
  rolls over the top. It automatically drops back one Range 
  Increment.
  If he tries to jump, he uses Strength instead of Agility 
  this round. However, he can advance no farther than one 
  marker. A failed roll leaves the character clinging by his 
  ﬁ ngertips from the far edge. Each round he must make 
  a Strength roll as an action to haul himself free. Until he 
  does so, he cannot make Agility rolls to gain distance.
  Running requires an Agility roll at –4. Any failure 
  means the character was forced to take a long detour. He 
  drops back one Range Increment.
  Three to Seven (–2) Steep Hill: The character is 
  running down a particularly steep slope. The avalanche 
  ignores this card and rolls as normal.
  If the Agility roll succeeds, he moves an additional 
  Range Increment. This stacks with Push, but so does the 
  penalty. Any failure means he has lost his footing and 
  fallen. Next round he suffers a –2 Agility roll penalty as 
  he tries to regain his footing.
  Eight to Ten (–2) Loose Stones: The character is 
  running over loose stones, which slip and slide beneath 
  his feet. The avalanche ignores this card and rolls as 
  normal.
  A failed Agility roll causes the hero to fall. Next round 
  he suffers a –2 Agility roll penalty as he tries to regain 
  his footing.
  Jack (–2) Trees: The character runs into a small 
  clump of trees. Any failure results in his slamming into a 
  tree. He is Shaken. The avalanche suffers no ill effects for 
  failing its roll beyond making no movement (as the trees 
  temporarily slow its advance before snapping).
  Queen (–2) Sudden Drop: The path the hero chose 
  leads him to a vertical drop of several hundred feet, forc-
  ing him to quickly locate an alternate route. Any failure 
  simply results in no increase in distance due to the de-
  lay.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  5
  His men drop to their knees, their heads touching the 
  ground.
  “At last!” Oshiro shouts. “Winter Mountain shall 
  soon be in the hands of its rightful master, and a 
  new era of samurai rule will begin!”
  The soldiers and Oshiro are paying absolutely no at-
  tention to the characters. This is their chance to escape. 
  If they haven’t yet realized this, Oshiro turns back to 
  them and tells them they are free to leave, but should do 
  so quickly before he changes his mind.
  Oshiro has no intention of actually letting the charac-
  ters go. While he could have had them shot and blamed 
  bandits, he prefers a more subtle approach. Thinking 
  quickly, he intends to have them killed in an “unfortu-
  nate accident.”
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (2): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
  AVALANCHE!
  AVALANCHE!
  Whether the adventurers make a break for it of their 
  own accord, make their way down the hill on Oshiro’s 
  orders, or defeat Oshiro in a ﬁ ght, they hear the sound 
  of an exploding grenade a few moments later. Glanc-
  ing back, they see that the Japanese have destroyed the 
  wooden supports holding back a massive pile of boul-
  ders and debris excavated from the tomb entrance. It 
  begins tumbling down the mountainside, gaining speed 
  all the time.
  Run the scene as a Chase using our alternate Obstacles 
  rules. Instead of being open-ended, place ten markers 
  on the tabletop, just like the scene above. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 10”. Because the characters have a 
  lower base Range Increment (1”), their Agility rolls suffer 
  a –2 penalty. Flying characters have –2 to their Piloting 
  roll if they activate their power with 3 Power Points, and 
  –1 if they use six Power Points.
  The characters have one round of movement (which 
  requires an Agility roll). The stones draw a card and be-
  gin moving on the second round.
  The avalanche has an Agility die of d10, but can’t 
  Push. Success moves the rubble one marker, and a raise 
  two markers. Use a token to represent the debris. If the 
  rubble ends up on the same marker as a hero or moves 
  ahead of him, the explorer suffers 2d10 damage (from an 
  Extra) at the end of the current round.
  At the start of each round thereafter, the character 
  must make an Agility roll. With success, he receives a 
  card as normal. A failure results in him being carried 
  forward one Range Increment by the avalanche and suf-
  fering 2d10 damage. Incapacitated characters are auto-
  matically carried forward with the stones. Keep rolling 
  for damage—heroes still use the Incapacitation Table, 
  albeit for nonlethal wounds, and a character could end 
  up unconscious for quite a few hours.
  Example: Jimmy gets caught by the avalanche and 
  suffers 2d10 damage. The next round, he makes his Agil-
  ity roll and draws a higher card than the avalanche. 
  He scrabbles clear and regains his footing! However, his 
  roll for movement is a failure, whereas the avalanche 
  rolls a raise! Jimmy is again swept up in the avalanche 
  at the end of the round. He moves forward two markers 
  along with the boulders and takes another 2d10 dam-
  age.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Flying characters are unaffected by all the events 
  except for those resulting from a Jack. When they draw 
  a Club of any other value, they are buffeted by strong 
  winds. The same penalty as the card value applies. A 
  failure works as normal.
  If the character wants to ﬂ y above the avalanche (a 
  non-pulp thing to do), roll three d6 each round. Any die 
  that comes up 1 means the character has been shot by 
  Japanese soldiers and suffers 2d8 damage.
  Deuce (–4) Chasm: A large crack in the ground 
  blocks the hero’s route. He can try to jump it or go 
  around. The avalanche quickly ﬁ lls the chasm and rubble 
  rolls over the top. It automatically drops back one Range 
  Increment.
  If he tries to jump, he uses Strength instead of Agility 
  this round. However, he can advance no farther than one 
  marker. A failed roll leaves the character clinging by his 
  ﬁ ngertips from the far edge. Each round he must make 
  a Strength roll as an action to haul himself free. Until he 
  does so, he cannot make Agility rolls to gain distance.
  Running requires an Agility roll at –4. Any failure 
  means the character was forced to take a long detour. He 
  drops back one Range Increment.
  Three to Seven (–2) Steep Hill: The character is 
  running down a particularly steep slope. The avalanche 
  ignores this card and rolls as normal.
  If the Agility roll succeeds, he moves an additional 
  Range Increment. This stacks with Push, but so does the 
  penalty. Any failure means he has lost his footing and 
  fallen. Next round he suffers a –2 Agility roll penalty as 
  he tries to regain his footing.
  Eight to Ten (–2) Loose Stones: The character is 
  running over loose stones, which slip and slide beneath 
  his feet. The avalanche ignores this card and rolls as 
  normal.
  A failed Agility roll causes the hero to fall. Next round 
  he suffers a –2 Agility roll penalty as he tries to regain 
  his footing.
  Jack (–2) Trees: The character runs into a small 
  clump of trees. Any failure results in his slamming into a 
  tree. He is Shaken. The avalanche suffers no ill effects for 
  failing its roll beyond making no movement (as the trees 
  temporarily slow its advance before snapping).
  Queen (–2) Sudden Drop: The path the hero chose 
  leads him to a vertical drop of several hundred feet, forc-
  ing him to quickly locate an alternate route. Any failure 
  simply results in no increase in distance due to the de-
  lay.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  6
  If the avalanche draws this card, part of it clatters over 
  the precipice. From here on, the damage it inﬂ icts is re-
  duced one die type (2d10 becomes 2d8, 2d8 reduces to 
  2d6, and so on), to a minimum of d4.
  King (–1) Boulders: The adventurer must dodge and 
  weave between boulders. Any failure results in his slam-
  ming into a rock. He is Shaken.
  If the avalanche draws this card, it knocks the boul-
  ders forward. From here on, the damage it inﬂ icts is 
  increased one die type or by +2 each step above 2d12 
  (2d10 becomes 2d12, 2d12 increases to 2d12+2, and so 
  on). There is no maximum.
  Ace (0) Stampede: A ﬂ ock of goats, panicked by the 
  avalanche, runs across the character’s path. A failed roll 
  causes him to fall over a goat. Next round he suffers a 
  –2 Agility roll penalty as he tries to regain his feet. The 
  avalanche ignores this card as it pummels the goats and 
  sweeps them forward.
  SCENE 4: TAKE TO THE SKIES
  SCENE 4: TAKE TO THE SKIES
  On moving beyond the 10th marker, the charac-
  ters reach the lakeshore at the bottom of the hill. The 
  avalanche splashes noisily and harmlessly into the 
  water,but the characters aren’t safe yet! A squad of 
  Japanese soldiers has arrived on the scene. Their orders 
  were initially to seize the seaplane the party used to 
  reach the tomb, but now they are intent on gunning 
  down the escapees.
  The battleﬁ eld measures 24” long and 12” wide. This 
  marks the extent of the shore. The seaplane is moored 
  10” out on the water on the opposite end from where 
  the characters enter. Movement through the water is dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. Large boulders and trees (each 1” wide) 
  dot the landscape. The Japanese begin at the opposite 
  end of the battleﬁ eld to the characters.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (2 + 1 per hero): See page 
  20.
  ACT 2: SHANGHAI
  ACT 2: SHANGHAI
  The characters’ orders were to return any artifacts to 
  the Shanghai Museum. Although they have (probably) 
  lost the jade talisman, they still have a decent collection 
  of other pieces to hand over. Mister Chang, their contact, 
  gratefully accepts the ﬁ nds on behalf of the Museum, and 
  then invites the heroes to a gala dinner that evening in 
  the Museum to mark the recovery of the artifacts.
  If the name “Winter Mountain” is mentioned, Chang 
  blanches. He promises to tell the characters more at din-
  ner. No amount of cajoling can convince him to speak 
  of the matter until then. He then quickly makes excuses 
  and departs.
  No one in Shanghai can do much about the presence 
  of the Japanese soldiers, nor their attempts to kill the 
  party, though diplomatic complaints are sent to Tokyo. A 
  successful Streetwise roll reveals that General Oshiro is 
  widely regarded as a brutal butcher. He has been respon-
  sible for several massacres in recent months.
  GM Note: Scenes 2 through 4 form one continuous 
  chase, though in three different styles. In the ﬁ rst, the he-
  roes are chasing ninja over the rooftops. The second sees 
  them trying to outrun Japanese bombs either on foot or 
  in a car. Finally, they must take to the air to escape the 
  city. Keep the pace relentless!
  SCENE 1: THE MEN IN BLACK
  SCENE 1: THE MEN IN BLACK
  The gala dinner is attended by government ofﬁ cials 
  and wealthy citizens of Shanghai. It’s an extremely for-
  mal event, so women are required to don dresses and 
  men to wear tuxedoes. This makes the covert carrying 
  of ﬁ rearms difﬁ cult, not to mention downright rude. 
  Any hero trying to smuggle in a weapon of pistol size or 
  smaller must make a Stealth roll at –2. Larger weapons 
  are automatically detected. Conﬁ scated gear is placed in 
  the foyer.
  The central gallery has been laid out with long din-
  ing tables. At the far end are the recovered pieces. Nu-
  merous displays of ancient armor and weapons adorn 
  the walls.
  The dinner begins with a series of speeches thanking 
  the characters for their assistance and praising their ef-
  forts. Negative comments about the Japanese are duly 
  inserted, but kept low key to avoid antagonizing their 
  neighbors. As the actual meal begins, Chang, who is 
  seated nearby, tells the characters what he knows.
  “Winter Mountain,” Chang whispers conspiratori-
  ally, “is the name of a katana, a Japanese sword. 
  It was forged by the master weaponsmith Mu-
  ramasa. Legends say he was crazy, and that his 
  personality was folded into every blade he made. 
  According to ancient records, Winter Mountain 
  belonged to a samurai who took part in the inva-
  sion of Korea in the 16th century. He was killed 
  and his blade taken as a trophy.
  “But no one could wield it without being com-
  pelled to commit terrible bloodshed. It moved 
  from owner to owner, before eventually ending 
  up somewhere in China. No one knows where it 
  is located. Some say it is the last Muramasa blade 
  in existence. A ﬁ nd from Tibet may be of interest 
  to you. Please wait one moment.”
  Chang quickly scurries off to the far end of the 
  galley, returning a few minutes later with a long, 
  ﬂ at case. “This case was handed in by a Buddhist 
  monk about a century ago. Notice the markings 
  on it are Japanese kanji.”
  The case is marked with the same symbols as the jade 
  talisman. The case is empty, but before the characters 
  get the chance to discover this, the skylights above their 
  head smash inward, showering them in glass. Rapidly 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  6
  If the avalanche draws this card, part of it clatters over 
  the precipice. From here on, the damage it inﬂ icts is re-
  duced one die type (2d10 becomes 2d8, 2d8 reduces to 
  2d6, and so on), to a minimum of d4.
  King (–1) Boulders: The adventurer must dodge and 
  weave between boulders. Any failure results in his slam-
  ming into a rock. He is Shaken.
  If the avalanche draws this card, it knocks the boul-
  ders forward. From here on, the damage it inﬂ icts is 
  increased one die type or by +2 each step above 2d12 
  (2d10 becomes 2d12, 2d12 increases to 2d12+2, and so 
  on). There is no maximum.
  Ace (0) Stampede: A ﬂ ock of goats, panicked by the 
  avalanche, runs across the character’s path. A failed roll 
  causes him to fall over a goat. Next round he suffers a 
  –2 Agility roll penalty as he tries to regain his feet. The 
  avalanche ignores this card as it pummels the goats and 
  sweeps them forward.
  SCENE 4: TAKE TO THE SKIES
  SCENE 4: TAKE TO THE SKIES
  On moving beyond the 10th marker, the charac-
  ters reach the lakeshore at the bottom of the hill. The 
  avalanche splashes noisily and harmlessly into the 
  water,but the characters aren’t safe yet! A squad of 
  Japanese soldiers has arrived on the scene. Their orders 
  were initially to seize the seaplane the party used to 
  reach the tomb, but now they are intent on gunning 
  down the escapees.
  The battleﬁ eld measures 24” long and 12” wide. This 
  marks the extent of the shore. The seaplane is moored 
  10” out on the water on the opposite end from where 
  the characters enter. Movement through the water is dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. Large boulders and trees (each 1” wide) 
  dot the landscape. The Japanese begin at the opposite 
  end of the battleﬁ eld to the characters.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cer (1): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (2 + 1 per hero): See page 
  20.
  ACT 2: SHANGHAI
  ACT 2: SHANGHAI
  The characters’ orders were to return any artifacts to 
  the Shanghai Museum. Although they have (probably) 
  lost the jade talisman, they still have a decent collection 
  of other pieces to hand over. Mister Chang, their contact, 
  gratefully accepts the ﬁ nds on behalf of the Museum, and 
  then invites the heroes to a gala dinner that evening in 
  the Museum to mark the recovery of the artifacts.
  If the name “Winter Mountain” is mentioned, Chang 
  blanches. He promises to tell the characters more at din-
  ner. No amount of cajoling can convince him to speak 
  of the matter until then. He then quickly makes excuses 
  and departs.
  No one in Shanghai can do much about the presence 
  of the Japanese soldiers, nor their attempts to kill the 
  party, though diplomatic complaints are sent to Tokyo. A 
  successful Streetwise roll reveals that General Oshiro is 
  widely regarded as a brutal butcher. He has been respon-
  sible for several massacres in recent months.
  GM Note: Scenes 2 through 4 form one continuous 
  chase, though in three different styles. In the ﬁ rst, the he-
  roes are chasing ninja over the rooftops. The second sees 
  them trying to outrun Japanese bombs either on foot or 
  in a car. Finally, they must take to the air to escape the 
  city. Keep the pace relentless!
  SCENE 1: THE MEN IN BLACK
  SCENE 1: THE MEN IN BLACK
  The gala dinner is attended by government ofﬁ cials 
  and wealthy citizens of Shanghai. It’s an extremely for-
  mal event, so women are required to don dresses and 
  men to wear tuxedoes. This makes the covert carrying 
  of ﬁ rearms difﬁ cult, not to mention downright rude. 
  Any hero trying to smuggle in a weapon of pistol size or 
  smaller must make a Stealth roll at –2. Larger weapons 
  are automatically detected. Conﬁ scated gear is placed in 
  the foyer.
  The central gallery has been laid out with long din-
  ing tables. At the far end are the recovered pieces. Nu-
  merous displays of ancient armor and weapons adorn 
  the walls.
  The dinner begins with a series of speeches thanking 
  the characters for their assistance and praising their ef-
  forts. Negative comments about the Japanese are duly 
  inserted, but kept low key to avoid antagonizing their 
  neighbors. As the actual meal begins, Chang, who is 
  seated nearby, tells the characters what he knows.
  “Winter Mountain,” Chang whispers conspiratori-
  ally, “is the name of a katana, a Japanese sword. 
  It was forged by the master weaponsmith Mu-
  ramasa. Legends say he was crazy, and that his 
  personality was folded into every blade he made. 
  According to ancient records, Winter Mountain 
  belonged to a samurai who took part in the inva-
  sion of Korea in the 16th century. He was killed 
  and his blade taken as a trophy.
  “But no one could wield it without being com-
  pelled to commit terrible bloodshed. It moved 
  from owner to owner, before eventually ending 
  up somewhere in China. No one knows where it 
  is located. Some say it is the last Muramasa blade 
  in existence. A ﬁ nd from Tibet may be of interest 
  to you. Please wait one moment.”
  Chang quickly scurries off to the far end of the 
  galley, returning a few minutes later with a long, 
  ﬂ at case. “This case was handed in by a Buddhist 
  monk about a century ago. Notice the markings 
  on it are Japanese kanji.”
  The case is marked with the same symbols as the jade 
  talisman. The case is empty, but before the characters 
  get the chance to discover this, the skylights above their 
  head smash inward, showering them in glass. Rapidly 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  7
  abseiling down are a number of ﬁ gures clad entirely in 
  black.
  These are the Emperor’s ninja, sent to recover the 
  case, which they believe contains Winter Mountain. As 
  yet, the heroes know nothing about the Emperor’s in-
  volvement. All they know is that a Japanese ofﬁ cer wants 
  Winter Mountain and the ninja are Japanese. That being 
  said, they’ll think Oshiro hired the ninja.
  Deal action cards!
  The gallery is 18” long and 8” wide. Two rows of 
  tables, each 1” wide and spaced 3” apart, line the center 
  of the gallery. Movement through these is treated as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. The ninja begin 2” from the characters.
  The ninja are after the case. A ninja adjacent to the 
  case can grab it as a free action. He then immediately 
  rushes back to the ropes, drops a smoke grenade, and 
  begins climbing at a rate of 2” per round (aided by ninja 
  on the roof who haul him up). The roof is 4” above the 
  ceiling. Once he escapes, the other ninja try to ﬂ ee the 
  same way, using their grenades to cover their escape. 
  Ideally, the master ninja should grab the case. He can 
  then use the Recurring Villains rule to ensure he gets 
  away.
  The GM should ensure the case is 
  stolen. It’s likely the adventurers won’t 
  pay much attention to it once the ﬁ ght 
  begins. If one picks it up, grabbing it off 
  them is treated as a Disarm maneuver. 
  Once the ninja ﬂ ee with the case, Chang, 
  who was hiding under the table, cries 
  out, “After them! They must not ﬁ nd the 
  sword!”
  Note that while it is tempting to have 
  the ninja throw their grenades and grab 
  the case early in the ﬁ ght, the GM should 
  refrain from this course of action. This 
  scene is a great chance to evoke some cin-
  ematic ﬂ avor, with the characters battling 
  fearsome ninja, running across tables, 
  spinning martial arts weapons above their 
  heads, and so on.
  Whether armed or not, the characters 
  have access to a variety of weapons, as 
  detailed below. In all cases, picking up a 
  weapon requires a character to be adja-
  cent to the item and use an action (unless 
  he has Quick Draw).
  * The dining tables are covered in 
  glasses, bottles, and ﬁ ne china. These 
  breakable objects inﬂ ict Str+d4 dam-
  age, can be thrown 3/6/12, and shatter 
  after a single use. Cutlery inﬂ icts Strength 
  damage, but is more resilient. Grabbing 
  a carving knife allows a hero to cause 
  Str+d4 damage. 
  More lethal weapons can be gained by 
  moving adjacent to any wall and spend-
  ing an action to rip one from its mount-
  ing. Quick Draw is of no use here. Unless 
  a character is looking for a particular weapon, roll a d6 
  to see what is to hand.
  d6 
  Weapon
  1 
  Bisento: A Chinese halberd comprising a 
  curved blade attached to a long, wooden handle 
  (Str+d8, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  2 
  Butterﬂ y Sword: A sturdy short sword with 
  a cross guard to help parry blows and hook 
  an enemy’s weapon (Str+d6, +1 Parry, +2 to 
  Disarm maneuvers)
  3 
  Qiang: A spear (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 
  hands)
  4 
  Dao: A Chinese saber (Str+d6)
  5 
  Sanjiegun: A three-section staff. Each wooden 
  section is linked by a short length of chain. 
  Its ﬂ exibility allows it to circumvent shields 
  and other blocks when used two-handed. The 
  weapon can be used one-handed (Str+d4) or 
  two-handed (+1 Fighting, Str+d6, +1 Parry, 
  Reach 1)
  6 
  Maul: A long wooden shaft topped with a large 
  iron ball (Str+d8, Parry –1, 2 hands)
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  7
  abseiling down are a number of ﬁ gures clad entirely in 
  black.
  These are the Emperor’s ninja, sent to recover the 
  case, which they believe contains Winter Mountain. As 
  yet, the heroes know nothing about the Emperor’s in-
  volvement. All they know is that a Japanese ofﬁ cer wants 
  Winter Mountain and the ninja are Japanese. That being 
  said, they’ll think Oshiro hired the ninja.
  Deal action cards!
  The gallery is 18” long and 8” wide. Two rows of 
  tables, each 1” wide and spaced 3” apart, line the center 
  of the gallery. Movement through these is treated as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. The ninja begin 2” from the characters.
  The ninja are after the case. A ninja adjacent to the 
  case can grab it as a free action. He then immediately 
  rushes back to the ropes, drops a smoke grenade, and 
  begins climbing at a rate of 2” per round (aided by ninja 
  on the roof who haul him up). The roof is 4” above the 
  ceiling. Once he escapes, the other ninja try to ﬂ ee the 
  same way, using their grenades to cover their escape. 
  Ideally, the master ninja should grab the case. He can 
  then use the Recurring Villains rule to ensure he gets 
  away.
  The GM should ensure the case is 
  stolen. It’s likely the adventurers won’t 
  pay much attention to it once the ﬁ ght 
  begins. If one picks it up, grabbing it off 
  them is treated as a Disarm maneuver. 
  Once the ninja ﬂ ee with the case, Chang, 
  who was hiding under the table, cries 
  out, “After them! They must not ﬁ nd the 
  sword!”
  Note that while it is tempting to have 
  the ninja throw their grenades and grab 
  the case early in the ﬁ ght, the GM should 
  refrain from this course of action. This 
  scene is a great chance to evoke some cin-
  ematic ﬂ avor, with the characters battling 
  fearsome ninja, running across tables, 
  spinning martial arts weapons above their 
  heads, and so on.
  Whether armed or not, the characters 
  have access to a variety of weapons, as 
  detailed below. In all cases, picking up a 
  weapon requires a character to be adja-
  cent to the item and use an action (unless 
  he has Quick Draw).
  * The dining tables are covered in 
  glasses, bottles, and ﬁ ne china. These 
  breakable objects inﬂ ict Str+d4 dam-
  age, can be thrown 3/6/12, and shatter 
  after a single use. Cutlery inﬂ icts Strength 
  damage, but is more resilient. Grabbing 
  a carving knife allows a hero to cause 
  Str+d4 damage. 
  More lethal weapons can be gained by 
  moving adjacent to any wall and spend-
  ing an action to rip one from its mount-
  ing. Quick Draw is of no use here. Unless 
  a character is looking for a particular weapon, roll a d6 
  to see what is to hand.
  d6 
  Weapon
  1 
  Bisento: A Chinese halberd comprising a 
  curved blade attached to a long, wooden handle 
  (Str+d8, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  2 
  Butterﬂ y Sword: A sturdy short sword with 
  a cross guard to help parry blows and hook 
  an enemy’s weapon (Str+d6, +1 Parry, +2 to 
  Disarm maneuvers)
  3 
  Qiang: A spear (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 
  hands)
  4 
  Dao: A Chinese saber (Str+d6)
  5 
  Sanjiegun: A three-section staff. Each wooden 
  section is linked by a short length of chain. 
  Its ﬂ exibility allows it to circumvent shields 
  and other blocks when used two-handed. The 
  weapon can be used one-handed (Str+d4) or 
  two-handed (+1 Fighting, Str+d6, +1 Parry, 
  Reach 1)
  6 
  Maul: A long wooden shaft topped with a large 
  iron ball (Str+d8, Parry –1, 2 hands)
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  8
  Tablecloths, plates of food, glasses of wine, rugs and 
  tapestries pulled from the walls can all be used in Tricks. 
  Anything else which could reasonably be found in a mu-
  seum or at a banquet should also be present if a hero 
  requests it.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 2: RACE ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS
  SCENE 2: RACE ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS
  Hopefully the characters give chase to the ninja. A lad-
  der outside the gallery leads to the roof. Once there, the 
  adventurers spy the ninja leaping across the rooftops of 
  Shanghai.
  This scene is run as a Chase, using our alternate 
  Obstacles and Event Stages rules. The ninja begin 3 
  Range Increments ahead if the characters were quick to 
  give chase. Delaying to grab gear adds +1 Range Incre-
  ment. Waiting for Chang to beg the characters to give 
  chase, which he does if they ignore his ﬁ rst request, adds 
  another +1 Range Increment. Each Range Increment 
  equates to 5”.
  Divide the ninja into pairs for action card purposes.
  The ninja are armed with grenades and throwing 
  stars. Those nearest their pursuers use these weapons to 
  slow down the heroes. Remember to apply a multi action 
  penalty to Throwing rolls.
  It doesn’t matter whether the ninja escape or are cap-
  tured. They are resistant to interrogation and carry no 
  identiﬁ cation. All they have of interest is the sword case, 
  and it is irrelevant to the plot. The characters do have 
  the next clue regarding where they need to visit—Tibet. 
  Of course, they don’t know the case is empty when the 
  chase begins.
  Once the ninja escape or are caught, give the players 
  just one minute of real time to catch their breath or per-
  form any actions before launching into Scene 3. This is 
  enough time for any stragglers to rejoin their comrades.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja: See page 19. There are four ninja on the 
  roof, plus as many others as ﬂ ed the ﬁ ght in the mu-
  seum.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the characters run across Shanghai’s 
  rooftops. Space 20 markers in a line along the table to 
  present the rooftops. Place a different color marker for 
  the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th positions. These are 
  the Event Stages. If the chase progresses beyond the 20th 
  marker, just keep adding colored stones in every fourth 
  position.
  Move each participant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual is in rela-
  tion to the events.
  When a hero reaches a particular Stage he must deal 
  with the speciﬁ c event. These are detailed below. Unlike 
  Obstacles, these events affect all participants reaching 
  the marker equally.
  Unlike some of our other Event Stages, the events in 
  this chase are identical—a leap over an alleyway between 
  rows of buildings.
  Events: Requires a jump between buildings. The 
  character must make a Strength roll. If a character has 
  Pushed and his movement takes him through multiple 
  Event Stages, his Strength roll suffers multi action penal-
  ties as normal.
  Success either allows a character to continue moving 
  (if the event interrupted his movement) or to start the 
  next round by making a regular Agility roll (if the jump 
  occurred at the end of his movement for the round).
  With failure, he fails to clear the distance but manages 
  to grab the edge of the roof. He is left dangling over the 
  ground below. His movement for this round ends imme-
  diately. On subsequent rounds he must make a Strength 
  roll to drag himself onto the roof as an action. Until he 
  succeeds, he does not make an Agility roll.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Caltrops: The ninja, planning their es-
  cape in advance, have scattered caltrops on the roof. The 
  ninja are not immune to this—they have simply forgot-
  ten about them in the heat of the chase. Any failed Agility 
  roll causes the character to be Shaken, as the pointed 
  barbs puncture his feet.
  Three (–2) Broken Tile: The character’s foot hits 
  a cracked tile. Any failure means the runner’s foot 
  punches through the roof and becomes stuck. On 
  subsequent rounds, the hero must make an Agility or 
  Strength roll (his choice) as an action to pull his limb 
  clear. Until the roll succeeds, the hero can’t progress 
  in the chase.
  Four (–2) Loose Tiles: The tiles beneath the runner’s 
  feet crack and give way, causing him to slide toward the 
  edge of the roof. Any failed roll means the hero has slid 
  to the edge of the roof, where he is hanging by his ﬁ n-
  gertips. On subsequent rounds he must make a Strength 
  roll to drag himself onto the roof as an action. Until he 
  succeeds, he does not make an Agility roll.
  Five (–2) Slippery Tiles: The adventurer’s foot hits a 
  slippery tile. Any failed Agility roll causes him to fall. Next 
  round, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty as he regains 
  his footing.
  Six (–2) Chimneys: Low chimney stacks cause the 
  hero to weave and hurdle across the roof. Any failure 
  causes male characters to be Shaken as they smack their 
  unmentionables on the top of one.
  Seven (–2) Washing Line: The hero blunders into 
  a line of washing. Any failure results in him becoming 
  entangled. He is treated as being Shaken, but must use 
  Agility or Strength (his choice) to unShake.
  Eight (–2) Wire: A telephone line lies concealed on 
  the roof. Any failure means the character has tripped 
  over it. Next round, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty as 
  he regains his footing.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  8
  Tablecloths, plates of food, glasses of wine, rugs and 
  tapestries pulled from the walls can all be used in Tricks. 
  Anything else which could reasonably be found in a mu-
  seum or at a banquet should also be present if a hero 
  requests it.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 2: RACE ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS
  SCENE 2: RACE ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS
  Hopefully the characters give chase to the ninja. A lad-
  der outside the gallery leads to the roof. Once there, the 
  adventurers spy the ninja leaping across the rooftops of 
  Shanghai.
  This scene is run as a Chase, using our alternate 
  Obstacles and Event Stages rules. The ninja begin 3 
  Range Increments ahead if the characters were quick to 
  give chase. Delaying to grab gear adds +1 Range Incre-
  ment. Waiting for Chang to beg the characters to give 
  chase, which he does if they ignore his ﬁ rst request, adds 
  another +1 Range Increment. Each Range Increment 
  equates to 5”.
  Divide the ninja into pairs for action card purposes.
  The ninja are armed with grenades and throwing 
  stars. Those nearest their pursuers use these weapons to 
  slow down the heroes. Remember to apply a multi action 
  penalty to Throwing rolls.
  It doesn’t matter whether the ninja escape or are cap-
  tured. They are resistant to interrogation and carry no 
  identiﬁ cation. All they have of interest is the sword case, 
  and it is irrelevant to the plot. The characters do have 
  the next clue regarding where they need to visit—Tibet. 
  Of course, they don’t know the case is empty when the 
  chase begins.
  Once the ninja escape or are caught, give the players 
  just one minute of real time to catch their breath or per-
  form any actions before launching into Scene 3. This is 
  enough time for any stragglers to rejoin their comrades.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja: See page 19. There are four ninja on the 
  roof, plus as many others as ﬂ ed the ﬁ ght in the mu-
  seum.
  EVENT STAGES
  EVENT STAGES
  Unlike a regular Chase, this one has ﬁ xed encounters 
  along the route as the characters run across Shanghai’s 
  rooftops. Space 20 markers in a line along the table to 
  present the rooftops. Place a different color marker for 
  the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th positions. These are 
  the Event Stages. If the chase progresses beyond the 20th 
  marker, just keep adding colored stones in every fourth 
  position.
  Move each participant’s playing piece along the track 
  each time it moves one or more Range Increments. This 
  way it is very easy to see where an individual is in rela-
  tion to the events.
  When a hero reaches a particular Stage he must deal 
  with the speciﬁ c event. These are detailed below. Unlike 
  Obstacles, these events affect all participants reaching 
  the marker equally.
  Unlike some of our other Event Stages, the events in 
  this chase are identical—a leap over an alleyway between 
  rows of buildings.
  Events: Requires a jump between buildings. The 
  character must make a Strength roll. If a character has 
  Pushed and his movement takes him through multiple 
  Event Stages, his Strength roll suffers multi action penal-
  ties as normal.
  Success either allows a character to continue moving 
  (if the event interrupted his movement) or to start the 
  next round by making a regular Agility roll (if the jump 
  occurred at the end of his movement for the round).
  With failure, he fails to clear the distance but manages 
  to grab the edge of the roof. He is left dangling over the 
  ground below. His movement for this round ends imme-
  diately. On subsequent rounds he must make a Strength 
  roll to drag himself onto the roof as an action. Until he 
  succeeds, he does not make an Agility roll.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Caltrops: The ninja, planning their es-
  cape in advance, have scattered caltrops on the roof. The 
  ninja are not immune to this—they have simply forgot-
  ten about them in the heat of the chase. Any failed Agility 
  roll causes the character to be Shaken, as the pointed 
  barbs puncture his feet.
  Three (–2) Broken Tile: The character’s foot hits 
  a cracked tile. Any failure means the runner’s foot 
  punches through the roof and becomes stuck. On 
  subsequent rounds, the hero must make an Agility or 
  Strength roll (his choice) as an action to pull his limb 
  clear. Until the roll succeeds, the hero can’t progress 
  in the chase.
  Four (–2) Loose Tiles: The tiles beneath the runner’s 
  feet crack and give way, causing him to slide toward the 
  edge of the roof. Any failed roll means the hero has slid 
  to the edge of the roof, where he is hanging by his ﬁ n-
  gertips. On subsequent rounds he must make a Strength 
  roll to drag himself onto the roof as an action. Until he 
  succeeds, he does not make an Agility roll.
  Five (–2) Slippery Tiles: The adventurer’s foot hits a 
  slippery tile. Any failed Agility roll causes him to fall. Next 
  round, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty as he regains 
  his footing.
  Six (–2) Chimneys: Low chimney stacks cause the 
  hero to weave and hurdle across the roof. Any failure 
  causes male characters to be Shaken as they smack their 
  unmentionables on the top of one.
  Seven (–2) Washing Line: The hero blunders into 
  a line of washing. Any failure results in him becoming 
  entangled. He is treated as being Shaken, but must use 
  Agility or Strength (his choice) to unShake.
  Eight (–2) Wire: A telephone line lies concealed on 
  the roof. Any failure means the character has tripped 
  over it. Next round, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty as 
  he regains his footing.
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  9
  Nine (–2) Open Skylight: Just as the runner reaches 
  a skylight, the occupant of the building below opens it! 
  Any failed Agility roll causes the character to fall through. 
  He lands in the kitchen of a very startled Chinese couple. 
  They politely offer him food. He forfeits his Agility roll 
  next round as he must spend time climbing back onto 
  the roof.
  Ten (–1) Skylight: The character steps onto a previ-
  ously unnoticed skylight. Any failed Agility roll causes the 
  character to crash through. He lands in the bedroom of 
  a very startled Chinese couple. He forfeits his Agility roll 
  next round as he must spend time climbing back onto the 
  roof.
  Jack (–1) Mine: As well as caltrops, the ninja placed a 
  small number of mines on the roof. Any failure indicates 
  the unfortunate sap has stepped on it. He suffers 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra). Again, the ninja are not immune 
  to this obstacle.
  Queen (–1) Bright Light: A searchlight suddenly 
  kicks into life and sweeps across the roof, blinding the 
  character. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for failure—the 
  lack of movement is a result of the hero having to avert 
  his gaze and momentarily lose his bearings.
  King (0) Firecrackers: Someone in the street below 
  has ignited a string of ﬁ recrackers, which sound a lot like 
  gunshots. The character must make a Smarts roll as a free 
  action. With success, he recognizes the sound and can 
  proceed with his Agility roll. On a failure, he instinctively 
  dives for cover and forfeits his movement this round.
  Ace (0/–2) Sloping Roof: The roof ahead drops 
  down into two levels. One is ﬂ at, the other is steeply 
  sloped and slick enough to use as a slide. Ask the charac-
  ter which route he wants to take. The ninja always take 
  the ﬂ at route.
  Using the ﬂ at roof gives no penalties to the Agility roll. 
  Failure is treated as normal.
  Using the sloping roof as a slide gives the runner a 
  –2 penalty to his Agility roll, but if successful he gains 
  an extra Range Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) 
  stacks with the Push maneuver. Failure causes him to slip 
  and fall, giving him a –2 penalty to his next Agility roll.
  SCENE 3: DEATH FROM ABOVE
  SCENE 3: DEATH FROM ABOVE
  The Shanghai skyline is suddenly illuminated by a 
  brilliant red-orange ﬂ ash somewhere behind you. 
  Seconds later, the noise of an explosion reaches 
  your ears. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! More ﬂ ashes 
  of light and more explosions. Searchlights ﬂ are 
  into life, highlighting squadrons of bombers high 
  above. Explosions are erupting all over the city. 
  Many are far away, but one line of bombs is head-
  ing straight for you! Below, frightened citizens are 
  ﬂ eeing into the streets. One chap has abandoned 
  his car and raced off on foot.
  The chase now enters its second phase. Heroes have 
  the options of sticking to the rooftops, dropping down 
  into the streets and running, or hitting the streets and 
  stealing a car. Make these options known to the group.
  Instead of being an open-ended chase, place 10 mark-
  ers on the tabletop. The characters begin off the track, 
  and move onto it with their ﬁ rst successful Agility or 
  Driving roll. Once the characters move beyond the last 
  marker, proceed immediately to Step 3.
  Whatever method of escape they choose, the Range 
  Increment extends to 10”. This gives the characters –2 
  to their Agility rolls if they decide to go on foot. Taking 
  a vehicle increases their Range Increment to 10” as well, 
  thus negating the penalty.
  If they elect to stay aloft, use the Event Stages and 
  Obstacles table from Scene 2 above. Don’t worry about 
  shifting the Event Stages—the rows of buildings are just 
  much longer now. Running or driving at street level use 
  the Obstacles table below and the Event Stages no longer 
  apply.
  The bombs have an Agility die of d10, but cannot 
  Push. Whether the characters run or drive, the bombs 
  make their ﬁ rst roll for movement at the start of the sec-
  ond round. Success moves the explosions one marker, 
  and a raise two markers. Use a token to represent the 
  bombs. If they end up on the same marker as a hero or 
  move ahead of him, the explorer suffers 3d10 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  The bombs ignore this table. Instead, they suffer a –2 
  penalty to their Agility roll as a result of munitions being 
  dropped too close together or crosswinds blowing them 
  off course whenever they draw a Club suit.
  The Trait roll is Agility if the heroes are running and 
  Driving if they have a vehicle. Make changes to the text 
  below as appropriate. Flying heroes do not suffer the re-
  sults of the card value for a failed Piloting roll. They use 
  the regular Obstacles rules as they slam into buildings or 
  are struck by ﬂ ying debris.
  Deuce (–4) Dense Crowds: The street is blocked 
  by panicking citizens. Any failure simply means the 
  characters could not make forward progress this 
  round.
  Three (–2) Crater: A bomber on a different route 
  drops a single bomb early. It explodes just in front of 
  the character, creating a deep crater. Any failure on the 
  Agility roll means the hero has fallen into it. Characters 
  on foot are Shaken. A vehicle suffers collision damage 
  with a hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Panicked Driver: A car pulls out of a side 
  street. Unless the hero’s reﬂ exes are quick, he’s going 
  to be struck. Any failure causes a collision with a hard 
  Obstacle. Since this is a T-bone collision, only the third 
  party vehicle’s speed counts. Damage is 3d6 (from an 
  Extra).
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  9
  Nine (–2) Open Skylight: Just as the runner reaches 
  a skylight, the occupant of the building below opens it! 
  Any failed Agility roll causes the character to fall through. 
  He lands in the kitchen of a very startled Chinese couple. 
  They politely offer him food. He forfeits his Agility roll 
  next round as he must spend time climbing back onto 
  the roof.
  Ten (–1) Skylight: The character steps onto a previ-
  ously unnoticed skylight. Any failed Agility roll causes the 
  character to crash through. He lands in the bedroom of 
  a very startled Chinese couple. He forfeits his Agility roll 
  next round as he must spend time climbing back onto the 
  roof.
  Jack (–1) Mine: As well as caltrops, the ninja placed a 
  small number of mines on the roof. Any failure indicates 
  the unfortunate sap has stepped on it. He suffers 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra). Again, the ninja are not immune 
  to this obstacle.
  Queen (–1) Bright Light: A searchlight suddenly 
  kicks into life and sweeps across the roof, blinding the 
  character. There is no speciﬁ c penalty for failure—the 
  lack of movement is a result of the hero having to avert 
  his gaze and momentarily lose his bearings.
  King (0) Firecrackers: Someone in the street below 
  has ignited a string of ﬁ recrackers, which sound a lot like 
  gunshots. The character must make a Smarts roll as a free 
  action. With success, he recognizes the sound and can 
  proceed with his Agility roll. On a failure, he instinctively 
  dives for cover and forfeits his movement this round.
  Ace (0/–2) Sloping Roof: The roof ahead drops 
  down into two levels. One is ﬂ at, the other is steeply 
  sloped and slick enough to use as a slide. Ask the charac-
  ter which route he wants to take. The ninja always take 
  the ﬂ at route.
  Using the ﬂ at roof gives no penalties to the Agility roll. 
  Failure is treated as normal.
  Using the sloping roof as a slide gives the runner a 
  –2 penalty to his Agility roll, but if successful he gains 
  an extra Range Increment. This bonus (and the penalty) 
  stacks with the Push maneuver. Failure causes him to slip 
  and fall, giving him a –2 penalty to his next Agility roll.
  SCENE 3: DEATH FROM ABOVE
  SCENE 3: DEATH FROM ABOVE
  The Shanghai skyline is suddenly illuminated by a 
  brilliant red-orange ﬂ ash somewhere behind you. 
  Seconds later, the noise of an explosion reaches 
  your ears. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! More ﬂ ashes 
  of light and more explosions. Searchlights ﬂ are 
  into life, highlighting squadrons of bombers high 
  above. Explosions are erupting all over the city. 
  Many are far away, but one line of bombs is head-
  ing straight for you! Below, frightened citizens are 
  ﬂ eeing into the streets. One chap has abandoned 
  his car and raced off on foot.
  The chase now enters its second phase. Heroes have 
  the options of sticking to the rooftops, dropping down 
  into the streets and running, or hitting the streets and 
  stealing a car. Make these options known to the group.
  Instead of being an open-ended chase, place 10 mark-
  ers on the tabletop. The characters begin off the track, 
  and move onto it with their ﬁ rst successful Agility or 
  Driving roll. Once the characters move beyond the last 
  marker, proceed immediately to Step 3.
  Whatever method of escape they choose, the Range 
  Increment extends to 10”. This gives the characters –2 
  to their Agility rolls if they decide to go on foot. Taking 
  a vehicle increases their Range Increment to 10” as well, 
  thus negating the penalty.
  If they elect to stay aloft, use the Event Stages and 
  Obstacles table from Scene 2 above. Don’t worry about 
  shifting the Event Stages—the rows of buildings are just 
  much longer now. Running or driving at street level use 
  the Obstacles table below and the Event Stages no longer 
  apply.
  The bombs have an Agility die of d10, but cannot 
  Push. Whether the characters run or drive, the bombs 
  make their ﬁ rst roll for movement at the start of the sec-
  ond round. Success moves the explosions one marker, 
  and a raise two markers. Use a token to represent the 
  bombs. If they end up on the same marker as a hero or 
  move ahead of him, the explorer suffers 3d10 damage 
  (from an Extra) at the end of the current round.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12 (3); Crew: 1+5
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  The bombs ignore this table. Instead, they suffer a –2 
  penalty to their Agility roll as a result of munitions being 
  dropped too close together or crosswinds blowing them 
  off course whenever they draw a Club suit.
  The Trait roll is Agility if the heroes are running and 
  Driving if they have a vehicle. Make changes to the text 
  below as appropriate. Flying heroes do not suffer the re-
  sults of the card value for a failed Piloting roll. They use 
  the regular Obstacles rules as they slam into buildings or 
  are struck by ﬂ ying debris.
  Deuce (–4) Dense Crowds: The street is blocked 
  by panicking citizens. Any failure simply means the 
  characters could not make forward progress this 
  round.
  Three (–2) Crater: A bomber on a different route 
  drops a single bomb early. It explodes just in front of 
  the character, creating a deep crater. Any failure on the 
  Agility roll means the hero has fallen into it. Characters 
  on foot are Shaken. A vehicle suffers collision damage 
  with a hard Obstacle.
  Four (–2) Panicked Driver: A car pulls out of a side 
  street. Unless the hero’s reﬂ exes are quick, he’s going 
  to be struck. Any failure causes a collision with a hard 
  Obstacle. Since this is a T-bone collision, only the third 
  party vehicle’s speed counts. Damage is 3d6 (from an 
  Extra).
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1010
  Five (0) Straﬁ ng Run: A Japanese ﬁ ghter strafes the 
  street. Roll three d6. For each die that comes up 1, the 
  runner or vehicle suffers 2d8+1 damage, AP 2 (from an 
  Extra). If a runner has Dodge, roll two d6 instead. For 
  Improved Dodge, roll just a single d6.
  Six (–2) Head-On Collision: Some idiot in a car is 
  driving toward the bombs by mistake! A failed Agility roll 
  means a head-on collision with a hard Obstacle. The car 
  is moving at 15” per round.
  Seven (–2) Tight Turn: A multiple vehicle crash just 
  ahead forces a driver to take a sudden turn or a runner to 
  leap over the wrecked cars. Any failure causes a collision 
  with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Eight (–2) Debris: Panicked citizens have tried to 
  abandon their homes carrying their furniture and other 
  belongings. Much of it has been discarded in the road, 
  though. A failed roll causes a collision with a stationary 
  soft Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Road Blocked: An explosion rips through 
  a building up ahead. With success, the character darts 
  through, just avoiding collapsing rubble. On a failure, 
  he is forced to take a lengthy detour. He drops back 1 
  Range Increment.
  Ten (–1) Smoke: Dense, acrid smoke from various 
  conﬂ agrations is spreading across the city. The character 
  becomes confused if his Agility roll fails, and gains no 
  distance this round.
  Jack (–1) Burst Water Main: A large pipe bursts, 
  sending a jet of water surging upward through the 
  road right beneath the character. Any failure indicates 
  a runner has been knocked off his feet and is Shaken. 
  A vehicle failing the roll automatically goes Out of 
  Control.
  Queen (–1) Explosion: A ruptured gas main back 
  along the street ignites, shattering the road as the ﬂ ames 
  surge along the pipe. A failed roll means the character 
  (or vehicle) suffers 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  King (–2/0) Take My Child: A mother pushes her 
  baby toward the hero, asking him to take the young girl 
  to safety. He has the choice of grabbing the kid (or bun-
  dling it into the car) or ignoring the woman.
  Taking the child gives a –2 Trait roll penalty. However, 
  any failure merely indicates the delay prevented forward 
  movement this round. If the hero takes the child and is 
  on foot, subsequent Agility rolls have a –1 penalty due to 
  the extra burden on his back or in his arms. However, he 
  earns a benny as a reward. Characters in a vehicle who 
  grab the kid don’t gain the benny, but they don’t suffer 
  any penalty either (and their good deed should make 
  them feel good).
  Ignoring the woman’s pleas allows an unmodiﬁ ed 
  roll. However, it costs the runner, or every hero in the 
  car, a benny for his despicable behavior.
  Ace (0) Angry Mob: Looking for someone to blame 
  for the attack, a large and angry mob singles out the 
  character (or vehicle). Any failure means the character 
  has failed to evade the mob (or driven through them and 
  forced them aside). The adventurer or vehicle takes 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra).
  SCENE 4: CITY IN FLAMES
  SCENE 4: CITY IN FLAMES
  The ﬁ nal leg of the chase takes place in the air! He-
  roes on the rooftops don’t have any choice but to climb 
  down and enter the square. Behind, everything is ablaze 
  or being bombed.
  As before, don’t give the characters a chance to think 
  too much. As soon as they escape the bombs, read the 
  text below. If they start delving into options, have a few 
  bombs land nearby to spur them into action. Have a 
  small advanced party of Japanese soldiers arrive on the 
  scene if necessary
  You enter a large square, in which are parked 
  two Chiang Hung biplanes. The pilots are nearby, 
  cowering behind rubble for protection. An ofﬁ cer 
  runs over to you and begins shouting loudly in 
  broken English. “You no stay here!” he screams. 
  “Japanese tanks coming down street! Too danger-
  ous! Go away, go away!”
  If there is only a single pilot in the party, replace 
  the aircraft with a single cargo plane. It has the same 
  stats as the Chiang Hung below, but can hold the entire 
  party. Characters can ﬁ re hand weapons out of the cargo 
  doors.
  No one stops the characters if they want to steal the 
  planes. Should they try to escape by any other route, 
  they quickly discover Japanese troops advancing on the 
  square and bombers pounding other parts of the city. If 
  they’re wondering where to go next, remind them that 
  Mister Chang mentioned the wooden case bearing Win-
  ter Mountain’s name was found in Tibet.
  A hero making a Common Knowledge roll at –2 knows 
  the largest city in Tibet is Lhasa. It’s as good a place as 
  any to begin searching for Winter Mountain.
  Once airborne, the Chinese planes are quickly spot-
  ted by a pair of Type 92 Japanese ﬁ ghters. Run this scene 
  using the Chase rules.
  The Range Increment is 10”, and the Japanese begin 
  3 Range Increments behind the characters. The Japanese 
  ﬁ ghters are faster, which grants the pilots +1 to their 
  Piloting rolls.
  The heroes can either ﬂ y through the streets below 
  rooftop level or take to the open skies. If they stay low, 
  use the regular Obstacles rules. Soft Obstacles might 
  represent being caught in the blast of a bomb, whereas 
  hard ones indicate the pilot has clipped a building or 
  other structure. Characters who ﬂ y above the level of the 
  buildings are in danger of being shot down by other en-
  emy ﬁ ghters and Chinese anti-aircraft guns. Roll three d6 
  each round they elect to stay high. Each die that comes 
  up 1 indicates a hit for 2d8+1 damage, AP 2 (from an Ex-
  tra). No Obstacles rules are used for planes ﬂ ying above 
  the city.
  The Japanese pilots aren’t particularly skilled and lack 
  the Steady Hands Edge (–2 penalty). Since their weap-
  ons are mounted on the wings, no autoﬁ re penalties are 
  incurred for not having Rock and Roll. In addition, the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1010
  Five (0) Straﬁ ng Run: A Japanese ﬁ ghter strafes the 
  street. Roll three d6. For each die that comes up 1, the 
  runner or vehicle suffers 2d8+1 damage, AP 2 (from an 
  Extra). If a runner has Dodge, roll two d6 instead. For 
  Improved Dodge, roll just a single d6.
  Six (–2) Head-On Collision: Some idiot in a car is 
  driving toward the bombs by mistake! A failed Agility roll 
  means a head-on collision with a hard Obstacle. The car 
  is moving at 15” per round.
  Seven (–2) Tight Turn: A multiple vehicle crash just 
  ahead forces a driver to take a sudden turn or a runner to 
  leap over the wrecked cars. Any failure causes a collision 
  with a stationary hard Obstacle.
  Eight (–2) Debris: Panicked citizens have tried to 
  abandon their homes carrying their furniture and other 
  belongings. Much of it has been discarded in the road, 
  though. A failed roll causes a collision with a stationary 
  soft Obstacle.
  Nine (–1) Road Blocked: An explosion rips through 
  a building up ahead. With success, the character darts 
  through, just avoiding collapsing rubble. On a failure, 
  he is forced to take a lengthy detour. He drops back 1 
  Range Increment.
  Ten (–1) Smoke: Dense, acrid smoke from various 
  conﬂ agrations is spreading across the city. The character 
  becomes confused if his Agility roll fails, and gains no 
  distance this round.
  Jack (–1) Burst Water Main: A large pipe bursts, 
  sending a jet of water surging upward through the 
  road right beneath the character. Any failure indicates 
  a runner has been knocked off his feet and is Shaken. 
  A vehicle failing the roll automatically goes Out of 
  Control.
  Queen (–1) Explosion: A ruptured gas main back 
  along the street ignites, shattering the road as the ﬂ ames 
  surge along the pipe. A failed roll means the character 
  (or vehicle) suffers 3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  King (–2/0) Take My Child: A mother pushes her 
  baby toward the hero, asking him to take the young girl 
  to safety. He has the choice of grabbing the kid (or bun-
  dling it into the car) or ignoring the woman.
  Taking the child gives a –2 Trait roll penalty. However, 
  any failure merely indicates the delay prevented forward 
  movement this round. If the hero takes the child and is 
  on foot, subsequent Agility rolls have a –1 penalty due to 
  the extra burden on his back or in his arms. However, he 
  earns a benny as a reward. Characters in a vehicle who 
  grab the kid don’t gain the benny, but they don’t suffer 
  any penalty either (and their good deed should make 
  them feel good).
  Ignoring the woman’s pleas allows an unmodiﬁ ed 
  roll. However, it costs the runner, or every hero in the 
  car, a benny for his despicable behavior.
  Ace (0) Angry Mob: Looking for someone to blame 
  for the attack, a large and angry mob singles out the 
  character (or vehicle). Any failure means the character 
  has failed to evade the mob (or driven through them and 
  forced them aside). The adventurer or vehicle takes 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra).
  SCENE 4: CITY IN FLAMES
  SCENE 4: CITY IN FLAMES
  The ﬁ nal leg of the chase takes place in the air! He-
  roes on the rooftops don’t have any choice but to climb 
  down and enter the square. Behind, everything is ablaze 
  or being bombed.
  As before, don’t give the characters a chance to think 
  too much. As soon as they escape the bombs, read the 
  text below. If they start delving into options, have a few 
  bombs land nearby to spur them into action. Have a 
  small advanced party of Japanese soldiers arrive on the 
  scene if necessary
  You enter a large square, in which are parked 
  two Chiang Hung biplanes. The pilots are nearby, 
  cowering behind rubble for protection. An ofﬁ cer 
  runs over to you and begins shouting loudly in 
  broken English. “You no stay here!” he screams. 
  “Japanese tanks coming down street! Too danger-
  ous! Go away, go away!”
  If there is only a single pilot in the party, replace 
  the aircraft with a single cargo plane. It has the same 
  stats as the Chiang Hung below, but can hold the entire 
  party. Characters can ﬁ re hand weapons out of the cargo 
  doors.
  No one stops the characters if they want to steal the 
  planes. Should they try to escape by any other route, 
  they quickly discover Japanese troops advancing on the 
  square and bombers pounding other parts of the city. If 
  they’re wondering where to go next, remind them that 
  Mister Chang mentioned the wooden case bearing Win-
  ter Mountain’s name was found in Tibet.
  A hero making a Common Knowledge roll at –2 knows 
  the largest city in Tibet is Lhasa. It’s as good a place as 
  any to begin searching for Winter Mountain.
  Once airborne, the Chinese planes are quickly spot-
  ted by a pair of Type 92 Japanese ﬁ ghters. Run this scene 
  using the Chase rules.
  The Range Increment is 10”, and the Japanese begin 
  3 Range Increments behind the characters. The Japanese 
  ﬁ ghters are faster, which grants the pilots +1 to their 
  Piloting rolls.
  The heroes can either ﬂ y through the streets below 
  rooftop level or take to the open skies. If they stay low, 
  use the regular Obstacles rules. Soft Obstacles might 
  represent being caught in the blast of a bomb, whereas 
  hard ones indicate the pilot has clipped a building or 
  other structure. Characters who ﬂ y above the level of the 
  buildings are in danger of being shot down by other en-
  emy ﬁ ghters and Chinese anti-aircraft guns. Roll three d6 
  each round they elect to stay high. Each die that comes 
  up 1 indicates a hit for 2d8+1 damage, AP 2 (from an Ex-
  tra). No Obstacles rules are used for planes ﬂ ying above 
  the city.
  The Japanese pilots aren’t particularly skilled and lack 
  the Steady Hands Edge (–2 penalty). Since their weap-
  ons are mounted on the wings, no autoﬁ re penalties are 
  incurred for not having Rock and Roll. In addition, the 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1111
  weapons are synchronized. Roll one set of Shooting dice 
  (not one set per gun), and add +1 to each die.
  If the heroes are having an easy time of it, feel free 
  to add in another pair of ﬁ ghters. The escape should be 
  exciting and tense, but the characters must ﬂ ee the city. 
  In the unfortunate event they are shot down, the GM 
  should arrange for them to exit Shanghai without too 
  much trouble from the Japanese.
   Japanese Pilots (2): See page 20.
  CHIANG HUNG
  CHIANG HUNG
  The two planes are Chiang Hung reconnaissance 
  planes. Each has space for a crew of two (pilot and ob-
  server) in an open cockpit. The plane has no weapons, 
  but whoever takes the observer seat can use a personal 
  ﬁ rearm against targets behind him.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/50; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 2
  KAWASAKI KDA-5
  KAWASAKI KDA-5
  A single-seat biplane equipped with a pair of linked 
  machineguns, the Type 92 played an important role in 
  the subjugation of Manchuria.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/80; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked light MGs (+1 Shooting, Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 3: TIBET
  ACT 3: TIBET
  Tibet is an independent kingdom (in 1937) situated 
  on a plateau in the Himalayas. The altitude varies be-
  tween 8,000 and almost 15,000 feet. Many major rivers, 
  including The Indus, Ganges, and Yangtze have headwa-
  ters in Tibet.
  Great Britain maintains a presence in Lhasa, having 
  invaded in 1904 under the pretext of thwarting a (non-
  existent) Russian invasion. Having secured a peace 
  treaty by presence of arms, the British had the audacity 
  to demand reparations from the Chinese government 
  for sending troops to Tibet to halt the Russian advance. 
  In return for not annexing Tibet, the British secured 
  Chinese guarantees that no other nations would be per-
  mitted a presence in the country. Currently neither the 
  British nor Chinese have much interest in the region.
  The 13th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual ruler, died in 
  1933. His successor, Tenzin Gyatso (the modern-age Da-
  lai Lama), was born in 1935. At the time of the adventure, 
  the youth has just been taken to Lhasa. He is ofﬁ cially 
  recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1939, at the tender 
  age of four.
  SCENE 1: YETI ATTACK
  SCENE 1: YETI ATTACK
  After landing the planes and grabbing their gear, the 
  heroes begin marching through the snow and ice toward 
  Lhasa. A successful Survival roll allows a hero to calculate 
  that the journey should take around 10 hours.
  During the march, one of the explorers is struck from 
  behind by a large snowball. The victim can be any hero, 
  but not the one at the back of the party. The idea is to 
  make it look like one of his comrades pelted him. There’s 
  no sign of life for miles.
  The culprit is one of a small yeti pack out hunting 
  prey. Through trial and error, the yetis have learned this 
  tactic can sometimes lead travelers to ﬁ ght among them-
  selves, thus making an attack easier. While the yetis have 
  no comprehension of how ﬁ rearms work, they know 
  they hurt and have learned to recognize them. Using 
  their white fur to help camouﬂ age them, the yetis keep a 
  careful watch for guns being drawn.
  Keep this up for a few minutes. If the party doesn’t 
  turn to squabbling, the yetis grow bored and their hun-
  ger gets the better of them. The creatures rise up from 
  behind snow drifts and charge. Parties who are bickering 
  are also attacked, but in this instance the characters must 
  check for Surprise.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Roughly one-third 
  should be marked as exposed ice, in the form of a frozen 
  river running down the center. The remainder is powdery 
  snow. Movement through the snow is difﬁ cult ground. 
  Characters who run on the ice and roll a 1 on their run-
  ning die slip and fall prone. Agility rolls on the ice, such 
  as those to avoid an area effect attack or perform a Trick, 
  suffer a –2 penalty.
  Any character on the frozen river who draws a deuce 
  as his ﬁ rst action card in a round encounters a patch of 
  thin ice. The hero must make an Agility roll (at –2) at the 
  start of the round or fall into the icy water. He doesn’t 
  submerge or get swept away—his elbows prevent that. 
  The yetis have an innate ability to detect thin ice, and so 
  never suffer this event.
  However, the sudden shock of hitting the water leaves 
  him Shaken. Each round thereafter, he must make a 
  Strength roll as an action to haul himself back on to the 
  ice. For each round he remains partially submerged, he 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. This 
  can lead to Incapacitation, but never Death. Recovery is 
  as per the standard rules for Cold.
  The heroes begin near the banks of the river. It’s their 
  choice as to which bank. The yetis attack from two edges 
  of the battleﬁ eld—the one nearest the characters and the 
  one directly opposite. Divide the yetis in pairs for initia-
  tive card purposes. Their tactic on the ﬁ rst round is to 
  close the range, throw boulders, and then, if movement 
  allows, get close enough to melee. They won’t run this 
  round, as they favor accuracy with their projectiles.
   Yeti (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
  SCENE 2: WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
  Marching on, the characters notice that the sky is be-
  ginning to darken. A character making a Survival roll can 
  sense a storm is coming, sweeping snow down from the 
  high peaks onto the plateau. The heroes can see wisps 
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1111
  weapons are synchronized. Roll one set of Shooting dice 
  (not one set per gun), and add +1 to each die.
  If the heroes are having an easy time of it, feel free 
  to add in another pair of ﬁ ghters. The escape should be 
  exciting and tense, but the characters must ﬂ ee the city. 
  In the unfortunate event they are shot down, the GM 
  should arrange for them to exit Shanghai without too 
  much trouble from the Japanese.
   Japanese Pilots (2): See page 20.
  CHIANG HUNG
  CHIANG HUNG
  The two planes are Chiang Hung reconnaissance 
  planes. Each has space for a crew of two (pilot and ob-
  server) in an open cockpit. The plane has no weapons, 
  but whoever takes the observer seat can use a personal 
  ﬁ rearm against targets behind him.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/50; Toughness: 11 (2); Crew: 2
  KAWASAKI KDA-5
  KAWASAKI KDA-5
  A single-seat biplane equipped with a pair of linked 
  machineguns, the Type 92 played an important role in 
  the subjugation of Manchuria.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/80; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 1
  Notes: —
  Weapons:
  * 2 x linked light MGs (+1 Shooting, Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d8, ROF 3, AP 2)
  ACT 3: TIBET
  ACT 3: TIBET
  Tibet is an independent kingdom (in 1937) situated 
  on a plateau in the Himalayas. The altitude varies be-
  tween 8,000 and almost 15,000 feet. Many major rivers, 
  including The Indus, Ganges, and Yangtze have headwa-
  ters in Tibet.
  Great Britain maintains a presence in Lhasa, having 
  invaded in 1904 under the pretext of thwarting a (non-
  existent) Russian invasion. Having secured a peace 
  treaty by presence of arms, the British had the audacity 
  to demand reparations from the Chinese government 
  for sending troops to Tibet to halt the Russian advance. 
  In return for not annexing Tibet, the British secured 
  Chinese guarantees that no other nations would be per-
  mitted a presence in the country. Currently neither the 
  British nor Chinese have much interest in the region.
  The 13th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual ruler, died in 
  1933. His successor, Tenzin Gyatso (the modern-age Da-
  lai Lama), was born in 1935. At the time of the adventure, 
  the youth has just been taken to Lhasa. He is ofﬁ cially 
  recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1939, at the tender 
  age of four.
  SCENE 1: YETI ATTACK
  SCENE 1: YETI ATTACK
  After landing the planes and grabbing their gear, the 
  heroes begin marching through the snow and ice toward 
  Lhasa. A successful Survival roll allows a hero to calculate 
  that the journey should take around 10 hours.
  During the march, one of the explorers is struck from 
  behind by a large snowball. The victim can be any hero, 
  but not the one at the back of the party. The idea is to 
  make it look like one of his comrades pelted him. There’s 
  no sign of life for miles.
  The culprit is one of a small yeti pack out hunting 
  prey. Through trial and error, the yetis have learned this 
  tactic can sometimes lead travelers to ﬁ ght among them-
  selves, thus making an attack easier. While the yetis have 
  no comprehension of how ﬁ rearms work, they know 
  they hurt and have learned to recognize them. Using 
  their white fur to help camouﬂ age them, the yetis keep a 
  careful watch for guns being drawn.
  Keep this up for a few minutes. If the party doesn’t 
  turn to squabbling, the yetis grow bored and their hun-
  ger gets the better of them. The creatures rise up from 
  behind snow drifts and charge. Parties who are bickering 
  are also attacked, but in this instance the characters must 
  check for Surprise.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” to a side. Roughly one-third 
  should be marked as exposed ice, in the form of a frozen 
  river running down the center. The remainder is powdery 
  snow. Movement through the snow is difﬁ cult ground. 
  Characters who run on the ice and roll a 1 on their run-
  ning die slip and fall prone. Agility rolls on the ice, such 
  as those to avoid an area effect attack or perform a Trick, 
  suffer a –2 penalty.
  Any character on the frozen river who draws a deuce 
  as his ﬁ rst action card in a round encounters a patch of 
  thin ice. The hero must make an Agility roll (at –2) at the 
  start of the round or fall into the icy water. He doesn’t 
  submerge or get swept away—his elbows prevent that. 
  The yetis have an innate ability to detect thin ice, and so 
  never suffer this event.
  However, the sudden shock of hitting the water leaves 
  him Shaken. Each round thereafter, he must make a 
  Strength roll as an action to haul himself back on to the 
  ice. For each round he remains partially submerged, he 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. This 
  can lead to Incapacitation, but never Death. Recovery is 
  as per the standard rules for Cold.
  The heroes begin near the banks of the river. It’s their 
  choice as to which bank. The yetis attack from two edges 
  of the battleﬁ eld—the one nearest the characters and the 
  one directly opposite. Divide the yetis in pairs for initia-
  tive card purposes. Their tactic on the ﬁ rst round is to 
  close the range, throw boulders, and then, if movement 
  allows, get close enough to melee. They won’t run this 
  round, as they favor accuracy with their projectiles.
   Yeti (2 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 2: WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
  SCENE 2: WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
  Marching on, the characters notice that the sky is be-
  ginning to darken. A character making a Survival roll can 
  sense a storm is coming, sweeping snow down from the 
  high peaks onto the plateau. The heroes can see wisps 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1212
  of smoke from dung-fuelled ﬁ res rising over the brow of 
  a nearby hill.
  A small village lies over the next ridge. A handful of 
  peasants are tending their herds of goats and yaks. As the 
  characters cross the brow of the hill, the peasants spot 
  them. They scurry hurriedly into their homes and close 
  the doors. No amount of Intimidation or Persuasion can 
  convince them to come out.
  Have the characters make Notice rolls as they near the 
  huts. Those who fail are Surprised as ninja jump down 
  from the rooftops and leap out from behind the dwell-
  ings.
  The battleﬁ eld measures 15” by 15”. The Tibetans’ 
  huts are 3” by 2”. Place half a dozen at one end of the 
  table to represent the village. Each has a door and a 
  single window in the same wall.
  Once half the common ninja or the adventure party 
  are out of the ﬁ ght, or the ninja master has taken two 
  wounds (he won’t need any remaining bennies, so use 
  them to Soak), an orange-robed monk emerges from 
  one of the huts. He shouts out in Japanese and English, 
  “Stop ﬁ ghting! You are on the same side!” Any ninja who 
  haven’t acted this round go on Hold, waiting for the 
  characters to make the next move.
  The monk repeats his message at the start of the fol-
  lowing round. He walks between the two groups, hold-
  ing his arms out to try and keep them apart. “Please,” 
  he says, “put away your weapons and talk.” The ninja 
  master pauses for a moment and signals his men to com-
  ply. When the party does the same, the monk beckons 
  them into the hut.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero):  See page 19.
  TALKING WITH NINJA
  TALKING WITH NINJA
  Once inside, the monk tends any wounds. He has 
  Healing d8+2. Each hero beneﬁ ts from a single Healing 
  roll, regardless of how bad his injuries are—the monk 
  has to tend to everyone equally. After this is done, he sits 
  down against one wall, and gestures for the party and 
  ninja to sit facing each other.
  The conversation takes the form of questions, asked 
  by the players, and answers provided by the ninja. The 
  ninja only speak Japanese, so it’s likely the monk has to 
  translate. The ninja also ask questions of the characters, 
  trying to learn where they came from and why they are 
  hunting the last Muramasa blade. For every question the 
  party asks, the ninja ask one in return.
  Q: Are you working for General Oshiro?
  A: “No. We work for the Emperor. General Oshiro is 
  working to his own agenda.”
  Q: Why did you attack us in the museum?
  A: “We could hardly walk in and ask for the sword 
  case. Unfortunately, the case was empty. The loss of life 
  was regrettable, but unavoidable. We thought you were 
  Oshiro’s agents. We could not allow you to ﬁ nd Winter 
  Mountain.”
  Q: Why do you want Winter Mountain?
  A: “To stop it falling into Oshiro’s hands. Winter 
  Mountain is the last Muramasa blade. It carries the 
  curse of all Muramasa blades. With it, Oshiro would 
  likely endanger the Empire.”
  Q: Why does Oshiro want the sword?
  A: “It belonged to one of his ancestors. The sword was 
  lost in battle and the family shamed. Oshiro wants to 
  reclaim his family’s honor. Right now, we do not know 
  what else he plans to do when he gets the blade, but he is 
  up to something beyond reclaiming a weapon.”
  Q: Aren’t ninja evil?
  A: “A common misconception to the uncultured. We 
  provide a service to whoever wishes to hire us. Good 
  and evil are concepts, not absolutes. If we kill one man 
  to save ten others, was our deed good or evil?”
  Q: Do you plan to kill Oshiro?
  A: “Only if he gets in our way. For all his faults, Os-
  hiro is an excellent general. We have no wish to deprive 
  the Emperor of skilled warriors unnecessarily.”
  Q: Do you know where Winter Mountain is?
  A: “Yes. There is an old monastery not far from 
  here. It was abandoned long ago. The peasants say it 
  is haunted, so they dare not enter. The monastery is 
  marked with the symbol of Winter Mountain, or so the 
  monks say. It must lie somewhere inside. We were on 
  our way there when the clouds darkened.”
  Q: How did you learn about the monastery?
  A: “We have our sources.”
  After the questioning reaches a natural conclusion, a 
  peasant runs into the hut and begins hurriedly talking in 
  Tibetan. The monk listens calmly, and then says, “Japa-
  nese soldiers are approaching from the south.”
  The ninja master rises to his feet and draws his blade. 
  “It must be Oshiro. No one else would have the audacity 
  to send Japanese troops this far. If we do not stop him, 
  he will ﬁ nd Winter Mountain. Will you ﬁ ght with us, gai-
  jin (Japanese for ‘foreigner’)? Only together do we have 
  the strength to be victorious.”
  SCENE 3: THE JAPANESE ARMY
  SCENE 3: THE JAPANESE ARMY
  Hand out Ally Sheets for the ninja master and ninja 
  to the players.
  The battleﬁ eld should be as large as your table will 
  allow. Set up the huts as above. The heroes and their 
  ninja allies begin in the village and have time to position 
  themselves as they wish. The Japanese start at the op-
  posite end of the table.
  In between the village and the Japanese is a small 
  corral. This measures 4” to a side and stands three feet 
  high. Crossing it counts as difﬁ cult ground. Inside is a 
  ﬂ ock of goats. For ease, the goats ﬁ ll a Medium Burst 
  Template and stay herded together if released. They have 
  Pace 6 and Toughness 7 (effectively they are a nonlethal 
  swarm).
  If released, a character within 5” can spend an action 
  to shepherd them toward the Japanese. Although they 
  don’t cause any injuries, they do create a nuisance—
  movement through the template is difﬁ cult ground. A 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1212
  of smoke from dung-fuelled ﬁ res rising over the brow of 
  a nearby hill.
  A small village lies over the next ridge. A handful of 
  peasants are tending their herds of goats and yaks. As the 
  characters cross the brow of the hill, the peasants spot 
  them. They scurry hurriedly into their homes and close 
  the doors. No amount of Intimidation or Persuasion can 
  convince them to come out.
  Have the characters make Notice rolls as they near the 
  huts. Those who fail are Surprised as ninja jump down 
  from the rooftops and leap out from behind the dwell-
  ings.
  The battleﬁ eld measures 15” by 15”. The Tibetans’ 
  huts are 3” by 2”. Place half a dozen at one end of the 
  table to represent the village. Each has a door and a 
  single window in the same wall.
  Once half the common ninja or the adventure party 
  are out of the ﬁ ght, or the ninja master has taken two 
  wounds (he won’t need any remaining bennies, so use 
  them to Soak), an orange-robed monk emerges from 
  one of the huts. He shouts out in Japanese and English, 
  “Stop ﬁ ghting! You are on the same side!” Any ninja who 
  haven’t acted this round go on Hold, waiting for the 
  characters to make the next move.
  The monk repeats his message at the start of the fol-
  lowing round. He walks between the two groups, hold-
  ing his arms out to try and keep them apart. “Please,” 
  he says, “put away your weapons and talk.” The ninja 
  master pauses for a moment and signals his men to com-
  ply. When the party does the same, the monk beckons 
  them into the hut.
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero):  See page 19.
  TALKING WITH NINJA
  TALKING WITH NINJA
  Once inside, the monk tends any wounds. He has 
  Healing d8+2. Each hero beneﬁ ts from a single Healing 
  roll, regardless of how bad his injuries are—the monk 
  has to tend to everyone equally. After this is done, he sits 
  down against one wall, and gestures for the party and 
  ninja to sit facing each other.
  The conversation takes the form of questions, asked 
  by the players, and answers provided by the ninja. The 
  ninja only speak Japanese, so it’s likely the monk has to 
  translate. The ninja also ask questions of the characters, 
  trying to learn where they came from and why they are 
  hunting the last Muramasa blade. For every question the 
  party asks, the ninja ask one in return.
  Q: Are you working for General Oshiro?
  A: “No. We work for the Emperor. General Oshiro is 
  working to his own agenda.”
  Q: Why did you attack us in the museum?
  A: “We could hardly walk in and ask for the sword 
  case. Unfortunately, the case was empty. The loss of life 
  was regrettable, but unavoidable. We thought you were 
  Oshiro’s agents. We could not allow you to ﬁ nd Winter 
  Mountain.”
  Q: Why do you want Winter Mountain?
  A: “To stop it falling into Oshiro’s hands. Winter 
  Mountain is the last Muramasa blade. It carries the 
  curse of all Muramasa blades. With it, Oshiro would 
  likely endanger the Empire.”
  Q: Why does Oshiro want the sword?
  A: “It belonged to one of his ancestors. The sword was 
  lost in battle and the family shamed. Oshiro wants to 
  reclaim his family’s honor. Right now, we do not know 
  what else he plans to do when he gets the blade, but he is 
  up to something beyond reclaiming a weapon.”
  Q: Aren’t ninja evil?
  A: “A common misconception to the uncultured. We 
  provide a service to whoever wishes to hire us. Good 
  and evil are concepts, not absolutes. If we kill one man 
  to save ten others, was our deed good or evil?”
  Q: Do you plan to kill Oshiro?
  A: “Only if he gets in our way. For all his faults, Os-
  hiro is an excellent general. We have no wish to deprive 
  the Emperor of skilled warriors unnecessarily.”
  Q: Do you know where Winter Mountain is?
  A: “Yes. There is an old monastery not far from 
  here. It was abandoned long ago. The peasants say it 
  is haunted, so they dare not enter. The monastery is 
  marked with the symbol of Winter Mountain, or so the 
  monks say. It must lie somewhere inside. We were on 
  our way there when the clouds darkened.”
  Q: How did you learn about the monastery?
  A: “We have our sources.”
  After the questioning reaches a natural conclusion, a 
  peasant runs into the hut and begins hurriedly talking in 
  Tibetan. The monk listens calmly, and then says, “Japa-
  nese soldiers are approaching from the south.”
  The ninja master rises to his feet and draws his blade. 
  “It must be Oshiro. No one else would have the audacity 
  to send Japanese troops this far. If we do not stop him, 
  he will ﬁ nd Winter Mountain. Will you ﬁ ght with us, gai-
  jin (Japanese for ‘foreigner’)? Only together do we have 
  the strength to be victorious.”
  SCENE 3: THE JAPANESE ARMY
  SCENE 3: THE JAPANESE ARMY
  Hand out Ally Sheets for the ninja master and ninja 
  to the players.
  The battleﬁ eld should be as large as your table will 
  allow. Set up the huts as above. The heroes and their 
  ninja allies begin in the village and have time to position 
  themselves as they wish. The Japanese start at the op-
  posite end of the table.
  In between the village and the Japanese is a small 
  corral. This measures 4” to a side and stands three feet 
  high. Crossing it counts as difﬁ cult ground. Inside is a 
  ﬂ ock of goats. For ease, the goats ﬁ ll a Medium Burst 
  Template and stay herded together if released. They have 
  Pace 6 and Toughness 7 (effectively they are a nonlethal 
  swarm).
  If released, a character within 5” can spend an action 
  to shepherd them toward the Japanese. Although they 
  don’t cause any injuries, they do create a nuisance—
  movement through the template is difﬁ cult ground. A 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1313
  sneaky hero could also conceal himself among the goats, 
  allowing him to ambush the Japanese (unless they’ve 
  seen him duck into the herd, of course). Successful 
  implementation of this tactic gives a hero the Drop for 
  one attack (and certainly merits a benny). After this, the 
  soldiers wise up to the tactic.
  Also, between the village and the invaders are a dozen 
  large boulders. Each ﬁ lls a 1“ square and is impassable. 
  The GM should place these at random. They exist to pro-
  vide Cover and break up the battleﬁ eld a little.
  The weather at the start of the ﬁ ght is light snow. Treat 
  it as Dim lighting (–1). Starting on round 6, the weather 
  worsens dramatically. Reduce the lighting to Dark (–2, 
  10” maximum visibility) for the rest of the ﬁ ght. This is 
  actually a great bonus for the ninja, as it allows them to 
  use their superior Stealth to sneak up on the Japanese.
  The Japanese force is a large scouting party, not 
  Oshiro’s main column, however, that is following close 
  behind. Once the last Japanese soldier is taken down, 
  the characters see more men in the distance. This time 
  they have small tanks providing support. The ninja mas-
  ter (or any surviving ninja if the master died) turns to the 
  characters.
  “He is too strong. If we stay here, we will all die. 
  Find the sword. We will lead General Oshiro on a 
  merry chase higher into the mountains to buy you 
  time. If we’re lucky, the storm will aid us.”
  Any heroic requests to stay and ﬁ ght are forcefully 
  rejected. “You risk this entire mission on foolish notions 
  of bravery and honor. Run today, ﬁ ght tomorrow.”
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero): See page 19. Reduce the num-
  ber accordingly to account for any Incapacitated in the 
  previous scene. Any grenades or throwing stars spent 
  in the previous ﬁ ght are deemed recovered from fallen 
  comrades.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: FIVE TRAPS, TWO BLADES
  SCENE 4: FIVE TRAPS, TWO BLADES
  Although the storm is raging, it does not seem to af-
  fect the characters. The snow blows around them, and 
  the wind is a gentle caress, not the full-frontal assault 
  roaring through the mountains. After a few hours, the 
  heroes spy the monastery. Sure enough, above the lintel 
  are carved glyphs for Winter Mountain.
  Buddhist monks eventually gained possession of the 
  cursed blade. Knowing it to be a fell weapon, they chose 
  to seal it away behind a series of traps. Whereas a noble 
  warrior might have destroyed the blade, the monks 
  could not do so—they knew the katana contained a soul, 
  and to shatter the blade would kill the spirit, something 
  Buddhism expressly prohibits. Thus, their only option 
  was to imprison the blade until the fates decreed it be 
  discovered.
  At the rear of the small temple is a stout wooden door. 
  Lying on a small shelf to one side are ﬁ ve wooden tiles. 
  They appear blank until a character handles them, where-
  upon a symbol for one of the Chinese elements appears 
  on each tile (wood, earth, ﬁ re, water, and metal). Carved 
  onto the bench, in Tibetan, Mandarin, and Japanese, is 
  a message the explorers hadn’t noticed before—“The 
  order of overcoming paves the way.”
  The riddle relates to the idea that each element has 
  mastery over another. For instance, water quenches ﬁ re. 
  To defeat the ﬁ re guardians (see below), the party needs 
  to use the water tile. Trial and error, or quick thinking, 
  will see them through eventually. Once a tile is used, it 
  disappears.
  The temple has reacted to the presence of the heroes, 
  and provided them with a clue to defeating the guard-
  ians. Whether or not they are actually worthy to retrieve 
  Winter Mountain is yet to be seen.
  Beyond the door is a series of chambers. These are 
  detailed below. Each chamber measures 12” to a side. 
  Strangely, the chambers make the monastery far bigger 
  on the inside than its outside dimensions would allow.
  Belligerent characters could suffer a lot of injuries if 
  they elect to stand and ﬁ ght rather than trying to escape 
  quickly. Although some violence is likely, once the heroes 
  know how to defeat the guardians, they should be able 
  to do so in just two rounds per chamber.
  CHAMBER 1: WOOD
  CHAMBER 1: WOOD
  The ﬁ rst chamber is completely paneled in wood. A 
  door at the opposite end has a small recess, matching the 
  wooden tiles in size. The door is impervious to all dam-
  age and impenetrable until the correct tile is inserted.
  As soon as the ﬁ rst character steps into the room, 
  wood elementals emerge from the center of the ﬂ oor and 
  attack. On subsequent rounds, one additional elemental 
  per two player characters appears and joins the fray. 
  Characters not in the room cannot see the elementals, 
  and thus cannot remain outside the chamber and pro-
  vide ﬁ re support. The elementals aren’t invisible—they 
  simply don’t exist to explorers outside of the chamber.
  Although the elementals can be defeated in combat, 
  they are inﬁ nite in number. To proceed from this room, 
  the characters must insert the tile marked with the el-
  ement that overcomes wood in Chinese magic—metal 
  (metal cuts wood). Once the correct tile is inserted (an 
  action for each tile tried), the elementals sink back into 
  the ﬂ oor and the door opens.
  (M) Wood Elementals: See page 21.
  CHAMBER 2: WATER
  CHAMBER 2: WATER
  This chamber functions as above with the follow-
  ing exceptions: The room and door are made of what 
  appears to be solid water. Ripples appear on the ﬂ oor 
  when the characters walk on it, yet they do not sink. The 
  elementals are water spirits, and the correct tile to place 
  in the door is earth (earth absorbs water).
   Water Elementals: See page 21.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1313
  sneaky hero could also conceal himself among the goats, 
  allowing him to ambush the Japanese (unless they’ve 
  seen him duck into the herd, of course). Successful 
  implementation of this tactic gives a hero the Drop for 
  one attack (and certainly merits a benny). After this, the 
  soldiers wise up to the tactic.
  Also, between the village and the invaders are a dozen 
  large boulders. Each ﬁ lls a 1“ square and is impassable. 
  The GM should place these at random. They exist to pro-
  vide Cover and break up the battleﬁ eld a little.
  The weather at the start of the ﬁ ght is light snow. Treat 
  it as Dim lighting (–1). Starting on round 6, the weather 
  worsens dramatically. Reduce the lighting to Dark (–2, 
  10” maximum visibility) for the rest of the ﬁ ght. This is 
  actually a great bonus for the ninja, as it allows them to 
  use their superior Stealth to sneak up on the Japanese.
  The Japanese force is a large scouting party, not 
  Oshiro’s main column, however, that is following close 
  behind. Once the last Japanese soldier is taken down, 
  the characters see more men in the distance. This time 
  they have small tanks providing support. The ninja mas-
  ter (or any surviving ninja if the master died) turns to the 
  characters.
  “He is too strong. If we stay here, we will all die. 
  Find the sword. We will lead General Oshiro on a 
  merry chase higher into the mountains to buy you 
  time. If we’re lucky, the storm will aid us.”
  Any heroic requests to stay and ﬁ ght are forcefully 
  rejected. “You risk this entire mission on foolish notions 
  of bravery and honor. Run today, ﬁ ght tomorrow.”
   Ninja Master: See page 19.
   Ninja (2 per hero): See page 19. Reduce the num-
  ber accordingly to account for any Incapacitated in the 
  previous scene. Any grenades or throwing stars spent 
  in the previous ﬁ ght are deemed recovered from fallen 
  comrades.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (3 per hero): See page 20.
  SCENE 4: FIVE TRAPS, TWO BLADES
  SCENE 4: FIVE TRAPS, TWO BLADES
  Although the storm is raging, it does not seem to af-
  fect the characters. The snow blows around them, and 
  the wind is a gentle caress, not the full-frontal assault 
  roaring through the mountains. After a few hours, the 
  heroes spy the monastery. Sure enough, above the lintel 
  are carved glyphs for Winter Mountain.
  Buddhist monks eventually gained possession of the 
  cursed blade. Knowing it to be a fell weapon, they chose 
  to seal it away behind a series of traps. Whereas a noble 
  warrior might have destroyed the blade, the monks 
  could not do so—they knew the katana contained a soul, 
  and to shatter the blade would kill the spirit, something 
  Buddhism expressly prohibits. Thus, their only option 
  was to imprison the blade until the fates decreed it be 
  discovered.
  At the rear of the small temple is a stout wooden door. 
  Lying on a small shelf to one side are ﬁ ve wooden tiles. 
  They appear blank until a character handles them, where-
  upon a symbol for one of the Chinese elements appears 
  on each tile (wood, earth, ﬁ re, water, and metal). Carved 
  onto the bench, in Tibetan, Mandarin, and Japanese, is 
  a message the explorers hadn’t noticed before—“The 
  order of overcoming paves the way.”
  The riddle relates to the idea that each element has 
  mastery over another. For instance, water quenches ﬁ re. 
  To defeat the ﬁ re guardians (see below), the party needs 
  to use the water tile. Trial and error, or quick thinking, 
  will see them through eventually. Once a tile is used, it 
  disappears.
  The temple has reacted to the presence of the heroes, 
  and provided them with a clue to defeating the guard-
  ians. Whether or not they are actually worthy to retrieve 
  Winter Mountain is yet to be seen.
  Beyond the door is a series of chambers. These are 
  detailed below. Each chamber measures 12” to a side. 
  Strangely, the chambers make the monastery far bigger 
  on the inside than its outside dimensions would allow.
  Belligerent characters could suffer a lot of injuries if 
  they elect to stand and ﬁ ght rather than trying to escape 
  quickly. Although some violence is likely, once the heroes 
  know how to defeat the guardians, they should be able 
  to do so in just two rounds per chamber.
  CHAMBER 1: WOOD
  CHAMBER 1: WOOD
  The ﬁ rst chamber is completely paneled in wood. A 
  door at the opposite end has a small recess, matching the 
  wooden tiles in size. The door is impervious to all dam-
  age and impenetrable until the correct tile is inserted.
  As soon as the ﬁ rst character steps into the room, 
  wood elementals emerge from the center of the ﬂ oor and 
  attack. On subsequent rounds, one additional elemental 
  per two player characters appears and joins the fray. 
  Characters not in the room cannot see the elementals, 
  and thus cannot remain outside the chamber and pro-
  vide ﬁ re support. The elementals aren’t invisible—they 
  simply don’t exist to explorers outside of the chamber.
  Although the elementals can be defeated in combat, 
  they are inﬁ nite in number. To proceed from this room, 
  the characters must insert the tile marked with the el-
  ement that overcomes wood in Chinese magic—metal 
  (metal cuts wood). Once the correct tile is inserted (an 
  action for each tile tried), the elementals sink back into 
  the ﬂ oor and the door opens.
  (M) Wood Elementals: See page 21.
  CHAMBER 2: WATER
  CHAMBER 2: WATER
  This chamber functions as above with the follow-
  ing exceptions: The room and door are made of what 
  appears to be solid water. Ripples appear on the ﬂ oor 
  when the characters walk on it, yet they do not sink. The 
  elementals are water spirits, and the correct tile to place 
  in the door is earth (earth absorbs water).
   Water Elementals: See page 21.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1414
  CHAMBER 3: EARTH
  CHAMBER 3: EARTH
  This chamber functions as the ﬁ rst chamber with the 
  following exceptions: The room and door are made of 
  packed earth, the elementals are earth spirits, and the 
  correct tile to place in the door is wood (wood parts 
  earth).
   Earth Elementals: See page 20.
  CHAMBER 4: FIRE
  CHAMBER 4: FIRE
  This chamber functions as the ﬁ rst chamber with the 
  following exceptions: The room and door are made of 
  what appears to be solid ﬁ re. It ﬂ ows like ﬂ ame, yet is 
  ﬁ rm to the touch. The room is hot, but not so much that 
  it burns the characters. The elementals are ﬁ re spirits, 
  and the correct tile to place in the door is water (water 
  quenches ﬁ re).
   Fire Elementals: See page 21.
  CHAMBER 5: METAL
  CHAMBER 5: METAL
  The last chamber is forged from metal. There are no 
  signs of joins, welds, or rivets. The elementals are metal 
  spirits, and the correct tile to place in the door is ﬁ re (ﬁ re 
  melts metal).
  The last door leads into a small chamber. Resting on 
  velvet pillows are two katana (see the sidebar on page 
  15). Both are decorated with mon (emblems of samurai 
  families, similar in function to European coats-of-arms), 
  but it requires a Knowledge (History) roll at –6 to deter-
  mine which one is Winter Mountain.
  Once the swords are collected, the characters can 
  safely walk back through the elemental chambers.
   Metal Elementals: See page 21.
  OLD ENEMIES
  OLD ENEMIES
  Unfortunately, the ninja were not successful in their 
  attempt to delay General Oshiro. He and a large party 
  of his men are waiting outside the temple. Gathered in 
  front of the soldiers are peasants from the village, includ-
  ing the monk.
  “You have one chance to throw down your weap-
  ons and hand over Winter Mountain,” Oshiro says 
  calmly. “If you refuse or try to stall for more time, 
  one of the prisoners will be executed. To ensure 
  you understand that I am deadly serious…” Os-
  hiro pulls his katana from its scabbard and raises 
  it over his head…
  Unless the characters hand over at least one of the 
  blades immediately, Oshiro decapitates a peasant. In all 
  honesty, it’s very unlikely the adventurers have deter-
  mined which blade is Winter Mountain. Oshiro, however, 
  recognizes his family mon immediately. Basically, there’s 
  a 50% chance the characters get it wrong if they try to 
  hand the general just one of the swords. The general 
  fumes at the “deception” if the wrong blade is chosen, 
  and again raises his sword to strike.
  When Winter Mountain is in his hands, Oshiro’s eyes 
  take on the glint of the truly insane. His face contorts in 
  ecstasy as he caresses the blade and whispers to it. After 
  a few moments, he places the sword, still sheathed, into 
  his belt. He then orders the heroes bound. Oshiro then 
  draws the other katana, Spring Blossom, from its scab-
  bard and studies the blade.
  “Bah!” he scoffs. “The work of a coward!” He steps 
  closer to you and waves the blade in front of your 
  faces. “This blade was forged by Masamune. Some 
  say he created the best blades in Japan, but they 
  would only strike those deserving of death. I think 
  it is time to put this legend to the test!”
  Soldiers wrestle <insert random hero’s name> 
  to the ﬂ oor, and push his head forward. Oshiro 
  raises the blade and cuts downward in a lightning 
  fast move! The blade strikes your comrade’s neck, 
  but comes to an abrupt halt. It is obvious from 
  the look on Oshiro’s face that he hasn’t pulled his 
  blow.
  “So” Oshiro sneers, “the legends are true—a 
  sword that will not slay the innocent. A worthless 
  weapon to a true warrior! It will accompany you 
  all to your graves!”
  Proceed to Act 4.
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (4 per hero): See page 20.
  ACT 4: MANCHUKUO
  ACT 4: MANCHUKUO
  The captives are marched into the temple. They no-
  tice the door which lead to the elemental chamber is no 
  longer there!
  Soldiers securely tie each character to one of the sup-
  porting columns in the center of the temple. Meanwhile, 
  others hang grenades from the ceiling by thin cords. The 
  cords are then unraveled, nailed here and there onto the 
  walls, and trailed back to the door.
  SCENE 1: DO YOU SMELL BURNING?
  SCENE 1: DO YOU SMELL BURNING?
  “What were you thinking?” Oshiro sneers. “Did 
  you honestly think a handful of barbarians could 
  stop me achieving my destiny? When will you 
  hakujin learn your place?”
  The general strokes Winter Mountain’s scabbard 
  absently. “Tomorrow, the Prime Minister of Japan 
  is going to award me a medal for services to the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1414
  CHAMBER 3: EARTH
  CHAMBER 3: EARTH
  This chamber functions as the ﬁ rst chamber with the 
  following exceptions: The room and door are made of 
  packed earth, the elementals are earth spirits, and the 
  correct tile to place in the door is wood (wood parts 
  earth).
   Earth Elementals: See page 20.
  CHAMBER 4: FIRE
  CHAMBER 4: FIRE
  This chamber functions as the ﬁ rst chamber with the 
  following exceptions: The room and door are made of 
  what appears to be solid ﬁ re. It ﬂ ows like ﬂ ame, yet is 
  ﬁ rm to the touch. The room is hot, but not so much that 
  it burns the characters. The elementals are ﬁ re spirits, 
  and the correct tile to place in the door is water (water 
  quenches ﬁ re).
   Fire Elementals: See page 21.
  CHAMBER 5: METAL
  CHAMBER 5: METAL
  The last chamber is forged from metal. There are no 
  signs of joins, welds, or rivets. The elementals are metal 
  spirits, and the correct tile to place in the door is ﬁ re (ﬁ re 
  melts metal).
  The last door leads into a small chamber. Resting on 
  velvet pillows are two katana (see the sidebar on page 
  15). Both are decorated with mon (emblems of samurai 
  families, similar in function to European coats-of-arms), 
  but it requires a Knowledge (History) roll at –6 to deter-
  mine which one is Winter Mountain.
  Once the swords are collected, the characters can 
  safely walk back through the elemental chambers.
   Metal Elementals: See page 21.
  OLD ENEMIES
  OLD ENEMIES
  Unfortunately, the ninja were not successful in their 
  attempt to delay General Oshiro. He and a large party 
  of his men are waiting outside the temple. Gathered in 
  front of the soldiers are peasants from the village, includ-
  ing the monk.
  “You have one chance to throw down your weap-
  ons and hand over Winter Mountain,” Oshiro says 
  calmly. “If you refuse or try to stall for more time, 
  one of the prisoners will be executed. To ensure 
  you understand that I am deadly serious…” Os-
  hiro pulls his katana from its scabbard and raises 
  it over his head…
  Unless the characters hand over at least one of the 
  blades immediately, Oshiro decapitates a peasant. In all 
  honesty, it’s very unlikely the adventurers have deter-
  mined which blade is Winter Mountain. Oshiro, however, 
  recognizes his family mon immediately. Basically, there’s 
  a 50% chance the characters get it wrong if they try to 
  hand the general just one of the swords. The general 
  fumes at the “deception” if the wrong blade is chosen, 
  and again raises his sword to strike.
  When Winter Mountain is in his hands, Oshiro’s eyes 
  take on the glint of the truly insane. His face contorts in 
  ecstasy as he caresses the blade and whispers to it. After 
  a few moments, he places the sword, still sheathed, into 
  his belt. He then orders the heroes bound. Oshiro then 
  draws the other katana, Spring Blossom, from its scab-
  bard and studies the blade.
  “Bah!” he scoffs. “The work of a coward!” He steps 
  closer to you and waves the blade in front of your 
  faces. “This blade was forged by Masamune. Some 
  say he created the best blades in Japan, but they 
  would only strike those deserving of death. I think 
  it is time to put this legend to the test!”
  Soldiers wrestle <insert random hero’s name> 
  to the ﬂ oor, and push his head forward. Oshiro 
  raises the blade and cuts downward in a lightning 
  fast move! The blade strikes your comrade’s neck, 
  but comes to an abrupt halt. It is obvious from 
  the look on Oshiro’s face that he hasn’t pulled his 
  blow.
  “So” Oshiro sneers, “the legends are true—a 
  sword that will not slay the innocent. A worthless 
  weapon to a true warrior! It will accompany you 
  all to your graves!”
  Proceed to Act 4.
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (1 per hero): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (4 per hero): See page 20.
  ACT 4: MANCHUKUO
  ACT 4: MANCHUKUO
  The captives are marched into the temple. They no-
  tice the door which lead to the elemental chamber is no 
  longer there!
  Soldiers securely tie each character to one of the sup-
  porting columns in the center of the temple. Meanwhile, 
  others hang grenades from the ceiling by thin cords. The 
  cords are then unraveled, nailed here and there onto the 
  walls, and trailed back to the door.
  SCENE 1: DO YOU SMELL BURNING?
  SCENE 1: DO YOU SMELL BURNING?
  “What were you thinking?” Oshiro sneers. “Did 
  you honestly think a handful of barbarians could 
  stop me achieving my destiny? When will you 
  hakujin learn your place?”
  The general strokes Winter Mountain’s scabbard 
  absently. “Tomorrow, the Prime Minister of Japan 
  is going to award me a medal for services to the 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1515
  Emperor. Shortly thereafter, Winter Mountain will 
  drink of his blood!
  “Once that sniveling bureaucrat is dead, the ofﬁ cer 
  class will reclaim its rightful place. The samurai 
  shall be reborn, and Japan shall be governed by 
  a shogun once again. I shall rule Japan, with the 
  blessing of the impotent Emperor. Shogun Oshiro 
  Takeo—oh, how our enemies will learn to fear my 
  name! With the military in full control, we shall 
  crush them all like ants beneath our feet!
  “They say,” the general mutters, much calmer 
  than a second before, “true courage is the ability 
  to face death without ﬂ inching. That may be true 
  of samurai, but I expect to hear you screaming for 
  mercy before your demise!
  “Those are impact grenades.” Oshiro gestures 
  toward the dark orbs hanging from the ceiling. 
  “Very soon they will fall, and you will die.”
  Oshiro and his men then depart. As the last one 
  reaches the door, he crouches down and ignites the 
  cord. It ﬁ zzes violently, and begins burning toward the 
  grenades. Any character making a Common Knowledge 
  roll recognizes it as a slow match, a primitive but effec-
  tive form of fuse used for explosives. The temple door is 
  then closed and barred. Once outside, the soldiers soak 
  the wooden temple in gasoline and ignite it.
  The temple interior measures a mere 6” to a side. 
  The pillars are arranged in the center of the room and 
  are spaced 1” apart to form a square. The grenades hang 
  over the center of the temple.
  The fuse burns through at the end of the 6th round. 
  When it does, the grenades drop. They explode on im-
  pact. The grenades have the following stats: Damage: 3d6, 
  Medium Burst Template. That’s 3d6 four times—even as 
  damage dealt by an Extra, it’ll hurt.
  Smoke from the gasoline ﬁ re quickly begins to ﬁ ll the 
  small temple. At the end of the 3rd round, the heroes 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. When 
  round 4 ends, another Vigor roll must be made, this 
  time at –1. The end of each subsequent round requires 
  a Vigor roll at –2.
  * Escaping from their bonds requires an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –2. One roll may be attempted each 
  round. A character who breaks free can release a com-
  rade without a die roll, but this take a complete round, 
  permitting no other actions except movement up to the 
  hero’s Pace.
  * Climbing up to reach the fuse requires a Climbing 
  roll at –2. Once a hero has reached the correct height, he 
  may make a Strength roll to snap the cord, thus disarm-
  ing the trap. Climbing up to free the grenades requires 
  rolls as above.
  * Should the grenades fall, a hero on Hold can try to 
  grab them before they hit the ﬂ oor. He doesn’t need to 
  roll to interrupt—it’s an automatic success. A hero who 
  tries to catch one must make an Agility roll. If he tries 
  to catch two (one in each hand), he suffers a multi ac-
  tion penalty and the off-hand penalty. No hero can catch 
  more than two grenades.
  * Breaking down the main door requires a Strength 
  roll at –6. This can be attempted as a Cooperative roll. 
  Alternatively, a hero who has caught a grenade or pulled 
  it from the ceiling can throw it at the door. No Throwing 
  roll is necessary—just roll damage. The door has Tough-
  ness 15.
  If the characters aren’t free by the end of the 7th 
  round, the main door cracks open at the start of round 8. 
  Standing there, backlit by the raging inferno, is the ninja 
  master! (Well, you didn’t think we’d let the characters 
  burn to a crisp, did you?)
  The adventurers’ gear is outside in the snow, where 
  it was dumped after they were searched. General Oshiro 
  has no wish to soil his hands with non-Japanese equip-
  ment.
  THE INDESTRUCTIBLE NINJA
  THE INDESTRUCTIBLE NINJA
  Whether he seemingly died in the battle against the 
  Japanese or not, the ninja master is still alive, though 
  THE TWO BLADES
  THE TWO BLADES
  The two swords were forged by master swordsmiths 
  whose temperaments were diametrically opposed. 
  Muramasa, as already noted was insane and violent. 
  Masamune, who lived two centuries earlier, was, in 
  contrast, of peaceful and meditative temperament. 
  His blades, so the legends go, never drew blood 
  from the innocent or those undeserving of a violent 
  death.
  White Mountain: This katana causes Str+d6+2, AP 
  2. It is also cursed. When drawn, the wielder must 
  make a Spirit roll at –2 or go berserk. This works as 
  per the regular Berserk Edge, except it uses Spirit 
  and not Smarts. The user’s Spirit is considered d4 
  for the purposes of tempering his rage, which also 
  requires him to sheathe the weapon. Sheathing the 
  blade is considered part of the roll to calm the rage, 
  but only works if the Spirit roll is successful.
  Each round the wielder of the drawn katana fails to 
  inﬂ ict a wound, whether he is enraged or not, he 
  must make another Spirit roll or cut himself (a free 
  action). This causes an automatic wound, which 
  cannot be Soaked. Make the roll at the end of each 
  round, after all actions have been dealt with.
  Spring Blossom: This katana causes Str+d6+2, 
  AP 2. Unlike its counterpart, the Masamune blade 
  never harms those who are innocent or dedicated 
  to virtuous causes. In game terms, this provides 
  one bonus: when used to Sweep, a player character 
  never has a chance of hitting allied characters—the 
  blade simply “refuses” to cut the heroes and those 
  who ﬁ ght alongside them.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1515
  Emperor. Shortly thereafter, Winter Mountain will 
  drink of his blood!
  “Once that sniveling bureaucrat is dead, the ofﬁ cer 
  class will reclaim its rightful place. The samurai 
  shall be reborn, and Japan shall be governed by 
  a shogun once again. I shall rule Japan, with the 
  blessing of the impotent Emperor. Shogun Oshiro 
  Takeo—oh, how our enemies will learn to fear my 
  name! With the military in full control, we shall 
  crush them all like ants beneath our feet!
  “They say,” the general mutters, much calmer 
  than a second before, “true courage is the ability 
  to face death without ﬂ inching. That may be true 
  of samurai, but I expect to hear you screaming for 
  mercy before your demise!
  “Those are impact grenades.” Oshiro gestures 
  toward the dark orbs hanging from the ceiling. 
  “Very soon they will fall, and you will die.”
  Oshiro and his men then depart. As the last one 
  reaches the door, he crouches down and ignites the 
  cord. It ﬁ zzes violently, and begins burning toward the 
  grenades. Any character making a Common Knowledge 
  roll recognizes it as a slow match, a primitive but effec-
  tive form of fuse used for explosives. The temple door is 
  then closed and barred. Once outside, the soldiers soak 
  the wooden temple in gasoline and ignite it.
  The temple interior measures a mere 6” to a side. 
  The pillars are arranged in the center of the room and 
  are spaced 1” apart to form a square. The grenades hang 
  over the center of the temple.
  The fuse burns through at the end of the 6th round. 
  When it does, the grenades drop. They explode on im-
  pact. The grenades have the following stats: Damage: 3d6, 
  Medium Burst Template. That’s 3d6 four times—even as 
  damage dealt by an Extra, it’ll hurt.
  Smoke from the gasoline ﬁ re quickly begins to ﬁ ll the 
  small temple. At the end of the 3rd round, the heroes 
  must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue. When 
  round 4 ends, another Vigor roll must be made, this 
  time at –1. The end of each subsequent round requires 
  a Vigor roll at –2.
  * Escaping from their bonds requires an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –2. One roll may be attempted each 
  round. A character who breaks free can release a com-
  rade without a die roll, but this take a complete round, 
  permitting no other actions except movement up to the 
  hero’s Pace.
  * Climbing up to reach the fuse requires a Climbing 
  roll at –2. Once a hero has reached the correct height, he 
  may make a Strength roll to snap the cord, thus disarm-
  ing the trap. Climbing up to free the grenades requires 
  rolls as above.
  * Should the grenades fall, a hero on Hold can try to 
  grab them before they hit the ﬂ oor. He doesn’t need to 
  roll to interrupt—it’s an automatic success. A hero who 
  tries to catch one must make an Agility roll. If he tries 
  to catch two (one in each hand), he suffers a multi ac-
  tion penalty and the off-hand penalty. No hero can catch 
  more than two grenades.
  * Breaking down the main door requires a Strength 
  roll at –6. This can be attempted as a Cooperative roll. 
  Alternatively, a hero who has caught a grenade or pulled 
  it from the ceiling can throw it at the door. No Throwing 
  roll is necessary—just roll damage. The door has Tough-
  ness 15.
  If the characters aren’t free by the end of the 7th 
  round, the main door cracks open at the start of round 8. 
  Standing there, backlit by the raging inferno, is the ninja 
  master! (Well, you didn’t think we’d let the characters 
  burn to a crisp, did you?)
  The adventurers’ gear is outside in the snow, where 
  it was dumped after they were searched. General Oshiro 
  has no wish to soil his hands with non-Japanese equip-
  ment.
  THE INDESTRUCTIBLE NINJA
  THE INDESTRUCTIBLE NINJA
  Whether he seemingly died in the battle against the 
  Japanese or not, the ninja master is still alive, though 
  THE TWO BLADES
  THE TWO BLADES
  The two swords were forged by master swordsmiths 
  whose temperaments were diametrically opposed. 
  Muramasa, as already noted was insane and violent. 
  Masamune, who lived two centuries earlier, was, in 
  contrast, of peaceful and meditative temperament. 
  His blades, so the legends go, never drew blood 
  from the innocent or those undeserving of a violent 
  death.
  White Mountain: This katana causes Str+d6+2, AP 
  2. It is also cursed. When drawn, the wielder must 
  make a Spirit roll at –2 or go berserk. This works as 
  per the regular Berserk Edge, except it uses Spirit 
  and not Smarts. The user’s Spirit is considered d4 
  for the purposes of tempering his rage, which also 
  requires him to sheathe the weapon. Sheathing the 
  blade is considered part of the roll to calm the rage, 
  but only works if the Spirit roll is successful.
  Each round the wielder of the drawn katana fails to 
  inﬂ ict a wound, whether he is enraged or not, he 
  must make another Spirit roll or cut himself (a free 
  action). This causes an automatic wound, which 
  cannot be Soaked. Make the roll at the end of each 
  round, after all actions have been dealt with.
  Spring Blossom: This katana causes Str+d6+2, 
  AP 2. Unlike its counterpart, the Masamune blade 
  never harms those who are innocent or dedicated 
  to virtuous causes. In game terms, this provides 
  one bonus: when used to Sweep, a player character 
  never has a chance of hitting allied characters—the 
  blade simply “refuses” to cut the heroes and those 
  who ﬁ ght alongside them.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1616
  barely. If the initial Japanese attack didn’t mortally 
  wound him, his guerilla action against Oshiro’s column 
  resulted in the terrible injuries he now sports. A trail of 
  blood through the snow is clear evidence he has dragged 
  himself some distance.
  “Oshiro is returning to Manchukuo,” he says, 
  coughing up blood. “He has Winter Mountain. Go 
  to the Seven Dragon laundry in Harbin. Ask for 
  Hideyoshi. Tell him, ‘The white crane ﬂ ies over the 
  mountain alone.’ He will help you.” With that, the 
  ninja master closes his eyes for the last time.
  SCENE 2: LARGE MEN AND LATHER
  SCENE 2: LARGE MEN AND LATHER
  The largest city in Manchukuo is Harbin. In 1898, Har-
  bin was turned from a small village into a bustling town 
  by the Russians. After the defeat of Russia in the Russo-
  Japanese War (1904-05), Russian inﬂ uence over Harbin 
  waned considerably, and the town quickly opened up to 
  other foreign investors. Harbin grew rapidly into a bus-
  tling, industrialized, international city.
  During the Russian Civil War (1918), large numbers of 
  Tsarist Russians settled in Harbin. Jewish émigrés from 
  Nazi Germany followed once Hitler took power. The 
  Japanese occupied the city in 1932, resulting in a second 
  mass migration of Russians and Jews—this time out of 
  the city.
  The laundry where they party is to meet Hideyoshi is 
  on a major thoroughfare.
  Entering the Chinese laundry, you are momen-
  tarily overcome by the smell of detergent. Huge 
  white sheets hang throughout the room, obscuring 
  your view. You can just make out a handful of 
  Chinese workers, scrubbing busily.
  The laundry measures 12” to a side. The entrance is 
  in the northwest corner. There is a second door in the 
  southwest corner. Against the west wall are three large, 
  wooden vats, each the size of a Small Burst Template. 
  Against the east wall are four steam presses, used to fold 
  and crease the sheets. They ﬁ ll a 1” square, movement 
  through which is difﬁ cult ground. Small tables hold bars 
  of soap, buckets of soapy water, and other parapherna-
  lia.
  If Hideyoshi’s name is mentioned, the Chinese point 
  to a door in the south wall. As the characters near it, the 
  workers ﬂ ee out the main door into the street. Seconds 
  later the door crashes open, as four huge sumo wrestlers 
  (agents of Oshiro) stagger into the laundry. Hideyoshi 
  was forced to ask a lot of questions to uncover useful 
  information, and his enquiries reached the ears of the 
  crazed general. To ensure silence, Oshiro dispatched 
  several agents to the laundry. They arrived just before 
  the characters.
  Much of the scenery can be used as weapons or in 
  Tricks, as detailed below. Other items a hero might wish 
  to use, such as washboards, brushes, and paddles for 
  beating clean carpets and rugs are automatically avail-
  able if a character requests one. Typically these cause 
  Str+d4 damage, and can be used in Tricks.
  Bucket: Str+d4 damage. The buckets are ﬁ lled with 
  soapy water, which can be used in Agility Tricks.
  Sheets: The hanging sheets provide Light Cover 
  (–1) to anyone on the opposite side to an attacker. They 
  can also be used in Tricks (such as pulling one over an 
  opponent’s head).
  Soap: A large bar of soap can be thrown to Range 
  3/6/12 and inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage. They can also be slid 
  under feet as an Agility Trick.
  Steam Press: A hero who has grappled his foe adja-
  cent to a steam press can try to force part of his victim 
  into it. This requires an opposed roll as normal for grap-
  pling. Damage is 2d6 (from an Extra).
  Vat: The large vat is ﬁ lled with warm, soapy water. 
  The vat has Toughness 8. When it takes a single wound, it 
  splits open, disgorging its contents in a Cone Template. 
  Any one under the template must make an Agility roll at 
  –2 or be knocked back 1” and fall prone.
  Leave the template in place after the water spills out. 
  Movement through the soapy pool is difﬁ cult ground. 
  Any character who runs through the area and rolls a 1 on 
  his running die slips and falls prone.
   Sumo Wrestlers (1 per hero): See page 21.
  THE CONTACT
  THE CONTACT
  Once the ﬁ ght is over, the characters can search the 
  laundry for their contact. They ﬁ nd him stuffed inside a 
  large laundry basket. He’s been beaten to a bloody pulp, 
  though fortunately he’s not in danger of dying. He opens 
  a puffy eye, smiles weakly, and says, “Ah, the Western-
  ers…sent to save the…Empire. Hongbo Square…mid-
  day…Oshiro receiving medal from…Fumimaro. Stop…” 
  With that he falls unconscious.
  Japan’s internal politics are largely unknown to 
  Westerners in the 1930s. A Common Knowledge roll 
  at –4 is required to know that Fumimaro Konoe is the 
  Prime Minister of Japan. The name alone, coupled with 
  Oshiro’s rant in Tibet, should allow them to piece things 
  together, anyway.
  The contact mentioned midday—that’s just 10 min-
  utes from now! Hongbo Square is just a little over a 
  mile from the laundry, but the streets are crowded and 
  the heroes don’t know the way. Luckily, as they leave 
  the laundry, a number of rickshaws pull up. A smiling 
  rickshaw driver says in broken English, “You want ride? 
  Rickshaw go very fast.”
  SCENE 3: RICKSHAW RUMBLE
  SCENE 3: RICKSHAW RUMBLE
  Each rickshaw can hold two people and has a single 
  operator. The rickshaws are faster than running through 
  the crowded streets as the operators also know many 
  shortcuts the characters don’t.
  During the chase which follows, the characters should 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1616
  barely. If the initial Japanese attack didn’t mortally 
  wound him, his guerilla action against Oshiro’s column 
  resulted in the terrible injuries he now sports. A trail of 
  blood through the snow is clear evidence he has dragged 
  himself some distance.
  “Oshiro is returning to Manchukuo,” he says, 
  coughing up blood. “He has Winter Mountain. Go 
  to the Seven Dragon laundry in Harbin. Ask for 
  Hideyoshi. Tell him, ‘The white crane ﬂ ies over the 
  mountain alone.’ He will help you.” With that, the 
  ninja master closes his eyes for the last time.
  SCENE 2: LARGE MEN AND LATHER
  SCENE 2: LARGE MEN AND LATHER
  The largest city in Manchukuo is Harbin. In 1898, Har-
  bin was turned from a small village into a bustling town 
  by the Russians. After the defeat of Russia in the Russo-
  Japanese War (1904-05), Russian inﬂ uence over Harbin 
  waned considerably, and the town quickly opened up to 
  other foreign investors. Harbin grew rapidly into a bus-
  tling, industrialized, international city.
  During the Russian Civil War (1918), large numbers of 
  Tsarist Russians settled in Harbin. Jewish émigrés from 
  Nazi Germany followed once Hitler took power. The 
  Japanese occupied the city in 1932, resulting in a second 
  mass migration of Russians and Jews—this time out of 
  the city.
  The laundry where they party is to meet Hideyoshi is 
  on a major thoroughfare.
  Entering the Chinese laundry, you are momen-
  tarily overcome by the smell of detergent. Huge 
  white sheets hang throughout the room, obscuring 
  your view. You can just make out a handful of 
  Chinese workers, scrubbing busily.
  The laundry measures 12” to a side. The entrance is 
  in the northwest corner. There is a second door in the 
  southwest corner. Against the west wall are three large, 
  wooden vats, each the size of a Small Burst Template. 
  Against the east wall are four steam presses, used to fold 
  and crease the sheets. They ﬁ ll a 1” square, movement 
  through which is difﬁ cult ground. Small tables hold bars 
  of soap, buckets of soapy water, and other parapherna-
  lia.
  If Hideyoshi’s name is mentioned, the Chinese point 
  to a door in the south wall. As the characters near it, the 
  workers ﬂ ee out the main door into the street. Seconds 
  later the door crashes open, as four huge sumo wrestlers 
  (agents of Oshiro) stagger into the laundry. Hideyoshi 
  was forced to ask a lot of questions to uncover useful 
  information, and his enquiries reached the ears of the 
  crazed general. To ensure silence, Oshiro dispatched 
  several agents to the laundry. They arrived just before 
  the characters.
  Much of the scenery can be used as weapons or in 
  Tricks, as detailed below. Other items a hero might wish 
  to use, such as washboards, brushes, and paddles for 
  beating clean carpets and rugs are automatically avail-
  able if a character requests one. Typically these cause 
  Str+d4 damage, and can be used in Tricks.
  Bucket: Str+d4 damage. The buckets are ﬁ lled with 
  soapy water, which can be used in Agility Tricks.
  Sheets: The hanging sheets provide Light Cover 
  (–1) to anyone on the opposite side to an attacker. They 
  can also be used in Tricks (such as pulling one over an 
  opponent’s head).
  Soap: A large bar of soap can be thrown to Range 
  3/6/12 and inﬂ icts Str+d4 damage. They can also be slid 
  under feet as an Agility Trick.
  Steam Press: A hero who has grappled his foe adja-
  cent to a steam press can try to force part of his victim 
  into it. This requires an opposed roll as normal for grap-
  pling. Damage is 2d6 (from an Extra).
  Vat: The large vat is ﬁ lled with warm, soapy water. 
  The vat has Toughness 8. When it takes a single wound, it 
  splits open, disgorging its contents in a Cone Template. 
  Any one under the template must make an Agility roll at 
  –2 or be knocked back 1” and fall prone.
  Leave the template in place after the water spills out. 
  Movement through the soapy pool is difﬁ cult ground. 
  Any character who runs through the area and rolls a 1 on 
  his running die slips and falls prone.
   Sumo Wrestlers (1 per hero): See page 21.
  THE CONTACT
  THE CONTACT
  Once the ﬁ ght is over, the characters can search the 
  laundry for their contact. They ﬁ nd him stuffed inside a 
  large laundry basket. He’s been beaten to a bloody pulp, 
  though fortunately he’s not in danger of dying. He opens 
  a puffy eye, smiles weakly, and says, “Ah, the Western-
  ers…sent to save the…Empire. Hongbo Square…mid-
  day…Oshiro receiving medal from…Fumimaro. Stop…” 
  With that he falls unconscious.
  Japan’s internal politics are largely unknown to 
  Westerners in the 1930s. A Common Knowledge roll 
  at –4 is required to know that Fumimaro Konoe is the 
  Prime Minister of Japan. The name alone, coupled with 
  Oshiro’s rant in Tibet, should allow them to piece things 
  together, anyway.
  The contact mentioned midday—that’s just 10 min-
  utes from now! Hongbo Square is just a little over a 
  mile from the laundry, but the streets are crowded and 
  the heroes don’t know the way. Luckily, as they leave 
  the laundry, a number of rickshaws pull up. A smiling 
  rickshaw driver says in broken English, “You want ride? 
  Rickshaw go very fast.”
  SCENE 3: RICKSHAW RUMBLE
  SCENE 3: RICKSHAW RUMBLE
  Each rickshaw can hold two people and has a single 
  operator. The rickshaws are faster than running through 
  the crowded streets as the operators also know many 
  shortcuts the characters don’t.
  During the chase which follows, the characters should 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1717
  always feel constrained by time. Stopping to engage in 
  a ﬁ reﬁ ght should seem like a bad idea as the minutes 
  tick away. Keep reminding them that the lock is against 
  them.
  In the event the heroes wish to run to Hongbo Square, 
  the scene still unfolds as below. However, when they 
  reach Hongbo Square they must make a Vigor roll at –2. 
  Failure means they are Fatigued until the end of Scene 4. 
  With a critical failure, they are Exhausted.
  General Oshiro is determined his coup will succeed. 
  He has ordered cavalrymen to patrol the streets. They 
  have orders to kill any Westerners on sight. In the event 
  his plan is stalled, Oshiro has forged papers ready, “prov-
  ing” any Westerners his men were forced to kill were 
  actually Russian assassins.
  After only a few hundred yards, the characters hear 
  gunﬁ re behind them. Looking round, they see a small 
  cavalry detachment galloping toward the rickshaws. The 
  Japanese are currently armed with pistols. If they succeed 
  in the Parallel stunt, they switch to their sabers instead. 
  The rickshaws count as an Unstable Platform.
  The Japanese cavalrymen have a Range Increment of 
  5”. Characters on foot suffer a –1 penalty to their Agility 
  rolls for having a lower Range Increment (1”). Although 
  the rickshaws are powered by runners, they’re extremely 
  ﬁ t. The rickshaws have a Range Increment of 5” as well.
  The cavalrymen use their Riding skill to determine 
  movement. The Chinese rickshaw operators use Strength 
  (d6) to pull the rickshaws. They act on the action card of 
  one of the passengers. If a character wants to switch rolls 
  with the driver, he needs to make a Persuasion roll. He 
  gets a +2 bonus if he speaks Mandarin, as it makes the 
  negotiations quicker.
  The rickshaws don’t have stats—they are treated as 
  scenery. Instead, the characters are treated as pedestrians 
  with Medium Cover (–2) for the purposes of attacks.
  Don’t use the regular Obstacles rules. Instead, when-
  ever a Club is drawn, consult the table below. The pen-
  alty applies to the appropriate Trait roll. It signiﬁ es the 
  crowded state of the street and the participant’s inability 
  to make good progress that round.
  Card 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–10 
  –4
  Jack–Queen 
  –2
  King–Ace 
  –1
   Japanese Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Horses (1 per soldier): See Savage Worlds Rules.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1717
  always feel constrained by time. Stopping to engage in 
  a ﬁ reﬁ ght should seem like a bad idea as the minutes 
  tick away. Keep reminding them that the lock is against 
  them.
  In the event the heroes wish to run to Hongbo Square, 
  the scene still unfolds as below. However, when they 
  reach Hongbo Square they must make a Vigor roll at –2. 
  Failure means they are Fatigued until the end of Scene 4. 
  With a critical failure, they are Exhausted.
  General Oshiro is determined his coup will succeed. 
  He has ordered cavalrymen to patrol the streets. They 
  have orders to kill any Westerners on sight. In the event 
  his plan is stalled, Oshiro has forged papers ready, “prov-
  ing” any Westerners his men were forced to kill were 
  actually Russian assassins.
  After only a few hundred yards, the characters hear 
  gunﬁ re behind them. Looking round, they see a small 
  cavalry detachment galloping toward the rickshaws. The 
  Japanese are currently armed with pistols. If they succeed 
  in the Parallel stunt, they switch to their sabers instead. 
  The rickshaws count as an Unstable Platform.
  The Japanese cavalrymen have a Range Increment of 
  5”. Characters on foot suffer a –1 penalty to their Agility 
  rolls for having a lower Range Increment (1”). Although 
  the rickshaws are powered by runners, they’re extremely 
  ﬁ t. The rickshaws have a Range Increment of 5” as well.
  The cavalrymen use their Riding skill to determine 
  movement. The Chinese rickshaw operators use Strength 
  (d6) to pull the rickshaws. They act on the action card of 
  one of the passengers. If a character wants to switch rolls 
  with the driver, he needs to make a Persuasion roll. He 
  gets a +2 bonus if he speaks Mandarin, as it makes the 
  negotiations quicker.
  The rickshaws don’t have stats—they are treated as 
  scenery. Instead, the characters are treated as pedestrians 
  with Medium Cover (–2) for the purposes of attacks.
  Don’t use the regular Obstacles rules. Instead, when-
  ever a Club is drawn, consult the table below. The pen-
  alty applies to the appropriate Trait roll. It signiﬁ es the 
  crowded state of the street and the participant’s inability 
  to make good progress that round.
  Card 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–10 
  –4
  Jack–Queen 
  –2
  King–Ace 
  –1
   Japanese Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
   Horses (1 per soldier): See Savage Worlds Rules.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1818
  SCENE 4: FIRE AND STONE
  SCENE 4: FIRE AND STONE
  By the time you reach Hongbo Square the cer-
  emony has already begun! A crowd of army of-
  ﬁ cers stands atop a platform at the far end of the 
  square.
  Arrayed in front of them is Oshiro and a line of 
  ofﬁ cers and men due to receive medals. A man in 
  a suit, likely the Prime Minister, has just placed a 
  medal around the general’s neck. He steps back 
  and bows. Rather than returning the bow, Oshiro 
  reaches for White Mountain!
  The characters have Surprise over the Japanese and 
  receive a free round of actions. The Prime Minister has 
  Parry 2 and Toughness 5. However, fate is on his side—he 
  can’t die here (although he can be Incapacitated).
  The square is 24” long and 18” wide. The heroes begin 
  at the southern end. Oshiro and his men start 6” in from 
  the north edge, facing away from the party. The Prime 
  Minister is in front of Oshiro. The platform on which the 
  other attendees stand is just off the north edge of the 
  battleﬁ eld.
  Emperor Hirohito has been informed of recent events 
  through his spies, and has ordered his other generals not 
  to interfere. Indeed, during the ﬁ ght, the characters see 
  them deliberately ordering their men to hold ﬁ re. Hiro-
  hito has a plan to test Oshiro’s loyalty once and for all, 
  but he’s content for the characters to remove as many 
  conspirators as possible beforehand.
  Immediately Oshiro takes his third wound, proceed 
  to the next section. If he’s Incapacitated, still move onto 
  the next section.
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (2): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
  DUTY IS A MOUNTAIN
  DUTY IS A MOUNTAIN
  Oshiro staggers back, clutching his wounds. Sud-
  denly, the Japanese soldiers stop ﬁ ghting and 
  drop to their knees, heads bowed low. A Japanese 
  man in traditional silk robes, ﬂ anked by katana-
  wielding guards in military uniforms, steps onto 
  the platform. A whisper goes through the crowd 
  like wildﬁ re—it’s Emperor Hirohito!
  Oshiro’s eyes widen in disbelief. Still clutch-
  ing Winter Mountain, he staggers toward the 
  Emperor. “I shall be shogun!” he spits. He raises 
  Winter Mountain above his head. Hirohito stands 
  impassively, his hands held out at waist level, 
  holding back his bodyguards, whose blades are 
  now drawn and poised to strike. Hirohito speaks, 
  not to Oshiro, but to Winter Mountain—“I am the 
  Emperor of Japan.”
  Winter Mountain begins to fall in a graceful, 
  sweeping arc. Suddenly it stops. Oshiro’s face 
  contorts into a grimace. Slowly, his arms fold 
  back, Winter Mountain’s tip wavering closer to 
  his heart.
  A sudden thrust, and Oshiro slumps to his knees 
  as Winter Mountain’s blade emerges through his 
  back. A second jerk, and the blade is buried to the 
  hilt. The general looks down in disbelief, and then 
  falls forward, dead.
  Atop the platform, the Japanese man regards you 
  silently, his face as unreadable as a stone. He 
  turns to leave, but before he does so, you think 
  you detect an almost-imperceptible nod of his 
  head.
  A bespectacled senior ofﬁ cer, his chest gleaming with 
  medals, walks through the crowd of stony-faced ofﬁ -
  cers and approaches the heroes. He bows politely, and 
  introduces himself as Hideki Tojo, Chief of Staff of the 
  Kwangtung Army (and the future Prime Minister of Japan 
  during World War 2).
  “The Emperor has been kept aware of your as-
  sistance,” he says without emotion, “Please, ac-
  cept this token of his esteem.” Tojo lifts a katana 
  clutched in his hand and offers it to you. “It is 
  called ‘Divine Wind,’ a katana forged by the 
  master Masamune for the Emperor’s family long 
  ago.”
  If asked what just happened, Tojo replies as follows:
  “Is it not obvious? Not even a Muramasa blade 
  would dare strike a living god. It performed its 
  duty most admirably.”
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  GENERAL OSHIRO TAKEO
  GENERAL OSHIRO TAKEO
  General Oshiro’s family can trace their ancestry far 
  back in time, when they were part of the elite samu-
  rai class. In 1597, a distant ancestor took part in the 
  second invasion of Korea. He fell in battle, a noble 
  enough death, but disgraced the family because he 
  lost his katana, a powerful blade forged by the insane 
  swordsmith Muramasa. General Oshiro lives with this 
  shame still, although recent events may soon restore 
  his honor.
  General Oshiro is a thin man with round glasses and 
  thinning hair. He looks more like a bureaucrat than a 
  senior ofﬁ cer, but his appearance is deceptive. Beneath 
  his bookish guise lurks the heart, and skill, of a samurai. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  1818
  SCENE 4: FIRE AND STONE
  SCENE 4: FIRE AND STONE
  By the time you reach Hongbo Square the cer-
  emony has already begun! A crowd of army of-
  ﬁ cers stands atop a platform at the far end of the 
  square.
  Arrayed in front of them is Oshiro and a line of 
  ofﬁ cers and men due to receive medals. A man in 
  a suit, likely the Prime Minister, has just placed a 
  medal around the general’s neck. He steps back 
  and bows. Rather than returning the bow, Oshiro 
  reaches for White Mountain!
  The characters have Surprise over the Japanese and 
  receive a free round of actions. The Prime Minister has 
  Parry 2 and Toughness 5. However, fate is on his side—he 
  can’t die here (although he can be Incapacitated).
  The square is 24” long and 18” wide. The heroes begin 
  at the southern end. Oshiro and his men start 6” in from 
  the north edge, facing away from the party. The Prime 
  Minister is in front of Oshiro. The platform on which the 
  other attendees stand is just off the north edge of the 
  battleﬁ eld.
  Emperor Hirohito has been informed of recent events 
  through his spies, and has ordered his other generals not 
  to interfere. Indeed, during the ﬁ ght, the characters see 
  them deliberately ordering their men to hold ﬁ re. Hiro-
  hito has a plan to test Oshiro’s loyalty once and for all, 
  but he’s content for the characters to remove as many 
  conspirators as possible beforehand.
  Immediately Oshiro takes his third wound, proceed 
  to the next section. If he’s Incapacitated, still move onto 
  the next section.
   General Oshiro: See page 18.
   Japanese Ofﬁ cers (2): See page 20.
   Japanese Soldiers (2 per hero): See page 20.
  DUTY IS A MOUNTAIN
  DUTY IS A MOUNTAIN
  Oshiro staggers back, clutching his wounds. Sud-
  denly, the Japanese soldiers stop ﬁ ghting and 
  drop to their knees, heads bowed low. A Japanese 
  man in traditional silk robes, ﬂ anked by katana-
  wielding guards in military uniforms, steps onto 
  the platform. A whisper goes through the crowd 
  like wildﬁ re—it’s Emperor Hirohito!
  Oshiro’s eyes widen in disbelief. Still clutch-
  ing Winter Mountain, he staggers toward the 
  Emperor. “I shall be shogun!” he spits. He raises 
  Winter Mountain above his head. Hirohito stands 
  impassively, his hands held out at waist level, 
  holding back his bodyguards, whose blades are 
  now drawn and poised to strike. Hirohito speaks, 
  not to Oshiro, but to Winter Mountain—“I am the 
  Emperor of Japan.”
  Winter Mountain begins to fall in a graceful, 
  sweeping arc. Suddenly it stops. Oshiro’s face 
  contorts into a grimace. Slowly, his arms fold 
  back, Winter Mountain’s tip wavering closer to 
  his heart.
  A sudden thrust, and Oshiro slumps to his knees 
  as Winter Mountain’s blade emerges through his 
  back. A second jerk, and the blade is buried to the 
  hilt. The general looks down in disbelief, and then 
  falls forward, dead.
  Atop the platform, the Japanese man regards you 
  silently, his face as unreadable as a stone. He 
  turns to leave, but before he does so, you think 
  you detect an almost-imperceptible nod of his 
  head.
  A bespectacled senior ofﬁ cer, his chest gleaming with 
  medals, walks through the crowd of stony-faced ofﬁ -
  cers and approaches the heroes. He bows politely, and 
  introduces himself as Hideki Tojo, Chief of Staff of the 
  Kwangtung Army (and the future Prime Minister of Japan 
  during World War 2).
  “The Emperor has been kept aware of your as-
  sistance,” he says without emotion, “Please, ac-
  cept this token of his esteem.” Tojo lifts a katana 
  clutched in his hand and offers it to you. “It is 
  called ‘Divine Wind,’ a katana forged by the 
  master Masamune for the Emperor’s family long 
  ago.”
  If asked what just happened, Tojo replies as follows:
  “Is it not obvious? Not even a Muramasa blade 
  would dare strike a living god. It performed its 
  duty most admirably.”
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  GENERAL OSHIRO TAKEO
  GENERAL OSHIRO TAKEO
  General Oshiro’s family can trace their ancestry far 
  back in time, when they were part of the elite samu-
  rai class. In 1597, a distant ancestor took part in the 
  second invasion of Korea. He fell in battle, a noble 
  enough death, but disgraced the family because he 
  lost his katana, a powerful blade forged by the insane 
  swordsmith Muramasa. General Oshiro lives with this 
  shame still, although recent events may soon restore 
  his honor.
  General Oshiro is a thin man with round glasses and 
  thinning hair. He looks more like a bureaucrat than a 
  senior ofﬁ cer, but his appearance is deceptive. Beneath 
  his bookish guise lurks the heart, and skill, of a samurai. 
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1919
  Many men have underestimated Oshiro Takeo, and all 
  have paid the ultimate price.
  Oshiro is the general’s family name, and Takeo is his 
  given name.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), 
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Hold the Line, Im-
  proved Block, Improved Frenzy, Level Headed, Mighty 
  Blow, Quick Draw, Strong Willed
  Gear: Katana (Str+d6+2, AP 2), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  STONE DRAGON
  STONE DRAGON
  Crafted long ago, the stone dragon acts as guardian of 
  the tomb. Like all Chinese dragons, it has no wings. Its 
  most deadly weapon is its acid breath, which is fuelled 
  by salt crystals in its “stomach,” which react with the 
  air when expelled. The stone from which the dragon is 
  carved is completely impervious to physical harm. Only 
  the inside of its mouth lacks this armor, and is thus the 
  creature’s only weak point.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+4, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12
  Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13
  Special Abilities:
  * Acid Breath: The dragon breathes acid using the 
  Cone Template. Every target within the cone may 
  make an Agility roll at –2 to avoid the attack. Those 
  who fail suffer 2d10 damage. The dragon may not 
  breathe in the same round it uses its bite or claws.
  * Claws/Bite: Str+d8.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; no ad-
  ditional damage from Called Shots (see Weakness be-
  low); immune to poison and disease; never suffers 
  wound penalties.
  * Invulnerability: The creature’s stone form is imper-
  vious to all weapons. It can be Shaken by attacks, but 
  never suffers wounds unless its Weakness is exploit-
  ed.
  * Large: Attackers gain +2 to attacks against creature’s 
  body due to its large size.
  * Size +5: The dragon is over 20’ long.
  * Tail Lash: The dragon can sweep all opponents in its 
  rear facing in a 3” long and 6” wide rectangle. This is 
  a standard Fighting attack. Damage is d12+2.
  * Weakness (Mouth): The only weak point in the crea-
  ture’s armor is its mouth. Targeting the mouth re-
  quires a Called Shot (–2).
  NINJA
  NINJA
  Black-clad assassins, saboteurs, and spies, ninja are an 
  iconic relic of Japan’s feudal era. Supposedly wiped out 
  during the Tokugawa Era, the ninja in fact went under-
  ground, surviving into the modern day by curbing their 
  activities.
  Ninja prefer subterfuge and trickery to standup ﬁ ghts. 
  Typically, they operate in pairs. One tries to Trick a foe, 
  leaving his partner with an easier attack.
  The kusarigama (see below) is a straight-bladed sickle 
  on a long wooden handle with a weighted chain attached 
  to the butt. Typical usage is to use the chain to grapple 
  a foe, and then move in to strike with the blade. Alterna-
  tively, the weight can be swung in a circle to strike foes.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Lock-
  picking d8, Notice d8, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Stealth 
  d10, Survival d8, Swimming d8, Throwing d8, Tracking 
  d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Outsider
  Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Dodge, Quick Draw, 
  Sweep, Thief, Woodsman
  Gear: Black costume (+1 Stealth in bad lighting condi-
  tions), short sword (Str+d6) or kusarigama (Str+d6, 
  Reach 1, 2-hands, can grapple at 1” distance), 4 x throw-
  ing blades (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), see below 
  for others
  Special Abilities:
  * Grenades: Range: 3/6/12. Each ninja carries one of 
  each type below.
  * Blinding Powder: Medium Burst Template. Anyone 
  under the template must make a Vigor roll or be Shak-
  en.
  * Explosive: Medium Burst Template. Anyone under 
  the template must make an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 
  3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  * Smoke: Large Burst Template. Attacks into, out of, or 
  through the template suffer a –4 penalty.
  * Nerve Strike: By making a Called Shot (–2), a ninja 
  can target a nerve cluster. Victims must make a Vigor 
  roll, –2 if the attack was a raise, or roll on the Injury 
  Table. The injury is removed at the end of the encoun-
  ter. The attack causes no physical damage.
  NINJA MASTER
  NINJA MASTER
  Unlike the men who serve under him, the ninja mas-
  ter has studied ancient, mystical techniques. To activate 
  these he uses a special skill called Ninjutsu.
  Special Rule: Rather than mess around tracking 
  Power Points for villains, master ninja can cast each spell 
  a certain number of times during the adventure. Once 
  they’ve used their allotment they can’t cast any more 
  spells. Powers which can normally be maintained instead 
  last for three rounds per casting (track these by using 
  gaming stones). The power list is the equivalent of 30 
  Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  1919
  Many men have underestimated Oshiro Takeo, and all 
  have paid the ultimate price.
  Oshiro is the general’s family name, and Takeo is his 
  given name.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d6, Shooting d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), 
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Hold the Line, Im-
  proved Block, Improved Frenzy, Level Headed, Mighty 
  Blow, Quick Draw, Strong Willed
  Gear: Katana (Str+d6+2, AP 2), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, 
  Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  STONE DRAGON
  STONE DRAGON
  Crafted long ago, the stone dragon acts as guardian of 
  the tomb. Like all Chinese dragons, it has no wings. Its 
  most deadly weapon is its acid breath, which is fuelled 
  by salt crystals in its “stomach,” which react with the 
  air when expelled. The stone from which the dragon is 
  carved is completely impervious to physical harm. Only 
  the inside of its mouth lacks this armor, and is thus the 
  creature’s only weak point.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+4, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12
  Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13
  Special Abilities:
  * Acid Breath: The dragon breathes acid using the 
  Cone Template. Every target within the cone may 
  make an Agility roll at –2 to avoid the attack. Those 
  who fail suffer 2d10 damage. The dragon may not 
  breathe in the same round it uses its bite or claws.
  * Claws/Bite: Str+d8.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; no ad-
  ditional damage from Called Shots (see Weakness be-
  low); immune to poison and disease; never suffers 
  wound penalties.
  * Invulnerability: The creature’s stone form is imper-
  vious to all weapons. It can be Shaken by attacks, but 
  never suffers wounds unless its Weakness is exploit-
  ed.
  * Large: Attackers gain +2 to attacks against creature’s 
  body due to its large size.
  * Size +5: The dragon is over 20’ long.
  * Tail Lash: The dragon can sweep all opponents in its 
  rear facing in a 3” long and 6” wide rectangle. This is 
  a standard Fighting attack. Damage is d12+2.
  * Weakness (Mouth): The only weak point in the crea-
  ture’s armor is its mouth. Targeting the mouth re-
  quires a Called Shot (–2).
  NINJA
  NINJA
  Black-clad assassins, saboteurs, and spies, ninja are an 
  iconic relic of Japan’s feudal era. Supposedly wiped out 
  during the Tokugawa Era, the ninja in fact went under-
  ground, surviving into the modern day by curbing their 
  activities.
  Ninja prefer subterfuge and trickery to standup ﬁ ghts. 
  Typically, they operate in pairs. One tries to Trick a foe, 
  leaving his partner with an easier attack.
  The kusarigama (see below) is a straight-bladed sickle 
  on a long wooden handle with a weighted chain attached 
  to the butt. Typical usage is to use the chain to grapple 
  a foe, and then move in to strike with the blade. Alterna-
  tively, the weight can be swung in a circle to strike foes.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Lock-
  picking d8, Notice d8, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Stealth 
  d10, Survival d8, Swimming d8, Throwing d8, Tracking 
  d8
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal, Outsider
  Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Dodge, Quick Draw, 
  Sweep, Thief, Woodsman
  Gear: Black costume (+1 Stealth in bad lighting condi-
  tions), short sword (Str+d6) or kusarigama (Str+d6, 
  Reach 1, 2-hands, can grapple at 1” distance), 4 x throw-
  ing blades (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), see below 
  for others
  Special Abilities:
  * Grenades: Range: 3/6/12. Each ninja carries one of 
  each type below.
  * Blinding Powder: Medium Burst Template. Anyone 
  under the template must make a Vigor roll or be Shak-
  en.
  * Explosive: Medium Burst Template. Anyone under 
  the template must make an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 
  3d6 damage (from an Extra).
  * Smoke: Large Burst Template. Attacks into, out of, or 
  through the template suffer a –4 penalty.
  * Nerve Strike: By making a Called Shot (–2), a ninja 
  can target a nerve cluster. Victims must make a Vigor 
  roll, –2 if the attack was a raise, or roll on the Injury 
  Table. The injury is removed at the end of the encoun-
  ter. The attack causes no physical damage.
  NINJA MASTER
  NINJA MASTER
  Unlike the men who serve under him, the ninja mas-
  ter has studied ancient, mystical techniques. To activate 
  these he uses a special skill called Ninjutsu.
  Special Rule: Rather than mess around tracking 
  Power Points for villains, master ninja can cast each spell 
  a certain number of times during the adventure. Once 
  they’ve used their allotment they can’t cast any more 
  spells. Powers which can normally be maintained instead 
  last for three rounds per casting (track these by using 
  gaming stones). The power list is the equivalent of 30 
  Power Points.
  Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  2020
  Lockpicking d10, Ninjutsu d10, Notice d10, Riding d8, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d12+2, Survival d8, Swimming d8, 
  Throwing d10, Tracking d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 8; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Loyal, Outsider
  Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, 
  Fleet Footed, Improved Dodge, Improved Frenzy, Level 
  Headed, Master (Stealth), Quick Draw, Strong Willed, 
  Sweep, Thief, Woodsman
  Powers: 2 x boost trait (no lower), 2 x deﬂ ection, 1 x 
  fear, 1 x invisibility, 1 x puppet (), 1 x quickness, 2 x 
  speed, 2 x teleport (up to 10” per casting)
  Gear: Black costume (+1 Stealth in bad lighting con-
  ditions), short sword (Str+d6), 4 x throwing blades 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), one of each grenade 
  (see above)
  Special Abilities:
  * Nerve Strike: By making a Called Shot (–2), a ninja 
  can target a nerve cluster. Victims must make a Vigor 
  roll, –2 if the attack was a raise, or roll on the Injury 
  Table. The injury is removed at the end of the encoun-
  ter. The attack causes no physical damage.
  JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER
  JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Command
  Equipment: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 
  1), poor quality katana (Str+d6, AP 1).
  JAPANESE SOLDIER
  JAPANESE SOLDIER
  Well-trained and highly disciplined, these soldiers 
  fought in Manchuria and are combat veterans. They 
  are loyal to General Oshiro unto death, having been 
  corrupted by his madness away from the Emperor’s 
  cause.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Riding d8, Stealth d6, 
  Shooting d8, Throwing d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), bayonet (Str+d4 or Str+d6, 
  Reach 1, +1 Parry when ﬁ tted to riﬂ e), 2 x hand grenades 
  (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6, Medium Burst Template). 
  Cavalrymen have sabers (Str+d6) and pistols (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1).
  JAPANESE PILOT
  JAPANESE PILOT
  Japan’s pilots in Manchukuo have yet to encounter 
  any aerial resistance. As such, they are poor quality ﬂ y-
  ers.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Equipment: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 
  1), knife (Str+d4)
  YETI
  YETI
  Native to the Himalayas, yetis are primitive hu-
  manoids. Many people believe they are shy and 
  reclusive, but the same could be said for any preda-
  tor—having your prey spot you doesn’t make for an 
  easy meal. Every year hundreds or people vanish 
  in the Himalayas, most of them within the hunting 
  grounds of the yeti.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (1)
  Gear: 
  Large 
  boulder 
  (Range: 
  5/10/20, 
  Damage: 
  d12+d6+1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Thick fur and fat.
  * Big Feet: Yetis treat snow and ice as normal terrain, 
  not difﬁ cult ground.
  * Claws: Str+d6.
  * Camouﬂ age: Yetis add +4 to Stealth roll in snowy 
  terrain because of their white fur.
  * Improved Frenzy: A yeti makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round at no penalty.
  * Size +1: Yetis are taller than humans.
  CHINESE ELEMENTAL
  CHINESE ELEMENTAL
  The elementals all appear as humanoids, but are 
  comprised of their natural element. A few have special 
  attacks, but most rely on slam attacks to defeat foes. 
  GMs will note these variants lack the Invulnerabilities 
  and Weaknesses of the elementals in the Savage Worlds 
  rules—this is a deliberate omission.
  EARTH ELEMENTAL
  EARTH ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12+3, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d4
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Rocky hide.
  * Burrowing (10”): Earth elementals can meld into 
  and out of the ground.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #15
  2020
  Lockpicking d10, Ninjutsu d10, Notice d10, Riding d8, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d12+2, Survival d8, Swimming d8, 
  Throwing d10, Tracking d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 8; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Loyal, Outsider
  Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, 
  Fleet Footed, Improved Dodge, Improved Frenzy, Level 
  Headed, Master (Stealth), Quick Draw, Strong Willed, 
  Sweep, Thief, Woodsman
  Powers: 2 x boost trait (no lower), 2 x deﬂ ection, 1 x 
  fear, 1 x invisibility, 1 x puppet (), 1 x quickness, 2 x 
  speed, 2 x teleport (up to 10” per casting)
  Gear: Black costume (+1 Stealth in bad lighting con-
  ditions), short sword (Str+d6), 4 x throwing blades 
  (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4), one of each grenade 
  (see above)
  Special Abilities:
  * Nerve Strike: By making a Called Shot (–2), a ninja 
  can target a nerve cluster. Victims must make a Vigor 
  roll, –2 if the attack was a raise, or roll on the Injury 
  Table. The injury is removed at the end of the encoun-
  ter. The attack causes no physical damage.
  JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER
  JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Command
  Equipment: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 
  1), poor quality katana (Str+d6, AP 1).
  JAPANESE SOLDIER
  JAPANESE SOLDIER
  Well-trained and highly disciplined, these soldiers 
  fought in Manchuria and are combat veterans. They 
  are loyal to General Oshiro unto death, having been 
  corrupted by his madness away from the Emperor’s 
  cause.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Riding d8, Stealth d6, 
  Shooting d8, Throwing d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Equipment: Steel helmet (+2), riﬂ e (Range: 24/48/96, 
  Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1), bayonet (Str+d4 or Str+d6, 
  Reach 1, +1 Parry when ﬁ tted to riﬂ e), 2 x hand grenades 
  (Range: 5/10/20, Damage: 3d6, Medium Burst Template). 
  Cavalrymen have sabers (Str+d6) and pistols (Range: 
  12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1).
  JAPANESE PILOT
  JAPANESE PILOT
  Japan’s pilots in Manchukuo have yet to encounter 
  any aerial resistance. As such, they are poor quality ﬂ y-
  ers.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Equipment: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 
  1), knife (Str+d4)
  YETI
  YETI
  Native to the Himalayas, yetis are primitive hu-
  manoids. Many people believe they are shy and 
  reclusive, but the same could be said for any preda-
  tor—having your prey spot you doesn’t make for an 
  easy meal. Every year hundreds or people vanish 
  in the Himalayas, most of them within the hunting 
  grounds of the yeti.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+1, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (1)
  Gear: 
  Large 
  boulder 
  (Range: 
  5/10/20, 
  Damage: 
  d12+d6+1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Thick fur and fat.
  * Big Feet: Yetis treat snow and ice as normal terrain, 
  not difﬁ cult ground.
  * Claws: Str+d6.
  * Camouﬂ age: Yetis add +4 to Stealth roll in snowy 
  terrain because of their white fur.
  * Improved Frenzy: A yeti makes two Fighting attacks 
  each round at no penalty.
  * Size +1: Yetis are taller than humans.
  CHINESE ELEMENTAL
  CHINESE ELEMENTAL
  The elementals all appear as humanoids, but are 
  comprised of their natural element. A few have special 
  attacks, but most rely on slam attacks to defeat foes. 
  GMs will note these variants lack the Invulnerabilities 
  and Weaknesses of the elementals in the Savage Worlds 
  rules—this is a deliberate omission.
  EARTH ELEMENTAL
  EARTH ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength 
  d12+3, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d4
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Rocky hide.
  * Burrowing (10”): Earth elementals can meld into 
  and out of the ground.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  2121
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  FIRE ELEMENTAL
  FIRE ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d12+1, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Fiery Touch: Str+d6; chance of catching ﬁ re.
  * Flame Strike: Fire elementals can project a searing 
  blast of ﬂ ame using the Cone Template. Characters 
  within the cone must beat the spirit’s Shooting roll 
  with Agility or suffer 2d10 damage, plus the chance of 
  catching ﬁ re.
  * Immunity (Fire): Takes no damage from any source 
  of heat or ﬁ re.
  METAL ELEMENTAL
  METAL ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Solid metal.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  * Sweep: Metal elementals may attack all adjacent crea-
  tures at no penalty.
  WATER ELEMENTAL
  WATER ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  * Waterspout: Water spirits can project a torrent of 
  rushing water in the shape of a Come Template. Crea-
  tures within the cone must make a Strength roll at –2 
  or be Shaken.
  WOOD ELEMENTAL
  WOOD ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6 Toughness: 8 (1)
  Special Abilities: 
  * Armor +1: Hard bark.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Improved Sweep: May attack all adjacent foes with 
  no penalty.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  SUMO WRESTLER
  SUMO WRESTLER
  The sumo wrestlers are treated as Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Obese
  Edges: Combat reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Quick
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Slam: Str. With a raise on the Fighting roll, victims are 
  also knocked back 1”. They must make an Agility roll 
  as a free action or fall prone.
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  THE MURAMASA CURSE
  2121
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  FIRE ELEMENTAL
  FIRE ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d12+1, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Fiery Touch: Str+d6; chance of catching ﬁ re.
  * Flame Strike: Fire elementals can project a searing 
  blast of ﬂ ame using the Cone Template. Characters 
  within the cone must beat the spirit’s Shooting roll 
  with Agility or suffer 2d10 damage, plus the chance of 
  catching ﬁ re.
  * Immunity (Fire): Takes no damage from any source 
  of heat or ﬁ re.
  METAL ELEMENTAL
  METAL ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 (3)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: Solid metal.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  * Sweep: Metal elementals may attack all adjacent crea-
  tures at no penalty.
  WATER ELEMENTAL
  WATER ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  * Waterspout: Water spirits can project a torrent of 
  rushing water in the shape of a Come Template. Crea-
  tures within the cone must make a Strength roll at –2 
  or be Shaken.
  WOOD ELEMENTAL
  WOOD ELEMENTAL
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6 Toughness: 8 (1)
  Special Abilities: 
  * Armor +1: Hard bark.
  * Elemental: No additional damage from Called Shots; 
  Fearless; immune to disease and poison.
  * Improved Sweep: May attack all adjacent foes with 
  no penalty.
  * Slam: Str+d6.
  SUMO WRESTLER
  SUMO WRESTLER
  The sumo wrestlers are treated as Henchmen.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Obese
  Edges: Combat reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Quick
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Slam: Str. With a raise on the Fighting roll, victims are 
  also knocked back 1”. They must make an Agility roll 
  as a free action or fall prone.
  
  THE END IS NIGH!
  THE END IS NIGH!
  Everything comes to an end. Even the popular
  Everything comes to an end. Even the popular
  Daring Tales of Adventure series.... 
  Daring Tales of Adventure series.... 
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  ...but what an end we have for you!
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  Over 13 episodes, we have followed our intrepid pulp adventurers 
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  across continents and witnessed their incredible exploits!
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  Don’t miss the thrilling ﬁ nale with the last three epic 
  adventures coming soon!
  adventures coming soon!
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  SAVA
  
  www.tripleacegames.com
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  the sword of avalon
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  07 — 15 — 09
  07 — 15 — 09
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  the muramasa curse
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  08 — 12 — 09
  08 — 12 — 09
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  empire of the 
  empire of the 
  black pharaoh
  black pharaoh
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  09 — 09 — 09
  09 — 09 — 09
  E WORLDS PULP AT ITS BEST...
  ..CAN YOU HANDLE IT?
  
  Better watch your back!
  Better watch your back!
  Adventuring in the 
  Adventuring in the 
  world of Hellfrost is a 
  world of Hellfrost is a 
  dangerous pursuit....
  dangerous pursuit....
  .... danger lurks at every turn!
  .... danger lurks at every turn!
  
  PIRATES OF THE
  PIRATES OF THE
  CRYSTALFLOW
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  07 — 08 — 09
  07 — 08 — 09
  THE SIEGE OF
  THE SIEGE OF 
  WATCHGAP FORT
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  SAGA OF THE FROST GIANTS - PART 2
  07 — 29 — 09
  07 — 29 — 09
  LOST CITY OF
  LOST CITY OF 
  PARAXUS
  PARAXUS
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  08 — 26 — 09
  08 — 26 — 09
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Let the savage summer begin!
  Let the savage summer begin!
  Hellfrost - the best Savage Worlds fantasy available! 
  Hellfrost - the best Savage Worlds fantasy available! 
  
  Its not just the cold that can kill you
  Its not just the cold that can kill you
  Adventuring in the
  Adventuring in the
  world of Hellfrost is a
  world of Hellfrost is a
  dangerous pursuit....
  dangerous pursuit....
  .... danger lurks at every turn!
  .... danger lurks at every turn!
  DESCENT INTO
  DESCENT INTO 
  MADNESS
  MADNESS
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  09 — 23 — 09
  09 — 23 — 09
  
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  A savage winter awaits!
  A savage winter awaits!
  Hellfrost - the best Savage Worlds fantasy available! 
  Hellfrost - the best Savage Worlds fantasy available! 
  THE HEART OF
  THE HEART OF 
  WINTER
  WINTER
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  SAGA OF THE FROST GIANTS - PART 3
  10 — 21 — 09
  10 — 21 — 09
  AGAINST THE
  AGAINST THE
  ELEMENTS
  ELEMENTS
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  11 — 18 — 09
  11 — 18 — 09
  WEB OF DECEIT
  WEB OF DECEIT
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  12 — 16 — 09
  12 — 16 — 09
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31036
  31036
  $6.99
  $6.99
  Japan has invaded Manchuria, 
  forcing the Chinese government 
  to ransack ancient tombs before 
  the invaders can loot the country’s 
  ancestral heritage. Our heroes have 
  been hired to help clear one such 
  tomb. But the characters aren’t 
  the only interested party—a rogue 
  Japanese general hell bent on 
  restoring his family to glory desires 
  proves to be an indomitable and 
  relentless foe.
  This rollercoaster adventure takes 
  the characters from a trapped 
  Chinese tomb to the glittering 
  streets to Shanghai and onto mystical Tibet. But fanatical Japanese 
  soldiers and black-clad ninja are intent on preventing the heroes 
  achieving their goal.
  The race is on, but will The Muramasa Curse strike before the 
  characters can complete their goal! Find out in this action-packed 
  pulp tale!
  The Muramasa Curse is the penultimate Daring Tales of Adventure 
  in the current series from Triple Ace Games.
  War and treachery in the Far East!
  War and treachery in the Far East!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31039
  31039
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH
  1616
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  EDITING: SCOTT ALAN WOODARD
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH
  1616
  
  Kadar ibn Mukhtar began his criminal career as a 
  mercenary weird scientist. For the right fee, he would 
  create gizmos for criminal gangs. His life changed in 
  1926, when his research led him to discover the proper-
  ties of time manipulation. Kadar, using his considerable 
  ill-gotten fortune, began to plan for the future—a future 
  in which he would rule over the entire globe as a new 
  pharaoh.
  Kadar created an alter-ego, the Black Pharaoh, and 
  quickly began building a criminal empire. He hired other 
  criminals and outﬁ tted them with Weird Science devices, 
  though ones he could deactivate and whose power 
  source could only be recharged at his whim. As well as 
  his elite criminals, the Black Pharaoh is also served by 
  cultists, who believe he is a living-god (thanks mainly to 
  his disguise and apparent supernatural powers).
  The Black Pharaoh’s master plan requires a device of 
  unusual power, a weapon he calls the Eye of Creation. 
  The Eye functions by focusing energy through a series 
  of magnetic ﬁ elds and amplifying its intensity through a 
  matrix of lenses and crystals. The resultant beam can, in 
  theory, alter the passage of time, though only backward. 
  He plans to send the nations of the world back into the 
  Stone Age, leaving Egypt alone with technology. Then, 
  with him as pharaoh, Egypt will conquer the world and 
  create a truly global empire.
  His agents have stolen thousands of gemstones, 
  which have been ground down and reconstituted into 
  huge lenses. But the key piece, a power source capable 
  of ripping through the veil of time, has proven elusive. 
  Not even the Black Pharaoh’s Weird Science experiments 
  have been able to perfect such an energy source.
  Fortunately for the criminal mastermind, what mod-
  ern science cannot achieve, ancient science could. The 
  Black Pharaoh has learned of a supposedly-mythical 
  sphere known as the Heart of Egypt.
  Plato wrote of Atlantis as a city inhabited by an ad-
  vanced race, and he was right. The Atlanteans knew how 
  to harness awesome energy by converting radioactive 
  elements, such as uranium, into something far more 
  powerful. Such was the complexity and danger involved 
  in this process, that the Atlanteans managed to crate just 
  a single sphere of the element. Although small, it pro-
  vided enough power for their entire city.
  There were survivors of Atlantis’ watery demise. A 
  small few arrived in Egypt, where they lived out the rest 
  of their lives as gods. Among the treasures they brought 
  with them was the energy sphere. After using a small 
  fraction of its power to subdue the natives, the Atlante-
  ans turned to civilizing the savages in a bid to rekindle 
  their lost civilization,but their lives were short, and little 
  progress was made before their deaths.
  Although the Egyptians never learned how to har-
  ness its power, they knew the sphere was special, and 
  accorded it divine status. In their mythology, it became 
  a heart (due to its red color), from which the gods drew 
  their power. It was placed within the great temple at Kar-
  nak until the reign of the heretic pharaoh, Akhenaten, 
  whereupon the stone vanished from history.
  Strangely, though, the image of the Aten was a sphere 
  from which radiated lines of energy. Egyptologists be-
  lieve this was a representation of the sun’s disc, but the 
  true Aten was the Atlantean sphere, which the deranged 
  pharaoh claimed spoke to him in dreams.
  When Alexander the Great came to Egypt, he was seen 
  as a liberator, not a conqueror. The oracle at Siwa told 
  him of the Atlantean orb and where it could be found. 
  The great general removed the gem and hid it away, fear-
  ing a rival would abuse its power and try to topple him.
  As he lay on his death bed in Babylon, he spoke to his 
  general, Ptolemy, future pharaoh of Egypt, and told him 
  of the secret. He gave Ptolemy an ancient amulet, which 
  Alexander said held the secret to the whereabouts of the 
  treasure.
  Thinking his master deranged with fever (the Atlan-
  tean words, which Alexander learned in Egypt from an 
  elderly priest, were a meaningless jumble of letters to 
  Ptolemy), the general never sought out the sphere. The 
  amulet was passed down through generations of Ptol-
  emaic pharaohs as a relic of Alexander’s age, until ﬁ nally 
  EMPIRE OF THE 
  EMPIRE OF THE 
  BLACK PHARAOH
  BLACK PHARAOH
  2
  Kadar ibn Mukhtar began his criminal career as a 
  mercenary weird scientist. For the right fee, he would 
  create gizmos for criminal gangs. His life changed in 
  1926, when his research led him to discover the proper-
  ties of time manipulation. Kadar, using his considerable 
  ill-gotten fortune, began to plan for the future—a future 
  in which he would rule over the entire globe as a new 
  pharaoh.
  Kadar created an alter-ego, the Black Pharaoh, and 
  quickly began building a criminal empire. He hired other 
  criminals and outﬁ tted them with Weird Science devices, 
  though ones he could deactivate and whose power 
  source could only be recharged at his whim. As well as 
  his elite criminals, the Black Pharaoh is also served by 
  cultists, who believe he is a living-god (thanks mainly to 
  his disguise and apparent supernatural powers).
  The Black Pharaoh’s master plan requires a device of 
  unusual power, a weapon he calls the Eye of Creation. 
  The Eye functions by focusing energy through a series 
  of magnetic ﬁ elds and amplifying its intensity through a 
  matrix of lenses and crystals. The resultant beam can, in 
  theory, alter the passage of time, though only backward. 
  He plans to send the nations of the world back into the 
  Stone Age, leaving Egypt alone with technology. Then, 
  with him as pharaoh, Egypt will conquer the world and 
  create a truly global empire.
  His agents have stolen thousands of gemstones, 
  which have been ground down and reconstituted into 
  huge lenses. But the key piece, a power source capable 
  of ripping through the veil of time, has proven elusive. 
  Not even the Black Pharaoh’s Weird Science experiments 
  have been able to perfect such an energy source.
  Fortunately for the criminal mastermind, what mod-
  ern science cannot achieve, ancient science could. The 
  Black Pharaoh has learned of a supposedly-mythical 
  sphere known as the Heart of Egypt.
  Plato wrote of Atlantis as a city inhabited by an ad-
  vanced race, and he was right. The Atlanteans knew how 
  to harness awesome energy by converting radioactive 
  elements, such as uranium, into something far more 
  powerful. Such was the complexity and danger involved 
  in this process, that the Atlanteans managed to crate just 
  a single sphere of the element. Although small, it pro-
  vided enough power for their entire city.
  There were survivors of Atlantis’ watery demise. A 
  small few arrived in Egypt, where they lived out the rest 
  of their lives as gods. Among the treasures they brought 
  with them was the energy sphere. After using a small 
  fraction of its power to subdue the natives, the Atlante-
  ans turned to civilizing the savages in a bid to rekindle 
  their lost civilization,but their lives were short, and little 
  progress was made before their deaths.
  Although the Egyptians never learned how to har-
  ness its power, they knew the sphere was special, and 
  accorded it divine status. In their mythology, it became 
  a heart (due to its red color), from which the gods drew 
  their power. It was placed within the great temple at Kar-
  nak until the reign of the heretic pharaoh, Akhenaten, 
  whereupon the stone vanished from history.
  Strangely, though, the image of the Aten was a sphere 
  from which radiated lines of energy. Egyptologists be-
  lieve this was a representation of the sun’s disc, but the 
  true Aten was the Atlantean sphere, which the deranged 
  pharaoh claimed spoke to him in dreams.
  When Alexander the Great came to Egypt, he was seen 
  as a liberator, not a conqueror. The oracle at Siwa told 
  him of the Atlantean orb and where it could be found. 
  The great general removed the gem and hid it away, fear-
  ing a rival would abuse its power and try to topple him.
  As he lay on his death bed in Babylon, he spoke to his 
  general, Ptolemy, future pharaoh of Egypt, and told him 
  of the secret. He gave Ptolemy an ancient amulet, which 
  Alexander said held the secret to the whereabouts of the 
  treasure.
  Thinking his master deranged with fever (the Atlan-
  tean words, which Alexander learned in Egypt from an 
  elderly priest, were a meaningless jumble of letters to 
  Ptolemy), the general never sought out the sphere. The 
  amulet was passed down through generations of Ptol-
  emaic pharaohs as a relic of Alexander’s age, until ﬁ nally 
  EMPIRE OF THE 
  EMPIRE OF THE 
  BLACK PHARAOH
  BLACK PHARAOH
  2
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  3
  it was buried in the tomb of a minor princess around 100 
  BC (during the reign of Ptolemy X).
  The Black Pharaoh, through his contacts and expedi-
  tions, discovered the princess’ tomb, only to ﬁ nd it had 
  already been excavated. The villain has since learned 
  of the amulet’s location, and has made plans to have it 
  brought to Egypt by its unwitting owner.
  GM Note: Several Wild Card villains are equipped 
  with Weird Science gizmos. These may end up in the 
  hands of the player characters, although they need the 
  Weird Science skill to use them. Power Points for these 
  items do not recharge in the conventional Daring Tales’ 
  manner (i.e. after each scene). Once the Power Points 
  are expended, the device is useless. Not even Doc Dav-
  enport can use his abilities to recharge them. As such, 
  their Power Points must be carefully monitored.
  The Black Pharaoh commands loyalty through fear. 
  Absolutely nothing the heroes do can scare his cohorts or 
  cultists into revealing anything about his plans. They’ve 
  seen his power, and the adventurers’ abilities pale to 
  nothingness in comparison.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 100 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: EGYPT
  ACT 1: EGYPT
  The heroes begin on a movie set in the Egyptian 
  desert outside Cairo. They’ve been hired to protect an 
  actress, Veronica Cantori, a well-known starlet of dubi-
  ous acting prowess.
  SCENE 1: BEN WHO?
  SCENE 1: BEN WHO?
  Ah, Egypt—land of adventure! Unfortunately you 
  haven’t had much adventure since you arrived. 
  For the last two weeks you’ve been working as 
  bodyguards to a budding actress—Veronica Can-
  tori. She isn’t a big name, but the studio thinks 
  she is worth watching over. Several break-ins at 
  her home before she left prompted the studio to 
  hire escorts. Free room and board, a chance to 
  visit Cairo, and even minor roles in the movie all 
  made the deal seem sweet.
  Today’s scene involves a chariot chase. According 
  to the script of The Egyptian Princess(the movie 
  Veronica is starring in) her character, the epony-
  mous princess, is ﬂ eeing from her Assyrian suitor, 
  played by a ham actor who thinks he’s the next 
  Rudolph Valentino. You’re taking part in the scene 
  as extras—manning and driving chariots behind 
  the “glorious prince.”
  And…ACTION! The chariots begin thundering 
  across the desert sands at full speed, sand ﬂ ying 
  as hooves thunder. A riﬂ e shot rings out across 
  the desert, and Veronica’s driver tumbles from 
  the chariot. The horses panic and increase their 
  speed! The prince, all bluster and no brains, reins 
  in his horse, shouting, “That wasn’t in the script! 
  Should we cut?”
  Veronica’s chariot, meanwhile, continues to thun-
  der across the sands!
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Obsta-
  cles rules. The Obstacles are Sparse (–1) and represent 
  gullies and small stones. All count as soft Obstacles. The 
  ﬂ eeing chariot begins 3 Range Increments ahead of the 
  characters’ vehicles, and each Range Increment is 10”. 
  Using the chariots requires Driving, not Riding. Each 
  holds a maximum of two people. Let the heroes decide 
  who is driving and who is the passenger in each.
  Veronica isn’t in control of her chariot—she’s too 
  scared to do anything except scream. Each round, the 
  chariot automatically moves one Range Increment. 
  Deal the horses an action card, but ignore the suit—the 
  Obstacles are only there to complicate matters for the 
  heroes.
  The only safe way to stop the bolting horses is to pull 
  alongside using the parallel maneuver and leap onto the 
  chariot (an Agility roll) or the horses (Agility roll at –2). 
  Stopping the runaway horses from inside the chariot 
  requires a Driving roll at –2. On the horses, it’s a Riding 
  roll at –2.
  An alternative rescue attempt can be made by leaping 
  onto the chariot and then convincing Veronica to leap 
  back over with the hero. Getting her to comply requires 
  an Intimidation or Persuasion roll. Her leap requires an 
  Agility roll (and a character controlled chariot to be Par-
  allel), but the hero with her may assist in a Cooperative 
  roll.
  Unfortunately, time is against the characters. At the 
  end of the 6th round, a wheel breaks, destroying the 
  chariot as it digs into the ground. Anyone on the chariot 
  takes 3d6 damage from the crash. Veronica survives the 
  odeal—at worst she is Incapacitated and suffers a broken 
  leg. It’s more likely she is badly bruised and shaken up. 
  Production on the movie stops while the script is rewrit-
  ten to account for her injury,
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  3
  it was buried in the tomb of a minor princess around 100 
  BC (during the reign of Ptolemy X).
  The Black Pharaoh, through his contacts and expedi-
  tions, discovered the princess’ tomb, only to ﬁ nd it had 
  already been excavated. The villain has since learned 
  of the amulet’s location, and has made plans to have it 
  brought to Egypt by its unwitting owner.
  GM Note: Several Wild Card villains are equipped 
  with Weird Science gizmos. These may end up in the 
  hands of the player characters, although they need the 
  Weird Science skill to use them. Power Points for these 
  items do not recharge in the conventional Daring Tales’ 
  manner (i.e. after each scene). Once the Power Points 
  are expended, the device is useless. Not even Doc Dav-
  enport can use his abilities to recharge them. As such, 
  their Power Points must be carefully monitored.
  The Black Pharaoh commands loyalty through fear. 
  Absolutely nothing the heroes do can scare his cohorts or 
  cultists into revealing anything about his plans. They’ve 
  seen his power, and the adventurers’ abilities pale to 
  nothingness in comparison.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This Savage Adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four pre-generated characters. 
  The full character sheets are available for free at www.
  tripleacegames.com.
  The heroes have all their leveling opportunities from 
  Seasoned (at which they begin) into Legendary mapped 
  out in advance. Each published adventure in this line 
  earns the heroes a ﬁ xed 5 Experience Points, guarantee-
  ing them an advance every mission. All the players need 
  do is tick the appropriate box and start making use of the 
  new upgrade.
  Characters: 100 XP.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  ACT 1: EGYPT
  ACT 1: EGYPT
  The heroes begin on a movie set in the Egyptian 
  desert outside Cairo. They’ve been hired to protect an 
  actress, Veronica Cantori, a well-known starlet of dubi-
  ous acting prowess.
  SCENE 1: BEN WHO?
  SCENE 1: BEN WHO?
  Ah, Egypt—land of adventure! Unfortunately you 
  haven’t had much adventure since you arrived. 
  For the last two weeks you’ve been working as 
  bodyguards to a budding actress—Veronica Can-
  tori. She isn’t a big name, but the studio thinks 
  she is worth watching over. Several break-ins at 
  her home before she left prompted the studio to 
  hire escorts. Free room and board, a chance to 
  visit Cairo, and even minor roles in the movie all 
  made the deal seem sweet.
  Today’s scene involves a chariot chase. According 
  to the script of The Egyptian Princess(the movie 
  Veronica is starring in) her character, the epony-
  mous princess, is ﬂ eeing from her Assyrian suitor, 
  played by a ham actor who thinks he’s the next 
  Rudolph Valentino. You’re taking part in the scene 
  as extras—manning and driving chariots behind 
  the “glorious prince.”
  And…ACTION! The chariots begin thundering 
  across the desert sands at full speed, sand ﬂ ying 
  as hooves thunder. A riﬂ e shot rings out across 
  the desert, and Veronica’s driver tumbles from 
  the chariot. The horses panic and increase their 
  speed! The prince, all bluster and no brains, reins 
  in his horse, shouting, “That wasn’t in the script! 
  Should we cut?”
  Veronica’s chariot, meanwhile, continues to thun-
  der across the sands!
  Run this scene as a Chase using the standard Obsta-
  cles rules. The Obstacles are Sparse (–1) and represent 
  gullies and small stones. All count as soft Obstacles. The 
  ﬂ eeing chariot begins 3 Range Increments ahead of the 
  characters’ vehicles, and each Range Increment is 10”. 
  Using the chariots requires Driving, not Riding. Each 
  holds a maximum of two people. Let the heroes decide 
  who is driving and who is the passenger in each.
  Veronica isn’t in control of her chariot—she’s too 
  scared to do anything except scream. Each round, the 
  chariot automatically moves one Range Increment. 
  Deal the horses an action card, but ignore the suit—the 
  Obstacles are only there to complicate matters for the 
  heroes.
  The only safe way to stop the bolting horses is to pull 
  alongside using the parallel maneuver and leap onto the 
  chariot (an Agility roll) or the horses (Agility roll at –2). 
  Stopping the runaway horses from inside the chariot 
  requires a Driving roll at –2. On the horses, it’s a Riding 
  roll at –2.
  An alternative rescue attempt can be made by leaping 
  onto the chariot and then convincing Veronica to leap 
  back over with the hero. Getting her to comply requires 
  an Intimidation or Persuasion roll. Her leap requires an 
  Agility roll (and a character controlled chariot to be Par-
  allel), but the hero with her may assist in a Cooperative 
  roll.
  Unfortunately, time is against the characters. At the 
  end of the 6th round, a wheel breaks, destroying the 
  chariot as it digs into the ground. Anyone on the chariot 
  takes 3d6 damage from the crash. Veronica survives the 
  odeal—at worst she is Incapacitated and suffers a broken 
  leg. It’s more likely she is badly bruised and shaken up. 
  Production on the movie stops while the script is rewrit-
  ten to account for her injury,
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  4
      Veronica Cantori: See page 17.
  INVESTIGATION
  INVESTIGATION
  A hero who inspects the chariot can make a Common 
  Knowledge (–2) or Repair roll. With success, he realizes 
  the wheel breaking was no accident—the spokes have 
  been partially cut, weakening their integrity. Unfortu-
  nately, the chariots were left outside all night, so anyone 
  could have sabotaged the wheel.
  SCENE 2: INVISIBLE ASSAILANTS
  SCENE 2: INVISIBLE ASSAILANTS
  Veronica has returned to her tent after the excite-
  ment of earlier, leaving you the chance to enjoy 
  a quiet evening around the camp ﬁ re. About 
  midnight, you’re disturbed by a loud scream. 
  Veronica comes running (or limping) from her 
  tent, clutching her neck. She then begins slapping 
  her hands in the air, like she’s trying to ﬁ ght off a 
  mosquito. “Help!” she screams in a piercing voice. 
  “Help me!”
  The sight of a movie star performing some bizarre 
  mime act in the middle of the desert is enough to force 
  a Notice roll from the heroes to avoid Surprise. In this 
  instance, “surprise” equates to a moment’s pause to try 
  and understand the situation.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” square. The characters begin 
  near one edge, seated around a campﬁ re the size of a 
  Small Burst Template. It sheds enough light to make the 
  visibility Dim (–1). There are six tents, each 3” by 2” at 
  the opposite end of the battleﬁ eld. Place a few obstacles 
  like ﬁ lm equipment or supply crates to help break up 
  the ground a little. Movement through these is difﬁ cult 
  ground.
  Shadow Walker, one of the Black Pharaoh’s lieuten-
  ants, has tried to sneak into camp and steal Veronica’s 
  amulet. He wears an invisibility gizmo of his master’s 
  design. His minions, a group of cultists, wear lesser 
  gizmos slaved to Shadow Walker’s device. Make a Weird 
  Science roll for Shadow Walker, spending a benny if nec-
  essary to ensure a success—whatever result he gets also 
  applies to the cultists equally.
  Each lesser device has just 5 Power Points, however, 
  which is enough for just 3 rounds of invisibility. By the 
  time the characters are alerted and arrive, the goons have 
  already had one round of being invisible.
  Don’t place ﬁ gures for the invisible villains on the 
  tabletop—they are invisible, after all. Their movement 
  should be mentally calculated by the GM. This makes the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  4
      Veronica Cantori: See page 17.
  INVESTIGATION
  INVESTIGATION
  A hero who inspects the chariot can make a Common 
  Knowledge (–2) or Repair roll. With success, he realizes 
  the wheel breaking was no accident—the spokes have 
  been partially cut, weakening their integrity. Unfortu-
  nately, the chariots were left outside all night, so anyone 
  could have sabotaged the wheel.
  SCENE 2: INVISIBLE ASSAILANTS
  SCENE 2: INVISIBLE ASSAILANTS
  Veronica has returned to her tent after the excite-
  ment of earlier, leaving you the chance to enjoy 
  a quiet evening around the camp ﬁ re. About 
  midnight, you’re disturbed by a loud scream. 
  Veronica comes running (or limping) from her 
  tent, clutching her neck. She then begins slapping 
  her hands in the air, like she’s trying to ﬁ ght off a 
  mosquito. “Help!” she screams in a piercing voice. 
  “Help me!”
  The sight of a movie star performing some bizarre 
  mime act in the middle of the desert is enough to force 
  a Notice roll from the heroes to avoid Surprise. In this 
  instance, “surprise” equates to a moment’s pause to try 
  and understand the situation.
  The battleﬁ eld is 24” square. The characters begin 
  near one edge, seated around a campﬁ re the size of a 
  Small Burst Template. It sheds enough light to make the 
  visibility Dim (–1). There are six tents, each 3” by 2” at 
  the opposite end of the battleﬁ eld. Place a few obstacles 
  like ﬁ lm equipment or supply crates to help break up 
  the ground a little. Movement through these is difﬁ cult 
  ground.
  Shadow Walker, one of the Black Pharaoh’s lieuten-
  ants, has tried to sneak into camp and steal Veronica’s 
  amulet. He wears an invisibility gizmo of his master’s 
  design. His minions, a group of cultists, wear lesser 
  gizmos slaved to Shadow Walker’s device. Make a Weird 
  Science roll for Shadow Walker, spending a benny if nec-
  essary to ensure a success—whatever result he gets also 
  applies to the cultists equally.
  Each lesser device has just 5 Power Points, however, 
  which is enough for just 3 rounds of invisibility. By the 
  time the characters are alerted and arrive, the goons have 
  already had one round of being invisible.
  Don’t place ﬁ gures for the invisible villains on the 
  tabletop—they are invisible, after all. Their movement 
  should be mentally calculated by the GM. This makes the 
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  5
  ﬁ ght slightly more complex to manage, but it removes 
  any player inclination to act on knowledge their charac-
  ter doesn’t have.
  When a villain is detected by a character, place the 
  relevant ﬁ gure back on the tabletop and mark it with a 
  colored gaming stone. Give the spotter a stone of the 
  same color as well. To the other characters, the goon 
  is still invisible. However, having a comrade point out 
  his location allows a free action Notice roll (even if an 
  adventurer made one already this round). Once their 
  devices run out of Power Points (the start of the third 
  round of combat), place ﬁ gures for the goons.
  Throwing sand at a detected but still invisible foe 
  coats the target in ﬁ ne grains. It doesn’t make him vis-
  ible enough to negate the penalties, but it does allow the 
  hero’s comrades a free Notice roll to spot the goon.
  Shadow Walker is only after Veronica’s amulet. Ideally 
  he tries to snatch it from her neck. This is treated as a 
  Disarm maneuver. Veronica shouts out, “My amulet!” if 
  the trinket is stolen, thus alerting the characters to its 
  existence.
  Once he has it in his possession, Shadow Walker ﬂ ees. 
  Remember, items grabbed by him don’t become invis-
  ible. This allows every hero a free Notice roll to spot the 
  villain. He also attempts to escape once his invisibility 
  gizmo drops down to 10 Power Points.
   Veronica Cantori: See page 17.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
  POSSIBLE CHASE
  POSSIBLE CHASE
  The heroes may decide to give chase to Shadow 
  Walker. Run this as a regular Chase, with Sparse (–1) 
  Obstacles. These represent soft sand, small dunes, and 
  rocks. Characters who fail an Agility roll don’t suffer a col-
  lision. Instead, they trip over and fall ﬂ at on their faces. 
  Their next Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Shadow Walker 
  begins 3 Range Increments ahead of the characters.
  Characters who have detected him don’t suffer any 
  penalties—they can follow his footprints in the sand or 
  see the amulet jangling around. Those yet to spot him 
  suffer a –2 penalty to Agility rolls, though they make 
  a Notice roll as a free action each round (someone is 
  bound to be pointing his location out).
  Snatching the amulet requires a Disarm maneuver. 
  There’s no penalty for Shadow Walker being invis-
  ible—the amulet is clearly visible—but the lighting in the 
  desert is Dark (–2).
  As much as he is loyal to his master, Shadow Walker 
  isn’t suicidal. Outnumbered and without any backup, 
  once a hero gets to the same Range Increment or his 
  Power Points drop to 5, he throws the amulet away, hop-
  ing to distract his foes long enough for him to escape.
  Use the Recurring Villains rule if needed to ensure his 
  escape at this point (he can just vanish by ducking onto 
  rocky terrain behind a dune, thus leaving no prints). He 
  has no intention of reporting his failure to his master just 
  yet. Instead, he goes back to Cairo to fetch help.
  Whatever happens, the amulet must end up in the 
  characters’ hands.
  VERONICA’S STORY
  VERONICA’S STORY
  Veronica snatches the amulet back from the heroes 
  when it’s presented to her. “This thing has been noth-
  ing but trouble!” she wails. “I don’t know why I bother 
  keeping it!” Of course, she rejects any offers from the 
  adventurers to take it off her hands. If asked where she 
  acquired it, she says:
  “Daddy was an arky...orkey…an explorer. He 
  was in Egypt last year digging up some boring 
  old tomb. I was shooting ‘Sheba, the Amazonian 
  Queen’ at the time. Have you seen it? One of my 
  better works, the director said. 
  Anyway, he brought it back with him and gave it 
  to me. He said it belonged to an Egyptian prin-
  cess. When I got the role for this ﬁ lm I thought it 
  must be a lucky charm, because this ﬁ lm is called 
  The Egyptian Princess.
  Then someone tried to break into my house. Three 
  times! Anyway, I wasn’t the ﬁ rst choice for this 
  role, though I don’t know why. Apparently, there 
  were three other actresses before me, but they all 
  had… accidents. Anyway, I got a call saying I’d 
  got the part. Everything looked swell, until I was 
  attacked tonight!”
  THE DIRECTOR
  THE DIRECTOR
  The movie director, Bertie Bigsby, arrives at this point 
  to check on his star. He fawns over Veronica for a while, 
  and then suggests she go to bed to get some rest. Once 
  she’s out of earshot, he says quietly, “I don’t know why 
  I cast her!”
  Questioned about this, or indeed the mysterious ac-
  cidents, he tells a strange story.
  “She’s right, she wasn’t my ﬁ rst choice. Dang, she 
  wasn’t even on my short list. The ﬁ rst actress I 
  chose had an automobile crash. The second was 
  bitten by a snake or something, and the third girl 
  drowned in some freak accident.
  “Then someone phones me at the studio and sug-
  gests I pick Veronica to star in the movie. Oh, I 
  refused outright, but then he offered me $50,000. 
  That was too much to turn down. No idea who 
  her benefactor is, but money is money, right?
  “Anyway, that’s when I made the call to hire you 
  as bodyguards. I ﬁ gure if the girl is worth 50 big 
  ones, she’s worth protecting. I mean, I couldn’t 
  afford to lose a fourth actress—the studio was 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  5
  ﬁ ght slightly more complex to manage, but it removes 
  any player inclination to act on knowledge their charac-
  ter doesn’t have.
  When a villain is detected by a character, place the 
  relevant ﬁ gure back on the tabletop and mark it with a 
  colored gaming stone. Give the spotter a stone of the 
  same color as well. To the other characters, the goon 
  is still invisible. However, having a comrade point out 
  his location allows a free action Notice roll (even if an 
  adventurer made one already this round). Once their 
  devices run out of Power Points (the start of the third 
  round of combat), place ﬁ gures for the goons.
  Throwing sand at a detected but still invisible foe 
  coats the target in ﬁ ne grains. It doesn’t make him vis-
  ible enough to negate the penalties, but it does allow the 
  hero’s comrades a free Notice roll to spot the goon.
  Shadow Walker is only after Veronica’s amulet. Ideally 
  he tries to snatch it from her neck. This is treated as a 
  Disarm maneuver. Veronica shouts out, “My amulet!” if 
  the trinket is stolen, thus alerting the characters to its 
  existence.
  Once he has it in his possession, Shadow Walker ﬂ ees. 
  Remember, items grabbed by him don’t become invis-
  ible. This allows every hero a free Notice roll to spot the 
  villain. He also attempts to escape once his invisibility 
  gizmo drops down to 10 Power Points.
   Veronica Cantori: See page 17.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
  POSSIBLE CHASE
  POSSIBLE CHASE
  The heroes may decide to give chase to Shadow 
  Walker. Run this as a regular Chase, with Sparse (–1) 
  Obstacles. These represent soft sand, small dunes, and 
  rocks. Characters who fail an Agility roll don’t suffer a col-
  lision. Instead, they trip over and fall ﬂ at on their faces. 
  Their next Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Shadow Walker 
  begins 3 Range Increments ahead of the characters.
  Characters who have detected him don’t suffer any 
  penalties—they can follow his footprints in the sand or 
  see the amulet jangling around. Those yet to spot him 
  suffer a –2 penalty to Agility rolls, though they make 
  a Notice roll as a free action each round (someone is 
  bound to be pointing his location out).
  Snatching the amulet requires a Disarm maneuver. 
  There’s no penalty for Shadow Walker being invis-
  ible—the amulet is clearly visible—but the lighting in the 
  desert is Dark (–2).
  As much as he is loyal to his master, Shadow Walker 
  isn’t suicidal. Outnumbered and without any backup, 
  once a hero gets to the same Range Increment or his 
  Power Points drop to 5, he throws the amulet away, hop-
  ing to distract his foes long enough for him to escape.
  Use the Recurring Villains rule if needed to ensure his 
  escape at this point (he can just vanish by ducking onto 
  rocky terrain behind a dune, thus leaving no prints). He 
  has no intention of reporting his failure to his master just 
  yet. Instead, he goes back to Cairo to fetch help.
  Whatever happens, the amulet must end up in the 
  characters’ hands.
  VERONICA’S STORY
  VERONICA’S STORY
  Veronica snatches the amulet back from the heroes 
  when it’s presented to her. “This thing has been noth-
  ing but trouble!” she wails. “I don’t know why I bother 
  keeping it!” Of course, she rejects any offers from the 
  adventurers to take it off her hands. If asked where she 
  acquired it, she says:
  “Daddy was an arky...orkey…an explorer. He 
  was in Egypt last year digging up some boring 
  old tomb. I was shooting ‘Sheba, the Amazonian 
  Queen’ at the time. Have you seen it? One of my 
  better works, the director said. 
  Anyway, he brought it back with him and gave it 
  to me. He said it belonged to an Egyptian prin-
  cess. When I got the role for this ﬁ lm I thought it 
  must be a lucky charm, because this ﬁ lm is called 
  The Egyptian Princess.
  Then someone tried to break into my house. Three 
  times! Anyway, I wasn’t the ﬁ rst choice for this 
  role, though I don’t know why. Apparently, there 
  were three other actresses before me, but they all 
  had… accidents. Anyway, I got a call saying I’d 
  got the part. Everything looked swell, until I was 
  attacked tonight!”
  THE DIRECTOR
  THE DIRECTOR
  The movie director, Bertie Bigsby, arrives at this point 
  to check on his star. He fawns over Veronica for a while, 
  and then suggests she go to bed to get some rest. Once 
  she’s out of earshot, he says quietly, “I don’t know why 
  I cast her!”
  Questioned about this, or indeed the mysterious ac-
  cidents, he tells a strange story.
  “She’s right, she wasn’t my ﬁ rst choice. Dang, she 
  wasn’t even on my short list. The ﬁ rst actress I 
  chose had an automobile crash. The second was 
  bitten by a snake or something, and the third girl 
  drowned in some freak accident.
  “Then someone phones me at the studio and sug-
  gests I pick Veronica to star in the movie. Oh, I 
  refused outright, but then he offered me $50,000. 
  That was too much to turn down. No idea who 
  her benefactor is, but money is money, right?
  “Anyway, that’s when I made the call to hire you 
  as bodyguards. I ﬁ gure if the girl is worth 50 big 
  ones, she’s worth protecting. I mean, I couldn’t 
  afford to lose a fourth actress—the studio was 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  6
  threatening to shut down production. Something 
  about a curse, they said.
  “Please don’t tell Veronica any of this. It doesn’t 
  hurt her to think she got the role because of her 
  acting ability.”
  The Black Pharaoh was the mysterious benefactor. 
  After several failed attempts by his incompetent follow-
  ers to grab the amulet in America, he learned The Egyp-
  tian Princess was being shot in Cairo. Where better, he 
  thought, to snatch the necklace than his own backyard?
  So he arranged for the movie to receive a funding 
  boost, in return for Veronica being picked for the role 
  (after failing to win her a place by bumping off the 
  competition). What he didn’t count on was her bringing 
  along bodyguards.
  THE AMULET
  THE AMULET
  The amulet is 24-carat gold and shaped to resemble 
  the mythical Eye of Horus (a stylized eye). Inscribed in 
  an early form of hieroglyphs is the name “Narmer.” There 
  is also some other writing. Although it has similarities to 
  Egyptian script, it also has other elements which make it 
  untranslatable.
  Characters making a Knowledge (History) roll know 
  Narmer was a very early pharaoh, credited with unify-
  ing Upper and Lower Egypt. Artifacts from this era are 
  extremely rare, and no gold items have been discovered, 
  at least not until now.
  If the heroes have played through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #10: Kingdom of the Blood Gods, they recognize 
  the indecipherable script from the ancient (Atlantean) 
  ruins. Unfortunately, the one man they knew of in Cairo 
  who might have been able to help them, Rashid ibn Al-
  Azif (from Daring Tales of Adventure #7) is dead.
  SCENE 3: CAIRO
  SCENE 3: CAIRO
  In the morning, Veronica, still shaken by the accident, 
  refuses to shoot any scenes. Instead, she demands the 
  characters take her to Cairo so she can visit the souk. 
  No amount of persuasion, cajoling, or blackmailing can 
  prevent the young starlet from taking her trip. As she 
  says, “You either come with me, or I’ll get you ﬁ red and 
  go on my own!”
  Since the heroes’ pay is dependant on keeping the 
  actress both safe and happy, she’ll eventually get her way. 
  Bigsby asks the adventurers to comply if they hold out, 
  claiming he could do with a break from her incessant 
  whining. The director loans the heroes his open-top 
  sedan, which he had shipped over from America at great 
  expense (to the studio).
  Veronica has more money than sense (and acting tal-
  ent). At the souk, she goes on a huge spending spree, 
  though she refuses to haggle—that’s why she has help-
  ers. Rugs, pots, spices, and fake artifacts are all purchased 
  and loaded into the sedan. Give the players a short break 
  from the action and let them roleplay haggling. The rules 
  of selling are simple—start high and go no lower than 
  half the ﬁ rst price you quote.
  Once the players are twitching for more action, pro-
  ceed to the next section.
  THE OLD WOMAN
  THE OLD WOMAN
  At some point during the shopping spree the charac-
  ters will undoubtedly take their eyes off Veronica, if only 
  for a split second. Next thing the characters know, the ac-
  tress is screaming and trying to fend off an old Egyptian 
  woman who is poking and prodding at her. The old lady 
  speaks Arabic ﬂ uently, though she has very basic French 
  and English.
  “The Eye,” cackles the old woman, gesturing to-
  ward Veronica’s amulet, which she is wearing 
  outside her blouse, “the Eye of Horus. This is very 
  special! Very special! I have seen this writing be-
  fore, long ago, in an old tomb. A very secret tomb! 
  My brother knows the way. Come, come with 
  me!”
  Before the characters get a chance to quiz the crone 
  on her claims, Shadow Walker makes a return appear-
  ance. This time he has brought a friend to help him—a 
  criminal known as the Scarab.
  A car screeches to a halt near the heroes, and disgorg-
  es Shadow Walker and a small number of thugs. These 
  thugs don’t have any invisibility gizmos. The Scarab ﬂ ies 
  into view over the rooftops. His ﬁ rst action is to drop his 
  jar of ﬂ esh-eating scarab beetles near the characters.
  The outdoor bazaar is huge and should cover most 
  of the table. Each brightly-covered stall, and there are 
  dozens and dozens of them, measures 1” wide and 2” 
  long. The objects for sale in the stalls are whatever the 
  characters require (within sensible limits). For instance, 
  if a hero wants to grab a pot to smash onto a thug’s head, 
  slap one with a pair of sandals, wrap one in a rug, or grab 
  a silver plate to use as a makeshift buckler (Parry +1), 
  there’s one found in the nearest stall!
  The car is parked 12” from the characters. Shadow 
  Walker and the cultists begin adjacent to the vehicle. The 
  Scarab is hovering 8” up and 8” behind the heroes. The 
  crone ducks beneath a stall for cover. She plays no part 
  in the engagement, but remains present so she can be 
  questioned afterward.
  During the skirmish, one adjacent cultist slips a track-
  ing device (disguised as a dime) into a randomly chosen 
  character’s pocket. This allows the Black Pharaoh to 
  track the characters location.
  Shadow Walker hasn’t returned to his master, so his 
  Power Points are not recharged. If he has at least 5 left, 
  he’ll use his invisibility gizmo. Otherwise he’s forced to 
  ﬁ ght without his big advantage. Likewise, he wasn’t able 
  to reach Cairo within “the golden hour” after his escape 
  from the previous encounter, so he carries forward any 
  wounds. The Scarab begins with his armor and ﬂ y pow-
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  6
  threatening to shut down production. Something 
  about a curse, they said.
  “Please don’t tell Veronica any of this. It doesn’t 
  hurt her to think she got the role because of her 
  acting ability.”
  The Black Pharaoh was the mysterious benefactor. 
  After several failed attempts by his incompetent follow-
  ers to grab the amulet in America, he learned The Egyp-
  tian Princess was being shot in Cairo. Where better, he 
  thought, to snatch the necklace than his own backyard?
  So he arranged for the movie to receive a funding 
  boost, in return for Veronica being picked for the role 
  (after failing to win her a place by bumping off the 
  competition). What he didn’t count on was her bringing 
  along bodyguards.
  THE AMULET
  THE AMULET
  The amulet is 24-carat gold and shaped to resemble 
  the mythical Eye of Horus (a stylized eye). Inscribed in 
  an early form of hieroglyphs is the name “Narmer.” There 
  is also some other writing. Although it has similarities to 
  Egyptian script, it also has other elements which make it 
  untranslatable.
  Characters making a Knowledge (History) roll know 
  Narmer was a very early pharaoh, credited with unify-
  ing Upper and Lower Egypt. Artifacts from this era are 
  extremely rare, and no gold items have been discovered, 
  at least not until now.
  If the heroes have played through Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture #10: Kingdom of the Blood Gods, they recognize 
  the indecipherable script from the ancient (Atlantean) 
  ruins. Unfortunately, the one man they knew of in Cairo 
  who might have been able to help them, Rashid ibn Al-
  Azif (from Daring Tales of Adventure #7) is dead.
  SCENE 3: CAIRO
  SCENE 3: CAIRO
  In the morning, Veronica, still shaken by the accident, 
  refuses to shoot any scenes. Instead, she demands the 
  characters take her to Cairo so she can visit the souk. 
  No amount of persuasion, cajoling, or blackmailing can 
  prevent the young starlet from taking her trip. As she 
  says, “You either come with me, or I’ll get you ﬁ red and 
  go on my own!”
  Since the heroes’ pay is dependant on keeping the 
  actress both safe and happy, she’ll eventually get her way. 
  Bigsby asks the adventurers to comply if they hold out, 
  claiming he could do with a break from her incessant 
  whining. The director loans the heroes his open-top 
  sedan, which he had shipped over from America at great 
  expense (to the studio).
  Veronica has more money than sense (and acting tal-
  ent). At the souk, she goes on a huge spending spree, 
  though she refuses to haggle—that’s why she has help-
  ers. Rugs, pots, spices, and fake artifacts are all purchased 
  and loaded into the sedan. Give the players a short break 
  from the action and let them roleplay haggling. The rules 
  of selling are simple—start high and go no lower than 
  half the ﬁ rst price you quote.
  Once the players are twitching for more action, pro-
  ceed to the next section.
  THE OLD WOMAN
  THE OLD WOMAN
  At some point during the shopping spree the charac-
  ters will undoubtedly take their eyes off Veronica, if only 
  for a split second. Next thing the characters know, the ac-
  tress is screaming and trying to fend off an old Egyptian 
  woman who is poking and prodding at her. The old lady 
  speaks Arabic ﬂ uently, though she has very basic French 
  and English.
  “The Eye,” cackles the old woman, gesturing to-
  ward Veronica’s amulet, which she is wearing 
  outside her blouse, “the Eye of Horus. This is very 
  special! Very special! I have seen this writing be-
  fore, long ago, in an old tomb. A very secret tomb! 
  My brother knows the way. Come, come with 
  me!”
  Before the characters get a chance to quiz the crone 
  on her claims, Shadow Walker makes a return appear-
  ance. This time he has brought a friend to help him—a 
  criminal known as the Scarab.
  A car screeches to a halt near the heroes, and disgorg-
  es Shadow Walker and a small number of thugs. These 
  thugs don’t have any invisibility gizmos. The Scarab ﬂ ies 
  into view over the rooftops. His ﬁ rst action is to drop his 
  jar of ﬂ esh-eating scarab beetles near the characters.
  The outdoor bazaar is huge and should cover most 
  of the table. Each brightly-covered stall, and there are 
  dozens and dozens of them, measures 1” wide and 2” 
  long. The objects for sale in the stalls are whatever the 
  characters require (within sensible limits). For instance, 
  if a hero wants to grab a pot to smash onto a thug’s head, 
  slap one with a pair of sandals, wrap one in a rug, or grab 
  a silver plate to use as a makeshift buckler (Parry +1), 
  there’s one found in the nearest stall!
  The car is parked 12” from the characters. Shadow 
  Walker and the cultists begin adjacent to the vehicle. The 
  Scarab is hovering 8” up and 8” behind the heroes. The 
  crone ducks beneath a stall for cover. She plays no part 
  in the engagement, but remains present so she can be 
  questioned afterward.
  During the skirmish, one adjacent cultist slips a track-
  ing device (disguised as a dime) into a randomly chosen 
  character’s pocket. This allows the Black Pharaoh to 
  track the characters location.
  Shadow Walker hasn’t returned to his master, so his 
  Power Points are not recharged. If he has at least 5 left, 
  he’ll use his invisibility gizmo. Otherwise he’s forced to 
  ﬁ ght without his big advantage. Likewise, he wasn’t able 
  to reach Cairo within “the golden hour” after his escape 
  from the previous encounter, so he carries forward any 
  wounds. The Scarab begins with his armor and ﬂ y pow-
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  7
  ers active. His stats already show the necessary modiﬁ -
  cations. When he enters the combat, he has had his ﬂ y 
  active for two rounds and his armor for a single round. 
  Remember to track his Power Point expenditure.
  All of the Wild Cards are expendable. However, if the 
  party is exceptionally tough or combat-oriented, the GM 
  may wish to use the Recurring Villains rule to have one 
  escape so as to be present in subsequent encounters, 
  making it more of a challenge for the characters.
  During the engagement, keep a very close eye on 
  Veronica’s character. At some point, a second car pulls 
  up. It contains four goons. Deal it an action card as 
  normal. On its turn, it stops alongside her, Veronica is 
  hauled inside (it’s an open-topped sedan), and the car 
  roars away. Although it bends the Recurring Villains rules 
  slightly, the GM should use one of his bennies to ensure 
  the car gets away. Proceed to Scene 4.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
   Flesh-Eating Scarab Swarm (1): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: CHASING STARLETS
  SCENE 4: CHASING STARLETS
  Run this scene using the Chase rules and our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The villains begin 1 Range Increment 
  ahead of the characters, plus one additional Range In-
  crement for each round the heroes delay in giving chase. 
  Each Range Increment equates to 10”.
  Should the adventurers all give chase on foot (or using 
  the Doc’s rocket pack), the thugs have +1 to their Driving 
  rolls because they have the faster vehicle. There is 2 Range 
  Increments difference between the car and runners (or a 
  ﬂ ying hero using his base Pace), which gives the heroes 
  a –2 penalty. If the Doc ﬂ ies at double his base Pace, the 
  penalty is –1 (base Range Increment 5”).
  One cultist drives, one keeps Veronica subdued, 
  and any others blast away at pursuing characters with 
  their pistols. They want to escape, not get engaged in a 
  lengthy ﬁ reﬁ ght. So the driver will Push on any round he 
  doesn’t draw a Club suit.
  While this chase should be exciting, the villains 
  shouldn’t get away. The amulet should be reacquired by 
  the characters and Veronica rescued (again) when the 
  scene ends.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Demonstration: A nationalist demon-
  stration is marching through the streets. Success means 
  the car nips down a side street and emerges back in the 
  chase. Failure causes the vehicle to inch forward while 
  the nationalists shout abuse and bang on the bodywork, 
  costing it 2 Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Swarm of Kids: Slowing down for that 
  last corner was a mistake. A swarm of young street ur-
  chins have clambered onto the car and are demanding 
  money. They’re even on the hood, which is blocking the 
  driver’s vision.
  There’s no speciﬁ c penalty for a failure—the driver 
  is just forced to move slowly this round. The kids stay 
  on the car, and this penalty remains in play, until a hero 
  pays them $10 (between them, not each) as an action or 
  the car goes Out of Control, at which point they leap off 
  and scurry away.
  Four (–2) Narrow Street: The street is rather narrow 
  and lined with market stalls on each side. Any failure 
  results in a collision with a stationary soft Obstacle and 
  scatters goods everywhere.
  Five (0) Sniper: Resentment for the English still 
  festers in Egypt after the 1924 riots. A sniper takes a 
  pot shot at the characters (they’re Caucasian, so likely 
  English goes his reasoning) as they drive past. Roll three 
  d6. Each roll of 1 on a die indicates a hit for 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra). The cultists don’t become targets. They 
  simply ignore this entry.
  Six (–2) Goats: A goat herder is taking his livestock 
  to market, but that means them crossing the road. Any 
  failure simply results in the car making no progress due 
  to the delay.
  Seven (–2) Painters: The car careers dangerously 
  close to scaffolding, atop which are a dozen painters. 
  If the driver fails his Driving roll, the vehicle strikes the 
  scaffolding and dislodges pots of white paint. Every oc-
  cupant must make an Agility roll. Those who fail suffer 
  a –1 penalty to Trait rolls until they spend an action to 
  clean the paint off their faces.
  Eight (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  villains always ignore the cop.
  Stopping causes the car to automatically drop back 
  two Range Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the 
  junction the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  Failure leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since 
  this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle 
  involved in the Chase counts.
  Nine (–1) Slow Trafﬁ c: Slow-moving trafﬁ c forces 
  the car to dodge and weave to make any progress. On 
  a failure, the vehicle is blocked in and drops back one 
  Range Increment.
  Ten (–1) Road Works: Workers have left their wood-
  en barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving 
  into a utility trench they’re digging. Success avoids the 
  road works, while a failure leads to a collision with a soft 
  Obstacle.
  Jack (–1) Bumpy Road: Cairo’s back roads aren’t 
  well-maintained. Any failure causes a collision with a sta-
  tionary hard Obstacle as the suspension takes a pound-
  ing from potholes and bits of debris.
  Queen (–1) No Brake Lights: The vehicle in front 
  suddenly comes to a complete stop, forcing the car to 
  swerve to avoid a collision. A failure leads to a collision 
  with a hard Obstacle.
  King (0) Blocked Road: A vehicle pulls out into the 
  road, sees the oncoming chase participant, and brakes 
  hard! Success allows the driver to swerve around the car, 
  while a failure causes a collision with a hard obstacle. 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  7
  ers active. His stats already show the necessary modiﬁ -
  cations. When he enters the combat, he has had his ﬂ y 
  active for two rounds and his armor for a single round. 
  Remember to track his Power Point expenditure.
  All of the Wild Cards are expendable. However, if the 
  party is exceptionally tough or combat-oriented, the GM 
  may wish to use the Recurring Villains rule to have one 
  escape so as to be present in subsequent encounters, 
  making it more of a challenge for the characters.
  During the engagement, keep a very close eye on 
  Veronica’s character. At some point, a second car pulls 
  up. It contains four goons. Deal it an action card as 
  normal. On its turn, it stops alongside her, Veronica is 
  hauled inside (it’s an open-topped sedan), and the car 
  roars away. Although it bends the Recurring Villains rules 
  slightly, the GM should use one of his bennies to ensure 
  the car gets away. Proceed to Scene 4.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
   Flesh-Eating Scarab Swarm (1): See page 19.
  SCENE 4: CHASING STARLETS
  SCENE 4: CHASING STARLETS
  Run this scene using the Chase rules and our alternate 
  Obstacles rules. The villains begin 1 Range Increment 
  ahead of the characters, plus one additional Range In-
  crement for each round the heroes delay in giving chase. 
  Each Range Increment equates to 10”.
  Should the adventurers all give chase on foot (or using 
  the Doc’s rocket pack), the thugs have +1 to their Driving 
  rolls because they have the faster vehicle. There is 2 Range 
  Increments difference between the car and runners (or a 
  ﬂ ying hero using his base Pace), which gives the heroes 
  a –2 penalty. If the Doc ﬂ ies at double his base Pace, the 
  penalty is –1 (base Range Increment 5”).
  One cultist drives, one keeps Veronica subdued, 
  and any others blast away at pursuing characters with 
  their pistols. They want to escape, not get engaged in a 
  lengthy ﬁ reﬁ ght. So the driver will Push on any round he 
  doesn’t draw a Club suit.
  While this chase should be exciting, the villains 
  shouldn’t get away. The amulet should be reacquired by 
  the characters and Veronica rescued (again) when the 
  scene ends.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Demonstration: A nationalist demon-
  stration is marching through the streets. Success means 
  the car nips down a side street and emerges back in the 
  chase. Failure causes the vehicle to inch forward while 
  the nationalists shout abuse and bang on the bodywork, 
  costing it 2 Range Increments.
  Three (–2) Swarm of Kids: Slowing down for that 
  last corner was a mistake. A swarm of young street ur-
  chins have clambered onto the car and are demanding 
  money. They’re even on the hood, which is blocking the 
  driver’s vision.
  There’s no speciﬁ c penalty for a failure—the driver 
  is just forced to move slowly this round. The kids stay 
  on the car, and this penalty remains in play, until a hero 
  pays them $10 (between them, not each) as an action or 
  the car goes Out of Control, at which point they leap off 
  and scurry away.
  Four (–2) Narrow Street: The street is rather narrow 
  and lined with market stalls on each side. Any failure 
  results in a collision with a stationary soft Obstacle and 
  scatters goods everywhere.
  Five (0) Sniper: Resentment for the English still 
  festers in Egypt after the 1924 riots. A sniper takes a 
  pot shot at the characters (they’re Caucasian, so likely 
  English goes his reasoning) as they drive past. Roll three 
  d6. Each roll of 1 on a die indicates a hit for 2d6 damage 
  (from an Extra). The cultists don’t become targets. They 
  simply ignore this entry.
  Six (–2) Goats: A goat herder is taking his livestock 
  to market, but that means them crossing the road. Any 
  failure simply results in the car making no progress due 
  to the delay.
  Seven (–2) Painters: The car careers dangerously 
  close to scaffolding, atop which are a dozen painters. 
  If the driver fails his Driving roll, the vehicle strikes the 
  scaffolding and dislodges pots of white paint. Every oc-
  cupant must make an Agility roll. Those who fail suffer 
  a –1 penalty to Trait rolls until they spend an action to 
  clean the paint off their faces.
  Eight (0/–2) Trafﬁ c Cop: A policeman directing traf-
  ﬁ c holds up his hand for the vehicle to stop. Characters 
  have the choice of stopping or ignoring his signal. The 
  villains always ignore the cop.
  Stopping causes the car to automatically drop back 
  two Range Increments due to the delay. Tearing past the 
  junction the cop is policing requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  Failure leads to a collision with another vehicle. Since 
  this is a “T-bone” collision, only the speed of the vehicle 
  involved in the Chase counts.
  Nine (–1) Slow Trafﬁ c: Slow-moving trafﬁ c forces 
  the car to dodge and weave to make any progress. On 
  a failure, the vehicle is blocked in and drops back one 
  Range Increment.
  Ten (–1) Road Works: Workers have left their wood-
  en barricades in the road overnight to stop cars driving 
  into a utility trench they’re digging. Success avoids the 
  road works, while a failure leads to a collision with a soft 
  Obstacle.
  Jack (–1) Bumpy Road: Cairo’s back roads aren’t 
  well-maintained. Any failure causes a collision with a sta-
  tionary hard Obstacle as the suspension takes a pound-
  ing from potholes and bits of debris.
  Queen (–1) No Brake Lights: The vehicle in front 
  suddenly comes to a complete stop, forcing the car to 
  swerve to avoid a collision. A failure leads to a collision 
  with a hard Obstacle.
  King (0) Blocked Road: A vehicle pulls out into the 
  road, sees the oncoming chase participant, and brakes 
  hard! Success allows the driver to swerve around the car, 
  while a failure causes a collision with a hard obstacle. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  8
  This is a T-bone, so only the chasing vehicle’s speed 
  counts.
  Ace (0) Window Washer: As the car stops at a junc-
  tion a windshield washer makes his move. Unfortunately, 
  the car pulls away with him clutching the wipers and 
  obscuring the driver’s view. With failure, the car loses 
  one Range Increment due to erratic maneuvers before 
  the man leaps clear.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Because both cars have no roofs, the occupants can 
  be targeted as per normal combat. However, they have 
  Medium Cover (–2) because only their upper torsos are 
  visible.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 19.
  THE OLD WOMAN AGAIN
  THE OLD WOMAN AGAIN
  Hopefully the heroes don’t forget about the old 
  woman in the souk. If they return, she’s still shopping. 
  Otherwise, she catches up with them later, having some-
  how tracked them down. She again mentions a secret 
  tomb, and urges the characters to meet her brother.
  The family has a long-tradition of tomb robbing, go-
  ing back many centuries. The brother, Abdul, is a spirited 
  man in his seventies who worked as a digger for Gaston 
  Maspero in the 1880s and 90s. He asks to see the amulet. 
  After studying it closely, he says:
  “Yes, I have seen this writing before. There is a 
  tomb near Amarna, where Akhenaten the heretic 
  pharaoh once ruled, which contains this writing. 
  The tomb is very secret. Only one man knows 
  the way, and he is sick and in need of expensive 
  medicine.” Abdul coughs unconvincingly.
  Abdul holds out for $100, although he’ll accept $50. If 
  the characters don’t have the cash, Veronica hands over 
  the greenbacks. Abdul then scribbles down directions to 
  the tomb. Before the adventurers leave, he warns them 
  to be careful—“The pharaohs guarded their secrets jeal-
  ously.”
  Veronica refuses to go on any more adventures, so 
  she hands over her amulet. She’s sick of being chased 
  and attacked. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the charac-
  ters’ problem now.
  ACT 2: REMNANTS OF ATLANTIS
  ACT 2: REMNANTS OF ATLANTIS
  Amarna was once the seat of power of Akhenaten, 
  the pharaoh who tried to bring monotheism to Egypt 
  (and who failed). The city was rediscovered in the 18th 
  century and mapped during the 19th century. All that 
  remains today are foundation stones. An expedition, 
  launched by the Egypt Exploration Society, ﬁ nished an 
  extensive dig in 1936. The tomb the characters seek is in 
  the hills behind the city, in what has become known as 
  the Royal Wadi.
  There are ﬁ ve tombs in the wadi—a royal tomb, a 
  cache tomb, an unﬁ nished tomb, a completed tomb 
  robbed in antiquity, and one in which the walls were 
  plastered but never decorated with hieroglyphs. It is 
  the last tomb, known to Egyptologists as Tomb 29, the 
  characters seek.
  Abdul’s instructions indicate a section of plastered 
  wall. If the old man was telling the truth, part of the 
  plaster in the northeast corner is relatively new, put 
  there by Abdul and his cohorts to conceal a second tomb 
  complex they discovered behind the known one. Sure 
  enough, a few good smacks with a heavy item reveals a 
  dusty crawlspace.
  The section beyond was constructed by the Atlante-
  ans, who congregated here in secret to plot and plan. 
  Simple devices, by Atlantean standards, enabled them to 
  bypass the traps. Sadly, those items no longer exist, and 
  the chambers are veritable deathtraps!
  SCENE 1: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
  SCENE 1: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
  After a short crawl, the passage’s height rises enough 
  to allow upright walking. A few dozen yards later, the 
  adventurers reach the ﬁ rst chamber.
  You stand on one end of a colossal bridge. The 
  far end isn’t visible, even with your ﬂ ashlights. 
  Peering down, you see only inky darkness. Look-
  ing up, you see a high vaulted ceiling. Looking up 
  further you see a huge pair of feet.
  After maneuvering to get a better view, you real-
  ize the feet belong to a cyclopean statue carved 
  from the rock face. The ﬁ gure wears a simple 
  skirt, and is well muscled. While it reminds you 
  of Greek statues, the beard is more in keeping 
  with Persian images. In its outstretched hand it 
  grasps the looped top of a gargantuan ankh, the 
  Egyptian symbol for life.
  Heroes who want to test the depths of the abyss can 
  throw a stone over the side. No sound of it hitting the 
  bottom is heard. The drop is 500’ (10d6 damage from a 
  Wild Card source). The bridge has no visible supports, 
  but is structurally very safe. It could support several hun-
  dred tons with ease.
  A solid stone door seals the exit to this chamber. 
  Dozens of Atlantean hieroglyphs adorn the door, among 
  them an Eye of Horus. Touching it causes the door to rise 
  into the ceiling, revealing a chamber beyond.
  HOT STUFF
  HOT STUFF
  This long, wide chamber is completely empty. 
  Across the expanse stands another doorway, 
  much like the one you just passed through.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  8
  This is a T-bone, so only the chasing vehicle’s speed 
  counts.
  Ace (0) Window Washer: As the car stops at a junc-
  tion a windshield washer makes his move. Unfortunately, 
  the car pulls away with him clutching the wipers and 
  obscuring the driver’s view. With failure, the car loses 
  one Range Increment due to erratic maneuvers before 
  the man leaps clear.
  SEDAN
  SEDAN
  Because both cars have no roofs, the occupants can 
  be targeted as per normal combat. However, they have 
  Medium Cover (–2) because only their upper torsos are 
  visible.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
   Cultists (1 per hero): See page 19.
  THE OLD WOMAN AGAIN
  THE OLD WOMAN AGAIN
  Hopefully the heroes don’t forget about the old 
  woman in the souk. If they return, she’s still shopping. 
  Otherwise, she catches up with them later, having some-
  how tracked them down. She again mentions a secret 
  tomb, and urges the characters to meet her brother.
  The family has a long-tradition of tomb robbing, go-
  ing back many centuries. The brother, Abdul, is a spirited 
  man in his seventies who worked as a digger for Gaston 
  Maspero in the 1880s and 90s. He asks to see the amulet. 
  After studying it closely, he says:
  “Yes, I have seen this writing before. There is a 
  tomb near Amarna, where Akhenaten the heretic 
  pharaoh once ruled, which contains this writing. 
  The tomb is very secret. Only one man knows 
  the way, and he is sick and in need of expensive 
  medicine.” Abdul coughs unconvincingly.
  Abdul holds out for $100, although he’ll accept $50. If 
  the characters don’t have the cash, Veronica hands over 
  the greenbacks. Abdul then scribbles down directions to 
  the tomb. Before the adventurers leave, he warns them 
  to be careful—“The pharaohs guarded their secrets jeal-
  ously.”
  Veronica refuses to go on any more adventures, so 
  she hands over her amulet. She’s sick of being chased 
  and attacked. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the charac-
  ters’ problem now.
  ACT 2: REMNANTS OF ATLANTIS
  ACT 2: REMNANTS OF ATLANTIS
  Amarna was once the seat of power of Akhenaten, 
  the pharaoh who tried to bring monotheism to Egypt 
  (and who failed). The city was rediscovered in the 18th 
  century and mapped during the 19th century. All that 
  remains today are foundation stones. An expedition, 
  launched by the Egypt Exploration Society, ﬁ nished an 
  extensive dig in 1936. The tomb the characters seek is in 
  the hills behind the city, in what has become known as 
  the Royal Wadi.
  There are ﬁ ve tombs in the wadi—a royal tomb, a 
  cache tomb, an unﬁ nished tomb, a completed tomb 
  robbed in antiquity, and one in which the walls were 
  plastered but never decorated with hieroglyphs. It is 
  the last tomb, known to Egyptologists as Tomb 29, the 
  characters seek.
  Abdul’s instructions indicate a section of plastered 
  wall. If the old man was telling the truth, part of the 
  plaster in the northeast corner is relatively new, put 
  there by Abdul and his cohorts to conceal a second tomb 
  complex they discovered behind the known one. Sure 
  enough, a few good smacks with a heavy item reveals a 
  dusty crawlspace.
  The section beyond was constructed by the Atlante-
  ans, who congregated here in secret to plot and plan. 
  Simple devices, by Atlantean standards, enabled them to 
  bypass the traps. Sadly, those items no longer exist, and 
  the chambers are veritable deathtraps!
  SCENE 1: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
  SCENE 1: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
  After a short crawl, the passage’s height rises enough 
  to allow upright walking. A few dozen yards later, the 
  adventurers reach the ﬁ rst chamber.
  You stand on one end of a colossal bridge. The 
  far end isn’t visible, even with your ﬂ ashlights. 
  Peering down, you see only inky darkness. Look-
  ing up, you see a high vaulted ceiling. Looking up 
  further you see a huge pair of feet.
  After maneuvering to get a better view, you real-
  ize the feet belong to a cyclopean statue carved 
  from the rock face. The ﬁ gure wears a simple 
  skirt, and is well muscled. While it reminds you 
  of Greek statues, the beard is more in keeping 
  with Persian images. In its outstretched hand it 
  grasps the looped top of a gargantuan ankh, the 
  Egyptian symbol for life.
  Heroes who want to test the depths of the abyss can 
  throw a stone over the side. No sound of it hitting the 
  bottom is heard. The drop is 500’ (10d6 damage from a 
  Wild Card source). The bridge has no visible supports, 
  but is structurally very safe. It could support several hun-
  dred tons with ease.
  A solid stone door seals the exit to this chamber. 
  Dozens of Atlantean hieroglyphs adorn the door, among 
  them an Eye of Horus. Touching it causes the door to rise 
  into the ceiling, revealing a chamber beyond.
  HOT STUFF
  HOT STUFF
  This long, wide chamber is completely empty. 
  Across the expanse stands another doorway, 
  much like the one you just passed through.
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  9
  As soon as a hero enters the room, read the text below 
  aloud. Then deal action cards.
  WHOOSH! A column of swirling ﬁ re appears out of 
  nowhere in the center of the room. As if controlled 
  by some unseen hand, it begins moving!
  The chamber is 30” long and 12” wide. The exit is 
  blocked by a door identical to the one above. Opening 
  it reveals a second chamber immediately beyond the 
  portal.
  The ﬂ aming column ﬁ lls a Small Burst Template and 
  stretches from ﬂ oor to ceiling. It isn’t a creature and has 
  zero brainpower. Instead, it moves randomly each round. 
  When its action card is called, roll a d12 and read it like a 
  clockface. This determines the ﬁ re’s direction. Then roll 
  2d6 for its movement. If it strikes a wall, it bounces back 
  to form a 90-degree angle as many squares as required to 
  complete its movement for the round.
  Any creature caught under the template must make 
  an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage (from an Ex-
  tra) and risk a chance of catching ﬁ re. Since this is an 
  area effect attack, the bonus from Dodge and Improved 
  Dodge apply here.
  The ﬁ ery pillars aren’t affected by anything—they’re 
  just ﬁ re. However, the heroes don’t know that, so they 
  might waste a little time blasting away suspecting that 
  they’re some sort of elemental beings.
  One randomly moving column of ﬁ re isn’t particularly 
  deadly. The Atlanteans knew this as well, so they made 
  sure more appeared! Each round a deuce is dealt as any 
  character’s ﬁ rst action card, another column appears in 
  the center of the room (which is bad luck for any hero 
  in that space). If multiple deuces are drawn, then mul-
  tiple ﬁ re columns come into play. Deal each column its 
  own action card and roll for movement and direction 
  separately.
  Should every hero leave the room, all the pillars of 
  ﬁ re immediately vanish, however one reappears in the 
  center of the room the instant a hero steps back into the 
  chamber.
  SCENE 2: CHOP CHOP
  SCENE 2: CHOP CHOP
  Ahead stretches a long, colonnaded chamber. 
  There are four rows of columns stretching from 
  one end of the room to the other. Through the 
  stone forest, you can just make out what appear 
  to be sarcophagi leaning against the wall.
  The second chamber is a long, colonnaded hall. Each 
  column is 1” wide (impassable terrain) and rises majesti-
  cally to the ceiling 8” above. The hall measures 9” wide 
  and 24” long. There is a 1” wide opening in the center of 
  the lower and upper wall.
  The ﬁ rst line of pillars begins 1” from the east wall. 
  Every other square along that line contains a pillar. There 
  is then a 1” wide clear line of ﬂ oor, followed by another 
  line of pillars. So the sequence horizontally goes clear 
  space, row of pillars, clear space, row of pillars, and so 
  on. Reading up the line of columns the same pattern 
  repeats (clear, pillar, clear, pillar,etc.).
  Spaced equally along each long wall are unadorned 
  stone sarcophagi. Waiting within these are robotic mum-
  mies, a creation of the ancient Atlanteans who built this 
  chamber. The guardians activate once the ﬁ rst character 
  enters the room. Deal action cards at this time.
  As soon as the hero is inside, the door begins to 
  slide shut. It does so at the end of the current round. 
  It remains locked for six rounds. After this time, it can 
  be opened again by pressing the Eye of Horus symbol. 
  There is a symbol on both sides. The exit is blocked by a 
  door identical to the one above. Opening it reveals the 
  ﬁ nal chamber.
  Although only machines, they are capable of using 
  tactics, such as advancing behind pillars for cover. The 
  pair nearest the exit move to block it as quickly as pos-
  sible to prevent intruders from escaping quickly.
  Should the heroes ﬂ ee the room, the traps cease oper-
  ation, and surviving mummies return to their sarcophagi 
  to await the next set of intruders (which includes the 
  heroes’ return through this chamber).
  The room is trapped in another way as well. Thin 
  metal wires concealed in the columns spring out at 
  random intervals and in random places, lacerating all in 
  their path. These extend from ﬂ oor to ceiling, so ﬂ ying 
  heroes aren’t immune. There are only two safe areas in 
  the entire chamber—the squares immediately in front 
  of the entrance and exit. Any time a hero on any other 
  square draws a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, 
  he has blundered into one of the traps.
  The character must make an immediate Agility roll 
  (before any actions are taken in the round), modiﬁ ed by 
  the suit of his card (as shown below), or suffer damage 
  (from an Extra). The mummies are not immune to this, 
  and should be dealt action cards as pairs to avoid them 
  all being sliced open at once.
  Suit 
  Mod 
  Damage
  Club 
  –4 
  2d6+4
  Diamond 
  –2 
  2d6+2
  Heart 
  –1 
  2d6
  Spade 
  0 
  2d4
   Robotic Mummies (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: DECIPHERING ATLANTEAN
  SCENE 3: DECIPHERING ATLANTEAN
  The only furnishings in the chamber are two polished 
  columns, roughly three feet high. The top appears to be 
  polished obsidian, a volcanic glass found in various 
  parts of the world (Turkey being the nearest source to 
  Egypt).
  The chamber is 10” to a side, though no tabletop ac-
  tion occurs here.
  Placing the Eye of Horus so the writing is face-down 
  on the right-hand obsidian panel causes images to ap-
  pear on the left-hand one. These are Egyptian hiero-
  glyphs. They form a translation of the Atlantean script. 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  9
  As soon as a hero enters the room, read the text below 
  aloud. Then deal action cards.
  WHOOSH! A column of swirling ﬁ re appears out of 
  nowhere in the center of the room. As if controlled 
  by some unseen hand, it begins moving!
  The chamber is 30” long and 12” wide. The exit is 
  blocked by a door identical to the one above. Opening 
  it reveals a second chamber immediately beyond the 
  portal.
  The ﬂ aming column ﬁ lls a Small Burst Template and 
  stretches from ﬂ oor to ceiling. It isn’t a creature and has 
  zero brainpower. Instead, it moves randomly each round. 
  When its action card is called, roll a d12 and read it like a 
  clockface. This determines the ﬁ re’s direction. Then roll 
  2d6 for its movement. If it strikes a wall, it bounces back 
  to form a 90-degree angle as many squares as required to 
  complete its movement for the round.
  Any creature caught under the template must make 
  an Agility roll at –2 or suffer 2d10 damage (from an Ex-
  tra) and risk a chance of catching ﬁ re. Since this is an 
  area effect attack, the bonus from Dodge and Improved 
  Dodge apply here.
  The ﬁ ery pillars aren’t affected by anything—they’re 
  just ﬁ re. However, the heroes don’t know that, so they 
  might waste a little time blasting away suspecting that 
  they’re some sort of elemental beings.
  One randomly moving column of ﬁ re isn’t particularly 
  deadly. The Atlanteans knew this as well, so they made 
  sure more appeared! Each round a deuce is dealt as any 
  character’s ﬁ rst action card, another column appears in 
  the center of the room (which is bad luck for any hero 
  in that space). If multiple deuces are drawn, then mul-
  tiple ﬁ re columns come into play. Deal each column its 
  own action card and roll for movement and direction 
  separately.
  Should every hero leave the room, all the pillars of 
  ﬁ re immediately vanish, however one reappears in the 
  center of the room the instant a hero steps back into the 
  chamber.
  SCENE 2: CHOP CHOP
  SCENE 2: CHOP CHOP
  Ahead stretches a long, colonnaded chamber. 
  There are four rows of columns stretching from 
  one end of the room to the other. Through the 
  stone forest, you can just make out what appear 
  to be sarcophagi leaning against the wall.
  The second chamber is a long, colonnaded hall. Each 
  column is 1” wide (impassable terrain) and rises majesti-
  cally to the ceiling 8” above. The hall measures 9” wide 
  and 24” long. There is a 1” wide opening in the center of 
  the lower and upper wall.
  The ﬁ rst line of pillars begins 1” from the east wall. 
  Every other square along that line contains a pillar. There 
  is then a 1” wide clear line of ﬂ oor, followed by another 
  line of pillars. So the sequence horizontally goes clear 
  space, row of pillars, clear space, row of pillars, and so 
  on. Reading up the line of columns the same pattern 
  repeats (clear, pillar, clear, pillar,etc.).
  Spaced equally along each long wall are unadorned 
  stone sarcophagi. Waiting within these are robotic mum-
  mies, a creation of the ancient Atlanteans who built this 
  chamber. The guardians activate once the ﬁ rst character 
  enters the room. Deal action cards at this time.
  As soon as the hero is inside, the door begins to 
  slide shut. It does so at the end of the current round. 
  It remains locked for six rounds. After this time, it can 
  be opened again by pressing the Eye of Horus symbol. 
  There is a symbol on both sides. The exit is blocked by a 
  door identical to the one above. Opening it reveals the 
  ﬁ nal chamber.
  Although only machines, they are capable of using 
  tactics, such as advancing behind pillars for cover. The 
  pair nearest the exit move to block it as quickly as pos-
  sible to prevent intruders from escaping quickly.
  Should the heroes ﬂ ee the room, the traps cease oper-
  ation, and surviving mummies return to their sarcophagi 
  to await the next set of intruders (which includes the 
  heroes’ return through this chamber).
  The room is trapped in another way as well. Thin 
  metal wires concealed in the columns spring out at 
  random intervals and in random places, lacerating all in 
  their path. These extend from ﬂ oor to ceiling, so ﬂ ying 
  heroes aren’t immune. There are only two safe areas in 
  the entire chamber—the squares immediately in front 
  of the entrance and exit. Any time a hero on any other 
  square draws a deuce as his ﬁ rst action card in a round, 
  he has blundered into one of the traps.
  The character must make an immediate Agility roll 
  (before any actions are taken in the round), modiﬁ ed by 
  the suit of his card (as shown below), or suffer damage 
  (from an Extra). The mummies are not immune to this, 
  and should be dealt action cards as pairs to avoid them 
  all being sliced open at once.
  Suit 
  Mod 
  Damage
  Club 
  –4 
  2d6+4
  Diamond 
  –2 
  2d6+2
  Heart 
  –1 
  2d6
  Spade 
  0 
  2d4
   Robotic Mummies (2 per hero): See page 19.
  SCENE 3: DECIPHERING ATLANTEAN
  SCENE 3: DECIPHERING ATLANTEAN
  The only furnishings in the chamber are two polished 
  columns, roughly three feet high. The top appears to be 
  polished obsidian, a volcanic glass found in various 
  parts of the world (Turkey being the nearest source to 
  Egypt).
  The chamber is 10” to a side, though no tabletop ac-
  tion occurs here.
  Placing the Eye of Horus so the writing is face-down 
  on the right-hand obsidian panel causes images to ap-
  pear on the left-hand one. These are Egyptian hiero-
  glyphs. They form a translation of the Atlantean script. 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1010
  Heroes who don’t understand the language can at least 
  transcribe the symbols and have them translated back in 
  Cairo. The hieroglyphs read: “The guardian of Athens 
  shows the way to those of worth.”
  Any hero making a Common Knowledge (–2) or 
  Knowledge (History) roll knows the guardian of Athens 
  likely refers to Athena, after whom the city was named. 
  The largest temple to Athena in Athens is the Parthenon, 
  which stands dominant atop the Acropolis.
  After leaving this chamber, the characters must again 
  face the pillars of ﬁ re in the next chamber. Hopefully 
  they’ve learned they can’t hurt them and simply opt to 
  run as fast as they can.
  SLICE, DICE, AND CULTISTS
  SLICE, DICE, AND CULTISTS
  When the characters enter the colonnaded hall, the 
  traps and mummies activate. At the start of the second 
  round, the far door opens. Entering into the chamber 
  are cultists and at least one villainous Wild Card. Deal 
  the cultists action cards in pairs just like the mummies.
  Shadow Walker and the Scarab are present unless 
  they were killed in previous scenes. Their Power Points 
  are fully recharged, and the Scarab has a pot of beetles at 
  hand. Each has recovered one wound from any previous 
  injuries. If one or neither survived, then the Mind Flayer 
  is present as well. Otherwise this new villain appears 
  only in the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght.
  All of the Wild Cards are expendable. However, if the 
  party is exceptionally tough or combat-oriented, the GM 
  may wish to use the Recurring Villains rule to have one 
  escape so as to be present in the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght, making it 
  more of a challenge for the characters.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   The Mind Flayer: See page 18.
   Cultists (2 per hero): See page 18.
   Robotic Mummies (varies): See page 19. The 
  number activating depends on how many survived the 
  previous encounter.
  SCENE 4: ANKHS FOR THE MEMORY
  SCENE 4: ANKHS FOR THE MEMORY
  Unfortunately, the heroes face a test of their worth be-
  fore they can reach safety. Using the Atlantean decoder to 
  read this particular amulet activated an ancient trap. The 
  ground begins to shake as the tomb starts to collapse. 
  The adventurers reach the start of the chasm-spanning 
  bridge without much incident, but things quickly take 
  an ugly turn.
  At the other end of the bridge, you see a truly huge 
  stone lowering down across the doorway, but that’s 
  not all—up ahead, the colossal ankh is beginning to 
  pitch forward. Its arc will take it directly into the far 
  end of the bridge. If it smashes into the structure, it will 
  destroy a signiﬁ cant section, preventing the characters 
  from reaching the doorway in time!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules. Lay out 
  10 markers along the tabletop. Then place 9 markers of a 
  different color at right angles to one end of the ﬁ rst line 
  to form a large “L” shape. 
  The ﬁ rst line represents the bridge, while the one ver-
  tical to it is the ankh’s path. Characters begin on the ﬁ rst 
  marker on the opposite end to where the lines intersect. 
  The ankh, naturally, begins at the top of the other line 
  of markers.
  Most heroes will use Agility to govern their move-
  ment. Doc Davenport uses Piloting if he elects to ﬂ y. If a 
  hero in your party can teleport, he moves Range Incre-
  ments as normal should he activate his power, and uses 
  the appropriate arcane skill. (The Range Increments in 
  this scene don’t represent a ﬁ xed distance. Rather, they 
  are more an indication of time.)
  The ankh has an effective Agility of d10. It can’t make 
  any maneuvers or stunts—it just falls. No force the explor-
  ers can muster can delay its progress. Should it reach the 
  marker where the two lines intersect, it smashes through 
  the bridge, destroying a 3” section. Anyone standing on 
  the intersection when the ankh hits home suffers 4d10 
  damage (from an Extra) and is knocked one Range Incre-
  ment back along the track.
  Jumping the gap requires a Strength roll. Any failure 
  leaves the hero dangling by his ﬁ ngertips on the far edge 
  of the chasm. A Strength roll is required as an action on 
  subsequent rounds for him to drag himself onto what is 
  left of the bridge and through the door.
  Of course, we mustn’t forget the sealing doorway in 
  all of this. The immovable and indestructible (by any 
  weapons the characters possess) stone block descends 
  fully after 15 rounds. That should allow for plenty of time 
  for the characters to move 10 Range Increments and give 
  them chance for a few Strength rolls if they screw up 
  their jump.
  In the event they need a little more time to escape, 
  give it to them, but don’t make it obvious—they should 
  feel that their dice rolls allowed them to escape just in 
  the nick of time—not the GM’s interference.
  ACT 3: THE ACROPOLIS
  ACT 3: THE ACROPOLIS
  Although the rock on which the Acropolis of Athens 
  sits has been inhabited since Neolithic times, the struc-
  tures best known in modern times date from the 5th and 
  6th centuries BC. Dominating the skyline of Athens is the 
  Parthenon, the temple to Athena, protector of Athens.
  The fastest way to reach Athens is by plane. From the 
  airport, a quick taxi ride brings them to the top of the 
  monument.
  SCENE 1: THE CHAMBER OF ZEUS
  SCENE 1: THE CHAMBER OF ZEUS
  The Parthenon is undergoing some restoration work. 
  Wooden scaffolding has been erected along one side of 
  the building. No workmen are currently present, but 
  they have left behind their tools including shovels, picks, 
  rope, and even two oil lamps.
  Have the characters make a Notice roll as they snoop 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1010
  Heroes who don’t understand the language can at least 
  transcribe the symbols and have them translated back in 
  Cairo. The hieroglyphs read: “The guardian of Athens 
  shows the way to those of worth.”
  Any hero making a Common Knowledge (–2) or 
  Knowledge (History) roll knows the guardian of Athens 
  likely refers to Athena, after whom the city was named. 
  The largest temple to Athena in Athens is the Parthenon, 
  which stands dominant atop the Acropolis.
  After leaving this chamber, the characters must again 
  face the pillars of ﬁ re in the next chamber. Hopefully 
  they’ve learned they can’t hurt them and simply opt to 
  run as fast as they can.
  SLICE, DICE, AND CULTISTS
  SLICE, DICE, AND CULTISTS
  When the characters enter the colonnaded hall, the 
  traps and mummies activate. At the start of the second 
  round, the far door opens. Entering into the chamber 
  are cultists and at least one villainous Wild Card. Deal 
  the cultists action cards in pairs just like the mummies.
  Shadow Walker and the Scarab are present unless 
  they were killed in previous scenes. Their Power Points 
  are fully recharged, and the Scarab has a pot of beetles at 
  hand. Each has recovered one wound from any previous 
  injuries. If one or neither survived, then the Mind Flayer 
  is present as well. Otherwise this new villain appears 
  only in the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght.
  All of the Wild Cards are expendable. However, if the 
  party is exceptionally tough or combat-oriented, the GM 
  may wish to use the Recurring Villains rule to have one 
  escape so as to be present in the ﬁ nal ﬁ ght, making it 
  more of a challenge for the characters.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   The Mind Flayer: See page 18.
   Cultists (2 per hero): See page 18.
   Robotic Mummies (varies): See page 19. The 
  number activating depends on how many survived the 
  previous encounter.
  SCENE 4: ANKHS FOR THE MEMORY
  SCENE 4: ANKHS FOR THE MEMORY
  Unfortunately, the heroes face a test of their worth be-
  fore they can reach safety. Using the Atlantean decoder to 
  read this particular amulet activated an ancient trap. The 
  ground begins to shake as the tomb starts to collapse. 
  The adventurers reach the start of the chasm-spanning 
  bridge without much incident, but things quickly take 
  an ugly turn.
  At the other end of the bridge, you see a truly huge 
  stone lowering down across the doorway, but that’s 
  not all—up ahead, the colossal ankh is beginning to 
  pitch forward. Its arc will take it directly into the far 
  end of the bridge. If it smashes into the structure, it will 
  destroy a signiﬁ cant section, preventing the characters 
  from reaching the doorway in time!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules. Lay out 
  10 markers along the tabletop. Then place 9 markers of a 
  different color at right angles to one end of the ﬁ rst line 
  to form a large “L” shape. 
  The ﬁ rst line represents the bridge, while the one ver-
  tical to it is the ankh’s path. Characters begin on the ﬁ rst 
  marker on the opposite end to where the lines intersect. 
  The ankh, naturally, begins at the top of the other line 
  of markers.
  Most heroes will use Agility to govern their move-
  ment. Doc Davenport uses Piloting if he elects to ﬂ y. If a 
  hero in your party can teleport, he moves Range Incre-
  ments as normal should he activate his power, and uses 
  the appropriate arcane skill. (The Range Increments in 
  this scene don’t represent a ﬁ xed distance. Rather, they 
  are more an indication of time.)
  The ankh has an effective Agility of d10. It can’t make 
  any maneuvers or stunts—it just falls. No force the explor-
  ers can muster can delay its progress. Should it reach the 
  marker where the two lines intersect, it smashes through 
  the bridge, destroying a 3” section. Anyone standing on 
  the intersection when the ankh hits home suffers 4d10 
  damage (from an Extra) and is knocked one Range Incre-
  ment back along the track.
  Jumping the gap requires a Strength roll. Any failure 
  leaves the hero dangling by his ﬁ ngertips on the far edge 
  of the chasm. A Strength roll is required as an action on 
  subsequent rounds for him to drag himself onto what is 
  left of the bridge and through the door.
  Of course, we mustn’t forget the sealing doorway in 
  all of this. The immovable and indestructible (by any 
  weapons the characters possess) stone block descends 
  fully after 15 rounds. That should allow for plenty of time 
  for the characters to move 10 Range Increments and give 
  them chance for a few Strength rolls if they screw up 
  their jump.
  In the event they need a little more time to escape, 
  give it to them, but don’t make it obvious—they should 
  feel that their dice rolls allowed them to escape just in 
  the nick of time—not the GM’s interference.
  ACT 3: THE ACROPOLIS
  ACT 3: THE ACROPOLIS
  Although the rock on which the Acropolis of Athens 
  sits has been inhabited since Neolithic times, the struc-
  tures best known in modern times date from the 5th and 
  6th centuries BC. Dominating the skyline of Athens is the 
  Parthenon, the temple to Athena, protector of Athens.
  The fastest way to reach Athens is by plane. From the 
  airport, a quick taxi ride brings them to the top of the 
  monument.
  SCENE 1: THE CHAMBER OF ZEUS
  SCENE 1: THE CHAMBER OF ZEUS
  The Parthenon is undergoing some restoration work. 
  Wooden scaffolding has been erected along one side of 
  the building. No workmen are currently present, but 
  they have left behind their tools including shovels, picks, 
  rope, and even two oil lamps.
  Have the characters make a Notice roll as they snoop 
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1111
  around the interior. With success, they spot a ﬂ agstone 
  marked with the Eye of Ra. Should they all fail, the one 
  carrying the amulet receives a slight electric shock when 
  he walks over it. Prying up the ﬂ agstone takes only a 
  few minutes. A wide, deep shaft lies beneath, with rusty 
  iron rungs imbedded into the bedrock which forms the 
  tunnel’s walls.
  The shaft ends in a marble-walled chamber. Inscribed 
  on the ﬂ oor in Greek are the words, “The feet of Zeus 
  stand upon great wisdom; but his wrath is swift.” A 
  single exit leads into darkness beyond. After a short walk 
  the characters enter a large chamber.
  The walls of this long chamber are adorned with 
  intermittently placed iron shields, each bearing a 
  stylized lightning bolt. Between them stand life-
  sized statues of Zeus. The god wears a wreath on 
  his head, and carries a lightning bolt in his right 
  hand. At the far end stands a 12’ high statue of the 
  god, carved from pure white marble but with gold 
  for his toga, wreath, and lightning bolt.
  The chamber measures 13” long and 9” wide. Arrayed 
  along the long walls are a dozen iron shields, six to a 
  side. These are spaced in alternating squares starting one 
  square up from the bottom (so the pattern is blank wall, 
  shield, blank wall, shield, and so on).
  There are fourteen statues in total, seven to each side. 
  When the characters move within 8” of the large statue, 
  the smaller ones animate and attack!
  Whenever a deuce is dealt in combat as a character’s 
  ﬁ rst action card in a round, the GM must roll two d6 be-
  fore any actions are taken. Each d6 relates to the number 
  of shields on the walls—count up a number of shields 
  from the bottom of the left-hand wall to match the result 
  of the ﬁ rst die, and repeat the process up the right-hand 
  wall using the second die.
  A bolt of electricity, Zeus’ thunderbolt, shoots be-
  tween these shields in a line 1” wide. Place a suitable 
  strip of paper over the battleﬁ eld to indicate the path. 
  Any character in the path of the lightning must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 as a free action or suffer 2d10 damage 
  (from an extra). Dodge and Improved Dodge modify this 
  roll. The bolt lasts only a fraction of a second.
  If multiple deuces are drawn, then multiple blasts of 
  lighting tear across the room simultaneously. A character 
  caught in multiple beams must roll to avoid each one 
  individually, as each is considered a separate attack.
  The large statue has Toughness 16, except the feet, 
  which are only Toughness 8. Although twice the size of 
  human feet, they are still a Small Target (–2). When the 
  feet take a wound, the marble shatters to reveal a hollow 
  space. Inside is a large coffer. Once the coffer is removed 
  from the chamber, the lightning ceases.
   Zeus’ Minions (2 per hero): See page 19.
  INSIDE THE COFFER
  INSIDE THE COFFER
  The coffer is locked. It doesn’t have a keyhole, but 
  there is an indentation on the top in the shape of the Eye 
  of Horus. Veronica’s amulet ﬁ ts the hole perfectly. When 
  the two are joined, the lid cracks open with a slight hiss. 
  Inside is a large sphere, red as blood, its surface dimpled 
  like a golf ball.
  THE GOD OF DARKNESS
  THE GOD OF DARKNESS
  After a long climb you manage to reach the sur-
  face of the Acropolis with your prize in-hand. 
  Several ﬂ atbed trucks with “Athens Museum” sten-
  ciled on their sides have arrived since you began 
  your exploration. One has a canvas covering and 
  is parked with the rear facing you. Suddenly, the 
  canvas is ﬂ ung open to reveal a heavy machine-
  gun! From the surrounding ruins, a number of 
  men in coveralls appear, all brandishing pistols.
  A ﬁ gure emerges from the cab of the truck carrying 
  the machinegun. He’s naked apart from a pair of 
  sandals, a black linen skirt, and a full-head mask 
  shaped vaguely like a jackal. He carries a long, 
  black staff in his right hand. He snaps his ﬁ ngers, 
  and a goon reaches into the cab and drags out 
  Veronica.
  “Thank you,” the masked ﬁ gure says, “for deliver-
  ing my prize to me. Now, drop your weapons and 
  kneel before the Black Pharaoh, or I shall reduce 
  your friend to dust!”
  The heroes are experienced explorers and they’ve 
  seen plenty of Egyptian tombs. Those who succeed at 
  a Common Knowledge roll recognize the mask isn’t a 
  jackal—it’s designed to resemble the head of Set, the 
  Egyptian god of chaos and darkness.
  The Black Pharaoh isn’t joking. Unless the characters 
  do as he demands (including kneeling), he uses his 
  bolt power on Veronica. Give the characters a chance to 
  engage in some banter or insults before they choose to 
  comply or suffer the Black Pharaoh’s wrath. Hopefully 
  they’re wise by now to the beneﬁ ts of surrendering—a 
  chance to escape without ﬁ rst incurring more wounds 
  and a free benny to assist them.
  The villain takes great delight in looking over any 
  Weird Science gizmos and commenting on how poor they 
  are. He’s a villain, so make his comments cruel—“Primi-
  tive workmanship from an unenlightened mind.”
   The Black Pharaoh: See page 17.
   Cultists (4 per hero): See page 18. They have one 
  heavy machinegun (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d10, 
  ROF 3, AP 4). The gunner, and only the gunner, has the 
  Rock and Roll Edge.
  SCENE 2: FRYING TONIGHT
  SCENE 2: FRYING TONIGHT
  The party is escorted down to the chamber of Zeus, 
  whereupon they are bound securely.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1111
  around the interior. With success, they spot a ﬂ agstone 
  marked with the Eye of Ra. Should they all fail, the one 
  carrying the amulet receives a slight electric shock when 
  he walks over it. Prying up the ﬂ agstone takes only a 
  few minutes. A wide, deep shaft lies beneath, with rusty 
  iron rungs imbedded into the bedrock which forms the 
  tunnel’s walls.
  The shaft ends in a marble-walled chamber. Inscribed 
  on the ﬂ oor in Greek are the words, “The feet of Zeus 
  stand upon great wisdom; but his wrath is swift.” A 
  single exit leads into darkness beyond. After a short walk 
  the characters enter a large chamber.
  The walls of this long chamber are adorned with 
  intermittently placed iron shields, each bearing a 
  stylized lightning bolt. Between them stand life-
  sized statues of Zeus. The god wears a wreath on 
  his head, and carries a lightning bolt in his right 
  hand. At the far end stands a 12’ high statue of the 
  god, carved from pure white marble but with gold 
  for his toga, wreath, and lightning bolt.
  The chamber measures 13” long and 9” wide. Arrayed 
  along the long walls are a dozen iron shields, six to a 
  side. These are spaced in alternating squares starting one 
  square up from the bottom (so the pattern is blank wall, 
  shield, blank wall, shield, and so on).
  There are fourteen statues in total, seven to each side. 
  When the characters move within 8” of the large statue, 
  the smaller ones animate and attack!
  Whenever a deuce is dealt in combat as a character’s 
  ﬁ rst action card in a round, the GM must roll two d6 be-
  fore any actions are taken. Each d6 relates to the number 
  of shields on the walls—count up a number of shields 
  from the bottom of the left-hand wall to match the result 
  of the ﬁ rst die, and repeat the process up the right-hand 
  wall using the second die.
  A bolt of electricity, Zeus’ thunderbolt, shoots be-
  tween these shields in a line 1” wide. Place a suitable 
  strip of paper over the battleﬁ eld to indicate the path. 
  Any character in the path of the lightning must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 as a free action or suffer 2d10 damage 
  (from an extra). Dodge and Improved Dodge modify this 
  roll. The bolt lasts only a fraction of a second.
  If multiple deuces are drawn, then multiple blasts of 
  lighting tear across the room simultaneously. A character 
  caught in multiple beams must roll to avoid each one 
  individually, as each is considered a separate attack.
  The large statue has Toughness 16, except the feet, 
  which are only Toughness 8. Although twice the size of 
  human feet, they are still a Small Target (–2). When the 
  feet take a wound, the marble shatters to reveal a hollow 
  space. Inside is a large coffer. Once the coffer is removed 
  from the chamber, the lightning ceases.
   Zeus’ Minions (2 per hero): See page 19.
  INSIDE THE COFFER
  INSIDE THE COFFER
  The coffer is locked. It doesn’t have a keyhole, but 
  there is an indentation on the top in the shape of the Eye 
  of Horus. Veronica’s amulet ﬁ ts the hole perfectly. When 
  the two are joined, the lid cracks open with a slight hiss. 
  Inside is a large sphere, red as blood, its surface dimpled 
  like a golf ball.
  THE GOD OF DARKNESS
  THE GOD OF DARKNESS
  After a long climb you manage to reach the sur-
  face of the Acropolis with your prize in-hand. 
  Several ﬂ atbed trucks with “Athens Museum” sten-
  ciled on their sides have arrived since you began 
  your exploration. One has a canvas covering and 
  is parked with the rear facing you. Suddenly, the 
  canvas is ﬂ ung open to reveal a heavy machine-
  gun! From the surrounding ruins, a number of 
  men in coveralls appear, all brandishing pistols.
  A ﬁ gure emerges from the cab of the truck carrying 
  the machinegun. He’s naked apart from a pair of 
  sandals, a black linen skirt, and a full-head mask 
  shaped vaguely like a jackal. He carries a long, 
  black staff in his right hand. He snaps his ﬁ ngers, 
  and a goon reaches into the cab and drags out 
  Veronica.
  “Thank you,” the masked ﬁ gure says, “for deliver-
  ing my prize to me. Now, drop your weapons and 
  kneel before the Black Pharaoh, or I shall reduce 
  your friend to dust!”
  The heroes are experienced explorers and they’ve 
  seen plenty of Egyptian tombs. Those who succeed at 
  a Common Knowledge roll recognize the mask isn’t a 
  jackal—it’s designed to resemble the head of Set, the 
  Egyptian god of chaos and darkness.
  The Black Pharaoh isn’t joking. Unless the characters 
  do as he demands (including kneeling), he uses his 
  bolt power on Veronica. Give the characters a chance to 
  engage in some banter or insults before they choose to 
  comply or suffer the Black Pharaoh’s wrath. Hopefully 
  they’re wise by now to the beneﬁ ts of surrendering—a 
  chance to escape without ﬁ rst incurring more wounds 
  and a free benny to assist them.
  The villain takes great delight in looking over any 
  Weird Science gizmos and commenting on how poor they 
  are. He’s a villain, so make his comments cruel—“Primi-
  tive workmanship from an unenlightened mind.”
   The Black Pharaoh: See page 17.
   Cultists (4 per hero): See page 18. They have one 
  heavy machinegun (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d10, 
  ROF 3, AP 4). The gunner, and only the gunner, has the 
  Rock and Roll Edge.
  SCENE 2: FRYING TONIGHT
  SCENE 2: FRYING TONIGHT
  The party is escorted down to the chamber of Zeus, 
  whereupon they are bound securely.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1212
   “Many years ago,” the Black Pharaoh begins, “I 
  learned how to manipulate time. Simple tricks 
  to a genius such as myself, and with a limited 
  sphere of inﬂ uence, but nevertheless, I had proven 
  man could master time. All I lacked to produce a 
  larger, more powerful time manipulation device 
  was a source of power unequal to anything cur-
  rently known to man.
  “The stone you uncovered is such a device. The 
  ancients’ called it the Heart of Egypt, but it is far, 
  far older. It once adorned the temple of Poseidon 
  in Atlantis. Rescued by survivors before Atlantis 
  sank, it reached Egypt, where some of the Atlante-
  ans ruled as gods over the primitive inhabitants. 
  The gem remained in the great temple of Luxor 
  until Alexander the Great arrived. He knew of its 
  origins and its power, and had it removed.
  “A god himself, he left clues for those with the wis-
  dom to understand so they could ﬁ nd the gemstone. 
  Why? Because he foresaw my coming! He foresaw 
  the rise of a new living god, made in his own im-
  age, and descended from Atlantean stock!
  “With this gem in my possession, my ultimate 
  weapon shall be complete! The Eye of Creation 
  will rise into the heavens, giving me the ability to 
  eradicate any city on the surface of the Earth, to 
  send man back into the Stone Age. With this power 
  at my disposal, no nation will dare move against 
  me. My power will be unlimited!”
  He walks over to one of the iron shields and 
  points his staff at it. A ray of black light strikes 
  the shield, knocking it from the wall. The Black 
  Pharaoh bends over to study the area behind.
  “Yes, just as I suspected. A primitive generator pow-
  ered by energy crystals. Far beyond the reaches of 
  your puny intellects. A tweak here, and…there!” 
  He replaces the shield and kicks it to lock it back 
  into place. “In just a few moments, Zeus’ wrath 
  will reduce your worthless bodies to ashes!
  “Don’t worry about your friend. She will be re-
  turned to Egypt. I shall have need of her in my 
  experiments.”
  With that, he closes the door, leaving you alone 
  with your last thoughts.
  A humming begins to emanate from the shields, 
  steadily growing louder as the seconds tick by. The Black 
  Pharaoh has rigged the shields to overload. When they do, 
  the chamber will be ﬁ lled with extremely powerful bolts 
  of lightning. These in turn will shatter the walls and cause 
  the entire subterranean system to collapse, burying what’s 
  left of the characters alive. At least that’s the theory.
  In order to escape, they have six rounds to perform 
  the following tasks in order. When the 6th round ends, 
  every character in the chamber suffers 3d10 damage from 
  an Extra. For all his genius, the Black Pharaoh failed to 
  notice a safety cutout. After a brief but powerful ﬂ ash of 
  lighting, the mechanism shuts down, but not before the 
  blast shatters the stone door.
  1. 
  The characters’ ﬁ rst task is probably to work 
  free of their bonds. This requires an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –2. Failure means a hero must 
  try again next round. Once an adventurer is 
  free, he can release one comrade’s bonds, 
  although doing so prohibits any other actions 
  in the same round. The characters might think 
  about simply running away once they’re all free. 
  Unfortunately the door doesn’t open from the 
  inside and it’s too tough to break down in the 
  time available.
  2. 
  Ripping a shield off the wall requires a Strength 
  roll as an action. Failed rolls may be reattempted 
  next round. A hero with bound hands can still 
  have a go, but he suffers a –2 penalty.
  3. 
  Next, the characters must deduce the work-
  ings of the machinery behind the shield. This 
  requires a Repair (–4) or Weird Science roll 
  (–2). Failure means the hero is stymied by the 
  complexity, although he can try again next 
  round.
  4. 
  Finally, the adventurer must deactivate the 
  device. This requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Sci-
  ence roll. Bound characters can have a go (with 
  someone else acting as their eyes and provid-
  ing directions), but the roll is made with an 
  additional –2 penalty. As the device deactivates, 
  so the door opens (a safety feature to ensure the 
  builders didn’t get trapped and fried).
  SCENE 3: WINGS OVER ATHENS
  SCENE 3: WINGS OVER ATHENS
  You reach the top of the Acropolis to discover the 
  villains have made good their escape! Looking 
  down over the summit, you can see a convoy of 
  four trucks kicking up dust as they speed toward 
  the city. Looks like they’re going to get away! If 
  only you could ﬁ nd a use for those wooden poles 
  and canvas sheets…
  The Black Pharaoh has ordered his goons to take 
  Veronica to the airport, ready to be loaded onto a plane 
  and shipped back to Egypt. He has gone on ahead with 
  the Heart of Egypt. His villainous hubris doesn’t allow 
  the notion that the characters might actually survive the 
  deathtrap.
  Even if the characters had a car, they wouldn’t catch 
  the escaping goons in time. Doc Davenport (or a similar 
  ﬂ ying hero) might be able to give chase, but he’d be all 
  alone and vastly outnumbered. The thin wooden poles 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1212
   “Many years ago,” the Black Pharaoh begins, “I 
  learned how to manipulate time. Simple tricks 
  to a genius such as myself, and with a limited 
  sphere of inﬂ uence, but nevertheless, I had proven 
  man could master time. All I lacked to produce a 
  larger, more powerful time manipulation device 
  was a source of power unequal to anything cur-
  rently known to man.
  “The stone you uncovered is such a device. The 
  ancients’ called it the Heart of Egypt, but it is far, 
  far older. It once adorned the temple of Poseidon 
  in Atlantis. Rescued by survivors before Atlantis 
  sank, it reached Egypt, where some of the Atlante-
  ans ruled as gods over the primitive inhabitants. 
  The gem remained in the great temple of Luxor 
  until Alexander the Great arrived. He knew of its 
  origins and its power, and had it removed.
  “A god himself, he left clues for those with the wis-
  dom to understand so they could ﬁ nd the gemstone. 
  Why? Because he foresaw my coming! He foresaw 
  the rise of a new living god, made in his own im-
  age, and descended from Atlantean stock!
  “With this gem in my possession, my ultimate 
  weapon shall be complete! The Eye of Creation 
  will rise into the heavens, giving me the ability to 
  eradicate any city on the surface of the Earth, to 
  send man back into the Stone Age. With this power 
  at my disposal, no nation will dare move against 
  me. My power will be unlimited!”
  He walks over to one of the iron shields and 
  points his staff at it. A ray of black light strikes 
  the shield, knocking it from the wall. The Black 
  Pharaoh bends over to study the area behind.
  “Yes, just as I suspected. A primitive generator pow-
  ered by energy crystals. Far beyond the reaches of 
  your puny intellects. A tweak here, and…there!” 
  He replaces the shield and kicks it to lock it back 
  into place. “In just a few moments, Zeus’ wrath 
  will reduce your worthless bodies to ashes!
  “Don’t worry about your friend. She will be re-
  turned to Egypt. I shall have need of her in my 
  experiments.”
  With that, he closes the door, leaving you alone 
  with your last thoughts.
  A humming begins to emanate from the shields, 
  steadily growing louder as the seconds tick by. The Black 
  Pharaoh has rigged the shields to overload. When they do, 
  the chamber will be ﬁ lled with extremely powerful bolts 
  of lightning. These in turn will shatter the walls and cause 
  the entire subterranean system to collapse, burying what’s 
  left of the characters alive. At least that’s the theory.
  In order to escape, they have six rounds to perform 
  the following tasks in order. When the 6th round ends, 
  every character in the chamber suffers 3d10 damage from 
  an Extra. For all his genius, the Black Pharaoh failed to 
  notice a safety cutout. After a brief but powerful ﬂ ash of 
  lighting, the mechanism shuts down, but not before the 
  blast shatters the stone door.
  1. 
  The characters’ ﬁ rst task is probably to work 
  free of their bonds. This requires an Agility or 
  Strength roll at –2. Failure means a hero must 
  try again next round. Once an adventurer is 
  free, he can release one comrade’s bonds, 
  although doing so prohibits any other actions 
  in the same round. The characters might think 
  about simply running away once they’re all free. 
  Unfortunately the door doesn’t open from the 
  inside and it’s too tough to break down in the 
  time available.
  2. 
  Ripping a shield off the wall requires a Strength 
  roll as an action. Failed rolls may be reattempted 
  next round. A hero with bound hands can still 
  have a go, but he suffers a –2 penalty.
  3. 
  Next, the characters must deduce the work-
  ings of the machinery behind the shield. This 
  requires a Repair (–4) or Weird Science roll 
  (–2). Failure means the hero is stymied by the 
  complexity, although he can try again next 
  round.
  4. 
  Finally, the adventurer must deactivate the 
  device. This requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Sci-
  ence roll. Bound characters can have a go (with 
  someone else acting as their eyes and provid-
  ing directions), but the roll is made with an 
  additional –2 penalty. As the device deactivates, 
  so the door opens (a safety feature to ensure the 
  builders didn’t get trapped and fried).
  SCENE 3: WINGS OVER ATHENS
  SCENE 3: WINGS OVER ATHENS
  You reach the top of the Acropolis to discover the 
  villains have made good their escape! Looking 
  down over the summit, you can see a convoy of 
  four trucks kicking up dust as they speed toward 
  the city. Looks like they’re going to get away! If 
  only you could ﬁ nd a use for those wooden poles 
  and canvas sheets…
  The Black Pharaoh has ordered his goons to take 
  Veronica to the airport, ready to be loaded onto a plane 
  and shipped back to Egypt. He has gone on ahead with 
  the Heart of Egypt. His villainous hubris doesn’t allow 
  the notion that the characters might actually survive the 
  deathtrap.
  Even if the characters had a car, they wouldn’t catch 
  the escaping goons in time. Doc Davenport (or a similar 
  ﬂ ying hero) might be able to give chase, but he’d be all 
  alone and vastly outnumbered. The thin wooden poles 
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1313
  and canvas sheets are suitable for making a hang glider. 
  Hang gliders have been around since the 19th century, 
  so the heroes know the principal of how they function.
  To catch the goons, the characters have just six 
  rounds to complete the following tasks in order. Should 
  every hero fail, the thugs are too far away for the primi-
  tive hang gliders to catch up and they escape the party. 
  The characters have lost both the Heart and Veronica. It’s 
  time to head to Act 4.
  1. 
  Constructing a single hang glider requires a 
  Repair roll. This may be a Cooperative roll. 
  There are enough materials to construct as 
  many hang gliders as required, but each one 
  requires a Repair roll. A failure means the 
  contraption isn’t ﬁ nished, but the builder can 
  roll again next round.Most modern hang gliders 
  carry a maximum of two people, but this is a 
  pulp game. It’s up to the characters how many 
  their machine/s can carry, but the heavier the 
  load, the greater the penalties in the next step.
  2. 
  The heroes must launch themselves down the 
  Acropolis and catch the updraft from the city 
  below. This requires a Smarts roll from each 
  pilot to judge the wind direction and strength. 
  Failure means the hero got it wrong and must 
  try again next round.
  3. 
  Now airborne, the pilots must steer their 
  devices down the hill and toward the thugs’ 
  trucks. This requires a Piloting roll. If the hang 
  glider has a single passenger (in addition to the 
  pilot), the Piloting roll is at –1. Two passengers 
  give a –2 penalty, three a –4, and four or more 
  a hefty –6.Doc Davenport doesn’t need a hang 
  glider, since he can ﬂ y, but he still has to make 
  a Piloting roll. For the sake of convenience, 
  once he lands on a truck (or he fails to do so, 
  as noted below) he has expended all his rocket 
  pack’s Power Points for the scene.
  4. 
  The heroes are over the trucks, but the hang 
  gliders are rapidly losing altitude. Have each 
  hero nominate a truck before he makes his roll. 
  Veronica is in the cab of the second truck from 
  the front. She doesn’t aid in any escape overt-
  ly—she’s sedated to stop her talking. Dropping 
  from the hang glider into the back of a truck 
  requires an Agility roll at –2. On a failure, the 
  hero lands but is Shaken and prone.  A character 
  can drop down onto the goons if he so wishes. 
  This is an Agility Trick, but the hero suffers an 
  additional –2 penalty. However, it does affect 
  both goons simultaneously. As above, failure 
  leaves the daring hero Shaken and prone.
  So long as at least one hero completes these steps in 
  time, he buys his comrades a little more time as the re-
  mainder of the scene unfolds. Naturally, the thugs in the 
  truck don’t take the arrival of the characters lightly. They 
  move to attack. Heroes not yet on a truck may continue 
  to roll for steps 3 and 4 for another three rounds. After 
  this time, they’re out of the next scene for a little while.
  SCENE 4: TRUCK FIGHTING
  SCENE 4: TRUCK FIGHTING
  It doesn’t matter much to the adventure if the char-
  acters rescue Veronica or not—they still have to return 
  to Egypt to ﬁ nd the Eye and stop the Black Pharaoh’s 
  dastardly plan.
  There are four trucks, each with a driver in the cab 
  and two cultists in the back. For game play, the ﬂ atbeds 
  measure 3” by 2”. It’s larger than real life, but it allows 
  for multiple heroes to land on a single truck.
  As an action, the driver may make sudden turns and 
  swerve violently to try and dislodge the unwanted pas-
  sengers. Everyone on the back must make an Agility roll 
  opposed by the Driving roll. On a failure, Extras fall off 
  and are assumed Incapacitated. The characters aren’t 
  quite so unfortunate—they manage to catch hold of 
  the edge. Pulling oneself back on the truck requires a 
  Strength roll as an action.
  Any goons take this opportunity to dislodge the char-
  acter by stamping on his hands. The character’s Parry is 
  reduced by 2 due to his vastly limited ability to dodge 
  (i.e. move his hands out of the way). With a successful 
  hit, the victim must make a Strength roll opposed by the 
  damage. With failure, he tumbles from the truck and suf-
  fers 2d6 damage.
  Throwing someone off the back of a truck ﬁ rst requires 
  a grappling maneuver. If the hero wins the opposed roll 
  on a subsequent round, he can chose to inﬂ ict damage 
  or send the cultist tumbling into the dust. Since the char-
  acters are the good guys, they are left dangling as above 
  if a cultist manages to maneuver them off the side.
  Characters dangling from the rear of the truck face an-
  other danger—being crushed! The driver behind can see 
  the unfortunate sap, and accelerates. However, he can’t 
  react in the same round the character fell. This, given 
  good cards, allows the character at least one chance of 
  escape. On his next action card, the driver makes an op-
  posed Driving roll with the driver of the truck the char-
  acter is on. With success, he knocks into the character for 
  2d6 damage (3d6 if he gets a raise).
  In the event the characters haven’t landed on the 
  second truck from the front, the driver pulls down a side 
  road after ﬁ ve rounds. Now if they want to give chase 
  they’ll have to disable the driver of their truck, climb into 
  the cab (which requires an Agility roll as an action), and 
  give chase. Proceed to the next section when they do.
   Cultists (3 per hero): See page 18.
  CHASE THROUGH ATHENS
  CHASE THROUGH ATHENS
  For each round the heroes delay in giving chase, 
  the escaping truck is one Range Increment away. Each 
  Range Increment is 10”. Remember, Doc Davenport is 
  out of Power Points for his rocket pack and this is the 
  same scene, so they haven’t had time to recharge. Use 
  the regular Obstacles rules.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1313
  and canvas sheets are suitable for making a hang glider. 
  Hang gliders have been around since the 19th century, 
  so the heroes know the principal of how they function.
  To catch the goons, the characters have just six 
  rounds to complete the following tasks in order. Should 
  every hero fail, the thugs are too far away for the primi-
  tive hang gliders to catch up and they escape the party. 
  The characters have lost both the Heart and Veronica. It’s 
  time to head to Act 4.
  1. 
  Constructing a single hang glider requires a 
  Repair roll. This may be a Cooperative roll. 
  There are enough materials to construct as 
  many hang gliders as required, but each one 
  requires a Repair roll. A failure means the 
  contraption isn’t ﬁ nished, but the builder can 
  roll again next round.Most modern hang gliders 
  carry a maximum of two people, but this is a 
  pulp game. It’s up to the characters how many 
  their machine/s can carry, but the heavier the 
  load, the greater the penalties in the next step.
  2. 
  The heroes must launch themselves down the 
  Acropolis and catch the updraft from the city 
  below. This requires a Smarts roll from each 
  pilot to judge the wind direction and strength. 
  Failure means the hero got it wrong and must 
  try again next round.
  3. 
  Now airborne, the pilots must steer their 
  devices down the hill and toward the thugs’ 
  trucks. This requires a Piloting roll. If the hang 
  glider has a single passenger (in addition to the 
  pilot), the Piloting roll is at –1. Two passengers 
  give a –2 penalty, three a –4, and four or more 
  a hefty –6.Doc Davenport doesn’t need a hang 
  glider, since he can ﬂ y, but he still has to make 
  a Piloting roll. For the sake of convenience, 
  once he lands on a truck (or he fails to do so, 
  as noted below) he has expended all his rocket 
  pack’s Power Points for the scene.
  4. 
  The heroes are over the trucks, but the hang 
  gliders are rapidly losing altitude. Have each 
  hero nominate a truck before he makes his roll. 
  Veronica is in the cab of the second truck from 
  the front. She doesn’t aid in any escape overt-
  ly—she’s sedated to stop her talking. Dropping 
  from the hang glider into the back of a truck 
  requires an Agility roll at –2. On a failure, the 
  hero lands but is Shaken and prone.  A character 
  can drop down onto the goons if he so wishes. 
  This is an Agility Trick, but the hero suffers an 
  additional –2 penalty. However, it does affect 
  both goons simultaneously. As above, failure 
  leaves the daring hero Shaken and prone.
  So long as at least one hero completes these steps in 
  time, he buys his comrades a little more time as the re-
  mainder of the scene unfolds. Naturally, the thugs in the 
  truck don’t take the arrival of the characters lightly. They 
  move to attack. Heroes not yet on a truck may continue 
  to roll for steps 3 and 4 for another three rounds. After 
  this time, they’re out of the next scene for a little while.
  SCENE 4: TRUCK FIGHTING
  SCENE 4: TRUCK FIGHTING
  It doesn’t matter much to the adventure if the char-
  acters rescue Veronica or not—they still have to return 
  to Egypt to ﬁ nd the Eye and stop the Black Pharaoh’s 
  dastardly plan.
  There are four trucks, each with a driver in the cab 
  and two cultists in the back. For game play, the ﬂ atbeds 
  measure 3” by 2”. It’s larger than real life, but it allows 
  for multiple heroes to land on a single truck.
  As an action, the driver may make sudden turns and 
  swerve violently to try and dislodge the unwanted pas-
  sengers. Everyone on the back must make an Agility roll 
  opposed by the Driving roll. On a failure, Extras fall off 
  and are assumed Incapacitated. The characters aren’t 
  quite so unfortunate—they manage to catch hold of 
  the edge. Pulling oneself back on the truck requires a 
  Strength roll as an action.
  Any goons take this opportunity to dislodge the char-
  acter by stamping on his hands. The character’s Parry is 
  reduced by 2 due to his vastly limited ability to dodge 
  (i.e. move his hands out of the way). With a successful 
  hit, the victim must make a Strength roll opposed by the 
  damage. With failure, he tumbles from the truck and suf-
  fers 2d6 damage.
  Throwing someone off the back of a truck ﬁ rst requires 
  a grappling maneuver. If the hero wins the opposed roll 
  on a subsequent round, he can chose to inﬂ ict damage 
  or send the cultist tumbling into the dust. Since the char-
  acters are the good guys, they are left dangling as above 
  if a cultist manages to maneuver them off the side.
  Characters dangling from the rear of the truck face an-
  other danger—being crushed! The driver behind can see 
  the unfortunate sap, and accelerates. However, he can’t 
  react in the same round the character fell. This, given 
  good cards, allows the character at least one chance of 
  escape. On his next action card, the driver makes an op-
  posed Driving roll with the driver of the truck the char-
  acter is on. With success, he knocks into the character for 
  2d6 damage (3d6 if he gets a raise).
  In the event the characters haven’t landed on the 
  second truck from the front, the driver pulls down a side 
  road after ﬁ ve rounds. Now if they want to give chase 
  they’ll have to disable the driver of their truck, climb into 
  the cab (which requires an Agility roll as an action), and 
  give chase. Proceed to the next section when they do.
   Cultists (3 per hero): See page 18.
  CHASE THROUGH ATHENS
  CHASE THROUGH ATHENS
  For each round the heroes delay in giving chase, 
  the escaping truck is one Range Increment away. Each 
  Range Increment is 10”. Remember, Doc Davenport is 
  out of Power Points for his rocket pack and this is the 
  same scene, so they haven’t had time to recharge. Use 
  the regular Obstacles rules.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1414
  The round after the heroes give chase, any other sur-
  viving truck drivers do the same. They begin one Range 
  Increment behind the characters’ trucks, and attempt to 
  ram them off the road.
  ACT 4: EGYPT, AGAIN
  ACT 4: EGYPT, AGAIN
  Regardless of whether Veronica was saved or not, the 
  Black Pharaoh now possesses the Atlantean sphere. Un-
  less the heroes can track him down, he’ll put his plan 
  into action and reduce the technologically advanced 
  countries of the world to a primitive state.
  SCENE 1: SLEEPY TIME
  SCENE 1: SLEEPY TIME
  Once back in Cairo, the heroes are going to need to 
  hit the streets and interact with the city’s underworld. 
  The Black Pharaoh doesn’t operate in a vacuum, and 
  any master criminal will leave a trail of clues, whether 
  through associates or enemies.
  Have the characters make Streetwise rolls at –2. With 
  success, they learn the Black Pharaoh sometimes uses 
  a warehouse on the riverside to fence wares. The con-
  tact they’ve made ﬁ gures they’re in Cairo to buy stolen 
  goods, so he tells them the password to ensure a quick 
  entrance—“time marches on.” It’s not much of a lead, 
  but it’s the only one going. On a failure, they learn the 
  above, but not the password. It’s not particularly im-
  portant either way—the Black Pharaoh quickly learns 
  the heroes are on the move via the tracking device.
  An alternative option is for the heroes to invent a 
  Contact (this is a great time to bring one into play). 
  Whoever they create knows the information above, in-
  cluding the password.
  The warehouse is occupied by a skeleton staff day 
  and night. Giving the password allows immediate ac-
  cess. Not knowing the password requires a Persuasion 
  (–2) roll for the door to be opened. Otherwise it has to 
  be kicked open, granting the characters Surprise over 
  their foes.
  Once inside, one of the cultists asks how he can help 
  the heroes. If they pretend to be buyers, he leads them 
  to a section near the center of the right-hand wall. This 
  is the cue for hidden cultists to attack. Have the heroes 
  roll to avoid being Surprised.
  The warehouse is 16” long and 10” wide. It’s stacked 
  full of crates and barrels. There is one door into the 
  building. Skylights provide ample light. As soon as a ﬁ ght 
  begins, no matter who starts it, a cultist activates a switch. 
  Metal shutters seal the skylights and the door shut.
  The characters must lose this scene. It’s slightly un-
  sporting, but a hero’s life is never an easy one. The gas 
  is potent stuff, so it’s likely to incapacitate the heroes 
  quickly, or at least cause them to spend a few bennies, 
  meaning they won’t be able to Soak physical attacks. 
  In the event you need more goons with gas grenades, 
  add in one per hero each time reinforcements are re-
  quired.
      Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
      Gas Mask Cultists (2 per hero): As regular cult-
  ists (page 18), except each wears a gasmask and carries 
  three knockout gas grenades. Range: 5/10/20, Large 
  Burst Template. Victims not wearing gasmasks must 
  make a Vigor roll or fall unconscious for 2d6 hours. The 
  roll must be made each round a hero begins in turn in 
  or enters a template. Each template remains in play for 
  three rounds.
  SCENE 2: OLD AGE BECKONS
  SCENE 2: OLD AGE BECKONS
  When the heroes wake up, they ﬁ nd they are tied to 
  stout wooden posts a few dozen yards from a crumbling 
  mud brick pyramid. Characters who make a Common 
  Knowledge (–4) or Knowledge (History) roll recognize 
  it as Abusir, a Pharaonic mortuary complex some 15 
  miles south of Cairo. The Black Pharaoh stands before 
  the party.
  “You have proven resourceful opponents.” The 
  Black Pharaoh is genuinely pleased. “I could use 
  people like you in my new world. I can offer you 
  riches and power. Whatever you wish, it can be 
  yours. What say you? Will you join me in ruling 
  the world, or will you hold to your morality and 
  die out here?”
  The Black Pharaoh’s offer is only semi-genuine. He 
  doubts he could trust any hero who would turn against 
  his principles to save his life. Still, he’s content to watch 
  them beg for mercy and become his lap dogs. Whether or 
  not he gets his desire depends on how the adventurer’s 
  respond. Whatever their answer, he replies:
  “On second thought,” he sneers, “perhaps you can 
  serve me in a more proﬁ table way.” He gestures 
  toward the nearby ruin, from which a tall tele-
  scoping mast is now extending. Attached to the 
  top is a strange contraption.
  “Very soon the Eye of Creation will be ready to 
  launch into the heavens. I have devised an or-
  bital platform on which to mount my machine. 
  Up there, high above the stars, I can maneuver 
  it to target any point on Earth in a matter of 
  seconds.
  “You will not be around to witness my glorious 
  triumph, however, but I do want to share with 
  you what fate awaits the rest of mankind. I have 
  managed to chip off a piece of the sphere, a tiny 
  fragment, but even that provides near-limitless 
  energy, albeit on a small scale.
  “According to my calculations, even on the mini-
  mum setting, the device you now see unfolding 
  will wither the ﬂ esh from your bones. I imagine 
  your deaths will be quiet painful, but take 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1414
  The round after the heroes give chase, any other sur-
  viving truck drivers do the same. They begin one Range 
  Increment behind the characters’ trucks, and attempt to 
  ram them off the road.
  ACT 4: EGYPT, AGAIN
  ACT 4: EGYPT, AGAIN
  Regardless of whether Veronica was saved or not, the 
  Black Pharaoh now possesses the Atlantean sphere. Un-
  less the heroes can track him down, he’ll put his plan 
  into action and reduce the technologically advanced 
  countries of the world to a primitive state.
  SCENE 1: SLEEPY TIME
  SCENE 1: SLEEPY TIME
  Once back in Cairo, the heroes are going to need to 
  hit the streets and interact with the city’s underworld. 
  The Black Pharaoh doesn’t operate in a vacuum, and 
  any master criminal will leave a trail of clues, whether 
  through associates or enemies.
  Have the characters make Streetwise rolls at –2. With 
  success, they learn the Black Pharaoh sometimes uses 
  a warehouse on the riverside to fence wares. The con-
  tact they’ve made ﬁ gures they’re in Cairo to buy stolen 
  goods, so he tells them the password to ensure a quick 
  entrance—“time marches on.” It’s not much of a lead, 
  but it’s the only one going. On a failure, they learn the 
  above, but not the password. It’s not particularly im-
  portant either way—the Black Pharaoh quickly learns 
  the heroes are on the move via the tracking device.
  An alternative option is for the heroes to invent a 
  Contact (this is a great time to bring one into play). 
  Whoever they create knows the information above, in-
  cluding the password.
  The warehouse is occupied by a skeleton staff day 
  and night. Giving the password allows immediate ac-
  cess. Not knowing the password requires a Persuasion 
  (–2) roll for the door to be opened. Otherwise it has to 
  be kicked open, granting the characters Surprise over 
  their foes.
  Once inside, one of the cultists asks how he can help 
  the heroes. If they pretend to be buyers, he leads them 
  to a section near the center of the right-hand wall. This 
  is the cue for hidden cultists to attack. Have the heroes 
  roll to avoid being Surprised.
  The warehouse is 16” long and 10” wide. It’s stacked 
  full of crates and barrels. There is one door into the 
  building. Skylights provide ample light. As soon as a ﬁ ght 
  begins, no matter who starts it, a cultist activates a switch. 
  Metal shutters seal the skylights and the door shut.
  The characters must lose this scene. It’s slightly un-
  sporting, but a hero’s life is never an easy one. The gas 
  is potent stuff, so it’s likely to incapacitate the heroes 
  quickly, or at least cause them to spend a few bennies, 
  meaning they won’t be able to Soak physical attacks. 
  In the event you need more goons with gas grenades, 
  add in one per hero each time reinforcements are re-
  quired.
      Cultists (1 per hero): See page 18.
      Gas Mask Cultists (2 per hero): As regular cult-
  ists (page 18), except each wears a gasmask and carries 
  three knockout gas grenades. Range: 5/10/20, Large 
  Burst Template. Victims not wearing gasmasks must 
  make a Vigor roll or fall unconscious for 2d6 hours. The 
  roll must be made each round a hero begins in turn in 
  or enters a template. Each template remains in play for 
  three rounds.
  SCENE 2: OLD AGE BECKONS
  SCENE 2: OLD AGE BECKONS
  When the heroes wake up, they ﬁ nd they are tied to 
  stout wooden posts a few dozen yards from a crumbling 
  mud brick pyramid. Characters who make a Common 
  Knowledge (–4) or Knowledge (History) roll recognize 
  it as Abusir, a Pharaonic mortuary complex some 15 
  miles south of Cairo. The Black Pharaoh stands before 
  the party.
  “You have proven resourceful opponents.” The 
  Black Pharaoh is genuinely pleased. “I could use 
  people like you in my new world. I can offer you 
  riches and power. Whatever you wish, it can be 
  yours. What say you? Will you join me in ruling 
  the world, or will you hold to your morality and 
  die out here?”
  The Black Pharaoh’s offer is only semi-genuine. He 
  doubts he could trust any hero who would turn against 
  his principles to save his life. Still, he’s content to watch 
  them beg for mercy and become his lap dogs. Whether or 
  not he gets his desire depends on how the adventurer’s 
  respond. Whatever their answer, he replies:
  “On second thought,” he sneers, “perhaps you can 
  serve me in a more proﬁ table way.” He gestures 
  toward the nearby ruin, from which a tall tele-
  scoping mast is now extending. Attached to the 
  top is a strange contraption.
  “Very soon the Eye of Creation will be ready to 
  launch into the heavens. I have devised an or-
  bital platform on which to mount my machine. 
  Up there, high above the stars, I can maneuver 
  it to target any point on Earth in a matter of 
  seconds.
  “You will not be around to witness my glorious 
  triumph, however, but I do want to share with 
  you what fate awaits the rest of mankind. I have 
  managed to chip off a piece of the sphere, a tiny 
  fragment, but even that provides near-limitless 
  energy, albeit on a small scale.
  “According to my calculations, even on the mini-
  mum setting, the device you now see unfolding 
  will wither the ﬂ esh from your bones. I imagine 
  your deaths will be quiet painful, but take 
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1515
  heart—you have the honor of being the ﬁ rst to die 
  by its withering gaze!
  “Oh,” he adds nonchalantly, “you are probably 
  wondering how my agents always managed to 
  locate you.” He reaches into <character’s name> 
  pocket and pulls out a dime. “This coin contains 
  a powerful miniaturized tracking device, planted 
  on you in the Cairo bazaar. You’ve led me a merry 
  chase I admit, but I have always been one step 
  ahead of you!”
  He turns and walks toward the ruined monu-
  ment. A few moments after the Black Pharaoh 
  departs, the machinery begins to whirr into life. A 
  wide beam of piercing light shines forth in a wide 
  arc. Where it hits the sand, the particles begin to 
  turn to ﬁ ne dust. Then the intense beam begins to 
  expand outward, right toward you!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules in combi-
  nation with our “deathtrap escape” procedure.
  Rather than an inﬁ nitely long track, 
  place 15 markers in a line on the table-
  top to represent the Egyptian desert. The 
  characters begin on the 5th marker. Being 
  tied to stakes prevents any movement, 
  however.
  Deal the gizmo and the characters 
  action cards as normal. For the ﬁ rst ﬁ ve 
  rounds, the beam of light automatically 
  moves one Range Increment (it moves 
  onto the track on the ﬁ rst round). If the 
  beam ends up on the same marker as a 
  hero or moves ahead of him, the explorer 
  suffers 2d10 damage (from a Wild Card) at 
  the end of the current round.
  The characters can’t run until they have 
  escaped their bonds. This requires an 
  Agility or Strength roll at –4 (character’s 
  choice as to which). A hero who escapes 
  can free a comrade in one round, but no 
  other actions may be taken.
  Once the heroes are free, they can be-
  gin running away. Now the regular Chase 
  rules kick in. The laser has Agility d10. It 
  never uses any stunts or maneuvers. Dou-
  bling back and daring to jump through 
  the beam is exceptionally risky—the ﬁ eld 
  of expansion is such that it ﬁ lls every 
  range marker behind its current position 
  as well!
  The characters use Agility to ﬂ ee. The 
  desert is littered with rubble and dunes, 
  all of which serve to trip up the heroes. 
  A character who draws a Club suit must 
  check the value against the table below. 
  This determines his penalty for the 
  round. Failure means the hero stumbles 
  and falls. His Agility roll next round suffers a –2 pen-
  alty.
  Card 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–10 
  –4
  Jack–Queen 
  –2
  King–Ace 
  –1
  When either the beam or all the heroes have moved 
  beyond the 15th marker the device shuts down—the 
  Black Pharaoh has allowed enough time to “guarantee” 
  his adversaries have been aged to dust. Very soon after, 
  though, the sand begins to vibrate and a mufﬂ ed roar 
  rises steadily in volume.
  SCENE 3: TROUBLE WITH TIME
  SCENE 3: TROUBLE WITH TIME
  The inside of the pyramid has been altered to suit 
  the Black Pharaoh’s needs. Rather than a small crypt, 
  the structure has been hollowed out to accommodate a 
  large rocket and complex machinery. Much of the rocket 
  is concealed down a deep shaft. All that the heroes can 
  see is the top third.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1515
  heart—you have the honor of being the ﬁ rst to die 
  by its withering gaze!
  “Oh,” he adds nonchalantly, “you are probably 
  wondering how my agents always managed to 
  locate you.” He reaches into <character’s name> 
  pocket and pulls out a dime. “This coin contains 
  a powerful miniaturized tracking device, planted 
  on you in the Cairo bazaar. You’ve led me a merry 
  chase I admit, but I have always been one step 
  ahead of you!”
  He turns and walks toward the ruined monu-
  ment. A few moments after the Black Pharaoh 
  departs, the machinery begins to whirr into life. A 
  wide beam of piercing light shines forth in a wide 
  arc. Where it hits the sand, the particles begin to 
  turn to ﬁ ne dust. Then the intense beam begins to 
  expand outward, right toward you!
  This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules in combi-
  nation with our “deathtrap escape” procedure.
  Rather than an inﬁ nitely long track, 
  place 15 markers in a line on the table-
  top to represent the Egyptian desert. The 
  characters begin on the 5th marker. Being 
  tied to stakes prevents any movement, 
  however.
  Deal the gizmo and the characters 
  action cards as normal. For the ﬁ rst ﬁ ve 
  rounds, the beam of light automatically 
  moves one Range Increment (it moves 
  onto the track on the ﬁ rst round). If the 
  beam ends up on the same marker as a 
  hero or moves ahead of him, the explorer 
  suffers 2d10 damage (from a Wild Card) at 
  the end of the current round.
  The characters can’t run until they have 
  escaped their bonds. This requires an 
  Agility or Strength roll at –4 (character’s 
  choice as to which). A hero who escapes 
  can free a comrade in one round, but no 
  other actions may be taken.
  Once the heroes are free, they can be-
  gin running away. Now the regular Chase 
  rules kick in. The laser has Agility d10. It 
  never uses any stunts or maneuvers. Dou-
  bling back and daring to jump through 
  the beam is exceptionally risky—the ﬁ eld 
  of expansion is such that it ﬁ lls every 
  range marker behind its current position 
  as well!
  The characters use Agility to ﬂ ee. The 
  desert is littered with rubble and dunes, 
  all of which serve to trip up the heroes. 
  A character who draws a Club suit must 
  check the value against the table below. 
  This determines his penalty for the 
  round. Failure means the hero stumbles 
  and falls. His Agility roll next round suffers a –2 pen-
  alty.
  Card 
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–10 
  –4
  Jack–Queen 
  –2
  King–Ace 
  –1
  When either the beam or all the heroes have moved 
  beyond the 15th marker the device shuts down—the 
  Black Pharaoh has allowed enough time to “guarantee” 
  his adversaries have been aged to dust. Very soon after, 
  though, the sand begins to vibrate and a mufﬂ ed roar 
  rises steadily in volume.
  SCENE 3: TROUBLE WITH TIME
  SCENE 3: TROUBLE WITH TIME
  The inside of the pyramid has been altered to suit 
  the Black Pharaoh’s needs. Rather than a small crypt, 
  the structure has been hollowed out to accommodate a 
  large rocket and complex machinery. Much of the rocket 
  is concealed down a deep shaft. All that the heroes can 
  see is the top third.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1616
  The battleﬁ eld is 30” to a side. The rocket is 12” across, 
  and sits in a shaft 14” across. This is all located in the center 
  of the chamber. A gangplank crosses the gap to an open 
  door in the fuselage, but this is on the opposite side to 
  where the characters enter the pyramid. The party enters 
  by a 1” wide tunnel in the center of the south wall.
  Watching over a control console is the Black Pharaoh. 
  A number of cultists are present, operating switches and 
  dials at their master’s command. Shadow Walker, the 
  Scarab, and Mind Flayer are present unless they were 
  killed in previous scenes. Their Power Points are fully 
  recharged, and the Scarab has a pot of beetles at the 
  ready. Each has recovered one wound from any previ-
  ous injuries. The presence of all three makes this an ex-
  tremely tough ﬁ ght, but the characters had their chances 
  to remove them earlier.
  Since the Black Pharaoh removed the tracking device, 
  he doesn’t know the heroes are still alive. They gain 
  Surprise and the Drop during the ﬁ rst round of combat. 
  Don’t let the characters delay acting too long—give them 
  a few minutes real time to form a basic strategy and then 
  spur them into action by having the Black Pharaoh an-
  nounce the launch is ready to proceed.
  Divide the cultists into groups of three for the pur-
  poses of action cards. This prevents them all acting be-
  fore the characters, and from suffering mass boons or 
  banes due to the time leak (see below).
  For all his genius, the Black Pharaoh has made a fun-
  damental error. His chipping a piece off the Atlantean 
  sphere has resulted in instability in its power regulation. 
  This in turn is affecting the Eye of Creation, causing spo-
  radic hiccups in time in the local vicinity.
  On any round in which a Joker is drawn roll a d6 
  and consult the table in Time Distortion below. Ignore 
  second Jokers drawn in the same round. The effect takes 
  the form of a shimmering green bubble which covers the 
  entire battleﬁ eld and affects every character equally. All 
  effects last for just one round. The Jokers function as 
  normal for the holder.
  Immediately when the Black Pharaoh is Incapacitated, 
  pause the combat and read his “ﬁ nal” words.
  “You pathetic fools!” he hisses vehemently. “By my 
  death you have sealed the demise of mankind. 
  You see, the rocket is linked to a device inside my 
  chest. In mere seconds it will launch. When it does, 
  the Eye of Creation will go into automatic mode 
  once it reaches orbit. Its program will send the 
  Earth back to the Stone Age, eradicating everyone 
  alive!” With that, the villain… Vanishes!
  The door to the rocket begins to close. There is no 
  way to abort the launch or self-destruct the rocket, ex-
  cept from inside! Characters who aren’t inside at the 
  end of the second round after the Black Pharaoh’s death 
  won’t be able to help stop the device activating—their 
  adventure is over. Should none of the characters enter 
  the rocket, they’ve screwed up royally. Let’s hope their 
  ancestors have fun banging rocks together!
  The Black Pharaoh isn’t dead. He activates a spe-
  cial device (a plot device) on his wrist, and disappears 
  through time. He’ll be back to hound the characters very 
  soon!
  Other villainous Wild Cards not Incapacitated when 
  the characters leap into the rocket take the opportunity 
  to ﬂ ee. They are greatly reduced in power, for once their 
  gizmos’ Power Points are drained they can’t recharge 
  them. Still, they may want revenge in the future.
  TIME DISTORTION
  TIME DISTORTION
  d6 
  Result
  1 
  Selective Time Burst: Everyone with a red 
  suit card or Joker receives an extra action this 
  round. They can’t repeat an action, but they 
  can perform two actions with no multi action 
  penalty (so they can run and shoot at no modi-
  ﬁ er, for example).
  2–3 
  Time Distortion: The characters ﬁ nd time 
  running at an altered speed. Run initiative in 
  reverse, starting with the lowest card and count 
  upward toward Ace. Jokers remain unaffected.
  4 
  Selective Time Freeze: Everyone in the area 
  with a black suit initiative card is momentar-
  ily frozen in time and cannot act this round. 
  Characters with Jokers or red suit cards act as 
  normal. Frozen characters can be attacked with 
  the Drop and have their Parry reduced to 2.
  5 
  Slow Time: All characters receive only limited 
  actions this round. They may move up to their 
  Pace or perform a single action (such as ﬁ ring a 
  gun), but not both (so they can’t run).
  6 
  Selective Time Hop: Everyone dealt a black 
  card this round hops forward 1d4 rounds in 
  time—don’t tell the players this! Remove their 
  ﬁ gures from the tabletop immediately.
  At the start of round after the appropriate delay, deal 
  vanished characters action cards as normal. When their 
  card is called, position them back exactly where they 
  were standing. They can now act as normal. If someone 
  else now occupies their square, both persons take 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra). The re-appearing hero is then 
  pushed to an unoccupied adjacent square (roll randomly 
  using a d8).
  Be fair when using this effect. The meta-game thing 
  to do is surround the square a hero vanished from ready 
  for when he reappears. However, the cultists have no 
  idea what is happening. As far as they are concerned, the 
  people are dead and act accordingly.
   The Black Pharaoh: See page 17.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   Mind Flayer: See page 18.
   Cultists (3 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 4: TIME TO SAVE THE EARTH
  SCENE 4: TIME TO SAVE THE EARTH
  The doorway leads onto the rocketship’s bridge. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1616
  The battleﬁ eld is 30” to a side. The rocket is 12” across, 
  and sits in a shaft 14” across. This is all located in the center 
  of the chamber. A gangplank crosses the gap to an open 
  door in the fuselage, but this is on the opposite side to 
  where the characters enter the pyramid. The party enters 
  by a 1” wide tunnel in the center of the south wall.
  Watching over a control console is the Black Pharaoh. 
  A number of cultists are present, operating switches and 
  dials at their master’s command. Shadow Walker, the 
  Scarab, and Mind Flayer are present unless they were 
  killed in previous scenes. Their Power Points are fully 
  recharged, and the Scarab has a pot of beetles at the 
  ready. Each has recovered one wound from any previ-
  ous injuries. The presence of all three makes this an ex-
  tremely tough ﬁ ght, but the characters had their chances 
  to remove them earlier.
  Since the Black Pharaoh removed the tracking device, 
  he doesn’t know the heroes are still alive. They gain 
  Surprise and the Drop during the ﬁ rst round of combat. 
  Don’t let the characters delay acting too long—give them 
  a few minutes real time to form a basic strategy and then 
  spur them into action by having the Black Pharaoh an-
  nounce the launch is ready to proceed.
  Divide the cultists into groups of three for the pur-
  poses of action cards. This prevents them all acting be-
  fore the characters, and from suffering mass boons or 
  banes due to the time leak (see below).
  For all his genius, the Black Pharaoh has made a fun-
  damental error. His chipping a piece off the Atlantean 
  sphere has resulted in instability in its power regulation. 
  This in turn is affecting the Eye of Creation, causing spo-
  radic hiccups in time in the local vicinity.
  On any round in which a Joker is drawn roll a d6 
  and consult the table in Time Distortion below. Ignore 
  second Jokers drawn in the same round. The effect takes 
  the form of a shimmering green bubble which covers the 
  entire battleﬁ eld and affects every character equally. All 
  effects last for just one round. The Jokers function as 
  normal for the holder.
  Immediately when the Black Pharaoh is Incapacitated, 
  pause the combat and read his “ﬁ nal” words.
  “You pathetic fools!” he hisses vehemently. “By my 
  death you have sealed the demise of mankind. 
  You see, the rocket is linked to a device inside my 
  chest. In mere seconds it will launch. When it does, 
  the Eye of Creation will go into automatic mode 
  once it reaches orbit. Its program will send the 
  Earth back to the Stone Age, eradicating everyone 
  alive!” With that, the villain… Vanishes!
  The door to the rocket begins to close. There is no 
  way to abort the launch or self-destruct the rocket, ex-
  cept from inside! Characters who aren’t inside at the 
  end of the second round after the Black Pharaoh’s death 
  won’t be able to help stop the device activating—their 
  adventure is over. Should none of the characters enter 
  the rocket, they’ve screwed up royally. Let’s hope their 
  ancestors have fun banging rocks together!
  The Black Pharaoh isn’t dead. He activates a spe-
  cial device (a plot device) on his wrist, and disappears 
  through time. He’ll be back to hound the characters very 
  soon!
  Other villainous Wild Cards not Incapacitated when 
  the characters leap into the rocket take the opportunity 
  to ﬂ ee. They are greatly reduced in power, for once their 
  gizmos’ Power Points are drained they can’t recharge 
  them. Still, they may want revenge in the future.
  TIME DISTORTION
  TIME DISTORTION
  d6 
  Result
  1 
  Selective Time Burst: Everyone with a red 
  suit card or Joker receives an extra action this 
  round. They can’t repeat an action, but they 
  can perform two actions with no multi action 
  penalty (so they can run and shoot at no modi-
  ﬁ er, for example).
  2–3 
  Time Distortion: The characters ﬁ nd time 
  running at an altered speed. Run initiative in 
  reverse, starting with the lowest card and count 
  upward toward Ace. Jokers remain unaffected.
  4 
  Selective Time Freeze: Everyone in the area 
  with a black suit initiative card is momentar-
  ily frozen in time and cannot act this round. 
  Characters with Jokers or red suit cards act as 
  normal. Frozen characters can be attacked with 
  the Drop and have their Parry reduced to 2.
  5 
  Slow Time: All characters receive only limited 
  actions this round. They may move up to their 
  Pace or perform a single action (such as ﬁ ring a 
  gun), but not both (so they can’t run).
  6 
  Selective Time Hop: Everyone dealt a black 
  card this round hops forward 1d4 rounds in 
  time—don’t tell the players this! Remove their 
  ﬁ gures from the tabletop immediately.
  At the start of round after the appropriate delay, deal 
  vanished characters action cards as normal. When their 
  card is called, position them back exactly where they 
  were standing. They can now act as normal. If someone 
  else now occupies their square, both persons take 3d6 
  damage (from an Extra). The re-appearing hero is then 
  pushed to an unoccupied adjacent square (roll randomly 
  using a d8).
  Be fair when using this effect. The meta-game thing 
  to do is surround the square a hero vanished from ready 
  for when he reappears. However, the cultists have no 
  idea what is happening. As far as they are concerned, the 
  people are dead and act accordingly.
   The Black Pharaoh: See page 17.
   Shadow Walker: See page 18.
   The Scarab: See page 18.
   Mind Flayer: See page 18.
   Cultists (3 per hero): See page 18.
  SCENE 4: TIME TO SAVE THE EARTH
  SCENE 4: TIME TO SAVE THE EARTH
  The doorway leads onto the rocketship’s bridge. 
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1717
  As the rocket roars into the sky, the characters can do 
  nothing for several minutes as the g-forces squash them 
  into the deck. As it gains altitude, so the thrust slackens, 
  releasing the characters.
  The bridge is circular and 10” across. Panels covered 
  in ﬂ ashing lights, brass knobs, levers, and gauges are 
  built into the walls.
  The characters have six more rounds to disable the 
  rocket before the Eye of Creation is launched. In order to 
  do so, they must complete the following tasks in order. 
  Failure to complete the steps in time is discussed below.
  This is challenging enough, but the Black Pharaoh un-
  derstood the need for maintenance. While the characters 
  try to work at these tasks, they must also fend off main-
  tenance robots, which emerge from hidden panels in the 
  ceiling and drop to the ﬂ oor. Worse still, time distortion 
  still wracks the rocket. Use the rules from the previous 
  scene.
  Just so the heroes understand the pressure they’re 
  under, place six gaming stones on the table in clear view. 
  At the end of each round, take one away.
  1. 
  First, the characters must locate the master 
  control panel, no mean feat when there are 
  dozens of near identical consoles. This requires 
  a Notice (–4), Repair (–2), or Weird Science roll. 
  Failure allows the characters to try again next 
  round.
  2. 
  Next the panel must be removed. This requires 
  an Agility (–4) or Strength (–2) roll. As usual, 
  failure means the task must be repeated next 
  round.
  3. 
  Once the panel is open, someone needs to 
  study the complex wiring before they can do 
  anything. Remind heroes that are keen to start 
  randomly tearing the machinery apart that they 
  have no idea what might happen if they disable 
  the wrong system—they might activate the Eye, 
  or they could end up blown to pieces in a titanic 
  explosion. Deducing the function of the machin-
  ery requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Science roll.
  4. 
  Finally, the correct machinery must be disabled. 
  This requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Science roll.
  Whether the characters succeed or not, an alarm be-
  gins to blare loudly. A soft, female voice begins talking 
  from speakers “Critical failure of ejection system. Criti-
  cal failure of ejection system. Eye of Creation launch 
  imminent. Deployment failure will cause engines to 
  ignite inside the rocket. All personnel should abandon 
  ship. Repeat, destruction of rocket imminent.”
  Explosive bolts release panels in the wall, behind 
  which are single-person escape pods. Characters who fail 
  to enter one by the end of the next round are vaporized 
  (no Soak roll allowed) as the Eye of Creation’s engines 
  detonate inside the nosecone. A colossal ﬁ reball illumi-
  nates the heavens across half the globe as the Atlantean 
  sphere shatters. Yes, this is rather brutal, but the voice 
  was quite clear that things were about to get very, very 
  hot inside the rocket.
  Those who made it out watch this as their pod tum-
  bles back through the atmosphere. Where will they land? 
  Well, that’s for the GM to decide. It could even lead to a 
  new adventure!
   Maintenance Robots (2 per hero): See page 19.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  THE BLACK PHARAOH
  THE BLACK PHARAOH
  Formerly known as Kadar ibn Mukhtar, the Black 
  Pharaoh is head of a criminal organization dedicated 
  to elevating him to power. In his everyday guise, Kadar 
  works as an antiques dealer. He appears mild and servile, 
  although extremely knowledgeable.
  As the Black Pharaoh, however, he is cunning, conﬁ -
  dent, and brooks no failure. When conducting “ceremo-
  nies,” he dresses in ancient Egyptian garb, all of which is 
  authentic (having been looted from tombs). To conceal 
  his identity, he wears a black facemask sculpted to re-
  semble the head of the god Set. A small gizmo in the 
  mask disguises his voice.
  The Black Pharaoh has one true gizmo, his “Staff of 
  Seth,” into which all his powers are built. He has a pool 
  of 50 Power Points, shared between his powers. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Knowledge (Egyp-
  tian history) d12, Lockpicking d10, Notice d8, Shooting 
  d10, Stealth d8, Streetwise d12, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Greedy (Major), Overconﬁ dent, 
  Stubborn
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), Charis-
  matic, Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, Improved Level 
  Headed, Power Surge, Strong Willed, Thief
  Gizmos: Blast (ages ﬂ esh), bolt (ages ﬂ esh), deﬂ ection 
  (puts the subject out of phase with the rest of time), en-
  tangle (traps victims in time stasis bubble), quickness 
  (alters the time ﬂ ow around the target), teleport (mo-
  mentary jump forward in time) (50 Power Points)
  Gear: Staff of Seth (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Cut-Off: As an action, the Black Pharaoh can disable 
  any Weird Science device he created within 48”. The 
  items’ Power Points are drained to zero immediately. 
  Powers with a non-Instant Duration, such as armor, 
  are negated instantly, as if they had ben subject to dis-
  pel.
  * Weakness (Gizmo): Astute characters may target the 
  Staff of Seth. It is a Small target (–4). Reduce the Phar-
  aoh’s Power Points by the damage inﬂ icted by the at-
  tack.
  VERONICA CANTORI
  VERONICA CANTORI
  Veronica is attractive, but not exactly a rocket scientist. 
  She’s an okay actress, well-suited to low budget movies, 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1717
  As the rocket roars into the sky, the characters can do 
  nothing for several minutes as the g-forces squash them 
  into the deck. As it gains altitude, so the thrust slackens, 
  releasing the characters.
  The bridge is circular and 10” across. Panels covered 
  in ﬂ ashing lights, brass knobs, levers, and gauges are 
  built into the walls.
  The characters have six more rounds to disable the 
  rocket before the Eye of Creation is launched. In order to 
  do so, they must complete the following tasks in order. 
  Failure to complete the steps in time is discussed below.
  This is challenging enough, but the Black Pharaoh un-
  derstood the need for maintenance. While the characters 
  try to work at these tasks, they must also fend off main-
  tenance robots, which emerge from hidden panels in the 
  ceiling and drop to the ﬂ oor. Worse still, time distortion 
  still wracks the rocket. Use the rules from the previous 
  scene.
  Just so the heroes understand the pressure they’re 
  under, place six gaming stones on the table in clear view. 
  At the end of each round, take one away.
  1. 
  First, the characters must locate the master 
  control panel, no mean feat when there are 
  dozens of near identical consoles. This requires 
  a Notice (–4), Repair (–2), or Weird Science roll. 
  Failure allows the characters to try again next 
  round.
  2. 
  Next the panel must be removed. This requires 
  an Agility (–4) or Strength (–2) roll. As usual, 
  failure means the task must be repeated next 
  round.
  3. 
  Once the panel is open, someone needs to 
  study the complex wiring before they can do 
  anything. Remind heroes that are keen to start 
  randomly tearing the machinery apart that they 
  have no idea what might happen if they disable 
  the wrong system—they might activate the Eye, 
  or they could end up blown to pieces in a titanic 
  explosion. Deducing the function of the machin-
  ery requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Science roll.
  4. 
  Finally, the correct machinery must be disabled. 
  This requires a Repair (–2) or Weird Science roll.
  Whether the characters succeed or not, an alarm be-
  gins to blare loudly. A soft, female voice begins talking 
  from speakers “Critical failure of ejection system. Criti-
  cal failure of ejection system. Eye of Creation launch 
  imminent. Deployment failure will cause engines to 
  ignite inside the rocket. All personnel should abandon 
  ship. Repeat, destruction of rocket imminent.”
  Explosive bolts release panels in the wall, behind 
  which are single-person escape pods. Characters who fail 
  to enter one by the end of the next round are vaporized 
  (no Soak roll allowed) as the Eye of Creation’s engines 
  detonate inside the nosecone. A colossal ﬁ reball illumi-
  nates the heavens across half the globe as the Atlantean 
  sphere shatters. Yes, this is rather brutal, but the voice 
  was quite clear that things were about to get very, very 
  hot inside the rocket.
  Those who made it out watch this as their pod tum-
  bles back through the atmosphere. Where will they land? 
  Well, that’s for the GM to decide. It could even lead to a 
  new adventure!
   Maintenance Robots (2 per hero): See page 19.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  THE BLACK PHARAOH
  THE BLACK PHARAOH
  Formerly known as Kadar ibn Mukhtar, the Black 
  Pharaoh is head of a criminal organization dedicated 
  to elevating him to power. In his everyday guise, Kadar 
  works as an antiques dealer. He appears mild and servile, 
  although extremely knowledgeable.
  As the Black Pharaoh, however, he is cunning, conﬁ -
  dent, and brooks no failure. When conducting “ceremo-
  nies,” he dresses in ancient Egyptian garb, all of which is 
  authentic (having been looted from tombs). To conceal 
  his identity, he wears a black facemask sculpted to re-
  semble the head of the god Set. A small gizmo in the 
  mask disguises his voice.
  The Black Pharaoh has one true gizmo, his “Staff of 
  Seth,” into which all his powers are built. He has a pool 
  of 50 Power Points, shared between his powers. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Knowledge (Egyp-
  tian history) d12, Lockpicking d10, Notice d8, Shooting 
  d10, Stealth d8, Streetwise d12, Weird Science d12
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Greedy (Major), Overconﬁ dent, 
  Stubborn
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), Charis-
  matic, Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, Improved Level 
  Headed, Power Surge, Strong Willed, Thief
  Gizmos: Blast (ages ﬂ esh), bolt (ages ﬂ esh), deﬂ ection 
  (puts the subject out of phase with the rest of time), en-
  tangle (traps victims in time stasis bubble), quickness 
  (alters the time ﬂ ow around the target), teleport (mo-
  mentary jump forward in time) (50 Power Points)
  Gear: Staff of Seth (Str+d6, +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Cut-Off: As an action, the Black Pharaoh can disable 
  any Weird Science device he created within 48”. The 
  items’ Power Points are drained to zero immediately. 
  Powers with a non-Instant Duration, such as armor, 
  are negated instantly, as if they had ben subject to dis-
  pel.
  * Weakness (Gizmo): Astute characters may target the 
  Staff of Seth. It is a Small target (–4). Reduce the Phar-
  aoh’s Power Points by the damage inﬂ icted by the at-
  tack.
  VERONICA CANTORI
  VERONICA CANTORI
  Veronica is attractive, but not exactly a rocket scientist. 
  She’s an okay actress, well-suited to low budget movies, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1818
  but she thinks she’s a big star and lets everyone know 
  that—constantly. She demands to be pampered, whines 
  about the smallest thing, and treats everyone like dirt. 
  Veronica is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Delusional (Major; thinks she’s a big star), 
  Stubborn
  Edges: Attractive
  Gear: —
  SHADOW WALKER
  SHADOW WALKER
  Shadow Walker is another of the Black Pharaoh’s 
  criminal henchmen. Formerly a master thief in his own 
  right, his already impressive talents have been boosted 
  by an invisibility device of the Black Pharaoh’s design. 
  He wears a metal breastplate beneath his clothes.
  As with the Scarab, he can use Weird Science gizmos, 
  but cannot build his own. When his Power Points are 
  expended, he must return to the Black Pharaoh to have 
  them recharged.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Lockpicking d12, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d12, Weird Science d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8 (3)
  Hindrances: Loyal (The Black Pharaoh), Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, Im-
  proved First Strike, Improved Frenzy, Improved Sweep, 
  Thief, Two Fisted
  Gizmos: Invisibility (15 Power Points)
  Gear: Plate corselet (+3), 2 x long sword (Str+d8)
  THE SCARAB
  THE SCARAB
  The Scarab is one of the Black Pharaoh’s “superpow-
  ered” criminals. Like his comrades, he has a black ankh 
  tattooed on his left wrist—a sign of his servitude to the 
  Black Pharaoh.
  The Scarab can use Weird Science, represented by 
  his skill, but he can’t create new gizmos. The Scarab’s 
  gizmos are actually a single item with a common pool 
  of Power Points. They take the form of a small, black 
  rucksack. The armor power produces a black, metallic 
  shell, which ﬂ ows out across the Scarab’s body. His ﬂ y 
  ability causes a pair of beetle’s wings to unfold. When his 
  Power Points are expended, he must return to the Black 
  Pharaoh to have them recharged.
  Scarab’s stats reﬂ ect his armor and ﬂ y being already 
  activated when he joins the ﬁ ght.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Piloting d10, Shooting d8, 
  Weird Science d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6 (12 ﬂ ying); Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  9 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal (The Black Pharaoh), Ugly (scarred 
  ﬂ esh)
  Edges: Improved Dodge, Level Headed, Rock and Roll, 
  Steady Hands
  Gizmos: Armor, ﬂ y (12 Power Points)
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Scarabs: The Scarab cultivates ﬂ esh-eating scarab 
  beetles. On missions, he carries a large clay pot full 
  of the voracious critters. When dropped, the pot shat-
  ters and produces a Medium Burst Template swam (p. 
  19). The creatures are not under the Scarab’s control, 
  so he usually drops them while airborne.
  THE MIND FLAYER
  THE MIND FLAYER
  The Mind Flayer is the Black Pharaoh’s most-trust-
  ed lieutenant. Mind Flayer can use Weird Science, 
  represented by his skill, but he can’t create new giz-
  mos. His gizmos are actually a single item with a com-
  mon pool of Power Points. When his Power Points are 
  expended, he must return to the Black Pharaoh to 
  have them recharged. His Mentalist Edge is a product 
  of his gizmo.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Weird Sci-
  ence d10
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal (The Black Pharaoh)
  Edges: Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, Improved 
  Dodge, Level Headed, Mentalist
  Gizmos: Bolt (tears victim’s apart with psychic energy), 
  puppet (20 Power Points)
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  CULTIST
  CULTIST
  The Black Pharaoh’s cultists worship him for two rea-
  sons. First, they believe he is a living god, as evidenced 
  by his powers. Second, they are keen to remove the 
  last vestiges of European Colonialism and see Egypt re-
  turned to the glory days it enjoyed under the pharaohs. 
  As far as the criminal mastermind is concerned, they’re 
  an expendable resource.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, 
  Throwing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: All attacks against the Black Pharaoh auto-
  matically hit an adjacent cultist instead, as they throw 
  themselves in front of blows and bullets.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE #16
  1818
  but she thinks she’s a big star and lets everyone know 
  that—constantly. She demands to be pampered, whines 
  about the smallest thing, and treats everyone like dirt. 
  Veronica is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Delusional (Major; thinks she’s a big star), 
  Stubborn
  Edges: Attractive
  Gear: —
  SHADOW WALKER
  SHADOW WALKER
  Shadow Walker is another of the Black Pharaoh’s 
  criminal henchmen. Formerly a master thief in his own 
  right, his already impressive talents have been boosted 
  by an invisibility device of the Black Pharaoh’s design. 
  He wears a metal breastplate beneath his clothes.
  As with the Scarab, he can use Weird Science gizmos, 
  but cannot build his own. When his Power Points are 
  expended, he must return to the Black Pharaoh to have 
  them recharged.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Lockpicking d12, No-
  tice d8, Stealth d12, Weird Science d10
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8 (3)
  Hindrances: Loyal (The Black Pharaoh), Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, Im-
  proved First Strike, Improved Frenzy, Improved Sweep, 
  Thief, Two Fisted
  Gizmos: Invisibility (15 Power Points)
  Gear: Plate corselet (+3), 2 x long sword (Str+d8)
  THE SCARAB
  THE SCARAB
  The Scarab is one of the Black Pharaoh’s “superpow-
  ered” criminals. Like his comrades, he has a black ankh 
  tattooed on his left wrist—a sign of his servitude to the 
  Black Pharaoh.
  The Scarab can use Weird Science, represented by 
  his skill, but he can’t create new gizmos. The Scarab’s 
  gizmos are actually a single item with a common pool 
  of Power Points. They take the form of a small, black 
  rucksack. The armor power produces a black, metallic 
  shell, which ﬂ ows out across the Scarab’s body. His ﬂ y 
  ability causes a pair of beetle’s wings to unfold. When his 
  Power Points are expended, he must return to the Black 
  Pharaoh to have them recharged.
  Scarab’s stats reﬂ ect his armor and ﬂ y being already 
  activated when he joins the ﬁ ght.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Piloting d10, Shooting d8, 
  Weird Science d10
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6 (12 ﬂ ying); Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  9 (2)
  Hindrances: Loyal (The Black Pharaoh), Ugly (scarred 
  ﬂ esh)
  Edges: Improved Dodge, Level Headed, Rock and Roll, 
  Steady Hands
  Gizmos: Armor, ﬂ y (12 Power Points)
  Gear: Tommy gun (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, 
  ROF 3, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Scarabs: The Scarab cultivates ﬂ esh-eating scarab 
  beetles. On missions, he carries a large clay pot full 
  of the voracious critters. When dropped, the pot shat-
  ters and produces a Medium Burst Template swam (p. 
  19). The creatures are not under the Scarab’s control, 
  so he usually drops them while airborne.
  THE MIND FLAYER
  THE MIND FLAYER
  The Mind Flayer is the Black Pharaoh’s most-trust-
  ed lieutenant. Mind Flayer can use Weird Science, 
  represented by his skill, but he can’t create new giz-
  mos. His gizmos are actually a single item with a com-
  mon pool of Power Points. When his Power Points are 
  expended, he must return to the Black Pharaoh to 
  have them recharged. His Mentalist Edge is a product 
  of his gizmo.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Weird Sci-
  ence d10
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal (The Black Pharaoh)
  Edges: Command, Fervor, Hold the Line, Improved 
  Dodge, Level Headed, Mentalist
  Gizmos: Bolt (tears victim’s apart with psychic energy), 
  puppet (20 Power Points)
  Gear: Pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  CULTIST
  CULTIST
  The Black Pharaoh’s cultists worship him for two rea-
  sons. First, they believe he is a living god, as evidenced 
  by his powers. Second, they are keen to remove the 
  last vestiges of European Colonialism and see Egypt re-
  turned to the glory days it enjoyed under the pharaohs. 
  As far as the criminal mastermind is concerned, they’re 
  an expendable resource.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, 
  Throwing d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: —
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), pistol (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 
  2d6, AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Fanatic: All attacks against the Black Pharaoh auto-
  matically hit an adjacent cultist instead, as they throw 
  themselves in front of blows and bullets.
  
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1919
  FLESH-EATING SCARAB SWARM
  FLESH-EATING SCARAB SWARM
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Carapace.
  * Bite: Scarab swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny bites 
  every round to their victims, hitting automatically and 
  causing 2d4 damage (as a Wild Card) to everyone in 
  the template.
  * Split: Scarab swarms are clever enough to split into 
  two smaller swarms (Small Burst Templates) should 
  their foes split up. The Toughness of these smaller 
  swarms is lowered by –2 (to 6 each).
  * Swarm: Parry +2; Because the swarm is composed of 
  scores, hundreds, or thousands of creatures, cutting 
  and piercing weapons do no real damage. Area effect 
  weapons work normally, and a character can stomp to 
  inﬂ ict his damage in Strength each round. 
  ROBOT MUMMY
  ROBOT MUMMY
  Externally, robot mummies have the stereotypical vis-
  age of a bandage wrapped corpse, albeit with a chunkier 
  form than real-life mummies. Beneath the linen bandag-
  es lies not withered ﬂ esh and brittle bones, but a metal 
  skeleton housing cogs and gears to provide locomotion, 
  and cables and pulleys in place of muscles. A primitive 
  mechanicalncomputer provides “brain power.”
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Metal skeleton and heavy bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: Robot mummies roll a d4 running 
  die.
  * Slam: Str.
  * Susceptible (Fire): The chemicals used to coat the 
  mummy cause it to take +4 damage from ﬁ re.
  ZEUS’ MINION
  ZEUS’ MINION
  Zeus’ minions are seemingly animated statues. Like 
  the robot mummies (page 19) they are actually con-
  structs, created using Daedalus’ designs (based on Atlan-
  tean ones) and powered internally by strange Atlantean 
  energy crystals.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Throwing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: See below.
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Immunity (Electricity): Suffer no damage from elec-
  trical attacks.
  * Lighting Bolts: The bolts the statue’s carry can be 
  used in melee (2d6 damage) or thrown (Range: 
  3/6/12, Damage: 2d6).
  * Slam: Str.
  MAINTENANCE ROBOT
  MAINTENANCE ROBOT
  Spiderlike in appearance, but with their front legs 
  serving as pincers, cutters, and circular saws, the main-
  tenance robots were primarily programmed to keep 
  the Eye of Creation running. Secondary programming 
  involves the elimination of any organic lifeforms aboard 
  the rocket!
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d7, Repair d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (2)
  Hindrances: —
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Combat Reﬂ exes, Two-Fisted
  Gear: Assorted tools (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Metal skin.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  EMPIRE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 
  1919
  FLESH-EATING SCARAB SWARM
  FLESH-EATING SCARAB SWARM
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: Carapace.
  * Bite: Scarab swarms inﬂ ict hundreds of tiny bites 
  every round to their victims, hitting automatically and 
  causing 2d4 damage (as a Wild Card) to everyone in 
  the template.
  * Split: Scarab swarms are clever enough to split into 
  two smaller swarms (Small Burst Templates) should 
  their foes split up. The Toughness of these smaller 
  swarms is lowered by –2 (to 6 each).
  * Swarm: Parry +2; Because the swarm is composed of 
  scores, hundreds, or thousands of creatures, cutting 
  and piercing weapons do no real damage. Area effect 
  weapons work normally, and a character can stomp to 
  inﬂ ict his damage in Strength each round. 
  ROBOT MUMMY
  ROBOT MUMMY
  Externally, robot mummies have the stereotypical vis-
  age of a bandage wrapped corpse, albeit with a chunkier 
  form than real-life mummies. Beneath the linen bandag-
  es lies not withered ﬂ esh and brittle bones, but a metal 
  skeleton housing cogs and gears to provide locomotion, 
  and cables and pulleys in place of muscles. A primitive 
  mechanicalncomputer provides “brain power.”
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth 
  d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: —
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Metal skeleton and heavy bandages.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Shufﬂ ing Gait: Robot mummies roll a d4 running 
  die.
  * Slam: Str.
  * Susceptible (Fire): The chemicals used to coat the 
  mummy cause it to take +4 damage from ﬁ re.
  ZEUS’ MINION
  ZEUS’ MINION
  Zeus’ minions are seemingly animated statues. Like 
  the robot mummies (page 19) they are actually con-
  structs, created using Daedalus’ designs (based on Atlan-
  tean ones) and powered internally by strange Atlantean 
  energy crystals.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Throwing d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Gear: See below.
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  * Immunity (Electricity): Suffer no damage from elec-
  trical attacks.
  * Lighting Bolts: The bolts the statue’s carry can be 
  used in melee (2d6 damage) or thrown (Range: 
  3/6/12, Damage: 2d6).
  * Slam: Str.
  MAINTENANCE ROBOT
  MAINTENANCE ROBOT
  Spiderlike in appearance, but with their front legs 
  serving as pincers, cutters, and circular saws, the main-
  tenance robots were primarily programmed to keep 
  the Eye of Creation running. Secondary programming 
  involves the elimination of any organic lifeforms aboard 
  the rocket!
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d7, Repair d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (2)
  Hindrances: —
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Combat Reﬂ exes, Two-Fisted
  Gear: Assorted tools (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: Metal skin.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; im-
  mune to poison and disease; no additional damage 
  from Called Shots.
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31039
  31039
  $6.99
  $6.99
  Guarding a starlet on a movie 
  set isn’t really heroic work, but 
  the pay is good and it’s a free 
  vacation. But what begins as a 
  babysitting gig soon turns into 
  something far more sinister, as 
  villains equipped with weird 
  science devices attack the 
  starlet. Is her Egyptian style 
  necklace the reason?
  The ﬁ nal installment of the 
  Daring Tales of Adventure 
  line involves two of pulp’s greatest staples—weird science 
  and the ancient world. From the dusty tombs of ancient 
  Egypt to the Acropolis of Athens, the heroes are plagued 
  by dastardly villains with strange powers whose master, the 
  mysterious Black Pharaoh, intends to conquer the world by 
  manipulating the ﬂ ow of time!
  Strap yourselves in for the ﬁ nal Daring Tale ride!
  the end is nigh!
  the end is nigh!
  
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31016
  31016
  
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  XMAS 08 
  XMAS 08 
  SPECIAL
  SPECIAL
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING 
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING 
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER ART: JORDAN PEACOCK
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  DARING TALES PLAYTESTERS: KEVIN ANDERSON, DAVE BLEWER, SIMON SCOTT, MARTIN SKIGGS, DAN TUNBRIDGE
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  XMAS 08 
  XMAS 08 
  SPECIAL
  SPECIAL
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  2
  This short adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four to six pre-generated charac-
  ters. All the characters are kids, aged between 9 and 12. 
  You’ll ﬁ nd character sheets at the back of the module.
  With the exception of Brent Hardcastle, the main 
  hero of our Daring Tales of Adventure line, who must 
  be taken as a character, the players are free to pick and 
  choose from the others. None are vital to the success-
  ful completion of the adventure, though all have their 
  strengths.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  Important: The players should be made aware that 
  their characters are young kids. Although most have 
  some combat skills, they are not warriors, nor are they 
  armed with an array of deadly weapons. Indeed, their low 
  Strength scores make the use of large melee weapons or 
  ﬁ rearms trickier. They also have an average Toughness of 
  4, which means they’ll suffer injuries more often if they 
  opt to pummel their way out of trouble. Tricks, Tests 
  of Will, and creative use of scenery and props are the 
  heroes’ best weapons.
  SPECIAL RULES
  SPECIAL RULES
  In addition to TAG’s regular pulp rules, which you’ll 
  need for this adventure (they’re free from the website on 
  which you found this little tale), a few special rules are 
  plied, simply because the heroes are all kids.
  Guns: Adult pulp heroes may be willing to charge 
  a gun-wielding goon, but kids aren’t. Anytime a gun is 
  drawn by an adult, the thug gets a free Intimidation roll 
  against all kids within range (+2 if he actually ﬁ res the 
  gun, +4 if it hit someone). Roll once for the goon, with 
  each kid making an individual Spirit roll. Characters who 
  fail to resist are Shaken. If the thug gets a raise over the 
  character’s total, the hero is Panicked instead.
  Likewise, a kid who picks up a gun isn’t going to be a 
  crack shot, even if his Shooting die is high. Allowing that 
  is ﬁ ne in a regular pulp game, but in a one-off adventure 
  like this, where we want to encourage the players to actu-
  ally think like kids, it might tempt the players to acquire 
  ﬁ rearms from fallen foes. To that end, two special rules 
  are introduced.
  First, a kid using a ﬁ rearm does not beneﬁ t from a 
  Wild Die.
  Second, his Shooting skill is reduced one die type. 
  Shooting dropping below a d4 becomes unskilled, and 
  unskilled heroes suffer an additional –2 penalty (so 
  that’s d4–2 and no Wild Die).
  Tricks: Stick a bunch of kids in a standup ﬁ ght against 
  an equal number of adults, and the kids’ll likely lose. 
  Sure, the heroes are Wild Cards, but they have low 
  Strength, feeble Toughness scores, and few weapons.
  For that reason, and for this adventure only, Shaken 
  results from Tricks count as nonlethal, physical damage 
  (and so can knock out Extras) if the Trick warrants it. 
  For instance, squirting ink in a goon’s eyes isn’t going 
  to cause him to black out, even if he’s Shaken already, 
  but tripping him will—the GM can rule the goon hits his 
  head as he falls.
  ACT 1: MILK AND MAYHEM
  ACT 1: MILK AND MAYHEM
  Set the scene by reading the following text to the players.
  The festive holidays are drawing close. As a special 
  treat your parents have taken you to Boston to 
  visit the circus. Your folks have gone off to ﬁ nd a 
  restaurant, but you kids didn’t fancy that. Armed 
  with a few bucks, you’ve been allowed to visit a 
  milk bar for sodas, milkshakes, and donuts.
  SCENE 1: LOCAL PROBLEMS
  SCENE 1: LOCAL PROBLEMS
  The youngsters are all seated at a single table. Arrayed 
  before them are a variety of drinks and snacks, all high in 
  sugar and low in nutritional value. Seated behind them 
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  2
  This short adventure contains a pulp tale based 
  around the exploits of four to six pre-generated charac-
  ters. All the characters are kids, aged between 9 and 12. 
  You’ll ﬁ nd character sheets at the back of the module.
  With the exception of Brent Hardcastle, the main 
  hero of our Daring Tales of Adventure line, who must 
  be taken as a character, the players are free to pick and 
  choose from the others. None are vital to the success-
  ful completion of the adventure, though all have their 
  strengths.
  The GM also needs the pulp setting rules from the 
  TAG website.
  Important: The players should be made aware that 
  their characters are young kids. Although most have 
  some combat skills, they are not warriors, nor are they 
  armed with an array of deadly weapons. Indeed, their low 
  Strength scores make the use of large melee weapons or 
  ﬁ rearms trickier. They also have an average Toughness of 
  4, which means they’ll suffer injuries more often if they 
  opt to pummel their way out of trouble. Tricks, Tests 
  of Will, and creative use of scenery and props are the 
  heroes’ best weapons.
  SPECIAL RULES
  SPECIAL RULES
  In addition to TAG’s regular pulp rules, which you’ll 
  need for this adventure (they’re free from the website on 
  which you found this little tale), a few special rules are 
  plied, simply because the heroes are all kids.
  Guns: Adult pulp heroes may be willing to charge 
  a gun-wielding goon, but kids aren’t. Anytime a gun is 
  drawn by an adult, the thug gets a free Intimidation roll 
  against all kids within range (+2 if he actually ﬁ res the 
  gun, +4 if it hit someone). Roll once for the goon, with 
  each kid making an individual Spirit roll. Characters who 
  fail to resist are Shaken. If the thug gets a raise over the 
  character’s total, the hero is Panicked instead.
  Likewise, a kid who picks up a gun isn’t going to be a 
  crack shot, even if his Shooting die is high. Allowing that 
  is ﬁ ne in a regular pulp game, but in a one-off adventure 
  like this, where we want to encourage the players to actu-
  ally think like kids, it might tempt the players to acquire 
  ﬁ rearms from fallen foes. To that end, two special rules 
  are introduced.
  First, a kid using a ﬁ rearm does not beneﬁ t from a 
  Wild Die.
  Second, his Shooting skill is reduced one die type. 
  Shooting dropping below a d4 becomes unskilled, and 
  unskilled heroes suffer an additional –2 penalty (so 
  that’s d4–2 and no Wild Die).
  Tricks: Stick a bunch of kids in a standup ﬁ ght against 
  an equal number of adults, and the kids’ll likely lose. 
  Sure, the heroes are Wild Cards, but they have low 
  Strength, feeble Toughness scores, and few weapons.
  For that reason, and for this adventure only, Shaken 
  results from Tricks count as nonlethal, physical damage 
  (and so can knock out Extras) if the Trick warrants it. 
  For instance, squirting ink in a goon’s eyes isn’t going 
  to cause him to black out, even if he’s Shaken already, 
  but tripping him will—the GM can rule the goon hits his 
  head as he falls.
  ACT 1: MILK AND MAYHEM
  ACT 1: MILK AND MAYHEM
  Set the scene by reading the following text to the players.
  The festive holidays are drawing close. As a special 
  treat your parents have taken you to Boston to 
  visit the circus. Your folks have gone off to ﬁ nd a 
  restaurant, but you kids didn’t fancy that. Armed 
  with a few bucks, you’ve been allowed to visit a 
  milk bar for sodas, milkshakes, and donuts.
  SCENE 1: LOCAL PROBLEMS
  SCENE 1: LOCAL PROBLEMS
  The youngsters are all seated at a single table. Arrayed 
  before them are a variety of drinks and snacks, all high in 
  sugar and low in nutritional value. Seated behind them 
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  3
  are two burly men in trench coats. The heroes can over-
  hear their conversation.
  First man: “The boss said we have to snatch the dia-
  mond this afternoon.”
  Second man: “Clam up, dummy! Yer want someone 
  to overhear us and call the cops?”
  First man: “I’m just saying is all. Boy, that sparkler is 
  going to net us some big bucks.”
  Second man: “Quit yer yapping and drink yer milk. 
  Come on, it’s time to go case the joint.”
  With that the two men leave the milk bar. Hopefully 
  the young heroes are intrigued by the possibility of a 
  crime taking place, and decide to follow the thugs.
  As you step outside, you bump into a small gang 
  of kids heading into the milk bar. One of them 
  stumbles back, slips on the icy sidewalk, and 
  lands heavily on his butt. Rising to his feet he balls 
  his ﬁ sts and snarls, “Darn country kids. Looks like 
  they’re spoiling for a ﬁ ght. Get ‘em, lads!”
  Deal action cards. Remember, damage from Extras 
  doesn’t Ace, so the best one of the city kids can do is 
  Shake a hero with a single hit. This should limit the 
  amount of damage inﬂ icted on the party.
  The sidewalk is covered in ice and snow, halving all 
  movement. Heroes who roll a 1 on their running die, 
  slip and fall prone.
  The snow can be made into a snowball as a free ac-
  tion. This improvised weapon has Range 3/6/12 and 
  inﬂ icts Str damage. However, damage from a snowball 
  does not Ace, though raises on the attack still grant an 
  additional +1d6 damage.
  Props outside the milk bar include a trashcan full of 
  discarded drink cartons and food wrappers, and a gob-
  stopper machine. Heroes who want to use other suitable 
  props (like a newspaper, or a passing dog, which can be 
  used as part of an Agility Trick to trip a foe), should ﬁ nd 
  them available.
  Pushing over the candy machine is an action. On hit-
  ting the ground, hard balls of candy scatter in a Medium 
  Burst Template. Place the outside of the template to 
  where it touches the machine and rotate it, so it affects 
  an area in the direction the machine fell. Anyone moving 
  through the template must make an Agility roll (–2 if run-
  ning) or slip and fall prone.
  At some point toward the end of the ﬁ ght, the milk 
  bar window must be broken. This could come about 
  as a result of a youth staggering backward from a blow 
  and crashing through, a missed slingshot attack, or even 
  by a hero throwing a snowball (which just happened to 
  contain a stone).
  The round after this occurs, a large policeman ap-
  pears on the scene. He blows his whistle, points at the 
  heroes, and orders them to stand still. Characters think-
  ing of complying may make a Common Knowledge roll. 
  With success they know two important facts. First, their 
  parents will have to pay for the damage. Second, they’ll 
  end up with no supper for a week and likely lose Christ-
  mas presents as a result of their bad behavior.
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  3
  are two burly men in trench coats. The heroes can over-
  hear their conversation.
  First man: “The boss said we have to snatch the dia-
  mond this afternoon.”
  Second man: “Clam up, dummy! Yer want someone 
  to overhear us and call the cops?”
  First man: “I’m just saying is all. Boy, that sparkler is 
  going to net us some big bucks.”
  Second man: “Quit yer yapping and drink yer milk. 
  Come on, it’s time to go case the joint.”
  With that the two men leave the milk bar. Hopefully 
  the young heroes are intrigued by the possibility of a 
  crime taking place, and decide to follow the thugs.
  As you step outside, you bump into a small gang 
  of kids heading into the milk bar. One of them 
  stumbles back, slips on the icy sidewalk, and 
  lands heavily on his butt. Rising to his feet he balls 
  his ﬁ sts and snarls, “Darn country kids. Looks like 
  they’re spoiling for a ﬁ ght. Get ‘em, lads!”
  Deal action cards. Remember, damage from Extras 
  doesn’t Ace, so the best one of the city kids can do is 
  Shake a hero with a single hit. This should limit the 
  amount of damage inﬂ icted on the party.
  The sidewalk is covered in ice and snow, halving all 
  movement. Heroes who roll a 1 on their running die, 
  slip and fall prone.
  The snow can be made into a snowball as a free ac-
  tion. This improvised weapon has Range 3/6/12 and 
  inﬂ icts Str damage. However, damage from a snowball 
  does not Ace, though raises on the attack still grant an 
  additional +1d6 damage.
  Props outside the milk bar include a trashcan full of 
  discarded drink cartons and food wrappers, and a gob-
  stopper machine. Heroes who want to use other suitable 
  props (like a newspaper, or a passing dog, which can be 
  used as part of an Agility Trick to trip a foe), should ﬁ nd 
  them available.
  Pushing over the candy machine is an action. On hit-
  ting the ground, hard balls of candy scatter in a Medium 
  Burst Template. Place the outside of the template to 
  where it touches the machine and rotate it, so it affects 
  an area in the direction the machine fell. Anyone moving 
  through the template must make an Agility roll (–2 if run-
  ning) or slip and fall prone.
  At some point toward the end of the ﬁ ght, the milk 
  bar window must be broken. This could come about 
  as a result of a youth staggering backward from a blow 
  and crashing through, a missed slingshot attack, or even 
  by a hero throwing a snowball (which just happened to 
  contain a stone).
  The round after this occurs, a large policeman ap-
  pears on the scene. He blows his whistle, points at the 
  heroes, and orders them to stand still. Characters think-
  ing of complying may make a Common Knowledge roll. 
  With success they know two important facts. First, their 
  parents will have to pay for the damage. Second, they’ll 
  end up with no supper for a week and likely lose Christ-
  mas presents as a result of their bad behavior.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  4
   City Kids (1 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: THE CIRCUS ARRIVES
  SCENE 2: THE CIRCUS ARRIVES
  No matter which way the characters run, they end up 
  running down the street—straight into the oncoming 
  circus parade. Every year, the circus comes to Boston for 
  Christmas, and every year it parades through the streets 
  on arrival, to drum up business.
  This scene uses the Chase rules, but with our alter-
  nate Obstacles rules. The Range Increment is 1”, and the 
  characters begin three Range Increments ahead of the 
  policeman. This scene is mainly for cinematic and humor 
  value. If the kids are escaping too quickly, add another 
  policeman to the chase three Range Increments behind 
  the hero furthest back. The characters should escape, but 
  there’s no harm in delaying their victory a little longer.
  Because of the slippery road surface, any character 
  who goes Out of Control automatically ends up on his 
  butt. His Agility roll next round suffers a –2 penalty, as he 
  must waste time getting to his feet.
  Should the policeman draw close enough, he uses 
  the Parallel maneuver. He then tries to grapple one of 
  the young hoodlums. If a character is arrested and not 
  freed by his comrades, he gets a cuff around the ear and 
  is dragged back to the milk bar. His parents have just 
  arrived and are horriﬁ ed to hear of his troublesome and 
  destructive brawling. All privileges are lost for a month, 
  including supper and Christmas presents!
  Neither the policeman nor the heroes’ parents be-
  lieve any stories about a potential diamond robbery—it’s 
  dismissed as an overactive imagination (and an excuse 
  to avoid the consequences of getting caught brawling in 
  public).
  The adventure isn’t over if a hero is arrested. As luck 
  would have it, the parents intended to take the children 
  to the Museum anyway. While the children explore, 
  the parents visit nearby shops for last minute presents 
  (except for you-know-who). Before the kids know it, the 
  Museum has closed early, leaving them locked inside! 
  Skip straight down to Diamonds are Forever, page 5.
   Policeman: See page 10.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Grappled: A cowboy is twirling his lasso. 
  When he sees the hero, he tries to snare him for the 
  amusement of the crowd. A failed Agility roll means the 
  character is ensnared. On subsequent rounds he must 
  make an Agility or Strength roll (hero’s choice) to escape 
  the binding. Only when this is achieved can the hero run 
  off (so escaping and running in the same round incurs a 
  multi action penalty).
  Three (–2) Clumsy Clown: The hero runs into a 
  clown. As the kid darts left, so does the clown (deliber-
  ately—he thinks it’s funny). Failure causes the hero to 
  drop back a Range Increment, due to the lengthy delay.
  Four (–2/0) Free Tickets!: A performer is handing 
  out free tickets for tonight’s show! If the hero stops to 
  collect them, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Other-
  wise he can ignore the tempting lure and keep running 
  with no penalty. Next round, the hero has the option of 
  grabbing another pair of free tickets and not making an 
  Agility roll, or continuing his ﬂ ight.
  The policeman is just as keen to attend the show as 
  anyone else, and always grabs tickets. He doesn’t delay 
  on subsequent rounds, though.
  Five (–2) Scantily Clad Ladies: It’s near-freezing, 
  but the circus performers are a hardy bunch. Some of the 
  acrobats are wearing barely any clothes, which is a lure 
  for young boys and policemen. Female heroes ignore 
  this Obstacle. A failed roll simply means the character 
  makes no grounds, due to the distraction.
  Six (–2/0) Firecrackers: A performer is handing 
  out strings of ﬁ recrackers. If the hero stops to collect 
  them, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Otherwise he 
  can ignore the tempting lure and keep running with no 
  penalty.
  Using the ﬁ recrackers in a Distract stunt grants the 
  hero a +2 bonus. If the kid elects to keep them for later, 
  he can use the crackers to make an Agility vs. Smarts Trick 
  (fooling any victims into thinking they’re gunshots).
  The policeman must make a Smarts roll if he draws 
  this card. With failure, he suffers the Agility penalty, as he 
  cautions the performer against giving kids ﬁ recrackers. 
  Otherwise, he continues the chase.
  Seven (–2/0) Free Candy: As above, except the re-
  ward for taking an Agility roll penalty is free candy.
  If this event is drawn for Oscar, he must go for the 
  candy (the player should roleplay this anyway). If Oscar 
  is within one Range Increment of another character 
  drawing this card, he automatically moves to the same 
  Range Increment, whether than is an extra move forward 
  or a forced move backward.
  Eight (–2) Tangled: A glance back or slight distrac-
  tion causes the hero to stumble into an acrobat, cart 
  wheeling down the road. On a failed Agility roll, the hero 
  is tangled up with the performer. He gains no distance 
  this round and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll next 
  round, as well.
  Nine (–2) Snowball Barrage: Local youths are pelt-
  ing the circus with snowballs. The character runs straight 
  into a barrage. Roll 2d6. If either die comes up 1, the 
  hero has been struck. He is automatically Shaken.
  Ten (–1) Singed Hair: The character runs a little too 
  close to a ﬁ re breather spewing out a gout of ﬂ ame. A 
  failed Agility causes the hero to be Shaken and suffer a 
  –1 Charisma penalty for the rest of the session (no eye-
  brows).
  Jack (–1) Smelly Stuff: Elephants make a lot of 
  mess, and the hero is headed for a fresh pile of manure. 
  A failed roll means the character skids on the stuff, losing 
  any movement for the round. Should he go Out of Con-
  trol, he falls into it. He suffers a –1 penalty to Charisma 
  and Stealth rolls for the rest of the adventure (even if he 
  washes).
  Queen (–1) Elephant: A number of elephants block 
  the character’s path, forcing him to weave through them. 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  4
   City Kids (1 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: THE CIRCUS ARRIVES
  SCENE 2: THE CIRCUS ARRIVES
  No matter which way the characters run, they end up 
  running down the street—straight into the oncoming 
  circus parade. Every year, the circus comes to Boston for 
  Christmas, and every year it parades through the streets 
  on arrival, to drum up business.
  This scene uses the Chase rules, but with our alter-
  nate Obstacles rules. The Range Increment is 1”, and the 
  characters begin three Range Increments ahead of the 
  policeman. This scene is mainly for cinematic and humor 
  value. If the kids are escaping too quickly, add another 
  policeman to the chase three Range Increments behind 
  the hero furthest back. The characters should escape, but 
  there’s no harm in delaying their victory a little longer.
  Because of the slippery road surface, any character 
  who goes Out of Control automatically ends up on his 
  butt. His Agility roll next round suffers a –2 penalty, as he 
  must waste time getting to his feet.
  Should the policeman draw close enough, he uses 
  the Parallel maneuver. He then tries to grapple one of 
  the young hoodlums. If a character is arrested and not 
  freed by his comrades, he gets a cuff around the ear and 
  is dragged back to the milk bar. His parents have just 
  arrived and are horriﬁ ed to hear of his troublesome and 
  destructive brawling. All privileges are lost for a month, 
  including supper and Christmas presents!
  Neither the policeman nor the heroes’ parents be-
  lieve any stories about a potential diamond robbery—it’s 
  dismissed as an overactive imagination (and an excuse 
  to avoid the consequences of getting caught brawling in 
  public).
  The adventure isn’t over if a hero is arrested. As luck 
  would have it, the parents intended to take the children 
  to the Museum anyway. While the children explore, 
  the parents visit nearby shops for last minute presents 
  (except for you-know-who). Before the kids know it, the 
  Museum has closed early, leaving them locked inside! 
  Skip straight down to Diamonds are Forever, page 5.
   Policeman: See page 10.
  OBSTACLES
  OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Grappled: A cowboy is twirling his lasso. 
  When he sees the hero, he tries to snare him for the 
  amusement of the crowd. A failed Agility roll means the 
  character is ensnared. On subsequent rounds he must 
  make an Agility or Strength roll (hero’s choice) to escape 
  the binding. Only when this is achieved can the hero run 
  off (so escaping and running in the same round incurs a 
  multi action penalty).
  Three (–2) Clumsy Clown: The hero runs into a 
  clown. As the kid darts left, so does the clown (deliber-
  ately—he thinks it’s funny). Failure causes the hero to 
  drop back a Range Increment, due to the lengthy delay.
  Four (–2/0) Free Tickets!: A performer is handing 
  out free tickets for tonight’s show! If the hero stops to 
  collect them, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Other-
  wise he can ignore the tempting lure and keep running 
  with no penalty. Next round, the hero has the option of 
  grabbing another pair of free tickets and not making an 
  Agility roll, or continuing his ﬂ ight.
  The policeman is just as keen to attend the show as 
  anyone else, and always grabs tickets. He doesn’t delay 
  on subsequent rounds, though.
  Five (–2) Scantily Clad Ladies: It’s near-freezing, 
  but the circus performers are a hardy bunch. Some of the 
  acrobats are wearing barely any clothes, which is a lure 
  for young boys and policemen. Female heroes ignore 
  this Obstacle. A failed roll simply means the character 
  makes no grounds, due to the distraction.
  Six (–2/0) Firecrackers: A performer is handing 
  out strings of ﬁ recrackers. If the hero stops to collect 
  them, his Agility roll suffers a –2 penalty. Otherwise he 
  can ignore the tempting lure and keep running with no 
  penalty.
  Using the ﬁ recrackers in a Distract stunt grants the 
  hero a +2 bonus. If the kid elects to keep them for later, 
  he can use the crackers to make an Agility vs. Smarts Trick 
  (fooling any victims into thinking they’re gunshots).
  The policeman must make a Smarts roll if he draws 
  this card. With failure, he suffers the Agility penalty, as he 
  cautions the performer against giving kids ﬁ recrackers. 
  Otherwise, he continues the chase.
  Seven (–2/0) Free Candy: As above, except the re-
  ward for taking an Agility roll penalty is free candy.
  If this event is drawn for Oscar, he must go for the 
  candy (the player should roleplay this anyway). If Oscar 
  is within one Range Increment of another character 
  drawing this card, he automatically moves to the same 
  Range Increment, whether than is an extra move forward 
  or a forced move backward.
  Eight (–2) Tangled: A glance back or slight distrac-
  tion causes the hero to stumble into an acrobat, cart 
  wheeling down the road. On a failed Agility roll, the hero 
  is tangled up with the performer. He gains no distance 
  this round and suffers a –2 penalty to his Agility roll next 
  round, as well.
  Nine (–2) Snowball Barrage: Local youths are pelt-
  ing the circus with snowballs. The character runs straight 
  into a barrage. Roll 2d6. If either die comes up 1, the 
  hero has been struck. He is automatically Shaken.
  Ten (–1) Singed Hair: The character runs a little too 
  close to a ﬁ re breather spewing out a gout of ﬂ ame. A 
  failed Agility causes the hero to be Shaken and suffer a 
  –1 Charisma penalty for the rest of the session (no eye-
  brows).
  Jack (–1) Smelly Stuff: Elephants make a lot of 
  mess, and the hero is headed for a fresh pile of manure. 
  A failed roll means the character skids on the stuff, losing 
  any movement for the round. Should he go Out of Con-
  trol, he falls into it. He suffers a –1 penalty to Charisma 
  and Stealth rolls for the rest of the adventure (even if he 
  washes).
  Queen (–1) Elephant: A number of elephants block 
  the character’s path, forcing him to weave through them. 
  
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  5
  A failed roll means the hero is accidentally struck by a 
  beast and suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  King (0) They’ll Eat Me Alive!: A pair of lions (well-
  fed) is being paraded through the streets on a leash. One 
  roars loudly at the passing character, forcing him to make 
  a Spirit roll as a free action. With success, he may make 
  his Agility roll as normal. A failure causes him to take a 
  detour around the ferocious beast. He moves one less 
  Range Increment than his Agility roll normally permits 
  (moving backward if he fails the Agility roll). On a critical 
  failure he is Shaken, as well.
  Ace (0) Smashing Fun: A performer who balances 
  plates on sticks (held by colleagues) and a chase can 
  mean only one thing. A failed Agility roll causes the 
  plates to fall and smash. The hero suffers no other effects 
  beyond making no headway.
  Alternately, if a kid draws this card and the policeman 
  is within 1 Range Increment, the Wild Card can take a 
  –2 penalty to his Agility roll. Success not only moves the 
  hero ahead a Range Increment, but also gives him an 
  automatic Distract stunt against the cop.
  ACT 2: BOSTON MUSEUM
  ACT 2: BOSTON MUSEUM
  Having escaped the police, the characters have only 
  one lead—the mention of a diamond of great value. 
  Discovering which diamond requires either a Streetwise 
  roll (asking around the crowd streets) or Investigation 
  (reading the newspapers).
  Whatever method is used, success results in the char-
  acters learning of the Amritsa Diamond, a fabulous gem 
  on display at the Boston Natural History Museum. With a 
  raise, they learn the Museum is closing at midday today 
  because the circus is in town. The youngsters don’t have 
  much time!
  SCENE 1: THE DIAMOND IS OURS
  SCENE 1: THE DIAMOND IS OURS
  No matter how fast the heroes run, they reach the 
  Museum just in time to see the last of the patrons being 
  shown the door. A junior curator, Oswald Hibbert (who 
  appears in Daring Tales of Adventure #2), is just closing 
  the door.
  “Sorry, kids,” the man says apologetically, as he 
  shuts one of the doors and slides home the bolt. 
  “Museum’s closing early today due to the cir-
  cus being in town. We’re open again tomorrow, 
  though.”
  The heroes need to gain entrance if they’re to thwart 
  the robbery, as Hibbert won’t believe their story about a 
  theft. Persuasion rolls can be made, but any reasonable 
  excuse, such as urgently needing the toilet, is enough to 
  gain the party access without a die roll. Hibbert smiles 
  politely if any hero is so brazen as to offer a bribe. He 
  doesn’t take the money.
  Hibbert leads them to the toilets, but then wanders 
  off. He plans to inform a colleague to make sure the kids 
  are out before the doors are locked, but he forgets when 
  he spies some exhibits that have been moved out of 
  place. Before the characters know it, they are shut inside 
  the Natural History Museum.
  DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
  DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
  Locating the diamond can be achieved two ways. First, 
  the heroes can wander aimlessly through the galleries. 
  Second, they can grab a tourist brochure. Although we 
  don’t usually tell GMs when to hand out bennies, this is 
  one of those moments when player ingenuity should be 
  rewarded. Hey, the kids need all the help they can get!
  The gallery before the one containing the diamond 
  has a few dinosaur skeletons at ﬂ oor level. Hanging over-
  head, however, are the immense bones of a diplodocus 
  and a pair of T-Rex.
  The gemstone gallery contains a few other treasures, 
  such as emeralds and rubies, but nothing as lucrative as 
  the diamond, a ﬁ st-sized, glittering stone.
  The Amrita Diamond sits in a glass display case, which 
  is surrounded by a rope to keep patrons from getting 
  too close. This is 1915, long before the advent of infra-
  red beams and other such security measures. One plan, 
  which may cross the heroes’ minds, is to swipe the dia-
  mond ﬁ rst, thus preventing its theft.
  If the stone is taken, or if the heroes spend too long 
  trying to come up with a plan, they hear sounds of clank-
  ing metal behind them. Staggering into the gallery is a 
  suit of plate mail clutching a spiked mace! One of the 
  goons decided to hide inside the armor to escape detec-
  tion when the Museum closed! There’s only one way in 
  and one way out of the exhibit hall—past the armored 
  goon.
  In a deep voice, the armored ﬁ gure growls, “Pesky 
  kids! You’d better hand over the diamond and 
  vamoose now, or you’re going to get badly hurt!”
  The characters have little chance of hurting the goon 
  (he’s a Henchman) thanks to his armor, but he’s also 
  heavily encumbered. Running past him is certainly pos-
  sible.
  Deal action cards.
  The gallery is 10” long and 6” wide. The thug doesn’t 
  advance into the room, though—he just tries to block 
  the doorway. Moving through his square counts as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. Despite his strong words, the guy isn’t a 
  child killer. He’ll swing his mace, but pull his punches 
  (an excuse for why damage doesn’t Ace for him). He’s 
  more interested in grabbing the diamond.
  Whether the thug is avoided or somehow beaten, he 
  has one last trick up his sleeve. Regardless of whether 
  he was Incapacitated or not, as the heroes enter the 
  dinosaur bone gallery, the goon swings his mace, smash-
  ing the mechanism holding up the skeletons. Slowly but 
  surely, the bones begin to fall!
   Armored Goon: See page 10.
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  5
  A failed roll means the hero is accidentally struck by a 
  beast and suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra).
  King (0) They’ll Eat Me Alive!: A pair of lions (well-
  fed) is being paraded through the streets on a leash. One 
  roars loudly at the passing character, forcing him to make 
  a Spirit roll as a free action. With success, he may make 
  his Agility roll as normal. A failure causes him to take a 
  detour around the ferocious beast. He moves one less 
  Range Increment than his Agility roll normally permits 
  (moving backward if he fails the Agility roll). On a critical 
  failure he is Shaken, as well.
  Ace (0) Smashing Fun: A performer who balances 
  plates on sticks (held by colleagues) and a chase can 
  mean only one thing. A failed Agility roll causes the 
  plates to fall and smash. The hero suffers no other effects 
  beyond making no headway.
  Alternately, if a kid draws this card and the policeman 
  is within 1 Range Increment, the Wild Card can take a 
  –2 penalty to his Agility roll. Success not only moves the 
  hero ahead a Range Increment, but also gives him an 
  automatic Distract stunt against the cop.
  ACT 2: BOSTON MUSEUM
  ACT 2: BOSTON MUSEUM
  Having escaped the police, the characters have only 
  one lead—the mention of a diamond of great value. 
  Discovering which diamond requires either a Streetwise 
  roll (asking around the crowd streets) or Investigation 
  (reading the newspapers).
  Whatever method is used, success results in the char-
  acters learning of the Amritsa Diamond, a fabulous gem 
  on display at the Boston Natural History Museum. With a 
  raise, they learn the Museum is closing at midday today 
  because the circus is in town. The youngsters don’t have 
  much time!
  SCENE 1: THE DIAMOND IS OURS
  SCENE 1: THE DIAMOND IS OURS
  No matter how fast the heroes run, they reach the 
  Museum just in time to see the last of the patrons being 
  shown the door. A junior curator, Oswald Hibbert (who 
  appears in Daring Tales of Adventure #2), is just closing 
  the door.
  “Sorry, kids,” the man says apologetically, as he 
  shuts one of the doors and slides home the bolt. 
  “Museum’s closing early today due to the cir-
  cus being in town. We’re open again tomorrow, 
  though.”
  The heroes need to gain entrance if they’re to thwart 
  the robbery, as Hibbert won’t believe their story about a 
  theft. Persuasion rolls can be made, but any reasonable 
  excuse, such as urgently needing the toilet, is enough to 
  gain the party access without a die roll. Hibbert smiles 
  politely if any hero is so brazen as to offer a bribe. He 
  doesn’t take the money.
  Hibbert leads them to the toilets, but then wanders 
  off. He plans to inform a colleague to make sure the kids 
  are out before the doors are locked, but he forgets when 
  he spies some exhibits that have been moved out of 
  place. Before the characters know it, they are shut inside 
  the Natural History Museum.
  DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
  DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
  Locating the diamond can be achieved two ways. First, 
  the heroes can wander aimlessly through the galleries. 
  Second, they can grab a tourist brochure. Although we 
  don’t usually tell GMs when to hand out bennies, this is 
  one of those moments when player ingenuity should be 
  rewarded. Hey, the kids need all the help they can get!
  The gallery before the one containing the diamond 
  has a few dinosaur skeletons at ﬂ oor level. Hanging over-
  head, however, are the immense bones of a diplodocus 
  and a pair of T-Rex.
  The gemstone gallery contains a few other treasures, 
  such as emeralds and rubies, but nothing as lucrative as 
  the diamond, a ﬁ st-sized, glittering stone.
  The Amrita Diamond sits in a glass display case, which 
  is surrounded by a rope to keep patrons from getting 
  too close. This is 1915, long before the advent of infra-
  red beams and other such security measures. One plan, 
  which may cross the heroes’ minds, is to swipe the dia-
  mond ﬁ rst, thus preventing its theft.
  If the stone is taken, or if the heroes spend too long 
  trying to come up with a plan, they hear sounds of clank-
  ing metal behind them. Staggering into the gallery is a 
  suit of plate mail clutching a spiked mace! One of the 
  goons decided to hide inside the armor to escape detec-
  tion when the Museum closed! There’s only one way in 
  and one way out of the exhibit hall—past the armored 
  goon.
  In a deep voice, the armored ﬁ gure growls, “Pesky 
  kids! You’d better hand over the diamond and 
  vamoose now, or you’re going to get badly hurt!”
  The characters have little chance of hurting the goon 
  (he’s a Henchman) thanks to his armor, but he’s also 
  heavily encumbered. Running past him is certainly pos-
  sible.
  Deal action cards.
  The gallery is 10” long and 6” wide. The thug doesn’t 
  advance into the room, though—he just tries to block 
  the doorway. Moving through his square counts as dif-
  ﬁ cult ground. Despite his strong words, the guy isn’t a 
  child killer. He’ll swing his mace, but pull his punches 
  (an excuse for why damage doesn’t Ace for him). He’s 
  more interested in grabbing the diamond.
  Whether the thug is avoided or somehow beaten, he 
  has one last trick up his sleeve. Regardless of whether 
  he was Incapacitated or not, as the heroes enter the 
  dinosaur bone gallery, the goon swings his mace, smash-
  ing the mechanism holding up the skeletons. Slowly but 
  surely, the bones begin to fall!
   Armored Goon: See page 10.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  6
  SCENE 2: COLLAPSING BONES
  SCENE 2: COLLAPSING BONES
  Unless the heroes want to be buried under tons of 
  bones, they need to start running fast toward the other 
  door.
  This Scene uses a version of the Chase rules. Place 10 
  markers on the tabletop. In order to escape into the next 
  gallery, the characters have to move beyond the 10th 
  marker. Each hero has two free rolls before the bones 
  begin to fall.
  The skeletons have an Agility die of d10, but can’t 
  Push. Success moves them one marker, and a raise two 
  markers. Use a token to represent the debris. If the bones 
  end up on the same marker as a hero or move ahead of 
  him, the hero suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra) at the 
  end of the current round.
  Example: Young Brent ends the second round on the 
  ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a failure on his ﬁ rst Agil-
  ity die and a success on the second). Next round, the 
  third since the scene began, the bones enter play. Brent 
  wins the initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no 
  distance. The skeletons roll a 5, and move one position, 
  bringing it level with Brent. He suffers 2d6 damage 
  when the round ends but Soaks the wound it caused.
  Next round, the bones draw a higher action card but 
  roll a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead of 
  the collapsing bones, leaping ahead of a toothed maw 
  as it crashes to the ground. Since he’s ahead of the de-
  bris at the end of the round, he takes no damage.
  SCENE 3: INSECTS!
  SCENE 3: INSECTS!
  CRASH! The grinning skull of a T-Rex slams into 
  the ﬂ oor, as you dive through the doorway. Your 
  scurry toward the exit is quickly halted by the 
  appearance of two goons. Both look mean and 
  menacing! 
  Deal action cards.
  The gallery measures 10” long and 8” wide, as does 
  the bone gallery (which the heroes may reenter). Place a 
  dozen or so 1” counters to represent display cases. Each 
  is full of worms, bugs, and other creepy-crawlies. Tipping 
  over a case counts as an action. When it smashes, it re-
  leases a swarm of bugs (see below). Movement over the 
  bones in the previous area counts as difﬁ cult ground.
  When the ﬁ ght begins, there are two goons present. At 
  the start of the second round, two thugs appear to block 
  the exit from the bone gallery. When round three begins, 
  the armored goon (assuming he’s wasn’t knocked out) 
  enters play, as well. If the characters are still in the bug 
  room, then the armored thug appears in the doorway 
  between this area and the bug room.
  On round one, a display case must be smashed. This 
  can be done by a wild swing missing, or, and easier to 
  arrange, a goon shoving one aside as he rushes toward 
  the kids. As it strikes the ground it shatters, releasing a 
  swarm of angry (but not dangerous) bugs.
  Deal the bugs an action card starting on the next 
  round. Roll a d12 when the bugs act and read this as 
  a clockface. Then roll 2d6 to determine how far the 
  bugs move in that direction. Should they hit a wall, they 
  “bounce” back into the room at the same angle.
  At some point, the bugs’ template must move over 
  the character of Brent. As fans of the Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture line know, the adult Brent has a phobia of bugs. 
  Can you guess where and how he got that?
  Before the last goon falls or after the ﬁ rst hero takes 
  two unSoaked wounds, a gun shot echoes through the 
  gallery. Standing in the doorway is a number of thugs, 
  one of whom has a smoking revolver in his hands.
  “Brave ﬁ ght, kids,” he smiles, “but the show is over. 
  We want the diamond, and we’re not afraid to 
  shoot you to get it. Now, hand it over and you can 
  go free. Come on, you wouldn’t want your parents 
  to get a cofﬁ n for Christmas, would you?”
  This is a “surrender moment,” the point where the 
  heroes give up the ﬁ ght without further violence in re-
  turn for a free benny.
   Insect Swarm: See page 10.
   Armored Goon: See page 10.
   Goons (1 per hero): See page 10.
  TIED UP
  TIED UP
  The kids are tied up and stuffed into a very dark closet. 
  The goons don’t think the kids will escape; they know 
  the Museum won’t be opened until the morning, and 
  they’re planning to skip town tonight. Before the thugs 
  leave the heroes alone, the characters hear one speaking 
  louder than he probably should.
  “Come on,” he says. “These brats aren’t going any-
  where fast. By the time anyone ﬁ nds them it’ll be 
  morning, and we’ll be long gone. I got us all tickets 
  for the circus show tonight. The boss said he’d meet us 
  there later to collect the merchandize and pay us.”
  ACT 3: ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
  ACT 3: ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
  The heroes aren’t in a deathtrap, though they are se-
  curely bound. Escaping doesn’t require any die rolls—it 
  just takes several minutes to loosen the bonds and crack 
  open the door. By this time, the goons are long gone. 
  Still, the heroes know where to go, at least.
  SCENE 1: FAIRGROUND FUN
  SCENE 1: FAIRGROUND FUN
  By the time the kids reach the circus, the show is in 
  full swing. The grounds are swarming with adults and 
  kids, performers and animals. As well as the circus there 
  is also a full-scale funfair in town, so there are stalls and 
  rides of every description.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  6
  SCENE 2: COLLAPSING BONES
  SCENE 2: COLLAPSING BONES
  Unless the heroes want to be buried under tons of 
  bones, they need to start running fast toward the other 
  door.
  This Scene uses a version of the Chase rules. Place 10 
  markers on the tabletop. In order to escape into the next 
  gallery, the characters have to move beyond the 10th 
  marker. Each hero has two free rolls before the bones 
  begin to fall.
  The skeletons have an Agility die of d10, but can’t 
  Push. Success moves them one marker, and a raise two 
  markers. Use a token to represent the debris. If the bones 
  end up on the same marker as a hero or move ahead of 
  him, the hero suffers 2d6 damage (from an Extra) at the 
  end of the current round.
  Example: Young Brent ends the second round on the 
  ﬁ rst marker (having rolled a failure on his ﬁ rst Agil-
  ity die and a success on the second). Next round, the 
  third since the scene began, the bones enter play. Brent 
  wins the initiative but fails his Agility roll, gaining no 
  distance. The skeletons roll a 5, and move one position, 
  bringing it level with Brent. He suffers 2d6 damage 
  when the round ends but Soaks the wound it caused.
  Next round, the bones draw a higher action card but 
  roll a failure. Brent scores a raise! He rushes ahead of 
  the collapsing bones, leaping ahead of a toothed maw 
  as it crashes to the ground. Since he’s ahead of the de-
  bris at the end of the round, he takes no damage.
  SCENE 3: INSECTS!
  SCENE 3: INSECTS!
  CRASH! The grinning skull of a T-Rex slams into 
  the ﬂ oor, as you dive through the doorway. Your 
  scurry toward the exit is quickly halted by the 
  appearance of two goons. Both look mean and 
  menacing! 
  Deal action cards.
  The gallery measures 10” long and 8” wide, as does 
  the bone gallery (which the heroes may reenter). Place a 
  dozen or so 1” counters to represent display cases. Each 
  is full of worms, bugs, and other creepy-crawlies. Tipping 
  over a case counts as an action. When it smashes, it re-
  leases a swarm of bugs (see below). Movement over the 
  bones in the previous area counts as difﬁ cult ground.
  When the ﬁ ght begins, there are two goons present. At 
  the start of the second round, two thugs appear to block 
  the exit from the bone gallery. When round three begins, 
  the armored goon (assuming he’s wasn’t knocked out) 
  enters play, as well. If the characters are still in the bug 
  room, then the armored thug appears in the doorway 
  between this area and the bug room.
  On round one, a display case must be smashed. This 
  can be done by a wild swing missing, or, and easier to 
  arrange, a goon shoving one aside as he rushes toward 
  the kids. As it strikes the ground it shatters, releasing a 
  swarm of angry (but not dangerous) bugs.
  Deal the bugs an action card starting on the next 
  round. Roll a d12 when the bugs act and read this as 
  a clockface. Then roll 2d6 to determine how far the 
  bugs move in that direction. Should they hit a wall, they 
  “bounce” back into the room at the same angle.
  At some point, the bugs’ template must move over 
  the character of Brent. As fans of the Daring Tales of Ad-
  venture line know, the adult Brent has a phobia of bugs. 
  Can you guess where and how he got that?
  Before the last goon falls or after the ﬁ rst hero takes 
  two unSoaked wounds, a gun shot echoes through the 
  gallery. Standing in the doorway is a number of thugs, 
  one of whom has a smoking revolver in his hands.
  “Brave ﬁ ght, kids,” he smiles, “but the show is over. 
  We want the diamond, and we’re not afraid to 
  shoot you to get it. Now, hand it over and you can 
  go free. Come on, you wouldn’t want your parents 
  to get a cofﬁ n for Christmas, would you?”
  This is a “surrender moment,” the point where the 
  heroes give up the ﬁ ght without further violence in re-
  turn for a free benny.
   Insect Swarm: See page 10.
   Armored Goon: See page 10.
   Goons (1 per hero): See page 10.
  TIED UP
  TIED UP
  The kids are tied up and stuffed into a very dark closet. 
  The goons don’t think the kids will escape; they know 
  the Museum won’t be opened until the morning, and 
  they’re planning to skip town tonight. Before the thugs 
  leave the heroes alone, the characters hear one speaking 
  louder than he probably should.
  “Come on,” he says. “These brats aren’t going any-
  where fast. By the time anyone ﬁ nds them it’ll be 
  morning, and we’ll be long gone. I got us all tickets 
  for the circus show tonight. The boss said he’d meet us 
  there later to collect the merchandize and pay us.”
  ACT 3: ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
  ACT 3: ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
  The heroes aren’t in a deathtrap, though they are se-
  curely bound. Escaping doesn’t require any die rolls—it 
  just takes several minutes to loosen the bonds and crack 
  open the door. By this time, the goons are long gone. 
  Still, the heroes know where to go, at least.
  SCENE 1: FAIRGROUND FUN
  SCENE 1: FAIRGROUND FUN
  By the time the kids reach the circus, the show is in 
  full swing. The grounds are swarming with adults and 
  kids, performers and animals. As well as the circus there 
  is also a full-scale funfair in town, so there are stalls and 
  rides of every description.
  
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  7
  Let the kids explore the funfair for a bit. Assume any-
  thing else that could be readily available for purchase at 
  a funfair, such as cotton candy, costs a dime each. Who 
  knows, it might come in handy!
  There are two attractions they pass which might be of 
  interest to the posse.
  SHOOTING RANGE
  SHOOTING RANGE
  There’s a shooting range (air riﬂ es), which offers a va-
  riety of prizes, one of which is a high-powered slingshot 
  (Range: 4/8/16, Damage: Str+d4+1). The heroes might 
  already have one, but a spare wouldn’t go amiss. The 
  GM is also free to invent other prizes the heroes might 
  ﬁ nd useful, such as a fake gun (water pistol) or bag of 
  marbles. Likewise, encourage the players to think of cool 
  things they might want to use later in the adventure (or 
  just to own).
  In order to win a prize, the character has to make 
  three Shooting rolls. As low-powered weapons with no 
  recoil of note, the air riﬂ es do not use the special rules 
  for ﬁ rearms detailed at the start of the adventure. Aim-
  ing makes no difference—the sights are rigged to be off 
  center, and it’s assumed any shooter is aiming, anyway.
  A success is worth two points, a raise nets three points, 
  and two or more raises earns the shooter ﬁ ve points. In 
  order to win, the character has to score seven or more 
  points. Each go costs a quarter!
  COCONUTS
  COCONUTS
  Coconuts are tough to eat, but they can be used as a 
  thrown weapon (Range: 2/4/8, Damage: Str+d4+1). In 
  order to win one, the heroes have to go on the coconut 
  throw. That costs a dime and earns the thrower three 
  balls. Hitting a nut isn’t that hard, but making one fall 
  from the ring is—a Throwing roll at –4 is required! Any 
  winner gets the coconut he toppled.
  ANOTHER BEATING
  ANOTHER BEATING
  The city kids the heroes trounced earlier are also at the 
  funfair. They spot their “rivals” and decide to get even. 
  In order to do that, they rustle up a few more friends. 
  Deal the action cards and let mayhem commence! Add 
  scenery as desired to make the battleﬁ eld fun!
   City Kids (2 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: A FUN AND FAIR CHASE
  SCENE 2: A FUN AND FAIR CHASE
  After having a go on the ﬁ ring range and reminding 
  the local kids that country folk are raised tough, the 
  heroes spot the thugs heading across the fairground, 
  toward the funhouse. Unless they’re quick (i.e. they give 
  chase), they’ll lose them in the huge crowd.
  Run this Scene as a Chase. For the purposes of ranged 
  combat, each Range Increment equates to 5”. The goons 
  begin three Range Increment ahead of the kids.
  Lay out 20 marker stones to represent the fairground 
  and the various attractions, through which the action 
  takes place. It’s very important that some of the stones 
  are of different colors, or placed in such a way to distin-
  guish the distinct locales. You can use whatever colors 
  you want. Check the table below.
  Marker 
  Locale
  1–4 
  Outside
  5–8 
  Funhouse—moving ﬂ oor
  9–12 
  Funhouse—hall of mirrors
  13–16 
  Funhouse—haunted house
  17–20 
  Outside
  In each speciﬁ c locale special rules apply, as detailed 
  below.
  The characters can “win” the scene one of two ways. 
  First, they can catch one of the thugs and wrestle him 
  to the ground. Pinned beneath a mob of kids, the thug 
  quickly reveals the location of his boss (keep reading). 
  Second, they can try to remain behind the thugs and 
  tail them. Any hero within three Range Increments of a 
  thug reaching the 20th marker is close enough to see the 
  destination—the big top.
  So what if the heroes fail to achieve either? They’ll 
  need to make a Notice roll to spot the goons when they 
  leave their meeting place. With success, proceed straight 
  to Act 4, Scene 2.
   Goons (4): See page 10.
  OUTSIDE
  OUTSIDE
  There are no true Obstacles. Instead, the numerous 
  stalls and visitors get in the way and hamper movement. 
  Check the value of a Club card on the table below. Modi-
  ﬁ ers apply to the participant’s Agility roll for the round.
  Failure results in the hero making no movement (he’s 
  still moving, of course, but very slowly). A roll of 1 or less 
  means the hero goes back one Range Increment, through 
  taking lengthy detours or being swept backward.
  Card 
  Modiﬁ er
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–6 
  –4
  7–10 
  –2
  Jack 
  –1
  Ace 
  0
  FUNHOUSE—MOVING FLOOR
  FUNHOUSE—MOVING FLOOR
  This particular funhouse has one attraction—a mov-
  ing ﬂ oor. Sections of the wooden catwalk shift left and 
  right at varying speeds and make walking difﬁ cult. And 
  people call this fun? Participants use Agility as their skill 
  for determining movement, but there is always a –2 
  penalty. Use the table above as well—all modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative!
  As above, heroes who fail just don’t move—they’re 
  too busy catching their balance. A roll of 1 or less means 
  the character falls. He must use an action to stand, giving 
  him a multi action penalty if he wants to stand and try 
  moving in the same round.
  The ﬂ oor counts as an Unstable Platform.
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  7
  Let the kids explore the funfair for a bit. Assume any-
  thing else that could be readily available for purchase at 
  a funfair, such as cotton candy, costs a dime each. Who 
  knows, it might come in handy!
  There are two attractions they pass which might be of 
  interest to the posse.
  SHOOTING RANGE
  SHOOTING RANGE
  There’s a shooting range (air riﬂ es), which offers a va-
  riety of prizes, one of which is a high-powered slingshot 
  (Range: 4/8/16, Damage: Str+d4+1). The heroes might 
  already have one, but a spare wouldn’t go amiss. The 
  GM is also free to invent other prizes the heroes might 
  ﬁ nd useful, such as a fake gun (water pistol) or bag of 
  marbles. Likewise, encourage the players to think of cool 
  things they might want to use later in the adventure (or 
  just to own).
  In order to win a prize, the character has to make 
  three Shooting rolls. As low-powered weapons with no 
  recoil of note, the air riﬂ es do not use the special rules 
  for ﬁ rearms detailed at the start of the adventure. Aim-
  ing makes no difference—the sights are rigged to be off 
  center, and it’s assumed any shooter is aiming, anyway.
  A success is worth two points, a raise nets three points, 
  and two or more raises earns the shooter ﬁ ve points. In 
  order to win, the character has to score seven or more 
  points. Each go costs a quarter!
  COCONUTS
  COCONUTS
  Coconuts are tough to eat, but they can be used as a 
  thrown weapon (Range: 2/4/8, Damage: Str+d4+1). In 
  order to win one, the heroes have to go on the coconut 
  throw. That costs a dime and earns the thrower three 
  balls. Hitting a nut isn’t that hard, but making one fall 
  from the ring is—a Throwing roll at –4 is required! Any 
  winner gets the coconut he toppled.
  ANOTHER BEATING
  ANOTHER BEATING
  The city kids the heroes trounced earlier are also at the 
  funfair. They spot their “rivals” and decide to get even. 
  In order to do that, they rustle up a few more friends. 
  Deal the action cards and let mayhem commence! Add 
  scenery as desired to make the battleﬁ eld fun!
   City Kids (2 per hero): See page 10.
  SCENE 2: A FUN AND FAIR CHASE
  SCENE 2: A FUN AND FAIR CHASE
  After having a go on the ﬁ ring range and reminding 
  the local kids that country folk are raised tough, the 
  heroes spot the thugs heading across the fairground, 
  toward the funhouse. Unless they’re quick (i.e. they give 
  chase), they’ll lose them in the huge crowd.
  Run this Scene as a Chase. For the purposes of ranged 
  combat, each Range Increment equates to 5”. The goons 
  begin three Range Increment ahead of the kids.
  Lay out 20 marker stones to represent the fairground 
  and the various attractions, through which the action 
  takes place. It’s very important that some of the stones 
  are of different colors, or placed in such a way to distin-
  guish the distinct locales. You can use whatever colors 
  you want. Check the table below.
  Marker 
  Locale
  1–4 
  Outside
  5–8 
  Funhouse—moving ﬂ oor
  9–12 
  Funhouse—hall of mirrors
  13–16 
  Funhouse—haunted house
  17–20 
  Outside
  In each speciﬁ c locale special rules apply, as detailed 
  below.
  The characters can “win” the scene one of two ways. 
  First, they can catch one of the thugs and wrestle him 
  to the ground. Pinned beneath a mob of kids, the thug 
  quickly reveals the location of his boss (keep reading). 
  Second, they can try to remain behind the thugs and 
  tail them. Any hero within three Range Increments of a 
  thug reaching the 20th marker is close enough to see the 
  destination—the big top.
  So what if the heroes fail to achieve either? They’ll 
  need to make a Notice roll to spot the goons when they 
  leave their meeting place. With success, proceed straight 
  to Act 4, Scene 2.
   Goons (4): See page 10.
  OUTSIDE
  OUTSIDE
  There are no true Obstacles. Instead, the numerous 
  stalls and visitors get in the way and hamper movement. 
  Check the value of a Club card on the table below. Modi-
  ﬁ ers apply to the participant’s Agility roll for the round.
  Failure results in the hero making no movement (he’s 
  still moving, of course, but very slowly). A roll of 1 or less 
  means the hero goes back one Range Increment, through 
  taking lengthy detours or being swept backward.
  Card 
  Modiﬁ er
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–6 
  –4
  7–10 
  –2
  Jack 
  –1
  Ace 
  0
  FUNHOUSE—MOVING FLOOR
  FUNHOUSE—MOVING FLOOR
  This particular funhouse has one attraction—a mov-
  ing ﬂ oor. Sections of the wooden catwalk shift left and 
  right at varying speeds and make walking difﬁ cult. And 
  people call this fun? Participants use Agility as their skill 
  for determining movement, but there is always a –2 
  penalty. Use the table above as well—all modiﬁ ers are 
  cumulative!
  As above, heroes who fail just don’t move—they’re 
  too busy catching their balance. A roll of 1 or less means 
  the character falls. He must use an action to stand, giving 
  him a multi action penalty if he wants to stand and try 
  moving in the same round.
  The ﬂ oor counts as an Unstable Platform.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  8
  FUNHOUSE—HALL OF MIRRORS
  FUNHOUSE—HALL OF MIRRORS
  Instead of using Agility (a measure of speed), navigat-
  ing through the mirror maze uses Smarts! Use the table 
  from the Outside segment of the Chase in here. Rather 
  than people, it presents the confusing placement of mir-
  rors.
  A failure results in no forward gain. The character 
  might wander in circles or just hit several dead ends 
  (literally). On a roll of 1 or less, the hero ends up get-
  ting lost or smashes into a mirror by mistake. If his 
  action card is red, he’s lost. Move him back a Range 
  Increment. A black action card means he collides with 
  a cunning mirror which shows no reﬂ ection until its 
  too late to stop (the kids are running, after all). The 
  character is Shaken.
  FUNHOUSE—HAUNTED HOUSE
  FUNHOUSE—HAUNTED HOUSE
  Okay, it isn’t really haunted, but there are plenty of 
  spooks leaping out of the shadows to startle visitors.
  Heroes use Agility to make progress. A Club result 
  means the hero must make a Spirit roll as a free action, 
  as something scary occurs (the GM should decide what). 
  A failed roll prevents the hero from making an Agility 
  roll this round—he’s busy clutching his heart in fright. A 
  critical failure means the runner is Shaken, as well.
  ACT 4: IT ALL ENDS WELL!
  ACT 4: IT ALL ENDS WELL!
  There’s a performance on in the big top, so it’s packed. 
  As the kids enter, the ringmaster is just announcing the 
  next act—the clowns!
  SCENE 1: BUGSY WHO?
  SCENE 1: BUGSY WHO?
  Working their way through the spectators, the heroes 
  catch sight of the goons not far away. They’re talking to a 
  weasel-faced man in a suit. There seems to be some sort 
  of problem.
  “Where’s the merchandize?” asks the weasel.
  The goons shift on their feet nervously. “Boss,” 
  begins one of them, his head hung low while he 
  twiddles his fat in his ﬁ ngers, “we stashed it for 
  safety. Some kids was after us.”
  “Kids? You’re telling me a bunch of brats got you 
  scared? Darn it; just tell me where the goods are? 
  We’ve got to get moving. If those kids call the cops, 
  we’re done for.”
  “Er,” the goon replies, nodding his head toward 
  the ring, where the clowns are dragging in a huge 
  table full of cream pies, “we hid it in one of the 
  pies for safekeeping. I don’t remember which one, 
  boss, we was in a real hurry.”
  The boss slaps a hand against his forehead. “You 
  dummies!” he hisses. “Get in that ring now and 
  start searching those pies! I don’t care who sees 
  you; just do it!”
  With that, the goons climb over the low rail-
  ing and, ignoring the boos and hisses from the 
  crowd who resent their intrusion, head for the 
  table.
  Deal action cards. Hopefully the heroes realize they 
  need to act fast and reach the pies ﬁ rst.
  The circus ring is 10” across. The goons enter at the 
  six o’clock position. The table of pies is 3” long and 
  stands inside the northern end of the ring. Ignore the 
  clowns—they become a special hazard once the ﬁ ght 
  breaks out. The thugs initially begin searching for the 
  diamond, but quickly begin throwing pies at the kids if 
  attacked.
  There are a lot of cream pies. Grabbing a cream pie 
  is a free action. Searching through a pie for the diamond 
  requires an action but no die roll. Instead, draw a card 
  from the action deck. A Joker means the character 
  has found the stone! Picking it up requires an action, 
  though.
  A thrown pie has Range 2/4/8 just like a weapon, but 
  instead of causing damage it functions like a Trick, but 
  uses Throwing vs. Agility. Slapping one in someone’s 
  face is a regular Agility Trick.
  When a pie that hasn’t been searched is used as a 
  weapon draw an action card. A Joker means the victim 
  gets hit by something hard—the diamond! Picking up 
  the gem from a thrown pie requires an Agility roll as an 
  action, due to its slipperiness.
  What about the clowns? They mill around the scene 
  for the ﬁ rst round, but then decide this is a great oppor-
  tunity for some fun. From round two onward, whenever 
  a character draws a deuce, the clowns hamper him in 
  some way (see the table below). For the goons or police 
  (see below), pick one thug to be victimized, not all of 
  them.
  Suit 
  Result
  Club 
  My Eyes!: The clown uses a water squirting 
  ﬂ ower or soda siphon on the hero. Treat 
  this as an Agility Trick. The clown’s Agility is 
  d8+2 (they have Acrobat).
  Diamond 
  Big Hat: A clown tries to stick an oversized 
  hat over a hero’s head, temporarily blind-
  ing him. This functions as an Agility Trick 
  (d8+2), with the hat being thrown off when 
  all penalties are removed.
  Heart 
  Rubber Mallet: A hero is whacked with 
  a rubber mallet. Make a Fighting d6 roll. 
  With success, the hero is automatically 
  Shaken (nonphysical effect). On a raise, the 
  character is knocked prone, as well.
  Spade 
  Pie: A clown throws a pie. Draw a card 
  to see if the pie contains the gem. Then 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  8
  FUNHOUSE—HALL OF MIRRORS
  FUNHOUSE—HALL OF MIRRORS
  Instead of using Agility (a measure of speed), navigat-
  ing through the mirror maze uses Smarts! Use the table 
  from the Outside segment of the Chase in here. Rather 
  than people, it presents the confusing placement of mir-
  rors.
  A failure results in no forward gain. The character 
  might wander in circles or just hit several dead ends 
  (literally). On a roll of 1 or less, the hero ends up get-
  ting lost or smashes into a mirror by mistake. If his 
  action card is red, he’s lost. Move him back a Range 
  Increment. A black action card means he collides with 
  a cunning mirror which shows no reﬂ ection until its 
  too late to stop (the kids are running, after all). The 
  character is Shaken.
  FUNHOUSE—HAUNTED HOUSE
  FUNHOUSE—HAUNTED HOUSE
  Okay, it isn’t really haunted, but there are plenty of 
  spooks leaping out of the shadows to startle visitors.
  Heroes use Agility to make progress. A Club result 
  means the hero must make a Spirit roll as a free action, 
  as something scary occurs (the GM should decide what). 
  A failed roll prevents the hero from making an Agility 
  roll this round—he’s busy clutching his heart in fright. A 
  critical failure means the runner is Shaken, as well.
  ACT 4: IT ALL ENDS WELL!
  ACT 4: IT ALL ENDS WELL!
  There’s a performance on in the big top, so it’s packed. 
  As the kids enter, the ringmaster is just announcing the 
  next act—the clowns!
  SCENE 1: BUGSY WHO?
  SCENE 1: BUGSY WHO?
  Working their way through the spectators, the heroes 
  catch sight of the goons not far away. They’re talking to a 
  weasel-faced man in a suit. There seems to be some sort 
  of problem.
  “Where’s the merchandize?” asks the weasel.
  The goons shift on their feet nervously. “Boss,” 
  begins one of them, his head hung low while he 
  twiddles his fat in his ﬁ ngers, “we stashed it for 
  safety. Some kids was after us.”
  “Kids? You’re telling me a bunch of brats got you 
  scared? Darn it; just tell me where the goods are? 
  We’ve got to get moving. If those kids call the cops, 
  we’re done for.”
  “Er,” the goon replies, nodding his head toward 
  the ring, where the clowns are dragging in a huge 
  table full of cream pies, “we hid it in one of the 
  pies for safekeeping. I don’t remember which one, 
  boss, we was in a real hurry.”
  The boss slaps a hand against his forehead. “You 
  dummies!” he hisses. “Get in that ring now and 
  start searching those pies! I don’t care who sees 
  you; just do it!”
  With that, the goons climb over the low rail-
  ing and, ignoring the boos and hisses from the 
  crowd who resent their intrusion, head for the 
  table.
  Deal action cards. Hopefully the heroes realize they 
  need to act fast and reach the pies ﬁ rst.
  The circus ring is 10” across. The goons enter at the 
  six o’clock position. The table of pies is 3” long and 
  stands inside the northern end of the ring. Ignore the 
  clowns—they become a special hazard once the ﬁ ght 
  breaks out. The thugs initially begin searching for the 
  diamond, but quickly begin throwing pies at the kids if 
  attacked.
  There are a lot of cream pies. Grabbing a cream pie 
  is a free action. Searching through a pie for the diamond 
  requires an action but no die roll. Instead, draw a card 
  from the action deck. A Joker means the character 
  has found the stone! Picking it up requires an action, 
  though.
  A thrown pie has Range 2/4/8 just like a weapon, but 
  instead of causing damage it functions like a Trick, but 
  uses Throwing vs. Agility. Slapping one in someone’s 
  face is a regular Agility Trick.
  When a pie that hasn’t been searched is used as a 
  weapon draw an action card. A Joker means the victim 
  gets hit by something hard—the diamond! Picking up 
  the gem from a thrown pie requires an Agility roll as an 
  action, due to its slipperiness.
  What about the clowns? They mill around the scene 
  for the ﬁ rst round, but then decide this is a great oppor-
  tunity for some fun. From round two onward, whenever 
  a character draws a deuce, the clowns hamper him in 
  some way (see the table below). For the goons or police 
  (see below), pick one thug to be victimized, not all of 
  them.
  Suit 
  Result
  Club 
  My Eyes!: The clown uses a water squirting 
  ﬂ ower or soda siphon on the hero. Treat 
  this as an Agility Trick. The clown’s Agility is 
  d8+2 (they have Acrobat).
  Diamond 
  Big Hat: A clown tries to stick an oversized 
  hat over a hero’s head, temporarily blind-
  ing him. This functions as an Agility Trick 
  (d8+2), with the hat being thrown off when 
  all penalties are removed.
  Heart 
  Rubber Mallet: A hero is whacked with 
  a rubber mallet. Make a Fighting d6 roll. 
  With success, the hero is automatically 
  Shaken (nonphysical effect). On a raise, the 
  character is knocked prone, as well.
  Spade 
  Pie: A clown throws a pie. Draw a card 
  to see if the pie contains the gem. Then 
  
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  9
  roll a d8 (the clown’s Throwing skill). The 
  “attack” is made at short range.
  At the start of round four, the commotion alerts a 
  passing policeman. By a quirk of fate, it’s the same one 
  who already chased the heroes. Deal him an action card. 
  Naturally, he sees the young hoodlums harassing adults 
  with cream pies, so his ﬁ rst act is to try and arrest the 
  kids.
  Convincing him the thugs are the bad guys requires a 
  Persuasion roll at –2 or producing the diamond—which 
  means grappling a villain and then making an opposed 
  Agility roll to remove the gem from the boss’ pocket. 
  Either way, the constable blows his whistle on his next 
  action.
  Once the whistle is blown, more police arrive two 
  rounds later. The exact number is equal to the number 
  of characters minus one (because there’s already one 
  ofﬁ cer present). Hand control of the law enforcement 
  ofﬁ cers to the players.
  The goons will use guns against the police (com-
  pounding their crimes), but never against the kids.
  The boss doesn’t ﬁ ght—once the police turn up, he 
  immediately uses the Recurring Villain rule to make 
  good his escape. Head to the next Scene when the he-
  roes eventually give chase.
   The Boss: Treat him as a goon Henchman.
   Goons (1 + 1 per hero): See page 10.
   Policemen (1 per hero): See page 10.
  ESCAPING THUGS
  ESCAPING THUGS
  In the event the goons manage to ﬁ nd the gem and 
  pick it up, they start running. Likewise, a hero who ﬁ nds 
  it and starts running is quickly chased. Whoever becomes 
  the chased has a three Range Increment lead (it takes 
  time to spot his action and give chase).
  Should the goons be running, only the one holding 
  the gem sprints away—assume others that aren’t Inca-
  pacitated surrender and are arrested, as the action has 
  now switched from melee to the chase. One policeman 
  per goon stays behind to arrest them. The other cops, if 
  any, give chase on the round after the heroes.
  The ﬁ rst three rounds are through the crowded circus 
  tent. There’s an automatic –2 penalty to all Agility rolls. 
  After this, use the Outside table to determine the thick-
  ness of the crowd (see page 7).
  If the gem-carrying goon escapes, the heroes have a 
  second chance to catch him—he joins his boss in the 
  next scene. Heroes who escape should be reminded, if 
  necessary, that the boss has already made a run for it, 
  and only the characters can identify him. Unless they act 
  swiftly, he might escape!
  SCENE 2: HIGH ABOVE THE WATER
  SCENE 2: HIGH ABOVE THE WATER
  The boss, and any minion who may have joined him, 
  is detected on the edge of the river, on which the fair-
  ground is located. Run this ﬁ nal scene as a Chase. The 
  heroes have two choices for how they give chase—they 
  can swim (Swimming) or use sets of stilts left nearby by a 
  performer (Agility). The criminals opt to use stilts.
  The boss begins three Range Increments ahead of the 
  characters, and each Range Increment equates to 5”. Lay 
  out ten marker stones to represent the river.
  Once a hero is clear of the 10th marker, he is on dry 
  land. He can either remain on his stilts or spend a full 
  round (no movement) removing them. The far side of 
  the riverbank is a ﬁ eld. It doesn’t affect heroes on foot, 
  but those on stilts still suffer penalties for drawing a Club 
  (see below).
  The water is absolutely freezing. Any hero who elects 
  to swim also has to make a Vigor roll each round or suf-
  fer a level of Fatigue. We’re not here to watch youngsters 
  freeze to death or drown, so the worst a hero can suffer 
  is Exhausted (–2 penalty).
  A hero who goes Out of Control while on stilts falls 
  into the freezing water. He must make an Agility roll to 
  get back on his sticks. Until he does, he’s in the water 
  (requiring a Vigor roll) and can’t roll to increase his dis-
  tance.
  Characters on stilts who want to use a single hand 
  for something other than gripping the stilt, suffer a –2 
  penalty to all rolls if they move as well in the same turn. 
  Standing still, the penalty is –1. Take away both hands, 
  required for using a slingshot for instance, and the pen-
  alty is –4 (or –2 if the character doesn’t move). On a roll 
  of 1, regardless of Wild Die, the hero falls into the water 
  as above.
  The riverbed isn’t ﬂ at, either—it’s covered in stones 
  and boulders. When a hero draws a Club for his action 
  card, his stilts enter a patch of treacherous ground. 
  The penalty on the table below is applied to his Agility 
  roll.
  Card 
  Modiﬁ er
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–6 
  –4
  7–10 
  –2
  Jack 
  –1
  Ace 
  0
  Where are the cops in all this? They’re searching for 
  a boat. If it looks like the villain is about to escape, have 
  the cops appear ahead of him (having found a boat and 
  crossed the river quickly). The boss drops back 1d4+1 
  Range Increments, allowing the kids to continue their 
  chase.
   The Boss: Treat him as a goon Henchman.
   Goon (1): See page 10.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Hopefully the ﬁ ght ends with the characters victori-
  ous. Once the villains are cuffed, they admit their crime.
  “Yeah,” snarls the boss, “we stole the diamond. 
  A few of the boys hid in the Museum just before 
  it closed. We knew nobody would detect the theft 
  until the next morning. By then we’d be a long 
  way from here and looking to retire. And we’d 
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  9
  roll a d8 (the clown’s Throwing skill). The 
  “attack” is made at short range.
  At the start of round four, the commotion alerts a 
  passing policeman. By a quirk of fate, it’s the same one 
  who already chased the heroes. Deal him an action card. 
  Naturally, he sees the young hoodlums harassing adults 
  with cream pies, so his ﬁ rst act is to try and arrest the 
  kids.
  Convincing him the thugs are the bad guys requires a 
  Persuasion roll at –2 or producing the diamond—which 
  means grappling a villain and then making an opposed 
  Agility roll to remove the gem from the boss’ pocket. 
  Either way, the constable blows his whistle on his next 
  action.
  Once the whistle is blown, more police arrive two 
  rounds later. The exact number is equal to the number 
  of characters minus one (because there’s already one 
  ofﬁ cer present). Hand control of the law enforcement 
  ofﬁ cers to the players.
  The goons will use guns against the police (com-
  pounding their crimes), but never against the kids.
  The boss doesn’t ﬁ ght—once the police turn up, he 
  immediately uses the Recurring Villain rule to make 
  good his escape. Head to the next Scene when the he-
  roes eventually give chase.
   The Boss: Treat him as a goon Henchman.
   Goons (1 + 1 per hero): See page 10.
   Policemen (1 per hero): See page 10.
  ESCAPING THUGS
  ESCAPING THUGS
  In the event the goons manage to ﬁ nd the gem and 
  pick it up, they start running. Likewise, a hero who ﬁ nds 
  it and starts running is quickly chased. Whoever becomes 
  the chased has a three Range Increment lead (it takes 
  time to spot his action and give chase).
  Should the goons be running, only the one holding 
  the gem sprints away—assume others that aren’t Inca-
  pacitated surrender and are arrested, as the action has 
  now switched from melee to the chase. One policeman 
  per goon stays behind to arrest them. The other cops, if 
  any, give chase on the round after the heroes.
  The ﬁ rst three rounds are through the crowded circus 
  tent. There’s an automatic –2 penalty to all Agility rolls. 
  After this, use the Outside table to determine the thick-
  ness of the crowd (see page 7).
  If the gem-carrying goon escapes, the heroes have a 
  second chance to catch him—he joins his boss in the 
  next scene. Heroes who escape should be reminded, if 
  necessary, that the boss has already made a run for it, 
  and only the characters can identify him. Unless they act 
  swiftly, he might escape!
  SCENE 2: HIGH ABOVE THE WATER
  SCENE 2: HIGH ABOVE THE WATER
  The boss, and any minion who may have joined him, 
  is detected on the edge of the river, on which the fair-
  ground is located. Run this ﬁ nal scene as a Chase. The 
  heroes have two choices for how they give chase—they 
  can swim (Swimming) or use sets of stilts left nearby by a 
  performer (Agility). The criminals opt to use stilts.
  The boss begins three Range Increments ahead of the 
  characters, and each Range Increment equates to 5”. Lay 
  out ten marker stones to represent the river.
  Once a hero is clear of the 10th marker, he is on dry 
  land. He can either remain on his stilts or spend a full 
  round (no movement) removing them. The far side of 
  the riverbank is a ﬁ eld. It doesn’t affect heroes on foot, 
  but those on stilts still suffer penalties for drawing a Club 
  (see below).
  The water is absolutely freezing. Any hero who elects 
  to swim also has to make a Vigor roll each round or suf-
  fer a level of Fatigue. We’re not here to watch youngsters 
  freeze to death or drown, so the worst a hero can suffer 
  is Exhausted (–2 penalty).
  A hero who goes Out of Control while on stilts falls 
  into the freezing water. He must make an Agility roll to 
  get back on his sticks. Until he does, he’s in the water 
  (requiring a Vigor roll) and can’t roll to increase his dis-
  tance.
  Characters on stilts who want to use a single hand 
  for something other than gripping the stilt, suffer a –2 
  penalty to all rolls if they move as well in the same turn. 
  Standing still, the penalty is –1. Take away both hands, 
  required for using a slingshot for instance, and the pen-
  alty is –4 (or –2 if the character doesn’t move). On a roll 
  of 1, regardless of Wild Die, the hero falls into the water 
  as above.
  The riverbed isn’t ﬂ at, either—it’s covered in stones 
  and boulders. When a hero draws a Club for his action 
  card, his stilts enter a patch of treacherous ground. 
  The penalty on the table below is applied to his Agility 
  roll.
  Card 
  Modiﬁ er
  Deuce 
  –6
  3–6 
  –4
  7–10 
  –2
  Jack 
  –1
  Ace 
  0
  Where are the cops in all this? They’re searching for 
  a boat. If it looks like the villain is about to escape, have 
  the cops appear ahead of him (having found a boat and 
  crossed the river quickly). The boss drops back 1d4+1 
  Range Increments, allowing the kids to continue their 
  chase.
   The Boss: Treat him as a goon Henchman.
   Goon (1): See page 10.
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Hopefully the ﬁ ght ends with the characters victori-
  ous. Once the villains are cuffed, they admit their crime.
  “Yeah,” snarls the boss, “we stole the diamond. 
  A few of the boys hid in the Museum just before 
  it closed. We knew nobody would detect the theft 
  until the next morning. By then we’d be a long 
  way from here and looking to retire. And we’d 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  1010
  have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those 
  meddling…”
  “Ah, right,” says the senior policeman, “that’s 
  enough talk from you lot! Take them away and 
  book them, Danny. As for you youngsters,” he 
  says, turning to face you, “I reckon you’ve done 
  your parents proud today.”
  Before the heroes leave town for their country life, 
  they are contacted by a representative of the Boston 
  Natural History Museum. He rewards each character 
  with $25 (a goodly sum for the age) and thanks them 
  profusely for their assistance. The Boston Herald also 
  interviews the party, and they make the front page!
  Happy holidays from everyone at Triple Ace 
  Games!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CITY KIDS
  CITY KIDS
  City kids consider themselves savvier than their coun-
  try cousins, who are a little “backward” in their opinion. 
  They’re prepared to “defend their turf” with ﬁ sts, if nec-
  essary. Note that because the kids are Young, they earn 
  a benny each.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Taunt 
  d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Loyal, Young
  Edges: —
  Gear: —
  POLICEMAN
  POLICEMAN
  Stereotyping may be politically incorrect, but this is 
  pulp, and certain stereotypes are part of the genre. In 
  this case, it’s the Irish policeman with the thick brogue.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edges & Hindrances: —
  Gear: Baton (Str+d4), handcuffs
  ARMORED GOON
  ARMORED GOON
  The thug has a –2 encumbrance penalty due to the 
  bulky armor. Modiﬁ ers are included in his stat block, for 
  convenience. Remember, damage is not a trait roll, so 
  that is unaffected. The armored goon is a Henchman, so 
  he has three wound levels but no Wild Die.
  Attributes: Agility d6–2, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6–2, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8–2, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Plate armor (+3), spiked mace (Str+d6+1)
  GOONS
  GOONS
  Most of these goons are mere Extras. One, the boss, 
  is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Revolver (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6)
  INSECT SWARM
  INSECT SWARM
  The insects aren’t dangerous, but they are creepy. 
  They ﬁ ll a Medium Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 2d6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities: 
  * Bugs: Nonviolent, the bugs are nonetheless scary to 
  young kids and adults alike. Any hero caught under 
  the template as it moves must make a Spirit roll or be 
  Shaken as he frantically tries to ﬂ ick away the insects 
  and creepy-crawlies.
  * Split: When the swarm is ﬁ rst wounded, it splits into 
  two Small Burst Template swarms. The Toughness of 
  each swarm is lowered by –2 (i.e. to 5). When these 
  swarms take a wound, they are dispersed and become 
  ineffective.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed 
  of hundreds of tiny bugs, cutting, piercing, and en-
  ergy weapons do no real damage. Area-effect weap-
  ons work normally. Stomping does Str damage each 
  round.
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  BRENT HARDCASTLE
  BRENT HARDCASTLE
  Brent has grown up on the farm where his dad works 
  as a laborer. A rough-and-tumble lad, he prefers to solve 
  problems through action and ﬁ sticuffs, not idle thought. 
  He’s currently the school slingshot champion, an honor-
  ary title handed down by his fellow students, but one of 
  which he is very proud.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE XMAS 08 SPECIAL
  1010
  have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those 
  meddling…”
  “Ah, right,” says the senior policeman, “that’s 
  enough talk from you lot! Take them away and 
  book them, Danny. As for you youngsters,” he 
  says, turning to face you, “I reckon you’ve done 
  your parents proud today.”
  Before the heroes leave town for their country life, 
  they are contacted by a representative of the Boston 
  Natural History Museum. He rewards each character 
  with $25 (a goodly sum for the age) and thanks them 
  profusely for their assistance. The Boston Herald also 
  interviews the party, and they make the front page!
  Happy holidays from everyone at Triple Ace 
  Games!
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CITY KIDS
  CITY KIDS
  City kids consider themselves savvier than their coun-
  try cousins, who are a little “backward” in their opinion. 
  They’re prepared to “defend their turf” with ﬁ sts, if nec-
  essary. Note that because the kids are Young, they earn 
  a benny each.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Taunt 
  d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Loyal, Young
  Edges: —
  Gear: —
  POLICEMAN
  POLICEMAN
  Stereotyping may be politically incorrect, but this is 
  pulp, and certain stereotypes are part of the genre. In 
  this case, it’s the Irish policeman with the thick brogue.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edges & Hindrances: —
  Gear: Baton (Str+d4), handcuffs
  ARMORED GOON
  ARMORED GOON
  The thug has a –2 encumbrance penalty due to the 
  bulky armor. Modiﬁ ers are included in his stat block, for 
  convenience. Remember, damage is not a trait roll, so 
  that is unaffected. The armored goon is a Henchman, so 
  he has three wound levels but no Wild Die.
  Attributes: Agility d6–2, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6–2, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8–2, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Plate armor (+3), spiked mace (Str+d6+1)
  GOONS
  GOONS
  Most of these goons are mere Extras. One, the boss, 
  is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Mean
  Edges: —
  Gear: Revolver (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6)
  INSECT SWARM
  INSECT SWARM
  The insects aren’t dangerous, but they are creepy. 
  They ﬁ ll a Medium Burst Template.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d12, Strength 
  d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6
  Pace: 2d6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities: 
  * Bugs: Nonviolent, the bugs are nonetheless scary to 
  young kids and adults alike. Any hero caught under 
  the template as it moves must make a Spirit roll or be 
  Shaken as he frantically tries to ﬂ ick away the insects 
  and creepy-crawlies.
  * Split: When the swarm is ﬁ rst wounded, it splits into 
  two Small Burst Template swarms. The Toughness of 
  each swarm is lowered by –2 (i.e. to 5). When these 
  swarms take a wound, they are dispersed and become 
  ineffective.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. Because the swarm is composed 
  of hundreds of tiny bugs, cutting, piercing, and en-
  ergy weapons do no real damage. Area-effect weap-
  ons work normally. Stomping does Str damage each 
  round.
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  BRENT HARDCASTLE
  BRENT HARDCASTLE
  Brent has grown up on the farm where his dad works 
  as a laborer. A rough-and-tumble lad, he prefers to solve 
  problems through action and ﬁ sticuffs, not idle thought. 
  He’s currently the school slingshot champion, an honor-
  ary title handed down by his fellow students, but one of 
  which he is very proud.
  
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  1111
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Notice d4, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6, Survival d4
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Young
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Luck
  Gear: Slingshot (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4, RoF 
  1), handful of stones, pack of gum, packed lunch, $1
  SAMANTHA HARDCASTLE
  SAMANTHA HARDCASTLE
  Sam is Brent’s kid sister (only a year difference). Stu-
  dious and well-read, she has aspirations of becoming a 
  novelist one day. Although her family isn’t wealthy by 
  any stretch of the imagination, Sam has an extensive li-
  brary, thanks to her teacher, Mrs. Wintermore, who has 
  spotted her talent and is nurturing it. Sam’s freckles, 
  long pigtails, and thick glasses give her a dorky appear-
  ance.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Investigation d8, Notice d6, Persua-
  sion d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), Curious, Stubborn, 
  Young
  Edges: Investigator
  Gear: Glasses, pad and pencil, packed lunch, $0.50
  OSCAR WHITFIELD
  OSCAR WHITFIELD
  Oscar is your stereotypical “fat kid,” but with one dif-
  ference—he isn’t bullied by his peers. Rather, Oscar is 
  the school bully. He runs a “protection racket”—fellow 
  students hand over their lunches and pocket money, or 
  he pounds them senseless. Of course, to his parents he 
  is their darling angel, and can do no wrong.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Street-
  wise d4, Throwing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor: obsessed with food), Mean, 
  Obese, Young
  Edges: Sweep
  Gear: Note from his mother excusing him from strenu-
  ous activity, three packed lunches, $3
  NANCY HESTLETWAIN
  NANCY HESTLETWAIN
  The daughter of the town doctor and the mayor’s 
  eldest child, Nancy is richer than the other kids in her 
  school. She owns a pony, takes violin lessons, is a star 
  gymnast (private lessons), and has even ridden in her 
  daddy’s car (one of the few in town). Nancy has a crush 
  on Brent, though it isn’t reciprocated—Brent would 
  rather be playing than wasting time with girls.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Healing d6, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Taunt d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Big Mouth, Paciﬁ st (Minor), Young
  Edges: Acrobat
  Gear: First aid kit, borrowed stethoscope (for playing 
  “doctors and nurses”), packed lunch, $10
  ARTHUR ABRAHAMS
  ARTHUR ABRAHAMS
  Arthur’s dad is an avid reader of the works of H. 
  G. Wells and Jules Verne, and Arthur has followed 
  suit. Using his dad’s tools, Arthur has constructed a 
  “ray gun.” Actually it’s just a flashlight with a pow-
  erful strobe effect, but the lad isn’t having any of 
  that.
  Note: Arthur’s ﬂ ashlight is his sole gizmo and uses 
  one set of Power Points (he’s only a kid, not a genius). 
  Due to the devices experimental nature, it cannot re-
  charge during play—once the Power Points are spent, 
  they are gone. The stun power uses a Cone Template, 
  ignoring the usual rules on Range and the Medium Burst 
  Template.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (Optics) d6, Notice d4, 
  Repair d6, Stealth d4, Weird Science d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Cautious, Delusional (Minor; thinks he has 
  invented a ray gun), Young
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), New Power 
  (stun), Power Points
  Powers: Light, stun (15 Power Points)
  Gear: “Flashlight,” screwdriver, packed lunch, $0.75
  LUCIUS MUNROE
  LUCIUS MUNROE
  In front of adults, Lucius is a perfect child—well-man-
  nered, sociable, and very cute. But his friends know dif-
  ferent. If there’s trouble in town, you can bet Lucius is 
  involved somehow. Many a lad has been rewarded with a 
  cuff round the ear for stealing apples or candy at Lucius’ 
  prompting, but Lucius has a knack for avoiding danger.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Lockpicking d6, Per-
  suasion d4, Notice d6, Stealth d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent, Phobia (Minor: Claustro-
  phobia), Young
  Edges: Attractive, Danger Sense, Fleet Footed
  Gear: Homemade lockpicks, packed lunch, stolen bub-
  blegum and assorted candy, $1.25
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  THE TALE OF THE FABULOUS FOUR
  1111
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Notice d4, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6, Survival d4
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Young
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Luck
  Gear: Slingshot (Range: 3/6/12, Damage: Str+d4, RoF 
  1), handful of stones, pack of gum, packed lunch, $1
  SAMANTHA HARDCASTLE
  SAMANTHA HARDCASTLE
  Sam is Brent’s kid sister (only a year difference). Stu-
  dious and well-read, she has aspirations of becoming a 
  novelist one day. Although her family isn’t wealthy by 
  any stretch of the imagination, Sam has an extensive li-
  brary, thanks to her teacher, Mrs. Wintermore, who has 
  spotted her talent and is nurturing it. Sam’s freckles, 
  long pigtails, and thick glasses give her a dorky appear-
  ance.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Investigation d8, Notice d6, Persua-
  sion d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), Curious, Stubborn, 
  Young
  Edges: Investigator
  Gear: Glasses, pad and pencil, packed lunch, $0.50
  OSCAR WHITFIELD
  OSCAR WHITFIELD
  Oscar is your stereotypical “fat kid,” but with one dif-
  ference—he isn’t bullied by his peers. Rather, Oscar is 
  the school bully. He runs a “protection racket”—fellow 
  students hand over their lunches and pocket money, or 
  he pounds them senseless. Of course, to his parents he 
  is their darling angel, and can do no wrong.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Street-
  wise d4, Throwing d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor: obsessed with food), Mean, 
  Obese, Young
  Edges: Sweep
  Gear: Note from his mother excusing him from strenu-
  ous activity, three packed lunches, $3
  NANCY HESTLETWAIN
  NANCY HESTLETWAIN
  The daughter of the town doctor and the mayor’s 
  eldest child, Nancy is richer than the other kids in her 
  school. She owns a pony, takes violin lessons, is a star 
  gymnast (private lessons), and has even ridden in her 
  daddy’s car (one of the few in town). Nancy has a crush 
  on Brent, though it isn’t reciprocated—Brent would 
  rather be playing than wasting time with girls.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Healing d6, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Taunt d6
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Big Mouth, Paciﬁ st (Minor), Young
  Edges: Acrobat
  Gear: First aid kit, borrowed stethoscope (for playing 
  “doctors and nurses”), packed lunch, $10
  ARTHUR ABRAHAMS
  ARTHUR ABRAHAMS
  Arthur’s dad is an avid reader of the works of H. 
  G. Wells and Jules Verne, and Arthur has followed 
  suit. Using his dad’s tools, Arthur has constructed a 
  “ray gun.” Actually it’s just a flashlight with a pow-
  erful strobe effect, but the lad isn’t having any of 
  that.
  Note: Arthur’s ﬂ ashlight is his sole gizmo and uses 
  one set of Power Points (he’s only a kid, not a genius). 
  Due to the devices experimental nature, it cannot re-
  charge during play—once the Power Points are spent, 
  they are gone. The stun power uses a Cone Template, 
  ignoring the usual rules on Range and the Medium Burst 
  Template.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (Optics) d6, Notice d4, 
  Repair d6, Stealth d4, Weird Science d8
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Cautious, Delusional (Minor; thinks he has 
  invented a ray gun), Young
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), New Power 
  (stun), Power Points
  Powers: Light, stun (15 Power Points)
  Gear: “Flashlight,” screwdriver, packed lunch, $0.75
  LUCIUS MUNROE
  LUCIUS MUNROE
  In front of adults, Lucius is a perfect child—well-man-
  nered, sociable, and very cute. But his friends know dif-
  ferent. If there’s trouble in town, you can bet Lucius is 
  involved somehow. Many a lad has been rewarded with a 
  cuff round the ear for stealing apples or candy at Lucius’ 
  prompting, but Lucius has a knack for avoiding danger.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Lockpicking d6, Per-
  suasion d4, Notice d6, Stealth d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent, Phobia (Minor: Claustro-
  phobia), Young
  Edges: Attractive, Danger Sense, Fleet Footed
  Gear: Homemade lockpicks, packed lunch, stolen bub-
  blegum and assorted candy, $1.25
  
  DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE 
  DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE 
  Daring Tales of Adventure
  Daring Tales of Adventure are fast paced pulp 
   are fast paced pulp 
  roleplaying adventure modules designed to take 
  roleplaying adventure modules designed to take 
  your players on a wild ride!
  your players on a wild ride!
  From criminal materminds, crazed cultists to 
  From criminal materminds, crazed cultists to 
  deadly assassins to name but a few, your heroes 
  deadly assassins to name but a few, your heroes 
  will have to keep their wits about them to win 
  will have to keep their wits about them to win 
  through.
  through.
  Daring Tales of Adventure
  Daring Tales of Adventure available now from 
   available now from 
  Triple Ace Games!
  Triple Ace Games!
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31011
  31011
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31013
  31013
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  
  All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  
   SOME HIGH OCTANE ADVENTURE?
   SOME HIGH OCTANE ADVENTURE?
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31016
  31016
  $0.00
  $0.00
  Its all down to the kids to save 
  the day in this ripping good yarn.
  The kids discover that a 
  bunch of local criminals plan 
  to steel a valuable diamond 
  from the Boston Natural 
  History Museum. 
  Can they foil the criminals and 
  save the day?
  Triple Ace Games invite you to a 
  seasonal Daring Tales of Adventure in which you take on the 
  roll of these inquisitive kids in The Tale of the Fabulous Four.
  Can the fabulous four foil 
  Can the fabulous four foil 
  the diamond theves?
  the diamond theves?
  
  rocket nazis on the
  orient express
  rocket nazis on the
  rocket nazis on the
  orient express
  orient express
  notty stone
  notty stone
  TAG31049
  TAG31049
  
  BY NOTTY STONE
  BY NOTTY STONE
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  PLAYTESTERS: CLARE DEBENHAM. CHRIS HILLS, DAVE GEORGE, SAM HOSKINS, ADAM WARD, AND RACHEL WARD,
  PLAYTESTERS: CLARE DEBENHAM. CHRIS HILLS, DAVE GEORGE, SAM HOSKINS, ADAM WARD, AND RACHEL WARD,
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  BY NOTTY STONE
  BY NOTTY STONE
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  EDITING & PROOFREADING: PAUL ‘WIGGY’ WADE-WILLIAMS
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  COVER DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  ART: GONG CREATIVES
  PLAYTESTERS: CLARE DEBENHAM. CHRIS HILLS, DAVE GEORGE, SAM HOSKINS, ADAM WARD, AND RACHEL WARD,
  PLAYTESTERS: CLARE DEBENHAM. CHRIS HILLS, DAVE GEORGE, SAM HOSKINS, ADAM WARD, AND RACHEL WARD,
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage 
  Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with 
  permission. © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  It is 1934, Adolf Hitler is now Chancellor of Germany, 
  but is yet to become Fuhrer: that horror lies in the fu-
  ture. For now he is content to launch twisted schemes to 
  destroy his enemies: the British, the Russians, the Ameri-
  cans, but above all, the French. The Treaty of Versailles 
  forbids Hitler from openly building up his armed forces, 
  and so he is doing it in secret. His current plan for the 
  glorious Third Reich begins with a devastating ﬁ rst strike 
  against the strongest opponent in Europe—France. In or-
  der to do this Hitler is investing in research into the most 
  advanced and creative weapons known to man. To this 
  end, he has authorized Major Werner von Stosser to get, 
  by force if necessary, the most brilliant and unusual minds 
  from around the world to work on those weapons. 
  Von Stosser is the commander of the elite troop of 
  Nazi Rocketeers, and he has spent the last few months 
  gathering scientists from around the world, to work on 
  a variety of mind-boggling projects. Progress has been 
  swift and he is ready for his ﬁ rst strike. Von Stosser’s 
  current plan is comparatively simple; he has prepared a 
  double of France’s famous Orient Express train, and has 
  ﬁ tted it out with rockets more powerful and deadly than 
  any known. The target of the attack is the centre of Paris, 
  with the intention of decapitating the entire French gov-
  ernment in one swift strike.
  Von Stosser has just one problem—the rocket fuel just 
  isn’t powerful enough. However, one of his prisoners has 
  a solution—the secret formula for advanced rocket fuel 
  which is the brainchild of an American, Doctor Nathanial 
  Davenport. Sadly, for the prisoner, no matter how press-
  ingly he was questioned he didn’t know the details of 
  Davenport’s work, so von Stosser has to get Davenport 
  alive. Von Stosser is handicapped in that he has no idea 
  what Davenport looks like; all he knows is Davenport is 
  American and male. Von Stosser is aware this makes his 
  task a lot harder so he will, initially, be unwilling to risk 
  accidental damage to Davenport.
  Nazi Agents have tracked Davenport down—by luck 
  he is in Europe, and about to travel through the Austrian 
  Alps, within range of where von Stosser and his Nazi 
  Rocketeers can capture him easily and make a quick 
  getaway.
  However, von Stosser’s actions have not gone un-
  noticed. Bertie Robeson, an investigator, has noticed 
  the kidnappings, and through his contacts has come to 
  believe Davenport is next. Stuck in New York he needs 
  to get to Europe quickly and so he contacts some old 
  friends—Brent Hardcastle, and Lady Amelia Valentine. 
  Explaining the plot to his friends, Nazi agents appear and 
  assassinate him. His dying wish to ﬁ nd Davenport sends 
  the heroes to Vienna, where they battle the Nazis Rocke-
  teers on the genuine Orient Express and rescue captured 
  Scientists from a brooding castle ﬁ lled with death traps, 
  before racing von Stosser and his fake Orient Express 
  to the French border, battling throughout the speeding 
  train to prevent a devastating attack on France.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This pulp adventure is a prequel to the Daring Tales 
  of Adventure series from Triple Ace Games, and is based 
  on the history of the four pre-generated characters avail-
  able for free from www.tripleacegames.com. As this is an 
  early adventure, they use the basic character sheets (20 
  XP). However, if you wish to use your own characters, it 
  should be suitable for any Novice level PCs.
  GM’s will also need 10 marker stones, and the Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT ONE: NEW YORK
  ACT ONE: NEW YORK
  As this adventure tells the story of how the characters 
  met, the players do not begin together. Whilst Brent, Jim-
  my and Amelia meet quickly, Doc is not really involved 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON 
  THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  2
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  It is 1934, Adolf Hitler is now Chancellor of Germany, 
  but is yet to become Fuhrer: that horror lies in the fu-
  ture. For now he is content to launch twisted schemes to 
  destroy his enemies: the British, the Russians, the Ameri-
  cans, but above all, the French. The Treaty of Versailles 
  forbids Hitler from openly building up his armed forces, 
  and so he is doing it in secret. His current plan for the 
  glorious Third Reich begins with a devastating ﬁ rst strike 
  against the strongest opponent in Europe—France. In or-
  der to do this Hitler is investing in research into the most 
  advanced and creative weapons known to man. To this 
  end, he has authorized Major Werner von Stosser to get, 
  by force if necessary, the most brilliant and unusual minds 
  from around the world to work on those weapons. 
  Von Stosser is the commander of the elite troop of 
  Nazi Rocketeers, and he has spent the last few months 
  gathering scientists from around the world, to work on 
  a variety of mind-boggling projects. Progress has been 
  swift and he is ready for his ﬁ rst strike. Von Stosser’s 
  current plan is comparatively simple; he has prepared a 
  double of France’s famous Orient Express train, and has 
  ﬁ tted it out with rockets more powerful and deadly than 
  any known. The target of the attack is the centre of Paris, 
  with the intention of decapitating the entire French gov-
  ernment in one swift strike.
  Von Stosser has just one problem—the rocket fuel just 
  isn’t powerful enough. However, one of his prisoners has 
  a solution—the secret formula for advanced rocket fuel 
  which is the brainchild of an American, Doctor Nathanial 
  Davenport. Sadly, for the prisoner, no matter how press-
  ingly he was questioned he didn’t know the details of 
  Davenport’s work, so von Stosser has to get Davenport 
  alive. Von Stosser is handicapped in that he has no idea 
  what Davenport looks like; all he knows is Davenport is 
  American and male. Von Stosser is aware this makes his 
  task a lot harder so he will, initially, be unwilling to risk 
  accidental damage to Davenport.
  Nazi Agents have tracked Davenport down—by luck 
  he is in Europe, and about to travel through the Austrian 
  Alps, within range of where von Stosser and his Nazi 
  Rocketeers can capture him easily and make a quick 
  getaway.
  However, von Stosser’s actions have not gone un-
  noticed. Bertie Robeson, an investigator, has noticed 
  the kidnappings, and through his contacts has come to 
  believe Davenport is next. Stuck in New York he needs 
  to get to Europe quickly and so he contacts some old 
  friends—Brent Hardcastle, and Lady Amelia Valentine. 
  Explaining the plot to his friends, Nazi agents appear and 
  assassinate him. His dying wish to ﬁ nd Davenport sends 
  the heroes to Vienna, where they battle the Nazis Rocke-
  teers on the genuine Orient Express and rescue captured 
  Scientists from a brooding castle ﬁ lled with death traps, 
  before racing von Stosser and his fake Orient Express 
  to the French border, battling throughout the speeding 
  train to prevent a devastating attack on France.
  THE CHARACTERS
  THE CHARACTERS
  This pulp adventure is a prequel to the Daring Tales 
  of Adventure series from Triple Ace Games, and is based 
  on the history of the four pre-generated characters avail-
  able for free from www.tripleacegames.com. As this is an 
  early adventure, they use the basic character sheets (20 
  XP). However, if you wish to use your own characters, it 
  should be suitable for any Novice level PCs.
  GM’s will also need 10 marker stones, and the Dar-
  ing Tales of Adventure pulp setting rules from the TAG 
  website.
  ACT ONE: NEW YORK
  ACT ONE: NEW YORK
  As this adventure tells the story of how the characters 
  met, the players do not begin together. Whilst Brent, Jim-
  my and Amelia meet quickly, Doc is not really involved 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON 
  THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  2
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  3
  until the next Act. Instead of sitting out, Doc’s player 
  can choose to take control of the Nazi agents during this 
  Act; if he makes the chase entertaining and cinematic for 
  everyone involved, give him a benny he can keep to use 
  as Doc later on in the adventure.
  SCENE 1: WHEN BRENT MET AMELIA
  SCENE 1: WHEN BRENT MET AMELIA
  INTRODUCTION FOR DOC
  INTRODUCTION FOR DOC
   (CAN BE USED NOW, OR LATER, AS APPROPRIATE)
   (CAN BE USED NOW, OR LATER, AS APPROPRIATE)
  Yet again the short sightedness of American fund-
  ing boards has thwarted your efforts to turn 
  your latest developments into technology that 
  can aid mankind. Your newest breakthrough 
  is a new method of fuel processing that makes 
  the fuel ultra concentrated, so less is needed. 
  The fact that it is also ultra-combustible and 
  just mildly unstable is a small issue that could 
  easily be overcome if only someone with a bit of 
  vision would lend a hand on the money side of 
  things. Not to be deterred by the lack of interest 
  in the US, and the occasional small explosion, 
  you have decamped to the great cities of Europe 
  to see if you can ﬁ nd more enlightened minds 
  there. So far your lectures have not been success-
  ful, but you’ve only reached Vienna. There’s still 
  plenty more places to try along the route of the 
  Orient Express, and as you settle down for the 
  next stage of your journey you have no idea of 
  the adventure heading your way!
  INTRODUCTION FOR LADY AMELIA
  INTRODUCTION FOR LADY AMELIA
  A few months ago, you went out for a few dates 
  with a fellow Englishman in New York, an ex-
  army ofﬁ cer called Bertie Robeson, now working 
  as a private detective. He called you this morn-
  ing to say he desperately needed to talk to you, 
  but it was too dangerous to talk over the phone. 
  Your curiosity aroused, you agree to meet him at 
  the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. You arrive 
  promptly at three, pulling up against the curb 
  outside the Zoo. Hanging around by the gate you 
  notice a young man, somewhat unkempt in a rug-
  ged kind of way, with a small boy who seems to 
  be wanting to go in.
  A moment later, Bertie arrives, looking terrible. 
  He hasn’t shaved, and his clothes look slept in. 
  He looks around himself wildly. “Were you fol-
  lowed? Did you tell anyone you were coming?” 
  Before you can answer, Bertie pulls you out of 
  the car. “Come with me, I’ll explain everything.” 
  He pulls you out of the car and over to the rug-
  ged young man.
  INTRODUCTION FOR BRENT & JIMMY
  INTRODUCTION FOR BRENT & JIMMY
  Early this morning you received a surprise phone 
  call from a friend you hadn’t heard from since 
  you left your mercenary days behind you. Bertie 
  Robeson, ex-British Army ofﬁ cer, sounded scared, 
  saying nothing more that he desperately needed 
  to speak with you, but refuses to talk over the 
  phone. Surprised, you agree to meet him on Fifth 
  Avenue to talk. Herding Jimmy onto the express 
  train from Boston you get to the entrance to Cen-
  tral Park Zoo just before three.
  As you wait, an elegant and very attractive young 
  woman driving an expensive roadster pulls up to 
  the curb. She scans the crowd, her eyes settling on 
  you both brieﬂ y before looking away. A moment 
  later, Bertie appears out of small crowd inside the 
  zoo, and goes over to her. He looks terrible, as if 
  he hasn’t slept in a week. As soon as he sees you, 
  he heads towards you, bringing the woman with 
  him.
  Bertie makes introductions quickly, talking up Ame-
  lia’s title and Brent’s bravery. He’s a little surprised to 
  see Jimmy—a kid in tow was not part of his plan—but 
  quickly recovers.
  “Good. Now we’re all chums, we need to get a 
  move on. It won’t be long before they…”
  With a throaty roar a large sedan pulls across the street 
  and up onto the sidewalk, blocking in Amelia’s roadster. 
  Two men in dark suits, overcoats and black hats jump 
  out and pull pistols from their coats, ready to open ﬁ re. 
  “Zer he is,” shouts one, “Kill him!”
  Bertie scoops Amelia up and dumps her unceremoni-
  ously back into her car. “Drive! Brent, kid, get in! We 
  have to lose them. I’ll explain on the way!”
  SCENE 2: CENTRAL PARK CHASE
  SCENE 2: CENTRAL PARK CHASE
  Deal for initiative, and let the chase begin. The roadster 
  is pulled alongside the curb at the corner of 5th Avenue 
  and 65th Street, right outside the entrance to the Central 
  Park Zoo, facing north with the villains blocking him in. 
  Trafﬁ c on 5th Avenue is heavy, but not jammed. It takes 
  the villains a little while to get in to their car, so the he-
  roes get a two Range Increment head start. The range 
  increment for this chase is 5.
  Bertie shouts almost immediately he gets into the 
  car: “Off the road! Into the Park!” and its hoped the PCs 
  take this advice. If they don’t then there is a lot of trafﬁ c 
  in Manhattan for them to drive through. And the park 
  makes for a more interesting chase.
   German Agents (3): See page 17.
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  3
  until the next Act. Instead of sitting out, Doc’s player 
  can choose to take control of the Nazi agents during this 
  Act; if he makes the chase entertaining and cinematic for 
  everyone involved, give him a benny he can keep to use 
  as Doc later on in the adventure.
  SCENE 1: WHEN BRENT MET AMELIA
  SCENE 1: WHEN BRENT MET AMELIA
  INTRODUCTION FOR DOC
  INTRODUCTION FOR DOC
   (CAN BE USED NOW, OR LATER, AS APPROPRIATE)
   (CAN BE USED NOW, OR LATER, AS APPROPRIATE)
  Yet again the short sightedness of American fund-
  ing boards has thwarted your efforts to turn 
  your latest developments into technology that 
  can aid mankind. Your newest breakthrough 
  is a new method of fuel processing that makes 
  the fuel ultra concentrated, so less is needed. 
  The fact that it is also ultra-combustible and 
  just mildly unstable is a small issue that could 
  easily be overcome if only someone with a bit of 
  vision would lend a hand on the money side of 
  things. Not to be deterred by the lack of interest 
  in the US, and the occasional small explosion, 
  you have decamped to the great cities of Europe 
  to see if you can ﬁ nd more enlightened minds 
  there. So far your lectures have not been success-
  ful, but you’ve only reached Vienna. There’s still 
  plenty more places to try along the route of the 
  Orient Express, and as you settle down for the 
  next stage of your journey you have no idea of 
  the adventure heading your way!
  INTRODUCTION FOR LADY AMELIA
  INTRODUCTION FOR LADY AMELIA
  A few months ago, you went out for a few dates 
  with a fellow Englishman in New York, an ex-
  army ofﬁ cer called Bertie Robeson, now working 
  as a private detective. He called you this morn-
  ing to say he desperately needed to talk to you, 
  but it was too dangerous to talk over the phone. 
  Your curiosity aroused, you agree to meet him at 
  the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. You arrive 
  promptly at three, pulling up against the curb 
  outside the Zoo. Hanging around by the gate you 
  notice a young man, somewhat unkempt in a rug-
  ged kind of way, with a small boy who seems to 
  be wanting to go in.
  A moment later, Bertie arrives, looking terrible. 
  He hasn’t shaved, and his clothes look slept in. 
  He looks around himself wildly. “Were you fol-
  lowed? Did you tell anyone you were coming?” 
  Before you can answer, Bertie pulls you out of 
  the car. “Come with me, I’ll explain everything.” 
  He pulls you out of the car and over to the rug-
  ged young man.
  INTRODUCTION FOR BRENT & JIMMY
  INTRODUCTION FOR BRENT & JIMMY
  Early this morning you received a surprise phone 
  call from a friend you hadn’t heard from since 
  you left your mercenary days behind you. Bertie 
  Robeson, ex-British Army ofﬁ cer, sounded scared, 
  saying nothing more that he desperately needed 
  to speak with you, but refuses to talk over the 
  phone. Surprised, you agree to meet him on Fifth 
  Avenue to talk. Herding Jimmy onto the express 
  train from Boston you get to the entrance to Cen-
  tral Park Zoo just before three.
  As you wait, an elegant and very attractive young 
  woman driving an expensive roadster pulls up to 
  the curb. She scans the crowd, her eyes settling on 
  you both brieﬂ y before looking away. A moment 
  later, Bertie appears out of small crowd inside the 
  zoo, and goes over to her. He looks terrible, as if 
  he hasn’t slept in a week. As soon as he sees you, 
  he heads towards you, bringing the woman with 
  him.
  Bertie makes introductions quickly, talking up Ame-
  lia’s title and Brent’s bravery. He’s a little surprised to 
  see Jimmy—a kid in tow was not part of his plan—but 
  quickly recovers.
  “Good. Now we’re all chums, we need to get a 
  move on. It won’t be long before they…”
  With a throaty roar a large sedan pulls across the street 
  and up onto the sidewalk, blocking in Amelia’s roadster. 
  Two men in dark suits, overcoats and black hats jump 
  out and pull pistols from their coats, ready to open ﬁ re. 
  “Zer he is,” shouts one, “Kill him!”
  Bertie scoops Amelia up and dumps her unceremoni-
  ously back into her car. “Drive! Brent, kid, get in! We 
  have to lose them. I’ll explain on the way!”
  SCENE 2: CENTRAL PARK CHASE
  SCENE 2: CENTRAL PARK CHASE
  Deal for initiative, and let the chase begin. The roadster 
  is pulled alongside the curb at the corner of 5th Avenue 
  and 65th Street, right outside the entrance to the Central 
  Park Zoo, facing north with the villains blocking him in. 
  Trafﬁ c on 5th Avenue is heavy, but not jammed. It takes 
  the villains a little while to get in to their car, so the he-
  roes get a two Range Increment head start. The range 
  increment for this chase is 5.
  Bertie shouts almost immediately he gets into the 
  car: “Off the road! Into the Park!” and its hoped the PCs 
  take this advice. If they don’t then there is a lot of trafﬁ c 
  in Manhattan for them to drive through. And the park 
  makes for a more interesting chase.
   German Agents (3): See page 17.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  4
  VILLAIN’S SEDAN
  VILLAIN’S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  AMELIA’S ROADSTER:
  AMELIA’S ROADSTER:
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10(3); Crew: 1+2
  As well as any random obstacles that may cause in-
  teresting events whilst screaming through the park, they 
  have a choice between staying on the marked and paved 
  walkways and thoroughfares, or off-roading it through 
  the greenery. If they go off road, the ground is solid and 
  they won’t get bogged down in mud, but it is bumpy, 
  generating a –2 to all Driving rolls. Whilst off-road the 
  bumpy terrain also makes it difﬁ cult for passengers to 
  take actions, as the vehicles count as Unstable Platforms 
  (–2 to all rolls). It is assumed the chase ranges all over 
  the park—after all, the cheerful destruction of public 
  landscapes without worrying about the verisimilitude of 
  their relative locations is something of a cinematic pulp 
  staple.
  The villains do not rely on poor driving to undo their 
  victim. They attempt to shoot anyone in the roadster any 
  time they are within four Range Increments.
  CENTRAL PARK OBSTACLES
  CENTRAL PARK OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Ravine: Bursting out of the trees, the 
  terrain comes to an abrupt stop. The lead vehicle needs 
  to break hard, or plunge down the side of the Ravine 
  into the loch. The following vehicle also needs to break 
  hard. A raise lets the pursuers ram the lead vehicle into 
  the ravine without danger to themselves. If a vehicle fails 
  the roll, it ends up in the little river, which counts as a 
  collision with a hard obstacle. Add an extra 1d6 damage 
  on top of the speed-based damage to represent the fall.
  Three (–2) Horse & Cart: A carriage drawn by a 
  white horse appears suddenly from a track way. The 
  horse is surprised and rears up. If the driver fails to avoid 
  the carriage, it overturns and ends up on top of the car, 
  counting as a collision with a hard obstacle.
  Four (–2) Carousel: As the heroes approach the car-
  ousel, a line of 1st graders on a trip to the park is crossing 
  the way just a little way ahead of the speeding car. Failure 
  to get out of the way causes the vehicle to crash into a 
  nearby patch of trees, which counts as a hard collision.
  Five (–2) Ice Cream Stand: A bicycle-drawn ice 
  cream stand is doing a roaring trade on the corner of 
  two pathways. Customers surround the stand and the ve-
  hicles are forced to swerve hard or hit the stand. Failure 
  leads to a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Six (–2) Garbage Cans: A line of garbage cans stand 
  by a park bench. The driver or passengers can choose to 
  try and side swipe them and throw them into the line of 
  the pursuing vehicle. This requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  With success, the tailing vehicle suffers a –2 penalty to its 
  next roll. If the Nazi’s have got ahead of the heroes, they 
  deﬁ nitely try this in order to stop the vehicle.
  Seven (–1) Cloud of Pigeons: Roaring past the 
  Chess & Checkers House, (in 1934 it was a lovely rustic 
  wooden summerhouse, rather than the brick building of 
  today) disturbs a cloud of hungry pigeons, which ﬂ y into 
  people’s faces and windshields, obscuring vision. Failure 
  on the roll causes the vehicle to automatically drop back 
  one Range Increment. Don’t forget to add direct hits 
  with bird guano for comedy purposes.
  Eight (–1) Trees: Turning off a footway to avoid 
  pedestrians sends the cars into thickets of trees. Failure 
  means any heroes currently leaning out of the car to ﬁ re 
  on pursuers get hit in the head by low hanging branches 
  for 2d6 damage as if from an Extra.
  Nine (0) Sheep: Flocks of sheep were kept grazing 
  in Central Park through most of its early years. How-
  ever, fearing starving New Yorkers during the Depression 
  would poach them, they were rounded up in 1934. At 
  this moment a ﬂ ock of sheep is being herded together 
  for removal, blocking all progress in the immediate area. 
  Whilst this doesn’t cause any difﬁ culties driving, it forces 
  the heroes to reverse and ﬁ nd a detour, loosing valuable 
  ground—they suffer an automatic loss of one Range In-
  crement.
  Ten (0/–2) Bridge Repair: A bridge under repair 
  is surrounded by scaffolding, and a hopper of scaffold 
  pipes stands next to the bridge. If the driver is prepare 
  to take a –2 penalty to his roll to get close enough to the 
  works, one of the passengers can open the hopper and 
  bring a pile of pipes down on the pursuit. If the tailing 
  car fails its next Driving roll, it suffers a collision with a 
  hard obstacle.
  Jack (0) Hooverville Whilst the homeless have been 
  moved on, this remnant of their shanty town still stands. 
  It won’t take much to avoid the tents themselves, but 
  it’s a good opportunity to discourage pursuit by letting 
  ﬂ y some of the cloth used to make shelters. Any of the 
  passengers in the roadster can attempt an Agility roll to 
  grab a loose piece of tarpaulin and sling it at the pursu-
  ing Nazis. Treat this as a passenger Distract stunt. The 
  villains’ sedan, as a closed vehicle, means they cannot 
  use this Trick against heroes.
  Queen (—/–2) Elephants! Central Park Zoo has 
  taken its elephants for a walk through the park. A half a 
  dozen pachyderms, each wearing a brightly colored coat 
  saying “Central Park Zoo” are being led sedately through 
  the park. Surrounding them, watching the elephants’ 
  antics, is a small crowd.
  The drivers have the option of avoiding the elephants 
  or weaving through them. Giving them a wide berth au-
  tomatically cost the vehicle a Range Increment.
  Driving closer keeps the vehicle’s speed up, but 
  requires the modiﬁ ed Driving roll. Failure on this roll 
  means the car has gotten a bit too close to a particularly 
  irritable elephant, which lashes out with its trunk, hard 
  enough to shatter the front windshield of the car, making 
  Driving harder to do (–1 to all future rolls until someone 
  in the front spends an action to kick out the remaining 
  windshield).
  King (–2/0) Ice Rink Their course through the park 
  is leading directly to the ice rink. Do the heroes take the 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  4
  VILLAIN’S SEDAN
  VILLAIN’S SEDAN
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20; Toughness: 12(3); Crew: 1+5
  AMELIA’S ROADSTER:
  AMELIA’S ROADSTER:
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 10(3); Crew: 1+2
  As well as any random obstacles that may cause in-
  teresting events whilst screaming through the park, they 
  have a choice between staying on the marked and paved 
  walkways and thoroughfares, or off-roading it through 
  the greenery. If they go off road, the ground is solid and 
  they won’t get bogged down in mud, but it is bumpy, 
  generating a –2 to all Driving rolls. Whilst off-road the 
  bumpy terrain also makes it difﬁ cult for passengers to 
  take actions, as the vehicles count as Unstable Platforms 
  (–2 to all rolls). It is assumed the chase ranges all over 
  the park—after all, the cheerful destruction of public 
  landscapes without worrying about the verisimilitude of 
  their relative locations is something of a cinematic pulp 
  staple.
  The villains do not rely on poor driving to undo their 
  victim. They attempt to shoot anyone in the roadster any 
  time they are within four Range Increments.
  CENTRAL PARK OBSTACLES
  CENTRAL PARK OBSTACLES
  Deuce (–4) Ravine: Bursting out of the trees, the 
  terrain comes to an abrupt stop. The lead vehicle needs 
  to break hard, or plunge down the side of the Ravine 
  into the loch. The following vehicle also needs to break 
  hard. A raise lets the pursuers ram the lead vehicle into 
  the ravine without danger to themselves. If a vehicle fails 
  the roll, it ends up in the little river, which counts as a 
  collision with a hard obstacle. Add an extra 1d6 damage 
  on top of the speed-based damage to represent the fall.
  Three (–2) Horse & Cart: A carriage drawn by a 
  white horse appears suddenly from a track way. The 
  horse is surprised and rears up. If the driver fails to avoid 
  the carriage, it overturns and ends up on top of the car, 
  counting as a collision with a hard obstacle.
  Four (–2) Carousel: As the heroes approach the car-
  ousel, a line of 1st graders on a trip to the park is crossing 
  the way just a little way ahead of the speeding car. Failure 
  to get out of the way causes the vehicle to crash into a 
  nearby patch of trees, which counts as a hard collision.
  Five (–2) Ice Cream Stand: A bicycle-drawn ice 
  cream stand is doing a roaring trade on the corner of 
  two pathways. Customers surround the stand and the ve-
  hicles are forced to swerve hard or hit the stand. Failure 
  leads to a collision with a soft obstacle.
  Six (–2) Garbage Cans: A line of garbage cans stand 
  by a park bench. The driver or passengers can choose to 
  try and side swipe them and throw them into the line of 
  the pursuing vehicle. This requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  With success, the tailing vehicle suffers a –2 penalty to its 
  next roll. If the Nazi’s have got ahead of the heroes, they 
  deﬁ nitely try this in order to stop the vehicle.
  Seven (–1) Cloud of Pigeons: Roaring past the 
  Chess & Checkers House, (in 1934 it was a lovely rustic 
  wooden summerhouse, rather than the brick building of 
  today) disturbs a cloud of hungry pigeons, which ﬂ y into 
  people’s faces and windshields, obscuring vision. Failure 
  on the roll causes the vehicle to automatically drop back 
  one Range Increment. Don’t forget to add direct hits 
  with bird guano for comedy purposes.
  Eight (–1) Trees: Turning off a footway to avoid 
  pedestrians sends the cars into thickets of trees. Failure 
  means any heroes currently leaning out of the car to ﬁ re 
  on pursuers get hit in the head by low hanging branches 
  for 2d6 damage as if from an Extra.
  Nine (0) Sheep: Flocks of sheep were kept grazing 
  in Central Park through most of its early years. How-
  ever, fearing starving New Yorkers during the Depression 
  would poach them, they were rounded up in 1934. At 
  this moment a ﬂ ock of sheep is being herded together 
  for removal, blocking all progress in the immediate area. 
  Whilst this doesn’t cause any difﬁ culties driving, it forces 
  the heroes to reverse and ﬁ nd a detour, loosing valuable 
  ground—they suffer an automatic loss of one Range In-
  crement.
  Ten (0/–2) Bridge Repair: A bridge under repair 
  is surrounded by scaffolding, and a hopper of scaffold 
  pipes stands next to the bridge. If the driver is prepare 
  to take a –2 penalty to his roll to get close enough to the 
  works, one of the passengers can open the hopper and 
  bring a pile of pipes down on the pursuit. If the tailing 
  car fails its next Driving roll, it suffers a collision with a 
  hard obstacle.
  Jack (0) Hooverville Whilst the homeless have been 
  moved on, this remnant of their shanty town still stands. 
  It won’t take much to avoid the tents themselves, but 
  it’s a good opportunity to discourage pursuit by letting 
  ﬂ y some of the cloth used to make shelters. Any of the 
  passengers in the roadster can attempt an Agility roll to 
  grab a loose piece of tarpaulin and sling it at the pursu-
  ing Nazis. Treat this as a passenger Distract stunt. The 
  villains’ sedan, as a closed vehicle, means they cannot 
  use this Trick against heroes.
  Queen (—/–2) Elephants! Central Park Zoo has 
  taken its elephants for a walk through the park. A half a 
  dozen pachyderms, each wearing a brightly colored coat 
  saying “Central Park Zoo” are being led sedately through 
  the park. Surrounding them, watching the elephants’ 
  antics, is a small crowd.
  The drivers have the option of avoiding the elephants 
  or weaving through them. Giving them a wide berth au-
  tomatically cost the vehicle a Range Increment.
  Driving closer keeps the vehicle’s speed up, but 
  requires the modiﬁ ed Driving roll. Failure on this roll 
  means the car has gotten a bit too close to a particularly 
  irritable elephant, which lashes out with its trunk, hard 
  enough to shatter the front windshield of the car, making 
  Driving harder to do (–1 to all future rolls until someone 
  in the front spends an action to kick out the remaining 
  windshield).
  King (–2/0) Ice Rink Their course through the park 
  is leading directly to the ice rink. Do the heroes take the 
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  5
  shorter route across the ice or take a lengthy detour? The 
  Nazis always head across the ice.
  Heading across the ice requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  With success, the car gains an additional Range Incre-
  ment this round due to the short cut. Anyone who fails 
  the Driving roll ends up Out Of Control, spinning with-
  out traction. Alternatively, the heroes can go around the 
  rink. This incurs no penalty, but the vehicle automatically 
  moves one less Range Increment than normal due to the 
  greater distance involved.
  Throughout the chase, whenever is appropriate, 
  such as a round with no obstacles and no other exciting 
  events, Bertie ﬁ lls them in on what is going on.
  “It’s the Nazi’s Brent. They’re up to something, 
  something big. I think they’re building some sort 
  of weapon. I got asked to investigate a kidnap-
  ping back in Blighty. A professor of aeronautic 
  engineering who was working on something spe-
  cial for Supermarine. I did a little digging, and 
  it’s more than just the one. Seven disappearances 
  since April!”
  “They’re all fringe types, mainstream calls them 
  crackpots, but clearly Hitler doesn’t think so. I got 
  hold of what I think is a list. Eight names in all, in 
  all ﬁ elds, Aviation, Ballistics, Robotics, Engineer-
  ing. The last is a Yank, a Nathanial Davenport. 
  Just like the rest of them he’s brilliant, but com-
  pletely bonkers by all accounts.”
  “I came over here to warn him, but when I got 
  here, I found he’d actually gone to Europe. I was 
  poking round for more info when those goons 
  behind us arrived, I guess looking for Davenport 
  as well. I need to get to Vienna quickly Brent, so I 
  thought of you. Will you help?”
  “And Amelia, I need an even bigger favor from 
  you. They won’t be looking for a man and woman 
  travelling together. You’d be saving my life. Plus, 
  you know my German’s no good. If I’m to have 
  any hope of getting to Davenport before the Ger-
  mans do, I’ll need a translator. I know it’s a lot to 
  ask, but this Davenport! If half his theories have 
  any substance to them I dread to think what the 
  Nazis could create if they got their paws on him!”
  If the Nazi Agents catch up to the heroes they do their 
  best to ram them and turn the convertible over. If the 
  heroes pull ahead more than ten increments, then a 
  second group of Nazis suddenly appear from nowhere 
  ahead, and get off one ﬁ nal lucky shot that spells the end 
  for Bertie.
  If during the chase the heroes take out the Nazis, their 
  ﬁ nal shot has managed to strike Bertie a mortal blow. If 
  the Nazi’s destroy the characters’ car, it has turned over; 
  the heroes are badly shaken but otherwise unharmed, 
  except for Bertie, who is now dying.
  SCENE 3: DYING BREATH
  SCENE 3: DYING BREATH
  The heroes pull themselves from the convertible and 
  turn to ﬁ nd Bertie. He’s very badly hurt; it is obvious he’s 
  not got long left.
  “Amelia, Brent, I’m sorry, I’m done for. You must 
  ﬁ nish the job. For me, for the world. Please! Find 
  Davenport before they do.’ He fumbles in his 
  jacket and pulls out a notebook. He presses it into 
  Amelia’s hand. ‘Promise me you’ll do it.”
  Bertie won’t say any more until they promise to ﬁ nish 
  his mission. Once they do, Bertie, groans his thanks, and 
  passes away.
  Looking inside the notebook they ﬁ nd the evidence 
  Bertie has gathered about the plot: names of missing sci-
  entists, their specialties and the dates they were taken. 
  At the back is a list headed Davenport Lecture Tour. It 
  lists European cities and dates. One is underlined; it says 
  “Vienna” and the date is for the ﬁ fteenth, just two days 
  from now.
  The missing scientists are Professor Lebensraum, 
  Swiss, Aeronautics; Dr Juan-Marcos Reverte, Spanish, 
  Flight systems; Dr Pierre Bonniere, French, Ballistics; 
  Professor Hralf Sigurdsson, Norwegian, Rocketry; Dr 
  James Phillips, British, Aeronautic and Marine engineer-
  ing; Dr Victor Halley, Canadian, Explosives; Professor 
  Lao Chi Zhang, Chinese, Explosives.
  ACT TWO: THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ACT TWO: THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  Between Amelia’s money and Brent’s ﬂ ying contacts, 
  the heroes have no trouble getting themselves and their 
  weapons across the Atlantic and into Austria. (This is 
  pulp ﬁ ction after all, these things happen easily.) In the 
  time it takes to cross the Atlantic, the party can recover 
  all wounds taken in the park. Doc will meet up with the 
  other players in the ﬁ rst Scene of the Act, once they get 
  on the Orient Express and start looking for him.
  The Orient Express (the Paris to Istanbul train) is a 
  name that is a byword for luxury. This is a train jour-
  ney taken by nobles, diplomats, and the very wealthy, 
  using sleeping cars to travel from one end of Europe to 
  the other. As such they demand, and receive, the best 
  possible treatment, from the ﬁ ve star accommodations 
  to the silver-service of the staff. The restaurant cars are 
  known for the quality of their cuisine, providing meals 
  matching that of the ﬁ nest restaurants in Paris.
  This act takes place whilst the Orient Express is tra-
  versing the Austrian Alps.
  SCENE 1: ATTACK OF THE ROCKET NAZIS
  SCENE 1: ATTACK OF THE ROCKET NAZIS
  Getting to Vienna is easy—a long plane ﬂ ight hop-
  ping across the Atlantic, a string of bribes at the 
  Austrian Airport, and then a taxi across the city 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  5
  shorter route across the ice or take a lengthy detour? The 
  Nazis always head across the ice.
  Heading across the ice requires a Driving roll at –2. 
  With success, the car gains an additional Range Incre-
  ment this round due to the short cut. Anyone who fails 
  the Driving roll ends up Out Of Control, spinning with-
  out traction. Alternatively, the heroes can go around the 
  rink. This incurs no penalty, but the vehicle automatically 
  moves one less Range Increment than normal due to the 
  greater distance involved.
  Throughout the chase, whenever is appropriate, 
  such as a round with no obstacles and no other exciting 
  events, Bertie ﬁ lls them in on what is going on.
  “It’s the Nazi’s Brent. They’re up to something, 
  something big. I think they’re building some sort 
  of weapon. I got asked to investigate a kidnap-
  ping back in Blighty. A professor of aeronautic 
  engineering who was working on something spe-
  cial for Supermarine. I did a little digging, and 
  it’s more than just the one. Seven disappearances 
  since April!”
  “They’re all fringe types, mainstream calls them 
  crackpots, but clearly Hitler doesn’t think so. I got 
  hold of what I think is a list. Eight names in all, in 
  all ﬁ elds, Aviation, Ballistics, Robotics, Engineer-
  ing. The last is a Yank, a Nathanial Davenport. 
  Just like the rest of them he’s brilliant, but com-
  pletely bonkers by all accounts.”
  “I came over here to warn him, but when I got 
  here, I found he’d actually gone to Europe. I was 
  poking round for more info when those goons 
  behind us arrived, I guess looking for Davenport 
  as well. I need to get to Vienna quickly Brent, so I 
  thought of you. Will you help?”
  “And Amelia, I need an even bigger favor from 
  you. They won’t be looking for a man and woman 
  travelling together. You’d be saving my life. Plus, 
  you know my German’s no good. If I’m to have 
  any hope of getting to Davenport before the Ger-
  mans do, I’ll need a translator. I know it’s a lot to 
  ask, but this Davenport! If half his theories have 
  any substance to them I dread to think what the 
  Nazis could create if they got their paws on him!”
  If the Nazi Agents catch up to the heroes they do their 
  best to ram them and turn the convertible over. If the 
  heroes pull ahead more than ten increments, then a 
  second group of Nazis suddenly appear from nowhere 
  ahead, and get off one ﬁ nal lucky shot that spells the end 
  for Bertie.
  If during the chase the heroes take out the Nazis, their 
  ﬁ nal shot has managed to strike Bertie a mortal blow. If 
  the Nazi’s destroy the characters’ car, it has turned over; 
  the heroes are badly shaken but otherwise unharmed, 
  except for Bertie, who is now dying.
  SCENE 3: DYING BREATH
  SCENE 3: DYING BREATH
  The heroes pull themselves from the convertible and 
  turn to ﬁ nd Bertie. He’s very badly hurt; it is obvious he’s 
  not got long left.
  “Amelia, Brent, I’m sorry, I’m done for. You must 
  ﬁ nish the job. For me, for the world. Please! Find 
  Davenport before they do.’ He fumbles in his 
  jacket and pulls out a notebook. He presses it into 
  Amelia’s hand. ‘Promise me you’ll do it.”
  Bertie won’t say any more until they promise to ﬁ nish 
  his mission. Once they do, Bertie, groans his thanks, and 
  passes away.
  Looking inside the notebook they ﬁ nd the evidence 
  Bertie has gathered about the plot: names of missing sci-
  entists, their specialties and the dates they were taken. 
  At the back is a list headed Davenport Lecture Tour. It 
  lists European cities and dates. One is underlined; it says 
  “Vienna” and the date is for the ﬁ fteenth, just two days 
  from now.
  The missing scientists are Professor Lebensraum, 
  Swiss, Aeronautics; Dr Juan-Marcos Reverte, Spanish, 
  Flight systems; Dr Pierre Bonniere, French, Ballistics; 
  Professor Hralf Sigurdsson, Norwegian, Rocketry; Dr 
  James Phillips, British, Aeronautic and Marine engineer-
  ing; Dr Victor Halley, Canadian, Explosives; Professor 
  Lao Chi Zhang, Chinese, Explosives.
  ACT TWO: THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ACT TWO: THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  Between Amelia’s money and Brent’s ﬂ ying contacts, 
  the heroes have no trouble getting themselves and their 
  weapons across the Atlantic and into Austria. (This is 
  pulp ﬁ ction after all, these things happen easily.) In the 
  time it takes to cross the Atlantic, the party can recover 
  all wounds taken in the park. Doc will meet up with the 
  other players in the ﬁ rst Scene of the Act, once they get 
  on the Orient Express and start looking for him.
  The Orient Express (the Paris to Istanbul train) is a 
  name that is a byword for luxury. This is a train jour-
  ney taken by nobles, diplomats, and the very wealthy, 
  using sleeping cars to travel from one end of Europe to 
  the other. As such they demand, and receive, the best 
  possible treatment, from the ﬁ ve star accommodations 
  to the silver-service of the staff. The restaurant cars are 
  known for the quality of their cuisine, providing meals 
  matching that of the ﬁ nest restaurants in Paris.
  This act takes place whilst the Orient Express is tra-
  versing the Austrian Alps.
  SCENE 1: ATTACK OF THE ROCKET NAZIS
  SCENE 1: ATTACK OF THE ROCKET NAZIS
  Getting to Vienna is easy—a long plane ﬂ ight hop-
  ping across the Atlantic, a string of bribes at the 
  Austrian Airport, and then a taxi across the city 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  6
  to the train station. Enquiries at the ticket ofﬁ ce 
  reveal that Doc Davenport is already onboard. 
  Quickly buying tickets, you race to the platform 
  for the east bound train, leaping aboard the last 
  carriage just as the whistle blows, and the Ori-
  ent Express begins steaming out towards the Alps, 
  and its next stop in Budapest.
  Your tickets indicate you have berths in the last 
  passenger cabin, car 14. Brent and Jimmy are 
  sharing cabin 14a and Lady Amelia has taken 
  14b. The dining car is car 3. From your immedi-
  ate surroundings it’s obvious that the train is the 
  last word in luxury. Even the baggage seems to 
  ride ﬁ rst class. It shouldn’t take too long to ﬁ nd 
  Professor Davenport.
  Brent, Jimmy, and Amelia board the train with mo-
  ments to spare, and are right at the back of the train. The 
  heroes can either choose to settle down for the night 
  in the sleeping car, or begin their search for Davenport 
  immediately. If they decide to settle down, or grab some 
  refreshments in the dining car, the romantic nature of 
  the train might appeal to Jimmy’s matchmaking tenden-
  cies towards Brent and Amelia. Should they choose to 
  search for Davenport they have no luck in the ﬁ rst few 
  cars, as Doc is on his own in cabin 7c, closer to the Din-
  ing Car, making sure his inventions are properly stowed 
  for the journey to Budapest.
  Either way, by this point it is night and the train is now 
  well outside of Vienna moving at top speed into the Alps. 
  If they make a Notice roll (+2), the heroes have a chance 
  to spot the following.
  Moving through the cabins you see what looks like 
  a dozen small meteors falling through the sky over 
  the beautiful Austrian Alps. Watching for a mo-
  ment you realize these shooting stars have changed 
  course. They are now heading directly for the Ori-
  ent Express! You peer into the night, trying to see 
  more of this unusual phenomenon. A moment or 
  two of observation reveals that these aren’t mete-
  ors, they’re people. People in rocket packs, wearing 
  Nazi uniforms with large automatic riﬂ es!
  A moment after this realization, the Rocket Nazi’s 
  open ﬁ re! Deal action cards. Any hero who notices the 
  Nazis has two rounds to prepare before they arrive, while 
  those who failed receive only one round. The shots the 
  Rocket Nazis are ﬁ ring are not aimed at anything in par-
  ticular and are purely intended to keep the heads of the 
  passengers and crew down.
  The Rocket Nazis begin by splitting their forces. Some 
  focus on the driver and his ﬁ reman, bringing the Ori-
  ent Express under their control. The driver is ordered 
  to continue, for now. Another group enters the other 
  carriages, and begin herding passengers and staff into 
  the Restaurant Car. The last group, numbering one per 
  player, burst into the train car(s) the heroes are currently 
  in, and attempt to herd them into the diner. The invading 
  Nazis are free with their ﬁ sts, and are generally intimidat-
  ing, but only use deadly force to defend themselves if 
  attacked ﬁ rst.
  Fighting the Rocket Nazis can be done with ﬁ rearms, 
  melee weapons, or in hand-to-hand. If using bullets, 
  then a stray shot may hit a rocket pack, with disastrous 
  consequences for the wearer! Use the Innocent Bystand-
  ers rule, with rocket packs counting as valid unlucky 
  targets. Any exploding rocket pack does 3d6 damage as 
  if from a Wild Card in a Small Burst Template. It may also 
  set the train on ﬁ re (it’s mostly made of wood) and the 
  furnishings are highly ﬂ ammable. 
  This combat is an excellent occasion for Doc to meet 
  up with the rest of the heroes, as they ﬁ ght towards the 
  Dining Car.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  The Orient Express is a long train of 15 cars, plus the 
  engine and coal wagon. Immediately behind the coal 
  wagon is the baggage car, then the kitchen car before the 
  dining car. After that there are eleven more cabins, all 
  sleeper cars with 8 berths per car. The guards van, and 
  secondary baggage storage forms the last car.
  For game purposes, assume the carriages of the 
  Orient Express are all 3” wide by 12” long, both inside 
  and out; train walls are not that thick. The interior of 
  the sleeper cars feature a narrow (1”) corridor running 
  the length of the train on the left, with few props to aid 
  combat. The rest of the carriage is taken up with the four 
  cabins, each approximately 3” long and 2” wide. Bunks 
  fold up against the walls on both sides during the day, 
  and a small folding table rests against the rear of each 
  cabin. The inside of the cabins can furnish any manor of 
  prop you might ﬁ nd in a hotel room, though any move-
  ment inside the cabin counts as Difﬁ cult Ground due to 
  the cramped conditions.
  The dining car has no corridor, and has tables set 
  from dinner, with cutlery, crockery and more than a few 
  bottles of wines and spirits. 
  Should the ﬁ ght move to the roof of the fast moving 
  train, the hero or villain ﬁ nds it slick with snow with 
  scarce hand holds (for a total of –4 for Climbing at-
  tempts) and also counts as an Unstable Platform.
  Trying to separate the carriages requires a Strength 
  roll. However, it’s not going to slow down any Nazis. 
  With their rocket packs, jumping between separated car-
  riages is easy for them. 
   Nazi Rocketeers (1 per hero): See page 17.
  SCENE 2: WOULD DR DAVENPORT PLEASE STAND
  SCENE 2: WOULD DR DAVENPORT PLEASE STAND
  The heroes are either herded into the restaurant car, 
  or having overcome the ﬁ rst wave or Rocket Nazis, can 
  sneak up to it. A quick glance reveals simply attacking 
  will lead to the deaths of many innocent bystanders.
  Many of the passengers and crew have been 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  6
  to the train station. Enquiries at the ticket ofﬁ ce 
  reveal that Doc Davenport is already onboard. 
  Quickly buying tickets, you race to the platform 
  for the east bound train, leaping aboard the last 
  carriage just as the whistle blows, and the Ori-
  ent Express begins steaming out towards the Alps, 
  and its next stop in Budapest.
  Your tickets indicate you have berths in the last 
  passenger cabin, car 14. Brent and Jimmy are 
  sharing cabin 14a and Lady Amelia has taken 
  14b. The dining car is car 3. From your immedi-
  ate surroundings it’s obvious that the train is the 
  last word in luxury. Even the baggage seems to 
  ride ﬁ rst class. It shouldn’t take too long to ﬁ nd 
  Professor Davenport.
  Brent, Jimmy, and Amelia board the train with mo-
  ments to spare, and are right at the back of the train. The 
  heroes can either choose to settle down for the night 
  in the sleeping car, or begin their search for Davenport 
  immediately. If they decide to settle down, or grab some 
  refreshments in the dining car, the romantic nature of 
  the train might appeal to Jimmy’s matchmaking tenden-
  cies towards Brent and Amelia. Should they choose to 
  search for Davenport they have no luck in the ﬁ rst few 
  cars, as Doc is on his own in cabin 7c, closer to the Din-
  ing Car, making sure his inventions are properly stowed 
  for the journey to Budapest.
  Either way, by this point it is night and the train is now 
  well outside of Vienna moving at top speed into the Alps. 
  If they make a Notice roll (+2), the heroes have a chance 
  to spot the following.
  Moving through the cabins you see what looks like 
  a dozen small meteors falling through the sky over 
  the beautiful Austrian Alps. Watching for a mo-
  ment you realize these shooting stars have changed 
  course. They are now heading directly for the Ori-
  ent Express! You peer into the night, trying to see 
  more of this unusual phenomenon. A moment or 
  two of observation reveals that these aren’t mete-
  ors, they’re people. People in rocket packs, wearing 
  Nazi uniforms with large automatic riﬂ es!
  A moment after this realization, the Rocket Nazi’s 
  open ﬁ re! Deal action cards. Any hero who notices the 
  Nazis has two rounds to prepare before they arrive, while 
  those who failed receive only one round. The shots the 
  Rocket Nazis are ﬁ ring are not aimed at anything in par-
  ticular and are purely intended to keep the heads of the 
  passengers and crew down.
  The Rocket Nazis begin by splitting their forces. Some 
  focus on the driver and his ﬁ reman, bringing the Ori-
  ent Express under their control. The driver is ordered 
  to continue, for now. Another group enters the other 
  carriages, and begin herding passengers and staff into 
  the Restaurant Car. The last group, numbering one per 
  player, burst into the train car(s) the heroes are currently 
  in, and attempt to herd them into the diner. The invading 
  Nazis are free with their ﬁ sts, and are generally intimidat-
  ing, but only use deadly force to defend themselves if 
  attacked ﬁ rst.
  Fighting the Rocket Nazis can be done with ﬁ rearms, 
  melee weapons, or in hand-to-hand. If using bullets, 
  then a stray shot may hit a rocket pack, with disastrous 
  consequences for the wearer! Use the Innocent Bystand-
  ers rule, with rocket packs counting as valid unlucky 
  targets. Any exploding rocket pack does 3d6 damage as 
  if from a Wild Card in a Small Burst Template. It may also 
  set the train on ﬁ re (it’s mostly made of wood) and the 
  furnishings are highly ﬂ ammable. 
  This combat is an excellent occasion for Doc to meet 
  up with the rest of the heroes, as they ﬁ ght towards the 
  Dining Car.
  TERRAIN
  TERRAIN
  The Orient Express is a long train of 15 cars, plus the 
  engine and coal wagon. Immediately behind the coal 
  wagon is the baggage car, then the kitchen car before the 
  dining car. After that there are eleven more cabins, all 
  sleeper cars with 8 berths per car. The guards van, and 
  secondary baggage storage forms the last car.
  For game purposes, assume the carriages of the 
  Orient Express are all 3” wide by 12” long, both inside 
  and out; train walls are not that thick. The interior of 
  the sleeper cars feature a narrow (1”) corridor running 
  the length of the train on the left, with few props to aid 
  combat. The rest of the carriage is taken up with the four 
  cabins, each approximately 3” long and 2” wide. Bunks 
  fold up against the walls on both sides during the day, 
  and a small folding table rests against the rear of each 
  cabin. The inside of the cabins can furnish any manor of 
  prop you might ﬁ nd in a hotel room, though any move-
  ment inside the cabin counts as Difﬁ cult Ground due to 
  the cramped conditions.
  The dining car has no corridor, and has tables set 
  from dinner, with cutlery, crockery and more than a few 
  bottles of wines and spirits. 
  Should the ﬁ ght move to the roof of the fast moving 
  train, the hero or villain ﬁ nds it slick with snow with 
  scarce hand holds (for a total of –4 for Climbing at-
  tempts) and also counts as an Unstable Platform.
  Trying to separate the carriages requires a Strength 
  roll. However, it’s not going to slow down any Nazis. 
  With their rocket packs, jumping between separated car-
  riages is easy for them. 
   Nazi Rocketeers (1 per hero): See page 17.
  SCENE 2: WOULD DR DAVENPORT PLEASE STAND
  SCENE 2: WOULD DR DAVENPORT PLEASE STAND
  The heroes are either herded into the restaurant car, 
  or having overcome the ﬁ rst wave or Rocket Nazis, can 
  sneak up to it. A quick glance reveals simply attacking 
  will lead to the deaths of many innocent bystanders.
  Many of the passengers and crew have been 
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  7
  crammed into the dining car, squashed into every 
  available space. Half a dozen Nazi soldiers cover 
  them with sub-machineguns. One of these soldiers 
  is immense, a true man-mountain. A stern look-
  ing Nazi ofﬁ cer strides to the middle of the car, 
  and draws his sidearm, a vicious looking pistol.
  “Herren und Damen,” he begins in German, but 
  then switches to English. “I am Major Werner von 
  Stosser of the German Army. I apologize for this 
  rather unusual interruption to your journey. I 
  have one request, and then you may go on your 
  way with no further disruption. I am looking for 
  an American, Herr Doktor Davenport?”
   No-one answers. The German ofﬁ cer waits a 
  second, turns sharply to his right, nods towards 
  an elderly woman, and then shoots her without 
  warning. There is a short moment of screaming 
  as many of the passengers panic. The screaming 
  is cut off by another shot from the Major’s pistol 
  ﬁ red into the roof. “Enough! You will show your-
  self to me, Herr Doktor. Otherwise I will shoot one 
  passenger every minute until you reveal yourself. 
  And just to be sure I do not shoot you by accident, 
  I shall start with ze women!”
  If Doc hasn’t made contact with the rest of the heroes 
  before now, he can meet up with them at this point—they 
  are either grouped together at the back of the restaurant 
  car with the other prisoners, or are hiding outside the 
  restaurant car and he can join them there.  
  Von Stosser is not going to be satisﬁ ed with anything 
  less than Doc’s surrender, but he doesn’t know what Dav-
  enport looks like. If Brent (or any other male character) 
  wants to pretend he is Dr Davenport, he needs to make 
  a Persuasion roll opposed by von Stosser’s Notice. Chil-
  dren or female characters are seen through instantly.
  From now on, as every minute of real time passes 
  (not game time, you want the players to feel the pres-
  sure!), shoot another hostage. Start with the women. The 
  shots are not be instantly fatal, but they produce plenty 
  of blood and screams—von Stosser doesn’t particularly 
  care, as once he is done he plans to blow the restaurant 
  car to bits. Von Stosser isn’t particularly interested in 
  leaving live witnesses.
  If the heroes let von Stosser shoot any more hostages, 
  they lose bennies for their non-heroic behavior (don’t 
  forget to warn them ﬁ rst). If that doesn’t get them mov-
  ing, and Amelia is in the restaurant car, have von Stosser 
  turn his gun on her, with a stark warning of…
  ‘60 seconds, Herr Doctor, or this pretty fraulein 
  dies. Achtunfünfzig Seibenundfünfzig..’
  Once one of the heroes (Doc or someone else) has 
  surrendered (for which give them a benny, as per the 
  surrender rules), von Stosser has him strapped to Cor-
  poral Gunter Eisenberg, a huge Rocketeer who has come 
  equipped with a carrying rig and handcuffs for an unwill-
  ing prisoner, whilst the rest of the Nazi Rocketeers cover 
  the other passengers with their sub-machineguns to 
  make sure none suddenly get heroic ideas. Incidentally 
  once Davenport is identiﬁ ed and in custody, the Rocket 
  Nazis have orders to shoot to kill.
  The train slows down, stopping on a long narrow 
  bridge spanning a deep gorge in the Alps. The bridge 
  is narrow, a single track, and whilst the bridge itself is 
  supported with steel girders, the ﬂ oor of the bridge is 
  made from wood.
  The ﬁ rst Nazis, including the prisoner, jump from the 
  train and rocket into the night. Just before von Stosser 
  himself leaves, a soldier comes up and says something 
  in German. Stosser then orders his men off the train. 
  Sharp eyed characters note the Rocket Nazi’s pile off the 
  train with exceeding haste once they hear that order. Any 
  hero who speaks German understands what they heard 
  as “The bomb is set for 60 seconds”. Should no hero 
  speak German, enough passengers and crew understand 
  the language to panic.
  Sixty seconds equates to a mere 10 combat rounds!
  With everyone crowded into the restaurant car, there 
  is instant chaos as passengers push and shove each other 
  to get off the train. Worse, if the Rocket Nazis are threat-
  ened at this stage they have no hesitation in throwing a 
  grenade into the restaurant car.
  If a grenade is thrown in, many of the passengers 
  and crew are injured, but fortunately for the players 
  they smother most of the blast. Roll damage as normal, 
  but treat the passengers as providing +6 Armor to the 
  heroes. 
  Even if a grenade is not used, the heroes must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or be knocked to the ﬂ oor and trampled, 
  suffering take 2d4 damage from an Extra.
  SCENE 3: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
  SCENE 3: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
  However, the bridge is long, and it’s unlikely anyone 
  will make it to the safety of solid ground before the bomb 
  goes off. So now the heroes have a choice—deal with the 
  bomb or chase von Stosser. Good heroes, of course, can 
  do both.
  THE BOMB
  THE BOMB
  The bomb is ﬁ xed securely to the underside of the 
  restaurant car, over the very middle of the bridge. It’s 
  made of a single large can containing several pounds 
  of plastic explosive and a clockwork timer on the top. 
  There is enough explosive here to destroy the restaurant 
  car and the bridge!
  The good news is the Rocket Nazis did not have 
  enough time to ﬁ x an advanced anti-handling device to 
  the bomb.
  Defusing the Bomb: If the party begins a search for 
  the bomb, they must complete the following steps in or-
  der. Failed rolls may be repeated next round, at the cost 
  of wasting valuable time. Should the 8th round end be-
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  7
  crammed into the dining car, squashed into every 
  available space. Half a dozen Nazi soldiers cover 
  them with sub-machineguns. One of these soldiers 
  is immense, a true man-mountain. A stern look-
  ing Nazi ofﬁ cer strides to the middle of the car, 
  and draws his sidearm, a vicious looking pistol.
  “Herren und Damen,” he begins in German, but 
  then switches to English. “I am Major Werner von 
  Stosser of the German Army. I apologize for this 
  rather unusual interruption to your journey. I 
  have one request, and then you may go on your 
  way with no further disruption. I am looking for 
  an American, Herr Doktor Davenport?”
   No-one answers. The German ofﬁ cer waits a 
  second, turns sharply to his right, nods towards 
  an elderly woman, and then shoots her without 
  warning. There is a short moment of screaming 
  as many of the passengers panic. The screaming 
  is cut off by another shot from the Major’s pistol 
  ﬁ red into the roof. “Enough! You will show your-
  self to me, Herr Doktor. Otherwise I will shoot one 
  passenger every minute until you reveal yourself. 
  And just to be sure I do not shoot you by accident, 
  I shall start with ze women!”
  If Doc hasn’t made contact with the rest of the heroes 
  before now, he can meet up with them at this point—they 
  are either grouped together at the back of the restaurant 
  car with the other prisoners, or are hiding outside the 
  restaurant car and he can join them there.  
  Von Stosser is not going to be satisﬁ ed with anything 
  less than Doc’s surrender, but he doesn’t know what Dav-
  enport looks like. If Brent (or any other male character) 
  wants to pretend he is Dr Davenport, he needs to make 
  a Persuasion roll opposed by von Stosser’s Notice. Chil-
  dren or female characters are seen through instantly.
  From now on, as every minute of real time passes 
  (not game time, you want the players to feel the pres-
  sure!), shoot another hostage. Start with the women. The 
  shots are not be instantly fatal, but they produce plenty 
  of blood and screams—von Stosser doesn’t particularly 
  care, as once he is done he plans to blow the restaurant 
  car to bits. Von Stosser isn’t particularly interested in 
  leaving live witnesses.
  If the heroes let von Stosser shoot any more hostages, 
  they lose bennies for their non-heroic behavior (don’t 
  forget to warn them ﬁ rst). If that doesn’t get them mov-
  ing, and Amelia is in the restaurant car, have von Stosser 
  turn his gun on her, with a stark warning of…
  ‘60 seconds, Herr Doctor, or this pretty fraulein 
  dies. Achtunfünfzig Seibenundfünfzig..’
  Once one of the heroes (Doc or someone else) has 
  surrendered (for which give them a benny, as per the 
  surrender rules), von Stosser has him strapped to Cor-
  poral Gunter Eisenberg, a huge Rocketeer who has come 
  equipped with a carrying rig and handcuffs for an unwill-
  ing prisoner, whilst the rest of the Nazi Rocketeers cover 
  the other passengers with their sub-machineguns to 
  make sure none suddenly get heroic ideas. Incidentally 
  once Davenport is identiﬁ ed and in custody, the Rocket 
  Nazis have orders to shoot to kill.
  The train slows down, stopping on a long narrow 
  bridge spanning a deep gorge in the Alps. The bridge 
  is narrow, a single track, and whilst the bridge itself is 
  supported with steel girders, the ﬂ oor of the bridge is 
  made from wood.
  The ﬁ rst Nazis, including the prisoner, jump from the 
  train and rocket into the night. Just before von Stosser 
  himself leaves, a soldier comes up and says something 
  in German. Stosser then orders his men off the train. 
  Sharp eyed characters note the Rocket Nazi’s pile off the 
  train with exceeding haste once they hear that order. Any 
  hero who speaks German understands what they heard 
  as “The bomb is set for 60 seconds”. Should no hero 
  speak German, enough passengers and crew understand 
  the language to panic.
  Sixty seconds equates to a mere 10 combat rounds!
  With everyone crowded into the restaurant car, there 
  is instant chaos as passengers push and shove each other 
  to get off the train. Worse, if the Rocket Nazis are threat-
  ened at this stage they have no hesitation in throwing a 
  grenade into the restaurant car.
  If a grenade is thrown in, many of the passengers 
  and crew are injured, but fortunately for the players 
  they smother most of the blast. Roll damage as normal, 
  but treat the passengers as providing +6 Armor to the 
  heroes. 
  Even if a grenade is not used, the heroes must make an 
  Agility roll at –2 or be knocked to the ﬂ oor and trampled, 
  suffering take 2d4 damage from an Extra.
  SCENE 3: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
  SCENE 3: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
  However, the bridge is long, and it’s unlikely anyone 
  will make it to the safety of solid ground before the bomb 
  goes off. So now the heroes have a choice—deal with the 
  bomb or chase von Stosser. Good heroes, of course, can 
  do both.
  THE BOMB
  THE BOMB
  The bomb is ﬁ xed securely to the underside of the 
  restaurant car, over the very middle of the bridge. It’s 
  made of a single large can containing several pounds 
  of plastic explosive and a clockwork timer on the top. 
  There is enough explosive here to destroy the restaurant 
  car and the bridge!
  The good news is the Rocket Nazis did not have 
  enough time to ﬁ x an advanced anti-handling device to 
  the bomb.
  Defusing the Bomb: If the party begins a search for 
  the bomb, they must complete the following steps in or-
  der. Failed rolls may be repeated next round, at the cost 
  of wasting valuable time. Should the 8th round end be-
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  8
  fore the bomb is made safe, it explodes. Anyone helping 
  defuse the bomb suffers 3d6 damage from a Wild Card.
  When the heroes begin searching, they have just 8 
  rounds left before detonation. It takes them two rounds 
  to work through the crowd and reach the outside.
  Step 1) The heroes must search for the bomb. This 
  requires a Cooperative Notice roll at –4. Until this roll is 
  made, the party cannot locate the device.
  Step 2) Having found the explosive device, the he-
  roes must study it to ensure there are no booby-traps. 
  The sudden impulse to rip the thing free or start cutting 
  wires could be the last act the heroes ever take! Checking 
  the device requires a Smarts roll at –2 or an unmodiﬁ ed 
  Repair roll. On a failure, the party may either proceed 
  with the next step, suffering an additional –2 penalty due 
  to added caution, or reattempt this step.
  Step 3) Convinced the bomb is safe to handle, the 
  characters may now try to determine how it works. Once 
  they know this, they can try to dismantle it. This requires 
  a Smarts roll at –2 or an unmodiﬁ ed Repair roll
  Step 4) There are two ways to neutralize the bomb. 
  For those technically inclined, they can snip wires. This 
  requires a Repair roll at –2 (thanks to the awkward op-
  erating conditions). Those less able can make a Strength 
  roll at –2 to pull it free and toss it over the side of the 
  bridge, where it explodes harmlessly.
  Clearing the Cars: If one of more heroes decide to 
  try and evacuate the train and its passengers to safety 
  while their comrades are searching for the bomb, place 
  ten tokens on the tabletop. These represent the passen-
  gers. Again, the heroes have only eight rounds in which 
  to act.
  Each round, the heroes must make a Cooperative 
  Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2. The rolls can be 
  mixed—one hero can bark orders while another acts 
  more politely and ushers people along. A successful roll 
  removes one token, and a raise two tokens—those pas-
  sengers have reached safety. If the party is split, divide 
  the action between the two groups. The tension of one 
  scene should help fuel the tension in the other.
  If the heroes fail to remove the last token by the time 
  the bomb explodes, they suffer 3d6 damage from a Wild 
  Card. Many of the remaining passengers are wounded, 
  but none mortally.
  The engine and forward baggage car, and the last pas-
  senger car and the guards van are ﬁ rmly on the tracks. 
  Two more passenger cars dangle precariously over the 
  edge of the bridge. All other carriages have plunged to 
  the bottom of the gorge.
  PURSUING VON STOSSER
  PURSUING VON STOSSER
  The goal is now to rescue Dr Davenport, or the hero 
  who impersonated him. If the heroes diffused the bomb 
  or threw it in the gorge, they can easily retrieve rocket 
  packs from the fallen Rocket Nazi’s who attacked them in 
  their sleeping car and pursue. Skip ahead to Scene 4.
  This section assumes the heroes do not give chase at 
  any point.
  Should the heroes decide not to immediately pursue 
  the Nazis, the last they see of von Stosser and his pris-
  oner are the trails of the jet packs turning north. Talking 
  to some of the passengers suggests that of all the notable 
  places for the Rocket Nazis to head to the most likely 
  would be the old Schloss Sturmburg—an ancient crum-
  bling castle in the mountains—built to defend against 
  the Turks.
  Remember, the Orient Express has lots of important 
  ﬁ gures on it, people who are “in the know.” They are 
  grateful to the party for their assistance and share what 
  knowledge they have. One of them, an elderly and re-
  tired Foreign Ofﬁ ce diplomat, recalls there was a secret 
  entrance to the castle, starting at the linden tree by the 
  river beneath the main gates (should the heroes or the 
  other passengers look astounded at him he goes: “What? 
  I’m English and work for the Foreign Ofﬁ ce. We’re sup-
  posed to know everything.”)
  Additionally, Lady Amelia may also be aware of the 
  castle from her time at Swiss ﬁ nishing schools, the ski-ing 
  up there was rather charming. Have her make a Smarts 
  roll. However, she hasn’t heard of the secret entrance 
  unless she scores a raise.
  SCENE 4: CHASE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
  SCENE 4: CHASE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
  The chase is on! Each Range Increment equates to 
  10”. Piloting is required to use a rocket pack. For the 
  purposes of any collision, the rocket packs have Top 
  Speed 30.
  If the party immediately ran to get rocket packs from 
  fallen Nazis, ignoring the bomb, the Germans are three 
  Range Increments ahead. Waiting until after the bomb 
  means the Nazis are six Range Increments away—they 
  are in no rush, ﬁ guring everyone on the train will soon 
  be killed in the explosion.
  Nazi Rocket Packs are secured with several straps, that 
  all feed into a central release buttons. If the heroes get 
  into melee distance of the Nazis at any point using one 
  of these packs, then the Nazi’s won’t hesitate to go for 
  the release button, at which point a hero better hang on 
  tightly! Equally a sharp eyed character could do the same 
  to a ﬂ ying Nazi!
  The Rocket Nazis do everything they can to stop any 
  pursuers catching the Major or Corporal Eisenberg and 
  the prisoner. Each one is a true German patriot, as well 
  as a professional commando They are highly trained so 
  they are not afraid to take risks, and even sacriﬁ ce them-
  selves, for their mission.
  Divide the Nazi Extras into groups equal in number 
  to the heroes for the purposes of action cards. This 
  prevents the goons from all suffering the same obstacle 
  simultaneously.
  If they lose the chase, then the heroes see the Nazi’s 
  heading towards the shadow of an ominous castle in 
  the distance. If they rescue the prisoner, von Stosser 
  still gets away using the Recurring Villain rule. It quickly 
  becomes apparent to Doc when he checks his gear his 
  journal, containing his most sensitive research, has been 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  8
  fore the bomb is made safe, it explodes. Anyone helping 
  defuse the bomb suffers 3d6 damage from a Wild Card.
  When the heroes begin searching, they have just 8 
  rounds left before detonation. It takes them two rounds 
  to work through the crowd and reach the outside.
  Step 1) The heroes must search for the bomb. This 
  requires a Cooperative Notice roll at –4. Until this roll is 
  made, the party cannot locate the device.
  Step 2) Having found the explosive device, the he-
  roes must study it to ensure there are no booby-traps. 
  The sudden impulse to rip the thing free or start cutting 
  wires could be the last act the heroes ever take! Checking 
  the device requires a Smarts roll at –2 or an unmodiﬁ ed 
  Repair roll. On a failure, the party may either proceed 
  with the next step, suffering an additional –2 penalty due 
  to added caution, or reattempt this step.
  Step 3) Convinced the bomb is safe to handle, the 
  characters may now try to determine how it works. Once 
  they know this, they can try to dismantle it. This requires 
  a Smarts roll at –2 or an unmodiﬁ ed Repair roll
  Step 4) There are two ways to neutralize the bomb. 
  For those technically inclined, they can snip wires. This 
  requires a Repair roll at –2 (thanks to the awkward op-
  erating conditions). Those less able can make a Strength 
  roll at –2 to pull it free and toss it over the side of the 
  bridge, where it explodes harmlessly.
  Clearing the Cars: If one of more heroes decide to 
  try and evacuate the train and its passengers to safety 
  while their comrades are searching for the bomb, place 
  ten tokens on the tabletop. These represent the passen-
  gers. Again, the heroes have only eight rounds in which 
  to act.
  Each round, the heroes must make a Cooperative 
  Intimidation or Persuasion roll at –2. The rolls can be 
  mixed—one hero can bark orders while another acts 
  more politely and ushers people along. A successful roll 
  removes one token, and a raise two tokens—those pas-
  sengers have reached safety. If the party is split, divide 
  the action between the two groups. The tension of one 
  scene should help fuel the tension in the other.
  If the heroes fail to remove the last token by the time 
  the bomb explodes, they suffer 3d6 damage from a Wild 
  Card. Many of the remaining passengers are wounded, 
  but none mortally.
  The engine and forward baggage car, and the last pas-
  senger car and the guards van are ﬁ rmly on the tracks. 
  Two more passenger cars dangle precariously over the 
  edge of the bridge. All other carriages have plunged to 
  the bottom of the gorge.
  PURSUING VON STOSSER
  PURSUING VON STOSSER
  The goal is now to rescue Dr Davenport, or the hero 
  who impersonated him. If the heroes diffused the bomb 
  or threw it in the gorge, they can easily retrieve rocket 
  packs from the fallen Rocket Nazi’s who attacked them in 
  their sleeping car and pursue. Skip ahead to Scene 4.
  This section assumes the heroes do not give chase at 
  any point.
  Should the heroes decide not to immediately pursue 
  the Nazis, the last they see of von Stosser and his pris-
  oner are the trails of the jet packs turning north. Talking 
  to some of the passengers suggests that of all the notable 
  places for the Rocket Nazis to head to the most likely 
  would be the old Schloss Sturmburg—an ancient crum-
  bling castle in the mountains—built to defend against 
  the Turks.
  Remember, the Orient Express has lots of important 
  ﬁ gures on it, people who are “in the know.” They are 
  grateful to the party for their assistance and share what 
  knowledge they have. One of them, an elderly and re-
  tired Foreign Ofﬁ ce diplomat, recalls there was a secret 
  entrance to the castle, starting at the linden tree by the 
  river beneath the main gates (should the heroes or the 
  other passengers look astounded at him he goes: “What? 
  I’m English and work for the Foreign Ofﬁ ce. We’re sup-
  posed to know everything.”)
  Additionally, Lady Amelia may also be aware of the 
  castle from her time at Swiss ﬁ nishing schools, the ski-ing 
  up there was rather charming. Have her make a Smarts 
  roll. However, she hasn’t heard of the secret entrance 
  unless she scores a raise.
  SCENE 4: CHASE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
  SCENE 4: CHASE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
  The chase is on! Each Range Increment equates to 
  10”. Piloting is required to use a rocket pack. For the 
  purposes of any collision, the rocket packs have Top 
  Speed 30.
  If the party immediately ran to get rocket packs from 
  fallen Nazis, ignoring the bomb, the Germans are three 
  Range Increments ahead. Waiting until after the bomb 
  means the Nazis are six Range Increments away—they 
  are in no rush, ﬁ guring everyone on the train will soon 
  be killed in the explosion.
  Nazi Rocket Packs are secured with several straps, that 
  all feed into a central release buttons. If the heroes get 
  into melee distance of the Nazis at any point using one 
  of these packs, then the Nazi’s won’t hesitate to go for 
  the release button, at which point a hero better hang on 
  tightly! Equally a sharp eyed character could do the same 
  to a ﬂ ying Nazi!
  The Rocket Nazis do everything they can to stop any 
  pursuers catching the Major or Corporal Eisenberg and 
  the prisoner. Each one is a true German patriot, as well 
  as a professional commando They are highly trained so 
  they are not afraid to take risks, and even sacriﬁ ce them-
  selves, for their mission.
  Divide the Nazi Extras into groups equal in number 
  to the heroes for the purposes of action cards. This 
  prevents the goons from all suffering the same obstacle 
  simultaneously.
  If they lose the chase, then the heroes see the Nazi’s 
  heading towards the shadow of an ominous castle in 
  the distance. If they rescue the prisoner, von Stosser 
  still gets away using the Recurring Villain rule. It quickly 
  becomes apparent to Doc when he checks his gear his 
  journal, containing his most sensitive research, has been 
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  9
  taken—von Stosser has it, and it must be reclaimed or 
  destroyed before the Nazis can decipher it!
  Liven up the chase and any subsequent aerial combat 
  with the following events and obstacles. Events marked 
  “*” only affect the heroes and senior Nazis. For the Ex-
  tras, give a ﬂ at –2 penalty due to adverse conditions.
  Deuce (—) Fuel Cut-Out*: The fuel to the jetpacks 
  falters for a moment. The wearer must make a Smarts 
  roll (–2) or a Repair roll each round. Until he succeeds, 
  he loses one Range Increment automatically. Alternately, 
  the GM can have one Nazi Extra drop from the sky with a 
  long scream if a goon squad draws this card.
  3-4 (–2) Buzzing the Trees: A copse of alpine trees 
  looms suddenly through the cloud, forcing the pilot to 
  take emergency action. A failed Piloting roll causes the 
  victim to be Shaken as he ﬂ ies through the top of the 
  trees.
  5-6 (–2) Ravine*: The Nazis zip between two sheer 
  rock faces, making for a narrow squeeze. Failure damages 
  the rockets, sending the wearer spiraling to the ground. 
  He automatically drops back one Range Increment as he 
  tries to stabilize his ﬂ ight.
  Alternately, the GM can have one Nazi Extra slam into 
  the cliff and explode messily if a goon squad draws this 
  card.
  7-8 (0) Strap Breakage*: The straps holding the 
  hero to their rocket pack gives out suddenly. The hero 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 to regain the strap whilst 
  maintaining pursuit, otherwise they lose a Range Incre-
  ment every round until they reconnect the strap.
  Alternately, the Gm can have one Nazi slip free of his 
  straps and fall nosily to his doom if a goon squad draws 
  this card
  9-10 (–2) Sudden Updraft: A sudden gust of wind 
  threatens to ﬂ ip the ﬂ yer out of control. A failed roll 
  causes the character to be Shaken.
  Jack–King (0) Cloudy: The character ﬂ ies into low 
  cloud. A failed Piloting roll means the ﬂ yer becomes dis-
  oriented—he loses a Range Increment.
  Ace (–2) Loose Rocks!* The noise of the pursuit 
  loosens the snow cap of a nearby peak, tipping it down 
  upon the ﬂ yers as they skim through a narrow valley. A 
  successful Piloting roll keeps a character in the chase. If 
  unsuccessful, the character falls aside and is forced to 
  land. On snake eyes, the jetpack is damaged and they 
  crash.
   Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Cpl Gunter Eisenberg: See page 17.
   Nazi Rocketeers (2 per hero): See page 17.
  ACT THREE: SCHLOSS STURMBURG
  ACT THREE: SCHLOSS STURMBURG
  Castle Sturmburg is an ancient brooding pile the Nazi 
  Rocketeer Brigade has been quietly converting into a 
  forward base and research facility. It’s populated by sev-
  eral Nazi scientists, each one every bit as ruthless in their 
  research as von Stosser. In the last few months they have 
  been joined by more reluctant guests—scientists from 
  around the world who are experts in rocketry, ballistics, 
  and artillery who have been brought here and forced 
  to work on the ﬁ rst of a line of super weapons which 
  Hitler will use as the opening salvo when the Chancellor 
  decides it is time to conquer the world.
  There’s quite a lot of sneaking around in this act 
  which can be broken up any time it gets boring with the 
  sudden arrival of Nazi soldiers on a guard patrol. The 
  guards, up to the point the heroes attempt to break into 
  von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, are stereotypical pulp German Army 
  soldiers—dim, slow, noisy, and unobservant. But there 
  are lots of them. The Nazi Rocketeer Brigade on the 
  other hand is elite. Their guards are cunning, clever, and 
  a match for anything. Including the Heroes.
  There are lots of opportunities to be taken prisoner, 
  which leads to Scene 3 (Prison Break) 
  SCENE 1: APPROACHING THE CASTLE
  SCENE 1: APPROACHING THE CASTLE
  Outlined against the full moon is the ominous 
  façade of Castle Sturmburg, looming over the pass 
  as it has done for over six hundred years, a silent 
  sentinel against invaders from the east. It does 
  not seem to have fared well in that time. In places 
  the crenellations are crumbling, and one tower is 
  cracked open its roof sheared off long ago.
  Icicles as long as a man hang from the battle-
  ments, and every few minutes you see a two 
  man patrol move across them, moving in an 
  endless circle around the walls. Perching on the 
  battlements like a misshapen bird is some sort of 
  aircraft, half hidden under what looks like cam-
  ouﬂ age netting.
  The approach to the castle has been cleared of 
  trees to the south. To the north, the castle hangs 
  out over the ravine, leaning out over the icy river 
  hundreds of feet below. From within, harsh yel-
  low lights can be seen through arrow slits, and 
  the sounds of construction; banging, scraping, 
  hammering, sawing are escaping into the still 
  night air.
  There are several ways into the castle—climb the 
  outer wall, use Persuasion or Stealth to get them through 
  the front door, be captured and taken to the dungeon, 
  or if they stayed to help the innocent passengers on the 
  train, they know to try for the secret entrance.
  CLIMBING THE WALL
  CLIMBING THE WALL
  The outer wall of the Sturmburg is a crumbling stone 
  affair, though the plentiful hand holds are slick with ice, 
  making for a very difﬁ cult climb (–2). The rocket packs 
  are now low on fuel; one person can make it to the top if 
  they pool the fuel. The others have to climb.
  The top of the wall is patrolled by sentries, who pass 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  9
  taken—von Stosser has it, and it must be reclaimed or 
  destroyed before the Nazis can decipher it!
  Liven up the chase and any subsequent aerial combat 
  with the following events and obstacles. Events marked 
  “*” only affect the heroes and senior Nazis. For the Ex-
  tras, give a ﬂ at –2 penalty due to adverse conditions.
  Deuce (—) Fuel Cut-Out*: The fuel to the jetpacks 
  falters for a moment. The wearer must make a Smarts 
  roll (–2) or a Repair roll each round. Until he succeeds, 
  he loses one Range Increment automatically. Alternately, 
  the GM can have one Nazi Extra drop from the sky with a 
  long scream if a goon squad draws this card.
  3-4 (–2) Buzzing the Trees: A copse of alpine trees 
  looms suddenly through the cloud, forcing the pilot to 
  take emergency action. A failed Piloting roll causes the 
  victim to be Shaken as he ﬂ ies through the top of the 
  trees.
  5-6 (–2) Ravine*: The Nazis zip between two sheer 
  rock faces, making for a narrow squeeze. Failure damages 
  the rockets, sending the wearer spiraling to the ground. 
  He automatically drops back one Range Increment as he 
  tries to stabilize his ﬂ ight.
  Alternately, the GM can have one Nazi Extra slam into 
  the cliff and explode messily if a goon squad draws this 
  card.
  7-8 (0) Strap Breakage*: The straps holding the 
  hero to their rocket pack gives out suddenly. The hero 
  must make an Agility roll at –2 to regain the strap whilst 
  maintaining pursuit, otherwise they lose a Range Incre-
  ment every round until they reconnect the strap.
  Alternately, the Gm can have one Nazi slip free of his 
  straps and fall nosily to his doom if a goon squad draws 
  this card
  9-10 (–2) Sudden Updraft: A sudden gust of wind 
  threatens to ﬂ ip the ﬂ yer out of control. A failed roll 
  causes the character to be Shaken.
  Jack–King (0) Cloudy: The character ﬂ ies into low 
  cloud. A failed Piloting roll means the ﬂ yer becomes dis-
  oriented—he loses a Range Increment.
  Ace (–2) Loose Rocks!* The noise of the pursuit 
  loosens the snow cap of a nearby peak, tipping it down 
  upon the ﬂ yers as they skim through a narrow valley. A 
  successful Piloting roll keeps a character in the chase. If 
  unsuccessful, the character falls aside and is forced to 
  land. On snake eyes, the jetpack is damaged and they 
  crash.
   Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Cpl Gunter Eisenberg: See page 17.
   Nazi Rocketeers (2 per hero): See page 17.
  ACT THREE: SCHLOSS STURMBURG
  ACT THREE: SCHLOSS STURMBURG
  Castle Sturmburg is an ancient brooding pile the Nazi 
  Rocketeer Brigade has been quietly converting into a 
  forward base and research facility. It’s populated by sev-
  eral Nazi scientists, each one every bit as ruthless in their 
  research as von Stosser. In the last few months they have 
  been joined by more reluctant guests—scientists from 
  around the world who are experts in rocketry, ballistics, 
  and artillery who have been brought here and forced 
  to work on the ﬁ rst of a line of super weapons which 
  Hitler will use as the opening salvo when the Chancellor 
  decides it is time to conquer the world.
  There’s quite a lot of sneaking around in this act 
  which can be broken up any time it gets boring with the 
  sudden arrival of Nazi soldiers on a guard patrol. The 
  guards, up to the point the heroes attempt to break into 
  von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, are stereotypical pulp German Army 
  soldiers—dim, slow, noisy, and unobservant. But there 
  are lots of them. The Nazi Rocketeer Brigade on the 
  other hand is elite. Their guards are cunning, clever, and 
  a match for anything. Including the Heroes.
  There are lots of opportunities to be taken prisoner, 
  which leads to Scene 3 (Prison Break) 
  SCENE 1: APPROACHING THE CASTLE
  SCENE 1: APPROACHING THE CASTLE
  Outlined against the full moon is the ominous 
  façade of Castle Sturmburg, looming over the pass 
  as it has done for over six hundred years, a silent 
  sentinel against invaders from the east. It does 
  not seem to have fared well in that time. In places 
  the crenellations are crumbling, and one tower is 
  cracked open its roof sheared off long ago.
  Icicles as long as a man hang from the battle-
  ments, and every few minutes you see a two 
  man patrol move across them, moving in an 
  endless circle around the walls. Perching on the 
  battlements like a misshapen bird is some sort of 
  aircraft, half hidden under what looks like cam-
  ouﬂ age netting.
  The approach to the castle has been cleared of 
  trees to the south. To the north, the castle hangs 
  out over the ravine, leaning out over the icy river 
  hundreds of feet below. From within, harsh yel-
  low lights can be seen through arrow slits, and 
  the sounds of construction; banging, scraping, 
  hammering, sawing are escaping into the still 
  night air.
  There are several ways into the castle—climb the 
  outer wall, use Persuasion or Stealth to get them through 
  the front door, be captured and taken to the dungeon, 
  or if they stayed to help the innocent passengers on the 
  train, they know to try for the secret entrance.
  CLIMBING THE WALL
  CLIMBING THE WALL
  The outer wall of the Sturmburg is a crumbling stone 
  affair, though the plentiful hand holds are slick with ice, 
  making for a very difﬁ cult climb (–2). The rocket packs 
  are now low on fuel; one person can make it to the top if 
  they pool the fuel. The others have to climb.
  The top of the wall is patrolled by sentries, who pass 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1010
  along the top at regular intervals. They are not particu-
  larly observant and the cover of darkness helps conceal 
  the heroes until they get closer to the top. The players 
  need to make a successful Climbing roll. On a failure the 
  hero must try again, having got stuck part way up.
  Unbeknownst to the heroes, a Nazi patrol passes 
  along the battlements in ﬁ ve rounds. If any heroes are on 
  the battlements and in sight at this time, the guards open 
  ﬁ re. Hopefully, he party has scaled the wall and entered 
  the castle by this time.
  The terrain at the top of the wall is the classic castle 
  battlement. The parapet is approximately 2 yards across, 
  with no rail. In the icy conditions a combatant could 
  quite easily slip or be pushed down to the ground some 
  80 feet below!
  From the top of the wall, the heroes can see for quite 
  a way, including soldiers on the far side of the castle 
  brushing snow from what looks like train tracks. The 
  train tracks curve away south and east, back towards 
  Vienna. Also on the top of the wall, facing out towards 
  the ravine, is what looks like some sort of plane, covered 
  with a large tarpaulin. It looks like instead of regular 
  engines, it is powered by large rocket packs.
   Nazi Soldier (1 per hero): See page 17.
  STEALTH/PERSUADE
  STEALTH/PERSUADE
  Immediately out front of the castle there are no 
  guards, though in the shelter of the porch is a single 
  sentry. The heroes can attempt to distract the sentry with 
  a well thrown stone, pretend to be Nazi agents, or use 
  any other ploy they like. If they try blufﬁ ng their way in 
  the sentry won’t just let them in, but he takes them to 
  his superior, turning his back on the heroes at least long 
  enough to be knocked out.
  Once inside the castle there are plenty of alcoves and 
  doorways to duck into to avoid the guards patrolling the 
  halls, and any other staff moving around. Should they 
  be spotted, any staff quickly try and raise the alarm, to 
  which groups of guards quickly respond.
  CAPTURE
  CAPTURE
  The surest way into the castle is to surrender, or 
  otherwise engineer their capture. Nazi soldiers swiftly 
  oblige if the alarm is raised, and the heroes are taken to 
  the dungeons.
  THE SECRET PASSAGE
  THE SECRET PASSAGE
  The tunnel before you is narrow, just big enough 
  for the adults to get their shoulders through, but 
  tall enough to stand in. And it’s clear it’s been a 
  dumping ground for all kinds of stuff for years. 
  It’s littered with what looks like rusting robot 
  parts, and bits of old rockets and other machin-
  ery. Crickets chirp in amongst the rubbish, and 
  the tunnel itself is lined with cobwebs. Things can 
  be heard rustling in the leaf mold.  Unusually, the 
  tunnel slopes slightly downward.
  Once the party is inside, a giant stone ball drops from 
  behind them and begins rolling down the slope toward 
  them! This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules.
  Place 11 markers on the tabletop to represent the 
  tunnel. To reach safety, the party must move beyond 
  the ﬁ nal marker. The heroes must make Agility roll each 
  round. The stone ball (Agility d10) draws a card at the 
  start of the third round. Should the ball end up on the 
  same Range Increment as a hero at the end of a round, 
  the unlucky victim takes 3d6 damage from a Wild Card.
  The light on markers one and two is Dim (–1), and 
  Dark (–2) from markers three to ﬁ ve. Beyond this is Pitch 
  Darkness (–4). These modiﬁ ers apply to all Trait rolls.
  To make matters worse, and much more exciting, 
  when the heroes reach certain range markers, as indi-
  cated below, ancient traps spring into life.
  3) Pit: A hidden pit lies concealed beneath thin wood-
  en panels. The pit isn’t designed to kill—it’s designed to 
  slow down the party so the ball can crush them. The ﬁ rst 
  hero to step foot on this marker must make an Agility 
  roll at –2 or fall knee deep into the pit. His movement 
  for the round ends automatically, no matter his original 
  Agility roll.
  The ball is large enough to roll over the pit.
  5) Pendulums: A series of scything blades swing 
  down the ceiling, creating a barrier of slicing death. The 
  hero must end his movement for the round. Next round, 
  he must use Smarts (not Agility) to move forward, judg-
  ing the blades’ timing. A failure causes 2d6 damage. Until 
  the roll succeeds, the hero must remain on the marker, 
  driven back by the killer blades.
  The ball is heavy enough to smash through the blades 
  unimpaired.
  7) Nest: Thick cobwebs cover this marker. A hero 
  crashing through ﬁ nds himself covered in insects. For 
  most, this is just an annoyance. Brett, however, must 
  make a Spirit roll. Failure means he cannot proceed past 
  this marker. The roll may be repeated each round. Once 
  he succeeds, he may make his Agility roll as normal.
  9) Ancient Crossbow Barrage: Crossbows mounted 
  in the wall release their deadly missiles when a pressure 
  plate is triggered. Well, that was the designer’s plan. 
  However, time has not been kind to the ancient weapons. 
  As the crossbows twang, they all break. The wood has all 
  but turned to dust and all that is achieved is a cloud of 
  choking blinding dust is dumped onto the heroes. The 
  ﬁ rst hero onto this marker must make a Vigor roll or be 
  Shaken.
  11) Portcullis: When this marker is ﬁ rst stepped on, a 
  spiked portcullis crashes down! Whoever triggers it must 
  make an Agility roll to leap through to safety. Failure 
  means they are trapped on the wrong side of the gate.
  The portcullis prevents movement beyond this marker 
  until it is lifted. In order to do this, a character must be 
  on the 11th marker and make a Strength roll at –2 as an 
  action. Should the ball catch up with the characters now, 
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1010
  along the top at regular intervals. They are not particu-
  larly observant and the cover of darkness helps conceal 
  the heroes until they get closer to the top. The players 
  need to make a successful Climbing roll. On a failure the 
  hero must try again, having got stuck part way up.
  Unbeknownst to the heroes, a Nazi patrol passes 
  along the battlements in ﬁ ve rounds. If any heroes are on 
  the battlements and in sight at this time, the guards open 
  ﬁ re. Hopefully, he party has scaled the wall and entered 
  the castle by this time.
  The terrain at the top of the wall is the classic castle 
  battlement. The parapet is approximately 2 yards across, 
  with no rail. In the icy conditions a combatant could 
  quite easily slip or be pushed down to the ground some 
  80 feet below!
  From the top of the wall, the heroes can see for quite 
  a way, including soldiers on the far side of the castle 
  brushing snow from what looks like train tracks. The 
  train tracks curve away south and east, back towards 
  Vienna. Also on the top of the wall, facing out towards 
  the ravine, is what looks like some sort of plane, covered 
  with a large tarpaulin. It looks like instead of regular 
  engines, it is powered by large rocket packs.
   Nazi Soldier (1 per hero): See page 17.
  STEALTH/PERSUADE
  STEALTH/PERSUADE
  Immediately out front of the castle there are no 
  guards, though in the shelter of the porch is a single 
  sentry. The heroes can attempt to distract the sentry with 
  a well thrown stone, pretend to be Nazi agents, or use 
  any other ploy they like. If they try blufﬁ ng their way in 
  the sentry won’t just let them in, but he takes them to 
  his superior, turning his back on the heroes at least long 
  enough to be knocked out.
  Once inside the castle there are plenty of alcoves and 
  doorways to duck into to avoid the guards patrolling the 
  halls, and any other staff moving around. Should they 
  be spotted, any staff quickly try and raise the alarm, to 
  which groups of guards quickly respond.
  CAPTURE
  CAPTURE
  The surest way into the castle is to surrender, or 
  otherwise engineer their capture. Nazi soldiers swiftly 
  oblige if the alarm is raised, and the heroes are taken to 
  the dungeons.
  THE SECRET PASSAGE
  THE SECRET PASSAGE
  The tunnel before you is narrow, just big enough 
  for the adults to get their shoulders through, but 
  tall enough to stand in. And it’s clear it’s been a 
  dumping ground for all kinds of stuff for years. 
  It’s littered with what looks like rusting robot 
  parts, and bits of old rockets and other machin-
  ery. Crickets chirp in amongst the rubbish, and 
  the tunnel itself is lined with cobwebs. Things can 
  be heard rustling in the leaf mold.  Unusually, the 
  tunnel slopes slightly downward.
  Once the party is inside, a giant stone ball drops from 
  behind them and begins rolling down the slope toward 
  them! This scene uses a variant of the Chase rules.
  Place 11 markers on the tabletop to represent the 
  tunnel. To reach safety, the party must move beyond 
  the ﬁ nal marker. The heroes must make Agility roll each 
  round. The stone ball (Agility d10) draws a card at the 
  start of the third round. Should the ball end up on the 
  same Range Increment as a hero at the end of a round, 
  the unlucky victim takes 3d6 damage from a Wild Card.
  The light on markers one and two is Dim (–1), and 
  Dark (–2) from markers three to ﬁ ve. Beyond this is Pitch 
  Darkness (–4). These modiﬁ ers apply to all Trait rolls.
  To make matters worse, and much more exciting, 
  when the heroes reach certain range markers, as indi-
  cated below, ancient traps spring into life.
  3) Pit: A hidden pit lies concealed beneath thin wood-
  en panels. The pit isn’t designed to kill—it’s designed to 
  slow down the party so the ball can crush them. The ﬁ rst 
  hero to step foot on this marker must make an Agility 
  roll at –2 or fall knee deep into the pit. His movement 
  for the round ends automatically, no matter his original 
  Agility roll.
  The ball is large enough to roll over the pit.
  5) Pendulums: A series of scything blades swing 
  down the ceiling, creating a barrier of slicing death. The 
  hero must end his movement for the round. Next round, 
  he must use Smarts (not Agility) to move forward, judg-
  ing the blades’ timing. A failure causes 2d6 damage. Until 
  the roll succeeds, the hero must remain on the marker, 
  driven back by the killer blades.
  The ball is heavy enough to smash through the blades 
  unimpaired.
  7) Nest: Thick cobwebs cover this marker. A hero 
  crashing through ﬁ nds himself covered in insects. For 
  most, this is just an annoyance. Brett, however, must 
  make a Spirit roll. Failure means he cannot proceed past 
  this marker. The roll may be repeated each round. Once 
  he succeeds, he may make his Agility roll as normal.
  9) Ancient Crossbow Barrage: Crossbows mounted 
  in the wall release their deadly missiles when a pressure 
  plate is triggered. Well, that was the designer’s plan. 
  However, time has not been kind to the ancient weapons. 
  As the crossbows twang, they all break. The wood has all 
  but turned to dust and all that is achieved is a cloud of 
  choking blinding dust is dumped onto the heroes. The 
  ﬁ rst hero onto this marker must make a Vigor roll or be 
  Shaken.
  11) Portcullis: When this marker is ﬁ rst stepped on, a 
  spiked portcullis crashes down! Whoever triggers it must 
  make an Agility roll to leap through to safety. Failure 
  means they are trapped on the wrong side of the gate.
  The portcullis prevents movement beyond this marker 
  until it is lifted. In order to do this, a character must be 
  on the 11th marker and make a Strength roll at –2 as an 
  action. Should the ball catch up with the characters now, 
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1111
  it smashes them onto the spikes for an extra 1d6 dam-
  age. The portcullis is sturdy enough to stop the ball’s 
  movement.
  Once the players slip past the portcullis they are into 
  a long forgotten storage area in the dungeons. Heading 
  up some dusty stairs, the heroes make it into the main 
  corridors where signs indicate they are quite near the 
  prison.
  INSIDE THE CASTLE
  INSIDE THE CASTLE
  Whether they have successfully got in and are sneak-
  ing around, or have been captured, their path through 
  the castle takes them past a courtyard that has been 
  glassed over. 
  Beneath you, you can see a huge workshop, where 
  a hundred German workers are busy assembling 
  the weapons of war. Most of them seem to be 
  unfeasibly large warheads. Others are construct-
  ing the bodies of slim rockets, and sleek looking 
  aerial bombs. In the centre of the courtyard a 
  huge assembly has been put together, and bar-
  rels of air craft fuel are being brought up to it. As 
  they watch, the fuel is poured into the shuddering 
  machine. A viscous black liquid emerges from the 
  other end, giving off a fetid, noxious smell. The 
  liquid is ﬁ lling a barrel marked “Superfuel.” An-
  other ten barrels stand empty and waiting.
  Doc quickly recognizes it for his fuel reﬁ ning process, 
  though on a scale twice as big as his prototype plans 
  indicate. 
  As the heroes pass the courtyard, the smell is so 
  overpowering they must make Vigor checks or becomes 
  extremely nauseous, leaving them at –1 to all trait rolls 
  whilst in the area. A critical failure leaves them puking 
  and retching so badly they cannot move for a moment—if 
  they haven’t been taken prisoner, another pair of guards 
  has a chance to discover them.
  SCENE 2: WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
  SCENE 2: WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
  If the Rocket Nazis got away with their prisoner, or 
  the heroes are captured attempting to enter the castle, 
  von Stosser wants “words” with Doc Davenport. Words 
  of a painful nature.
  Doc, or whoever is pretending to be Doc, is swiftly 
  taken to an interrogation room, a small, cold, stone 
  chamber lit by a single bare bulb. A drain is set into the 
  centre of the ﬂ oor, and the smell of rotting meat ﬂ oats 
  from it. There Doc is strapped into a heavy chair.
  Von Stosser pulls up a stool, and watches quietly 
  whilst his minions set up the instruments of torture. A 
  German scientist with a chin so weak it seems to have 
  given up completely, puts a black rubber apron on over 
  his white coat, and lays out a series of instruments on a 
  metal tray, including a sharpened set of forceps, several 
  scalpels, and one that looks suspiciously like a sharpened 
  melon-baller. In the background a soldier is heating a 
  brazier with a set of small bellows.
  Von Stosser turns to Doc. “You will ﬁ nd that whilst 
  I admire science for all the beneﬁ ts it brings, I 
  have a soft spot for the traditional. Alas, I do not 
  have the time to indulge it, fortunately for you. 
  Instead, you should know that I have access to the 
  ﬁ nest truth serums mankind has devised. How-
  ever, I am not a monster. I am still prepared to 
  offer you a chance to join us. So it is your choice. 
  Answer my questions honestly without persua-
  sion. Or have your free will stripped away like the 
  skin from an orange. Do you understand? Good, 
  then make your choice.”
  If Doc refuses to make a choice, von Stosser says “So 
  be it.” He snaps his ﬁ ngers, and the interrogator draws 
  an evil-looking green ﬂ uid from a vial into a syringe. He 
  does so slowly to give Doc one last chance to change his 
  mind, before injecting the contents into Doc’s arm.
  Von Stosser has a short series of questions he then pro-
  ceeds to ask:
  * Who were those people ﬁ ghting my men on the Ori-
  ent Express?
  * Is there anything missing from the blueprints for the 
  fuel process
  * Where is your rocket pack? (von Stosser wants it stud-
  ied to see if improvements to his can be made)
  * Would you be willing to work with us freely?
  Doc now needs to make a Vigor roll. If he succeeds 
  then every time von Stosser asks a question he makes a 
  standard Spirit roll to resist giving a truthful answer. If he 
  fails, then his Spirit roll is at –2. Should he fail Spirit rolls 
  to resist questioning, he has to give an honest answer.
  If Doc gives an answer von Stosser doesn’t like, such 
  as “No”, or “I don’t know” he gives the prisoner a sound 
  slap, with a warning, “Try again, Herr Doktor Davenport. 
  Do not make me move on to those traditional methods I 
  was talking about.”
  This can lead to the situation where Doc tells the 
  truth, but von Stosser isn’t satisﬁ ed. However, rather 
  than be realistic and draw things out, von Stosser loses 
  his temper quickly and end the session, sending Doc to a 
  prison cell to think about the fate that awaits him should 
  he not co-operate and choose to work for the Nazis.
  If another player is impersonating Doc, and reveals 
  this during the questioning, von Stosser is furious, and 
  after a purely vindictive punch to the gut, stops any fur-
  ther questioning and has the impersonator thrown into 
  a cell.
  Alternatively, the hero could be blufﬁ ng if he offers 
  to co-operate and attempts to make a break for it. If he 
  does, deal initiative cards and run the combat, though 
  von Stosser has to survive for the ﬁ nale, so use the recur-
  ring villain rule to make sure he gets away. As well as von 
  Stosser, there is just one regular Nazi soldier in the small 
  room. The torturer is a scientist, not a soldier, and tries 
  to avoid combat.
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1111
  it smashes them onto the spikes for an extra 1d6 dam-
  age. The portcullis is sturdy enough to stop the ball’s 
  movement.
  Once the players slip past the portcullis they are into 
  a long forgotten storage area in the dungeons. Heading 
  up some dusty stairs, the heroes make it into the main 
  corridors where signs indicate they are quite near the 
  prison.
  INSIDE THE CASTLE
  INSIDE THE CASTLE
  Whether they have successfully got in and are sneak-
  ing around, or have been captured, their path through 
  the castle takes them past a courtyard that has been 
  glassed over. 
  Beneath you, you can see a huge workshop, where 
  a hundred German workers are busy assembling 
  the weapons of war. Most of them seem to be 
  unfeasibly large warheads. Others are construct-
  ing the bodies of slim rockets, and sleek looking 
  aerial bombs. In the centre of the courtyard a 
  huge assembly has been put together, and bar-
  rels of air craft fuel are being brought up to it. As 
  they watch, the fuel is poured into the shuddering 
  machine. A viscous black liquid emerges from the 
  other end, giving off a fetid, noxious smell. The 
  liquid is ﬁ lling a barrel marked “Superfuel.” An-
  other ten barrels stand empty and waiting.
  Doc quickly recognizes it for his fuel reﬁ ning process, 
  though on a scale twice as big as his prototype plans 
  indicate. 
  As the heroes pass the courtyard, the smell is so 
  overpowering they must make Vigor checks or becomes 
  extremely nauseous, leaving them at –1 to all trait rolls 
  whilst in the area. A critical failure leaves them puking 
  and retching so badly they cannot move for a moment—if 
  they haven’t been taken prisoner, another pair of guards 
  has a chance to discover them.
  SCENE 2: WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
  SCENE 2: WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
  If the Rocket Nazis got away with their prisoner, or 
  the heroes are captured attempting to enter the castle, 
  von Stosser wants “words” with Doc Davenport. Words 
  of a painful nature.
  Doc, or whoever is pretending to be Doc, is swiftly 
  taken to an interrogation room, a small, cold, stone 
  chamber lit by a single bare bulb. A drain is set into the 
  centre of the ﬂ oor, and the smell of rotting meat ﬂ oats 
  from it. There Doc is strapped into a heavy chair.
  Von Stosser pulls up a stool, and watches quietly 
  whilst his minions set up the instruments of torture. A 
  German scientist with a chin so weak it seems to have 
  given up completely, puts a black rubber apron on over 
  his white coat, and lays out a series of instruments on a 
  metal tray, including a sharpened set of forceps, several 
  scalpels, and one that looks suspiciously like a sharpened 
  melon-baller. In the background a soldier is heating a 
  brazier with a set of small bellows.
  Von Stosser turns to Doc. “You will ﬁ nd that whilst 
  I admire science for all the beneﬁ ts it brings, I 
  have a soft spot for the traditional. Alas, I do not 
  have the time to indulge it, fortunately for you. 
  Instead, you should know that I have access to the 
  ﬁ nest truth serums mankind has devised. How-
  ever, I am not a monster. I am still prepared to 
  offer you a chance to join us. So it is your choice. 
  Answer my questions honestly without persua-
  sion. Or have your free will stripped away like the 
  skin from an orange. Do you understand? Good, 
  then make your choice.”
  If Doc refuses to make a choice, von Stosser says “So 
  be it.” He snaps his ﬁ ngers, and the interrogator draws 
  an evil-looking green ﬂ uid from a vial into a syringe. He 
  does so slowly to give Doc one last chance to change his 
  mind, before injecting the contents into Doc’s arm.
  Von Stosser has a short series of questions he then pro-
  ceeds to ask:
  * Who were those people ﬁ ghting my men on the Ori-
  ent Express?
  * Is there anything missing from the blueprints for the 
  fuel process
  * Where is your rocket pack? (von Stosser wants it stud-
  ied to see if improvements to his can be made)
  * Would you be willing to work with us freely?
  Doc now needs to make a Vigor roll. If he succeeds 
  then every time von Stosser asks a question he makes a 
  standard Spirit roll to resist giving a truthful answer. If he 
  fails, then his Spirit roll is at –2. Should he fail Spirit rolls 
  to resist questioning, he has to give an honest answer.
  If Doc gives an answer von Stosser doesn’t like, such 
  as “No”, or “I don’t know” he gives the prisoner a sound 
  slap, with a warning, “Try again, Herr Doktor Davenport. 
  Do not make me move on to those traditional methods I 
  was talking about.”
  This can lead to the situation where Doc tells the 
  truth, but von Stosser isn’t satisﬁ ed. However, rather 
  than be realistic and draw things out, von Stosser loses 
  his temper quickly and end the session, sending Doc to a 
  prison cell to think about the fate that awaits him should 
  he not co-operate and choose to work for the Nazis.
  If another player is impersonating Doc, and reveals 
  this during the questioning, von Stosser is furious, and 
  after a purely vindictive punch to the gut, stops any fur-
  ther questioning and has the impersonator thrown into 
  a cell.
  Alternatively, the hero could be blufﬁ ng if he offers 
  to co-operate and attempts to make a break for it. If he 
  does, deal initiative cards and run the combat, though 
  von Stosser has to survive for the ﬁ nale, so use the recur-
  ring villain rule to make sure he gets away. As well as von 
  Stosser, there is just one regular Nazi soldier in the small 
  room. The torturer is a scientist, not a soldier, and tries 
  to avoid combat.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1212
     Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldier (1): See page 17.
   Interrogator (1): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: PRISON BREAK
  SCENE 3: PRISON BREAK
  Going through a rounded archway leads to a stairway 
  spiraling down. The stairway is narrow, with slightly slip-
  pery, worn ﬂ agstones and barely wide enough for two 
  people at a time at most, and comes out into an small 
  atrium directly in front of the prison door. 
  The prison itself is guarded by four soldiers, but the 
  guards are normal German soldiers who are not expect-
  ing any trouble, rather than the elite Nazi Rocket troops. 
  They are also pretty dim and any reasonable story may 
  convince them to open up the cells. As a result they 
  should be easily defeated, though they make every at-
  tempt to sound the alarm as they ﬁ ght. 
  The prison area itself is 8” by 6”. There are two cell 
  doors in the left wall. In the centre of the prison the 
  guards are sitting round a table drinking coffee and play-
  ing cards. They have their weapons near to hand, and 
  there are spare shot guns in a rack in an alcove on the 
  left hand side of the prison, where the third cell would 
  be. Cell doors a metal with a small grille, so the prisoners 
  inside can offer no assistance.
   Nazi soldiers (4): See page 17.
  Once the soldiers are defeated it is easy to free the 
  prisoners.
  The heroes are surrounded by grateful scientists, all 
  speaking at once in a half dozen languages. The other 
  captured scientists introduce themselves and their areas 
  of specialization, which covers ballistics, explosives, 
  ﬂ ight and robotics, just as Bertie described. They reveal 
  they have been working on experimental missiles, ﬂ ight 
  systems and tanks. What has been missing up to now 
  is a way of making the fuel use more effective so they 
  actually have decent range—and now the Nazi’s have 
  Doc’s notes, they can do it—the weapons are now viable! 
  They have to get those notes back, and get the captured 
  scientists to safety.
  It is most likely the notes are being kept in von 
  Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, in one of the castle towers. That, Profes-
  sor Juan-Marcos Reverte says, is where all the plans and 
  documents are kept.
  During the discussions Professor Reverte, men-
  tions he’s been working on an assortment of ﬂ ying 
  machines, one of which includes a new light and fast 
  experimental airplane. It’s almost complete—the pro-
  totype was due to be ﬂ own to the Luftwaffe for testing 
  in a few days.
  “Except it’s never going to get there!” he explains 
  with glee. “I’ve sabotaged the ignition. Unless 
  they clip the right wire in the ignition, which they 
  won’t, because they don’t know about it, then, 
  well, it will be too late.’ He gives a laugh. ‘If you 
  need a fast escape, take it. You just have to make 
  the right decision.”
  However, when questioned over which wire to cut he 
  looks a little guilty.
  “I can’t remember. I got the idea from all those mov-
  ies Hollywood makes. It works just like the movies.”
  If the heroes came in through the tunnel, the scientists 
  can be led back there to make their own way out. Now 
  they are aware of the Rocket Nazis they are quite capable 
  of making their own way home. If this happens various 
  national governments think a great deal more highly of 
  our Heroes, and intelligence agencies across the world 
  mark them as useful people to know in a crisis, however 
  else the situation may turn out.
  If they haven’t discovered the secret tunnel, the scien-
  tists suggest staying in the prison area, until the heroes 
  can clear an escape route as a big gaggle of old men 
  wandering around is going to look very suspicious, and 
  make a lot of noise.
  SCENE 4: VON STOSSER’S OFFICE
  SCENE 4: VON STOSSER’S OFFICE
  Von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce is in the area of Schloss Sturm-
  burg guarded by the Rocket Nazis themselves As a matter 
  of course the Nazi Rocketeer Brigade are very alert and 
  extremely cunning; They use a double patrol system. 
  The ﬁ rst guard patrols use heavy boots with metal heel 
  and toe traps to make the maximum amount of noise 
  are then followed at a distance by a more discreet patrol 
  that moves as silently as possible—a careless spy may 
  think the guards have gone by, only to be unpleasantly 
  surprised by the rear-guard. 
  Sneaking through the corridors and dodging patrols 
  leads them to von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, a spare and practical 
  room featuring a portrait of the Chancellor over the ﬁ re 
  place, and a large map of Europe pinned to the opposite 
  wall. Marked on the map are several train routes—the 
  current routes of the Orient Express. Where the route 
  passes into Germany, lines are drawn from the route 
  towards several European cities; Paris, Marseilles, Stras-
  bourg, Lisbon, and Gibraltar. All of them are potential 
  Nazi targets. Beyond that there is a little obvious lying 
  about. Von Stosser has a desk which is kept sparklingly 
  clean and clear.
  Doc’s notes, along with all the vital plans and break-
  throughs from the captured Scientists are in von Stosser’s 
  safe. It takes either a Lockpicking roll or a Repair roll to 
  open it. The heroes know any loud noises (like blowing 
  a hole in a safe) will quickly draw attention however.
  Once they get the safe open they ﬁ nd several fold-
  ers. One contains Doc’s notes, and includes a transcript 
  of one of his lectures as well as a telegram from Berlin 
  authorizing his capture. In other folders are plans for 
  huge rockets, experimental planes, robots, and other 
  inventions, all of which could be used for waging war. 
  Additionally, if they don’t know of the secret passage, 
  blueprints of the castle in the safe indicate it as a drain-
  age tunnel to the outside. An annotation on the plans in 
  German reads “Must get this blocked off.”
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1212
     Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Nazi Soldier (1): See page 17.
   Interrogator (1): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: PRISON BREAK
  SCENE 3: PRISON BREAK
  Going through a rounded archway leads to a stairway 
  spiraling down. The stairway is narrow, with slightly slip-
  pery, worn ﬂ agstones and barely wide enough for two 
  people at a time at most, and comes out into an small 
  atrium directly in front of the prison door. 
  The prison itself is guarded by four soldiers, but the 
  guards are normal German soldiers who are not expect-
  ing any trouble, rather than the elite Nazi Rocket troops. 
  They are also pretty dim and any reasonable story may 
  convince them to open up the cells. As a result they 
  should be easily defeated, though they make every at-
  tempt to sound the alarm as they ﬁ ght. 
  The prison area itself is 8” by 6”. There are two cell 
  doors in the left wall. In the centre of the prison the 
  guards are sitting round a table drinking coffee and play-
  ing cards. They have their weapons near to hand, and 
  there are spare shot guns in a rack in an alcove on the 
  left hand side of the prison, where the third cell would 
  be. Cell doors a metal with a small grille, so the prisoners 
  inside can offer no assistance.
  (M) Nazi soldiers (4): See page 17.
  Once the soldiers are defeated it is easy to free the 
  prisoners.
  The heroes are surrounded by grateful scientists, all 
  speaking at once in a half dozen languages. The other 
  captured scientists introduce themselves and their areas 
  of specialization, which covers ballistics, explosives, 
  ﬂ ight and robotics, just as Bertie described. They reveal 
  they have been working on experimental missiles, ﬂ ight 
  systems and tanks. What has been missing up to now 
  is a way of making the fuel use more effective so they 
  actually have decent range—and now the Nazi’s have 
  Doc’s notes, they can do it—the weapons are now viable! 
  They have to get those notes back, and get the captured 
  scientists to safety.
  It is most likely the notes are being kept in von 
  Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, in one of the castle towers. That, Profes-
  sor Juan-Marcos Reverte says, is where all the plans and 
  documents are kept.
  During the discussions Professor Reverte, men-
  tions he’s been working on an assortment of ﬂ ying 
  machines, one of which includes a new light and fast 
  experimental airplane. It’s almost complete—the pro-
  totype was due to be ﬂ own to the Luftwaffe for testing 
  in a few days.
  “Except it’s never going to get there!” he explains 
  with glee. “I’ve sabotaged the ignition. Unless 
  they clip the right wire in the ignition, which they 
  won’t, because they don’t know about it, then, 
  well, it will be too late.’ He gives a laugh. ‘If you 
  need a fast escape, take it. You just have to make 
  the right decision.”
  However, when questioned over which wire to cut he 
  looks a little guilty.
  “I can’t remember. I got the idea from all those mov-
  ies Hollywood makes. It works just like the movies.”
  If the heroes came in through the tunnel, the scientists 
  can be led back there to make their own way out. Now 
  they are aware of the Rocket Nazis they are quite capable 
  of making their own way home. If this happens various 
  national governments think a great deal more highly of 
  our Heroes, and intelligence agencies across the world 
  mark them as useful people to know in a crisis, however 
  else the situation may turn out.
  If they haven’t discovered the secret tunnel, the scien-
  tists suggest staying in the prison area, until the heroes 
  can clear an escape route as a big gaggle of old men 
  wandering around is going to look very suspicious, and 
  make a lot of noise.
  SCENE 4: VON STOSSER’S OFFICE
  SCENE 4: VON STOSSER’S OFFICE
  Von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce is in the area of Schloss Sturm-
  burg guarded by the Rocket Nazis themselves As a matter 
  of course the Nazi Rocketeer Brigade are very alert and 
  extremely cunning; They use a double patrol system. 
  The ﬁ rst guard patrols use heavy boots with metal heel 
  and toe traps to make the maximum amount of noise 
  are then followed at a distance by a more discreet patrol 
  that moves as silently as possible—a careless spy may 
  think the guards have gone by, only to be unpleasantly 
  surprised by the rear-guard. 
  Sneaking through the corridors and dodging patrols 
  leads them to von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, a spare and practical 
  room featuring a portrait of the Chancellor over the ﬁ re 
  place, and a large map of Europe pinned to the opposite 
  wall. Marked on the map are several train routes—the 
  current routes of the Orient Express. Where the route 
  passes into Germany, lines are drawn from the route 
  towards several European cities; Paris, Marseilles, Stras-
  bourg, Lisbon, and Gibraltar. All of them are potential 
  Nazi targets. Beyond that there is a little obvious lying 
  about. Von Stosser has a desk which is kept sparklingly 
  clean and clear.
  Doc’s notes, along with all the vital plans and break-
  throughs from the captured Scientists are in von Stosser’s 
  safe. It takes either a Lockpicking roll or a Repair roll to 
  open it. The heroes know any loud noises (like blowing 
  a hole in a safe) will quickly draw attention however.
  Once they get the safe open they ﬁ nd several fold-
  ers. One contains Doc’s notes, and includes a transcript 
  of one of his lectures as well as a telegram from Berlin 
  authorizing his capture. In other folders are plans for 
  huge rockets, experimental planes, robots, and other 
  inventions, all of which could be used for waging war. 
  Additionally, if they don’t know of the secret passage, 
  blueprints of the castle in the safe indicate it as a drain-
  age tunnel to the outside. An annotation on the plans in 
  German reads “Must get this blocked off.”
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1313
  What is not obvious from their search of the room 
  is that behind the picture of the Chancellor is a secret 
  observation point, and as they open the safe, one of the 
  more subtle Rocketeer guardsmen is entering. Having 
  spotted the heroes moving around earlier he has come 
  to check on the ofﬁ ce as an obvious goal for spies. Whilst 
  they read the plans he presses the secret button to si-
  lently pour invisible, odorless anesthetic gas (another 
  advance of stolen science, originally intended for the 
  dental industry) into the room.
  Have the heroes make Vigor rolls at –2. Success means 
  the victim is Fatigued. On a raise, the hero suffers no ill 
  effects. With a failure he is Exhausted, and on a critical 
  failure, Incapacitated. With the heroes suitably softened 
  up, the Rocketeers move in for the capture. 
  Trapped in von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, a 3” square room, 
  with the heavy desk and chair ﬁ lling most of it, free 
  movement is difﬁ cult. The Rocket Nazis arrive wearing 
  gas masks, and are more than willing to beat every ad-
  venturer unconscious. Blocking the only exit – there are 
  no windows, only arrow slits glazed over—the heroes 
  should quickly realize certain death is the only option 
  if they try to ﬁ ght. If they surrender, give each of them a 
  benny as per the surrender rules.
  If they choose to make a ﬁ ght of it, show no mercy.
   Rocket Nazis (2 per player): See page 17.
  The Nazis should win this ﬁ ght, all the noise guar-
  antees reinforcements keep coming until the heroes 
  surrender or they are beaten down. Once subdued, the 
  party are bound, and led down into the castle bowels to 
  meet their fate.
  ACT FOUR: RETURN TO THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ACT FOUR: RETURN TO THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  In the ﬁ nal act, Our Heroes must escape the Inescap-
  able Death Trap, pilot an experimental airplane across 
  the mountains in time to catch up with the Orient Ex-
  press, and then battle von Stosser and his Rocket Nazi 
  minions through the train to prevent a shot which would 
  be heard around the world. Don’t forget to restore a 
  wound to any player who has taken one—they’re going 
  to need them!
  SCENE 1: THE INESCAPABLE DEATH TRAP
  SCENE 1: THE INESCAPABLE DEATH TRAP
  Like all good villains, von Stosser has a death trap 
  ready for use. The semi-conscious heroes are tied-up and 
  wrestled down into the depths of the castle, through the 
  assembly room to another large room.
  The room is steaming hot, lit by a malevolent orange 
  light glowing from the mouth of an incinerator at the far 
  end. On a conveyor belt leading up to it are a series of 
  large hoppers. As the heroes watch, the hoppers screech 
  forward, and the foremost one tips into the smelter’s 
  mouth with a clang. The orange light blazes for a mo-
  ment, and a belch of smoke blows out from it. The con-
  veyer belt is shut down and the Rocket Nazis dump them 
  into one of the hoppers without ceremony.
  Von Stosser walks to the top of a ladder so he can 
  look down on the heroes. He has a monologue prepared 
  and may have been practicing it in front of the mirror. 
  Heroes who fail to look properly awed are looked on 
  with disfavor.
  “I thought your disruption of our plans for the 
  good doctor’s work would provide me with a 
  challenge. Instead you have become tiresome, so 
  I must dispose of you. You’ll forgive the dramatic 
  nature, but I can’t risk your bodies being found. 
  Der Chancellor’s plans are at a critical stage, and 
  dead Americans might lead to some unpleasant 
  consequences at a time when I cannot afford the 
  distraction.
  “Though I should like to thank you, Herr Doctor, 
  your insight is quite revolutionary. Without it, we 
  would not be able to strike at those garlic chew-
  ing hypocrites in Paris from so far away. Thanks 
  to you and your colleagues we now have a missile 
  battery of a scale unprecedented in the history of 
  warfare. And it is mobile. So not only can we strike 
  at them from great distance, by the time they send 
  whatever paltry resistance they can offer after us, 
  we will be long gone. After all, what Frog would 
  question one of France’s greatest triumphs in the 
  world of locomotion?
  “I’m afraid the hoppers get quite warm ﬁ rst, so it 
  isn’t as swift as you might like. Auf wiedersehn, 
  Amerikaners, Fraulein.”
  With that, von Stosser sets the conveyor belts in mo-
  tion, and departs the stepladder, whistling Deutchland 
  Uber Alles. The guards fall in behind him and the heroes 
  are left to their grisly fate.
  Place six markers on the table to present the hopper’s 
  route. Use a token to represent the hopper in which the 
  heroes await a ﬁ ery death. At the end of each round, the 
  hopper moves on marker toward the opposite end of the 
  track. Should the hopper move beyond the ﬁ nal marker, 
  anyone inside is incinerated unless they succeed in an 
  Agility roll at –2—no damage roll is required.
  When the hopper moves onto the fourth marker, ev-
  eryone still inside must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level 
  of Fatigue from the increasing heat. On the 5th marker, 
  the roll is made at –1, and on the 6th marker at –2.
  To escape, the heroes must ﬁ rst free their bonds. This 
  requires a Strength or Agility roll at –2. Two heroes may 
  Cooperate on this task, but no more—there just isn’t the 
  room. Once their bonds are loosened, the characters can 
  try to climb the smooth sides of the hopper. This requires 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –4 (hero’s choice), but can 
  be done Cooperatively. Remember, a bound hero who 
  wants to try and escape and help a colleague climb out 
  incurs a multi action penalty.
  Jumping down from the hopper’s rim requires no die 
  roll.
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1313
  What is not obvious from their search of the room 
  is that behind the picture of the Chancellor is a secret 
  observation point, and as they open the safe, one of the 
  more subtle Rocketeer guardsmen is entering. Having 
  spotted the heroes moving around earlier he has come 
  to check on the ofﬁ ce as an obvious goal for spies. Whilst 
  they read the plans he presses the secret button to si-
  lently pour invisible, odorless anesthetic gas (another 
  advance of stolen science, originally intended for the 
  dental industry) into the room.
  Have the heroes make Vigor rolls at –2. Success means 
  the victim is Fatigued. On a raise, the hero suffers no ill 
  effects. With a failure he is Exhausted, and on a critical 
  failure, Incapacitated. With the heroes suitably softened 
  up, the Rocketeers move in for the capture. 
  Trapped in von Stosser’s ofﬁ ce, a 3” square room, 
  with the heavy desk and chair ﬁ lling most of it, free 
  movement is difﬁ cult. The Rocket Nazis arrive wearing 
  gas masks, and are more than willing to beat every ad-
  venturer unconscious. Blocking the only exit – there are 
  no windows, only arrow slits glazed over—the heroes 
  should quickly realize certain death is the only option 
  if they try to ﬁ ght. If they surrender, give each of them a 
  benny as per the surrender rules.
  If they choose to make a ﬁ ght of it, show no mercy.
   Rocket Nazis (2 per player): See page 17.
  The Nazis should win this ﬁ ght, all the noise guar-
  antees reinforcements keep coming until the heroes 
  surrender or they are beaten down. Once subdued, the 
  party are bound, and led down into the castle bowels to 
  meet their fate.
  ACT FOUR: RETURN TO THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ACT FOUR: RETURN TO THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  In the ﬁ nal act, Our Heroes must escape the Inescap-
  able Death Trap, pilot an experimental airplane across 
  the mountains in time to catch up with the Orient Ex-
  press, and then battle von Stosser and his Rocket Nazi 
  minions through the train to prevent a shot which would 
  be heard around the world. Don’t forget to restore a 
  wound to any player who has taken one—they’re going 
  to need them!
  SCENE 1: THE INESCAPABLE DEATH TRAP
  SCENE 1: THE INESCAPABLE DEATH TRAP
  Like all good villains, von Stosser has a death trap 
  ready for use. The semi-conscious heroes are tied-up and 
  wrestled down into the depths of the castle, through the 
  assembly room to another large room.
  The room is steaming hot, lit by a malevolent orange 
  light glowing from the mouth of an incinerator at the far 
  end. On a conveyor belt leading up to it are a series of 
  large hoppers. As the heroes watch, the hoppers screech 
  forward, and the foremost one tips into the smelter’s 
  mouth with a clang. The orange light blazes for a mo-
  ment, and a belch of smoke blows out from it. The con-
  veyer belt is shut down and the Rocket Nazis dump them 
  into one of the hoppers without ceremony.
  Von Stosser walks to the top of a ladder so he can 
  look down on the heroes. He has a monologue prepared 
  and may have been practicing it in front of the mirror. 
  Heroes who fail to look properly awed are looked on 
  with disfavor.
  “I thought your disruption of our plans for the 
  good doctor’s work would provide me with a 
  challenge. Instead you have become tiresome, so 
  I must dispose of you. You’ll forgive the dramatic 
  nature, but I can’t risk your bodies being found. 
  Der Chancellor’s plans are at a critical stage, and 
  dead Americans might lead to some unpleasant 
  consequences at a time when I cannot afford the 
  distraction.
  “Though I should like to thank you, Herr Doctor, 
  your insight is quite revolutionary. Without it, we 
  would not be able to strike at those garlic chew-
  ing hypocrites in Paris from so far away. Thanks 
  to you and your colleagues we now have a missile 
  battery of a scale unprecedented in the history of 
  warfare. And it is mobile. So not only can we strike 
  at them from great distance, by the time they send 
  whatever paltry resistance they can offer after us, 
  we will be long gone. After all, what Frog would 
  question one of France’s greatest triumphs in the 
  world of locomotion?
  “I’m afraid the hoppers get quite warm ﬁ rst, so it 
  isn’t as swift as you might like. Auf wiedersehn, 
  Amerikaners, Fraulein.”
  With that, von Stosser sets the conveyor belts in mo-
  tion, and departs the stepladder, whistling Deutchland 
  Uber Alles. The guards fall in behind him and the heroes 
  are left to their grisly fate.
  Place six markers on the table to present the hopper’s 
  route. Use a token to represent the hopper in which the 
  heroes await a ﬁ ery death. At the end of each round, the 
  hopper moves on marker toward the opposite end of the 
  track. Should the hopper move beyond the ﬁ nal marker, 
  anyone inside is incinerated unless they succeed in an 
  Agility roll at –2—no damage roll is required.
  When the hopper moves onto the fourth marker, ev-
  eryone still inside must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level 
  of Fatigue from the increasing heat. On the 5th marker, 
  the roll is made at –1, and on the 6th marker at –2.
  To escape, the heroes must ﬁ rst free their bonds. This 
  requires a Strength or Agility roll at –2. Two heroes may 
  Cooperate on this task, but no more—there just isn’t the 
  room. Once their bonds are loosened, the characters can 
  try to climb the smooth sides of the hopper. This requires 
  an Agility or Strength roll at –4 (hero’s choice), but can 
  be done Cooperatively. Remember, a bound hero who 
  wants to try and escape and help a colleague climb out 
  incurs a multi action penalty.
  Jumping down from the hopper’s rim requires no die 
  roll.
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1414
  SCENE 2: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
  SCENE 2: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
  Once our heroes have escaped the deathtrap, they 
  now need to escape Schloss Sturmburg. It quickly be-
  comes apparent from the quietness that von Stosser and 
  the Rocket Nazis have gone, and more than likely have 
  a good lead on the party. There are no guards inside the 
  incinerator chamber and none immediately outside. If 
  they haven’t already helped the kidnapped scientists out 
  of the castle, now is a good time.
  However, they also need to follow the Rocket Nazis 
  quickly. The most obvious way is the experimental air-
  plane they saw on their way in, the one Professor Reverte 
  suggested they use, up on the castle walls.
  Getting to the experimental airplane isn’t difﬁ cult—a 
  quick sneak through the castle past the second-rate Ger-
  man army guards gets them to the walls. However, trying 
  the engine leads to a stuttering sound before it coughs 
  and dies. A quick look at the workings of the plane (using 
  Repair or Weird Science) reveals the ignition has rather 
  obviously been wired incorrectly—Professor Reverte has 
  indeed sabotaged his own work so the Nazis can’t use 
  it.
  There are two wires to choose from, red or blue. One 
  leads to certain success (cutting the red), and the other to 
  certain doom (cutting the blue). They just have to ﬁ gure 
  out which is which, and all they have to go on is Profes-
  sor Reverte’s clue, referencing all those movies. If Jimmy 
  wants to make a Common Knowledge roll, he may recall 
  all the Saturday morning serials usually involve cutting 
  the darker wire on screen (after all, in black and white, 
  who can tell?), which he thinks is red.
  They need to make a choice quickly as the Nazis have 
  heard the engine’s ﬁ rst attempt to ﬁ re into life and are 
  coming to investigate with attack dogs. The dogs are 
  noisy, so alert characters have plenty of warning and can 
  take steps to secure their position such as barricading 
  the doors to the ramparts, otherwise just as they ﬁ nish 
  cutting their choice of wire, the dogs and their handlers 
  appear on the battlements. They can either ﬁ ght it out, 
  or take off now, and hope for the best! If they take off 
  now, move to Scene 3.
  If they do decide to ﬁ ght it out, they can use both the 
  plane and various piles of sandbags for Cover (as can 
  the villains) As with if they climbed the castle walls, the 
  parapets is narrow for ﬁ ghting, and a combatant can eas-
  ily fall off or be left hanging over a nasty drop.
   Nazi Dog Handlers (2): Treat as Nazi Soldier (page 
  17).
   Dobermans (2): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: FOLLOW THAT TRAIN!
  SCENE 3: FOLLOW THAT TRAIN!
  Now is Brent’s moment to shine as he gets to show 
  off his piloting skills to Amelia. Have Brent, or whoever is 
  at the controls make a piloting roll. Read or paraphrase 
  the following:
  The launch mechanism squeaks as the breaks are 
  released, and the plane trundles forward under 
  only a small amount of power, just enough to 
  throw it clear of the castle wall. It drops with all 
  the aerodynamic grace of a baby elephant. Then 
  there’s a terrifying moment as gravity takes over 
  and your stomachs seem to drop with it as the 
  experimental airplane plunges towards the icy 
  river below.
  The initial takeoff is scary – plunging down the ra-
  vine, but if they cut the right wire, at the last moment 
  before hitting the water, the plane pulls up sharply. If 
  they didn’t cut the right wire, they just plunge, giving the 
  heroes just two rounds to rewire the ignition or attempt 
  to glide-land without killing themselves. 
  EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE
  EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE
  Acc/Top Speed: 50/200, Toughness: 11 (2), Crew: 1+3
  Weapons
  2 x 13mm MG (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d10, ROF 
  3, AP 2)
  With the experimental airplane under control, the 
  ﬂ ight over the Alps, lit by the rising sun, is smooth. A 
  half hour of fast ﬂ ying and the heroes spot von Stosser’s 
  train. It’s steaming away a lot faster than any train has 
  a right to go. Von Stosser has had the engine adapted 
  to burn Doc’s concentrated fuel rather than coal. After 
  that, it doesn’t take long to catch up with the fake Orient 
  Express, now crossing South Germany, with the French 
  border not so far away. 
  At this point Rocket Nazis boil out of the fake Orient 
  Express, and head towards the airplane, intent on shoot-
  ing it down. Brett must dodge and weave, whilst the oth-
  ers man the guns, holding the Nazi’s off long enough for 
  them to get to the train.
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 20”. The train begins ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead of the plane, and the ﬂ ying Nazis just 
  three Range Increments. Passengers can either use the 
  MGs or ﬁ re out the windows.
  Rocket Nazis attempt to down the plane by shooting 
  the rudder and the wings, rather than using suicidal at-
  tempts to ram it. As Extras, they cannot Ace damage, so 
  the threat from the guns is minimal. However, should a 
  Nazi be shot while on the same marker as the plane there 
  is a chance he will smash into the plane and his rocket 
  pack, now ﬁ lled with Doc’s superfuel, will explode. Turn 
  a card from the initiative deck. If it comes up Clubs the 
  rocket pack explodes doing 2d10 to the plane.
  But von Stosser isn’t relying on his swarm of Rock-
  eteers to prevent the heroes from thwarting his plans. 
  Should they get to close, he has another surprise ready 
  to go—the roof of the end carriage rolls back and from 
  it emerges a large anti-aircraft gun. The gun can swivel 
  through a full 360 degrees to track them. The gun is 
  manned by Nazi Rocketeers, but takes a round to re-
  load.
   Rocket Nazis (2 per hero): See page 17.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1414
  SCENE 2: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
  SCENE 2: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
  Once our heroes have escaped the deathtrap, they 
  now need to escape Schloss Sturmburg. It quickly be-
  comes apparent from the quietness that von Stosser and 
  the Rocket Nazis have gone, and more than likely have 
  a good lead on the party. There are no guards inside the 
  incinerator chamber and none immediately outside. If 
  they haven’t already helped the kidnapped scientists out 
  of the castle, now is a good time.
  However, they also need to follow the Rocket Nazis 
  quickly. The most obvious way is the experimental air-
  plane they saw on their way in, the one Professor Reverte 
  suggested they use, up on the castle walls.
  Getting to the experimental airplane isn’t difﬁ cult—a 
  quick sneak through the castle past the second-rate Ger-
  man army guards gets them to the walls. However, trying 
  the engine leads to a stuttering sound before it coughs 
  and dies. A quick look at the workings of the plane (using 
  Repair or Weird Science) reveals the ignition has rather 
  obviously been wired incorrectly—Professor Reverte has 
  indeed sabotaged his own work so the Nazis can’t use 
  it.
  There are two wires to choose from, red or blue. One 
  leads to certain success (cutting the red), and the other to 
  certain doom (cutting the blue). They just have to ﬁ gure 
  out which is which, and all they have to go on is Profes-
  sor Reverte’s clue, referencing all those movies. If Jimmy 
  wants to make a Common Knowledge roll, he may recall 
  all the Saturday morning serials usually involve cutting 
  the darker wire on screen (after all, in black and white, 
  who can tell?), which he thinks is red.
  They need to make a choice quickly as the Nazis have 
  heard the engine’s ﬁ rst attempt to ﬁ re into life and are 
  coming to investigate with attack dogs. The dogs are 
  noisy, so alert characters have plenty of warning and can 
  take steps to secure their position such as barricading 
  the doors to the ramparts, otherwise just as they ﬁ nish 
  cutting their choice of wire, the dogs and their handlers 
  appear on the battlements. They can either ﬁ ght it out, 
  or take off now, and hope for the best! If they take off 
  now, move to Scene 3.
  If they do decide to ﬁ ght it out, they can use both the 
  plane and various piles of sandbags for Cover (as can 
  the villains) As with if they climbed the castle walls, the 
  parapets is narrow for ﬁ ghting, and a combatant can eas-
  ily fall off or be left hanging over a nasty drop.
   Nazi Dog Handlers (2): Treat as Nazi Soldier (page 
  17).
   Dobermans (2): See page 18.
  SCENE 3: FOLLOW THAT TRAIN!
  SCENE 3: FOLLOW THAT TRAIN!
  Now is Brent’s moment to shine as he gets to show 
  off his piloting skills to Amelia. Have Brent, or whoever is 
  at the controls make a piloting roll. Read or paraphrase 
  the following:
  The launch mechanism squeaks as the breaks are 
  released, and the plane trundles forward under 
  only a small amount of power, just enough to 
  throw it clear of the castle wall. It drops with all 
  the aerodynamic grace of a baby elephant. Then 
  there’s a terrifying moment as gravity takes over 
  and your stomachs seem to drop with it as the 
  experimental airplane plunges towards the icy 
  river below.
  The initial takeoff is scary – plunging down the ra-
  vine, but if they cut the right wire, at the last moment 
  before hitting the water, the plane pulls up sharply. If 
  they didn’t cut the right wire, they just plunge, giving the 
  heroes just two rounds to rewire the ignition or attempt 
  to glide-land without killing themselves. 
  EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE
  EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE
  Acc/Top Speed: 50/200, Toughness: 11 (2), Crew: 1+3
  Weapons
  2 x 13mm MG (Range: 30/60/120, Damage: 2d10, ROF 
  3, AP 2)
  With the experimental airplane under control, the 
  ﬂ ight over the Alps, lit by the rising sun, is smooth. A 
  half hour of fast ﬂ ying and the heroes spot von Stosser’s 
  train. It’s steaming away a lot faster than any train has 
  a right to go. Von Stosser has had the engine adapted 
  to burn Doc’s concentrated fuel rather than coal. After 
  that, it doesn’t take long to catch up with the fake Orient 
  Express, now crossing South Germany, with the French 
  border not so far away. 
  At this point Rocket Nazis boil out of the fake Orient 
  Express, and head towards the airplane, intent on shoot-
  ing it down. Brett must dodge and weave, whilst the oth-
  ers man the guns, holding the Nazi’s off long enough for 
  them to get to the train.
  Run this scene using the Chase rules. Each Range 
  Increment equates to 20”. The train begins ﬁ ve Range 
  Increments ahead of the plane, and the ﬂ ying Nazis just 
  three Range Increments. Passengers can either use the 
  MGs or ﬁ re out the windows.
  Rocket Nazis attempt to down the plane by shooting 
  the rudder and the wings, rather than using suicidal at-
  tempts to ram it. As Extras, they cannot Ace damage, so 
  the threat from the guns is minimal. However, should a 
  Nazi be shot while on the same marker as the plane there 
  is a chance he will smash into the plane and his rocket 
  pack, now ﬁ lled with Doc’s superfuel, will explode. Turn 
  a card from the initiative deck. If it comes up Clubs the 
  rocket pack explodes doing 2d10 to the plane.
  But von Stosser isn’t relying on his swarm of Rock-
  eteers to prevent the heroes from thwarting his plans. 
  Should they get to close, he has another surprise ready 
  to go—the roof of the end carriage rolls back and from 
  it emerges a large anti-aircraft gun. The gun can swivel 
  through a full 360 degrees to track them. The gun is 
  manned by Nazi Rocketeers, but takes a round to re-
  load.
   Rocket Nazis (2 per hero): See page 17.
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1515
  Anti Aircraft gun (Range: 40/80/160, Damage: 3d6, 
  AP 4, ROF 1/2)
  NOW WHAT?
  NOW WHAT?
  Once the plane reaches the same marker as the train, 
  the heroes can attempt to get aboard. 
  Landing the plane on the roof requires a Piloting roll 
  at –4. Failure means the pilot aborts before a collision. 
  A critical failure results in the plane “landing” inside the 
  plane, for 2d6 damage to each hero.
  Jumping is slightly easier, at least for those not ﬂ y-
  ing the plane. All the heroes need do is make an Agility 
  roll to land on the back of the train. The pilot needs 
  to make a Repair roll to jury rig a system to hold the 
  control stick level, and then make an Agility roll in the 
  same round to throw himself to of the plane and onto 
  the Orient Express. Anyone with a rocket pack has to 
  make a Piloting roll at +1 to gentle lower down from 
  the aircraft. If the PC’s jump, they end up at the rear of 
  the train.
  If the heroes contemplate attempting to derail the 
  train or otherwise getting it to stop it by landing or 
  crashing in front of it, then it should be obvious to Doc’s 
  knowledge of science the plane is quite ﬂ imsy, and the 
  Orient Express is moving at over 100 miles per hour! It is 
  very likely the plane will be smashed to smithereens, and 
  do little to affect the Orient Express. 
  Should they try anyway, then Doc’s prediction comes 
  true. The plane is smashed into little pieces, and any 
  adventurer inside takes 4d10 damage from a Wild Card 
  before he is thrown clear. The train continues to speed 
  towards the French border.
  Hopefully, the heroes have got off the plane before 
  trying to stop the train.
  SCENE 4: ALL ABOARD
  SCENE 4: ALL ABOARD
  The wind of the speeding trains whips at your 
  hair, and drags at your clothes, threatening to 
  send you spinning over the side to be crushed to 
  death by the wheels below. Taking ﬁ rm grip on 
  your weapons, you start to crawl towards some 
  sort of safety, for on the train roof there is no 
  cover from the Rocket Nazis who are swarming 
  in for the kill.
  But as you watch, the roof of the centre carriage 
  splits open, and from within you see an enormous 
  canon rise up from the innards of the train car. 
  Once it reaches the top of the car, the barrel raises 
  slowly to an elevation of 45 degrees, and swivels 
  with a grinding screech to point the muzzle of 
  the massive missile-launcher towards the distant 
  French capital. 
  Von Stosser is just moments from launching a missile 
  fuelled by Doc’s superfuel and packed with high explo-
  sive at Paris. The heroes need to ﬁ ght their way down to 
  the centre of the train to try and stop it. Fighting through 
  the carriages provides a lot of nameless Extras to knock-
  out as they approach the centre of the train. This train is 
  much shorter than the genuine Orient Express, with only 
  ten carriages.
  Like the original, it is 3” wide and 12” long. The ﬁ rst 
  and last carriages from the engine contain anti-aircraft 
  emplacements that take up nearly the entire car, leaving 
  only a little room to ﬁ ght around. The second and third 
  contain bunks for the Nazis. The ﬁ fth carriage contains 
  the super missile launcher. The rest of the carriages hold 
  ordnance and other supplies in neat racks around the 
  edge of the car, and on shelves bolted to the ﬂ oor in the 
  centre. All manner of tools and equipment can be found 
  lying around. Moving through any car counts as difﬁ cult 
  terrain, due to the cramped conditions.
  Going over the roof is easier than before, as its free of 
  slippery snow, but the train is still moving extremely fast, 
  so it still counts as an Unstable Platform (–2 to all rolls). 
  On a bend (which happens whenever the ﬁ ght needs an 
  Extra something to liven it up) the whole thing tilts up 
  slightly. Any hero who doesn’t make his Agility roll ends 
  up hanging by his ﬁ ngernails again. Moving down from 
  the roof to separate the carriages takes 2” of movement if 
  the heroes want to try and separate the carriages.
   Rocket Nazis (as many as required): See page 17. 
  The encounters should be tense and fun, not life threat-
  ening to the heroes.
  Having defeated the hordes of Extras, they ﬁ nally 
  reach missile control, where von Stosser is running the 
  operation. Inside the car, the majority of space is taken 
  up with the missile base, which occupies a space 2” by 8” 
  in the centre of the carriage. Against the right wall are the 
  launch controls, a large bank of switches, dials and ﬂ ash-
  ing lights, manned by two technicians who are protected 
  by two more soldiers. A clockwork timer in the centre of 
  the instrument panel indicates there is just 30 seconds 
  left before the most deadly missile the world has seen is 
  sent at Paris at beyond the speed of sound.
  Von Stosser and his body guard (Corporal Eisen-
  berg, if he lived through the initial assault on the Orient 
  Express, another Nazi Rocketeer using the same stats 
  if not) have their pistols drawn, and have taken cover 
  behind the missile’s base (Medium Cover). Von Stosser 
  has a rocket pack on, and plans to escapes through the 
  roof just as soon as he has made sure the missile has 
  launched.
  Von Stosser only needs to protect the launch. To do 
  so he is more than prepared to sacriﬁ ce everyone else 
  to do so. He’ll use the other soldiers to distract Brent 
  and Doc, hoping to grab Jimmy or Amelia to use as a 
  hostage. He doesn’t have to delay the heroes long after 
  all.
  “You are too late!” von Stosser calls out as you 
  enter. “In a few moments this cannon will ﬁ re a 
  rocket at Paris. Inside that rocket is more ﬁ re-
  power than inside any dozen other warheads in 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1515
  Anti Aircraft gun (Range: 40/80/160, Damage: 3d6, 
  AP 4, ROF 1/2)
  NOW WHAT?
  NOW WHAT?
  Once the plane reaches the same marker as the train, 
  the heroes can attempt to get aboard. 
  Landing the plane on the roof requires a Piloting roll 
  at –4. Failure means the pilot aborts before a collision. 
  A critical failure results in the plane “landing” inside the 
  plane, for 2d6 damage to each hero.
  Jumping is slightly easier, at least for those not ﬂ y-
  ing the plane. All the heroes need do is make an Agility 
  roll to land on the back of the train. The pilot needs 
  to make a Repair roll to jury rig a system to hold the 
  control stick level, and then make an Agility roll in the 
  same round to throw himself to of the plane and onto 
  the Orient Express. Anyone with a rocket pack has to 
  make a Piloting roll at +1 to gentle lower down from 
  the aircraft. If the PC’s jump, they end up at the rear of 
  the train.
  If the heroes contemplate attempting to derail the 
  train or otherwise getting it to stop it by landing or 
  crashing in front of it, then it should be obvious to Doc’s 
  knowledge of science the plane is quite ﬂ imsy, and the 
  Orient Express is moving at over 100 miles per hour! It is 
  very likely the plane will be smashed to smithereens, and 
  do little to affect the Orient Express. 
  Should they try anyway, then Doc’s prediction comes 
  true. The plane is smashed into little pieces, and any 
  adventurer inside takes 4d10 damage from a Wild Card 
  before he is thrown clear. The train continues to speed 
  towards the French border.
  Hopefully, the heroes have got off the plane before 
  trying to stop the train.
  SCENE 4: ALL ABOARD
  SCENE 4: ALL ABOARD
  The wind of the speeding trains whips at your 
  hair, and drags at your clothes, threatening to 
  send you spinning over the side to be crushed to 
  death by the wheels below. Taking ﬁ rm grip on 
  your weapons, you start to crawl towards some 
  sort of safety, for on the train roof there is no 
  cover from the Rocket Nazis who are swarming 
  in for the kill.
  But as you watch, the roof of the centre carriage 
  splits open, and from within you see an enormous 
  canon rise up from the innards of the train car. 
  Once it reaches the top of the car, the barrel raises 
  slowly to an elevation of 45 degrees, and swivels 
  with a grinding screech to point the muzzle of 
  the massive missile-launcher towards the distant 
  French capital. 
  Von Stosser is just moments from launching a missile 
  fuelled by Doc’s superfuel and packed with high explo-
  sive at Paris. The heroes need to ﬁ ght their way down to 
  the centre of the train to try and stop it. Fighting through 
  the carriages provides a lot of nameless Extras to knock-
  out as they approach the centre of the train. This train is 
  much shorter than the genuine Orient Express, with only 
  ten carriages.
  Like the original, it is 3” wide and 12” long. The ﬁ rst 
  and last carriages from the engine contain anti-aircraft 
  emplacements that take up nearly the entire car, leaving 
  only a little room to ﬁ ght around. The second and third 
  contain bunks for the Nazis. The ﬁ fth carriage contains 
  the super missile launcher. The rest of the carriages hold 
  ordnance and other supplies in neat racks around the 
  edge of the car, and on shelves bolted to the ﬂ oor in the 
  centre. All manner of tools and equipment can be found 
  lying around. Moving through any car counts as difﬁ cult 
  terrain, due to the cramped conditions.
  Going over the roof is easier than before, as its free of 
  slippery snow, but the train is still moving extremely fast, 
  so it still counts as an Unstable Platform (–2 to all rolls). 
  On a bend (which happens whenever the ﬁ ght needs an 
  Extra something to liven it up) the whole thing tilts up 
  slightly. Any hero who doesn’t make his Agility roll ends 
  up hanging by his ﬁ ngernails again. Moving down from 
  the roof to separate the carriages takes 2” of movement if 
  the heroes want to try and separate the carriages.
   Rocket Nazis (as many as required): See page 17. 
  The encounters should be tense and fun, not life threat-
  ening to the heroes.
  Having defeated the hordes of Extras, they ﬁ nally 
  reach missile control, where von Stosser is running the 
  operation. Inside the car, the majority of space is taken 
  up with the missile base, which occupies a space 2” by 8” 
  in the centre of the carriage. Against the right wall are the 
  launch controls, a large bank of switches, dials and ﬂ ash-
  ing lights, manned by two technicians who are protected 
  by two more soldiers. A clockwork timer in the centre of 
  the instrument panel indicates there is just 30 seconds 
  left before the most deadly missile the world has seen is 
  sent at Paris at beyond the speed of sound.
  Von Stosser and his body guard (Corporal Eisen-
  berg, if he lived through the initial assault on the Orient 
  Express, another Nazi Rocketeer using the same stats 
  if not) have their pistols drawn, and have taken cover 
  behind the missile’s base (Medium Cover). Von Stosser 
  has a rocket pack on, and plans to escapes through the 
  roof just as soon as he has made sure the missile has 
  launched.
  Von Stosser only needs to protect the launch. To do 
  so he is more than prepared to sacriﬁ ce everyone else 
  to do so. He’ll use the other soldiers to distract Brent 
  and Doc, hoping to grab Jimmy or Amelia to use as a 
  hostage. He doesn’t have to delay the heroes long after 
  all.
  “You are too late!” von Stosser calls out as you 
  enter. “In a few moments this cannon will ﬁ re a 
  rocket at Paris. Inside that rocket is more ﬁ re-
  power than inside any dozen other warheads in 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1616
  history. And you will not be able to stop it. Not 
  with rocket pack, nor plane. Paris is doomed.”
  With that, deal initiative cards. The Major shoots at 
  the ﬁ rst available target, and deﬁ nitely isn’t squeamish 
  about shooting women or children. The other soldiers 
  also open ﬁ re. In all cases, they just have to stop the he-
  roes getting close to the control panel for ﬁ ve rounds, so 
  will grapple, shoot to kill, whatever it takes.
  If the players succeed in defeating von Stosser before 
  the timer reaches zero (just ﬁ ve rounds!), cancelling the 
  launch is easy—a large red cancel button sits in the cen-
  tre of the control panel.
  However should the timer reach zero, the missile 
  launches in a deafening roar of heat and smoke. Heroes 
  get a chance to throw themselves to the side of the train 
  car with a successful Agility roll to avoid taking 4d6 dam-
  age from the rocket engine. At this point, if possible, von 
  Stosser ﬁ res up his rocket pack and tries and makes good 
  his escape. However, as these are the closing scenes, un-
  less you really want him to ﬁ ght another day, the Recur-
  ring Villain rule does not apply. 
  Once the missile is launched however, whether von 
  Stosser is dead or not, there is nothing they can do to 
  stop it—von Stosser has won and the heroes have failed 
  to prevent the Nazis starting the Second World War ﬁ ve 
  years early.
   Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Cpl Gunter Eisenberg: See page 17.
   Nazi Rocketeers (2): See page 17.
   Missile Technicians (2): Use the stats for the inter-
  rogator seen earlier (page 18); these people are scientists 
  not combatants
  SCENE 5: END OF THE LINE
  SCENE 5: END OF THE LINE
  Missile launched or not, Major von Stosser dead, 
  captured or escaped, there is still one major problem. 
  The Orient Express is out of control, and heading for the 
  French Border city of Strasbourg at ludicrous speed.
  You quickly realize that the fake Orient Express is 
  heading down out of the mountains, and gathering 
  speed as it does so. Looking out of the carriage you 
  can see in the distance the spire of the medieval ca-
  thedral of Strasbourg. It is now early morning, so 
  the city is likely to be ﬁ lled with visitors and work-
  ers, as well as its own citizens. The Orient Express 
  is dashing towards it, faster and faster with ever 
  gathering pace as the silver rails lead it directly 
  to the heart of the ancient city. You quickly realize 
  that the train isn’t trying to stop either. By the time 
  it reaches the city, it will likely jump the tracks at 
  the ﬁ rst opportunity, killing hundreds of innocent 
  bystanders unless you do something
  The biggest danger is from the engine, with its load 
  of highly ﬂ ammable superfuel. If the engine jumps the 
  tracks, that’s going to explode whatever happens. If 
  the carriages are attached, in the resultant ﬁ re all the 
  ordnance is going to explode as well, to rain ﬁ ery death 
  down on the people of Strasbourg.
  In exactly six rounds, the train sweeps around a bend 
  at a speed guaranteed to cause it to jump the rails! In 
  order to prevent terrible destruction, the heroes need to 
  complete four steps (in turn) before the end of the sixth 
  round. Failures can be attempted again next round.
  Step 1) The heroes must reach the engine. This re-
  quires an Agility roll at –2.
  Step 2) Now at the engine, the heroes realize the engi-
  neer and ﬁ reman have gone! A Notice roll as a free action 
  reveals the brakes have been destroyed and the train is 
  moving too fast for the looming bend in the track.
  Step 3) The heroes need a new plan. A successful 
  Common Knowledge roll indicates the best thing to do 
  is dump the fuel, and try and put out the ﬁ rebox (where 
  the coal/superfuel is burnt). One way to achieve this is by 
  climbing down to the sandbox kept on the front of steam 
  trains to grit the rails, and bringing back the sand to put 
  out the ﬁ re. This requires an Agility roll at –2 to reach the 
  grit and bring it back.
  Alternatively, the heroes can decouple the engine (a 
  Strength roll by one hero) and use the anti-aircraft guns 
  on the train, or even the missile launcher if von Stosser 
  didn’t set it off, to destroy the engine before it reaches 
  the city. They have a small window of opportunity as the 
  engine crosses the open plain before reaching Strasbourg 
  city walls. First though, they must make another Agility 
  roll at –2 to run through the train and reach the gun.
  Step 4) If using grit, the heroes need to shovel in as 
  much as possible. This requires a Strength roll at –2. With 
  success, the ﬁ re is dampened and he train begins to lose 
  speed quickly. In the last few seconds it loses enough 
  speed to stay on the rails until, with perfect cinematic 
  precision, it comes to rest in the Strasbourg Terminal 
  with a light kiss to the buffers and no more.
  If ﬁ ring the gun or missile, the heroes need a steady 
  aim. Using the AA gun requires a Shooting roll, with a –2 
  penalty unless the heroes have Steady Hands. Firing the 
  missile requires a Smarts roll.
  Using the anti-aircraft guns is much more dangerous, 
  as there is much less time between hitting the engine and 
  the engine exploding to get clear. The Engine has Tough-
  ness 15, and needs to take one hit before it explodes. 
  Remember, the gun takes a round to reload each time!
  If they use the missile they can escape the train easily 
  by rocket pack before it lands, exploding in an enormous 
  ball of ﬁ re, quickly followed by even more explosions. 
  Anyone still ﬂ ying is knocked to the ground by the force 
  of the wave. Anyone on the ground is knocked off their 
  feet, lifted a few feet into the air and blown backwards in 
  best pulp style, but is otherwise unharmed.
  Once the ﬁ nal hit lands all the heroes still on the train 
  need to make an Agility roll at –2 to jump clear. Anyone 
  who fails is in the blast radius. Assuming they are at the 
  furthest end from the engine they only take 4d8 dam-
  age as if from a Wild Card. Anyone who survives truly 
  deserves the name ‘Hero’!
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1616
  history. And you will not be able to stop it. Not 
  with rocket pack, nor plane. Paris is doomed.”
  With that, deal initiative cards. The Major shoots at 
  the ﬁ rst available target, and deﬁ nitely isn’t squeamish 
  about shooting women or children. The other soldiers 
  also open ﬁ re. In all cases, they just have to stop the he-
  roes getting close to the control panel for ﬁ ve rounds, so 
  will grapple, shoot to kill, whatever it takes.
  If the players succeed in defeating von Stosser before 
  the timer reaches zero (just ﬁ ve rounds!), cancelling the 
  launch is easy—a large red cancel button sits in the cen-
  tre of the control panel.
  However should the timer reach zero, the missile 
  launches in a deafening roar of heat and smoke. Heroes 
  get a chance to throw themselves to the side of the train 
  car with a successful Agility roll to avoid taking 4d6 dam-
  age from the rocket engine. At this point, if possible, von 
  Stosser ﬁ res up his rocket pack and tries and makes good 
  his escape. However, as these are the closing scenes, un-
  less you really want him to ﬁ ght another day, the Recur-
  ring Villain rule does not apply. 
  Once the missile is launched however, whether von 
  Stosser is dead or not, there is nothing they can do to 
  stop it—von Stosser has won and the heroes have failed 
  to prevent the Nazis starting the Second World War ﬁ ve 
  years early.
   Major von Stosser: See page 17.
   Cpl Gunter Eisenberg: See page 17.
   Nazi Rocketeers (2): See page 17.
   Missile Technicians (2): Use the stats for the inter-
  rogator seen earlier (page 18); these people are scientists 
  not combatants
  SCENE 5: END OF THE LINE
  SCENE 5: END OF THE LINE
  Missile launched or not, Major von Stosser dead, 
  captured or escaped, there is still one major problem. 
  The Orient Express is out of control, and heading for the 
  French Border city of Strasbourg at ludicrous speed.
  You quickly realize that the fake Orient Express is 
  heading down out of the mountains, and gathering 
  speed as it does so. Looking out of the carriage you 
  can see in the distance the spire of the medieval ca-
  thedral of Strasbourg. It is now early morning, so 
  the city is likely to be ﬁ lled with visitors and work-
  ers, as well as its own citizens. The Orient Express 
  is dashing towards it, faster and faster with ever 
  gathering pace as the silver rails lead it directly 
  to the heart of the ancient city. You quickly realize 
  that the train isn’t trying to stop either. By the time 
  it reaches the city, it will likely jump the tracks at 
  the ﬁ rst opportunity, killing hundreds of innocent 
  bystanders unless you do something
  The biggest danger is from the engine, with its load 
  of highly ﬂ ammable superfuel. If the engine jumps the 
  tracks, that’s going to explode whatever happens. If 
  the carriages are attached, in the resultant ﬁ re all the 
  ordnance is going to explode as well, to rain ﬁ ery death 
  down on the people of Strasbourg.
  In exactly six rounds, the train sweeps around a bend 
  at a speed guaranteed to cause it to jump the rails! In 
  order to prevent terrible destruction, the heroes need to 
  complete four steps (in turn) before the end of the sixth 
  round. Failures can be attempted again next round.
  Step 1) The heroes must reach the engine. This re-
  quires an Agility roll at –2.
  Step 2) Now at the engine, the heroes realize the engi-
  neer and ﬁ reman have gone! A Notice roll as a free action 
  reveals the brakes have been destroyed and the train is 
  moving too fast for the looming bend in the track.
  Step 3) The heroes need a new plan. A successful 
  Common Knowledge roll indicates the best thing to do 
  is dump the fuel, and try and put out the ﬁ rebox (where 
  the coal/superfuel is burnt). One way to achieve this is by 
  climbing down to the sandbox kept on the front of steam 
  trains to grit the rails, and bringing back the sand to put 
  out the ﬁ re. This requires an Agility roll at –2 to reach the 
  grit and bring it back.
  Alternatively, the heroes can decouple the engine (a 
  Strength roll by one hero) and use the anti-aircraft guns 
  on the train, or even the missile launcher if von Stosser 
  didn’t set it off, to destroy the engine before it reaches 
  the city. They have a small window of opportunity as the 
  engine crosses the open plain before reaching Strasbourg 
  city walls. First though, they must make another Agility 
  roll at –2 to run through the train and reach the gun.
  Step 4) If using grit, the heroes need to shovel in as 
  much as possible. This requires a Strength roll at –2. With 
  success, the ﬁ re is dampened and he train begins to lose 
  speed quickly. In the last few seconds it loses enough 
  speed to stay on the rails until, with perfect cinematic 
  precision, it comes to rest in the Strasbourg Terminal 
  with a light kiss to the buffers and no more.
  If ﬁ ring the gun or missile, the heroes need a steady 
  aim. Using the AA gun requires a Shooting roll, with a –2 
  penalty unless the heroes have Steady Hands. Firing the 
  missile requires a Smarts roll.
  Using the anti-aircraft guns is much more dangerous, 
  as there is much less time between hitting the engine and 
  the engine exploding to get clear. The Engine has Tough-
  ness 15, and needs to take one hit before it explodes. 
  Remember, the gun takes a round to reload each time!
  If they use the missile they can escape the train easily 
  by rocket pack before it lands, exploding in an enormous 
  ball of ﬁ re, quickly followed by even more explosions. 
  Anyone still ﬂ ying is knocked to the ground by the force 
  of the wave. Anyone on the ground is knocked off their 
  feet, lifted a few feet into the air and blown backwards in 
  best pulp style, but is otherwise unharmed.
  Once the ﬁ nal hit lands all the heroes still on the train 
  need to make an Agility roll at –2 to jump clear. Anyone 
  who fails is in the blast radius. Assuming they are at the 
  furthest end from the engine they only take 4d8 dam-
  age as if from a Wild Card. Anyone who survives truly 
  deserves the name ‘Hero’!
  
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1717
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Watching the ruins of the fake Orient Express burn, 
  the heroes catch their breath and wait for the authorities, 
  safe inside the French border.
  If the heroes are completely successful, i.e. the Mis-
  sile is not launched at Paris, von Stosser is captured, and 
  the train halted before it can blow up Strasbourg, French 
  authorities give them a hero’s welcome. The American 
  and British ambassadors in Paris thank them profusely, 
  and arrange to get them all back to the United States in 
  luxury after seeing any wounds cared for. Naturally, they 
  are sworn to secrecy over what they have seen and done, 
  after all, no-one wants a panic, and their actions have set 
  the Nazis back a good three years. 
  If von Stosser escapes, he heads back to Berlin. Dis-
  missed as a failure by Hitler, he narrowly avoids the ﬁ ring 
  squad, and begins to plot his revenge.
  If the heroes manage to capture von Stosser but fail 
  to stop the launch or the train crash, the French are less 
  enthusiastic, though still grateful for the chance to in-
  terrogate von Stosser. Paris is devastated, throwing the 
  European powers into disarray. Hitler moves to invade 
  Austria, France, and large portions of Western Europe are 
  quickly drawn into a state of war. The heroes can only 
  head back to America, ready for their next adventure, 
  perhaps to challenge the Nazi war machine at another 
  point.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  GERMAN AGENTS IN NEW YORK
  GERMAN AGENTS IN NEW YORK
  These junior servants within the ranks of Nazi Intelli-
  gence have one mission: Kill Bertie Robeson, and protect 
  the secret of the Fuhrer’s plans. Whilst believers in the 
  German cause, they are not fanatical, and try and escape 
  if they are in danger of being captured.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2 Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistols (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1)
  ROCKET NAZIS
  ROCKET NAZIS
  Skilled pilots, the cream of the Nazi special forces, the 
  Rocketeers are capable soldiers with high morale and 
  discipline, utterly loyal to the Major and the Chancellor
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Piloting d8, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Intimidation 
  d8, Notice d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack; leather ﬂ ight suits 
  (+1 armor), riﬂ e (Range 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, AP2), 
  or SMG (range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 1 
  grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medium Burst 
  Template)
  CORPORAL GUNTER EISENBERG
  CORPORAL GUNTER EISENBERG
  A big damn Rocketeer, Gunter is a sold man-moun-
  tain, dedicated and without fear. He is personally loyal 
  to Major von Stosser and will carry out his orders even 
  to death. 
  Corporal Eisenberg is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Piloting d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d10
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack; leather ﬂ ight suits (+1 
  armor), SMG (range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 
  1), 1 grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medium 
  Burst Template)
  MAJOR WERNER VON STOSSER
  MAJOR WERNER VON STOSSER
  A dedicated ofﬁ cer from a noble family, von Stosser 
  fully supports Hitler’s attempt to bring back pride to the 
  German people. A talented pilot and a cunning tactician, 
  von Stosser will do whatever Hitler wants to increase the 
  glory of the German people.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d10, Shooting d10, Survival d6, Taunt d6, Tracking d6, 
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Nerves 
  of Steel, Level Headed, Natural Leader
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack, leather ﬂ ight suit (+1), 
  Luger pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  These are regular recruits to the newly resurgent Ger-
  man Army, dedicated but without the training of the elite 
  rocket corp. They follow orders without hesitation, but 
  aren’t the sharpest bayonets in the box, and can quite 
  easily be fooled or avoided.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Gear: Helmet (+3), SMG (Range 12/24/48/, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP1) or riﬂ e (Range 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  ROCKET NAZIS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
  1717
  AFTERMATH
  AFTERMATH
  Watching the ruins of the fake Orient Express burn, 
  the heroes catch their breath and wait for the authorities, 
  safe inside the French border.
  If the heroes are completely successful, i.e. the Mis-
  sile is not launched at Paris, von Stosser is captured, and 
  the train halted before it can blow up Strasbourg, French 
  authorities give them a hero’s welcome. The American 
  and British ambassadors in Paris thank them profusely, 
  and arrange to get them all back to the United States in 
  luxury after seeing any wounds cared for. Naturally, they 
  are sworn to secrecy over what they have seen and done, 
  after all, no-one wants a panic, and their actions have set 
  the Nazis back a good three years. 
  If von Stosser escapes, he heads back to Berlin. Dis-
  missed as a failure by Hitler, he narrowly avoids the ﬁ ring 
  squad, and begins to plot his revenge.
  If the heroes manage to capture von Stosser but fail 
  to stop the launch or the train crash, the French are less 
  enthusiastic, though still grateful for the chance to in-
  terrogate von Stosser. Paris is devastated, throwing the 
  European powers into disarray. Hitler moves to invade 
  Austria, France, and large portions of Western Europe are 
  quickly drawn into a state of war. The heroes can only 
  head back to America, ready for their next adventure, 
  perhaps to challenge the Nazi war machine at another 
  point.
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  CAST OF CHARACTERS
  GERMAN AGENTS IN NEW YORK
  GERMAN AGENTS IN NEW YORK
  These junior servants within the ranks of Nazi Intelli-
  gence have one mission: Kill Bertie Robeson, and protect 
  the secret of the Fuhrer’s plans. Whilst believers in the 
  German cause, they are not fanatical, and try and escape 
  if they are in danger of being captured.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6
  Charisma: –2 Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Mean
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Pistols (Range: 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6+1, AP 1)
  ROCKET NAZIS
  ROCKET NAZIS
  Skilled pilots, the cream of the Nazi special forces, the 
  Rocketeers are capable soldiers with high morale and 
  discipline, utterly loyal to the Major and the Chancellor
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Piloting d8, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Intimidation 
  d8, Notice d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack; leather ﬂ ight suits 
  (+1 armor), riﬂ e (Range 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, AP2), 
  or SMG (range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 1), 1 
  grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medium Burst 
  Template)
  CORPORAL GUNTER EISENBERG
  CORPORAL GUNTER EISENBERG
  A big damn Rocketeer, Gunter is a sold man-moun-
  tain, dedicated and without fear. He is personally loyal 
  to Major von Stosser and will carry out his orders even 
  to death. 
  Corporal Eisenberg is a Henchman.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Piloting d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d10
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack; leather ﬂ ight suits (+1 
  armor), SMG (range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, ROF 3, AP 
  1), 1 grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medium 
  Burst Template)
  MAJOR WERNER VON STOSSER
  MAJOR WERNER VON STOSSER
  A dedicated ofﬁ cer from a noble family, von Stosser 
  fully supports Hitler’s attempt to bring back pride to the 
  German people. A talented pilot and a cunning tactician, 
  von Stosser will do whatever Hitler wants to increase the 
  glory of the German people.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d10, Shooting d10, Survival d6, Taunt d6, Tracking d6, 
  Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: Arrogant
  Edges: Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Improved Nerves 
  of Steel, Level Headed, Natural Leader
  Gear: Helmet (+3), rocket pack, leather ﬂ ight suit (+1), 
  Luger pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage: 2d6, AP 1)
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  NAZI SOLDIERS
  These are regular recruits to the newly resurgent Ger-
  man Army, dedicated but without the training of the elite 
  rocket corp. They follow orders without hesitation, but 
  aren’t the sharpest bayonets in the box, and can quite 
  easily be fooled or avoided.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Gear: Helmet (+3), SMG (Range 12/24/48/, Damage: 
  2d6, ROF 3, AP1) or riﬂ e (Range 24/48/96, Damage: 2d8, 
  
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1818
  AP2), 1 grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medi-
  um Burst Template)
  INTERROGATOR
  INTERROGATOR
  Typical of Nazi technicians and scientists, this man has 
  far more pragmatism than moral ﬁ ber and will cheerfully 
  do whatever it takes in pursuit of knowledge. Except get-
  ting into combat.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Healing d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Biolo-
  gy) d10, Knowledge (Chesmistry) d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry 2; Toughness: 4
  DOBERMANS
  DOBERMANS
  These beautifully bred pedigree attack dogs are well 
  trained, fearless and loyal to their handlers
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d10.
  Pace: 8; Parry 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d4
  * Fleet Footed: Dogs roll a d10 instead of a d6 when 
  running
  * Go For The Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly-armored location
  * Size -1: Dogs are relatively small
  AUTHOR’S NOTE
  AUTHOR’S NOTE
  The Orient Express has been inspiring stories since 
  it ﬁ rst rolled out of Paris in 1882. Hitler did genuinely 
  hate the Orient Express and wish to see it destroyed, but 
  never succeeded, though the service was suspended dur-
  ing the Second World War. 
  The Paris to Istanbul via Vienna service has run 
  pretty much continuously since then, though on an ever 
  shortening route, which was eventually cut down to just 
  Strasbourg to Vienna in 2007. However, on December 12 
  2009, just a few days before this adventure is published, 
  the Orient Express Service will be withdrawn completely, 
  bringing the story of one of the greatest trains (and plot 
  devices) in history to a close.
   The Venice Simplon Orient Express still runs replicas 
  of the 1920s trains on one of the alternative routes used 
  in the 30s, but the original designation and route is now 
  a thing of the past.
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  DARING TALES OF ADVENTURE 2009 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
  1818
  AP2), 1 grenade (Range: 5/12/20, Damage: 3d6-2, Medi-
  um Burst Template)
  INTERROGATOR
  INTERROGATOR
  Typical of Nazi technicians and scientists, this man has 
  far more pragmatism than moral ﬁ ber and will cheerfully 
  do whatever it takes in pursuit of knowledge. Except get-
  ting into combat.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Healing d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Biolo-
  gy) d10, Knowledge (Chesmistry) d10, Notice d6, Shoot-
  ing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry 2; Toughness: 4
  DOBERMANS
  DOBERMANS
  These beautifully bred pedigree attack dogs are well 
  trained, fearless and loyal to their handlers
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d10.
  Pace: 8; Parry 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: Str+d4
  * Fleet Footed: Dogs roll a d10 instead of a d6 when 
  running
  * Go For The Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly-armored location
  * Size -1: Dogs are relatively small
  AUTHOR’S NOTE
  AUTHOR’S NOTE
  The Orient Express has been inspiring stories since 
  it ﬁ rst rolled out of Paris in 1882. Hitler did genuinely 
  hate the Orient Express and wish to see it destroyed, but 
  never succeeded, though the service was suspended dur-
  ing the Second World War. 
  The Paris to Istanbul via Vienna service has run 
  pretty much continuously since then, though on an ever 
  shortening route, which was eventually cut down to just 
  Strasbourg to Vienna in 2007. However, on December 12 
  2009, just a few days before this adventure is published, 
  the Orient Express Service will be withdrawn completely, 
  bringing the story of one of the greatest trains (and plot 
  devices) in history to a close.
   The Venice Simplon Orient Express still runs replicas 
  of the 1920s trains on one of the alternative routes used 
  in the 30s, but the original designation and route is now 
  a thing of the past.
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Daring Tales of Adventure and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  TAG31049
  TAG31049
  free!
  free!
  Von Stosser is the commander 
  of the elite troop of Nazi 
  Rocketeers, and he has spent 
  the last few months gathering 
  scientists from around the world, 
  to work on a variety of mind-
  boggling projects. 
  Progress has been swift and he is 
  ready for his ﬁ rst strike. 
  Von Stosser’s current plan is 
  comparatively simple; he has 
  prepared a double of France’s famous Orient Express train, 
  and has ﬁ tted it out with rockets more powerful and deadly 
  than any known. The target of the attack is the centre of 
  Paris, with the intention of decapitating the entire French 
  government in one swift strike.
  Triple Ace Games invite you to a seasonal Daring Tales of 
  Adventure in which you need to foil the nazi rocketteers in 
  Rocket Nazis on the Orient Express.
  nazi rocketteers & the orient express? 
  nazi rocketteers & the orient express? 
  looks like one hell of a party!
  looks like one hell of a party!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Daring Tales of Adventure/Daring Tales of Adventure - 01-16 (+X08-X09).pdf