ItDR conversion: Jacob's Well (by Randy Maxwell)
One of the adventures that were used to playtest Into the Dungeon: Revived.
The Source
Jacob's Well — a one-player horror adventure module from Dungeon Magazine #43,1 inspired by the Alien2 movie.
The Conversion
Only the parts that need to be adjusted are listed here.
Contents
General Information ↩
Random Encounters
Roll every time the character leaves the main house and enters other building. The Referee is responsible for the logical placement of the encounters.
2d6 | Encounter |
---|---|
2 | Monster or No Encounter |
3-4 | d4 Rats STR 1, 1hp, d4 Bite |
5-9 | Guard, NPC, or No Encounter |
10-11 | d4 Giant Rats STR 3, 3hp, d4 Bite |
12 | Snow slide (d4 Damage, Stunned for one turn) |
Weather
d10: | 1-3 | 4-8 | 9-10 |
---|---|---|---|
Weather | Calm | Harsh | Extreme |
Duration | 2d4 hours | 2d4 hours | 1d4 hours |
Snow, wind | light, moderate | heavy, high | blizzard |
Visibility | as in fog | medium | low |
Shooting | Normal | Impaired | impossible |
Spell failure | None | 4-in-8 | 6-in-8 |
Cold Damage | None | 2hp/hour | 3hp/hour |
Timeline Overview
Day 1
- Morning: Arrival; Storm
- Evening: Death of Njal
- Night: Barracks on fire
Day 2
- Morning: Ubbi is gone; Guards leave
- Evening: Drenla panics
- Night: Highlander's stand
Day 3
- Morning: Jacob in the cellar
- Evening: Drenla's demise
- Night: Trappers
Day 4
- Morning: Adult form
The Monster ↩
Hiding Places
It is up to the Referee to move the hiding place once the previous one is discovered.
- main house chimney (baby form only)
- (6) stable
- (6) smithy
- (7) latrine
- (12) barracks tower
- (13) East stable guard tower
- (13) West stable guard tower
- (14) Gate tower
- (4) barracks (after burning)
- (17) behind main house guard rooms (after guards are gone)
Baby form
STR 10, DEX 16, WIL 6, 4hp, Armour 1, 2d4 Claws, d6 Bite, very fast.
Elusive: climbs walls, 4-in-6 chance to hide in shadows perfectly.
Magic Resistance: 1-in-10 chance to resist a spell effect.
Regeneration: 1hp at the start of each turn, 1 Ability Score point each hour.
Young form
STR 13, DEX 14, WIL 7, 6hp, Armour 2, 2d6 Claws, d8 Bite, fast.
Elusive: climbs walls, 2-in-6 chance to hide in shadows perfectly.
Magic Resistance: 2-in-10 chance to resist a spell effect.
Regeneration: 2hp at the start of each turn, 2 Ability Score points each hour.
Adult form
STR 16, DEX 12, WIL 8, 8hp, Armour 3, 2d8 Claws, d10 Bite.
Egg Implant: on dealing Damage to STR Score, has a 1-in-4 chance to implant an egg (3 months gestation).
Stunning Croak (1/day): all within medium area must pass a STR Save or be stunned for the next turn.
Magic Resistance: 3-in-10 chance to resist a spell effect.
Regeneration: 3hp at the start of each turn, 3 Ability Score points each hour.
NPCs ↩
Guard
STR 11, 2hp, Armour 1 (mail shirt), Sword (d6), Crossbow (d6).
Jacob Nazakak (owner)
STR 13, DEX 15, 4hp, cudgel (d6, 2h), crossbow (d6), throwing knives (d4), Warrior 1 (bonus d4 weapon Damage).
- Very ugly, dour, rude, and taciturn.
- "One shilling spends like another, no matter whose pocket it's from."
- Suspicious of everyone and everything.
Guntra and Hlutwulf (barbarians)
STR 12, 3hp, Armour 1 (hide), spear (d6), battle axe (d8), dagger (d6).
- Arrived late last night, carrying an ill friend.
- Silent, suspicious, and ill at ease among so many strangers.
Shahath, Terth, and Xavick (fur trappers)
2hp, knife (d6).
- Arrived early this morning, fleeing the storm.
- Intend to sit out the blizzard, then continue on their way.
- Their furs, pelts, and hunting gear are locked in one of the storage rooms (5).
- Their three pack mules are in the stable (6).
- Cordial and polite if treated likewise.
- Talk mostly among themselves about fur prices and plans for the future.
Gaylord Hightor (ranger)
STR 15, DEX 14, WIL 14, 3hp, Armour 1 (leather), sword (d6), longbow (d6), throwing knives (d4), Sharpshooter.
- Young ranger without a permanent home, wanders from forest to forest.
- Calm, competent, and patient hunter.
- Friendly, but remains silent for long periods of time.
Drenla Ers
DEX 15, WIL 9, 4hp, dagger (d6), quarterstaff (d6), Mystic 2.
Spell Tome (^ - signature spell, * - prepared spell):
C: arcane mark, detect magic, light
1: feather fall, grease, magic missile, obscuring mist*, shield^, shocking grasp
2: flaming sphere^, pyrotechnics, web*
- Intelligent but incompetent and trigger-happy mystic.
- Has no talent for the quarterstaff, but believes it makes him look wise.
- When fighting with a quarterstaff often hits everything except an opponent, nevertheless sees himself as quite the mystic-warrior.
Highlanders
For the ItDR conversion, to better match the setting, I've changed orc tribesmen to highlanders.
Chief Tonazk (highlander chief)
STR 16, DEX 9, WIL 12, 3hp, Armour 2 (mail + shield), broad sword (d6/d8), dagger (d6).
- Cunning highlander who tends to think more than he talks.
- Haughty, arrogant, and self-centred, but not stupid.
- Anyone seeking an audience, must deal with his bodyguards first:
"Who dares seek the presence of the mighty chief Tonazk Troll-killer, ruler of the Kagazh clan, leader of the council of the Nine Tribes, and Terror of the Trolls."
Kazickerk and Ax (chief's bodyguards)
STR 16, 3hp, Armour 2 (mail and shield), broad sword (d6/d8), spear (d6/d8), dagger (d6).
- Do as they are told and are not allowed to get into personal fights without permission.
- Will cooperate, if commanded to do so by their chief. Otherwise, they remain aloof and do not mingle with the other travellers.
- Must protect the chief at the cost of their lives.
- One is always outside the chief's door while Tonazk sleeps.
- If the chef is killed, will leave by the fastest possible means to escape the tribe.
One-armed Ubbi (cook)
STR 8, 1hp, knife (d6).
- Was once a ship's cook and lost his left arm in a shipboard fire.
- Boring old man who regales anyone who will listen with long-winded tales of his seafaring exploits.
- Not a coward, but realizes his limitations in a fight.
- Does not willingly join in or seek any form of combat.
Begley (servant)
2hp, Healer 1.
- Cheerful, stout-hearted little chap.
- Pilgrim survived the attack by the bandits and stumbled on Jacob's Well.
- Works as a servant and part-time guard (paid 1s/month).
- Desires to return to his people, but can't afford the escort.
Locations ↩
5. Storage and Armory
- rent is 5p/week, or 1s/week with a lock
- one space is filled with coal for use in the smithy [6], unworked metal bars and pieces of iron (for horseshoes or repairing armour), small keg of lamp oil, hammers, tongs, and other metal-working tools
- one cubicle is locked and has a cowbell nailed to the door for the alert. It contains fort's armory (mostly from the dead guests):
- Armour:
- 5 leather armour sets (Armour 1)
- 3 shields (Armour +1)
- Ranged:
- 3 throwing axes (d4)
- 3 hunting bows (d4)
- 1 longbow (d6)
- a box of arrows (~50)
- 4 crossbows (d6)
- a box of crossbow bolts (~100)
- Martial Melee:
- 1 battle axe (d6/d8)
- 6 clubs (d6)
- 12 daggers (d6)
- 3 maces (d6/d8)
- 1 scimitar (d6, 1h)
- 7 spears (d6/d8)
- 2 swords (d6/d8)
- 1 two-handed sword (d8, 2h)
- Armour:
6. Stable and Smithy
- use of the stable and smithy costs 5p/day
- coal and iron: 1p/use
- rent of hammer and tongs: 1p/day
8. Main Hall
Behind the bar are hidden:
- two cocked and loaded crossbows (d6)
- cocked and loaded heavy crossbow (d8) with a large board (acts as a cover: Armour +1)
- three large tankards with 10 crossbow bolts each
- large kudgel (d6)
27. Jacob's Treasury
large locked strongbox (the lock is trapped with a poison needle: pass a STR Save or become weak and incapacitated, STR drops to 3 for 2d4 days):
- 220s in assorted coins
- assorted jewelry (no more than 10g total)
- 10 gems (1g each)
- two Tomes taken from the dead Mystics (each containing 4–5 1st and 2nd Circle Spells)
small iron-bound wooden chest (locked but not trapped):
- important papers, such as various contracts with shippers, adventuring companies, fur traders, etc.
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