Beneath Castle Everglory: INTO THE WOODS: Travelling to Castle Everglory
INTO THE WOODS: Travelling to Castle Everglory[edit]
Castle Everglory should be as far from Land’s End as the GM wishes, according to how interested they are in having the PCs muck about in the forest. The trip should take at least long enough for the PCs to run into two Orc Patrols, described below as Orc Hunting Party 1 and Orc Hunting Party 2.
Orc Hunting Party 1[edit]
The hunting party has 11 members. The platoon leader, Wolf Fang, is screaming at the other Orcs to be quiet, calling them stupid for scaring the game away. He is doing his best to play the tough guy, trying to dominate the others. However, the other Orcs openly disrespect him. Some are screaming back at him that he is too much of a runt and a weakling to lead the hunt. Two other Orcs are screaming at one another over the issue of a stolen bone.
The PCs should be able to hear the Orcs long before the Orcs are aware of the PCs, giving them ample time to avoid them or to make preparations.
Wolf Fang (Platoon Leader)[edit]
Wolf Fang is a tall, skinny Orc who is one of the Cutnoses’ most skillful hunters when he isn’t stuck leading a hunting team. He wears a tunic and trousers that he skillfully sewed for himself out of wolf hides. He has decorated his outfit with the tails of various animals he has killed – wild pigs, wolves, cats and small mammals.
| ST: 12 | HP: 15 | Speed: 6.25 |
| DX: 13 | Will: 12 | Move: 6 |
| IQ: 11 | Per: 14 | SM: 0 |
| HT: 12 | FP: 14 | DR: 0 |
| Dodge: 10 | Parry: 11 | Block: N/A |
Attacks: Broadsword-15 1d+3 Cut; Short Bow-15 1d Imp Acc 1 110/165
Traits: Appearance (Ugly); Bully (12); Combat Reflexes; Infravision; Rapid Healing; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Social Stigma (Savage)
Skills: Stealth-15; Tracking-15
Class: Mundane
Notes: Speaks Orcish
10 Cutnose Orc Archers[edit]
| ST: 11 | HP: 12 | Speed: 5.25 |
| DX: 11 | Will: 9 | Move: 5 |
| IQ: 9 | Per: 12 | SM: 0 |
| HT: 11 | FP: 12 | DR: 0 |
| Dodge: 8 | Parry: 8 | Block: N/A |
Attacks: Knife-13 1d-1 Im or 1d-1 Cut; Short Bow-13 1d Imp Acc 1 110/165
Traits: Appearance (Ugly); Bully (12); Infravision; Rapid Healing; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Social Stigma (Savage)
Skills: Stealth-12; Tracking-12
Class: Mundane
Notes: Speaks Orcish
Treasure[edit]
The Archers have 91 copper pieces between them. Their bows are cheap shortbows of unattractively Orcish design ($10, 2 lbs each) and their quivers are crude pouches of hide ($1, 1 lb each). Wolf Fang’s cheap broadsword also looks unpleasantly Orcish ($50, 4 lbs). As proud as he is of his clothes, no human would consider paying money for them. His pockets contain 20 copper pieces, an apple, and a 4 carat hematite stone worth $160.
Orc Hunting Party 2[edit]
The Orcs are having a screaming match over who gets to carry the horned helmet of Smash Head, the platoon leader. Smash Head himself is staying aloof from it all, allowing the lesser Orcs to sort it out among themselves. Should Smash Head get a chance to put his helmet back on before combat, it will provide DR 4 to his head (but not face). However, he won’t stop to put it back on if opponents are already within melee range. The PCs should be able to hear the Orcs long before the Orcs are aware of the PCs, giving them ample time to avoid them or to make preparations.
Smash Head (Platoon Leader)[edit]
Smash Head is a hulking Orcish brute who has at some point received a serious crushing wound to the face, pushing in his cheeks, breaking all his front teeth and leaving deep scars on the skin. He is proud of his wound, thinking that it demonstrates how tough he is. He wears a bear-fur cloak about his shoulders and he likes to flip it back dramatically before entering combat.
| ST: 16 | HP: 20 | Speed: 5 |
| DX: 12 | Will: 10 | Move: 5 |
| IQ: 8 | Per: 10 | SM: 0 |
| HT: 13 | FP: 20 | DR: 2 (torso/vitals); 1* (limbs, groin) |
| Dodge: 9 | Parry: 12 | Block: 10 + DB2 |
Attacks: Orcish Broadsword-16 2d+3 Cut; Orcish Medium Shield-12 1d Cr
Traits: Appearance (Ugly); Bully (12); Combat Reflexes; High Pain Threshold; Infravision; Rapid Healing; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Social Stigma (Savage)
Skills: None
Class: Mundane
Notes: Speaks Orcish
9 Cutnose Orc Archers[edit]
| ST: 11 | HP: 12 | Speed: 5.25 |
| DX: 11 | Will: 9 | Move: 5 |
| IQ: 9 | Per: 12 | SM: 0 |
| HT: 11 | FP: 12 | DR: 0 |
| Dodge: 8 | Parry: 8 | Block: N/A |
Attacks: Knife-13 1d-1 Im or 1d-1 Cut; Short Bow-13 1d Imp Acc 1 110/165
Traits: Appearance (Ugly); Bully (12); Infravision; Rapid Healing; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Social Stigma (Savage)
Skills: Stealth-12; Tracking-12
Class: Mundane
Notes: Speaks Orcish
Treasure[edit]
The nine archers have 102 copper pieces between them, and a bunch of rats tails bound with string. Their bows are cheap shortbows of unattractively Orcish design ($10, 2 lbs each) and their quivers are crude pouches of hide ($1, 1 lb each). Smash Head has 40 copper pieces in his pockets. His iron helmet is sturdy but lopsided and ugly. It looks like the kind of thing an Orc would wear and will sell accordingly ($10, 8 lbs). Smash Head’s cheap broadsword and medium shield look similarly Orcish and are $50, 4 lbs and $20, 20 lbs respectively. His bear-fur cloak is not of Orcish workmanship and is quite nice ($200, 7 lbs).
Further Random Encounters[edit]
If the GM would like further wandering monsters and has access to GURPS Bestiary and GURPS Fantasy Bestiary for GURPS 3rd edition, they may use the following system. For each day and each night, roll 3D6 for encounters. If the characters have wiped out the Cutnose Orcs beneath Castle Everglory, ignore results of Cutnose Orcs.
For a day’s travel, there will be an encounter from the day table on 8-
For a night’s camping, there will be an encounter from the night table on 8-
For a day’s camping, there will be an encounter from the day table on 7-
For a night’s travel, there will be an encounter from the night table on 10-
Day Encounter Table[edit]
3 - Palac Cat (Fantasy Bestiary, p.50)
4 - Griffon (Fantasy Bestiary, p.59)
5 - Hodag (Fantasy Bestiary, p.31)
6 - Strix (Campaigns, p. 461)
7 - Centipede, Giant (Besitary, p. 11)
8 – Snake (Poisonous) (Bestiary, p.32)
9 – Wolves (Bestiary, p.38)
10 – Red Deer (Campaigns, p.457)
11 – Cutnose Orc Archers (3D6)
12 – Wild Boars (Campaigns, p. 458)
13 – Grizzly bears (Campaigns p.456)
14 - Shrew, Giant (Fantasy Bestiary, p.66)
15 - Crocotta (Fantasy Beastiary, p.50)
16 - Hydrus (Fantasy Bestiary, p.35)
17 - Jaculus (Fantasy Besitary, p.36)
18 - Unicorn, Fantasy (Fantasy Bestiary, p.77)
Night Encounter Table[edit]
3 – Plat-eye (Fantasy Bestiary, p. 54)
4 - Palac Cat (Fantasy Bestiary, p.50)
5 - Griffon (Fantasy Bestiary, p.59)
6 - Crocotta (Fantasy Beastiary, p.50)
7 – Foul Bats (DF 2, p.23)
8 – Centipede, Giant (Besitary, p. 11)
9 – Grizzly Bears (Campaigns, p.456)
10 – Wolves (Bestiary, p.38)
11 – Cutnose Orc Archers (3D6)
12 – Leopard (Bestiary, p.20)
13 - Shrew, Giant (Fantasy Bestiary, p.66)
14 – Strix (Campaigns, p. 461)
15 - Hodag (Fantasy Bestiary, p.31)
16 - Hydrus (Fantasy Bestiary, p.35)
17 - Jaculus (Fantasy Besitary, p.36)
18 – Pooka (Fantasy Beastiary, p. 55)
