The updated version of my Dungeon World adaptation of the classic AD&D module “The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh” has now been uploaded.
You can get it free at the link below or on RPGNow soon (the file hasn’t gone live yet). It’s called ‘The Haunting of Highcliffe’. #dungeonworld
Nice! I’ll take a watch!
What you have here is a beautiful thing. I have ran this module successfully with the Hero system…with moderate success using Shadow Sword and Spell, but I fell flat with Dungeon World.
I made some modifications that primed the players to the thought that the house was really haunted:
The land was purchased 30 years ago by a minor Keolandish noble Milgry Tsaulf. Rather standoffish and rarely seen he brought to his home some servants of Oman origin, with a prominent one heavily tatooed, Nasfatu. A few of them spoke Keolandish in a broken manner and would come to town from time to time to purchase supplies.
Milgry seriously pursued occultish knowledge and fancied himself a becoming a wizard of renown. Nasfatu provide him the contact s to purchase illicit drugs as well as various tomes. In the midst of a ritual, Milgry miscalculated and the summoned being destroyed both him and the servants in the room. Nasfatu, however was spared because of his quick reflexes. He ran to town to tell the townspeople of the tragedy that occurred. Even in his agitated state and poor language skills the townspeople understood something bad happened at the estate. Hastening to the spot the bodies of the Milgry and the servants were not found (since they were in a secret room underneath the house). Some bone-chilling shrieks were heard, but the was no sign of struggle.
With pangs of guilt, horror and shame Nasfatu left undetected, seeking a way back home, not to be seen again until a few years later when his body washed ashore.
On his way home he boarded a ship and described to the crew the situation. They, with their connections to the Sea Barons, realized that this provided a perfect cover for their smuggling operation. Given that the people of Saltmarsh were a superstitious lot to begin with, they devised a scheme to make use of the conditions.
They started with murdering Nasfatu, throwing him aboard with the intent that he would wash ashore.
They, via the cover of land merchants, started rumors seeing things at the abandoned house.
They killed animals (breaking necks) an strew the bodies along the perimeter of the property.
They would light lanterns at odd times during the night.
They would play shrill foreign [Olman] instruments to imitate unearthly shrieks.
Their persistence paid off and over the coarse of a few months people stopped traveling along that particular road, creating a bypass. Bad things that happened to people were attributed to that mansion. The fields (what could be called fields) would remain fallow as no workers could be found to work there.
I did put a phial of Black Lotus into the desk of one of the rooms….for good and entertaining effects.
Phial of black lotus
Inhale – Defy Danger +INT
Character inhaling the powder will suffer significant an horrifying visions. A failing throw will result in madness which will slowly fade. A partial success gains (1) one benefit but with madness or gaining the notice of extra dimensional being. A full success gains a two benefits without too much after-affect other than being unconscious
* Gain sprout lore into some mystic area
* Find a creature roaming the dark pathways..and perhaps gain control over it.
* +1 forward for the rest of the adventure on magic rolls
I’m intrigued by the format. You have Impending Dooms and Grim Portents for the Fronts, but not the Dangers? The Dangers seem to be limited to just a single person?
No, the dangers are the smugglers’ leader, the house itself, and the Viper (the smugglers’ ship)
Ah, I meant to say each Danger is a single person? Or are all of those together meant to comprise a single Danger?
No, each is more of a broad, unified threat comprised of separate elements.
So, the leader is a danger, but within that danger are all the other smugglers’ working for him. I could have defined that danger as “the smugglers” but I see the leader as the real threat since he’s the brains behind the operation – the others simply minions. They’re adversaries.
The house is also a danger, an environmental one. Encompassed in it are some creatures who’ve taken up residence, left over traps, and the mindless illusions that the leader has put in place.
The Viper represents a danger in the form of people (i.e., the crew), but also environment (i.e., falling from the rigging or overboard). I’ve not assigned the dangers a type from the list since they’re either obvious (e.g., the house is a “cursed place”) or they don’t fit well (e.g., the ship doesn’t really fit any of those described in the book well). Ultimately though that’s up to the individual GM to do anyway since he/she likely will have some sort of opinion on what form they should take.