Lamentations of the Pope - LotFP campaign set in 16th century Rome

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com
Yeah, I have nothing against the repurposing of published materials--I just knew you were interested in it from some comments you made upthread. I asked mainly because if you already had an adventure you wanted to rework, I wouldn't make any more suggestions about what could happen in the session.

One thing that has been running around my head, since I thought of the Trebbia connection, is a ghost story that shows up in the Decameron. It's details aren't important, but it involves ghosts who are doomed to re-enact the fatal events that led to their death and damnation. I wonder if that idea could be adapted for this--a Roman centurion, or some such, who betrayed his side, or in some way failed in his duty, forced to relive the experience in ghostly form.

Alternatively, I wondered about a Carthaginian item--the head of a standard, or something similar--that would fill the finder with an irresistible urge to march on (in effect, go to) Rome and 'conquer it.' After taking it, the finder could hear the following in his/her sleep each night (it's from Juvenal, Satires IX):

We have accomplished nothing
Till we have stormed the gates of Rome itself
Till our Carthaginian standard
Is set in the city's heart.

This 'haunting' could make the finder lose sleep and be debilitated. It could be dealt with by going to Rome and burying the item in an appropriate place, like the Forum.

I really like the standard thing, that's a very cool idea. Would give them a solid reason to head for Rome too.

Unfortunately last session didn't materialize due to two of my players having lost their cat to cancer, and now the holiday season is upon us so doubtful if we'll be able to get a session in before the New Year.
 
Just to say that this thread is really inspiring and the campaign sounds great! I've always had a desire to run a game in this period, either low-magic or just straight historical, but have never managed to get one to the table. The time later in the century, when there is a Borgia pope, always had an appeal. I look forward to seeing the further adventures of your group.
 
Just to say that this thread is really inspiring and the campaign sounds great! I've always had a desire to run a game in this period, either low-magic or just straight historical, but have never managed to get one to the table. The time later in the century, when there is a Borgia pope, always had an appeal. I look forward to seeing the further adventures of your group.
Thanks. And I say hang in there, it is a really interesting period. If nothing else, you could probably get some entirely new players interested. Historical settings present less of a barrier to entry than pure fantasy or far future SF, in my experience.

Just a slight correction, the two Borgia popes rules 1455-1458 and 1492-1503, so 50-100 years earlier. I do agree that the time around the reign of Alexander VI (1492-1503) would be very interesting to play in. You have the discovery of the new world, the beginning of the Italian wars and the first battle in Europe decided by the use of gunpowder.
 
Oops! My mistake - I've only just skimmed the thread so far (settling in for a proper read now) so got totally the wrong idea about your time period - wrong bloody century! Doh!!
 
Oops! My mistake - I've only just skimmed the thread so far (settling in for a proper read now) so got totally the wrong idea about your time period - wrong bloody century! Doh!!
Ah, that explains it. Yeah the campaign is set in 1559. It was originally going to be 1560 but I moved it a year earlier to incorporate the very end of the Italian wars, the death of pope Paul IV and the long conclave that followed. I personally like the time period as it is right in the transition from medieval to early modern. Full plate and handguns, the very beginnings of the Columbian exchange, the reformation etc.
 
I'll also note that it has now been a year since I started this thread and while I haven't gotten to the point where I can incorporate all the cool stuff in this thread, the campaign is under way (albeit on a brief winter hiatus for the time being). So the thread has been a great success so far.
 
I really like the standard thing, that's a very cool idea. Would give them a solid reason to head for Rome too.

Unfortunately last session didn't materialize due to two of my players having lost their cat to cancer, and now the holiday season is upon us so doubtful if we'll be able to get a session in before the New Year.
Sorry to hear about the delay. I've got an idea for an adventure seed you might use on the road to Rome, actually based on a Kane story by Karl Edward Wagner. I need to mull it a bit more--and see if I can find a bit more information about rural inns in Italy--but I hope to post something in a day or so.
 
Adventure idea: Sign of the Raven

This was inspired by Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane story “Raven’s Eyrie,” though with quite a few changes. Because it’s based on a work of fiction, I’m very aware of the danger of railroading—making the scenario play out to fit the plot of the story. To make that less likely, I’ll present the adventure seed in terms of the various parties involved and their plans and agendas. There are mysteries for the p.c.s to uncover, but the scenario can go forward even if they do not find out much of the backstory—they could simply react to the developing situation. Since the whole thing is complex, I’m going to present it in a series of posts.

Setting: The Place
An inn in the mountains. Given where your p.c.s are and where they are going (Rome) I’d suggest somewhere in the Apennines between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, maybe near Monte Cusna, a peak of ~2120 m. which is also known as ‘the Dead Man.’ The inn, known from its sign as ‘the Raven’ is a substantial two-story structure, built by the Maldenti family a couple of generations since, with a paved courtyard and stables. It once had another wing at a right angle to the main building, but this burnt about ten years ago; its foundation and some scorched timbers remain. The inn is located in a wooded area of the slopes, just uphill from main track over the mountains and near a small ravine through which a stream runs.

The Monte Cusna ridge, seen from a distance. The inn would be below the tree line, of course.
monte-cusna.jpg

It’s commonly known in the area that the inn used to be considerably more prosperous than it is now. In the late 1540s, this region of the Apennines was infested by a group of bandits led by a German mercenary, one Fasolt, who made travel through the region unsafe. Since it was difficult to make the journey from one side of the mountains to the other in a single day—particularly in winter—travelers would often break their journey at the Raven, to pass the night in safety. But then in 1549 the bandits attacked the inn; the innkeeper Orazio Maldenti was slain and one wing destroyed by fire. This brazen attack finally stirred neighboring states into action, and they sent a force to drive the bandits from the region. (If this is set near Monte Cusna, this could be the Cybo-Malaspina lords of Massa-Carrerra.) Yet in their absence, there was less reason for travelers to halt at the Raven, and its initially-dilapidated state it was not too inviting a refuge. It fell on hard times, from which it has only partially recovered.

The inn has a darker hidden history, though. It was constructed so that its owners could prey on their guests. The best guest room, at the head of the stairs, has a secret door into it, concealed behind the wood-paneling next to the fireplace. This opens on a rectangular shaft that passes into the inn’s basement; metal rungs are set in one wall of the shaft (a brick wall, the edge of the chimney). Tempting targets could be put in the room and then slipped a soporific in their wine. When the guests were deep in drugged slumber, the innkeepers would climb up the shaft, kill their victims, and then remove their bodies and goods down the shaft. The bodies were then conveyed out of the cellar through a passage (likewise concealed) that led to the nearby ravine. Well before daylight, servants would remove the victim’s beasts from the stables, and other guests (if there were any) would be told that the murdered parties had decided to get a pre-dawn start.

In the early years of the Raven, the Maldenti perpetrated such murders only infrequently, in part because conditions had to be right (a small but wealthy party, with few servants or guards, and preferably from a distant place) and in part because too many guests disappearing would lead to questions. But the activities of Fasolt and his band allowed the innkeepers to become more brazen. In fact, they forged an alliance with the outlaw. For a cut of takings, he and his men would remove the bodies and deposit them some distance from the inn, making it look like they had been cut down on the road by the bandits. Both sides profited from the arrangement—the inn got more visitors and could ‘cull’ more of them without fear of blame, while Fasolt got a payday for less work and danger than actual highway robbery (though he continued with that as well).

This cozy relationship fell apart because of Orazio’s daughter, Faustina. A lovely and vivacious young woman—she was 16 in 1549—she attracted Fasolt’s attention and likewise fell for the romantic outlaw. They kept the relationship from Orazio, who had different, and bigger, plans for his daughter. His new-found (and ill-gotten) wealth led the innkeeper to dream of marrying his daughter into higher society; if he kept accumulating cash he could soon afford a dowry that might entice one of the lesser nobility of Carrerra (or wherever). When Faustina became pregnant with Fasolt’s child, their relationship could no longer be hidden, leading to the furious clash between Orazio and the bandit chief. Fasolt’s attack on the inn, and his murder of her father, turned Faustina against him, and she began to dream of revenge.

In passing, I'll note that murderous innkeepers like this were not unknown in Early Modern Europe. A merchant from Milan mentions in his travel diary c. 1518 an inn near Toulouse where the management regularly murdered guests, with the collusion of a local law-enforcement officer and a band of robbers. They killed about 100 people over 4 years before being detected and executed.
 
Setting: The Time

This is as important as the location—the scenario will take place on a very particular night, when, according to local legends, a supernatural Wild Hunt, the Caccia selvaggia, makes its way through these mountains.

It is led by a huntress, known by the name or title of Madonna Horiente. Mounted on a black steed—which some say breathes fire—she follows a pack of demonic three-legged hounds in search of prey, which she may bring down with spear or bow, or simply allow her dogs to tear apart. Some reports suggest that others ride with Horiente on her chase, but accounts differ on whether these are her attendants, who seem only to be female, or the unfortunates she has captured in her hunting. Few claim to have seen her—and none close up—but more people have heard her and her pack passing in the night, as she winds her ghostly horn and her dogs bay in a hollow, haunting fashion. Needless to say, all the inhabitants of this part of the Apennines stay safely indoors on the nights of the Caccia selvaggia.

Sheep and other domestic animals abroad on this night may simply vanish—presumably taken by the Hunt—or, more disturbingly, be found wandering far from their pens in the morning. Although such animals show no outward sign of injury, they are strangely drained of life and energy, and seldom live long; if female, they will no longer give milk or have young. People, too, have reportedly disappeared without a trace on this night in the mountains, or been found the next morning dazed and unable to describe what befell them during the hours of darkness. Like the animals, such people become melancholy, listless, and die soon after.

Obviously, the players will not know these legends, which I’ve created by combining ideas about the Wild Hunt from different parts of Europe with some Italian ideas about Lady Horiente—and the Roman goddess Diana. They can hear them from fellow travelers at the inn, and in fact there will be a ‘Basil Exposition’-style character for that purpose, which we’ll get to in later posts.

Exactly what night of the year this is could vary, depending on the needs of your campaign. In any case, in Wild Hunt stories and beliefs from across Europe, the hunts fall at many different points in the calendar, so just about any time could work. Absent any other considerations, I would suggest a night with a particular phase of the moon: either full, new, or 1-day-old, when the crescent moon appears ‘with the old moon in her arms’ (i.e., with the rest of the moon’s surface illuminated by earthshine—that would be my choice). The special night could be the last such moon-phase before or after a given calendar date, like December 18 (again, my preference, as it was linked to Diana), or any of a number of other alternatives.* Alternatively, the event could occur multiple times in the year, say at the Ember Days. Using the Wednesday dates for these, in 1559 they would have been Feb. 15, May 17, Sept. 20, and Dec. 20.

Further, according to the legends, not all iterations of Horiente’s Hunt are the same. Every nine years, she conducts a special chase, running down a man or woman who is abroad on her night, whom she transforms into a black horse. This unfortunate will be her steed for the next nine years, only to die (and resume human form) when the new mount is captured. And 1559 is such a year…

* Some of the days associated with the Wild Hunt in various parts of Europe include: the Feast of St. Peter’s Chair (Feb. 22), Walpurgis Night (April 30), St. John’s Day (June 24), St. Peter’s Day (June 29), St. Bartholomew’s Day (Aug. 24), St. Crispin’s Day (Oct. 25), St. Martin’s Day (Nov. 11), or St. Lucy’s Day (Dec. 13).

Edit: Looking back through the thread, it appears that it's sometime in early-mid February 1559. That would fit with St. Peter's Chair (Feb. 22), especially if you set the night to a lunar phase. Unless you've been keeping track of these (or want to use the historical ones), you can simply rule that whatever date you want between 28 days before and 28 days after 2/22 is the right one.
 
Last edited:
Oh I keep track of the calendar and the lunar phases, to the point where my players mock me for it. Here's a site I use (it has the phases in the Julian calendar pre 1582): http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases1501.html
The PCs have taken a few weeks to rest and recuperate and hire followers after their run inn with Branko Golubic, so it's now closer to late February or early March (I'd have to check my notes for an exact date), so Walpurgis night might be a better bet.

edit: Also, I have never seen St Lucia referred to as St Lucy before but a quick Google search tells me that it is quite common in English. Huh. Lucia is basically the only saint (apart from Mary and the apostles, and even they less so) still venerated in Sweden, and hear feast day is celebrated by pretty much everyone, including non-Christian and non-religious people.
 
Oh I keep track of the calendar and the lunar phases, to the point where my players mock me for it. Here's a site I use (it has the phases in the Julian calendar pre 1582): http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases1501.html
The PCs have taken a few weeks to rest and recuperate and hire followers after their run inn with Branko Golubic, so it's now closer to late February or early March (I'd have to check my notes for an exact date), so Walpurgis night might be a better bet.

edit: Also, I have never seen St Lucia referred to as St Lucy before but a quick Google search tells me that it is quite common in English. Huh. Lucia is basically the only saint (apart from Mary and the apostles, and even they less so) still venerated in Sweden, and hear feast day is celebrated by pretty much everyone, including non-Christian and non-religious people.
That's a very useful site! If the Hunt takes place at a particular lunar phase, then it provides a couple of good possibilities. If the Hunt takes place on the 1st day of the moon, then March 10 is the first such after St. Peter's Chair, and April 8 the last before Walpurgis. If the full moon is key, then the first after St. Peter's Chair is March 23, which is also the date of a total lunar eclipse. April 21 would be the last full moon before Walpurgis.

As to St. Lucy, I think that is how the day is referred to in the Handbook of British Chronology, which tends to be my go-to resource.
 
Dramatis Persona: Matteo Atracino

This is the ‘Basil Exposition’ n.p.c., whose main function is to provide information about Madonna Horiente and her Hunt. He could also be used as a semi-patron responsible for getting the p.c.s to the Raven Inn—he will be traveling there at the time of the Hunt and might convince, or pay, the party to accompany him as insurance against bandits. Alternatively, the p.c.s could just meet him when they stop at the inn for the night. He is hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hunt, or perhaps a bit more.

Matteo is basically a scholar, fascinated by stories of supernatural beings and their appearances, especially those he can link to the Classical past. He’s well educated, fluent in Latin and Greek and several vernacular languages. My inclination would be to make him a not-very-devout churchman, say a canon at the cathedral of Modena (which is nearby). To hold his position, he should be a priest, but I’d say he has never taken that order; instead, he hires a vicar to take care of his liturgical obligations, only attending services at the cathedral when he needs to for form’s sake. If the p.c.s mistakenly refer to him as ‘father’ when they meet, he will wave his hand and gently correct them, telling them to call him ‘canon.’ Matteo serves as the keeper of the cathedral’s archives, but puts most of his energies into his own researches. Of course, if you don’t want him to be clergy, he could be a secular scholar. I picture him looking something like this (it's actually Caravaggio's portrait of Maffeo Barberini at age 30, c. 1598):

Maffeo Barberini_Caravaggio_1599.jpg

At some point—perhaps on the road to the Raven, if the party accompanies him there, or perhaps over dinner or wine in the inn’s common room—Matteo will impart the basic information about Lady Horiente and her Hunt, as found in the post above. If the conversation happens in the inn, the staff or other guests could chime in as well. But Matteo will tell the p.c.s more than common knowledge, particularly if they display interest in the tales—he is happy to share the results of his researches:

For example, a legend he found in the margin of a manuscript of Paul the Deacon’s History of the Lombards. According to this, Horiente was a woman of the Roman aristocracy, c. 590, whose family kept a hunting lodge in these mountains. She had such a passion for the chase that nothing would keep her from it, not even the worship she owed the Lord. On the first Sunday in Lent, she skipped mass to hunt deer through the mountains, when she encountered an aged hermit at prayer along the track she was pursuing. She ordered him out of the way and even raised her whip to strike him, when he stood erect and revealed himself as an angel. The angel cursed her to hunt from that day forth, never knowing rest.

In Matteo’s view, though, this is just a pious story to cloak a more frightening reality. Horiente is a very powerful spirit, though he will not commit himself as to whether she is best considered a demon, a daemon, or a fairy (or indeed if these are really different things). She was mistress of the hunt and of wild animals; the Greeks knew her as Artemis and the Romans as Diana. Her recurrent transformation of a human into a horse to serve as her steed is little different, in his view, from Diana’s metamorphosis of Actaeon into a stag. Matteo also suggests the spirit may once also have been known as Orion, the Giant Huntsman, which might explain the name—in fact, he will dilate at length on the mythical connections between Artemis and Orion in various ancient texts. As to the swap in gender, he points out that this is a well-known power of demons, who have no real sex.

Matteo admits that ancient literature—and modern artists working from it—usually pictured Artemis or Diana as hunting on foot, while Horiente rides to the chase. (This is an early 17th century example by Orazio Gentileschi; some of the earlier images are NSFW):

Diana_Orazio_Gentileschi_(17th-century)-small.jpg

But in his view the pictures may be wrong. He’ll mention a ruinous chapel, located in a wood some miles outside Modena. According to local legend, it was built on the ruins of a fane to Diana. A few years ago, during restoration work, laborers found an ancient amphora buried underneath the shrine; they feared to open it, but Matteo jumped at the chance when he learned of it. He is convinced it contained the possessions of the last priestess of Diana at the temple, hidden when it was destroyed. Among them was an archaic golden seal ring, showing a woman hunting on horseback. Matteo will—after a surreptitious look around, to make sure no outside observers are watching—display this to the party. He states that it shows the goddess hunting a roe deer, accompanied by some sort of bird—perhaps a raven, or an eagle:

Gold-ring-with-scene-of-ancient-eagle-huntress-Greek-425-BC-Boston-Museum-of-Fine.png

Matteo also has a theory about those other women who, according to some stories, accompany Horiente on her ride. There is, or was, a set of female magicians, witches if you like (he will use the term ‘iana’ rather than ‘strega’) who serve the spirit as acolytes. He has found evidence of them in trials for witchcraft held in the region. An early one, from 1445, involved a certain Petrine, whose confession alludes to the group and its activities—he will read it to the p.c.s from his notebook:

Petrine, from the time you were sixteen to the date of this confession, you have recurrently taken part in a certain ride of Diana, whom you call Horiente. You have come before your mistress and have always given her your devotion, in the following manner: you have bowed down to her and spoken these words, “May you fare well, Lady Horiente.” In answer, she herself has replied, “May you fare well, good hunters.” In this ride you hunt animals, such as a donkey, a sheep, a horse, or a fox, or living people, or the souls of the dead, and those who were beheaded or hanged show great awe and do dare to lift up their heads in the presence of your company. During this hunt, you kill animals, and eat their flesh, then place the bones back into the skin. The Lady strikes the skin of the slaughtered animal with her staff, topped by a silver crescent, and those animals revive—but they are never much good thereafter. You do not invoke God when you set off on this ride, nor do you mention Him in this company. And the Lady teaches you, her companions, the powers of herbs, and about bewitching, and the magical Art, and shows you through certain signs the truth about those things you wish to know.

Matteo will point out that this confession clearly connects Horiente to Diana; beyond the explicit mention of her (which might be the inquisitor’s insertion), the detail of the crescent-tipped staff implicates that goddess. It also explains why some animals found wandering after the night of the Hunt are debilitated and short-lived; they have already been killed, consumed, and returned to life.

According to Matteo, this sect devoted to Horiente likely no longer exists, but was wiped out in another set of trials in 1505-07. These proceedings were more thorough and pursued much more relentlessly than the early trial in 1445; they led to the execution of eight women. The transcripts of the proceedings have been lost; in fact, some allusions to the trials in the diocesan register suggest the records were deliberately destroyed because of the disturbing revelations the confessions contained. But, piecing together such rare mentions with a single leaf of the transcripts which survived by chance (because it had been used as scratch paper and notes on the bishop’s landholdings written on the back) Matteo has learned that this group engaged in cannibalism, hunting, killing, and eating men as well as animals—and then restoring them to a semblance of life. One of the witches in her confession noted that they had to take special care to assemble all the bones, or the revived person would be maimed; on one occasion they had cracked a man’s thigh-bone for marrow and he returned lame. The fragments also reveal that the cult had a sacred place, on Monte Cusna, where their hunts began and where they consumed their prey; it had a stone altar and was known as ‘the raven’s perch.’ Matteo believes it is in the vicinity of the inn (and he is right to think so).

Matteo’s Agenda:
Though his main role in the scenario is to provide information, and perhaps get the party to the Raven Inn in the first place, Matteo might play a more active role as events progress. He will want to travel out to the sacrificial site at the ‘raven’s perch’ around midnight for an encounter with Horiente. Since other actors in the drama will also be seeking out this site then, accompanying Matteo could be a hook to get the p.c.s to that location, when it might seem safer just to stay in the inn. Some of the inn’s staff, or other locals at the inn (if there are any) could indicate the right path to take, or we could posit that Matteo can find the spot based on his research. Matteo might want nothing more than to observe Horiente from a distance, to satisfy his scholarly curiosity. But if you like, you could give him a more active goal. Although he is not a magician, as such, we could imagine that he has found rituals in books of necromancy which, he thinks, will allow him to command this powerful spirit. A key to that could be the ring which he has shown the players earlier. He may want Horiente to give him the magical knowledge which she imparted to her one-time followers.
 
Last edited:
I want to get the players involved in working for the church anyways. They've written to the parish priest they interacted with inn the first adventure, I'm thinking I could have him refer them to Matteo, as they have had an actual run in with supernatural beings. That way he's not just some guy the run into at a tavern either.
 
I want to get the players involved in working for the church anyways. They've written to the parish priest they interacted with inn the first adventure, I'm thinking I could have him refer them to Matteo, as they have had an actual run in with supernatural beings. That way he's not just some guy the run into at a tavern either.
That makes sense. In this case, of course, the tavern where they meet him could be the inn, which is one of the key sites for the scenario. That will become a bit clearer after I write up some more of the dramatis personae. It’s taken me longer than I thought it would, in part because of work I have to get done and in part because as I write the entries I keep adding ideas and materials.

Matteo could become a long-term contact for the players, even in Rome. Depending on his age, he might know and have served under the previous bishop of Modena, Cardinal Giovanni Morone, who had to relinquish the see in 1550. Morone was one of the major leaders of a ‘reform’ party within the cardinals and was often used on diplomatic missions in the 1530s-40s, as well as helping to chair some sessions of the Council of Trent. Paul IV loathed Morone, though, and had him incarcerated in the Castel Sant’ Angelo on suspicion of heresy in 1557. He was cleared by the inquiry, but refused to come out of prison unless Paul publicly declared him innocent, which the pope would not do. Morone will re-appear after Paul’s death in August, and he will play a part in the coming conclave. So by the fall Matteo might be in Rome looking up his former mentor.
 
That makes sense. In this case, of course, the tavern where they meet him could be the inn, which is one of the key sites for the scenario. That will become a bit clearer after I write up some more of the dramatis personae. It’s taken me longer than I thought it would, in part because of work I have to get done and in part because as I write the entries I keep adding ideas and materials.

Well, it looks like possibly the 7th of January will be when we resume after the Holidays, but it isn't set in stone yet. So no real rush.
Matteo could become a long-term contact for the players, even in Rome. Depending on his age, he might know and have served under the previous bishop of Modena, Cardinal Giovanni Morone, who had to relinquish the see in 1550. Morone was one of the major leaders of a ‘reform’ party within the cardinals and was often used on diplomatic missions in the 1530s-40s, as well as helping to chair some sessions of the Council of Trent. Paul IV loathed Morone, though, and had him incarcerated in the Castel Sant’ Angelo on suspicion of heresy in 1557. He was cleared by the inquiry, but refused to come out of prison unless Paul publicly declared him innocent, which the pope would not do. Morone will re-appear after Paul’s death in August, and he will play a part in the coming conclave. So by the fall Matteo might be in Rome looking up his former mentor.
Yeah, good stuff. He could be one of the cardinals the PCs can get involved with (I want to leave this open so the players can decide how deep into church politics they want to get involved, and with what factions).
 
Ok, so next session is planned for tomorrow. Finally we get off the ground again. Doing the short one about encountering fairies near Rivergaro tomorrow, unless my players want to go in a totally different direction. But I'm thinking I should set up Matteo Atracino as a contact for them tomorrow too. Any progress on the scenario Lofgeornost Lofgeornost ?
 
Well, new session played. The PCs ended up invited on a hunting trip near Rivergaro (about 10 km south of Piacenza) by the local lord, Giovanni Anguissola-Scotti. On the second day, they ended up separated from the rest of the hunters due to snowy weather, got lost and were then ambushed by fairies who poured snow on them, sommersaulted on them, pulled faces and generally mocked them. The players, and characters, were all delighted, and agreed to help the fairies (Frosts, technically) help free their friend Crystal who had been taken captive by "an evil wizard who threatened to burn her up". After asking around in Rivergaro, they found him, but were so roundabout in their questioning that he got suspicious and annoyed and used magic to charm the doctor and the thief to go off and try to capture the rest of the fairies. Once the charm wore off (after an hour), the group decided to try to lure Cesare Cesari (the wizard) out of his house by claiming they had caught the fairies but one of them was wounded. Cesari seemed horrified that they had actually gotten into a fight with the fairies, caliming they were nonviolent. Some in the group used this distraction to pick the lock on the back door and sneak in, then hid in the kitchen and pantry while the man meant as a decoy left for the tavern. He later came back, acting drunk and was let in be Cesare, who then spotted the others sneaking around his hallway. They claimed they had just come looking for their friend, and he shuffled them all out. The PCs are now unsure what to do next. They consulted the parish priest, but he dismissed the fairies as nothing but folk tales. Some of them are starting to suspect the fairies are lying to them (they aren't).

Unbeknownst to the PCs, Cesare is feeling really bad about kidnapping the fairy, and all he wants is an apology and to not be used as a sled when traveling in the forest. All the fairies want is to be given tokens (small scraps of food, nice flowers or the like) by travelers in respect of their domain. So if the PCs sit down with them, they could hash out a deal no problem. They've been unwilling to divulge why they are actually there though, so that has gone nowhere, but they've realized he doesn't seem violent or overly hostile, and are somewhat confused (maybe because the last scenario was also a kidnapping plot, but with a much more vicious character).
 
Ok, so next session is planned for tomorrow. Finally we get off the ground again. Doing the short one about encountering fairies near Rivergaro tomorrow, unless my players want to go in a totally different direction. But I'm thinking I should set up Matteo Atracino as a contact for them tomorrow too. Any progress on the scenario Lofgeornost Lofgeornost ?
Sorry to be slow about it. I am teaching an overload this term and instruction has moved online because of COVID. Teaching that way is like swimming in oatmeal--it's possible, but it's messy and everything is five times harder and more time-consuming.

Anyway, I'll try to finish up the ideas I have and post them early next week. It will be more sketchy than the original material, I am afraid.
 
Sorry to be slow about it. I am teaching an overload this term and instruction has moved online because of COVID. Teaching that way is like swimming in oatmeal--it's possible, but it's messy and everything is five times harder and more time-consuming.

Anyway, I'll try to finish up the ideas I have and post them early next week. It will be more sketchy than the original material, I am afraid.
Hey, don't worry about it, this is all just stuff you do in your free time. And yeah, I hear you about the online stuff. I took some online classes ten years ago, and even when it was something everyone had signed up for and not being forced on us, it wasn't great.
 
And also, since we didn't actually get through the scenario this week, I'm suspecting we won't get to the next adventure until four weeks from now, as next session will be spent on finishing up the situation with the fairies.
 
And we're back. As soon as the session started, the PCs, heading back towards Rivergaro's tavern, noticed a small sack ambling toward them. Joshua went to pick it up, and discovered that it was being carried by the Frosts. It held 8 rock crystals, that the fairies figured the PCs could use as a ransom for Krystal. The players hatched a new plan which was to wait until the middle of the night, then sneak back into Cesare's house and search it. This they did, sending Joshua and Isabelle in while the rest waited outside. Of course, they aren't that good at sneaking and I rolled failures for them, so when they got to Cesare's bedroom he was awake and holding a knife. Joshua started making a move toward the dagger, but Cesare had time to mumble some words first and suddenly there were five of him and the PCs in the house retreated while those outside moved in as the shouting started. Soon everyone had assembled in the main hall, five Cesare's in asking in unison why they were bothering him. Once it came out that they were looking for Krystal, the PCs managed to negotiate a deal where they would get the fairies to apologize while Cesare agreed to bring them tribute of food or glass or similar when venturing into the forest. The two sides met at dawn a the edge of the woods, the Frosts apologized, Krystal was released and the PCs were given 200 silver coins, plus an extra six crystals (and got to keep the eight they had already received, for a total of fourteen). Then they returned to the hunting lodge and had to go on an another hunt, everyone except Joshua as it was Saturday and he was keeping the Sabbath. Then they returned to Piacenza in the afternoon and discovered a letter that had arrived from the priest of Annicco, father Tenaglia. He had heard of their further adventures with the changelings and the alchemist in Piacenza, and enclosed a letter of recommendation to bring to Cardinal Bishop Federico Cesi, administrator of Cremona and bishop of Palestrina. So they spent the rest of the session buying stuff for the journey, including eight horses and hiring a teamster, and generally getting ready.

So now they're going toward Rome, probably following the Via Francigena, which should be fun. I'm thinking that they'll get directed toward Matteo Atracino by the cardinal Lofgeornost Lofgeornost so whenever you feel like you have something I can use it. And he can probably get them involved in the Pasquino scenario from earlier. They might get derailed on the way too, some of them were talking about going to Genoa instead and hiring a boat to get from there to Rome, so we'll see.
 
So, I finally got off my ass and finished up some healing spells for the new Lamentations of the Flame Princess magic system. The new playtest rules (well, several years old at this point but still) eliminate Clerics entirely, and changes spellcasting for Magic-users. All spells can now miscast. If you attempt a spell under risky conditions (you take damage in the same round, you are at less than full HP, you are attempting a spell you haven't memorized, you are casting spells beyond your daily limit of one spell per experience level, casting a spell directly from a scroll or from somebody else's spellbook, casting a spell while more than lightly encumbered) you roll a save versus magic (saves also work differently now, starting better but not improving with level) and if you fail the spell is miscast and you roll 1D12 on the msicast table. Results 1-6 are always unique to the specific spell, while 7-12 are generic miscasts. Some spells always have side-effects and you always roll on the miscast table, but with unique and usually not too bad results for 7-12. Other spells never miscast.

Ok, so that was a quick summary of the magic system being used. Now for my views on what hit points represent. To me, HP should not be considered simply your ability to withstand damage from swords, bullets, fireballs etc, but should be a representation of your ability to stay up and mainly unhurt. Yes ability to take a hit well factors into it, but so does luck, experience in rolling with punches and simply being a better fighter. The first level HP you get are pretty much your "meat points" as they are sometimes called, while the ones you gain on leveling up reflect your increased experience, fighting capabilities and luck. So, a proper healing spell should not do much to restore lost HP, and a spell to restore lost HP should not really be about closing wounds.

So, here's my first of two new healing spells, this one focusing on regaining HP. Thoughts and critiques are welcome.

Painkiller

Sometimes it is important to keep going in the moment, even when every fiber of your being is screaming for you to stop. This spell will dull the pains and aches, allowing the recipient to push their body further. It will not actually heal broken bones, blood loss or any other wounds, but it will allow someone to ignore their pain. Pushing the body beyond its limits will have repercussions though. The target of the spell regains 2 lost hit points per hit die they have, (HP cannot go above the regular max value). The target will feel rejuvenated, and relieved of pains and aches. This lasts for 1 turn per caster level. After this the aches and pains come flooding back and the character feels as if they have been up for an additional 24 hours, suffering an extra level of sleep deprivation (they do not lose the restored hit points).

Miscast table
1: The spell has the opposite effect, enhancing existing pain. The target takes 2 hp of damage per hit die they have. This can kill the target.

2: The spell seems to work as normal, but the body is pushed far further than is healthy. After 1 turn per caster level, 1 level of sleep deprivation is added as normal, but the target also loses 3 hit points per hit die they have. This can kill the target.

3: Rather than make the target’s body overexert itself, the Magic-user provides the extra energy needed. All hp gained by the target are lost by the magic-user. If the Magic-user is the target, nothing whatsoever happens.

4: The spell simply leaves the target exhausted, immediately adding the sleep deprivation effect.

5: The spell works but interferes with the body’s natural healing processes The target does not regain hit points the next night of rest or full day of rest (note, not the next night or full day, but the next night or full day actually spent resting).

6: The spell works as normal but when the exhaustion sets in the target immediately collapses into unconsciousness. They will remain unconscious for 1D12*1D6 hours.

7-12: See regular miscast table
 
And here is the second, rather more complicated spell. This one deals with healing actual long-term damage, and since that would be most often attempted outside of adventuring, I made it one of those spells that always has unintended consequences. Therefore it has all twelve miscast entires, but on a real miscast, results 7-12 would be read off the regular miscast table instead. Again, thoughts and critiques are welcome. Are the possible side-effects too harsh to use the spell? Or is it okay as is?

Absolutist Regeneration (Deathspell Omega)

Death and crippling injuries have been a part of all life for the duration of its existence on the planet. Therefore, it is not a surprise that one of the earliest uses of the reality-warping power of magic was to attempt to stop or reverse such things. This is one such spell. It is cast at a single living target (which may be the magic-user) and requires a full turn to cast, requiring chanting and drawing of symbols, during which the target must remain alive. Once the ritual is completed, either nanoscopic medical machines are summoned into the target’s body from a different time and place and begin repairing the body and reprogramming existing cells or cells in the body are transformed into stem cells that can turn into anything and then start rebuilding the body. All missing body-parts regrow, scars disappear and lost function in existing parts is restored. The time this takes depends on the body-parts in question. Small mostly cosmetic parts such as nose-tips, outer ears, scar tissue etc take 1 turn to regrow/heal. Digits (fingers and toes), teeth, and small parts of internal organs take 1 hour. A hand, a foot, an eye or small internal organs (kidneys) will take a day and whole limbs or large organs (such as the liver or a lung) will take a week. This regeneration process will also stop ongoing blood loss and prevent death from regenerating wounds during the process. The regeneration will not repair any congenital defects or other problems that are a result of the target’s DNA or development in the womb. Note that the regeneration is a rather painful process and also requires a lot of food and energy while generating a lot of waste heat. The target must consume three times as much food and water as regular during the regeneration process, although at least one full meal one quart of water, and will be feverish during the whole process, with -3 to all rolls. Further, doing this kind of reconstruction on a body not meant for it while the body is still active is dangerous. A roll on the miscast table must always be made on casting, but if the miscast save is made, use the full table below. If the spell is miscast, replace results 7-12 with those on the standard miscast table.

Miscast results:

1: The spell works a little too well at getting the cells to multiply. An aggressive tumor starts growing anywhere the regeneration spell did its work. The target must save vs Death once every week. Failure results in the loss of 1 point of Constitution. The saving roll must be made and the loss of Constitution is permanent as long as the cancer remains in the body. Further castings of Absolutist Regeneration will not remove the cancer.

2: Instead of making the target’s body heal itself, the spell simply replaces all missing parts of the target with the equivalent parts from the magic-user. These parts are ripped off or out of the magic-user’s body and then grafted onto or into the body of the target. These effects cause 1D8 damage to the caster and 1D4 damage to the target. The grafting process takes only a minute total, after this all wounds caused by the spell on both the target and the magic-user seal. If the magic-user is the target, the parts instead come from the closest person to them during the casting of the ritual.

3: The parts regrow as normal but the first time any significant strain is put on them, such as running or fighting for a limb, trying to hear something through a door for an eardrum or swallowing poison, alcohol, or just bad food for the liver they simply dissolve into mush. This can cause some discomfort with internal organs and can be frightening but it is not in itself immediately life-threatening (unless say the heart, brain or lungs were to dissolve) as nerve endings and blood vessels seal off around the area. Further castings of the spell can regrow these parts again.

4: The parts regrow but without nerves and thus with no functionality. Further castings of Absolutist Regeneration will not fix this, the parts need to be removed first if the spell is to work again.

5: Gray Goo! The spell summons a swarm of self-replicating killer nanomachines instead of medical robots. They will consume any organic matter and use what they eat to build more of themselves. The swarm starts out about 1 foot in diameter, and is summoned outside of the target’s body, somewhere within 10 feet of the Magic-user. It starts with Armor 14 (due to size, not toughness), 1 HD, 1 HP, a movement of 10’ and 1 attack doing 1 point of damage. For every two points of damage it deals it gains one hit point, and whenever its hit points reach a multiple of eight it gains another hit die and another foot of diameter. It is unaffected by any attacks normally made against single targets, such as a sword strike or a gunshot. Area-effects, such as fire and acid, will damage as normal, as will any lightning or electricity-based attacks. Mind-altering magic, charms, sleep spells and so on are completely ineffective against it. It will keep growing until it is either destroyed or it has wiped out the entire biosphere.

6: Nanomachines are summoned already loaded with a body template. They will not stop at replacing parts but will instead rebuild the entire body to fit the template. They will spin a cocoon around the target and put them in suspended animation, as the machines consider the damage to be so extensive. The process will take 1D20 days. When complete, the target must reroll Constitution, Dexterity and Strength, as well as randomize sex, height, weight, and ethnicity. Their brain, and thus their mental attributes, class, level, experience point total and memories remain intact. Their hit points should be rerolled however, taking into account their new Constitution score and their level. Further castings of Absolutist Regeneration will not restore the character’s old body, this is now considered the target’s default body.

7: All regenerated parts function normally, but they are composed of pure white tissue that is cold to the touch and always seems to be at least slightly wet and clammy. -1 to all reaction rolls for any normal person who sees the unnatural tissue (magic-users, beings from other realities and others inured to strangeness don’t care).

8: The spell works normally but it takes ten times as long to function.

9: The spell taps into deep cell memories of other organisms that could regenerate. The spell works as normal but the regenerated parts are not human. They look amphibian or reptilian. Not particularly noticeable in internal organs, but limbs and extremities will be immediately obvious as non-human.

10: The spell summons factory repair machines rather than medical bots. They will deduce the function of the parts to be replaced but will replace them with metals, ceramics, and plastics (if available). They will scavenge the nearby area for manufactured items of these materials (such as weapons, armor and coins) as well as simply rocks and ore (turning silicates into silicon carbide and ore into pure metal). The pieces produced will perform the function originally intended. Any limbs or extremities replaced will work as advanced prosthetics, and may also function as minor weapons (doing 1D3 damage) or as shields in combat. These parts will link up with the nervous system, so an artificial eye will be able to see. They will be unmistakably artificial in nature, and although tougher than flesh and bone, any damage to these parts will be unable to be repaired.

11: The spell works with no side effects.

12: The spell works with no side effects.
 
I'm also adapting a scenario where there is a spell book belonging to a necromancer called "The Stygian Gospel". What would that be in Latin? Evangelium Stygii? Or is that way off base?
 
Since the nominative is "Stygia", I would probably render the genitive as "Stygiae" (pronounced sti-gee-aye).
 
Since the nominative is "Stygia", I would probably render the genitive as "Stygiae" (pronounced sti-gee-aye).
So Evangelium Stygiae? Well, it seems I wasn't a hundred miles off at least :smile:
Thanks!
 
So, new session happened. The PC group headed south toward Rome on the Via Francigena on the 8th of March. They stopped at Borgo San Donnino (today Fidenza) for the evening and noticed people were nervous and that the general mood was not good. Inquiring as to what had happened, they were informed both of increased bandit attacks in the Cisa pass over the Apennines, and also that there had been several disturbances in local cemeteries over the past few weeks. Several graves had been dug up and whole bodies removed, and reports had come in from Fornovo di Taro that people had seen ghosts in the old churchyard there.

The PCs decided to take it upon themselves to guard the town cemetery during the night, but nothing happened. They then travelled onward to the village of Costamezzana, their first stop for the next day, only a few miles down the road. There the local parish priest hired them to watch over the graveyard for a few nights, as all the other nearby cemeteries had been plundered of bodies over the past few weeks. They also met the priest's secretary, Giulia Ballerini, in his office. The PC's decided to send two of their henchmen in either direction, one back to Borgo San Donnino and one onward to Medesano, to spread rumors that a wealthy merchant had died and been buried in Costamezzana, thus hopefully attracting any would be graverobbers. They then proceeded to set up an ambush at the cemetery. Elmo strung up a string connected to a small bell in what she hoped was the right position (the graveyard had no wall around it, just trees) and Joshua hid in the treeline while the rest of the group waited with lanterns hooded a few hundred feet closer to the church.

Sometime after midnight, on the night of the new moon and with an overcast sky, Joshua caught something moving in the trees, then later saw and heard movement closer to the center of the cemetery. As he walked out to confront it, he saw two figures, one a cackling woman, the other a skeleton clambering out of its grave. The others ran in to help Joshua, and more skeletons started clawing their way out of the earth. Kendra the madwoman ran away from Joshua and toward the church to raise more skeletons from the crypts, while two of the henchmen ran immediately upon seeing the dead rising. One in temporary panic, the other deciding that this was as good a time as any to betray her employers and make off with the money.

After a brief fight that went better for the PCs than anyone expected all seven skeletons raised by Kendra were destroyed. Then they tried to trace her path and found footsteps leading toward the village. As soon as they got back, they ran into the church Sexton who came running from the church screaming that the dead were rising. So the PCs set off toward the church, finding the main doors barred but a side door open. They walked into the dark church and Elmo decided to go fill her waterskin with holy water from the font at the main entrance, and Domenico asked his bodyguard Marco to go with him (as Elmo's own henchman had fled already). Then the skeletons ascended from the crypt. Three simple skeletons led by two buried in full crusader gear, mail armor and great helms and wielding maces. Joshua charged and held three of the skeletons off for a while while Domenico and the henchman Tommaso Filippi (who had been one of their most effective combatants so far) went down. Then Joshua was beaten down too, just in time for Elmo to return and start splashing holy water on the skeletons, which seemed to burn them like acid. Ysabel used her magic to cover herself in acid and started fighting a skeleton while Elmo and Marco fought a desperate fight against the remaining three skeletons. Except suddenly things started going their way and soon there were only two skeletons left, one of which was smashed by the priest's secretary Giulia Ballerini who suddenly entered the church swinging an arquebus like a club.

Finally, the only thing left was subduing the hissing, clawing and spitting Giulia Ballerini, which Marco did effortlessly (a wrestling roll of 20 vs 1). Marco checked on Domenico and noted that he would probably live (he's at -1 HP, needs to regain up to 1 in a day and you get back 1D3 for a full day's rest and 1 for a good night's sleep, more if treated by someone with Medicine), but he would need a week's bed rest and had lost three of his teeth. Joshua's player had to leave about five minutes before the fight concluded so we didn't check on his wounds nor those of Tommaso just yet, so we don't know if he'll need to roll up another new character (they still have one sip of healing potion left so unless he winds up immediately dead they should be able to save him).

Not too bad for one afternoon's session. And they still have the haunted graveyard (which isn't as haunted as people have been led to believe) at Fornovo di Taro to check out.
 
Considering Joshua is only at -1 HP and they have a healing potion, he's hopefully going to be fine. Tommaso, maybe not so much. Also, still remains to be seen how much of the party treasury the deserting henchman Adriana Ormanni manages to escape with, and if she tries to cut down the maid, the teamster or even the other fleeing henchman.

edit: Ooops, Joshua is at -4 HP. Ok, so his chances are looking a bit worse. On the other hand he has a high Constitution, and they still have a healing potion, so there's that.
 
Last edited:
The next session in the journey to Rome is on for tomorrow, but tonight I ran through what happened offscreen after the two henchmen decided to run. both headed back toward the camp, and Adriana convinced Vittore that as the dead were rising they should get out of dodge as fast as possible (Vittore failed his loyalty check). The two therefore drew their weapons again and threatened the two retainers left in the camp, Teresa the maid and Giovanni the teamster. Teresa failed her morale check and ran off toward the village, but Giovanni picked up a club, planted his feet and told the two mercenaries they were going to have to go through him to get to the wagons. So Vittore and Adriana charged. And then Giovanni, a 0-level npc with no combat skill whatsoever, preceded to beat the two armed and armored mercenaries. First he hit Vittore on round one, needing a 17 to hit, but he didn't bring him down. Then several rounds passed with no one hitting anything, then in round 7 Adriana hit Giovanni for 5 damage ... but I had rolled a 6 for his HP when the PCs recruited him. So on the very next round Giovanni hit back, hit Adriana, brought her down to -1 HP and then Vittore failed his morale check and ran away, leaving Giovanni and the camp behind. That was ... unexpected to say the least. Giovanni might get promoted from this, we'll see tomorrow.
 
New session happened. The group spent the first half tying up loose ends from the last session, including rolling so poorly for Joshua's recovery that he died immediately, despite gulping down the last of the healing draught. Replacing him was the secretary, Giulia Ballerini, a specialist with skills in bushcraft, medicine and languages. Then they found out about the camp attack, tied Adriana up and fired her, then set out to hund down Vittore in the morning, finding him on the road south and letting him go once he paid them 20 silver coins. Then they rested up a week and set off for Fornovo di Taro, where they crossed the river and seemed ready to move on and forget about the whole haunting business, believing it dealt with. But the town magistrate contacted them, as word of their heroics in Costamezzana had spread, and he offered them 500 silver if they could make sure that the graveyard was no longer haunted, as none of the townsfolk wanted to go. The PCs tried to hire a few, and the magistrate's son actually volunteered (or was pressed into volunteering by the PCs) but eventually they just set out for the old church with no backup other than some holy water they had bought from the drunkard parish priest.

This is where things started to go wrong, as the haunting of the graveyard is a group of grave robbers living in tunnels under the cemetery and robbing all the tombs and any valuables buried with the dead. So after chasing off two fake ghosts with gunfire and pig bladders full of holy water, the PCs entered the church, found a relic (the skull of St Athanasius) and descended into the crypts below ... where they ran into a blue skinned demon who let them pass when they promised not to vandalize anything. After some exploration of the crypts, including finding other clearly magical things and some sarcophagi and mummified priests, the group was confused as to what they were doing there. There was also some notable frustration, as some wanted to avoid touching or interacting with anything while others wanted to, you know, do things. Eventually the session ended with them all leaving the church and heading back to town to find out some more about this mysterious place.

So I'm not sure what went wrong here, if it was just that the expectation of fighting a horde of undead wasn't met or that there was suddenly a demon there or just that this is the first dungeon, with map-making and everything, in the campaign so far.
 
Sorry that I've let this scenario writeup drag on so long--I was off the board for some months and when I returned it had slipped my mind. Anyway, continuing the setup for 'Sign of the Raven':

Dramatis Personae:

Fasolt Straub, a.k.a. Fasoldo Ispido

The leader of the bandit gang that terrorized the Monte Cusna region in the late 1540s, Fasolt in 1559 is in his late thirties. He has strong and somewhat handsome facial features, with a marked aquiline nose. His hair is sandy, with some gray, and very bushy—the meaning of his surname, both in German and Italian translation. To disguise this feature, his hair is currently tied in two long pigtails. In LotFP terms, I suppose he would be a fighter, of intermediate level, but it would make sense to give him ratings in some skills as well: bushcraft, climb, sneak attack, and stealth. He speaks German and Italian.

He was born in 1522 in Tiefenbach, a small village in the mountainous Voralberg region of Germany. The third son of a farmer and beer-brewer, Fasolt had little chance of inheriting the family holding, and in his youth was apprenticed to the village’s horse-herder. There he learned skills in riding and horse-handling, as well as navigating and surviving in a highland environment, since he spent summers grazing the horses in upland meadows. Finding this a difficult and unprofitable career, in his late teens he joined a Landsknecht troop being recruited in the area. Because he was rather short by the standards of his homeland (though average for Italy), he was made an arquebusier rather than a pikeman. His unit came to Italy in 1542, as part of the reinforcements for Charles V’s armies in Piedmont, and Fasolt fought in the battle of Ceresole in April of 1544, and suffering a wound (a pike-thrust in his side) that left a significant scar. When peace was made later that year, he served for a time in some garrisons in Lombardy, but missed the plundering he had done as a soldier in wartime, and so came to lead his band of desperadoes near the Sign of the Raven by 1547. As noted in earlier posts, his affair with Faustina, the innkeeper Orazio Maldenti’s young daughter, led the two men to fall out—and to Orazio’s killing in 1549.

When the local authorities took action in the aftermath of this murder, the band dissolved and Fasolt fled back to Germany, becoming again a mercenary soldier. This time, though, he served as a harbinger and forager rather than infantryman—a role that he considered safer and more profitable. It also allowed him to capitalize on his skill with horses and in looting. Missing Italy, in 1552 he joined a troop bound for the emperor’s service in Piedmont and campaigned there and around Siena until a truce was made in 1556. Then, with some fellow soldiers, he went back to the bandit life, this time in the Alpine regions north of Brescia, in Venetian territory, where his experience as a mountaineer stood him in good stead. He made enough of a nuisance of himself in this area, in part by horning in on the lucrative smuggling on Lake Garda, that Brescian merchants convinced the city’s Venetian podestá to put a 1,000 ducat price on his head, and some lesser bounties on his lieutenants’ lives as well. His new band was wiped out in an ambush set by authorities just weeks ago, but Fasolt was not among the captured or slain. Forewarned (either by a local informant, or if you prefer, by premonitions), he had slipped away the day before the attack.

For some time before his flight, Fasolt had found his thoughts turning to the Monte Cusna region and his career there; he had several vivid dreams about it. So, when seeking a refuge away from Venetian authority, rather than heading for Germany (as one might expect) he headed south to his old stomping grounds. Unfortunately for him, a relentless pursuer followed him—that is:

Francesco Canova

A grizzled man in his mid-40s, Francesco is a professional bounty-hunter and thief-taker from the Veneto, who has done most of his work around Verona. In game terms, he is probably rather similar to Fasolt—an intermediate-level fighter with some extra skills. He is particularly good at tracking (a skill he honed in his original job as a game-keeper) and sneak attacks. He was recruited late last year to lead the hunt for Fasolt and took charge of a group of Brescian city guards and local militia. As noted above, the outlaw managed to avoid his carefully-sprung ambush, so to collect the considerable bounty on him Francesco needs to track him down and bring back his head for display on Brescia’s pietra del bando (bandit rock). To that end, Francesco carries a document from Brescia’s podestá, confirming Fasolt’s outlawry in Venetian territory and asking local officials elsewhere to aid, or at least not impede, Francesco in dispatching him. The letter, which Francesco may show to the players at some point, does not mention the bounty on Fasolt’s head.

Questioning some of the surviving bandits from the gang, Francesco learned that, for some days before the ambush, Fasolt had been reminiscing around the campfires at night about his exploits near Monte Cusna, and had even dropped references to ‘a treasure’ he had to leave behind when he fled the region. Seizing on the hint, Francesco tracked the outlaw to this area, and just an hour or so before the players arrive at the inn he successfully bushwhacked Fasolt as the latter watered his horse at a stream. Francesco did not kill the bandit leaders outright, however, but merely knocked him unconscious—he wants to question Fasolt about this ‘treasure’ and, if possible, claim that as well before killing the outlaw.

P.C.s will encounter both of these men together, at the Raven inn, when Francesco arrives with Fasolt’s unconscious body draped over his horse. You could give Francesco a couple of followers--it would be reasonable--but this scenario is already going to have a good number of N.P.C.s. Also, if he works alone he gets to keep all of the bounty!
 
No worries Lofgeornost Lofgeornost , after my my con prep and running TFT at GothCon, I moved (and still haven't unpacked everything, including all my campaign notes) and then summer vacation season was upon us, so we've had a rather long hiatus, although we should be getting back to playing soon hopefully.
 
No worries Lofgeornost Lofgeornost , after my my con prep and running TFT at GothCon, I moved (and still haven't unpacked everything, including all my campaign notes) and then summer vacation season was upon us, so we've had a rather long hiatus, although we should be getting back to playing soon hopefully.
Good to know. I only have the inn staff left for the Dramatis Personae, and then some notes about what could happen in the scenario (and of course, Lady Horiente herself).
 
This remains a great thread.

Lofgeornost Lofgeornost are you minded to consolidate your notes on Rome into a single document in due course?
 
This remains a great thread.

Lofgeornost Lofgeornost are you minded to consolidate your notes on Rome into a single document in due course?
Thanks for asking! I had been considering this. raniE raniE is using LotFP, but I think if I ever got this material to the table I would use something in the D100 family. So I've been considering reworking the earlier material to include statistics, etc. for that approach. A lot of it is system-neutral, of course.
 
  • Love
Reactions: SJB
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top