The Curse of the Ganshoggr: Dragonbane conversion

Conversion of The Curse of the Ganshoggr from Errant to Dragonbane

This is an unofficial conversion of the excellent adventure "The Curse of the Ganshoggr" by Gus L., which you can download here.

1.    Time

Errant                            Dragonbane

Downtime Turn                     1 month

Travel Turn                            Shift (4 – 6 hours)

Exploration Turn                   Stretch (10 – 15 minutes)

Initiative Turn                       Round (10 seconds)

 

2.   Money

The difference is not significant, since we’re playing this as a one-shot. However, every value has been converted. While the value of silver and copper differs between the two systems, the value of gold in Dragonbane and Errant is relatively similar.

 

3.   Sloths, Weights, and Measurements

Each space in Errant equals ½ space in Dragonbane. Thus, 2 slots equal 1 space/weight in Dragonbane.

1 foot equals 30 cm.

3 fee equal 1 meter.

1 pound equals 0.5 kg.

2 pounds equals 1 kg.

Rounding up is recommended.

For example: 5 lb = 3 kg; 20 feet = 7 meters.

 

Dishes

Dish	Dragonbane
Roasted Goose Leg	+1 HP per CHA point over 10 before the Mark of the Cannibal (min 1).
Spiced Ragout	If a character declares a movement, any attack that round has a Boon.
Forager's Stew	All saving throws against effects have a Boon, as well as Evade and Parry.

 

Mark of the Cannibal: -3 CHA

 

4.   The Champions

Greyfeather (Gris) [Npc]

STR    17    CON    16    AGL    17    INT    10    WIL    19    CHA    10

DB STR    D6    DB AGL    D6    MOV    12    HP    34    WP    26

Dodge    15    Armor    5 (scale mail + helmet)

Atacks:

Warhammer 16 (2D6+D6)

Special: 

>Immune to bladed weapons.

>In her turn she doesn't make attacks, but if she takes damage, she makes a free attack against whoever deal the damage.

> Twice per round, if an ally takes damage, she moves to interpose and takes the damage instead of the ally .

> Scintillating Scale Armor: magical. The first attack against her each round is made with a Bane. Weight 1.

 

The Ruby Knight (Red) [Npc]

STR    17    CON    16    AGL    17    INT    10    WIL    19    CHA    10

DB STR    D6    DB AGL    D6    MOV    8    HP    24    WP    26

Dodge    15    Armor    6 (plate)

Attacks:

Rapier 16 (1D10+1D6)

Special:

> If he deals 14 or more damage, it instantly kills its target.

> It always acts first each round (as a "zero card".

> Golden Rapier: magical, -2 to the target's armor (min 1).

 

Totter El Inevitable [Npc]

STR    14    CON    17    AGL    14    INT    10    WIL    19    CHA    8 (10)

DB STR    D4    DB AGL    D4    MOV    14    HP    18    WP    19

Dodge 15    Armor    7 (cloths + helm)

Attacks:

Sword 12 (2D6+D4). Can make 3 attacks per turn, but cannot attack the same target more than once.

Special:

> Inevitable Helm: magical, a skull-faced helm. Its wearer recovers 1 HP per round because the helmet absorbs pain. Reduces CHA by 2. If the helmet is removed, the wearer’s wounds reopen, and they take 4D6 damage.

 

5.   Trollock

Mucasius the Green [Monster]

Ferocity    1    Size    Large    WIL    18

MOV    10    Armor    -    HP    52    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Talon (2D6) each (x2)

Bite (2D8), the victim is bitten and chewed; make a STR saving throw or take an additional 2D8 damage.

Special:

> Regenerates D6 HP per round.

> If it dies, it will regenerate from death in D6 × 10 minutes.

> Flammable: damage dealt with fire or acid does not regenerate, adds 1D6 damage, and forces a Fear throw with a Bane.

 

6.   Shrine

Shrine: Sinking into the mire, steeple canted, roof half-fallen. A thin trickle of smoke escapes through the roof’s mossy tiles. The shrine is inhabited by a band of disgraced Cygnat Nobles in twig tangled wigs, torn silks, and scuffed parade armor. The tarnished silver shrine bell (220 gp, weight 1) sits amid the sagging, mushroom spackled detritus of the altar.

 

Cygnat Nobles: Fugitives and partisan rebels opposing Sigtrygg II and the Anser Line. They speak with the diction of courtiers, but their conversation is that of base bandits reveling in sadistic delights. Can be bribed for 400 gp in treasure to remain peaceful and allow the plundering of the shrine’s “worthless” bell. They will be hostile if they know the Company’s goal is to slay the Ganshoggr.

 

Cygnat Nobles [Npc]

STR    12    CON    10    AGL    14    INT    8    WIL    12    CHA    10

DB STR    -    DB AGL    D4    MOV    8    HP    12    WP    12

Dodge    10    Armor    2 (clothes + buckler)

Attacks:

Smallsword 13 (D10)

Dagger 12 (D8)

Skills:

Acrobatics    12

Awareness    10

 

7.   Ganshoggr

Ganshoggr [Monster]

Ferocity    2    Size    Huge    WIL    19

MOV    24    Armor    6    HP    100    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Kick (1D10) each (x2)

Peck (2D10), if deals more than 12 point of damage, it severes a limb: 1-2 arm, 3-4 leg; 5-6 head.

Wings: If the Ganshoggr has more than 75 HP, it flaps its wings, making it immune to missiles until its next round. This forces an AGL saving throw or the target falls to the ground and takes 2D6 damage. Effect range: 10 meters.

Special:

> Regenerates 10 HP per round.

> Any creature slain by the Ganshoggr returns in 10 minutes with full HP (except for lost limbs), their soul bound to the creature. They follow the others to the crypt.

Weaknesses: Clever players can discover and exploit the following weaknesses:

>Bells: A loudly ringing sanctuary bell prevents the Ganshoggr from regenerating and causes it to take damage normally.

>Crowns: The Ganshoggr wears nine crowns taken from the Goose Kings. Each crown removed reduces its regeneration by 1 and its HP by 10. The crowns can be stolen, but the Ganshoggr will relentlessly pursue the thieves. If offered a large, shiny object, the Ganshoggr must give up a crown; each object must be of a different type, and only up to 4 crowns can be taken this way. Attempting to snatch a crown while the Ganshoggr is awake is madness: it gets a free beak attack against the would-be thief, who must then succeed on a STR check to wrest the crown away.

 

8.   Trophy Tree

Copper Chased Horn: Blowing this 2.5 meter long horn will immediately be answered by a deep honking scream from below. The Ganshoggr will arrive in 1 Stretch, shifting the stone slab in Area 2. Weight 5.

 

9.   Stone Crevasse

Stone Slab: Only the strength of the Ganshoggr, or cables, tackle, and one hour of work from at least ten strong backs (total STR 110) can move the slab. Beneath, a wide  steep passage that leads directly to the Ganshoggr’s lair (Area 9). The beast emerges here, and  while it replaces the stone before flying off, it will leave the tunnel open for the duration of any combat.

 

10.       Candle Shrine

Glint of Gold: There are coins under the thousands of candles here (4,100 cp, 1,400 sp, 500 gp). It takes 8 Stretchs (2 hours) to chip them all out. The Anser Gods will curse any who loot the shrine (double Damage received from swords) unless double the coins taken are returned. Looting will also enrage the Shrine Keeper, who will run howling to the Undercrypts (Area 5) and return in 2 Stretchs (20 minutes) with 2D6 Thralls of the Ganshoggrr.

 

Shrine Keeper [Monster]

Ferocity    2    Size    Normal    WIL    13

MOV    10    Armor    1    HP    18    Evade    11

Attacks:

Spectral Claw (1D4), ignores armor.

Special:

> Regenerates 5 HP each round unless its skull is burnt and ritually desecrated.

 

11. Hall of Pillars

Red Doors: Heavy wood, bound in hammered bronze, and enameled a shiny red (STR Check to open). They are locked with a triple lock (each lock is of a distinct type and must be picked separately, but all open with the key hidden in the Shrine Keeper’s robes). Forcing the doors will alert the residents of the Undercrypts (Area 5).

 

Enameled Altar: Warmly lit by six wrist thick candles in wax shrouded black set in blackened silver candle holders (40 gp, weight ¼ each). On the altar is a feather blade, and any sword placed on the altar will transform into a feather blade in one Shift (6 hours). Opening the altar cabinet reveals a 1 meter square door. Beneath is a shaft that leads to a concealed hatch in the roof of the Tomb of the Conqueror below (Area 6).

Feather Blade: A divine feather (no weight) the length of a short sword. Magic medium weapon, but falls apart after one battle. Attack Rolls with a feather blade can't have Banes.

 

12.        Undercrypts

Thralls of the Ganshoggr [Monster]

Ferocity    1    Size    Normal    WIL    20

MOV    6    Armor    -    HP    9    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Weapon (D8)

Special:

> Immune to effects that target living creatures or alter the mind.

> Always Acts Slowly (their turns are always at the end of the Round).

 

Niches: smashed stone crypts, bones, and nests of pus-and-blood crusted rags fill these stinking alcoves. A search among the wreckage will uncover a silver blessed axe head (weight ¼, 800 gp), and a corslet of finely linked mail made of incorruptible mountain copper (weight 2, 4.000 gp, AR 6).

 

Random Encounters

In every room beyond the Undercrypts (Areas 6-10), the Event Die is rolled.
On a result of Encounter (1) on the Event Die, roll a d6. There is a 1 in 6 chance, but increasing by 1 each time, that the Encounter will be with a Ghost King.
Otherwise the encounter will be with a group of 1D6 Thralls (See Area 5). The Thralls will be hostile unless the Company can spin a believable story as to how they serve the Ganshoggr.

Event Dice

1	Encounter*
2	Delay (rest otherwise fatigue)
3	Resource use (light or food)
4	Local effect
5	Clue (future encounters)
6	Nothing (free form effect)

*Roll a new D6, 1 in 6 chance of encountering the Ghost King (increasing each time by 1).

 

Local Effects

1	A stinking foul wind blows up from below: the rotten vegetable smell of the Ganshoggr.
2	Sinister whispers hiss from the dark, demanding the theft of the Ganshoggr’s crowns.
3	The muffled sound of distant shrine bells.
4	Visions of a screaming victim disemboweled on a blood-blooming tree.
5	The porcelain statues (Area 6) robotically move to different alcoves, ignoring any intruders; the grinding of their gears echoes throughout the Howe.
6	The Ganshoggr awakes for a moment, readjusting itself on its pile.

 

Ghost King [Monster]

Ferocity    2    Size    Normal    WIL    18

MOV    10    Armor    -    HP    38    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Cursed touch (1D8). If the target takes damage from the touch, it takes an additional 1d4 damage whenever it takes any damage in the future until the curse is broken.

Special:

> It is immune to all attacks that aren't magical or made with magical weapons. Non-magical armor does not reduce damage from its touch.

 

The Ghost King appears as a floating, transparent Anser lord of war. It will ask for its crown to be recovered from the Ganshoggr. If given a crown (any will do) he will bless the giver’s weapon, turning it into a haunted armament.

 Haunted Armament: wreathed in magical frost, anything Damaged by it is frozen. A frozen creatures’ Attack Rolls have Bane until the end of the next round.

 

13.        Tomb of the Conqueror

Tiles: The tiles are uniform porcelain hexagons. On the walls and on the floor 2 meter closest to the walls they have been glazed to show the Owlfolk’s paradise in cobalt blue. The tiles surrounding the red stone sarcophagus for 7 meter are red with shiny iron glaze. Weight over 3 kg on the red tiles will activate the porcelain statues.

 

Tomb of Red Stone: A block of milky red kinnabari, the lid sculpted by a genius’s hand in the form of a regal goose queen holding coin laden scales in one hand and a human skull in the other. The lid can be shifted free by four regular workers (total STR 40) in 1 Stretch (10 min), causing it to shatter on the floor. Within is the mummified remains of the queen, her face covered in a solid gold death mask with ivory and lapis eyes (weight ¼, 8.000p), wearing a shroud of silvered chain links ( weight ¼, 2.000 gp), and clutching a gold shafted spear with a polished obsidian tip—the Spear of Castigating Flame.

 

Spear of Castigating Flame: Medium weapon, magical. Bursts into flame and Attack Rolls make by it have a Boon when in the presence of any who have betrayed an oath.

 

Alcoves: The alcoves flanking the door are tiled with mosaics of owl folk engaged in scholarship within the vast libraries of the Bellipotentacy. Tapping the rear wall of the southern alcove suggests a void behind. Looking at the mosaic closely reveals three goose folk among the owls, behaving inappropriately (drinking, sleeping, and wiping blood from a sword). If all three are pressed at once a secret door will unlatch, revealing a 6. Tomb of the Conqueror—Dark stairway to the First Tomb (Area 10).

 

Porcelain statues: 4 meter tall, strigiform warriors of white and blue porcelain:  tribute to the power of the ancient Ansers from the city states of the Wise Bellipotentacy. When animated their eyes
flash with blue sparks as they scream with the grating sound of grinding wheels. They  will only rest when the room is empty of life for 3 Stretch (30 minutes).

 

Strigiform Warrior [Monster]

Ferocity    2    Size    Large    WIL    20

MOV    18    Armor    -    HP    34    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Glaive (2D8). If it deals 16 or more damage, it instantly decapitates its target.

Special:

> Immune to fire and mind-affecting effects.

> Piercing damage is divided by 3 (rounded down).

> They move slowly (they always act last in each round).

 

14.        Ghost Maze

Whispering and Weeping: Unquiet spirits of ancient Goskarls, princes, ladies, and kings are trapped in the maze. Their ceaseless cries and frustrated murmurs form a susurrus that fills the entire chamber..

 

Anyone who listens to the whispers will be able to hear the ghosts of the Anser elite demanding, with imperious callousness, to be freed. If refused they will possess the listener (WIL throw to resist) to tear down the rune carved bones and roughly depart the body when finished (WIL throw or die). If ignored the ghosts will manifest as an outraged swarm of Ghostly Karls that will demand freedom when the Company is half-way through the maze, and attack any who do not comply.

 

Rune Carved Bones: 25 fetishes of goose-folk skulls and long bones, carved with swirling lines and ominous silver inlaid runes (weight ¼, 80 gp each) that squirm in any light. They trap and confuse spirits and immaterial creatures in the maze. If at least 15 are removed, smashed or thrown to the floor the ghosts will be freed, escaping into the marsh.

 

Ghostly Karls  (Swarm) [Monster]

Ferocity    2    Size    Normal    WIL    18

MOV    12    Armor    -    HP    27    Dodge    15

Attacks:

Freezing touch (1D10). If it deals damage to a target, that target must make a CON throw. On a failure, the target gains the Exhausted condition and becomed frozen for 2 rounds.

Special:

> It is immune to all attacks that aren’t magical or made with magical weapons. Non-magical armor does not reduce damage from its Touch.

 

15.        Lair of the Ganshoggr

Ganshoggr: Absent at night, by day the Ganshoggr slumbers, dreaming of destruction and woe. If awakened, it will attack unless offered a large shiny object as tribute. If it discovers any crowns or bells have been taken it will attack without pause. It will not pursue intruders, but it will retreat outside if attacked at range from an area it can’t reach.

A careful thief can snatch crowns (4.000 gp, weight ¼ each) from the sleeping Ganshoggr but doing so without waking it requires a Sleight of Hands SKILL Check to steal the first crown, which will increase by 1 Bane for each additional crown.

 

Glittering Hoard: A pile of glittering metal stained in the filth of the Ganshoggr. The hoard consists almost entirely of crushed, rusted, verdigris stained, and tarnished bells (40 sp per 1 weight of broken bells, up to 4,000 sp), though the ones on top of the pile are newer and intact, and can be easily snatched without waking the Ganshoggr. Digging through the old bells will reveal the following valuables, one each Stretch (15 min), but also has a cumulative 1 in 6 chance per Stretch of waking the Ganshoggrr.

 

1	Silver bell (2.000 gp, weight 1)
2	Gold arm ring (4.000 gp, weight ¼)
3	Lump of fused coins   (8.000 gp, weight 2.5)
4	Silvered sword hilt (800 gp, weight 1.5)
5	Runed silver pectoral (3.200 gp, weight ½)
6	Gold bell (10.000 gp, peso 1)

 

Aged-Rotted Dreki: Ancient silver wood, crumbling with dry-rot at its edges, but largely sound. The bow contains the bones of an Anser sea king, wearing rotted mail and clutching a rust eaten blade. The Ganshoggr has stolen his crown, but on his arms three golden bands (2,000 gp, weight ¼ each) and five thick silver hoops (800 gp, weight ¼ each) remain.

 

16.        First Tomb

Pool: The 5 meter deep pool is cursed; so long as it glows blue its surface turns to thick sea ice once entered, trapping those beneath to drown. The ice requires 60 points of Damage from fire or appropriate weapons before breaking, and will reform at full strength any time another person enters the water. Those beneath the ice will suffer from both drowning and the deathly cold of the water, taking 1D8 Damage per round (CON throw for half damage).

Once formed the ice takes a full day to melt completely, but only 1 Shift (4 hours) before it becomes too thin to walk on without breaking (falling through can trigger the curse).

 

Marble Sarcophagus: Removing the ornate lid of this sarcophagus will take two strong people (total 22 STR) two rounds. Within are the bones of the first Anser King, his rusted war gear, a rune covered scrying crystal set in gold (8,000 gp, weight ½) and the Crown of the Cygnats (12,000 gp, weight ¼).

 

Pictograms: Longships, chariots, swords, armored gander, and crowns in a repeating pattern. When crossed or stepped on, each pictogram will dimly glow the same icy blue as the pool; if crossed or stepped over again, the light goes out. If a crown is stepped on while no other pictograms are lit, it will blaze with blue light and the pool will dim dramatically; once five crowns have been lit, the glow in the pool will be gone.

 

Crown Cygnats: Swooping arcs of platinum and gold strung with crystal beads. The crown is haunted by the ghost of the last Cygnat King: Rara Avis XXII. The ghost will possess anyone who wears the crown (WIL throw to cast it off before the spirit takes control), transforming them into a tall, black swan man with a cruel gaze and haughty mien. Rara (Knight Champion) will immediately begin efforts to retake his throne and will attempt to enlist the Company in his attempt.

 

If the crown is given to the Ganshoggr it will transform into a giant black swan beast, possessed by Rara’s spirit, that will seize the throne within weeks. Rara will make a worse King than Sigtrygg II, replacing military adventurism with sadistic revelry and an unquenchable desire for revenge  against goosekind.