Here's a link to the PDF.
Ill-Gotten Gains
-Nate
Introduction
During the time leading up to the Civil
War, on the border between Kansas and Missouri, it was not uncommon
for bands of desperadoes to raid towns on both sides of the state
line. An especially notorious group of such raiders was led by Arthur
“Mad Dog” Madigan, a self-described “gentleman of fortune”
from Charleston who vehemently opposed the abolition movement. While
this band of cutthroats was eventually brought to justice, rumors
have persisted for more than two decades that a cache of their stolen
loot remained hidden after their deaths. Most people assume that such
legends are not credible, and that there is no real evidence of the
cache's existence.
That was, of course, until a recent
incident aboard a steamboat on the Mississippi River.
Adventure Synopsis
This scenario introduces the heroes to
the tale of Mad Dog's Raiders and there lost cache of loot, via
certain undead attackers who wear the remains of distinguishing
uniforms. Following that incident, the steamboat's owner—a German
immigrant named Engelbert Meier, who has a strong interest in the
history and legends of the American frontier—recognizes the
uniforms and asks the PCs to investigate. From there they must track
the zombies back to their riverside cache, and then follow cryptic
clues back to an old plantation house. At the end of the trail they
find the loot—along with a wraith, the spirit of Mad Dog Madigan
himself—in its cellar.
For the Gun Master
During the years leading up to the
Civil War, the question of slavery loomed large in American life. For
one thing, new states as they sought to enter the Union had to decide
if they would allow for one person to own another. That question led
to such legislative decisions as the Missouri Compromise and the
Kansas-Nebraska Act, both of which only delayed the inevitable
confrontation over the future of slavery in America. This delay also
led parties on both sides of the debate to conduct raids across the
border between free Kansas and slaveholding Missouri. As a result
there was much bloodshed, as well as looting and destruction.
Of the many parties who participated
in this violence, none was more enthusiastic than the band of
Confederate raiders led by Arthur “Mad Dog” Madigan. That group
quickly developed a reputation for neither asking for nor giving
quarter, and legends began to grow about the vast cache of lucre that
they assembled. Known as the “Crimson Company,” it is said that
they fought under a flag that they called the Bloody Banner, and that
they distinguished themselves by tying scarlet bandannas on their
left arms.
Few people know what ultimately
happened to them during the Civil War, and they might have slipped
into obscurity and eventually have been forgotten—until, that is, a
cunning bokor discovered their hideout and used his power to animate
their bodies in an attempt at robbing a riverboat poker tournament.
Involving the Heroes
As mentioned above, this scenario is
intended to be run as a sequel to “The Grand Tournament.”
Following those events, Herr Meier approaches the PCs with
information about the zombie attackers, and asks them to help track
those undead fiends back to their place of origin. He tells them what
he knows about the cache's history, and then negotiates shares of the
profits as long as they are willing to assist him.
| The River Maiden and the Great River Poker Tournament
Refer to the links below to find more information about Herr Engelbert Meier, his riverboat, the Great River Poker Tournament that he hosts and a group of heroes who might show up to compete. Riverboat: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uck62dx6bt4b5ya/SW%20Steamboat.pdf?dl=0 Tournament: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i90a69nvmsi8xno/Reversal%20of%20Fortune.pdf?dl=0 Characters: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tl4qdycg7c75bvc/Pre-Generated%20Heroes.pdf?dl=0 |
Scene 1—What Has Come
Before... and Afterward
In the aftermath of the attempted
robbery—whether or not it succeeded—Herr Meier approaches the
heroes. He thanks them for their efforts, and then explains what he
knows about the raider band, including the details from the first two
paragraphs of the For the Gun Master section. Finally, he
makes his pitch, offering to split evenly any spoils found during the
investigation. He just wants, after all, to immerse himself in the
legend of the American frontier.
If the GM is using this as a
stand-alone scenario, then introducing the PCs becomes a bit more
challenging. In that case, they might come along in the aftermath of
an attack, when Sheriff Wainwright and his deputies are cleaning up
the mess. Because those lawmen are preoccupied, Herr Meier notices
the heroes and decides to recruit them for the investigation.
Whatever the case, hopefully the heroes soon find themselves in one
or more of the sternwheeler's boats, following the trail of the
Confederate zombies.
Scene 2—Up and Down
the River
Tracing the undead raiders back to
their lair requires a series of Tracking checks. From a narrative
standpoint, this involves discovering subtle signs of their passage,
including the following possibilities.
- A boot print in the mud
- A scrap of cloth that matches the raiders' rotting uniforms
- The remains of a small animal, caught and eaten by one of the zombies
- Etc.
This is a chance for some vivid
description, too, as the heroes pick out these signs while steering
their boat through tangles of reeds and trees with hanging branches,
occasionally drag the boat through muddy shallows, and the like.
At the same time, the PCs must succeed
at three Tracking checks in order to keep on the trail. Of course,
it's also possible that the heroes could use supernatural means to
track the zombies, such as via Beast Friend (to summon an animal that
can track), Boost Trait, Divination, or even Grave Speak.
At the same time, the heroes can
encounter some of the swamp's dangerous denizens, including some of
the following options.
- Alligator/Crocodile (SWDE page 135)
- Snake, venomous (SWDE page 140)
- Zombie, shambler (T6G RPG page 83)
- Finally, this could also allow the GM to introduce a curious NPC under unusual circumstances, so as to provide future plot hooks.
Scene
3—The Lost Cache
Refer to the following map when the
heroes reach the cache once occupied by Mad Dog's Raiders. Keep in
mind that light sources are important, limiting what the characters
can see while exploring.
1. Entrance
The entrance to the hidden cache is dug
into the side of the riverbank, in an area concealed by overhanging
trees. What is more, depending on the height of the river, the cave
is usually at least partially submerged. Spotting it requires a
Notice check at a -2 penalty; even then, people wouldn't think that
it's anything more than a natural cave. Characters who've been
following the zombies' trail back to this location don't suffer the
penalty, however.
2. Tunnel
The tunnel rises sharply up above the
waterline here, until it reaches a point where it is completely dry.
It is cramped in here, though, requiring characters to stoop. That
could cause a -2 penalty to certain skill tests, at the GM's
discretion.
3. Collapsing Floor Trap
In the upper level of the cave, a broad
section of the floor has been replaced by a thatch covered with sand.
Spotting it requires another Notice or Survival test at a -2 penalty,
revealing irregularities in the shape of the floor or erased tracks
leading around that area, respectively. Anyone who walks across the
middle of the upper level plunges through it must make an Agility
test to determine how many spikes they hit: critical failure = three;
failure = two; success = one; success with a raise = zero. Each spike
attacks as if it had a d6 fighting skill, and inflicts 2d6 damage.
4. Ladder
A ladder here leads through a hole in
the floor down to the lower level.
5. Spikes
Scores of sharpened wooden stakes
protrude from the ground here, underneath the false floor above. This
is, of course, where interlopers end up if they don't recognize the
trap that has been set for them. What is more, those who spring the
trap likely draw the attention of any shamblers that managed to find
their way back to the cache (see below).
6. Raider Hideout
Seven hammocks have been tied up to
wooden posts in this area, six along the inside wall of the cavern
and one that hangs between those others and the exit. Those belonged
to, respectively, the raiders and Mad Dog; he was never a very
trusting soul. There is also a broad table at which they took their
meals, along with a small firepit and numerous chests and barrels.
Before they can examine these items, however, the heroes must deal
with the swarm of rats that inhabits this area. Once disturbed, they
head for the ladder and then up and out of the cache, biting anyone
who comes into their path.
Rat Swarm—Use
the stats from page 242 of the Savage
Worlds Deluxe
rulebook.
The Loot
Among the barrels
and crates one can find old sacks of biscuits and flour, now spoiled;
containers of coffee in a questionable state; various kinds of meat
jerky, also starting to rot; along with dried beans and casks of
water that are still good. Scattered among these items are a few
empty chests, along with a handful of old Morgan silver dollars half
buried in the sand. All in all, this should give the impression that
there was more loot here, but that the best of it has been moved.
The Journal
There is also
evidence that someone has recently occupied this area. The ashes in
the firepit are still warm (Notice test), some of the personal goods
are relatively new (such as a coffee pot and tin cup and plate), and
someone has recently slept in Mad Dog's hammock (Tracking test).
Finally, wrapped up in the hammock's blanket is a journal that
belonged to Jacques Lemaire. It details his investigation of stories
regarding Arthur “Mad Dog” Madigan and his raiders, and includes
some of the following details.
- Lemaire provides a description of “Mad Dog” Madigan and his raiders; the exact details of this are left up to the GM, and can certainly provide links to future plots.
- He also describes the cache as being five furlongs west-by-southwest of “the old plantation house.” He mentions that this is the place from which they sold their stolen goods, but doesn't go into much other detail about that location.
- The occultist has also written in a timetable for the stops made by Engelbert Meier's River Maiden, which correspond with its travels during the Great River Poker Tournament.
| What Has Come Before
As mentioned above, this scenario can be run as a sequel to “Reversal of Fortune.” If that is the case, and if Jacques Lemaire managed to escape from the heroes at this time, then it is entirely possible that he has come back here to rest and recover. In that case, he has the rat swarm attack the heroes (using his Beast Friend power) in order to defend himself. |
Scene 4—Heading
Inland
Having acquired the information in
Lemaire's journal, the heroes should easily be able to find the house
from which the raiders sold their goods. Depending on the desires of
the players and the needs of the campaign, the GM could add more
encounters with wildlife and other hazards, as detailed in Scene 2
above, or this journey could be relatively uneventful.
Scene 5—The Old
Plantation House
Once the characters arrive at the
house, refer to the following map and area descriptions for details.
1. Entry
The houses' front door here opens into
a two-story front room. A door leads into the parlor at the right,
and a staircase up to the landing on the second floor. To the left,
double doors provide access to the dining room.
2. Parlor
This comfortable room is furnished with
a sofa, three armchairs and a handful of side tables, creating a
space in which to receive visitors. All of it now, however, is
covered in dust and smells faintly musty.
3. Dining Room
A broad wooden table surrounded by
eight chairs dominates the center of this room. Unlike the parlor, it
shows signs of recent use, with one end of the table cleared of dust.
4. Kitchen
The kitchen has recently been used,
too. While the ashes in the stove are cold, the utensils, pots and
pans have been cleaned recently. What is more, a trapdoor in the
floor provides access to the cellar (Area (9) below.
5. Pantry
Shelves line the walls of this room,
filled with boxes, jars and other containers of food. There's also a
cask of freshwater on the floor, along with an empty basket. Here
again, the food is relatively fresh—but it is up to the heroes to
deduce that Lemaire was living here while researching “Mad Dog”
Madigan and his raiders.
6. Servants' Quarters
This room, once home to the house's
servants, has long since fallen into disuse. It is furnished with a
bed and desk, but is otherwise empty.
7. Bedrooms
Each of these rooms is also furnished
with a bed and desk, and boasts a (now empty) closet for clothing.
None have been used for some time.
8. Master Bedroom
In addition to the bed and desk, this
room boasts a storage trunk and two bookshelves. This was once the
place from which “Mad Dog” Madigan plotted his band's raids, and
where he enjoyed the spoils of victory. More recently, however, it is
where Jacques Lemaire has been living, communicating with the ghoul
in the cellar and plotting his attack on the River Maiden
and the poker tournament it hosted.
9. Cellar
Storm doors lead down here from
outside, in addition to the ladder from the kitchen. This is where
the loot is kept, as well as where the ghoul that Arthur Madigan has
now become. Consumed by bloodlust, the former Confederate captain has
devolved into a flesh-eating, undead monster. For that reason, the
middle of the cellar is filled with gnawed bones, scraps of cloth and
the occasional odd personal item. Various crates, trunks and barrels
are arranged against the walls.
The Loot
While the GM
should feel free to tailor the following list, here are some examples
of the spoils accumulated by the captain and his raiders.
- A small strongbox containing five hundred Morgan silver dollars
- A case of twelve bottles containing good whiskey
- A portmanteau filled holding a dozen fancy dresses
- A set of lockpicks in a leather pouch
- A photograph of Madigan and his raiders, with their names written on the back
- A Gatling gun, with the name Clementine engraved on it
Developments
Before they can
claim this loot, however, the heroes must first deal with the ghoul
who lives here. When they first arrive at the house, the ghoul is in
the basement. Once he becomes aware of interlopers, however, he moves
to stalk them. This might require slipping up the ladder to the
kitchen, or out the storm doors in the back of the cellar. At that
point, he makes Stealth checks opposed by the heroes' Notice efforts,
waiting for changes to ambush lone characters.
Arthur “Mad Dog” Madigan—Use
the stats for a ghoul from pages 76-7 of The Sixth Gun
RPG.
Epilogue
Provided they can defeat the ghoul, the
heroes have made a notable historic discovery—and, of course,
claimed some valuable loot for themselves. They should also have
gained some important information about current events, including
details that could lead to further action.
Further Adventures
Detailed below are just a few of the
possibilities for additional business in which the heroes might
become entangled.
- Among the papers in the master bedroom is a bit of paper, a cryptic note that does not match the bokor's handwriting. It simply says, “Smith's Crossing, All Hallow's Eve.” Just what that might imply, of course, is left up to the discernment of the heroes.
- It's always possible that the loot collected by Madigan's Men includes something important, an item that can be connected to another plot. For example, there might be legal papers regarding a contested estate, a letter with important details about secret plot, a declaration of love for a romance that was never allowed to happen, or something similar.
- As mentioned above, the bokor's journal could contain hints about lost relics, secretive cults, or other business related to arcane investigation.
- Herr Engelbert Meier would happily purchase items from the heroes, adding them to his collection of frontier memorabilia. What is more, he might want to hire them to pursue other such acquisitions.
- The heroes could always decide to take up residence in their newly liberated plantation, a notion that brings its own set of problems.
- It's also possible that one or more surviving members of “Mad Dog's” Men decide to reclaim their spoils from the heroes—or from Herr Meier, if he purchased them—by any means necessary.
