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4/14/2014 5:52 am  #1


Rats in the Walls

Available now for purchase at the AS&SH Online Store!

I have a limited quantity of the Signed & Numbered Gary Con VI Edition of Rats in the Walls, a mini-adventure, originally presented in Knockspell Magazine #4. After this limited run sells through, I will begin selling a standard version. This title is also available in PDF format at RPGNow.

In the City-State of Khromarium, a dockside tavern called the Silvery Eel is plagued by rats of a most unusual breed. These abominable rodents have ruined the tavern keeper’s business and his life. The man is desperate, and he offers a substantial reward for the elimination of his horrific problem.



Author: Jeffrey Talanian
Art: Ian Baggley
Editing: David Prata
Cartography: Andreas Claren

Rules: For use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea and other traditional fantasy role-playing games, including modern simulacra or “retro-clone” games.
Product Type: Adventure Module
Product Format: 12-page, 7 x 8.5-inch, black & white saddle-stitched booklet with cardstock cover; map printed in booklet.
Product Code: NWA104
Product Price: $10.00


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 

4/14/2014 9:29 am  #2


Re: Rats in the Walls

Picked one up.  Thanks for posting it

 

4/14/2014 11:16 am  #3


Re: Rats in the Walls

Just completed my order. Thank you Jeff.

 

4/14/2014 7:31 pm  #4


Re: Rats in the Walls

Thank you, Kookla and k2h2m3!


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
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4/15/2014 5:42 am  #5


Re: Rats in the Walls

Already have two copies. I bought one at Gary Con, not realizing that there was already one in the "goody bag."


Marv / Finarvyn
DCC playtester (2011), S&W WhiteBox Author (2009), C&C playtester (2003), Metamorphosis Alpha since 1976. OD&D Player since 1975
 

4/15/2014 10:07 am  #6


Re: Rats in the Walls

finarvyn wrote:

Already have two copies. I bought one at Gary Con, not realizing that there was already one in the "goody bag."

Sorry, Fin, I tried to remember to ask everyone who bought it if they had a platinum swag bag!


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4/15/2014 3:32 pm  #7


Re: Rats in the Walls

Ghul wrote:

finarvyn wrote:

Already have two copies. I bought one at Gary Con, not realizing that there was already one in the "goody bag."

Sorry, Fin, I tried to remember to ask everyone who bought it if they had a platinum swag bag!

Looking forward to reading through this adventure.
 

 

4/15/2014 4:06 pm  #8


Re: Rats in the Walls

JasonZavoda wrote:

Ghul wrote:

finarvyn wrote:

Already have two copies. I bought one at Gary Con, not realizing that there was already one in the "goody bag."

Sorry, Fin, I tried to remember to ask everyone who bought it if they had a platinum swag bag!

Looking forward to reading through this adventure.
 

Thanks. It's just a mini-adventure, playable in 1 or at most 2 sessions. 
 


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5/04/2014 1:08 pm  #9


Re: Rats in the Walls

Well.... it happened.
I wonder if anyone else has ever had the players actually go through with a sacrifice of one of their own to Aurorus?

 

5/04/2014 5:27 pm  #10


Re: Rats in the Walls

Maezar wrote:

Well.... it happened.
I wonder if anyone else has ever had the players actually go through with a sacrifice of one of their own to Aurorus?

To my knowledge, no, but I'd love to hear about it!
 


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5/04/2014 6:00 pm  #11


Re: Rats in the Walls

Well, check out my latest campaign journal update. It wasn't "the players" so much as "a player." And it worked. In that he was sacrificed. Man. That guy.

Also, after the adventure ended we got to find out what a pyromancer looks like when you carve her out of a giant frog when she's down to -9 HP. It's not good.

 

5/04/2014 6:59 pm  #12


Re: Rats in the Walls

Handy Haversack wrote:

Well, check out my latest campaign journal update. It wasn't "the players" so much as "a player." And it worked. In that he was sacrificed. Man. That guy.

Also, after the adventure ended we got to find out what a pyromancer looks like when you carve her out of a giant frog when she's down to -9 HP. It's not good.

Awesome.
 


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5/04/2014 7:58 pm  #13


Re: Rats in the Walls

Handy Haversack wrote:

Well, check out my latest campaign journal update. It wasn't "the players" so much as "a player." And it worked. In that he was sacrificed. Man. That guy.

Also, after the adventure ended we got to find out what a pyromancer looks like when you carve her out of a giant frog when she's down to -9 HP. It's not good.

Hahahaha!  nice!
 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 

5/05/2014 3:16 pm  #14


Re: Rats in the Walls

Fighter: I believe that the the altar and these robes are a ruse, and that should we follow the instructions for sacrifice, something will happen.

Thief: Maybe the statue will come to life. We should defeat it. It could be tough though.

Paladin: (Yes, he thought he was role-playing): I volunteer to wear the chains. What's the worst that could happen? (He actually said that). Maybe I'll be teleported somewhere and you'll find me later when you go down the stairs...

Ref: You might consider that your code of conduct might prevent you from even being involved in a ritual related to a god of chaos. 

Paladin: I don't care. We're doing this.

Ref: OK... Just don't blame me if your ability to use healing hands suddenly stops working... or worse!

Warlock: I'm not so sure about all this, but as long as you're not asking me to get up there I'll read the words. 'I wish the goblins would take you away... right now. (Laughter!)'

Ref: Straight-faced. OK, so tell me what happens here.

 
.... 
 
And then it happened. They did it! They sacrificed their Paladin to Aurorus!!! Zzzzzt. Gone.

"and... he disappears,"
(Laughter) "IT WORKED!" 
Paladin: "So where am I"
Ref: "Alright so he disappears. Now what do you do."

(I decided that Arrvic the Paladin had become part of the raw stuff of chaos itself... had not retained any sense of identity or being... was not in some after life but had been "entropized" by Aurorus in a gesture of meaninglessness.)

It was some while later that the thief said. 

"Uhhh....  Did anyone notice how they didn't like, go into the next room to talk about where he found himself?"

When I conspicuously ignored questions asked by the Paladin's player he began to get the point. 

When we all broke character, someone said, "I guess it's a good thing that your Excel sheet allows us to roll up new characters so quickly...."

Uproarious laughter.

PS: I own the KNOCKSPELL issue where this adventure first appeared.

 

Last edited by Maezar (5/05/2014 3:17 pm)

 

5/05/2014 5:17 pm  #15


Re: Rats in the Walls

Maezar wrote:

(I decided that Arrvic the Paladin had become part of the raw stuff of chaos itself... had not retained any sense of identity or being... was not in some after life but had been "entropized" by Aurorus in a gesture of meaninglessness.)

Awesome. Totally great. Ah, players. Gotta love 'em.

Mine had not yet found the book in the next room that explained what the manacles were, either. But Nausa, the illusionist, was starting with a couple of strikes against him. Early on, in the Gal Hills town where they started out, he had bought a "daemon bone" at the bazaar. This was completely undefined on my part. He went to the crazy old guy and asked for something that would help against daemons. I charged him 100 GP and figured we'd figure it out as we went along! I was actually going to give him SV bonuses, I had decided, if it came up.

Anyway, he still had it. He touched it to the skeleton in the cage, which I figured ought to trigger something. So I gave him a SV at +1 to see if the effects would be positive or negative. Shites it. So then he has "contact" with daemonic presence. I just described a feeling of malevolent intelligence filling him, like a layer between his skin and his bones. And then when he strapped himself in to the manacles, I figured there was a good chance that even without ritual words being spoken, the daemon presence in him was going to attract the goddess's curiosity. She's a goddes of knowledge after all (which, as the poor guy said, is what he was seeking). A couple of more terribly failed saves, and there it was.

I decided (and informed them) that he actually did retain shreds of personal psyche even as he is eternally whirled through the aurorae of Hyperborea as part of the intelligent light of Aurorus. It would be too merciful of her to wipe out his consciousness. She can learn from what's happening to him, after all . . .

And it might have some repercussions further down the line . . .

I love that other players are doing this, too.
 

 

5/05/2014 7:22 pm  #16


Re: Rats in the Walls

So, it looks like those manacles have become the AS&SH equivalent to the big red button with a sign above it that reads, "Push Me!"


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5/02/2015 7:46 am  #17


Re: Rats in the Walls

FYI: Just spotted an error on DTRPG's page for Rats in the Walls (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/128499/Rats-in-the-Walls).  The description text starts out with

TAKEN from DUNWICH

An adventure in HYPERBOREA designed for 4–6 characters of 1st through 2nd level. For use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ and other traditional fantasy role-playing games.

The "TAKEN from DUNWICH" title should probably be "RATS in the WALLS".

 

5/02/2015 4:10 pm  #18


Re: Rats in the Walls

Thanks! Fixed it.


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11/08/2015 4:31 am  #19


Re: Rats in the Walls

I ran this a few months ago within Xamboola. It was pretty fun from my side of the screen and the players were suitably creeped out!

 

11/08/2015 10:57 am  #20


Re: Rats in the Walls

Rastus_Burne wrote:

I ran this a few months ago within Xamboola. It was pretty fun from my side of the screen and the players were suitably creeped out!

Thanks! That's great to hear. It had a lasting impact in my campaign. Try NOT to do things that will set a demon free into the world! ;)


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