ALÖNE IN THE CROWD contains everything you need to integrate city-

crawls – as well as town, village, and hamlet crawls – into your SÖLITARY
DEFILEMENT sessions. You may just be passing through a homestead while
travelling, or you may be involved in a quest taking you to various locales in a
sprawling metropolis. Either way, ALÖNE IN THE CROWD will provide you
with all the encounters, shops, and terrifying random events that you need to
guide your character toward their inevitable fate. Steal from museums, enter a
pig-wrestling contest, make some dodgy deals in the bathhouse, and when
you’re done, perhaps find absolution at a forgotten shrine, or oblivion at the
bottom of a tankard.

While ALÖNE IN THE CROWD provides comprehensive Oracles to support

your wanderings through the cities of the Dying Land, remember that these
are just guidance. Oracles like Unexpected Event and Gathering have some
stock suggestions and illustrative mechanics, but you may think of something
even better once your session is flowing. If you seek further inspiration,
remember that the Oracles for Sounds and Odours & Tastes in SÖLITARY
DEFILEMENT (SD) can sometimes prompt the most unexpected ideas!

Consider also that both the city and the wider world are persistent. If a hunting
party passed you by without incident, remember that they are still out there!
Perhaps next time you fail the City Crawl move, you may encounter them
rounding back on their prey – or seeking a new quarry for their sport!

As a rule-of-thumb, movement from street-to-street takes 5 minutes: useful to

know when you are hemorrhaging and attempting to ask horrified passers-by
the way to the nearest doctor.

So, how do you find towns, cities, and other settlements in a SÖLITARY
DEFILEMENT session? The following suggestions might help:

First, you could sketch out an adventure that takes place in a city. The
Chalice of Ruin, included in section VII of this supplement, provides a
possible template. You could alternatively start with an adventure spark and
single objective or milestone. For example, your quest might revolve around
stealing a ship harboured in the river: the first objective could be to find the
tavern where the crew-members drink. The next objective might depend on
how encounters at the tavern play out.
   2.    
If you are starting a campaign game, you may decide to begin at a settlement
as a prelude to adventure – providing an evocative background, and helping
you gather equipment or seek further information before setting out to meet
your fate. Alternatively, visiting a city or settlement might be a milestone:
perhaps you need to travel several days to a town and stock up on a specific
alchemical item as part of a larger narrative?

Settlements can also be discovered by chance. For each day travelling there
is a 1-in-8 chance that a settlement is discovered: consult the Settlement
Size, Settlement Name, and Settlement Descriptor Oracles, along with the
SD Geographical Features Oracle to get an idea of what it is like.

Finally, you may encounter a village when foraging (see Roads to Damnation/
Feretory: 3-8). If you choose to explore a village discovered this way, it
consists of either a d8+3 Dérive, or a d4 Micro-Crawl.

There are three ways to use ALÖNE IN THE CROWD to wander the doomed
and darkened streets – although you may also come up with others.

MICRO-CRAWL
As in SÖLITARY DEFILEMENT, you can make a Micro-Crawl when you need
to quickly move through a terrain en-route to some other objective. In this
instance, roll a d4 to find out how many streets need to be navigated. Next,
use the Street Descriptors Oracle (optionally rolling exits for extra flavour) to
find out what the streets contain. City Micro-Crawls can also be recorded on
the standard SÖLITARY DEFILEMENT Micro-Crawls worksheet.

   3.    
DÉRIVE
If you encounter a settlement and just wish to aimlessly wander around to see
what happens, then you may undertake a Dérive. Consult the Settlement Size
Oracle to find out how many streets the settlement contains and start a tally to
keep track of how many streets you have visited. Use the City Crawl Move
with a DR of 10 to explore the settlement, mapping as you go: both Strong
Hits and Weak Hits are treated the same way, and indicate that you should
generate a street with the Street Descriptors Oracle. Once you have reached
the end of the tally you find yourself at the edge of the settlement.

CITY CRAWL
A fully-fledged City Crawl is similar to the Dungeon Crawl in SÖLITARY
DEFILEMENT. The suggested DR for most City Crawls is 10. Instead of
‘Special Rooms’, you will seek Objectives: these are specific places you need
to visit in order to complete the adventure (see Chalice of Ruin for an
example of this). Use the City Crawl Move to explore the streets, reaching an
Objective on a Strong Hit. You can keep track of both Dérives and City-Crawls
on the printable City-Crawl Worksheet.

   4.    
CITY CRAWL
City DR vs 2d20. City Crawls do not use modifiers based on number of
Objectives reached. Use Get Directions to increase your chances of finding an
Objective.
Strong Hit: Reach the next Objective (- see Weak Hit if all Objectives met).
Weak Hit: Roll a new street using the Street Descriptors Oracle (p.15).
Fail: Something prevents you leaving. If you are stuck for inspiration, use a
simple Yes/No Oracle, or roll d4:
1-2 – NPC Encounter
3 – Environmental Hazard
4 – Unexpected Event
Resolve the encounter and then roll a new street.

GET DIRECTIONS
DR12 Presence vs 2d20. Use this Move to help you reach Objectives or find
specific destinations (e.g. shops, buildings, NPCs, or other locations).
Strong Hit: Something (a sound? smell? graffiti?) indicates a likely way
forward. Add +4 to your next City Crawl move if you are seeking an Objective.
Alternatively, add the particular destination you seek to the contents on the
next street generated.
Weak Hit: You ask a nearby NPC. Make a 2d6 Reaction roll:
2-3 – Attacks
4-6 – Ignores you
7-8 – Indifferent: +d2 to next City Crawl, or find destination in d4 streets
9+ Helpful: +d4 to next City Crawl, or find destination in d2 streets
Fail: You’ve got no idea, and no one else is any help.

PRAY
DR14 Presence vs 2d20. Add the following modifier to your roll:
Statue +0; Shrine +1; Tomb +1; Chapel +2; Church +2; Cathedral +3
The advice below is generic: even better would be to adapt the result to the
particular saint or deity that the place is dedicated to.
Strong Hit: d4: 1 – Healed (+d4 HP) 2 – Blessed (+1 Omen)
3 – Inspired (+1 Power) 4 – Gnostic Flare (+1 to random stat)
Weak Hit: Nothing: I guess the saints really are dead, after all.
Fail: d6: 1 – An Arcane Catastrophe rewards your insolence
2 – A plague is visited upon you (become infected)
3-6 – No response

   5.    
STASH ITEM
DR10 Omens vs 2d20. You may need to stash items you cannot carry, and
then hope they stay safe. Use this Move when you return to retrieve them:
Strong Hit: A great hiding place! The items are still there when you return.
Weak Hit: d6: 1-2 – You find several items missing (1-in-2 chance per item)
3-4 – Items damaged by water, damp, etc. 1-in-2 chance of
reducing armour & weaponry one tier, scrolls becoming
unreadable, food spoiling, etc.
5-6 – You surprise an NPC trying to carry your loot away!
Fail: Your items are missing – or scattered around and broken.

ANIMALS (d8, check Reactions)

1 – Stock Creature (SD: 9) 5 – d2 Dogs (4 HP, d4 Bite)
2 – d2 Monkeys (Core: 19) 6 – Horse (6 HP, d6 Kick)
3 – d2 Cats (3 HP, d4 bite) 7 – d2 Pigs (3 HP, d2 Trotters)
4 – Spider-owl (5 HP, d4 bite, DR14 to 8 – Region-Specific Creature
defend). Can climb and glide. (See Eat Prey Kill)

CIVIC BUILDINGS (d6)

1– Bathhouse: 4s to enter. Encounter d4 NPCs and roll Reactions +2. Helpful
NPCs may side with you against unfriendly ones, join you, or sell
wares/services appropriate to their profession. DR8 Toughness or pick up
an infection while inside.
2– Library: d10+5s to enter. Inside roll d2 books or manuscripts from the
Notable Artefacts Oracle and d2 Scrolls. Each item is DR12 Agility or
Presence to steal. Face d4 Guards if you fail (see NPC Encounters #54).
3– Museum: d20+10s to enter. Inside roll d2 Notable Artefacts & d2
Tenebrous Relics. Each item is DR15 Agility each to steal. Face d6 Guards if
you fail (see NPC Encounters #54).
4– Jail: If you can break in, or bribe a guard (d100+50s) you can undertake a
d4 Micro-Crawl. The final room is a cellblock with d4 imprisoned NPCs (use
SD core rules to generate NPCs, check Reactions +3).
5– Zoo: d4 random animals from Eat Prey Kill. Housed in either rickety wooden
cages or iron-barred cells. Animals can be tamed with rations and liberated
if you have the right tools, but face d2+1 guards (NPC Encounters #54) if
you want to get out!
6– City Gate: 1-in-2 chance of being open, 1-in-2 chance of being guarded by
d4 guards (NPC Encounters #54). Reactions (d6): 1 – Attack; 2 – Angry; 3-6
– Indifferent.

Note that in all Oracles there is a difference between NPCs (rolled using the Oracle in
SD: 12), and NPC Encounters (rolled using the Oracle on pages 13-14 in this book).

   6.    
FESTIVALS (2d10)
The Festival of 1– Skeletal Flagellation
2– Flaming Corpses
3– Murmuring Bones
4– Singing Stars
5– Ecstatic Priests
6– Nocturnal Relics
7– Infernal Curses
8– Buried Scythes
9– Whirling Galaxies
10 – Fevered Prophecy

When attending a festival, you might also ask how long it lasts and what the climax is.
Do participants reach an ecstatic peak, provoking supernatural phenomena? Does the
festival process to the outskirts of the settlement to exhume and play the Singing
Scythes? What happens then?

GATHERINGS (d6)
1– Funeral procession (d2): 1 – Scvm mourners; 2 – Noble mourners. A perfect
crowd to vanish into – or indulge in a spot of pocket-picking?
2– Ritual: Check the SD Religious Denomination and Yes or No Oracles to
determine whether the ritualists are friendly or not.
3– Contest (d4): 1 – Pig Wrestling (Strength); 2 – Axe Juggling (Agility);
3 – Chess (Presence): 4 – Glass-eating (Toughness). The champion’s DR is
12+your relevant stat modifier. Roll 2d20 vs DR: Strong Hit: Win a prize (use
Searching Strong Hit result); Weak Hit: You don’t quite make the grade but
an admirable attempt; Fail: Something goes wrong and d2 NPCs take
offence.
4– Spectacle (d4): 1 – Acrobats; 2 – Speaker; 3 – Puppet show;
4 – Musician. Make a donation – perhaps even persuade them to join you or
give you a lesson in their specialty.
5– Festival: Roll on the Festivals and SD Crowd Size Oracles. If you wander
through the throng, the festival contains either a contest (#3, above) or
Spectacle (#4, above), and d2 NPC Encounters.
6– Rioting Mob: Roll 2d20 vs Presence: Strong Hit: Pass through without
trouble; Weak hit: Roll once on d2 table below; Fail: Roll on d2 table below,
doubling the number of NPCs rolled.
d2: 1 – Encounter d4 Drunks (NPC Encounters #12); 2 – Evade the riot police
(use Flee from Combat vs d2 Guards – NPC Encounters #54).

   7.    
HAZARDS (d6)
1– Overturned carriage: Use a simple Yes/No Oracle to determine why it was
overturned, and whether the driver is still present. If looting, use the
Searching Move, repeating a Strong or Weak Hit outcome d4 times.
2– Roadblock: Manned by d20 guards. Set up to capture someone or
something? Or to barricade someone or something in?
3– Collapsed road: The has road collapsed into an old sewer, mine, cave, or
abyss. Work out a way across, backtrack, or Micro-Crawl underground to
emerge at another street.
4– Spiked wall/fence: Use simple Yes/No Oracle to work out why it is has been
erected. The SD Buildings and Structures Oracle may also help you
determine its purpose and construction.
5– Fallen building: Rubble spills across the street from a collapsed building.
Possible suggestions: avoid falling masonry (DR14 Agility/d4 damage);
Search the rubble; enter the building (d2 Micro-Crawl).
6– Environmental Hazard: Use SD Sounds and/or Odours & Tastes Oracles to
determine a hazard, for example: noxious gas or ever-burning fire seeping
from below; cursed winds blowing from the nearby moor; a slippery, blood-
soaked shambles…

HOLY PLACES (d4 villages and smaller; d6 cities and larger)

1 – Statue 4 – Chapel
2 – Shrine 5 – Church
3 – Tomb 6 – Cathedral (- has a vault: d4 Micro-Crawl if entered)

Use the last two columns of the SD Religious Denominations oracle to find out who
or what the holy place is dedicated to. Chapels, churches, and cathedrals are staffed –
use the SD Yes or No Oracle to determine whether the denomination views you as a
true believer or a heretic.

INTERIOR LOCATIONS (d4 hovel / d8 townhouse / d12 mansion)

1 – Hallway 7 – Balcony/Terrace/Rooftop/Dovecote
2 – Store/Pantry 8 – Study/Library
3 – Dining Area/Kitchen 9 – Great Hall
4 – Bedroom/Quarters 10 – Music Room/Observatory/Lab
5 – Atrium/Stairway 11 – Chapel/Shrine
6 – Reception Room/Drawing Room 12 – Armoury/Workshop

MERCHANT DISPOSITIONS (2d6+Presence)

0-3 – “No service for your kind!” 8-9 – All items at price
4-5 – All items 2x the price 10-11 – All items 10% off
6-7 – All items 1.5x price 12+ – All items 25% off!

Attempting to threaten or persuade a merchant (e.g. DR12 Presence vs 2d20) can shift
their disposition to the next favourable band on a Strong Hit. A Fail shifts the
disposition to the next unfavourable band. A Weak Hit means it stays at the same
band.
   8.    
NOTABLE ARTEFACTS
Type (d4) Concerning/Depicting (d12)
1 Book 1 Plants & fungi (+2 Presence to identify weird flora)
2 Manuscript 2 HER Blasphemous Gospel (+d4 when using Powers)
3 Nechrubel Bible (Core: 55)
4 Sacred Death (Becomes a random Sacred Scroll each morning)
5 Diabolic Debauchery (As above, but for Unclean Scrolls)
6 Boiling Blood (Core: 51)
7 Ascetic Praxis (+2 when Praying)
8 Fatalistic Divination (+1 Omen per day)
9 Roads of the Dying Land (Reduce travel time by d4 days)
10 Dream Gates (d2 Micro-Crawl nightly – wake if reduced to 0HP.
Wake to discover any items etc found if you survive.)
11 Apocalyptic Survivalism (+2 when Camping)
12 Infernal Topography (optional +d2 when Dungeon Crawling)
3 Picture 1 A tree with a Giant Goat (+1 Agility)
4 Sculpture 2 A battle with a Pallid Skull (+1 Toughness)
3 A life-study of a Screaming Basilisk (+2 Power) *
4 A cave with a Exiled Sinner (+1 Omen) *
5 The limb of a Wretched Noble (+1 Presence)
6 A bound and Forgotten Monk (+1 Power) *
7 Dismemberment of a Twisted Hound (+2 HP)
8 The face of a Decaying Goblin (+2 defend)
9 Landscape with a Burning Soldier (+2 attack)
10 A cursed and Dancing Youth (+d2 Strength)
11 Burning town and Unremarkable King (+2 Presence)
12 A fruit tree and a Hypnotic Spider (15 minutes
spider-owl powers) *
* Per day
Notable artefacts are worth 100+d100s.

To have the effect of a picture you need to consume a section of the canvas, reducing its worth
by half. Such modifiers are permanent. To have the effect of a sculpture you must be in
possession of it. Check its size using d2: 1 - Small (e.g. figurine or amulet), 2 - Large (-2 Agility).
Modifiers are lost when a book, manuscript, or sculpture is sold, lost, or broken.

SETTLEMENT DESCRIPTOR (d20)

1 – Shadowy/Blackened 11 – Tottering
2 – Crumbling/Ancient 12 – Seedy
3 – Sinking 13 – Squatting
4 – Cursed 14 – Brooding
5 – Isolated 15 – Sodden/Waterlogged
6 – Fortified 16 – Frozen/Fogbound
7 – Besieged 17 – Barren/Dusty
8 – Polluted/Mist-choked 18 – Declining/Forgotten
9 – Condemned 19 – Decaying
10 – Ruinous 20 – Pestilential/Infested

   9.    
SETTLEMENT NAME (d66)
11 – Ghast/Ghost Pit 41 – Night/Nacht Fell/Falls
12 – Blood/Blut Brae/Bray 42 – Dark/Mörk Dal/Dale
13 – Scar Borg/Berg 43 – Witch/Häxan Heath
14 – Hunds/Dog(’s) Cot(e)/Kut 44 – Goblin/Gnoum Caul
15 – Corpse/Lych Feld/Field 45 – Grey/Grå Hall/Hal(e)
16 – Old(en) Kirke 46 – Kniv/Knife Hill
21 – Nether/Never Stein/Stone 51 – Wretch(ed) Wood/Holt
22 – Ober/Unter Heim 52 – Gloom/Glum Spire
23 – Hell/Devil(’s) Moor/Mora 53 – Bone Gate
24 – Grave/Grav Beck 54 – Spittle/Spit Scythe
25 – Dead/Död Mere 55 – Grim/Grime Skull/Head
26 – Kur/Sar Gut 56 – Idol Ash/Ask
31 – Beggars Lees/Lys 61 – Gull’s Crypt
32 – Wraith/Wrat Dike/Dyk 62 – Wäst Peak/Näs
33 – Scum Gash 63 – Gallow(’s) Croft/Torp
34 – Rat/Pest Tor 64 – Candle/Kandul Wold
35 – Flayed/Flaying Kulle 65 – Salt Bridge/Brück
36 – Wolven Mark 66 – Wither(ed) Fort/Furt

Settlement Names are useful sparks for adventure ideas and additional colour. They
could suggest legends about the founding of the settlement, or things found within
them or in the area. What is the Dead Spire? What lies on the fields outside Idol Moor?
What are the traditions associated with the founding of Spittlescythe?

SETTLEMENT SIZE (d20)

1-5 Homestead (d2+1 streets)
6-10 Hamlet (d4+2 streets)
11-14 Village (d8+3 streets)
15-17 Town (d12+3 streets)
18-19 City Borough (d20+4 streets)
20 Metropolis (Almost endless – but use d20+20 for brevity!)

SPECIAL STRUCTURES (d4 villages and smaller; d6 towns and larger)

1-2 – Market (roll d4 Businesses)
3-4 – Holy Place
5-6 – Civic Building (town, city and metropolis only)

   10.    
TAVERNS (d4)
1– Seedy doss house: Stay the night for 1s: DR10 Toughness vs 2d20.
Strong Hit: +d6 HP. Regain Omens and Powers; Weak Hit: +d4 HP. Regain
Omens -1 and Powers -1; Fail: +d2 HP and infected.
2– Alewife’s Dwelling: Drink her ale for 1s: DR10 Toughness vs 2d20. Strong
Hit: +d4 HP, +1 Omen; Weak Hit: +d4 HP, -1 Presence for 4 hours; Fail:
Violent Hallucinations -2 Agility for 4 hours, then either: attack a random
companion/NPC, or DR12 Agility to avoid some sort of accident for -d4 HP.
3– Tavern: Has d4 NPCs (use SD NPC Oracle, roll Reactions+2 if you
approach one). Dried food can be restocked (1s). Use Grey Galth Inn
(Feretory: 54-5) for more flavour. Gamble: Place a bet, roll 3d6 – get back
double for a run or any pair, quadruple for three matches. 2-in-6 chance of
having to fight off a drunken gambler each time you win.
4– Inn: As Tavern, but with a room can be hired for d8+3s. Staying overnight
reduces the DR of a Resting move to 8.

Remember to roll Merchant Disposition for the proprietor or bar staff!

UNEXPECTED EVENTS (d6)

1– Escaped Animal: Use Animals Oracle (p.6).
2– Falling Object: DR12 Agility to avoid (d4):
1 – Masonry (d4 damage)
2 – Excrement (DR8 Toughness or infected)
3 – A corpse (d2 damage, can be plundered)
4 – Rotten animal carcass (d4 damage, d4 rations)
You could extend this encounter by seeking a source for the falling object.
3– Execution: d4 heretics, d6+2 fanatical executioners (roll on SD Religious
Denominations Oracle), and d20+20 crowd. Use Yes or No Oracle to
determine whether denomination is friendly. Encounter up to d4 SD NPCs if
you wander the crowd looking for trouble.
4– Plague Cart: Buy body parts (5s), or take up to d4 ‘lucky dips’ for 5+d6s
each (use a Searching Move with a +2 modifier). Beware of fleas, corpse
flies, rats, exploding pustules, and so on!
5– Hunting Party: Chasing an escaped animal. The party consists of (d2):
1 – d4+1 Scum 2 – d4+1 Nobles
Use Animals Oracle to determine their quarry. DR12 Agility vs 2d20 to leap
out of the way. Weak Hit: Take a glancing blow (-d2 HP); Fail: -d2 HP & one
hunter dismounts to “teach you a not to get in our way.”
6– Collapse: Something suddenly gives way and collapses: the street or
bridge beneath your feet? The tunnel that you are passing under? A
tottering slum building? Consider making a DR14 Presence or Agility check
vs 2d20. Additional guidance can be found on the Collapsed Road and
Fallen Building entries of the Hazards Oracle.

   11.    
BUSINESSES (d20)
1 Apothecary/Herbmaster 2 Blacksmith
Stocks d4 potions from the Occult Sells & repairs armour (Core: 25): Light 20s,
Herbmaster (Core: 56, d4 doses) 20s. Medium 100s, Heavy 200s, Shield 20s.
3 Taxidermist 4 Bookseller
Sell trophies for (HP x damage die x Has d2 Notable Books/Manuscripts, and
armour die) s. Head 50%, Limb 25%. d4 sacred or unclean scrolls for 50s each
5 Loan Shark 6 Tailor
Lends d6 times the amount of silver you Fine clothes, costumes, and disguises: 5s to
have… but you must pay it back next 100s. Spider-silk gloves, masks, veils, etc:
time you roll a City Crawl Move that 50s. May help to staunch bleeding by sewing
includes the number 1 wounds.
7 Amateur Dentist 8 Cunning Person
Fang repair (15s); Tooth sharpening Defixione (80s: bury it in the ground - anyone
(10s: d4 bite for non-Fanged Deserter); walking over it tests DR14 Toughness or
Fang implants (100s: d6 bite for non- suffers Arcane Catastrophe); Poppet (80s:
Fanged Deserter). For any procedure, can be made in the form of a person or
test Toughness DR14 or sustain d4 creature: +2 to attack & defend against that
damage from bleeding. creature).
9 Stables 10 Jeweller
Horse (80s); Donkey (10s); Horse Buy and sell jewels, as well as gold and silver
Powder (25s, charm any animal, 1 use). trinkets.
11 Gunsmith 12 Butcher
See the MBC Blackpowder Weapons Dried meats (rations), wet meats, offal, etc
supplement for firearms and prices. 1s. Fancy meats 3s. Will buy corpses.
13 Inventor 14 Grocer
70s: can combine two items - including Dried mushrooms (1s, provides 2 dried food,
organic ones - to create new hybrids 1-in-4 chance of hallucinations); Algae flakes
that give a +1 modifier to some ability (2s, +1 HP when added to meal); Accursed
(e.g. knife glove: +1 to attack, lich eye Rhubarb (10s, DR10 to use Powers for one
staff: +1 Power). day).
15 Piss Prophet 16 Gymnasium
Decocts urine into potions. They are 2s to enter. Encounter d2 NPCs – use SD
only effective for the person whose NPC Oracle & roll Reactions. Helpful NPCs
urine is used. Aqua Vitae (20s, +d10 may join you/sell wares/services appropriate
HP); Uric Vigour (35s, +1 to all to their profession. Others are spoiling for a
attributes for 1 day); Pick-me-up (15s, fight. Train: Roll higher than DR12+Strength
+d2 Omens). on d20, +1 Strength on success.
17 Mortician/Undertaker 18 Doctor / Barber-Surgeon
Coffin (30s), Embalming Fluid (15s, Staunch bleeding (5s); Heal 1 HP (3s); Cure
highly flammable - d4 rounds of d6 infection (10s); Medicine Box (15s);
damage if ignited), Bone Saw (10s, Amputation (50s); Transplant (90s). Use DR14
d4+1), Reclaimed prosthetics (4s, glass Toughness vs 2d20 to see how well
eyes, wooden limbs). transplants and amputations go.
19 Tanner 20 Confectioner
Sells –d2 leather armour (15s), or -1 Boiled sweets (2s); Berserker’s Honey (15s,
shields (20s). Buys trophies/hides (see two attacks per round for one combat
Taxidermist, above). encounter: DR10 to hit, DR13 to defend).
Remember to check Merchant Disposition Oracle when engaging businesses.

   12.    
NPC ENCOUNTERS (d66)
11 d4 Debt Collectors 12 d4 Drunks
If you owe a loan shark, pay up +20%, Reactions -4. Pay them off w/ 1s each or
otherwise 1-in-4 chance they mistake some booze: otherwise things might get
you for a debtor owing d100+50s. fraught.
13 Musician 14 Toy-Maker
d4: 1) Tuneless Minstrel; 2) Street Reactions +2. Sells two cursed toys (d4): 1)
Singer (gain news and rumours from Snapping Fangs (d4 bite); 2) Flaming Basilisk
their song); 3) Troubadour (20s for a (d4+1 sparks); 3) Gnoum Archer (d4 arrows);
song that acts as a Sacred Scroll); 4) 4) Dancing Goblin (distraction, +2 DR for d2
Cursed Soloist (Infernal Instrument combat rounds). 40s each. Need winding to
d6+2, DR14 Toughness or transfixes use: character winding misses their round,
hearers for one combat round). toys 1-3 attack for duration of combat.
15 Prophet 16 Guide
d6: 1-2) Lonely Flagellant; 3-5) Upstart For 10s will take you to end of a Micro-Crawl,
Heretic (2d4 followers); 6) Cult Leader to the next Objective, or to a place/
(d10+10 followers). Looking for business... or (1-in-4 chance) try to take you
followers – or unbelievers to persecute. down a quiet alley and cut your throat.
21 Miserable Bastard 22 Assassin
Assign a random PC class to an NPC. HP 6 Morale 10 Dagger d4 Crossbow d8
Allocate special abilities/items. Roll Depending on Reaction may be looking for a
other stats as if they were a regular contract… or looking for you! Lurks in
NPC (see below). shadows: -2 Initiative if entering combat.
23 Soldier 24 Beggar
HP 5 Morale d12 Falchion d6 Leather Reaction +3 if you give money or food. d4: 1-
Armour –d4. Reaction modifiers (d4): 1) 2) Holds a sign; 3) d2 pet Mongrels (Core: III);
Deserter +2; 2) Unemployed +4; 3) Off- 4) Cursed tongue (DR14 Presence or Arcane
duty ±0; 4) Malcontent -3. Catastrophe if you do not give alms).
25 Local Hard Case 26 Wounded Person
HP 6 Morale 10 Broken Bottle d4 d4: 1 - Beaten, 2- Crushed, 3 - Stabbed, 4-
Scarred Skin –d2. Looking for a fight: Burned. Who or what injured them?
-5 to Reaction roll. They have 1 HP. Reaction +3 if aided.
31 Flâneur 32 Pickpocket
A noble idler with nothing to do but DR14 Presence vs 2d20: Strong Hit: You
drink and walk. On Reaction of 7+ will catch the pickpocket in the act; Weak Hit:
direct you to the nearest tavern (add a You realise the scam too late: lose one item,
tavern to the next new street), or give but the rogue is still in firing range! Fail: You
you +3 to your next City Crawl move. are an easy mark – lose one item.
33 Junk Collector 34 Diseased Host
Offers up to d4 items from d100 Infected by goblinism, zombism, plague, or
Trinkets for d6s each. parasite. Cure them, or avoid them!
35 Flea Trainer 36 Lost Soul
If friendly will sell a trained flea for 3s. It Afflicted by d2 Arcane Catastrophes. They
is trained to do one task appropriate to could be a useful ally, a liability, or a
its size. formidable opponent.
   

   13.    
 41 Fugitive 42 Hand for Hire
Depending on Reaction, may either join Roll d4 on the Outcast Followers table (Core:
you, fear being reported, or attack in 70-71). Roll Reactions+3. If you promise to
desperation. HP 4 Morale 5 Dagger d4 fulfill their demands, they will accompany
Cloth Armour -d2. you. Test their Morale daily if you cannot.
43 Organ Grinder & Dancing Animal 44 Grave-Robber
Roll on the Animals Oracle to see what Offers d4 Corpse Plunder items (d4s each).
is chained and doggedly shuffling to the May know location of a tomb. To help them
organ’s broken reeds. The plunder it, use d4 Micro-Crawl or DR6
animal/prisoner is relatively tame – dungeon crawl. Find d2 Occult
although the organ grinder might not Treasures/Tenebrous Relics in last chamber.
be.
45 Servant 46 Mugger
Reaction +2. d2: 1) On an errand; 2) d2: 1) Approaches you in the street – the
Returning from errand. Roll on interaction quickly turns nasty; 2) Attempts to
Businesses Oracle: may direct or bludgeon you from behind: DR12 Toughness
accompany you to the business, which to shake off the blow, otherwise begin
is d2 streets away. combat with Initiative to mugger.
51 Pilgrim 52 d4+2 Gamblers
d2: 1) Votive charms (5s, leave at holy See gambling rules (Taverns #3/Grey Galth
places for +3 when Praying); 2) Holds a Inn). They are all distracted by their game,
Tenebrous Relic: will not part with it. unless you join them.
53 Demonologist 54 d4 Guards
If friendly will sell an imp sealed in a ring
HP 5 Morale 8 Falchion d6 Leather Armour
for 75s. Once daiiy it will (d4): 1) Bring –d4. DR7 Presence vs 2d20: Strong Hit:
you d20s; 2) Cast one random unclean They pass by; Weak Hit: Question you
power (without fail); 3) Possess any suspiciously; Fail: Attempt to arrest you: talk
creature for d10 minutes; 4) Appear as your way out, flee, fight, or submit!
mongrel (Core: III) for one combat NB: Increase DR to 14 if the law is already
encounter. seeking you!
55 Fence 56 Poet
+3 to Reactions roll. Has d2 weapons d4: 1) A useless scribbler; 2) Sublime Artist
for sale at 50% list price. After buying (knows d2 Sacred Powers); 3) Gothic Hellion
roll d4: 1) Weapon is a useless replica; (knows d2 Unclean powers); 4) Rhetorician
2-3) Weapon is ok; 4) Weapon is high (+2 on relevant Presence checks). Poets use
quality: +1 to attack and to damage. Powers without fail once per day: when
attacking PC will use Powers immediately.
61 – 66 Roll on Sölitary Defilement NPC table

Unless otherwise stated, NPCs have: d6 HP, d12 Morale, d2 armour (1: no armour, 2:
-d2 armour), d4 damage (1: d2, 2-3: d4, 4: d6).

Don’t forget to check Reactions unless otherwise stated. Remember: almost-friendly

and helpful NPCs could potentially become new allies: consider rolling DR12 Presence
vs 2d20 when trying to persuade an almost-friendly NPC. Use the Yes or No Oracle or
simple Yes/No questions to answer any particular queries (e.g. “Can the Cursed
Soloist give away their instrument?” Yes, but…).

   14.    
 STREET DESCRIPTORS

STREET ADJECTIVE (d20)

1 – Filthy 11 – Dusty
2 – Affluent 12 – Cobbled
3 – Forgotten 13 – Smoky
4 – Sodden 14 – Dark
5 – Flooded 15 – Ascending
6 – Decaying 16 – Descending
7 – Abandoned 17 – Icy/Frosty
8 – Ruined 18 – Broken
9 – Boarded-up 19 – Twisting
10 – Desolate 20 – Subsiding

STREET TYPE (d12)

1 – Alley 7 – Tunnel
2 – Lane 8 – Bridge
3 – Street 9 – Arcade
4 – Highway 10 – Undercroft
5 – Plaza/Square 11 – Terrace
6 – Terrace 12 – Yard

STREET EXITS (d4)

1 – Dead end 3 – Two exits/Junction
2 – One exit 4 – Three exits/Crossroads

STREET CONTENTS (d12 – roll d2 times for city & metropolis)

1 – A monster or dangerous creature
2 – Remains of something (a structure, object, a once-living thing?)
3 – Unexpected event
4 – A gathering
5 – Special structure
6 – Tavern
7 – Business
8-9 – NPC Encounter
10 – A hazard
11 – An object catches your eye
(Use Searching: Strong Hit result & Yes or No? to determine
whether object is lost, carried by NPC, trapped, guarded etc.)
12 – Looks empty...?

BACKTRACKING (d8)
1-5 – Nothing 6-7 – NPC 8 – Unexpected Event

   15.    
Using Scvmbirther and DNGNGEN, I came up with this scenario:

Belsum the Fanged Deserter dreams of the Wretched Crypt. Each

fevered night he sees himself called by some irresistible power into to
the wilds of Bergen Chrypt, and crossing over a silent threshold.

I decide that Belsum will start in a nearby village – waking there and
wandering its streets will form a prelude to the dungeon crawl. Using the
Settlement Name, Settlement Descriptor, Geographical Features (SD: 10)
and Weather (Core: i) Oracles, the following locale is conjured:

Roaring thunder wakes Belsum in his sparse digs at Ghastkut: a

decaying village on an outcrop at the edge of Bergen Chrypt. Belsum
stumbles down the stairs and out into the grimy streets – determined
to breach the Wretched Crypt this day.

This crawl will be in the Dérive format, with Belsum wandering a fixed number
of streets until he reaches the outskirts of the village – after which he will begin
the journey to the Wretched Crypt. A village contains d8+3 streets: I roll 5.

Using the Street Descriptors I roll up the first street: a cobbled yard, one exit,
and a monster or dangerous creature. I roll a d6 on the SD Stock Creatures
Oracle, since I don’t want to risk immediate death:

As Belsum descends from his lodging, toward a door that leads into
the cobbled courtyard, the barb-like hairs on the back of his neck
stiffen. Something is lurking outside. Through a dirty windowpane he
sees the edge of a bat-like wing. He puts his crumpled monster mask
over his face and kicks open the door…

Belsum fails the Initiative check: he forgets the door opens inward and alerts
the creature! The lurking Pale One sets upon him!

I check the Pale One’s specialty – it possesses Eyelid Blinds the Mind, but
fails to cast it, so Belsum takes a chunk out of its torso with his teeth. After a
further scuffle, Belsum fatally tears into the Pale One’s jugular. The question is
who sent the Pale One, and why? Engaging in a spot of Corpse Plundering,
Belsum finds a map to a place that cannot possibly exist: a strange-angled,
expressionist nightmare somewhere between dimensions.

   16.    
City Crawl DR10: 11, 6: Weak Hit: Decaying Lane, two exits, empty.

Belsum emerges into a damp, and all-but-forgotten lane. Aimless flies

wander and plaster crumbles from the walls, as Belsum chooses a
direction to move in, guided by the pull toward the Wretched Crypt.

City Crawl DR10: 12, 6: Weak Hit: Icy Street, 1 exits, NPC Encounter.

Consulting the NPC Encounters Oracle turns up #32 – Pickpocket. To add

some colour, I roll on the SD NPC Disposition Oracle: exiled/tragic. I take the
Presence check described in the Oracle (- Belsum has a -3 modifier):

GAM DR14 Presence: 17-3, 10-3: Weak Hit

A ragged figure emerges from a shadowy nook, telling a tale of tragic

loss. Belsum is caught off guard for a moment, but snaps to attention
as the beggar has the audacity to suddenly tear the monster mask
from his face and run off down the lane with it. Belsum fires off a
crossbow bolt at the disappearing figure, but is wide of the mark. He
grunts a curse. His face is cold.

City Crawl DR10: 18, 5: Weak Hit: Descending Square, 2 exits, tavern.

Rolling on the Taverns Oracle reveals an Alewife’s Dwelling:

The lane opens into a small square, tilting downhill vertiginously. A

flash of lightning in the gloomy sky illuminates the telltale broom hung
above the door of an alewife’s dwelling. Thirsty after the morning’s
drama, Belsum sups a suspicious brew at the doorway.

GAM DR10 Toughness: 1, 18: Weak Hit: +d4 HP, -1 Presence for 4 hours

Perhaps Belsum is a lightweight drinker – or perhaps it’s the yew

tankard the ale is served in? Either way, it’s initially refreshing, but
quickly followed by a distinct mind-fog. Belsum decides that he’d
really like to find a gunsmith before he leaves the village.

Get Directions DR12 Presence: 1-3, 17-3: Weak Hit: 4 (Ignored)

There’s a shifty-looking corpse-collector, also taking a drink for mid-

shift refreshment. Belsum asks her were a gunsmith can be found, but
she stares straight through him. With a sigh, Belsum slopes off.

   17.    
City Crawl DR10: 13, 8: Weak Hit: Affluent Lane, 3 exits, remains of
something.

I use a simple Yes/No Oracle to work out what the remains are:

Are they the remains of a person? Yes

A noble? Yes
Are there visible sign of death? Yes

A roll on the SD Stock Creatures Oracle suggests that a zombie was

responsible for the death of the noble. Belsum decides to engage in a spot of
corpse plundering before moving on.

Search DR12 Omens: 12, 3: Weak Hit: Corpse Plunder (8 silver)

City Crawl DR10: 9, 2: Fail

After pocketing the small purse that was attached to the noble’s belt,
Belsum straightens up and begins to walk away, nonchalantly whistling
through his fangs. Of course, the putrefying arm of the noble reaches
out to snatch his heel…

Belsum manages to bite his way out of trouble – emerging, gore-stained and
infected from the struggle. Fortunately he has three doses of life elixir,
enabling him to cure the infection. Having resolved the failed Move, he
continues on to the next street: a flooded undercroft with two exits. It contains
a business: a blacksmith. This is the final street in the Dérive – all exits will
lead to the edge of the village. I check the Merchant Disposition Oracle and
come up with 5 (8-3 Presence): all items will be 2x the price.

Belsum stands before the vaulted undercroft, beneath the stone

guard-tower at the edge of the village. A blacksmith practices his craft
within. He takes a slow look at Belsum’s gore-stained mouth and
erratic gait, before shaking his head and returning to the anvil.

Belsum attempts to charm the blacksmith:

GAM DR12 Presence: 1-3, 19-3: Weak Hit: No change in disposition.

After considering killing the blacksmith, Belsum grudgingly stumps up

40s for some light armour, seemingly cobbled together from recycled
pots, pans, and other odds and ends. Leaving via the village gate, he
stands on the edge of the outcrop outside Ghastkut. A rough track
   18.    
 leads downward into a gloomy valley, while over the peaks of Bergen
Chrypt strange fires burn against the churning skies. Picking the last
chunks of zombie flesh from his teeth Belsum tramps off, led by the
call of the Wretched Crypt.

The shadow of Nechrubel lengthens across the Dying Lands, heralding the
final coming of Verhu’s immolating flame. The shadow can be felt even in the
cities: in the fabric of buildings, in the flowing of sewers, in the smallest mote
of dust, there his sickness spreads. Heretical cults flourish: their leaders
attempting to draw their own power from the all-pervading psychic miasma.

Worst of the new cults are the followers of Svamp: a rich merchant-turned-
prophet who has miraculously survived all attempts at assassination by the
Two-Headed Basilisk Order. He has now retreated into his fortified
townhouse, guarded by fanatical followers.

Askaräc, High Inquisitor of the Two-Headed Basilisk has a task for you: in the
oldest catacomb of Galgenbeck is the tomb of Aversus, the demi-lich.
Aversus is rumoured to be buried with the Chalice of Ruin: one sip from which
will condemn the drinker to eternal physical and spiritual damnation. Force
Svamp to drink from the chalice and even if he cannot die, the curse will
ensure that whatever life he has will not be worth living. Unfortunately the key
to the catacomb is held by Haav, a custodian with Svampist sympathies, who
will need to bribed, or otherwise ‘persuaded’…

Start by rolling on the Street Descriptor Oracle (p.15). Give the street 2 exits,
and roll for contents and weather (Core: i). Use the City Crawl Move to explore
Galgenbeck and uncover the Objectives below. The City DR is 10.

Objectives.
1.  The  Custodian’s  Lodge     Roll  street  descriptors,  exits  and  contents  
Haav,   The   Custodian   of   the   Lesser   Vaults   of   Galgenbeck,   lives   in   a   crumbling   lodge.   Their  
desk  is  strewn  with  mouldering  plans  of  the  catacombs,  and  codices  of  deaths  and  burials.  A  
portrait  of  Svamp  hangs  above  the  desk  almost  lost  amidst  the  all-­‐pervading  gloom.  
 
Possible   approaches   to   getting   the   key   from   Haav   include:   Bribe   (100s).   Persuade   (DR15  
Presence  vs  2d20).  Threaten  (DR14  Toughness  vs  2d20).  Steal  (DR14  Agility  vs  2d20).  
 
If  attempts  to  get  the  key  fail,  or  you  decide  to  attack,  roll  Initiative.  Haav  casts  Metzhuatol  
Blind  Your  Eye  as  their  first  attack  (DR18  to  hit  and  defend  for  the  first  d6  rounds).    
Haave  HP  5  Morale  8  Cracked  Quill  d4.  

   19.    
 2.  Galgenbeck  Catacombs   Roll  street  descriptors,  exits  and  contents  
The  vast  black  iron  gate  of  the  catacomb  is  easy  to  spot,  although  overgrown  and  ivy-­‐choked.  
You  may  continue  to  explore  the  city  –  although  you  will  need  to  descend  into  the  catacombs  
at  some  point  to  retrieve  the  Chalice  of  Ruin.  
 
A   cold,   roughly-­‐hewn,   cobweb-­‐filled   passage   descends   into   darkness.   Undertake   a   d4  Micro-­‐
Crawl  through  the  catacombs,  after  which  you  reach  the  Abysmal  Crypt  of  Aversus.  
 
Common  Encounters  (d4):            1-­‐2  –  Zombie  (Core:  65);    
           3  –  Blood-­‐Drenched  Skeleton  (Core:  62);  4  –  NPC  
Rare  Encounters  (d4):        1  –  Pale  One  (roll  Reactions,  Core:  71);  2  –  Nesting  Death  (Core:  III);    
                                                                                                   3  –  Undead  Doll  (Core:  66);  4  –  d2  Zombies  (Core:  65)  
 
Aversus,  the  Demi-­‐Lich:  HP  8  Morale  –  Decaying  Touch  (special)  d6  Necrotic  Barrier  –d4  
On   their   first   combat   round   Aversus   will   use   your   most   potent   Scroll   against   you   or   your  
companions.   When   hit   by   decaying   touch,   make   DR6   Toughness   test   or   suffer   an   Arcane  
Catastrophe.  
 
Once  Aversus  is  dead,  you  retrieve  the  (unremarkable-­‐looking)  Chalice  from  a  sarcophagus.  
You  emerge  into  the  city  through  a  manhole:  exactly  where  you  first  began  your  adventure.    
3.  Svamp’s  Townhouse  
The  townhouse  is  fortified,  with  armed  acolytes  posted  at  the  front  doors.  It  is  quieter  around  
the   back:   a   servant   is   passed-­‐out   drunk   near   the   back   door,   and   a   window   is   open   on   the  
second  floor.  If  entering  the  back  door,  undertake  a  d4  Micro-­‐Crawl  to  find  Svamp’s  chamber.  
If  you  are  able  to  gain  entry  to  the  window,  undertake  a  d2  Micro-­‐Crawl.  In  either  case,  use  
d12   on   the   Interior   Locations   Oracle   in   place   of   the   SD   Room   Type   Oracle.   As   a   former  
merchant,  the  house  is  full  of  curios  –  use  DR9  whenever  you  Search  an  area.  
 
Common  Encounters  (d2):  1  –  Svampist  Acolyte:  HP  3  Morale  8  Black  Needle  d2;  
2  –  Leech  Swarm:  HP  4  Morale  –  Bite  d2  
Rare  Encounters  (d2):  1  –  Svampist  Adept:  HP  6  Morale  10  Leeching  Gaze  (special)  d4  
 Leeching  gaze  heals  the  Adept  equal  to  the  damage  inflicted;  
                   2  –  Cosmic  Rift:  Additional  d2  Micro-­‐Crawl  through  a  heretical  dimension!  
 
Svamp’s   Study:  Svamp  sits  at  a  small  desk  piled  high  with  arcane  cosmological  texts.  Two  
Acolytes  stand  by  his  side.  A  four-­‐poster  bed  is  in  the  corner,  curtains  drawn.  
 
Svamp,  The  Heretical  Prophet:  
HP  7  Morale  –  Leeching  Gaze  (special,  as  above)  d6  Auric  Shadow  –d4+1  
If  reduced  to  0  HP  or  less,  Svamp  will  restore  to  d4  HP  next  round.  When  he  is  at  0  HP  or  less,  
make  a  DR10  Presence  check  to  force  his  inert  body  to  drink  from  the  Chalice.  
 
Victory?  The  shadow  of  Nechrubel  is  exceptionally  strong  here.  As  Svamp  flails,  assailed  by  a  
barrage  of  Arcane  Catastrophes,  the  curtains  on  the  four-­‐poster  bed  draw  apart.  A  vast,  dark,  
clawed   hand   reaches   out,   snatching   both   Svamp   and   the   Chalice,   pulling   them   within:  
vanishing   into   some   dark   nether-­‐void.   The   townhouse   is   quiet   now.   What   you   do   with   it,   and  
Svamp’s  terrified  acolytes,  is  up  to  you.  
   20.    
  

   21.    
  

   22.