WitchHammer - Adventure Modules

A list of adventure modules. A module will have 2-4 Monster adventures, plus a final adventure against a Witch. All the adventures should have, very roughly, the same level of difficulty. WitchHammer Adventures

Module:

Skelatinous Pale Hall
The Horror of Pale
The Cadaverous Bone Connection
Hunters of Bog Locust
Scourge of the Murder
The Curse of the Bush Deodand
WitchHammer Adventures

Adventure 1: Skelatinous Pale Hall

Power Level: 121

Village Name: Scone
Tavern Name: The Staggering Goat
Population: 420

Traits:
VillageResource: Carvan stop; is at the conjunction of 6 well trafficked roads
VillageOddity: Grudge against neighboring Village
VillageProsperity: Rich
VillageSize: Medium
VillageLocation: Crumbling 3 story tower
VillageLocation: Horse barn
VillageLocation: Busy cross roads near town
VillageLocation: Cool artesian spring and pool
VillageLocation: Hot Springs, relaxing
VillageLocation: Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
VillageLocation: Sheep paddock
VillageLocation: Ruins of mansion that villagers say is haunted

Creature1:
Cadaverous Necrodoll
Power Level: 121
Entropy, Brutal, Entropy, Elusive
Main Action Deck
Printable Main Action Deck

Stats:
Poise: 105
Health: 55
Init: 16
DefenseMod: 25
AttackMod: 18

Traits:
Aspect: Bone: Made out of bone, scraps of sinew, and magic. Immune to almost all poisons, bonus vs fire and ice. Has night vision. Half damage from piercing weapons.
Frame: Doll
Size: Huge Sized: +4 attack, -2 def, +20 HealthMax
Health: Iron: This creature does not die easily, and must be hacked apart. To put it down will require multiple grievous wounds. +30 Health.
Reflex: Terrifying reflexes: This creature's movements are a blur of death. It moves like the wind, and is incredibly precise and agile. +15 init, +12 atk/def. Has an extra action slot at -15 init.
Strength: Very Strong: This creature is as strong as a professional weight lifter. It can hurl stones and bodies across a room. +1 atk, +4 dmg.
Attack: Shadow Spirit: The creature's shadow can dis-engage from it, and then move and attack on its own. The shadow has the same stats as the original, but has .2X of its Health and a -5 Malus. Both the Creature and its Shadow can exist independently of each other, and if one is killed the other can re-generate its partner with 24 hours.
Ability: Power from corpses: Gains power from corpses. Estimate of 1 Atk/Def, and 2 Poise per corpse consumed in the last day.
Ability: Rotting Stench: A gagging, rotting stench causes enemies within short range to take -5 Atk and Def.
Attack: Ice Blade: The creature wields a sword of transparent ice and endless cold. The blade will freeze flesh and steel.
Defense: Iron Skin: Skin appears normal, until you hit it. Then it is like hitting a cast iron skillet.
Defense: Elusive: Deceptively fast. bonus to dodge and move
Weakness: Iron Boots: The creature wears heavy iron boots on its feet. These boots limit its mobility and make it easier to track. It also makes the creature unable to swim by normal means.
Weakness: Spheresome: For esoteric magical reasons, the form of the Sphere is baneful to this creature. The creature is deathly afraid of spheres, and can be warded off, terrified, and "burned" by them. Note the sphere does not have to be perfect, but a lop-sided oval simply will not be effective. The Creature takes a -1 to -10 Malus based on the visual impressiveness of the sphere and how close it is to the beast.
Appearance: The creature is wrapped and criss-crossed with barbed metal wire. This does not seem to impeded its deadliness in combat.
NumAppearing: Solitary
Spore: Inscribes odd geometric patterns in walls. If it has the time for it, will scrawl these patterns across an entire wall or room.
SporePoop: Light Pinkish slugs burning with a low Red flame
VictimChoice: Taste for Men
VictimWound: Kills and then beheads its victims. It keeps their dried heads on a cord around its waist.

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Cool artesian spring and pool
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Cadaverous Necrodoll (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Kind Monster Tamer
Day -- Busy cross roads near town
The WitchHammers run into who is trying to tame the monster. is shopping for dry goods. is kind hearted but badly misguided, and cares for the beast like one might for a favorite pet. They are worried that the WitchHammers will kill or drive away the creature, which has been coming to them regularly for (non-human) food. They think they can tame the beast and make it safe and useful to be around. Despite their delusions, not willing to kill or hurt people to defend the beast.

Potential Middle Scenes

Scary Tales from Traitor
Day -- Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
The traitor tries to scare off the WitchHammers by telling them the HexBeast is very, very, very dangerous. Will claim that the other villagers have downplayed the number of murders, and/or that a previous team of WitchHammers has already been killed by the creature. Will try to get WitchHammers to leave early and move on to the next adventure.

Tainted Love Traitor PlotNode
Day -- Crumbling 3 story tower
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. They will volunteer to help the PCs; however when a fight against the HexBeast comes these characters will turn on the PCs and do everything they can to stop the WitchHammers from harming the beast.

Find a large pile of meat-treats
Day -- Busy cross roads near town
The traitor has been leaving food (mostly cow meat) out in the woods for the HexBeast to eat, as part of the effort to study and tame the HexBeast. The villager has found the meat (or the PCs if they are pro-active enough in searching) and reported it to the group. A large amount of the meat has been eaten.

Tainted Love PlotNode
Day -- Horse barn
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. The monster has deeply mucked with their minds, and they will appear tired, red-eyed, and somewhat distracted and air-headed. People who know them will report that they have been acting weird over the past week or so.

Baby Creature Invasion PlotNode
Night -- Ruins of mansion that villagers say is haunted
A trio of baby versions of the creature invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the creatures become bored and go looking for fresh prey.

Players see monster in distance, then it retreats
Night -- Busy cross roads near town
A player feels unease, as though something is watching thm. Something is! The Cadaverous Necrodoll is in the far distance, at the edge of the forest. The beast makes eye contact with the player, marking them for later destruction, and then fades back into the woods/hills. If appropriate it gives a fearsome hunting cry before disappearing. This can give multiple RothClue, one for eye color and one for sound and one for aspect. The general shape and details of the creature are going to be hidden by the forest and the distance though.

Goose Chase by Traitor
Day -- Crumbling 3 story tower
The traitor tries to mislead the WitchHammers and send them on a goose chase to a moderately far location, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will accurately describe the creature, since has seen it first hand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since wants to use the time to complete their own plans with the creature.

Villager reports spore.
Day -- Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
comes to the players and reports that they have found Spore from the creature. Spore is:
Inscribes odd geometric patterns in walls. If it has the time for it, will scrawl these patterns across an entire wall or room.

Corpse Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Horse barn
A small army of shambling corpse-zombie creatures invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the invasion is stopped.

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

Potential Finale Scenes

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

NPC 1:
Matou

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Apothecary
VillagerQuirk: Has no teeth
VillagerPcRelation: Mildly helpful, but will do their best to claim credit for WitchHammer's successes while blaming them to the town for their failures.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 2:
Beulah

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~12 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Herder
VillagerQuirk: Grossly underweight
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; finds WitchHammers to be exotic and we don't like that in our town.
CommonTask: resting peacefully in nature
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 3:
Orten

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Monument Carver
VillagerQuirk: Has a wandering eye; stares randomly and independently of the main eye
VillagerPcRelation: Moderately unhelpful; was once seduced by a WitchHammer who then snuck out on them after 3 days.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: working on a monument to the Emperor

NPC 4:
Ferring

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Caravan Guard
VillagerQuirk: Eyes are two different colors. (It is magic, not genetics)
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; they think WitchHammers bring monsters rather than the other way around.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: looking at passers by with wariness and hostility

NPC 5:
Yukimora

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Fisher
VillagerQuirk: Stutters
VillagerPcRelation: Dutiful servant of the state. Will do what is required by law and for good of community, but nothing more and not with pleasure. Stickler for rules.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 6:
Vasilis

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~12 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Crab hunter
VillagerQuirk: Terrible body odor and cleanliness due to never bathing (fear of water; nearly drowned as a child)
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a large and happy family and wants to keep them safe.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: walking to their job

NPC 7:
Freja

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Imperial Courier
VillagerQuirk: Has a terribly fashionable Gray Sash
VillagerPcRelation: Mildly unhelpful, through sheer laziness. The less work it requires the more helpful they will be.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern

NPC 8:
Nagano

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Grave Robber
VillagerQuirk: Wears an absurd Gray hat
VillagerPcRelation: Humble and good hearted. Will do xir best to assist WitchHammers in any matter that is reasonably good/noble.
CommonTask: selling stolen trade goods silks(?)
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 9:
Authier

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~30 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Bandit
VillagerQuirk: Terrible body odor (not really cleanliness; just exudes smell)
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; is just generally a people pleaser.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

Adventure 2: The Horror of Pale

Power Level: 145

Village Name: Villagonzalo
Tavern Name: The Laughing Eel
Population: 483

Traits:
VillageResource: Bountiful Orange Orchards
VillageOddity: Bustling Trade Routes
VillageProsperity: Moderate
VillageSize: Large
VillageLocation: Orchard field
VillageLocation: Thick woods outside town
VillageLocation: Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
VillageLocation: Horse barn
VillageLocation: Library
VillageLocation: Ruins of an old library full of mouldering books
VillageLocation: Graveyard
VillageLocation: Forest glade of beautiful flowers
VillageLocation: Wheat field, uncut
VillageLocation: Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting

Creature1:
Cadaverous Necroscorp
Power Level: 145
Entropy, Brutal, Entropy, Brutal
Main Action Deck
Printable Main Action Deck
TailStabGroup Action Deck
Printable TailStabGroup Action Deck

Stats:
Poise: 77
Health: 35
Init: 7
DefenseMod: 8
Bonus RangedDefenseenseMod: 15
AttackMod: 17

Traits:
Aspect: Bone: Made out of bone, scraps of sinew, and magic. Immune to almost all poisons, bonus vs fire and ice. Has night vision. Half damage from piercing weapons.
Frame: Scorpion
Size: Huge Sized: +4 attack, -2 def, +20 HealthMax
Health: Solid: This creature is tougher than it looks, and more resistant to harm than a natural beast. +5 Health.
Reflex: Olympian Reflexes: This creature has amazing reflexes. In the entire world there are only a few humans who could best it without magic. +7 init, +6 attack/def.
Strength: Unstoppable strength: This creature has a strength completely out of proportion to its physical form. It can bend plate metal like putty, or throw a church bell across town. Even a glancing blow from the creature can be fatal. +6 atk, +15 dmg.
Attack: Mono Horn: Has a single heavy horn that can be used for charges, goring, and tossing
Ability: Power from corpses: Gains power from corpses. Estimate of 1 Atk/Def, and 2 Poise per corpse consumed in the last day.
Ability: Anti-light: This creature can snuff out light with its gaze or touch. As a free action can snuff out a torch,fire,etc.
Ability: Dome of Night: This creature can extend an intangible, aetheric dome out to medium range. This dome will block all sun light and other light from passing the dome. From outside, the dome appears completely dark. From inside the Dome, the outside world appears completely dark. Note that if there are no light sources within the Dome, the area inside the Dome will also be completely dark.
Attack: Glamour: The creature can create a glamour of beauty around itself, disguising its true nature. The glamour is entrancing, and those fooled by it will desire to protect and cherish the creature. Once a person has fallen under the glamour, its effect will steadily increase over the days until the victim is entirely devoted and slavish. Using the glamour does cause a strain to the creature, and it can only apply the glamour on a few creatures at a time.
Attack: Bull Horns: Has sharp horns that can be used for charges, goring, and tossing
Defense: Shadow Armor: Wears armor made out of solid shadows. Touching the armor drains heat from you, like a strong wind in Alaska.
Defense: Gale Winds: When the creature becomes agitated, gale force winds grow up around it and whip the landscape. The wind and screaming dust makes it difficult to see and very difficult to hit with missile weapons (-15). Even staying up right requires an easy strength save at the end of each round.
Defense: Unyielding: This creatures takes no Malus for health damage. It is deadly until the moment it is dead.
Weakness: Soft Underbelly. Takes 3x damage when prone or if attacker is beneath it.
Weakness: Praise the Sun: The creature is confused idealist and ascribes to a somewhat counterproductive ideology. It believes itself to be evil and fears the good and true. It can sense those who have pure hearts, and against them it suffers a -1 to -10 Malus and it is unwilling/psychologically blocked from using its powers. The pureness of a given character's heart is a GM's decision, though NPCs can also be enlisted to help with this if the party doesn't have any particular moral explars.
Weakness: Fishes for compliments: Loves to be complimented. No matter what, will spare a person and hold off on attacking so long as they are being flattered.
Appearance: The creature is wrapped and criss-crossed with barbed metal wire. This does not seem to impeded its deadliness in combat.
NumAppearing: Solitary
Spore: There is a region wide increase in vermin. In particular, Small Snakes can be found in much greater numbers.
Spore: Nightmares spread throughout the region, becoming worse the more closely someone has come to the creature. The nighmares involve being eaten alive, insects, rot, cannabilism, etc. Difficult to get more than a few hours of uneasy sleep due to the nightmares. Afflicted people will be haggard and short tempered.
SporePoop: Whitish coffee bean shaped pellets with small bits of crunched up bone
Smell: Burning Pine Wood
VictimChoice: Prefers to attack sleeping targets
VictimWound: Brings victims bodies back to its lair to snack on later.

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Library
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Cadaverous Necroscorp (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Monstropologist
Day -- Thick woods outside town
The WitchHammers run into who has seen and wishes to study the HexBeast. is shopping for dry goods. They are likely anxious/nervous as they recognize the WitchHammers pose a threat to their research, and maybe even to themselves. They will try to act normal, find out info about the players, and then get away to plot further action...

Meet the Angry Drunk
Day -- Horse barn
The WitchHammers run into the traitor , who is badly drunk and stumbling and smelly and being jeered by villagers. is an angry drunk, mean and bitter from years of humiliation and failure, and wishes to use the HexBeast as an instrument of revenge on their community. They have seen the HexBeast kill, from a distance, and are now working in secret to help the HexBeast destroy the village. They are unhappy to see the WitchHammers, as the WitchHammers might foil their vengeance.

Potential Middle Scenes

False report by tattle-tale child
Day -- Orchard field
A child reports that they have seen out in the woods at night doing strange things. The child is making this up, because they are an asshole.

Separate Sheep from Flock
Night -- Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
The traitor will try to get one of the WitchHammers alone so that they can be killed. Will claim that they have an important secret that the WitchHammer needs to see, or a business proposal that they want to talk about in secret. Will bring the WitchHammer to the HexBeasts hunting grounds, where the beast will appear and attack. The traitor will want to watch and appreciate and not interfere with the attack. This is an interstital attack; the creature will flee if things look hairy. Assume that in this situation it will take 3 rounds for the other WitchHammers to arrive in response to calls for help.

False accusation by villager
Night -- Wheat field, uncut
The villager accuses of being in league with the HexBeast. They should be beaten, confined, or killed!

Bad Traitor no traiting
Day -- Graveyard
A child will try to tell the WitchHammers info about the Traitor . E.g. that they've seen them in the woods with scary things, or smelled weird things from their house, found gnawed bones in their backyard, or seen odd lights from their home at night. Will not be 100% believable, since it is just a kid.

Find a large pile of meat-treats
Day -- Ruins of an old library full of mouldering books
The traitor has been leaving food (mostly cow meat) out in the woods for the HexBeast to eat, as part of the effort to study and tame the HexBeast. The villager has found the meat (or the PCs if they are pro-active enough in searching) and reported it to the group. A large amount of the meat has been eaten.

Goose Chase by Traitor
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The traitor tries to mislead the WitchHammers and send them on a goose chase to a moderately far location, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will accurately describe the creature, since has seen it first hand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since wants to use the time to complete their own plans with the creature.

Copy cat killing
Day -- Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
The traitor kills a villager in order to try and emulate the monster. The body will be found in a similar state as if it had been killed by the HexBeast, but not quite so (since it was just a human who did it rather than a force of terrible magic).

Scary Tales from Villager
Day -- Orchard field
comes to the WitchHammer with tales of terror and telling them the HexBeast is very, very, very murderously dangerous. Will claim that the other villagers have downplayed the number of murders, and/or that a previous team of WitchHammers has already been killed by the creature. No real reason to tell the tales (they might even be true_, just like scaring people and feeling important

Scary Tales from Traitor
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The traitor tries to scare off the WitchHammers by telling them the HexBeast is very, very, very dangerous. Will claim that the other villagers have downplayed the number of murders, and/or that a previous team of WitchHammers has already been killed by the creature. Will try to get WitchHammers to leave early and move on to the next adventure.

Call the Cunning HexBeast
Day -- Ruins of an old library full of mouldering books
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call. It has some affection for its caller, and will not kill them until after everyone else is dead or fled. will act and fight for the HexBeast, not realizing their eventual fate.

Grave Robbery PlotNode
Night -- Wheat field, uncut
The creature shows up at the village graveyard in order to dig up corpses. The creature will dig up, and then use/consume approximately a dozen corpses if not interrupted. The process takes ~20 minutes and is fairly loud as coffins need to be broken open. If not interrupted, the creature will grow more powerful and then depart. If interrupted, it will evaluate the threat and then either kill the intruder, or flee if it seems in any real danger. The darkness of night, plus the fact that the creature is half-buried in the dirt, will make identification somewhat difficult. Still, sneaking up on and observing the creature could easily yield several RothClues.

Villager reports a false sighting of the creature
Night -- Graveyard
The villager comes to the player and reports seeing Cadaverous Necroscorp in the distance, on a hill or at the edge of the forest. The beast glared frightfully and then fades back into the woods/hills. It gave a fearsome hunting cry before disappearing.

Goose Chase
Day -- Horse barn
The villager accidentally reports a sighting of the HexBeast at a distant location and potentially sends them on a goose chase, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will inaccurately describe the creature, since has never seen it firsthand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since does not want to be killed by the creature.

Poison by Traitor
Day -- Orchard field
The traitor will try to poison the WitchHammers using Agonizing Poison added to their Ham. They will present the poisoned food as a hospitality and the least they can do for the brave WitchHammers. Will excuse themselves and them flee into the woods once the poison has been delivered.

Players find dead villager
Day -- Thick woods outside town
Players find the body of , killed by Cadaverous Necroscorp in its characteristic fashion.

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Day -- Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

Potential Finale Scenes

Call the Cunning HexBeast
Day -- Ruins of an old library full of mouldering books
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call. It has some affection for its caller, and will not kill them until after everyone else is dead or fled. will act and fight for the HexBeast, not realizing their eventual fate.

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Day -- Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

NPC 1:
Sakurada

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Fortune Teller
VillagerQuirk: Highly attractive. Smooth and symmetrical body, nice muscle tone and grooming
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a Servile personality in general.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 2:
Overstrand

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Butcher
VillagerQuirk: Wooden nose; they lost their nose to the pox
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful and hard bitten; was orphaned at early age and learned not to stick self out for others.
CommonTask: washing blood off a cutting block
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern

NPC 3:
Silvara

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Farmer
VillagerQuirk: Has many fierce facial piercings
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; used to be a WitchHammer until the trauma and terror became too much for him.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor

NPC 4:
Daumer

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~12 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Chimney Sweep
VillagerQuirk: Stutters
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful and happily flirty. They like people in general and will try to get with the most likely WitchHammer.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: taking a break on a rooftop
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor

NPC 5:
Devinci

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Traveling Merchant
VillagerQuirk: Has a terribly fashionable Red Hat
VillagerPcRelation: Very helpful; WitchHammers helped save their family back when they were a kid.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 6:
Akima

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~30 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Grave Digger
VillagerQuirk: Has odd, bulging eyes.
VillagerPcRelation: Secret Witch Sympathsizer. Will be as unhelpful/misleading as they think they can get away with, with occasional forays into trying to get the WitchHammers actively killed.
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: burying a corpse at in a blasted heath

NPC 7:
Arman

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Traveling Merchant
VillagerQuirk: If unable to recall word, stops conversation and will not give up until can finally remember it
VillagerPcRelation: Arrogant. Thinks they are above wandering killers such as the WitchHammers. Will only grudingly help.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 8:
Simetra

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Grave Robber
VillagerQuirk: Grossly underweight
VillagerPcRelation: Fearful of recent events/deaths and wants to help because of that.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 9:
Ferrin

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~45 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Plague Doctor
VillagerQuirk: Has a rather enormous neck goiter
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; finds WitchHammers to be exotic and we don't like that in our town.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: sitting outside and reading a book
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 10:
Chirst

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Imperial Courier
VillagerQuirk: Albino
VillagerPcRelation: Cowardly. Very scared by events, will do little and will often hide.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well

Adventure 3: The Cadaverous Bone Connection

Power Level: 145

Village Name: Gelo
Tavern Name: The Prancing Eagle
Population: 299

Traits:
VillageResource: Carvan stop; is at the conjunction of 6 well trafficked roads
VillageOddity: Grudge against neighboring Village
VillageProsperity: Poor
VillageSize: Small
VillageLocation: Dramatic, 100ft waterfall
VillageLocation: Cliff face with a 30 ft drop into mining pit
VillageLocation: Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
VillageLocation: Creek bed, dry
VillageLocation: Wheat field, uncut
VillageLocation: Busy cross roads near town
VillageLocation: Creek bed flowing with water
VillageLocation: Large, multi-family farm house
VillageLocation: Tavern
VillageLocation: Library
VillageLocation: Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
VillageLocation: Clear grove of flowers in the thick woods outside town

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Tavern
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Cadaverous Necroscorp (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Fan of Purity of Essence
Day -- Library
The WitchHammers run into who has seen the HexBeast kill and admires its sublime ferocity. is piteously asking for alms on street. is somewhat insane and not particularly nervous; they will want to see the HexBeast kill the WitchHammers and others, and will try to help the beast along with its divine violence. They will try to find out what they can about the WitchHammers. They will also try to attach themselves to the WitchHammers with offers of help, assistance, guidance, etc. This way they can better betray them later. The encounter should also give some hint as to the fact that is somewhat off in the head.

Potential Middle Scenes

Tainted Love Traitor PlotNode
Day -- Large, multi-family farm house
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. They will volunteer to help the PCs; however when a fight against the HexBeast comes these characters will turn on the PCs and do everything they can to stop the WitchHammers from harming the beast.

Copy cat killing
Day -- Cliff face with a 30 ft drop into mining pit
The traitor kills a villager in order to try and emulate the monster. The body will be found in a similar state as if it had been killed by the HexBeast, but not quite so (since it was just a human who did it rather than a force of terrible magic).

Tainted Love PlotNode
Night -- Clear grove of flowers in the thick woods outside town
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. The monster has deeply mucked with their minds, and they will appear tired, red-eyed, and somewhat distracted and air-headed. People who know them will report that they have been acting weird over the past week or so.

Separate Sheep from Flock
Night -- Creek bed, dry
The traitor will try to get one of the WitchHammers alone so that they can be killed. Will claim that they have an important secret that the WitchHammer needs to see, or a business proposal that they want to talk about in secret. Will bring the WitchHammer to the HexBeasts hunting grounds, where the beast will appear and attack. The traitor will want to watch and appreciate and not interfere with the attack. This is an interstital attack; the creature will flee if things look hairy. Assume that in this situation it will take 3 rounds for the other WitchHammers to arrive in response to calls for help.

Corpse Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Tavern
A small army of shambling corpse-zombie creatures invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the invasion is stopped.

Foul house smells
Day -- Large, multi-family farm house
A WitchHammer notices a foul smell coming from the house of the traitor . This is because the house contains several dead bodies hidden in the walls/basement, of those that the traitor has killed in order to stop them from interfering with the HexBeast. If pressed, the traitor will try to pass it off as their new soup recipe.

Bad food
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The food, if any, supplied by the villagers is bad. It will result in stomach aches, vomiting, and general malaise for the a full day before the symptoms come somewhat under control. You can treat this as a -2 Malus to all rolls for the duration.

False report by tattle-tale child
Day -- Busy cross roads near town
A child reports that they have seen out in the woods at night doing strange things. The child is making this up, because they are an asshole.

Villager is severely wounded by beast
Day -- Creek bed flowing with water
limps into the village, having been severely wounded by Cadaverous Necroscorp. They can gasp a few words, but will be largely unresponsive and on deaths door even if they get prompt care. Without prompt care, will die within the hour. If they are well cared for and survive they will recover consciousness in 6-12 hours. They will have barely seen the creature, but can supply at least one RothClue.

False accusation by villager
Day -- Wheat field, uncut
The villager accuses of being in league with the HexBeast. They should be beaten, confined, or killed!

Baby Creature Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Library
A trio of baby versions of the creature invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the creatures become bored and go looking for fresh prey.

Honeypot Traitor
Night -- Library
The traitor will try seduce one of the WitchHammers and separate them from the group. They will then call the Hexbeast to murder the WitchHammer. Assume that in this situation it will take 3 rounds for the other WitchHammers to arrive.

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Night -- Cliff face with a 30 ft drop into mining pit
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

Potential Finale Scenes

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Night -- Cliff face with a 30 ft drop into mining pit
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Cadaverous Necroscorp to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

NPC 1:
Saku

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~30 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Vacationing Mercenary
VillagerQuirk: Rarely bathes, and it shows
VillagerPcRelation: Mostly Neutral; they have been dealt with WitchHammers before, and it ended up costing them large amounts of time/money/goods.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: casing out the village, semi-inconspicously. Presents themself as a tourist.
CommonTask: whistling and making comments about passing members of the opposite sex

NPC 2:
Kamali

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~8 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Grave Robber
VillagerQuirk: Speaks very slowly and carefully (e.g. Obama)
VillagerPcRelation: Moderately unhelpful; was once seduced by a WitchHammer who then snuck out on them after 3 days.
CommonTask: selling stolen trade goods silks(?)
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor

NPC 3:
Arsen

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Herder
VillagerQuirk: Lots of large and various facial warts
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a large and happy family and wants to keep them safe.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 4:
Postlethwaite

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Imperial Courier
VillagerQuirk: Has a terribly fashionable Gray Vest
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral/cold; has a policy against getting involved in other people's dangerous affairs.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 5:
Auclair

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Cat Burglar
VillagerQuirk: Has odd, bulging eyes.
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a large and happy family and wants to keep them safe.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 6:
Imada

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~12 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Fisherman
VillagerQuirk: Has 6 fingers on both hands. Tries to hide this, but always ends up drawing attention to it instead.
VillagerPcRelation: Potentially helpful; they believe in hard work and the common man and will respond well to salt-of-the-earth types. Will quickly turn sour and recalcitrant if faced with snobbishness or high-falutin' behavior.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 7:
Townshed

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Apothecary
VillagerQuirk: Speaks in mono-syllables
VillagerPcRelation: Gracious and welcoming. Enjoys people's company and takes care of guests in a generous and warm fashion.
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: hawking their wares in the main street

NPC 8:
Shirin

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Teamster
VillagerQuirk: Cross Eyed
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful due to an obedience/belief in the established order.
CommonTask: feeding their oxen team
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 9:
Kodjoe

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Beggar
VillagerQuirk: Terrible body odor (not really cleanliness; just exudes smell)
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; finds WitchHammers to be exotic and we don't like that in our town.
CommonTask: diving through refuse dump for scraps
CommonTask: piteously asking for alms on street
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

Adventure 4: Hunters of Bog Locust

Power Level: 109

Village Name: Bute
Tavern Name: The Staggering Dolphin
Population: 653

Traits:
VillageResource: Next to an old forest with valuable lumber
VillageOddity: Bustling Trade Routes
VillageProsperity: Rich
VillageSize: Large
VillageLocation: Hot Springs, acid and flesh melting
VillageLocation: Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
VillageLocation: Church
VillageLocation: Thick woods outside town
VillageLocation: Forest glade with a fairy ring of mushrooms
VillageLocation: Lonely crossroads
VillageLocation: Forest glade of beautiful flowers
VillageLocation: Busy cross roads near town
VillageLocation: Windmill
VillageLocation: Townhall

Creature1:
Southern Marsh Roach
Power Level: 109
Nature, Vermin, Nature, Mutant
Main Action Deck
Printable Main Action Deck

Stats:
Poise: 62
Health: 55
Init: 7
DefenseMod: 10
AttackMod: 10

Traits:
Aspect: Fungus: Made out of decomposing and rotted plant matter, like an animated compost heap. Immune to many poisons.
Frame: Bug
Size: Medium Sized
Health: Iron: This creature does not die easily, and must be hacked apart. To put it down will require multiple grievous wounds. +30 Health.
Reflex: Olympian Reflexes: This creature has amazing reflexes. In the entire world there are only a few humans who could best it without magic. +7 init, +6 attack/def.
Strength: Monstrous strength: This creature has a strength completely out of proportion to its physical form. It can crush hands and skulls with its grip, or knock through walls with its body. +3 atk, +8 dmg.
Ability: Corrupting Spores: The creature sheds small, purplish spores into the air. These spores can colonize the human body, and if not promptly treated they can develop into an infection that will gradually enslave the host. The afflicted move and think slowly and become insensible to pain. While in this state they will obey the creature's phermonic promptings. Eventually the fungal infection grows to the point that the victim is rooted to the ground, and become an uneven pillar of spores and molting flesh. If the creature has been in an inhabited area for 1+ weeks, it will be aided by 3-6 of these afflicted humans.
Ability: Caustic Mist Aura: Caustic mist seeps out of the creature. The mist can first causes depilation, then skin burns, until finally the skin just sloughs and melts off.
Ability: Long: The mid section of this creature is absurdly elongated (e.g. dachshund). More Health, more agility.
Attack: Control Plants: Able to control plants and roots. Extra action slot for this. More difficult to spot in nature.
Attack: Rust Breath: This attack is applied by Breath.
Attack: Barbed Tendrils: Can shoot out tendrils from its flesh, attacking all in medium range. Hit creatures suffer damage, are impaired, and cannot move more than medium distance from creature.
Defense: Trapped Gasses: This creatures has nauseating gasses trapped beneath its skin. When wounded, these escape, sickening those around it (Hard Con Save or -10). Can only trigger three times in a fight.
Defense: Mask form: Can assume a human form. Transforming to human or back takes 1 full round.
Weakness: Tasteless: Has no mouth feel; cannot taste or other wise use its mouth to tell what it is eating.
Weakness: Moist: The creature's skin is damp and wet, like a frog's. If it's skin ever dries out, it will take steadily increasing penalties and damage and then die. The creature is careful to carry water with it and to know where more can be easily accessed. Generally, it's own internal reserves will keep it moist for at least 24 hours.
Weakness: Sweet Tooth: Cannot resist Pastries, and will rarely pass up any opportunity to partake. To break free before finishing all the sweet food, must make a hard Will save. Can make one such save per round. While it prefers Pastries, it also has a fierce appetite for any kind of sweet food.
Appearance: Spider Hairs: The creature's body is covered in thick and bristly hair, like a tarantula
Appearance: Bundled up in layers of dirty and fetid gray cloth. Looks and smells like a particularly dedicated hobo.
NumAppearing: Solitary
Spore: Crops wither and die in a 1 mile radius. Takes a few days to gradually come into effect.
SporePoop: Small Oily slugs burning with a low Red flame
VictimChoice: Loves wine and alcohol
VictimWound: Brings victims bodies back to its lair to snack on later.

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Church
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Southern Marsh Roach (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Rebel Monster Lover
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The WitchHammers run into . is shopping for dry goods. The traitor hates the Empire with an insane passion, and wishes to use the HexBeast as an instrument of revenge on its citizens. They have seen the HexBeast kill, from a distance, and are now working in secret to help the HexBeast destroy the village. They are only too pleased to see the WitchHammers, as killing them would be an even more direct way to strike at the Empire.

Meet the Monster Cultists
Day -- Church
The WitchHammers run into and . is walking to their job. They are insane and atavistic cultists who wish to use the HexBeast as an instrument of their violent desires. They have been setting up altars in the woods and sacrificing animals, which may or may not have summoned the HexBeast to the village. They stick together and maintain a sufficient facade of normality. They will both have a coldness and quietly intense dislike of the WitchHammers and will do what they can to get them killed.

Potential Middle Scenes

Corpse Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Townhall
A small army of shambling corpse-zombie creatures invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the invasion is stopped.

Poison by Traitor
Day -- Church
The traitor will try to poison the WitchHammers using Petrifying Poison added to their Ham. They will present the poisoned food as a hospitality and the least they can do for the brave WitchHammers. Will excuse themselves and them flee into the woods once the poison has been delivered.

Poison and knives by Traitor
Day -- Church
The traitor will try to poison the WitchHammers using Choking Poison added to their Eggs and Onino. They will present the poisoned food as a hospitality and the least they can do for the brave WitchHammers. Will stick around to try and finish off any weakened WitchHammers, and then flee into the forest once the odds look too bad.

Goose Chase by Traitor
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The traitor tries to mislead the WitchHammers and send them on a goose chase to a moderately far location, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will accurately describe the creature, since has seen it first hand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since wants to use the time to complete their own plans with the creature.

Separate Sheep from Flock
Night -- Forest glade of beautiful flowers
The traitor will try to get one of the WitchHammers alone so that they can be killed. Will claim that they have an important secret that the WitchHammer needs to see, or a business proposal that they want to talk about in secret. Will bring the WitchHammer to the HexBeasts hunting grounds, where the beast will appear and attack. The traitor will want to watch and appreciate and not interfere with the attack. This is an interstital attack; the creature will flee if things look hairy. Assume that in this situation it will take 3 rounds for the other WitchHammers to arrive in response to calls for help.

Boozing by traitor
Night -- Lonely crossroads
The traitor tries to get the WitchHammers passed out drunk, both to find out information from them and to help them die on the following day. Will pay for all the beer and food, will toast the WitchHammers, and will do their best to get them completely soused. Will hail them as heroes of the village, will suggest they try one more drink of the village's special brew, will challenge them to drinking contests.

Curse your sudden and inevitable support for the HexBeast
Day -- Thick woods outside town
The Traitor waits for the WitchHammers to fight the Southern Marsh Roach. Once combat has started, will betray the characters and attack them from behind. The HexBeast has no particular affection for the traitor, and will kill them if convenient. The traitor is smart enough to realize this and will try to stay out of the HexBeasts way during the combat, fleeing if need be if things go south.

Blood Altar found in woods
Day -- Forest glade of beautiful flowers
Either the WitchHammers, or some villagers come across on of the Cultist's blood altars in the woods.

Bad Traitor no traiting
Day -- Church
A child will try to tell the WitchHammers info about the Traitor . E.g. that they've seen them in the woods with scary things, or smelled weird things from their house, found gnawed bones in their backyard, or seen odd lights from their home at night. Will not be 100% believable, since it is just a kid.

Foul house smells
Day -- Busy cross roads near town
A WitchHammer notices a foul smell coming from the house of the traitor . This is because the house contains several dead bodies hidden in the walls/basement, of those that the traitor has killed in order to stop them from interfering with the HexBeast. If pressed, the traitor will try to pass it off as their new soup recipe.

Copy cat killing
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The traitor kills a villager in order to try and emulate the monster. The body will be found in a similar state as if it had been killed by the HexBeast, but not quite so (since it was just a human who did it rather than a force of terrible magic).

Tainted Love Traitor PlotNode
Day -- Busy cross roads near town
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. They will volunteer to help the PCs; however when a fight against the HexBeast comes these characters will turn on the PCs and do everything they can to stop the WitchHammers from harming the beast.

Baby Creature Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Townhall
A trio of baby versions of the creature invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the creatures become bored and go looking for fresh prey.

Honeypot Traitor
Night -- Townhall
The traitor will try seduce one of the WitchHammers and separate them from the group. They will then call the Hexbeast to murder the WitchHammer. Assume that in this situation it will take 3 rounds for the other WitchHammers to arrive.

Blood Sign from the Traitor
Night -- Church
The traitor leave a horribly mutilated animal at the WitchHammer's doorstep while they sleep. If they have time, will also paint bloody rune on their door. Characters should have a slight chance to catch the traitor, but only slight. The traitor will be on guard and will abort and run off into the night if they think they are in danger of being caught.

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Day -- Thick woods outside town
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Southern Marsh Roach to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

Potential Finale Scenes

Curse your sudden and inevitable support for the HexBeast
Day -- Thick woods outside town
The Traitor waits for the WitchHammers to fight the Southern Marsh Roach. Once combat has started, will betray the characters and attack them from behind. The HexBeast has no particular affection for the traitor, and will kill them if convenient. The traitor is smart enough to realize this and will try to stay out of the HexBeasts way during the combat, fleeing if need be if things go south.

Call the Vicious HexBeast
Day -- Thick woods outside town
The Traitor dramatically calls the HexBeast Southern Marsh Roach to fight the WitchHammers, and declares their attachment to it. The creature will answer the call, but it feels no loyalty to its caller and if convenient will kill bloodily at the start of the fight. will act and fight for the HexBeast, up until the moment that they realize the HexBeast is a bloody monster that will kill them.

NPC 1:
Brunk

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Midwife
VillagerQuirk: Has a hook hand
VillagerPcRelation: Surly. Wants nothing to do with strangers. Will do bare minimum.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: walking to their job

NPC 2:
Jamenson

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~25 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Chimney Sweep
VillagerQuirk: Lots of large and various facial warts
VillagerPcRelation: Arrogant. Thinks they are above wandering killers such as the WitchHammers. Will only grudingly help.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well

NPC 3:
Chiswick

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Imperial Spy
VillagerQuirk: Very Badly Flatulent
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; finds WitchHammers to be exotic and we don't like that in our town.
CommonTask: casually observing the actions of the main NPC.
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: writing letters, in code, to be sent by his contact back to the regional capital. Will mention WitchHammers actions and recent events.

NPC 4:
Belcourt

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Dry Goods Shop Keeper
VillagerQuirk: Very Sleepy. Will take any chance to nap or rest
VillagerPcRelation: Fearful of recent events/deaths and wants to help because of that.
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 5:
Dumaine

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Anthropologist (performing studies on the various subject peoples of the Empire)
VillagerQuirk: Has a small and evil looking black cat that follows them around. The cat hisses and gives the evil eye at strangers.
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a prized pig (default name: Muriel) and doesn't want any monster to eat it.
CommonTask: sitting outside and reading a book
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 6:
Nomi

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Imperial Soldier 3rd class
VillagerQuirk: Rarely bathes, and it shows
VillagerPcRelation: Secret Witch Sympathsizer. Will be as unhelpful/misleading as they think they can get away with, with occasional forays into trying to get the WitchHammers actively killed.
CommonTask: whistling and making comments about passing members of the opposite sex
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 7:
Codd

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~30 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Vacationing Mercenary
VillagerQuirk: Completely and Brutally Honest
VillagerPcRelation: Suspicious and unhelpful unless verified. Has been burned before.
CommonTask: whistling and making comments about passing members of the opposite sex
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 8:
Channings

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Fisher
VillagerQuirk: Is sickly and pale; was kidnapped by bandits once and has never quite recovered
VillagerPcRelation: Suspicious and unhelpful unless verified. Has been burned before.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well

NPC 9:
Waverley

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Boatman
VillagerQuirk: Has horrible pock marks from childhood disease
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; they think WitchHammers bring monsters rather than the other way around.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor

NPC 10:
Arryn

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Fortune Teller
VillagerQuirk: Has a wandering eye; stares randomly and independently of the main eye
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral to unhelpful/antagonistic; they have been unfortunate in life recently and caused their mood to sour (e.g. financial loss, enemy promoted, bad harvest).
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

Adventure 5: Scourge of the Murder

Power Level: 109

Village Name: Solaguren
Tavern Name: The Staggering Pony
Population: 302

Traits:
VillageResource: Grape Vines
VillageOddity: Has a locally famous pie baking contest
VillageProsperity: Poor
VillageSize: Large
VillageLocation: Crumbling 3 story tower
VillageLocation: Orchard field
VillageLocation: Townhall
VillageLocation: Cool artesian spring and pool
VillageLocation: Sheep paddock
VillageLocation: Church
VillageLocation: Windmill
VillageLocation: Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
VillageLocation: Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
VillageLocation: Tavern

Creature1:
Zemblan Necroscorp
Power Level: 109
Entropy, Brutal, Entropy, Entropy
Main Action Deck
Printable Main Action Deck
TailStabGroup Action Deck
Printable TailStabGroup Action Deck

Stats:
Poise: 95
Health: 80
Init: 11
DefenseMod: 8
AttackMod: 17

Traits:
Aspect: Bone: Made out of bone, scraps of sinew, and magic. Immune to almost all poisons, bonus vs fire and ice. Has night vision. Half damage from piercing weapons.
Frame: Scorpion
Size: Huge Sized: +4 attack, -2 def, +20 HealthMax
Health: Nigh-Unkillable: This creature refuses to die, and must be hacked apart. It will shrug off wounds that would kill a normal beast. +50 Health.
Reflex: Lightning reflexes: This creature's movements are unnaturally precise and fast, and are difficult to follow with the eye. It is able to tear through any single human without magical aid. Those with magical aid could last for several passes. +11 init, +10 atk/def
Strength: Olympian strength: This creature is as strong as any mortal in the world. It can hurl stones and bodies across a room. +2 atk, +6 dmg.
Ability: Death Curse: As the creature dies, it will try to pull down a powerful curse upon its most hated foe. This requires that the creature has a turn before death, can speak, and can see its target, and that the target can hear the curse. The curse will cause the target health problems and ill luck, and is usually fatal in 13 to 41 days. Some clever people have been able to outwit a poorly worded or inexact curse.
Attack: Shadow Spirit: The creature's shadow can dis-engage from it, and then move and attack on its own. The shadow has the same stats as the original, but has .2X of its Health and a -5 Malus. Both the Creature and its Shadow can exist independently of each other, and if one is killed the other can re-generate its partner with 24 hours.
Defense: Unyielding: This creatures takes no Malus for health damage. It is deadly until the moment it is dead.
Weakness: Praise the Sun: The creature is confused idealist and ascribes to a somewhat counterproductive ideology. It believes itself to be evil and fears the good and true. It can sense those who have pure hearts, and against them it suffers a -1 to -10 Malus and it is unwilling/psychologically blocked from using its powers. The pureness of a given character's heart is a GM's decision, though NPCs can also be enlisted to help with this if the party doesn't have any particular moral explars.
Weakness: Iron Boots: The creature wears heavy iron boots on its feet. These boots limit its mobility and make it easier to track. It also makes the creature unable to swim by normal means.
Appearance: Blind white eyes
Appearance: The creature is wrapped and criss-crossed with barbed metal wire. This does not seem to impeded its deadliness in combat.
NumAppearing: Solitary
Spore: There is a region wide increase in vermin. In particular, Black Butterflies can be found in much greater numbers.
Spore: Bats swarm thickly at night, harassing people, cattle, and windows with unusual fierceness.
SporePoop: Large Blackish coffee bean shaped pellets
Smell: Mold
VictimChoice: Taste for Horses
VictimWound: Eats the skin from victims.

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Orchard field
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Zemblan Necroscorp (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Nerrrrrd
Day -- Cool artesian spring and pool
The WitchHammers run into the traitor , who is hurrying through the streets being made fun of by some local laborers. is an angry nerd, bitter from years of social and romantic embarrassments, and wishes to use the HexBeast as an instrument of revenge on their community. They have seen the HexBeast kill, from a distance, and are now working in secret to help the HexBeast destroy the village. They are unhappy to see the WitchHammers, as the WitchHammers might foil their vengeance. However they are a physical and social coward, so their means of working against the WitchHammers are somewhat limited. They will be nervous (even more than usual) if talking to the WitchHammers and not particularly good about hiding their anger at the laborers and other townsfolk.

Potential Middle Scenes

Tainted Love PlotNode
Day -- Pond with ducks, and/or angry geese
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. The monster has deeply mucked with their minds, and they will appear tired, red-eyed, and somewhat distracted and air-headed. People who know them will report that they have been acting weird over the past week or so.

Poison by Traitor
Day -- Orchard field
The traitor will try to poison the WitchHammers using Agonizing Poison added to their Ham. They will present the poisoned food as a hospitality and the least they can do for the brave WitchHammers. Will excuse themselves and them flee into the woods once the poison has been delivered.

Villager is severely wounded by beast
Night -- Crumbling 3 story tower
limps into the village, having been severely wounded by Zemblan Necroscorp. They can gasp a few words, but will be largely unresponsive and on deaths door even if they get prompt care. Without prompt care, will die within the hour. If they are well cared for and survive they will recover consciousness in 6-12 hours. They will have barely seen the creature, but can supply at least one RothClue.

Goose Chase by Traitor
Night -- Cool artesian spring and pool
The traitor tries to mislead the WitchHammers and send them on a goose chase to a moderately far location, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will accurately describe the creature, since has seen it first hand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since wants to use the time to complete their own plans with the creature.

Scary Tales from Traitor
Day -- Townhall
The traitor tries to scare off the WitchHammers by telling them the HexBeast is very, very, very dangerous. Will claim that the other villagers have downplayed the number of murders, and/or that a previous team of WitchHammers has already been killed by the creature. Will try to get WitchHammers to leave early and move on to the next adventure.

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Tavern
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

Potential Finale Scenes

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Tavern
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

NPC 1:
Aerona

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~30 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Traveling Merchant
VillagerQuirk: Body has numerous red and inflamed boils
VillagerPcRelation: Very helpful; was orphaned at young age but despite hardships has irrepressible cheer and positive outlook on the world.
CommonTask: haggeling furiously with a customer
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 2:
Hernandes

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Vacationing Mercenary
VillagerQuirk: As much as possible, will try to answer your questions by asking you a question
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral/cold; has a policy against getting involved in other people's dangerous affairs.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: fighting in a tavern
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 3:
Eckhardt

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Painter
VillagerQuirk: Unlucky. Will die at first opportunity
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; used to be a WitchHammer until the trauma and terror became too much for him.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 4:
Huit

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~45 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Cut-purse
VillagerQuirk: As much as possible, will only talk about themself. Will try to bend any conversation or question back to their own life and mood.
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; they think WitchHammers bring monsters rather than the other way around.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well

NPC 5:
Hanajima

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Country Doctor
VillagerQuirk: Has 6 fingers on both hands. Tries to hide this, but always ends up drawing attention to it instead.
VillagerPcRelation: Very helpful; was raised on tales of the WitchHammer's and their adventures.
CommonTask: sitting outside and reading a book
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 6:
Sexbang

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Vacationing Mercenary
VillagerQuirk: Terrible body odor and cleanliness due to never bathing (fear of water; nearly drowned as a child)
VillagerPcRelation: Cheerful and Generous. A fortunate person who has a positive outlook on life.
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: casing out the village, semi-inconspicously. Presents themself as a tourist.

NPC 7:
Fouad

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Imperial Lieutenant
VillagerQuirk: Is accompanied by a small and yappy dog
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful due to an obedience/belief in the established order.
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: walking to their job

NPC 8:
Ravensong

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Bar Maid
VillagerQuirk: Somewhat senile
VillagerPcRelation: Gracious and welcoming. Enjoys people's company and takes care of guests in a generous and warm fashion.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: serving drinks and chatting with customers

NPC 9:
Simion

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Cartographer
VillagerQuirk: Has overly large ears
VillagerPcRelation: Very Unhelpful; A Witchhammer killed someone they loved in a minor feud
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

Adventure 6: The Curse of the Bush Deodand

Power Level: 54

Village Name: Antezana
Tavern Name: The Prancing Badger
Population: 393

Traits:
VillageResource: Bountiful Orange Orchards
VillageOddity: Grudge against neighboring Village
VillageProsperity: Rich
VillageSize: Large
VillageLocation: Lonely crossroads
VillageLocation: Tavern
VillageLocation: Church
VillageLocation: Creek bed flowing with water
VillageLocation: Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
VillageLocation: Hot Springs, relaxing
VillageLocation: Loner's wattle-daub hut
VillageLocation: Horse barn

Creature1:
Climbfall
Power Level: 54
Nature, Poison, Brutal, Nature
Main Action Deck
Printable Main Action Deck

Stats:
Poise: 30
Health: 45
Init: -5
DefenseMod: 2
AttackMod: 3

Traits:
Frame: Man
WitchMotivation: Revenge on People: The Witch feels that people have wronged it. While it has changed greatly from its former existence, it does still remember a feeling of being injured, not appreciated, and taken advantage of by people in general. For that reason it will try to destroy people and cities.
Aspect: Vines: Made out of animated vines, leaves, and flowers. Immune to many poisons.
Size: Medium Sized
Health: Very Tough: This creature does not die easily, and will fiercely hold on to life. To put it down will require multiple grievous wounds. +25 Health.
Reflex: Terrible Reflexes: This creature is somewhat slow and fumbling. Init -5, Attack/Def -2
Strength: Gigantic strength: This creature has a strength completely out of proportion to its physical form. It can crush skulls and metal armor in grip, or knock through walls with its body. +4 atk, +10 dmg.
Ability: Blood Belly: The creature stores the blood of its victims in a reservoir about its stomach. Until that reservoir has been emptied, will not take Malus from damage. Depending on how successful the creature's hunting has been, can contains up to 10 gallons (30 Health) worth of blood. Will rapidly lose these excess HP if the blood-belly is punctured.
Attack: Injecting Proboscis: This creature does not have a bite attack, but rather a proboscis that injects Agonizing Poison.
Attack: Glamour: The creature can create a glamour of beauty around itself, disguising its true nature. The glamour is entrancing, and those fooled by it will desire to protect and cherish the creature. Once a person has fallen under the glamour, its effect will steadily increase over the days until the victim is entirely devoted and slavish. Using the glamour does cause a strain to the creature, and it can only apply the glamour on a few creatures at a time.
Defense: Danger Sense: Excellent ability to detect immediate threats. It is not that its senses are necessarily better; rather it just has a sharp mind for detecting danger and putting warning signs together.
Weakness: Moist: The creature's skin is damp and wet, like a frog's. If it's skin ever dries out, it will take steadily increasing penalties and damage and then die. The creature is careful to carry water with it and to know where more can be easily accessed. Generally, it's own internal reserves will keep it moist for at least 24 hours.
Appearance: The creature is wrapped and criss-crossed with barbed metal wire. This does not seem to impeded its deadliness in combat.
Appearance: Has three sets of eyes, set one on top of another.
VictimChoice: Prefers to attack sleeping targets
VictimWound: Victims are torn into two pieces, with the middle eaten out.

Intro Scenes

Arrive at afflicted Village
Day -- Church
The adventures arrive at a village that has been attacked by an Climbfall (though of course its name is not known as of yet). They are met by a crowd that has gathered around the creature's latest kill.

Meet the Kind Monster Tamer
Day -- Boggy, muddy swamp. You could lose a horse in there.
The WitchHammers run into who is trying to tame the monster. is haggeling furiously with a customer. is kind hearted but badly misguided, and cares for the beast like one might for a favorite pet. They are worried that the WitchHammers will kill or drive away the creature, which has been coming to them regularly for (non-human) food. They think they can tame the beast and make it safe and useful to be around. Despite their delusions, not willing to kill or hurt people to defend the beast.

Meet the Graft Mayor
Day -- Tavern
The mayor has been stealing from the tax revenues that he should be sending back to the Capitol. What is more, he has been stealing a completely unreasonable amount. The mayor fears the WitchHammers as agents of Imperial power, and will do his best to make sure they never leave the town alive. The mayor will be polite but greasy in his interactions with the WitchHammers. The mayor has an absurd stash of gold coins hidden in his Graveyard.

Potential Middle Scenes

Baby Creature Invasion PlotNode
Day -- Horse barn
A trio of baby versions of the creature invades the town, killing and maiming in a mad spree. Without the WitchHammer's aid; approximately 80% of the townspeople will die before the creatures become bored and go looking for fresh prey.

Bad Traitor no traiting
Day -- Horse barn
A child will try to tell the WitchHammers info about the Traitor . E.g. that they've seen them in the woods with scary things, or smelled weird things from their house, found gnawed bones in their backyard, or seen odd lights from their home at night. Will not be 100% believable, since it is just a kid.

Scary Tales from Traitor
Night -- Lonely crossroads
The traitor tries to scare off the WitchHammers by telling them the HexBeast is very, very, very dangerous. Will claim that the other villagers have downplayed the number of murders, and/or that a previous team of WitchHammers has already been killed by the creature. Will try to get WitchHammers to leave early and move on to the next adventure.

Find a large pile of meat-treats
Night -- Hot Springs, relaxing
The traitor has been leaving food (mostly cow meat) out in the woods for the HexBeast to eat, as part of the effort to study and tame the HexBeast. The villager has found the meat (or the PCs if they are pro-active enough in searching) and reported it to the group. A large amount of the meat has been eaten.

Monster taunts the WitchHammers with human venality
Day -- Hot Springs, relaxing
The next time the WitchHammers face the creature, it will taunt them that they are not even supported by their own people. Will bring up evidence of the mayor's peculation and the effect it has had on the town. Mention that its victims have all been weak, scrawny, and ill-fed.

Goose Chase by Traitor
Day -- Hot Springs, relaxing
The traitor tries to mislead the WitchHammers and send them on a goose chase to a moderately far location, e.g.a days travel there and back again. Will claim to have heard of a sighting of the creature there. Will accurately describe the creature, since has seen it first hand. Will try to avoid going with the WitchHammers, since wants to use the time to complete their own plans with the creature.

Mayoral Spy
Day -- Tavern
The mayor has set a henchman, , to spy on the PCs. This henchman will follow them around and keep tabs on them as unobtrusively as possible. The henchman is not particularly loyal and is only moderately skilled; they will spill what they know if they are caught.

Tainted Love Traitor PlotNode
Day -- Church
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. They will volunteer to help the PCs; however when a fight against the HexBeast comes these characters will turn on the PCs and do everything they can to stop the WitchHammers from harming the beast.

Tainted Love PlotNode
Day -- Lonely crossroads
and have had their hearts captured by the HexBeast's Glamour ability. The monster has deeply mucked with their minds, and they will appear tired, red-eyed, and somewhat distracted and air-headed. People who know them will report that they have been acting weird over the past week or so.

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Tavern
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

Graft becomes obvious
Day -- Tavern
The WitchHammers notice the poverty and ruin of the town. Starving women and kids, rundown streets and buildings, beggars and depression. Will seem odd given the richness of the surrounding lands and the lavish tastes of the elites. When asked, citizens will complain of the Mayor and his cronies and their ruinous taxes.

Mayoral Bushwhacking
Night -- Horse barn
The mayor has hired a group of thugs to try and remove the WitchHammers. They will attack from ambush and show no mercy, though as they are common mercs their moral is not good.

Bribe Attempt by Mayor
Night -- Tavern
The mayor is getting worried about the WitchHammers. If they seem at all amenable, will try to bribe them to leave the area. Will say that the town can take care of itself, and that they don't need the Empire getting involved in their day to day affairs. If that does not work, will try to convince them to leave so that they can hire/support more muscle to help take care of the situation.

Silence the Troublemakers
Day -- Lonely crossroads
The mayor and his cronies will try to silence the WitchHammers to prevent them from notifying the authorities. They will wait until the WitchHammers are engaged in combat with a monster and winning, and then will pile in to the combat at an in-opportune time.

Potential Finale Scenes

Defend the Precious the HexBeast
Day -- Tavern
The HexBeast has been found and the PCs prepare for battle. The traitor steps up to defend their project/pet/love. They are killed by it and then the fight begins.

Silence the Troublemakers
Day -- Lonely crossroads
The mayor and his cronies will try to silence the WitchHammers to prevent them from notifying the authorities. They will wait until the WitchHammers are engaged in combat with a monster and winning, and then will pile in to the combat at an in-opportune time.

NPC 1:
Weinermobile

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Apothecary
VillagerQuirk: Eyes are two different colors. (It is genetics, not magic)
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral/cold; has a policy against getting involved in other people's dangerous affairs.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel

NPC 2:
Renatus

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Village Hunter
VillagerQuirk: Has an old slave-tattoo
VillagerPcRelation: Very helpful; was orphaned at young age but despite hardships has irrepressible cheer and positive outlook on the world.
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: coming into town with a dead Hog slung over back
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well

NPC 3:
Dume

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~35 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Butler
VillagerQuirk: Gigantic. 7ft tall, easy 300 lbs. (due to genetics, not magic)
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral/cold; was involved in heavy fighting while putting down a rebellion and does not want to experience anything like that ever again.
CommonTask: walking to their job
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern

NPC 4:
Kschessinska

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~50 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Butcher
VillagerQuirk: Missing an ear (bitten off by Bear)
VillagerPcRelation: Suspicious and unhelpful unless verified. Has been burned before.
CommonTask: washing blood off a cutting block
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 5:
Michaud

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~60 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Village Headman
VillagerQuirk: Has golden tooth (is a family heirloom; passed down from parent to child)
VillagerPcRelation: Unhelpful; used to be a WitchHammer until the trauma and terror became too much for him.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 6:
Winthorn

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~20 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Farmer
VillagerQuirk: Has a wandering eye; stares randomly and independently of the main eye
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; finds WitchHammers to be exotic and piquaresque.
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds

NPC 7:
Garrette

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~45 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Anthropologist (performing studies on the various subject peoples of the Empire)
VillagerQuirk: Falsely believes themself to be agent of Sithrak power on earth.
VillagerPcRelation: Moderately unhelpful; was once seduced by a WitchHammer who then snuck out on them after 3 days.
CommonTask: making detailed measurements of people's crainiums
CommonTask: writing letters, in code, to be sent by his contact back to the regional capital. Will mention WitchHammers actions and recent events.
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods

NPC 8:
Murta

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Beggar
VillagerQuirk: If unable to recall word, stops conversation and will not give up until can finally remember it
VillagerPcRelation: Helpful; has a prized pig (default name: Muriel) and doesn't want any monster to eat it.
CommonTask: drawing water from the town well
CommonTask: shopping for dry goods
CommonTask: grimly drinking self into a stupor

NPC 9:
Masumi

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Male
VillagerJob: Country Doctor
VillagerQuirk: Albino
VillagerPcRelation: Neutral/cold; has a policy against getting involved in other people's dangerous affairs.
CommonTask: rubbernecking at a cart with a broken wheel
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: sitting outside and reading a book

NPC 10:
Shilts

Stats:
Poise: 15
Health: 10
DefenseMod: 0
AttackMod: 0
Init: 0

Traits:
VillagerAge: ~40 years old
VillagerGender: Female
VillagerJob: Traveling Merchant
VillagerQuirk: Is accompanied by a canary that loves them very, very much. Will start a loud and shrill chirping sound at inopportune moments.
VillagerPcRelation: Potentially helpful; they believe in gentility and good breeding and will respond well to politeness. Will quickly turn sour and recalcitrant if faced with rudeness though.
CommonTask: light heartedly drinking at the tavern
CommonTask: watching the birds and clouds
CommonTask: haggeling furiously with a customer