Twilight in The Duchy Verdorben

Twilight in the
Duchy Verdorben
by Luke Crane and Thor Olavsrud

Art by Jordan Worley and Tony Dowler
Trouble in Hochen
Trouble in Hochen serves two purposes. It is an adventure
scenario, meant to kick off a short campaign. And it is a
workshop for writing Beliefs and developing relationships. In
this chapter, we walk you through setting up the adventure.
Then we provide you with the details of the scenario itself.
Getting an Adventure Started

We start like so: Thor says, “Let’s play Burning Wheel.”
I say, “Let’s play an adventure that we can feasibly complete

in one session of play but could lead to other scenarios if we
like it.”
Dro says, “Okay, sounds like you’re the GM.”
“Okay, as the GM, I have an idea for a game: I want to

play some gritty, dark fantasy with an old-school-party-of-
adventurers-on-a-mission vibe.”
Dro and Thor decide they like this idea. Or rather, they pretend
that they need a moment to consider it, but in truth if you say
“gritty, dark fantasy” to either Thor or Dro they’re already
playing that game in their grimdark souls. I know this about
them, so I tailor my pitch appropriately.
“We’re going to need more than that,” says Thor. “Can there
be a demon? I crave demon.”
“True,” I say. “You’re dispatched to a remote village that is

being plagued by a demon. You have to confront that demon.
Some of you are there because it’s your duty. Others are there
due to obligations of family or friendship.”
Setting the Stage

“Fine, but where does this take place?” queries Dro. “We
can’t make characters without more setting. I imagine hilly
countryside, covered in snow.”
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Pretending that I don’t already know the answer, I consider for a
Trouble In Hochen
moment. “The setting is a fantasy empire of Eastern European flavor—
Czech, Hungarian, German and Polish. The village is part of the
holdings of a lord who serves a powerful marcher duke. The village lies
in the snowy foothills of some jagged mountains that provide a bulwark
against ravening hordes of monsters. It’s pretty basic stuff.”
“Ah, in that case,” Thor offers, “I’ll play an idealistic young priest,
freshly returned from his education at the distant capital.”
“I want to play ze poor knight, in search of wealth and glory,” responds

Dro.
Thor says, “Do you have any names in mind? They’ll inspire us in
character burning.”
I grab some of my foreign language dictionaries and do some quick

research. “Sure. The duchy is called Verdorben. Thus the duke is also
called Verdorben. His castle is called Lowenholhe. His bailiff is named
Büttel.”
“The village is called Hochen. It’s part of the demesne of a lesser member
of the duke’s household, Stravit. Hochen itself is managed directly by
Wójt Marten Rayla. How’s that?”
“Okay! So the wójt is the appointed head of the village?”
“Yes. If you want, you can fill in names for your relationships, too. I’ll
incorporate them in the setting.”
Burn, Baby
In your typical Burning Wheel game, the next step is to burn your
characters based on this situation and setting: How will you save this
plagued village in the foothills of a forlorn duchy?
But for this example, you’re going to use our preburned sample
characters. Review the template and briefly discuss the characters. Talk
about why you’re here on this mission.
Relationship Workshop
The character templates are incomplete. To successfully begin your
game, you must flesh them out. Each player must name and describe
the relationship indicated by his template. Discuss how the relationships
are tied to the situation. Are they in the town? Or did they compel you
to undertake this quest?
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Do this in turn, one player after another. A savvy player will interconnect
his relationship with that of another player.
The GM notes the relationships, their roles and their names.
Demonstration Relationships
Since this is a demo game, the GM should also tell the players that
Marten, the wójt, and Angar, the blacksmith, are available as possible
relationship characters.
Belief Workshop
To write Beliefs, the players must have an idea of what’s going on. They
need to know the situation and the opening action.
The Situation for Hochen

Read the following to the players: “You have been sent or called to
Hochen. How exactly depends on the nature of your relationship.
Hochen is in dire straits—famine in the dead of a hard winter and
rumors of infernal influence.”
Go around the table and have each player read aloud his prewritten
Belief. After that, each player writes two Beliefs for his character: one
about the situation and one about his relationship.
Situational Belief
Your situational Belief can answer any of the following questions: How
will you interact with the town? Are you here to save them, extort
them or damn them? How will you accomplish your mission? Will
you confront this demon? Confront the wójt? Confront the townsfolk?
How will you interact with the other characters? Will you compete,
aid, support or hinder them? These are all options for Beliefs.
Relationship Belief
How is your relationship involved in the situation? Is it a matter of
duty, honor, obligation or love, or perhaps something darker like pride,
extortion or revenge? This Belief defines the dynamic between the
player and the NPC. This Belief is very powerful since the relationship
also stands to define a significant portion of the setting. The GM will
challenge this Belief, and thus the relationship will be tested.
Be sure to read out each Belief as it is created. Encourage players to take

inspiration from one another.
The GM notes each Belief as it is announced.
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Not every Belief or relationship will come into play in this short scenario.
Trouble In Hochen
Therefore, the GM should encourage the players to write simple, direct
goals. Loftier and more open-ended Beliefs are tough to address in a
single session of play. However, if you’re planning to play for more
than one session, more remote relationships and longer-term Beliefs are
appropriate.
Character Overviews for Hochen

There are six characters available to play in this scenario: a knight, a
wizard, a priest, a hunter, a Dwarf and an Elf. Choose two to five of
these six characters. If you’re only playing with two characters, use the
knight and either the wizard or priest. With three players, use the knight,
the hunter and the wizard or priest. With four or more players use the
knight, the hunter and the wizard plus whatever combination of other
characters you’d prefer.
The scenario doesn’t run with one or six players.
If you’re new to Burning Wheel, share the following character overviews

with the players before everyone picks.
Knight
Gunter Kiczold is a bog-standard four-lifepath
knight. He’s a tank, but his skill exponents are low.
Encourage the player to place the knight’s father

at court—as an officer, courtier or even just an old
knight himself. Doing so provides a good motivation
for the character in the adventure and sets him up
nicely for the sequel scenarios.
The player can write his Beliefs about proving himself to his father,
earning fame or wealth on this mission or even protecting his
companions.
Wizard
Brin is a haughty personality. She’s a simple three-
lifepath wizard, and plenty powerful. Though she
doesn’t have any killing spells, the combination of
Phantasmagoria, Spirit Servant, Binding and Call
of Iron make her versatile and potent in the hands
of a creative player.
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Brin’s relationship is fairly well locked in. Her uncle makes an excellent
potential villain for the scenario. It’s up to the GM if he’s the one who’s
actually behind this madness or if he just holds dark secrets that may
aid her.
Encourage her player to write her Beliefs about creating a reputation for
herself, overawing the villagers (and her companions) and discovering
her uncle’s evil works.
Priest
Theoden is a powerful yet delicate character. His
faith is mighty, and his will strong, but he lacks any
material protection whatsoever. If protected and
aided, he’s a valuable asset.
Theoden’s abbot cousin is an important character in

this setting. He’s influential at court. Ask the player
whose ear he has. Where does his power stem from?
Encourage the player to write his Beliefs about doing a service for his
cousin. He can write a zealous Belief about purging Hochen of evil.
Alternately, he can write a nurturing Belief about healing this place or
protecting his companions with the shield of his faith.
Hunter
Daniel is a local. He has a personal stake in this
game.
His mother lives in or near Hochen. Ask his player

where she lives and what role she plays.
Encourage his player to write earnest Beliefs

about aiding the knight, the priest or the wizard.
Encourage emotional Beliefs about the sad state of the village. And, of
course, Beliefs about saving his mother are never amiss.
Dwarf
Fureard is a good sort, deep down. He’s a treasure-
hungry adventurer, certainly, but he’s not so greedy
as to commit evil acts.
Fureard swore an oath to his uncle when he left his

clan. Ask the player to fill in details about his uncle.
Why is his clan in need of wealth?
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Fureard’s player should be encouraged to write Beliefs about winning
Trouble In Hochen
treasure or other fortunes from this scenario. This Belief is a chance for
Fureard to be played as a cutthroat adventurer—seeking to extort the
village for his help against the demon. But a Belief like this also sets up
an excellent opportunity for a Moldbreaker moment. Fureard can play
the hard-ass, but ultimately relent and act out of compassion rather
than greed.
Since he’s far from home, encourage his player to write a Belief that
binds him to another character in the group. Good Beliefs in this case let
him ride on the coattails of the knight or wizard. Or lead him to protect
Daniel or Theoden.
Elf
Cerebirn is yet another young Elf on the run from
his homeland. He’s not an exile, and committed no
crime aside from shirking his duties due to ennui.
Cerebirn has a cousin. They have a contentious

relationship. Ask the player why they hate each
other. Try to imagine a reason that would drive the
cousin to pursue Cerebirn into the lands of Men.
Cerebirn’s Beliefs must be forceful. He’s far from home and can easily
just toddle off on another walkabout. It’s best if both of his Beliefs are
tied to another character in the group. For example: He’s going to help
Brin purge the evil magic from this place; and he’s going to help Fureard
find his treasure.
Starting Artha for Trouble in Hochen

All characters start with two fate points and one persona point.
GMing Hochen
The Ugly Truth About Hochen
This scenario takes place in the village of Hochen and the surrounding
woodland area. Hochen is in trouble—famine, destitution and all that.
The villagers have turned to a pagan goddess—Tawaret—for succor. But
now there’s a demon stalking the village. It’s a chicken/egg problem. Did
the god send the demon or was the demon there before they bent knee
to this abomination? It’s up to the players to find out!
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There are three main obstacles in this scenario—Marten, the cultists

and a zombie bear. None of these directly or forcefully tweak any of the
Beliefs, yet all of the obstacles presented here should tie into the Beliefs
written by the players. It’s your job as the GM to tighten this scenario.
Focus it on your players and their choices.
What will you add to this scenario? How will you change it to suit your
needs? What additional characters will you introduce? The best practice
is to read the scenario and try to play it straight, but as unexpected turns
arise, wing it. Just be sure to thrust obstacles in front of the players that
solidly challenge their Beliefs.
Order of Events
In order to run this adventure, you must familiarize yourself with the
characters, their Beliefs and the actions described in this section. You
must internalize these elements. There is no set order of events to the
action in this adventure, except that the group begins meeting Marten
Rayla on the bridge. You present the initial action—Marten’s greeting—
and play off the players’ reactions.
We expect you to incorporate Beliefs and relationships into this scenario

and make it your own. However, a typical session of Hochen involves
the players getting ambushed by the cultists, then all of them getting
ambushed by the bear. After the players fight off the infected bear, they
interrogate the villagers and either burn the place or look for the cause
of this trouble.
Unskilled Tests
You’ll note that many of the tests in this scenario call for skills the
characters do not have. This is deliberate. This is how you run Burning
Wheel. It doesn’t matter if the characters have the skill. Certain obstacles
call for certain abilities. If the characters don’t have those abilities, the
players can choose to test using Beginner’s Luck (Burning Wheel, page
40) or to try to find another way around.
Night and Ice

Much of this scenario takes place at night in the middle of winter in a
snowy village. The GM may impose the following disadvantages at his
discretion: dim light +1 Ob, icy ground +1 Ob, candle-light conditions
+2 Ob, darkness +3 Ob. Even with the moon out, it is very dark. Not
the best conditions for fighting or tracking or whatnot. If the characters
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provide a decent source of light—more than a lantern or candle—the
Trouble In Hochen
GM should lift the penalties. Remember that these penalties will apply
to friend and foe alike.
The ground is covered with ice and snow. Before any martial conflict,
the GM may declare that the footing is very bad due to the snow and
impose a +1 Ob to all positioning tests. Any positioning or Speed test
failed by more than two successes results in the character slipping and
falling prone. Use this for grim, gritty comedy.
Marten’s Greeting
Wójt Rayla greets the adventurers at the covered bridge over the
Felsbach. Despite the obvious devastation of his village, the wójt assures
the investigating group that all is fine now and their services aren’t
needed. When the characters meet Marten, it’s late in the afternoon.
Not to be inhospitable, Marten invites the group into his home to talk.
Play Marten as if he is hiding something (he is) and tell the group that
he is hiding something. Just don’t tell them what he’s hiding. Let them
make some tests—Ob 4 Intimidation, Persuasion or Falsehood—or
engage in a Duel of Wits to get it out of him.
Marten Rayla, Wójt of Hochen

Vitals— 38-year-old, village-born Verdorben male.
Wi Pe Ag Sp Po Fo Hea Ref MW Ste Hes Res Cir Str
B4 B4 B4 B3 B3 B3 B4 B3 B9 B3 6 B3 B2 7
Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B6 Se: B7 Tr: B8 Mo: B9
PTGS
Beliefs— It is my duty to shepherd Hochen through these dark times. Our god has
abandoned us; we must do whatever we can to survive. Tawaret will bring life and
prosperity to Hochen.
Instincts— Always listen for village gossip. When I don’t know for certain, obfuscate.
When trapped, act rashly and without thought.
Traits— Verdorben [Char], Pragmatic [Char], Fixed Smile [Char], Gossip [Char],
Cramped Right Hand [Char], Mind for Small Details [Char], Flatterer [Char], Guilty
Conscience [Char]
Circles— 1D reputation as Wójt of Hochen. 1D affiliation with villagers of Hochen.
Skills— Rule of Law B2, Persuasion B4, Falsehood B5, Village-wise B5, Bureaucracy
B2, Read B2, Write B2, Cooking B2, Mending B2, Accounting B3, Soothing Platitudes
B5, Guest-wise B3, Animal Husbandry B2, Riding B2, Horse-wise B3, Road-wise B2
Gear— Clothes, shoes, riding horse (and accoutrement)
Weapons— Bare Fist: I B2, M B3, S B4. VA –, Add 2, 3, Shortest
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Cultists, Reveal Thyselves!

If the players spend the night in Hochen, the village cultists
meet in the longhouse in the dead of night. The villagers are
muttering to one another, “What are we to do?”
Spotting Shadowy Movement

If any of the characters stay up and keep watch during the night, make
a versus test: the character’s (unskilled and thus Beginner’s Luck)
Observation against the cultists’ B3 Inconspicuous. If the player wins,
his character notices suspicious activity near the longhouse. See the
Eavesdropping heading in this section. If the cultists win, the character
notices nothing. See the Night Raid heading in this section.
If none of the characters keep watch during the night at Marten’s, go to

the Night Raid heading in this section.
Eavesdropping on the Cultists

If the players detect the suspicious activity near the longhouse, they can
sneak out into the cold night and spy on the cultists. They find them
crowded into the longhouse. It’s an Ob 2 Perception test to decipher
what’s being said in the longhouse without getting caught. If the test is
failed, the character is spotted by someone within.
As a whole, the cultists believe Marten was wrong to bring the characters
(“the interlopers and interferers”) to Hochen. They are deeply unhappy
with his leadership. They feel that these outsiders will upset their new
goddess, Tawaret. They fear she will withhold aid to the villagers. They
decide they need to pray to her more strongly and perhaps even offer
her a sacrifice! One of their number, Angar Smith, has taken a nominal
leadership position in the cult. He is the most outspoken about Marten’s
incompetence.
If interrupted in their deliberations, the cultists will pounce on the

characters and try to murder or capture them. They brandish farm
implements, flaming brands and skinning knives. See the Fighting the
Cultists heading in this section.
If the cultists’ meeting is uninterrupted, they immediately move to

capture the characters in their lodging at Marten’s home. See the Night
Raid heading in this section.
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Trouble In Hochen
Cultists
B3 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B10 B4 7 B1 B1 7
PTGS
Beliefs— I don’t trust outsiders. Tudom, our god, has abandoned us, we must do whatever
we can to survive these dark times. My family and my livelihood are the most important
things in my life. Tawaret will bring life and prosperity to Hochen.
Instincts— When questioned by outsiders, clam up. Always give a suspicious glare
to foreigners. When my neighbor needs a hand, pitch in.
Traits— Verdorben [Char], Calloused [Char], Prominent Scar [Char], Starved [Char],
Hardened [Char], Zealot [Dt], Rabble-Rouser [Char]
Skills— Ditch Digging B4, Mending B3, Sewing B3, Drudgery-wise B4, Cult Doctrine
B2, Inconspicuous B3, Falsehood B2, Persuasion B2, Brawling B3
Gear— Clothes, shoes, farm implement or knife, appropriate tools
Weapons— Bare Fist: I B2, M B4, S B6. VA –, Add 2, WS 3, Shortest
Farm Implement: I B3, M B6, S B9. VA –, Add 2, WS 2, Longer
Skinning Knife: I B3, M B5, S B7. VA –, Add 1, WS X, Shortest
Angar Smith, Blacksmith and Cult Leader

Vitals— 32-year-old, village-born Verdorben male.
B3 B4 B4 B3 B5 B4 B4 B3 B10 B4 7 B1 B1 7
PTGS
Lifepaths—Village Born, Laborer, Apprentice, Journeyman, Farrier

Beliefs— This village is falling to pieces, I will take charge and do the unsavory,
necessary thing. Tudom has abandoned us, only Tawaret can save us. Marten is weak;
he must be punished for bringing these interlopers into our affairs.
Instincts— Always check my forge in the morning. Always conceal my secrets. Always
do what’s best for the village.
Traits— Calloused [Char], Broken In [Dt], Made Man [Dt], A Bit Deaf [Dt], Back
Breaking Labor [C-O], Numb [Dt], Hardened [Dt], Suspicious [Char]
Skills— Blacksmith B4, Brawling B2, Cooper B4, Cult Doctrine B2, Ditch Digging B4,
Haggling B4, Horse-wise B2, Mending B3, Oratory B1, Tanning B2
Affiliations— 1D Cult of Tawaret in Hochen, 1D Local Journeymen Craftsmen
Reputations— 1D Blacksmith of Hochen
Gear— Blacksmith’s Workshop, Clothes, Shoes
Weapons— Bare Fist I:B3 M:B5 S:B7 Add 2, VA –, WS 3, Shortest
Mallet I:B4 M:B7 S:B10 Add 2, VA –, WS 2, Long, may Great Strike
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Fighting the Cultists

There are two entrances to the longhouse, one along the road and one
in the back by the stacks of firewood. If the characters rush in (with
weapons drawn and all that), they can only fit through the door one
at a time. To gain entry through the door, they must win a positioning
test in Fight! The cultists gain a +1D advantage for controlling the
entrances and up to three of them may help each other defend the door.
It’s an ugly situation. They will fight on until about half of their number
are dead, injured or run off—that’s about 12 cultists. Of course, they’re
only armed with knives and flaming brands, so how hard can it be?
Well, it’s a gory, grinding fight. Be ready for horror in Hochen.
In Fight!, the cultists will make judicious use of their numbers (about
two dozen ready and willing to fight) and the Charge and Lock actions.
They will start cautiously with Avoid and Block actions. On the second
volley, have two cultists Charge/Close one character and try to bring
him down. They help one another. On the third volley, they’ll use
Lock, again helping one another. If they can pin a character down,
draw knives (two actions) and start cutting. After a few cuts, give the
character a chance to surrender and then drag him back deeper into the
longhouse. Vicious little cultists!
The cultists believe they are between the devil and the deep blue sea.
They’ve angered their goddess and she has showered them with disfavor.
They must win her favor back (with ever more drastic actions). But their
pagan cult has been discovered, and they’ll surely be tried and burned
for this crime by the religious authorities. So this fight is all or nothing
for the cultists.
If the cultists are defeated, they will sink to their knees and beg for
mercy. See the Interrogating the Cultists heading in this section.
If the player characters break and run from the fight, Hochen will
divide into armed camps: those siding with the cultists and those siding
with the characters. The cultists will participate in hostage exchanges.
See the Captured by Cultists heading in this section.
Night Raid (on Marten’s house)

If the players do not spot the cultists heading to their meeting, the
cultists confer in the longhouse and Angar convinces them to capture
these interlopers before their cultish ways can be discovered. Thus, the
cultists surround Marten’s home and send a handful of their number
into the house to capture the players.
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Test the cultist’s B4 Speed (unskilled Stealthy) against each character’s
Trouble In Hochen
Perception (unskilled Observation). Sleeping characters suffer a +1 Ob
disadvantage because they’re asleep. Do not allow the group to help one
another for this test. It doesn’t make sense in the fiction to have sleeping
characters actively helping one another.
If the whole group fails, the cultists politely wake them. Skinning
knives are pressed to the characters’ throats. The characters are asked
to come along quietly. It’s likely that the players will want to resist and
force their way to freedom. Make a versus Power test in this case. Each
cultist has 1D of help from a companion. If successful, the character
breaks free unharmed. If unsuccessful, the character does not escape
and furthermore he suffers a Light wound. There is no time to cast
spells or utter prayers in this situation.
If one of the characters is successful but the others are not, he’s
overlooked as the rest are taken hostage. It’s his chance to rescue them!
If half of the group fail the test but half pass, a hostage situation arises.
The successful characters are on their feet and ready, but not before
their companions are grabbed and held.
Try to use versus tests to resolve any altercations at this point in the
scenario. Do not go to Range and Cover or Fight! yet.
Captured by Cultists
If the entire group is captured, they are tied down in an icy field. The
cultists build a bonfire, produce the grotesque idol of Tawaret and begin
to pray. They pray to Tawaret for abatement of their miseries—the
player characters are offered as sacrifice to her demons. The characters
may attempt to loose their bonds with an unskilled Ob 2 Escape Artist
test (Beginner’s Luck Ob 4 Agility) or an Ob 5 Power test. Theoden
can use a Minor Miracle to loosen his bonds and those of his allies.
Brin can cast Spirit Servant and command it to untie her. The Spirit
Servant doesn’t need to test to untie her. However, to prevent themselves
from being noticed while casting, Brin and Theoden need to pass an
unskilled Inconspicuous (Beginner’s Luck Will) versus the Cultists’ B4
Perception (not Observation so these successes aren’t doubled).
If the characters escape, the bear bursts onto the scene as they make
their break.
If they fail to escape, I’d keep them tied down as the bear comes. Have
them watch helplessly as the cultists are mauled and devoured by the
bear. When the butcher’s work is done, the bear shambles over and
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sniffs at them, dripping ichor. He leaves them to their fate and staggers
off into the night. By morning light, dazed and frozen, the characters
manage to work free of their bonds. They all must pass an Ob 4 Forte
test. The margin of failure is an obstacle penalty to all physical actions
until the character gets food and rest.
If only some of the characters are captured, the cultists will attempt to
use the characters as hostages and bargain for clemency. Use the Duel
of Wits to negotiate a settlement.
Interrogating the Cultists

If the players manage to capture a cultist, you can use a simple
Interrogation test against Ob 4, the cultist’s Will. Or, if you have time,
I recommend using the Duel of Wits to resolve his interrogation. The
GM, playing the cultist, can attempt to extract all sorts of promises
as his Statement of Purpose, such as, “You’ll let me live” or “You are
sympathetic to my plight!” or “It was all the wójt’s idea!”
If successfully interrogated, the cultist will reveal that he and his people
are devout Tudomians, but they also pay homage to the fertility goddess,
Tawaret. The fields have been fallow for years, and desperate measures
had to be taken. The idols of the goddess depict a plump woman with
voluptuous curves, eight breasts and the head of a hippopotamus. No
one knows where they originally came from. The cultist will reveal a
hidden altar to the goddess in the root cellar of his home.
That’s One Angry Bear

The “demon” that is plaguing Hochen is a great bear infected with a
necrotic, enchanted, black oil. You should use the bear to attack the
village whenever it’s inconvenient for the players or when the action
hits a lull.
It can interrupt the brawl in the longhouse—roaring through the outer

village and smashing right into the fight in the longhouse. The cultists
will drop whomever and whatever they’re doing and flee for their lives.
They believe the bear is a manifestation of Tawaret’s anger toward them.
And really, who wouldn’t?
The bear itself is enraged and aggressive. It will charge and maul
anyone who takes a remotely aggressive posture against it. This includes
launching missiles at it or charging it. It is also a cunning creature. If it
can’t move into close range with its raw Speed, it will withdraw and use
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its Stealthy skill. It will even flee into the night and return at another
Trouble In Hochen
time and place to exact revenge.
The bear is also incredibly tough. It can be killed by a lucky heavy

crossbow or great bow shot, but it can also handily deal death and
destruction. The player characters do not want to get into a Fight! with
this thing. It is much more preferable to take it down at range with
missiles, spells and prayers.
The Corrupted Bear

Vitals— A supernatural, enraged great bear
B4 B4 B4 B6 B8 B8 B6 B4 B14 B7 6 — — 8
PTGS
Skills— Savage Mauling B5, Intimidation B6, Hunting B4, Foraging B6, Stealthy B4,
Tracking B3
Traits— Massive Stature [Dt], Tough [Dt], Omnivore [Char], Sweet-Tooth [Char], Keen
Smell [Dt], Fanged [Dt], Loner [Char], Infected by the Black Oil [Dt], Devastator [Dt]
Weapons— Head butt: I B4, M B8, S B12. VA 1, Add 2, WS 2, Short.
Claws: I B5, M B9, S B13. VA 2, Add 2, WS 2, Short.
Powerful Bite: I B5, M B10, S B15, VA 3, Add 2, WS 2, Short
Tracking the Bear

If the players want to track the demon bear, it’s an Ob 3 Tracking
test. This will lead the characters on a wandering track through the
surrounding woodlands. The bear’s been on a merry rampage, tearing
up trees and toppling nearly anything that gets in its way. It has
mangled a beaver dam, encountered and slaughtered a wolf pack and
shattered a hunter’s lodge. After that, the trail is old and cold and leads
up into the foothills of the Ironback Mountains.
The bear’s den is a remote, shallow cave. It has been painted with
arcane symbols and curses. An Ob 3 Symbology test identifies the
symbols as necromantic in origin. They are supplications to the dark
powers begging for favor and certainly weren’t painted on the walls by
the bear! It’s up to you, game master, to decide who marked this cave.
Surprise, I’m a Zombie Bear!

Use this advice for a more challenging encounter with the bear: When
the bear bursts onto the scene, it is a good opportunity for the GM to
call for Steel tests. The bear can then exploit hesitation to grab cowering
characters or swat down anyone still standing.
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Burning Wheel Gold
If you’d like to legitimately set up the ambush, test the bear’s B4 Stealthy
against the player’s unskilled Observation. If the bear wins, it can attack
from ambush at any time. Attacking from ambush forces a Steel test as
described above.
These rules are likely to get characters killed, so only use them if you
think your players up to the challenge. If you’re new to Burning Wheel
or just aren’t feeling particularly mean, don’t ambush the characters and
don’t call for Steel tests when the bear makes its entrance.
Fighting the Demon Bear

The bear is a formidable opponent. He will try to close with the
characters quickly. Note that his Speed multiplier gives him an
advantage over anyone but the mounted knight. Once within striking
distance, he’ll swing his bulk around using the Push action to scatter
and knock down characters. Once characters are sprawled, he’ll pick an
annoying target and Tackle it. Once on top, he’ll either rip it up with his
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claws or Lock it with his jaws. It’s fun to watch the look of horror on the
Trouble In Hochen
other players’ faces as the bear is dragging around one of their number
in its mouth, while swatting at the rest of them with its massive paws.
The bear will also cleverly defend itself with Avoids, Blocks and
Counterstrikes. Enraged though it may be, it is a smart bastard.
The bear doesn’t have armor or Ironskin. It’ll bleed if it’s cut. So it
should attempt to retreat if it’s injured by more than 1D. If the bear is
cornered and unable to retreat, it will go into Aggressive Stance and try
to take down a few of its attackers.
Also, note the bear possesses the Devastator trait (Monster Burner, page
322). If his attacks cause armor damage or breaches, they count twice
for this effect—two points of armor lost, two breaches made.
Dissecting the Bear

If the bear is slain, some information can be gained from its carcass.
An Ob 1 Animal Husbandry test will confirm that the demon bear
was sick. An Ob 3 Animal Husbandry test will reveal that the bear
had some type of internal infection, of a type previously unknown.
An Ob 3 Taxidermy, Hunting or Butchery test will produce the bear’s
heart, which is corrupted and infected. It is full of a black bile. In
addition, a successful Taxidermy, Hunting or Butchery test will reveal
that the bear’s brain is also veined with the bile. No skill but Death Art
or Alchemy can reveal anything about the bile.
If that Ob 3 test is failed, the dissecting/inspecting character becomes

infected with the black oil! Definitely announce this consequence to
the player before the roll is made. See the Black Oil heading at the end
of this section.
Exploring Hochen
and the Surrounds
The action of this adventure takes place primarily in the village, but may
move off into the wilds if the players track the bear.
The village of Hochen is a field of wreckage. The wójt’s residence, the

shrine to Tudom and the village’s meeting hall are all intact, but nearly
every other building has been damaged by the demonic rampage. Some
have collapsed completely, some have claw marks across them, some
have chunks taken out of them. It’s an Ob 3 Tracking test to determine
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Burning Wheel Gold
that these marks were left by a bear. Successes over the obstacle spent
on working patiently can be used to note dark stains that look like dried
blood in the marks.
The Villagers
About half of the villagers of Hochen are not cultists. However, note
their Beliefs and Instincts. They will not get involved in these dark deeds
unless forced.
They will not speak unless persuaded. They will not help unless both
bribed and reassured. They will not aid in a fight unless rallied—Ob 4
Oratory to win them over, followed by an Ob 4 Command to lead them
into battle.
Villagers
B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B10 B4 6 B1 B2 7
PTGS
Beliefs— My family and my livelihood are the most important things in my life. My
neighbors are up to strange things, but it’s none of my business what they do.
Instincts— When questioned by outsiders, clam up. Always give a suspicious glare to
foreigners. When my neighbor needs a hand, pitch in.
Traits— Verdorben [Char], Calloused [Char], Prominent Scar [Char], Starved [Char],
Hardened [Char]
Skills— Choose appropriate skills from the following selection: Ditch Digging B3, Mending
B3, Sewing B3, Cobbler B3, Blacksmith B3, Butchery B3, Drudgery-wise B4
Gear— Clothes, shoes, appropriate tools
Weapons— Bare Fist: I B2, M B4, S B6. VA –, Add 2, WS 3, Shortest.
Farm Implement: I B3, M B6, S B9. VA –, Add 2, WS 2, Long.
Skinning Knife: I B3, M B5, S B7. VA –, Add 1, WS X, Shortest.
Village of Hochen-wise
Here are the suggested obstacles for Village of Hochen-wise: Ob 1,
Hochen produces wheat, barley and goats. Ob 2, Hochen is a village in
Lord Hochen’s demesne. The Lord of Hochen is a Stravit. Ob 3, Hochen
is so small there is no practicing priest or judge in the village. Itinerants
come seasonally. Ob 4, the village is in a terrible state of disrepair
beyond the destruction caused by the demon.
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Trouble In Hochen
Tudom and Tawaret
Most devout and faithful peoples of this duchy, Verdorben, pay homage
to a just and holy god, Tudom. He keeps evil at bay, locked behind the
heavenly vault. (Though the vault is cracked, due to a cosmic betrayal,
and from this crack come demons and all the evil that men do.)
Tawaret is an obscure, ancient fertility goddess from the far south. Her
statues were introduced into this village by the infamous necromancer
Götrung. He used to pass through these lands disguised as a simple
peddler, spreading his seeds of corruption.
In truth, though her rituals are bizarre and require great sacrifice,
Tawaret is no demoness. She brings fertility to those who properly pay
her homage. But here, in this frozen waste, worshipped by benighted
fools, she is as powerless as the night is cold.
The End of Hochen

There are a few ways to end this scenario. The players can overcome the
bear and rout the cult from the town. From there, they can attempt to
track down the evil necromancer who created this plague or they can
report to higher authorities for assistance.
However, I recommend you use our sequel scenario, Dinner for One,
which begins on page 24.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Trouble in Hochen Leads to Dinner for One

As soon as the bear is overcome and any immediate aftermath involving
the villagers is dealt with, a sleigh arrives, driven by the forester of Lord
Stravit, the Seigneur of Hochen. The forester informs the characters
that his lord would like to see them promptly at his manor so he can
properly reward them for their efforts.
This revelation is best delivered after the players have burned the
heretics at the stake and torched their houses for good measure.
Oil Amok
It’s also possible that your group succumbs to the black oil. If that’s
the case, I encourage you to use the Black Oil and Black Rod rules
contained in this chapter as the basis for your own fantasy apocalypse
campaign. Our published scenarios are going in another direction—
assuming more cautious players—so you’re on your own here. If you end
up running this way, let us know about it on our forums.
Artha and Hochen

Be sure to review Beliefs and award artha after concluding the action
of the scenario.
The Black Oil

This scenario introduces a foul necrotic liquid called simply the “black
oil.” This evil, magical fluid transforms the living into thralls for those
practitioners of the dark arts who know how to command them.
If a character comes into contact with the oil, he risks infection. See the
new trait, Infected by the Black Oil, for details.
Exposure and Infection

The mysterious black oil possesses a number of peculiar qualities. First
and foremost, it is toxic and infectious. It will spread from one living
creature to another by touch—the oil will stick to flesh, leather and
wood. It infects a creature by crawling into open wounds or orifices.
Once inside of a creature, the oil will make its way to the creature’s
heart. Once in the heart muscle, it begins to reproduce. Soon after,
the oil attempts to gain control of the creature’s heart. Thereafter, it
transforms the creature’s blood to oil.
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To resist the effects of the oil and prevent infection, the character must
Trouble In Hochen
pass an Ob 5 Forte test. If the character washes in clean water soon
after contact, grant two advantage dice. If the character is injured when
he comes into contact with the oil, add +1 Ob for Superficial or Light
wounds, +2 Ob for Midi or greater wounds.
If the Forte test is passed, the character suffers no ill effects.
If the Forte test is failed by one, the character enters a slow stage of
infection. For the first day, he shows no outward sign. On the second
day, his pallor becomes ashen. He loses sensitivity in his nerves and
emotions—the world seems remote to him, a thing to be watched with
disdain. On the third day, he becomes violently ill and cold to the touch.
If he is not saved by the third day, he becomes infected and gains the
Infected by the Black Oil trait.
If the Forte test is failed by more than one, the character enters a fast
stage of infection. He grows steadily more pale. When he sleeps and
awakes the next morning, he is sick and ashen. If he is not saved that
day, he is infected and earns the Infected by the Black Oil trait.
Only two things can save a character who is in the early stages of the
infection: a Minor Miracle or an Ob 4 Bloodletting test. The Faith test
miraculously restores the character, as is appropriate. A successful
Bloodletting test leaves the character drained and weak, but cleansed.
A failed Bloodletting test does not stop the infection, and furthermore,
the erstwhile bloodletter must pass an Ob 5 Forte test lest he be infected
by the oil!
After the Infected trait is earned, a Purification miracle can be used,

but this destroys the host and the oil at once—since they are one and
the same now.
Properties of the Oil

As noted above, the oil is contagious by touch. But it has some other,
equally nasty properties. If burned, the oil turns into a corrosive toxin
in the form of a sticky tar. Anyone who comes into contact with the tar
or breathes the fumes must pass an Ob 5 Health test. Margin of failure
is permanently subtracted from Health. This loss may be recovered by
advancement, but the attribute maximum is now set at 10 minus the
margin of failure.
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Burning Wheel Gold
If Health is reduced to exponent 0 by the fumes, the character is reduced

to a comatose state. He will rise on the morrow as a revenant possessing
the Infected by the Black Oil trait. He loses all character traits as noted
in the infection rules.
Death Art or Alchemy* can be used to discern the oil’s properties, but
not stop its effects. This is a standard independent test, not an open
test. The player must set his obstacle before rolling the dice and he only
gets the information for that obstacle result. What’s more, his test rides
unless conditions change. Obstacles for investigating the oil: Ob 1, It is
not naturally occurring; it is a necromantic substance. Ob 2, It seems
to have a mind of its own; it can be washed off the skin, but it keeps its
cohesion in water. Ob 3, The oil itself infects through open wounds or
orifices; if burned, it turns to an evil toxin. Ob 4, It only takes about
two or three days before the victim is fully corrupted. Ob 5, It cannot
be destroyed, only changed.
*Nota Bene: Both of these skills are of the sorcerous type. Therefore,
they cannot be tested using Beginner’s Luck until the character has
received instruction from another skilled character.
Infected by the Black Oil Dt

A character who is infected oozes black oil from his pores. He is aggressive and
delirious. In addition, this trait confers the benefits of the Brute and Thousand-
Yard Stare traits. The infected is also subject to the summons and controls of
a Black Rod. The character loses all other character traits. Lastly, he himself
is contagious. Any living creature standing near him is at risk. He sprays the
foul ichor from his mouth as he moves about. See the rules in this chapter for
Infection.
Black Rod
A black rod is a special device constructed from a distillation of the black
oil. This is done through enchanted alchemical processes under guidance
of a death artist. A rod allows its bearer to command infected creatures
in his presence. The creatures may be given simple commands as per
the Death Art rules. The bearer of the rod may command a number of
creatures equal to his Will exponent. If the creatures leave his presence,
they will continue to execute the last command issued to them. Once the
command is completed, they revert to their own native impulses.
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The black rod also confers +1D to Forte and Health. It will slowly
Trouble In Hochen
dissolve in water, reverting to essential oil. If burned, it has the same
properties as the black oil described previously. You also gain the
character trait Cold to the Touch, as the rod taps into your soul to fuel
its evil magics.
Black rods are bound to their makers. To use one you did not create
yourself, you must bond with it. To bond with it, you must make a Will
test versus the Will of its previous owner. If successful, you gain mastery
over the device. If the test is failed, you become infected with the oil
and under the sway of the rod. You gain mystical knowledge of the rod’s
owner’s location and must immediately return the rod to him.
23
Dinner for One
Dinner for One is a Burning Wheel scenario in which characters
meet and have dinner with the enigmatic Lord Stravit. It is
the continuation of Trouble in Hochen. At its heart, it is a
very simple scenario. It begins shortly after the conclusion of
Trouble in Hochen.
Using Dinner for One

Dinner for One is intended as a follow up to Trouble in Hochen,
but it can also be used as a stand-alone piece.
It it meant to be played in a single four-hour session.
Picking up from Trouble in Hochen

As soon as the bear is overcome and any immediate aftermath
involving the villagers is dealt with, a sleigh arrives, driven by
the forester Tomasz. He is a servant of Stravit, the Seigneur
of Hochen. Tomasz informs the characters that his lord would
like to see them promptly at his manor so he can properly
reward them for their efforts.
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This revelation is best delivered after the players have burned the
Dinner for One

heretics at the stake and torched their houses for good measure. You
want to pick up as close to the action as possible. You do not want any
downtime between the action of Trouble in Hochen and Dinner for One.
I recommend giving a recap of what transpired in Trouble in Hochen
and then getting started.
Starting Fresh
If you’re starting with Dinner for One, you need to set up a bit of a
preamble. You need to find out just what happened during Trouble in
Hochen—even though the players didn’t actually play through it.
Tell them the short version: They were sent to the town to deal with a
demonic infestation; it turned out the demon was a zombie bear; the
townsfolk were cultists worshipping a foreign goddess to grant them
succor from the demon.
Let the players decide how it turned out. Ask them if they killed the
demon-zombie-bear or if they just drove it off. Did they persecute the
cultists? Did they burn the village?
Relationships take a back-seat in this one. Encourage players to build
relationships that are leaning on them for success in this venture: a
father at court, a mother in the village, a cousin looking for a deal.
Ask them to define what interest their relationship has in Hochen or
the seigneur. There aren’t too many NPCs or opportunities to bring
them into the action, so it’s better if they have expectations rather than
a presence.
If it makes any sense at all, definitely have a relationship character as

one of the risen dead in the cellar.
Using Templates
This scenario is intended to be played with the characters provided.
If you must burn your own characters, I recommend three-lifepath
humans with noble, sorcerous, religious, mercenary or cultist ties.
Belief Workshop
In order for this scenario to run properly, you must lay out the situation
and the players must write Beliefs about it.
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Burning Wheel Gold
The Situation for Dinner for One

The situation is: The Lord Stravit has commanded you to dine with
him at his manor. He’s either going to reward you for your deeds or
censure you for your excesses.
Situational Belief
Write a Belief about Stravit—impressing him, defending yourself in
his eyes, learning more about him, earning a reward from him or even
a recommendation at court.
Relationship or PC Belief
Write a Belief about fulfilling an obligation to one of your relationships
who has an interest in Hochen or Stravit. Or write a Beliefs about
protecting, hindering, impressing or avenging yourself upon one of
the other player characters.
Be sure to read out each Belief as it is created. Encourage players to take

inspiration from one another.
appropriate.
Player Character Overviews

for Dinner for One
wizard, a priest, a hunter, a Dwarf and an Elf. If you have four or fewer
players, choose from the knight, wizard, priest and hunter. If you’re
playing with five players, use the Dwarf or Elf as your fifth character.
If you played Trouble in Hochen, please continue using your characters

from that session. Don’t switch. If you lost a character to the oil, the
bear or the cultists feel free to bring in a new character to replace him.
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Knight
Dinner for One

The player can write his Beliefs about proving
himself to his father, earning fame or wealth on this
mission or even protecting his companions.
Wizard
Encourage her player to write her Beliefs about
creating a reputation for herself, overawing her
companions and discovering her uncle’s evil works.
Her uncle is definitely interested in young Brin. It’s
not everyday that an evil necromancer has a
powerful sorceress for a niece.
Priest
Encourage the player to write his Beliefs about
doing a service for his cousin and ingratiating
himself to Stravit. Alternately, he can write a
nurturing Belief about healing this place or
protecting his companions.
Hunter
Encourage his player to write earnest Beliefs about
aiding the knight, the priest or the wizard.
Encourage emotional Beliefs about the sad state of
the village. And, of course, Beliefs about saving his
mother are never amiss.
Dwarf
Fureard’s player should be encouraged to write
Beliefs about winning treasure or other fortunes from
this scenario. This Belief is a chance for Fureard to
be played as a cutthroat adventurer—seeking to
extort the lord for saving his village. But a Belief like
this also sets up an excellent opportunity for a
Moldbreaker moment. Fureard can play the hard-ass,
but ultimately relent and act out of compassion rather than greed.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Since he’s far from home, encourage his player to write a Belief that
binds him to another character in the group. Good Beliefs in this case let
him ride on the coattails of the knight or wizard. Or lead him to protect
Daniel or Theoden.
Elf
Cerebirn’s Beliefs must be forceful. He’s far from
home and can easily just toddle off on another
walkabout. It’s best if both of his Beliefs are tied to
another character in the group. For example: He’s
going to help Brin purge the evil magic from this
place; and he’s going to help Fureard find his
treasure.
Starting Artha for Dinner for One

Starting Fresh
All new characters start with one fate point and one persona point.
Continuing Artha
If you’re continuing from Trouble in Hochen, use the artha totals from
the completion of that scenario.
GMing Dinner for One

Dinner for One has two main beats: the confrontation with the walking
corpses in the cellar and the confrontation with Stravit. The set up is
conveyed through Tomasz and the eponymous dinner. The group can
investigate the fate Stravit’s wife for extra credit.
The atmosphere for this scenario should start as odd, move to weird
and then shift into bleak and bloody. I’ll talk about that more in a bit.
The Ugly Truth About Stravit, Lord of Hochen

Stravit has retired from court, despite favored status. Ostensibly, he’s
done this to tend to his sick wife. In truth, his wife was ill, but Stravit’s
curative methods were unorthodox to say the least. He has poisoned and
killed his wife with the black oil.
In fact, he has poisoned everyone in his household, aside from Tomasz

and Łukasz. He’s quite mad. He’s on a doomed quest for immortality.
Stravit met Götrung—the necromancer—a few years ago. The black

wizard told Stravit of his work with the black oil—how it could be used
to preserve the dying. Naturally, the doctor was interested.
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Order of Events
Dinner for One

Tomasz and his son arrive at the aftermath of Hochen. Tomasz
introduces himself as the forester and servant of Stravit, Lord of
Hochen. He invites the characters to rest at the manor and dine with the
lord. (See Tomasz’s Greeting)
Tomasz ferries the group back to the house and begins preparing dinner
himself. It’s an odd scene. There are no other servants about except these
two. The boy serves the soup. (See Serve the Servants)
Stravit arrives at dinner. He thanks the young heroes for their efforts
in Hochen, though he’s not pleased if the village was damaged or the
people harmed. (See Dinner for One)
Stravit complains that he’s had recent troubles with similar creatures.
After the dinner, he invites the characters down into the cellar to
investigate. He promptly locks them in with his black-oil-infected
servants. (See Invitation to Mayhem)
Should the characters escape, they will likely wish to confront Stravit.
He will not hide from them. He’ll meet them, sword in hand, at the
top of the grand stairs. He’ll give a big ol’ villainous monologue before
challenging one of the nobles to a duel. (See Duel on the Stairs)
Alternately, the players might decline dinner or the invitation to

investigate the cellar. If that happens, Stravit invites them to stay the
night. During the night, much mischief happens. The players will want
to investigate. Stravit will attempt to use his black rod to unleash the
walking corpses on the house—while he locks himself in his room. (See
Night Work)
Tomasz’s Greeting
Tomasz arrives in Hochen just as the dust is settling from the bear and
the cult. He is driving a large sleigh pulled by a team of four draft
horses. Łukasz sits tucked under a blanket in the front seat.
He intones, “Greetings heroes! Word of your deeds has reached the ears
of my master, the lord of this domain. He wishes to express his gratitude
to you. Please come with me to the manor.”
There’s no choice or action here. The characters board the sleigh and
Tomasz drives them through the forest to the manor. Describe the quiet
forest, the sound of the horses’ hooves, the cut of the sleigh on the ice
and snow.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Serve the Servants

Set the tone with a somber description of the Manor Stravit. Its windows
are darkened, the grounds dilapidated and the eaves in disarray.
The characters arrive at the manor and Tomasz informs them that
dinner will be served shortly. He and Łukasz hustle off into the kitchen.
He can be heard giving the boy orders.
Give the players a moment to converse among themselves before serving

dinner. If they question Tomasz about the state of the manor, he states
simply, “The servants have all run off due to milady’s illness.”
If questioned about the lady’s illness, Tomasz asserts that “She is very
ill, but milord is an excellent doctor.”
Stravit joins them once dinner is served. Note to the players that he
wears a strong perfume—as per his Instinct.
Dinner for One

Dinner is a bland soup, boiled root vegetables, wild game and fowl. It
has clearly been hunted up by Tomasz himself. The boy serves. The
wine is excellent.
Stravit will enjoin the conversation politely and formally. If the

characters treated honorably with the village and did little harm while
destroying the bear, he’ll offer a small reward—1D cash—and offer his
services as a doctor.
If the characters murdered villagers or caused general havoc, he’ll

be stern. No reward will be forthcoming. If the players inquire about
recompense, he’ll ask them instead to pay for the damage they’ve caused.
If they inquire about the black oil, he’ll act surprised and concerned.
“Hm. What you say sounds familiar. I think we might have encountered
something similar here.” He’ll use this a pretext to lure the characters
into the cellar.
If questioned about his wife, he’ll intone that she is gravely ill as he
rattles off an incomprehensible diagnosis. If questioned about the state
of his affairs, he’ll sigh heavily and offer something similar to, “It’s so
hard to find good help these days.”
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Stravit will absolutely accept a Duel of Wits about the village, a reward
Dinner for One

or the oil. He’ll use this an opportunity to maneuver the characters into
his service—so he can put them in danger and get rid of them.
Invitation to Mayhem
Stravit bids the characters to investigate the cellar. He tells them as little
as possible. If he must, he’ll admit that he’s trapped another “creature”
down there—similar to the bear.
The wine cellar contains wine racks and an old, broken wine press. It is
also piled and littered with the contents of the storage room. Old linens,
sacks of stuff, barrels, chests of odds and ends.
He’ll point the characters to the storage room. As soon as they’re

distracted, he’ll quietly make his escape up the cellar stairs. He’ll close
and bar the door. It’s likely that the players will be suspicious of Stravit.
Try to allay their fears. Stravit is with them, shocked by what they found.
Stravit waits until they’re stuck in before he makes his retreat. You only
need to make a test if someone has a hand on Stravit for the duration of
the mayhem. You really don’t want to roll any dice here. Stravit’s stats
are crap, but you can use his Dexterity of the Cat call-on to have him
leap nimbly up the narrow stairs.
Corpses in the Cellar

There are five walking corpses locked in the storage in the cellar. These
are friends and relatives to the villagers of Hochen. They are people
who escaped the rigors of village life to come and work as servants at
the lord’s manor. Daniel recognizes them: Mogyori the cobbler’s wife,
Gyomor the steward, Alkami the serving girl, Sorgen the elder and
Wolfram the stolid servant. They’re all dead now, infected with the black
oil. They burst forth from the door as soon as the characters make any
attempt to open it.
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Burning Wheel Gold
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Dinner for One

Risen Corpse
Wi Pe Ag Sp Po Fo He Re Ste Mw Res Cir
B9 B1 B3 B3 B5 B5 — B2 B7 B11 — —
Stride 7 Hesitation 1
Su Li Mi Se Tr Mo
PTGS Base Rise! Obstacle: 4
B4 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11
Char Hungry Dead, Mute
Traits
Die Reanimated Corpse, Hideous, Tough as Nails, Dead to Pain, Unfeeling, Clumsy Walker, Night Eyed
Skills Savage Attack B3
Weapons and Type/Name I M S Length VA Spd
Damage Nails/Bite B2 B4 B6 Shortest — 2
Fighting the Dead

There are three ways to handle this mess: a single versus test, a series
of versus tests and a big Fight!
Weapons at the Dinner Table

Stravit attempts to direct the characters into the cellar as soon as
dinner is finished. He doesn’t rush them necessarily, but neither does
he let them prepare. If you want to be a cruel GM, inform the players
that they didn’t bring any weapons with them that weren’t strapped
on, or they don’t have an Instinct about. Did the Dwarf really bring a
loaded crossbow to dinner? I don’t think so.
If the players insist on gathering arms before they enter the basement,
don’t make a fuss. They’re allowed to play smart. But if they forget,
it’ll make for an interesting fight!
Single Test Resolution

Using a single test, you can resolve an escape or a fight. For an escape,
use character Speed vs Risen Corpse Power. Players must obey the
Slowest and Loudest rule (Adventure Burner page 351). All of the
corpses can help one another—that’s 9D total. Resolving a fight in a
single test use weapon skills (and slowest and loudest). The corpses
roll 7D for their Savage Attack versus the group.
If the characters lose the single test, well, thing are bad. Perhaps a
miracle can save them before they’re devoured. Let It Ride prevents
them from simply retesting. They must find another way to defeat the
creatures or escape.
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Note that if Stravit closed the door to the basement, “escape” means
the top of the stairs. The corpses will crawl up the stairs to feast on the
cowering characters. So they’ve only managed to buy themselves some
time to deal with the inevitable. Failure indicates they must confront
the dead, either using the series test method, a fight or some other
desperate gambit. See the Escaping heading in this section for details
on getting through the door.
Series Versus Test Resolution

Rather than resolving the fight in a single versus test, you can use a
series of tests. In this case, each character squares off against a risen
corpse alone. There’s no help possible. The corpses use their Power to
attempt to Lock their victims. Players can use Speed to escape, Power
to overbear or a weapon skill to bring one of them down. Characters
who fail their test are locked down. They must be rescued before they
are bitten and infected with the oil.
Characters who brought down their opponent may come to the rescue
of others who did not. Characters who fled may not. Characters who
are holding down a corpse may help if they let their quarry go. This
means to the two corpses help each other against the one rescuing
character. The rescue will save a character from being vomited on, but
it still leaves a free corpse to deal with.
In order to effect a rescue, the corpse must be slain outright—a

weapon skill test that can deliver a B11 wound—or it must be wrestled
off of its prey—Power vs Power. If the corpse wins or is not slain, it
vomits on its prey. Make an Ob 1 Agility test for each vomiting corpse.
Success indicates the victim must pass an Ob 5 Forte test as described
under the Black Oil section of the Trouble in Hochen chapter.
You can keep making tests like this until all of the corpses are
incapacitated or until all of the characters have fled, are dead or
infected.
If the door to the basement is closed by Stravit, characters who fled

can only reach the top of the stairs. They can cower there and pound
on the door or they can flee into the root cellar. Ask before they test.
Fight!
This situation makes a great fight: The walking dead burst forth from
a creepy room in a basement; the light swings wildly; the door slams
shut behind. Trapped, you must fight your way out!
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Only use the Fight! option if you have time—it’ll probably take 40-60
Dinner for One

minutes—and you have players who are willing to give it a go.
During the scuffle, if you have more corpses than characters, have the
corpses help one another against a single target. It makes the melee
simpler.
The first step in this fight is to make Steel tests for surprise all around.
Then roll for initial positioning individually. Characters who failed
their Steel test can only test for positioning if they Run Screaming.
They cannot use weapon length advantages. Otherwise, the corpses
don’t have weapons or high Reflexes, so the characters will probably
win the positioning.
This is a fairly straightforward fight aside from the space. It’s

cramped, dark and there’s little room for retreat. Use the No Where
to Run rules—Rooms With One Exit (Adventure Burner page 351).
Lastly, if desperate for time or respite, the characters can open the
root cellar (2 actions) and rush in (successful Withdraw positioning)
and barricade themselves in (Power vs Power). This ends the combat.
The players must formulate a plan from here—perhaps a spell or
clever stratagem.
Escaping the Cellar

Escaping the cellar requires the characters to flee or incapacitate the
risen dead. They then must contend with the cellar door. If they are
close on Stravit’s heels, make a Power test—Stravit, Tomasz and the
boy (6D total)—versus the fleeing characters.
If the door is already locked and secured, it’s an Ob 5 Power test to

burst it open. Grant advantage dice to using swords and weapons.
If successful, the weapons are dulled and +1 Ob to use until they’re
mended. If failed, the weapons are broken in the effort. Also, if the
test is failed, don’t lock the characters in the cellar forever. Think of
a juicy failure complication. Maybe the boy comes and lets them out
later. Maybe they’re injured as they burst through the door. Maybe
they break the door down and dead come pouring out into the house.
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Duel on the Stairs

Should the characters escape the trap in the basement, they will find
Stravit waiting on the grand staircase, richly attired, bearing a dazzling
sword. Tomasz is there before him, with a pained look on his face. He
holds a wicked looking cudgel.
Tomasz will defend his master from being rushed. But Stravit will push
him aside at the soonest opportunity and challenge the noblest among
them to a duel of honor—for the honor of his wife and his reputation.
It is a duel to the death. Should the players accept, they must nominate
one of their own to face Stravit in single combat. I recommend using a
Fight! to resolve this. Stravit is unarmored. Tomasz will point this out
and attempt to pull off his opponent’s armor. Facing him unarmored is
the honorable thing to do—but it’s the player’s choice.
Stravit will not accept a Duel of Wits at this point. He declares that
theses “so-called heroes” have impugned his honor and ravaged his
lands. They must be punished.
Should he be victorious in the duel, he will command the others to leave.

Here’s the trick: A duel of honor doesn’t have the same binding results
as a Duel of Wits. The players’s reactions are completely their own. They
decide how their characters will react. Do they kill him in revenge for
their friend? Do they do something else? Stravit, thoroughly insane, will
gladly bait them into a further fight. In fact, do everything in your power
to induce the characters to murder Stravit.
Night Work
If the characters are not trapped in the cellar with Stravit’s experiments,
they are invited to overnight at the manor. This brings up a lot of
potential for mischief. Tomasz opens up the old guest bed rooms for
them. The lady Brin gets a room to herself—the one closest to Stravit.
The men are bunked in the other two rooms.
Tomasz stays on overnight watch. He’ll hide in the shadows of the foyer,
under the balcony, listening for sounds of feet sneaking about. To escape
his notice, the characters must beat his Observation. Make a versus
test. Tomasz gets a +1D advantage for undertaking the test carefully—
waiting under the stairs. He’ll use his Stealthy and Quiet trait to catch
any mischief-makers unawares.
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If Tomasz is fooled, that character has the run of the upstairs. He
Dinner for One

can communicate with his brethren and move about the balcony.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing of interest up here aside from Stravit’s
suite. The rooms are either empty, abandoned or occupied by the
characters.
The door to Stravit’s suite is locked. It can be quietly picked (Ob 2).
But Stravit is awake within, looking after his wife. Stravit can test B3
Observation against the player’s riding Stealthy successes that he used
to fool Tomasz.
If Tomasz is not fooled, he will firmly confront the offending characters

and put them back in their rooms. He’ll stand guard outside their
doors thereafter. Tomasz is a rough character. He’ll resort to violence
if things get heated. Stravit will emerge from his chambers to reinforce
his servant.
Unleash the Servants

If the players bed down for the night—and don’t get up to trouble—
Stravit will tap his black rod and summon forth the dead from the
cellar. He’ll send one after each character. They’ll sneak into the guest
rooms—Speed vs Perception/Observation. Sleeping characters suffer
a +1 Ob disadvantage.
Rather than attack, the walking corpses attempt to vomit on the faces
of their unsuspecting victims. Make an Ob 1 Agility test for each
vomiting corpse. Success indicates the victim must pass an Ob 5 Forte
test as described under the Black Oil section of the Trouble in Hochen
chapter.
Otherwise, run this as a mad fight throughout the manor. Let the
characters run from room to room with positioning. Stravit, Tomasz
and the boy are conspicuously absent from the melee.
Exploring the Manor

The Manor Stravit is all but empty. It feels hollow. Stravit’s servants,
who populated the villa, have either run off or are dead in the cellar.
Tomasz and his son, Łukasz, take care of all of the household duties:
the cooking, the laundry, cleaning, chopping firewood, drawing water
and tending the grounds. It’s too much work for the two of them. The
house is falling into disrepair. Everyday tasks are left undone, piling up.
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When running the manor, simply stress that Tomasz takes care of
Dinner for One

everything—lighting the fires, fetching the linens, cooking dinner, etc.
He’s nominally the forester, so this isn’t normal at all.
I’ve provided some simple descriptions. Feel free to embellish as you

see fit.
Guest Rooms
Each guest room contains a large bed with a comfortable mattress, a
wardrobe, a mirror, rugs and a fireplace.
Stravit’s Quarters
Stravit’s quarters consist of three rooms: the bath, the study and the
bedroom. The scent of Stravit’s perfume emanates from the rooms. All
of the rooms are locked. Stravit holds the keys. None but he are allowed
to enter.
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The bath has been converted into his laboratory. It is full of arcane
equipment—the death art workshop. The bath basin itself is full of
black oil.
The study contains his notes and designs for the black rod and for his
experiments to modify the black oil.
The bedroom has been sealed against light and air. It’s a dark, fetid
place. Stravit’s wife’s corpse lies in state on the bed. A basin of black oil
rests next to her head. It’s unclear whether or not she’s been fed the oil
(Ob 2 Death Art, Ob 3 Anatomy). It’s also unclear how long she’s been
dead (Ob 2 Anatomy).
Stravit’s Papers
Stravit’s papers contain ciphered information about the oil, how to
modify to create an immortality elixir and how to create a black rod.
To read them, they must be deciphered. They can be deciphered
with an Ob 2 Death Art test, an Ob 3 Cryptography test or an Ob 5
Research test. Symbology (Ob 6) can be used to learn the general
meaning of the notes but not the exact contents.
The information about the oil is basic, detailing its properties. The
information about the elixir is completely incorrect. The instructions
create a poison, not a path to immortality. Rather than granting
eternal life or even unlife, the oil kills its victim though it does preserve
his corpse.
The instructions for the black rod count as one of the tools required
to make the item. The missing ingredient is the oil itself. The recipe
requires gallons of the stuff. With both the notes and the oil, a
character has the tools necessary for an Ob 4 Death Art test. Success
creates a black rod as described in the Trouble in Hochen chapter.
Sitting Room
Stravit’s sitting room contains comfortable chairs, tapestries, rugs and
an extensive collection of liqueurs in crystal decanters and colored-glass
bottles. His wife’s loom and apothecary are both arranged beneath the
southern windows as well.
Library
Stravit keeps a small library of medical and anatomical texts. His wife
keeps a collection of romances written in the native tongue. One of the
books is anatomical treatise written by Stravit himself, dedicated to his
patron the duchess.
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Dining Room
Dinner for One

The dining room contains a magnificent table and a set of chairs carved
in motif of the ducal lions. There is a portrait of the family hanging over
the mantle.
Kitchen
The elaborate kitchen contains two sinks, two stoves, an oven and
marble counter tops. The stairs lead down to the cellar.
Gallery
Stravit maintains a small gallery of sculptures. Pieces are primarily busts
of his family, but he also has religious and artistic pieces as well. There is
a portrait of the duchess, Stravit’s patron, hanging here as well.
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Music Conservatory
Stravit isn’t much of a musician, but his wife and her servants frequently
came to the conservatory to play. There’s a dulcimer, psaltery and a
handful of flutes and recorders in the room. There’s also a selection of
contemporary music.
Den
The den is small and cozy. Stravit often retires to the den, rather than
the study, because it is more private than the library or sitting room and
it’s warmer in the winter.
Garden
The garden is no place to wander during winter. It’s cold, windswept
and dead.
Attic
You are in a dark attic. Moonlight filters in from a small window. You
hear the rustling of leathery wings in the rafters. There is an old trunk
here. Just kidding. The attic is full of generations of familial debris,
from Stravit and his parents and their parents: clothing, medals, awards,
banners, ceremonial weapons, etc. It’s noble junk.
Family Secret-wise
Brin’s Family Secret-wise is perfect for sussing out information about
Stravit. Here are some recommended obstacles:
Ob 1: Stravit is the lord of Hochen, Mecklenburg, and the Manor Stravit.

His overlord is the Baron Turmfalke who a close cousin to the Duke
Ukold.
Ob 2: Stravit was a well-respected doctor at court.
Ob 3: Stravit recently retired to care for his sick wife.
Ob 4: Stravit was the duchess’s favorite at court.
Ob 5: Stravit is an expert fencer.
Ob 6: Stravit was a member of a mystery cult at court, the Order of the

Celestial Vault.
Ob 7: The duchess was a member of the same mystery cult.
Ob 8: Stravit’s wife is truly dead. He’s been keeping up a front since

she died, pretending she’s still alive in order to hide his research into
the oil.
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The Family Stravit
Dinner for One

Stravit is ranked a lord, a landed noble. He oversees two villages—
Hochen and Mecklenburg—and a forest for his direct overlord, the
Baron Turmfalke. However, Stravit had a favored position at court,
patronized by the duchess herself. Thus the duchess was his true master.
Turmfalke wisely stood aside and left Stravit to his own devices rather
than raise the ire of the duke and duchess.
Stravit’s now deceased wife was pleased by duchess’s attentions.

She enjoyed very much her favored position and time at court. Thus
she turned a blind eye to any extra duties her husband might have
performed.
Is Stravit survived by any children? Matters become rather complicated

if there are surviving children, and rather morbid if Stravit has murdered
his own child as well as his wife. Thus, I leave the final decision up to
you. Use deceased children or living heirs if you think this will challenge
the players’ Beliefs. Though it’s worth noting that if Stravit’s son is a
page at court, or his daughter is in the convent of the abbey, our heroes’
lives could be made even more interesting.
The End of Dinner for One

This scenario ends with the death of Stravit. As soon as he dies, Büttel—
the Duke’s bailiff—arrives and walks in on the mayhem. He sees only
that Lord Stravit is dead and the characters have apparently killed him.
He promptly, gently and firmly arrests them all saying, “I dispatched
you here to sort this out, not make a bigger mess.”
Artha and Dinner

of the scenario.
Dinner for One leads to Your Day in Court

This ending leads directly to the next scenario, Your Day in Court. Büttel
escorts the characters back to the castle, Löwen Höhle, where they will
stand trial for Stravit’s murder.
Oil Amok
contained in Trouble in Hochen (pages 20-22) as the basis for
your own fantasy apocalypse campaign.
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Characters for Dinner
Dinner for One

There are three main characters for this scenario: Tomasz, Łukasz and
Stravit. Everyone else is either dead or a walking corpse.
Tomasz
Tomasz is a loyal servant. He was elevated by Stravit from his base
existence in the village. Because of this, Tomasz is unfailingly loyal to his
master—even in the face of his master’s madness and collapse.
Tomasz Forester, Stravit’s Servant

Vitals— 32-year-old servant to Lord Stravit.
B3 B4 B4 B3 B5 B5 B4 B3 B11 B4 7 B0 B1 7
PTGS
Lifepaths—Village Born, Runner, Laborer, Lead to Servitude & Captive, Servant

(Servitude), Lead to Noble Court, Forester
Beliefs— Lord Stravit is my master; I will serve him until my dying breath.
Łukasz is my life; I must protect him at all costs.
I will not allow these interlopers to disturb Lord Stravit in his important work.
Instincts— Always heed the lord’s commands.
Always keep Łukasz near me.
Always patrol the grounds for poachers in the morning.
Traits— Skinny [Char], Calloused [Char], Mind-Numbing Work [C-O for Will], Fleet of
Foot [C-O Speed for positioning or racing], Numb [Dt no superficial wounds], Quiet
[C-O Stealthy]
Skills— Cudgel B4, Ditch Digging B2, Foraging B2, Observation B4, Orienteering B4,
Poacher-wise B2, Soothing Platitudes B1, Stealthy B4, Streetwise B2, Tracking B3,
Trapper B3
Affiliations— 1D Stravit’s Household
Relationships— Son, Łukasz (Minor, immediate family)
Gear— Clothes, Shoes, Trapping tool kit, Traveling Gear, Cudgel, Knife
Weapons— Bare Fisted I:B3 M:B5 S:B7, Add 2, VA -, WS 3, Shortest
Cudgel I:B4 M:B7 S:B10, Add 2, VA -, WS 3, Short, May Great Strike
Knife I:B3 M:B6 S:B9, Add 1, VA -, WS X, Shortest
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Łukasz
Dinner for One

Play very lightly with the son. Look at his character sheet, he’s Gifted.
You can use the Raw Talent rules from the Magic Burner for him, but
try not to make him a spectacle. Describe him hiding behind his father,
watching Stravit.
He should watch and help as unobtrusively as possible. Why? Because

he’s a perfect recurring character in a long term-game. He can get taken
in by Brin’s mentor. He can get taken in by the necromancer. He can get
taken in by Brin, too, but I don’t think that’s as cool. Personally, I want
the players to forget all about him after this scenario. Then I want to
reintroduce him further down the road—transformed and tragic.
If he gets the chance—during Stravit’s death throes for example—he’ll

sneak into Stravit’s chambers (he has a key) and steal his notes and the
black rod and hide them. If the players haven’t been in there previously,
they’ll be none the wiser. And you’ll have a young necromancer in the
making.
Łukasz, Tomasz’ son

Vitals— Tomasz’ 12-year-old son
B4 B2 B3 B5 B3 B3 B3 B3 B8 B4 6 B0 B2 7
PTGS
Lifepaths— Born Peasant, Apt Pupil

Beliefs— My father is in great danger, I must protect him.
Lord Stravit possesses secrets that even he does not understand; I must learn all I can
from him before he goes mad.
These interlopers must not learn Stravit’s secrets or they will drag my father down,
I must mislead them.
Instincts— Always protect dad from magic.
Always sneak into Stravit’s chambers when he goes out.
Always keep a cameo of mom around my neck.
Traits—Believer [Dt Faith Obs -1 against], Gifted [Dt may cast magic],
Unlucky [Dt CB page 289]
Skills— Necromancy-wise B1, Obscure History B1, Sad Father-wise B1, Stealthy B2,
Ugly Truth B2
Relationships—Tomasz, father (Minor, immediate family); Stravit, Lord of Hochen
(Significant, other family [surrogate uncle], forbidden, hateful/rival)
Gear— Clothes, Shoes
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Lord Stravit
Dinner for One

Stravit is concerned that the characters are onto him after they dealt
with the bear. He’ll use dinner to suss out what they know to determine
whether he needs to murder them or simply get them to leave. He’ll take
anything the characters say as a veiled threat.
Stravit, Lord of Hochen

Vitals— 46-year-old, former court doctor, now dabbler in arts forbidden
B5 B6 B4 B3 B4 B3/4 B4/5 B4 B9 B5 4 B4 B3 7
PTGS
Lifepaths—Born Noble, Page, Student, Lead to Noble Court, Squire, Courtier, Court
Doctor, Lead to Outcast, Cultist, Lead to Death Cult, Death Cultist
Beliefs— I am lord still and I must punish those who trespass on my land.
I am vulnerable; I must avert the suspicions of these adventurers.
The Black Oil is the key to life eternal; I will learn its secrets at any cost.
Zealot: I must have more life! I will sacrifice anything to live forever.
Instincts— If Tudom’s name is invoked, make the sign to avert evil.
If asked about the deaths of my wife or children, give a show of tears and sorrow.
Always perfume myself after leaving the Death Room.
Traits— Cold to the Touch [Char from Black Rod], Pragmatic [Char], Your Lordship
[Char noble rank], Mark of Privilege [Dt noble affiliation], Rapier Wit [Dt +2D
Rebuttal], Incomprehensible Diagnosis [C-O for Falsehood], Zealot [Dt fourth
Belief], Suicidal [Dt persona point for Mortal Wound], Louis Wu [Dt—laugh when
hesitating], Dexterity of the Cat [C-O for Speed and balance]
Skills—Anatomy B4, Apothecary B4, Astrology B4, Bloodletting B5, Brawling B2,
Conspicuous B2, Court Gossip-Wise B4, Cult Doctrine B3, Death Art B3,
Death-wise B3, Doctrine B3, Etiquette B4, Falsehood B4, Inconspicuous B2,
Noble-wise B3, Observation B3, Oratory B3, Persuasion B5, Read B4, Riding B2,
Rule of Law B3, Secret Cult Worship-wise B4, Seduction B3, Surgery B5, Sword B5,
Write B4
Affiliations—1D Duke’s Court, 1D Order of the Celestial Vault
Reputations—1D Former (but Beloved) Court Doctor
Relationships—Tomasz Forester (Significant)
Gear—Surgery Tools, Finery, Arms, Death Art Tools, Horse, Black Rod
Property—The Manor Stravit
Weapons—Bare Fisted I:B2 M:B4 S:B6, Add 2, VA –, WS 3, Shortest
Arming Sword I:B3 M:B6 S:B9, Add 2, VA –, WS 3, Long May Great Strike
Dagger I:B3 M:B5 S:B7, Add 1, VA –, WS X, Shortest
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Your Day in Court
Your Day in Court is the third scenario in our series. It follows
directly on the heels of Dinner for One. It’s a bit of a twist—
rather than revered as heroes for their actions, the characters
are arrested and put on trial for murder.
Using Your Day in Court

Your Day in Court plays with one to five players plus a GM.
Picking up From Dinner for One

Your Day in Court is the sequel to Dinner for One. And it
only works if Stravit was killed during the previous scenario.
If Stravit lives, you’ll have to modify the scenario. Perhaps he
demands Büttel arrest them for damaging his property and
killing his villeins. He’ll testify against them in court.
Otherwise, Your Day in Court picks up immediately after

Dinner for One. There’s no downtime or rest for the characters.
The duke’s bailiff arrives on the scene following Stravit’s
murder. He heaves a sigh and arrests all of the characters.
Use the same characters you used in Dinner for One. If you
lost a character, I recommend you sit out this session. Join up
with the group after this session. It’ll make much more sense.
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Starting Fresh
Your Day In Court

Your Day in Court works as a stand-alone adventure. Grab the knight,
priest and wizard to start. The hunter, Elf and Dwarf are secondary.
Preamble
When starting with Your Day in Court, you have to provide a
preamble. Recount to the players how they saved Hochen but
burned out the cultists. Then they met the lord of the lands, Stravit.
He attempted to kill them with black magic. They were forced—in
the name of all that is good and holy—to kill him lest they be killed
themselves. The duke’s bailiff—the man who dispatched them on this
mission—arrived on the scene to find blood on their hands. Having no
other recourse, he arrested them for murdering nobility.
If you’re starting with Your Day in Court, you’ll need to build
relationships for the scenario. Take relationships at court. The father,
uncle and abbot are all straightforward. Daniel’s brother must be
lurking about court somewhere. The Dwarf and Elf should both place
their relationships at the duke’s court—as advisors, craftsmen or even
visiting dignitaries.
Using Templates
This scenario is intended to be played with the characters provided. If
you must burn your own characters, I recommend 3 LP humans with
noble, sorcerous, religious, mercenary or cultist ties.
Belief Workshop
In order for this scenario to run properly, you must lay out the situation
and the players must write Beliefs about it.
The Situation for Your Day in Court

You are going to be put on trial for murdering the lord Stravit. You
are not innocent, but was your crime justified? How will you plead
your case?
Situational Belief
Write a Belief about the upcoming trial—about the justification for
your actions, your innocence, about the nature of good and evil, about
exposing the truth about Stravit or the difficult position of being in the
service of the bailiff on such a delicate mission.
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Relationship or PC Belief
Write a Belief about fulfilling an obligation to one of your relationships.
Or write a Belief about protecting, hindering, impressing or avenging
yourself upon one of the other player characters.
In order to prompt them, ask the players why their relationship character
is interested in Stravit or Hochen. Be sure to read out each Belief as the
players create them. Encourage players to take inspiration from one
another.
appropriate.
Player Character Overviews

for Your Day in Court
wizard, a priest, a hunter, a Dwarf and an Elf. If you have three or fewer
players, choose from the knight, wizard and priest. If you’re playing
with four or five players, use the hunter, Dwarf or Elf as the additional
characters.
If you played Dinner for One, please continue using your characters
from that session. Don’t switch. If you lost a character to the oil, the
dead or the duel, do not add a new character. Wait until the next session
to bring new characters in.
Knight
Encourage the player to place the knight’s father at
court—as an officer, courtier or even just an old
knight himself. Doing so provides a good motivation
for the character in this adventure. See the Father
heading under the Dance Circles section.
The player can write his Beliefs about proving

himself to his father, earning fame or wealth, or even protecting his
companions by shouldering the blame for the murder.
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Wizard
Your Day In Court

Encourage her player to write her Beliefs about
creating a reputation for herself or about defending
magic—black or otherwise—to the court.
It’s also possible for Brin to bring her uncle into this
scenario. It’s dangerous but he could be the only
help she gets. See the Uncle heading of the Dance
Circles section.
Priest
Theoden’s abbot cousin is an important character in
this scenario. He’s influential at court. See the
Abbot heading of the Dance Circles section.
Encourage the player to write his Beliefs about

ingratiating himself to the abbot. He can write a
Belief about atoning for the murder. Or he can write
a Belief about healing this rift between court and church.
Hunter
Daniel has a brother who ran from home and
abandoned his mother. Place the brother at court.
He could be a soldier, a servant, a priest, a
craftsman or even an impostor. He could have ties
to the uncle—perhaps he worked for him. He could
be part of the abbot’s priory. There are many
options for this character. And he is key. He’s going
to be Daniel’s entree into court. Leaning on his brother will give Daniel
motiviation.
The main conflict of this scenario is a Duel of Wits in which Daniel

cannot help. He has no skill or wise that’s going to allow him to
participate—unless he’s very savvy with his Haggling skill. I don’t
recommend using him unless you’re a very creative player—or unless
Daniel is going to lead the Duel of Wits and everyone else is going to help
him. That is the best option by far.
Daniel is best suited for a strong, proactive player. Encourage his player
to write fierce Beliefs about getting justice for the beleaguered people
of Hochen.
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Dwarf
Fureard’s player should be encouraged to write
Beliefs about winning treasure or other fortunes from
the court. Fureard should be utterly indignant about
being accused of a crime after risking life and limb
on some fool’s errand.
Since he’s far from home, encourage his player to

write a Belief that binds him to another character in the group. Good
Beliefs in this case let him ride on the coattails of the knight or wizard.
Or lead him to protect Daniel or Theoden.
Elf
Cerebirn has a cousin. They have a contentious
relationship. Ask the player why they hate each
other. Cerebirn’s cousin is at court. Why is he there?
Is he waiting for Cerebirn or is he there for some
other purpose?
Cerebirn’s Beliefs must be forceful. He’s far from

home and can easily just toddle off on another walkabout. It’s best if
both of his Beliefs are tied to another character in the group.
Starting Artha for Your Day in Court

All new characters start with one fate point and one persona point.
Continuing Artha
If you’re continuing from Dinner for One, use the artha totals from the
completion of that scenario.
GMing Your Day in Court

Your Day in Court centers around one conflict—the trial. After the set
up, the players drive the action. They gather allies and resources to
aid them in their coming trial. The players must be proactive in this
scenario if they want to explore the situation at court and gain help in
the impending trial.
The Ugly Truth About the Court

The players have murdered nobility—and a beloved member of the
court. This is a crime. There is no equivocating.
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Adventures
Büttel, officer of the court, was at the scene. Though he did not witness
Your Day In Court

the act, he saw enough to convince him that the characters committed
the deed. As the bailiff, it’s his job to pronounce judgement upon them.
However, he’s a compassionate, just man. He knows that there is more
to the story.
Stravit was favored by the herzogin—the duchess—before he retired

from court. She will not look kindly on these young upstarts murdering
her favorite. However, should they be contrite, she won’t interfere with
Büttel’s job. She’ll let justice take its course. Should they be arrogant in
their defense, she will actively campaign against them.
The court in general is interested in a good spectacle more than anything

else. They’re happy to see the young heroes hang, but they’re also just as
willing to hear a rousing defense and some princely oratory.
The duke, Verdorben, is absent from the proceedings. He is busy seeing

to his interests on the eastern border. He trusts Büttel to get the job done.
A Precarious Court
Court is a dangerous place. Favor comes and goes. Stars rise and fall. Be
sure to place all of the denizens of court in compromising positions—
especially the father, the abbot, the uncle, the cousin and the brother.
For example, what should happen to Gunter’s father if the young knight
is convicted? What will Gunter’s father do about that?
Order of Events
Büttel arrives at the Manor Stravit just as Stravit is falling to the floor—
or when the last walking corpse is dispatched. It’s important that he not
actually witness any of the events. He should only see the aftermath.
He rushed to the manor as soon as he got wind of what happened in
Hochen. But he arrived too late.
He escorts the group back to the castle, Lowen Hohle (see Welcome
Back). The next day they are put on trial (see the Trial).
Welcome Back
Upon his arrival, Büttel very gently arrests the group. Maybe he doesn’t
even say “arrest.” He simply escorts the group back to the castle under
his stern eye. This is all done as preamble. There are no rolls made.
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Burning Wheel Gold
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Adventures
Büttel leads the characters back to the castle and deposits them in a
Your Day In Court

private sitting room in remote part of the castle. He doesn’t want them
paraded about like common criminals. They deserve some dignity.
Büttel summons servants to start a fire and take care of the characters
immediate needs. He then explains, “Whatever you think, you’ve
committed a crime. Stravit, a noble and peer of the realm, has been
murdered—ostensibly by you.”
Büttel is a bit frustrated and disappointed, “I sent you out there to take
care of things, not make matters worse. Stravit was a favorite of the
duchess. So now I have to perform my duties—to the very letter of the
law. I will hear your case and pronounce judgement before the whole
court tomorrow.”
“You have your liberty now. Collect your wits and attend to yourselves.
Use your time wisely. I’ll send for you in the morning.”
Büttel’s Hungry Knight

When on duty, Büttel always has a hungry young knight at his side,
as per his Instinct. This particular young man is a nephew of the Lord
Cizi. His name is Ákos. Ákos is aggressive. He’ll look for an excuse to
make trouble with Gunter. Should Gunter misstep with etiquette, Ákos
will be right there to call him out. He’ll try to push Gunter into a duel of
honor. Why? The young knight is clearly a criminal and not deserving
of Büttel’s mercy. And, simply, because Ákos is trying to impress Büttel.
Of course, killing or maiming a defendant in a trial will not impress

Büttel in the least, but we never claimed Ákos was smart.
Dance Circles
After Büttel reads the group the riot act, he leaves them alone. It is up
to the players to martial their resources to prepare for their court date.
They can make Circles tests to develop helpful characters at court. If

they can find someone to testify for them, count the character as help
for a single action in the Duel of Wits. To get help throughout the entire
proceeding, they need to find a powerful ally or lay out serious bribes.
They can make wise tests to establish information about Stravit, Hochen
or anything else they think will help them.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Áko, Büttel’s Hungry Young Knight

Vitals— 25-year-old aggressive knight.
B4 B4 B4 B5 B5 B5 B5 B4 B11 B6 6 B0 B2 7
PTGS
Lifepaths— Born Noble, Page, Squire, Knight

Beliefs— Criminals deserve no mercy.
I must impress Büttel in order to bring honor to my family.
The only victories that matter are those won on the battlefield.
Instincts— Always know who’s behind me.
Always knows the proper etiquette.
Never disobey my betters.
Traits— Mark of Privilege [DT 1D Noble Affiliation, +1 Ob Inconspicous, Falsehood
when masquerading as lower than Noble station], Sworn Homage [DT 1D Noble
Affiliation], Gloryhound [DT Steel Reaction For Glory!]
Skills— Ancient History B3, Axe B4, Brawling B3, Conspicuous B3, Crossbow B3,
Etiquette B3, Knives B3, Lance B3, Oratory B3, Poetry B2, Riding B4, Sword B3,
Armor Training, Shield Training, Mounted Combat Training
Affiliations— 2D Nobles of Hochen
Relationships— Büttel, the Duke’s Bailiff
Reputations— 1D A poor knight of no means but great promise
Gear— (on his person) sword and knife, clothes, shoes, (when travelling) axe and lance,
armor (plated mail 5D), riding horse, courser, , traveling gear, crossbow, dog
Weapons— Bare Fist—I:B3 M:B5 S:B7, Add 2, VA –, WS 3, Shortest
Long Sword—I:B4 M:B8 S:B12, Add 2, VA –, Ws 3, Long, may Great Strike
Knife—I:B3 M:B5 S:B7, Add 1, VA –, WS X, Shortest
Relationship characters factor heavily into this scenario—particularly,

Gunter’s, Brin’s and Theoden’s. However, don’t use them as blanket
help. This scenario is much more interesting if each of these characters
has his own agenda. Make help conditional on the player recognizing
that agenda.
Courtly Activities
If you’re in need of inspiration for how to run an evening at court,
consider the following. The duchess could throw a fête—a dance to
which all are invited; Baroness Turmfalke, visiting court, could host a
dinner; perhaps the characters could earn an invitation; in addition to
large parties, a night at the castle is host to gaming—card play—and
smaller recitals and performances—poetry and oratory.
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Adventures
Outside of social events, the castle Löwen Hohle is sprawling and thus
Your Day In Court

has room for secret rendez-vous in winter gardens, duels in darkened
courtyards, private discussions in comfortable apartments and so on.
The Father
Gunter’s father is a minor player at court. He could be a worn out
courtier, a landless knight or a minor officer like a herald or falconer.
It’s likely that Gunter’s dad will want the best for him, but neither will
he want his son to make enemies. He’ll advise his son to humbly accept
whatever judgement the bailiff proposes.
The Uncle
Brin’s uncle is a dangerous resource. He’s a mad, evil necromancer! But
he could be called forth to offer expert testimony regarding Stravit’s
predilections and practices.
Of course, if he’s summoned forth, he’ll want suitable recompense from

Brin.
If the group should lose the trial, Brin’s uncle can be a huge liability. No
one, but no one, likes this guy. He can seriously damage the reputation
of anyone associated with him.
The Abbot
Theoden’s abbot is in a difficult position. If he wanted to, he could pull
Theoden right out of the fire. Secular law cannot prosecute a church
official. However, this makes the abbot look very bad at court. It makes
him look like he sent an assassin to murder the duchess’ favorite.
It also doesn’t help that the abbot could make a claim to Stravit’s lands
under some ancient deeds and titles he possesses. Thus if he lets Theoden
off the hook, he puts himself in the spotlight—for very little gain.
So unfortunately, the abbot is going to let Theoden twist in the wind for
a bit. In fact, the abbot will go so far as to suggest that if Theoden truly
wants the abbot’s help, he should repudiate his companions. Denounce
them and the abbot can openly help him.
The Herzogin
The Duchess Verdorben—her proper title is “herzogin”—can’t be seen
to devote too much attention to this small, sordid matter, but make
no mistake, she’s watching the proceedings with interest. Stravit
was a favorite of hers before he retired. But that’s a notable detail—
he’s retired—and he hasn’t been at court for more than two years.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Unfortunately, the herzogin is worried that Stravit exposed some of their

secrets—they were both members of the same mystery cult, the Order of
the Celestial Vault. She does not want this trial to turn into a spectacle.
She may be young, but she is savvy to the ways of court.
She thinks it’s best that this affair be ended quickly, before too many
questions are asked. She will privately urge Büttel to settle the manner
as quickly and effectively as he is able. And it is certainly best if these
striplings are punished and silenced.
Approaching the Herzogin

It is simply not possible to approach the duchess directly at this time.
She is too far up the noble ladder to deign to speak to these young,
murderous upstarts. She is a force behind the scenes, she cannot be
appealed to.
The Trial
The trial is a rather low-key affair, at least initially. Büttel summons the
characters to the audience chamber. There is a throne on a dais here,
but Büttel sets up a simple wooden bench and desk beneath the throne,
on the level with the rest of the court.
There are a few dozen courtiers present. The duchess and the abbot are
present, but hidden in private galleries overlooking the court. They’ll
only make their presence known if absolutely vital.
The trial is a Duel of Wits between Büttel and a representative chosen

to speak among the accused. During the Duel, the other characters may
speak and help in their defense, but they must be polite. If they cannot
be mannered, they impose a +1 Ob penalty to the action they’re helping
with.
Büttel’s statement of purpose is gentle but decisive: “You have committed

a crime and must be punished accordingly.” Büttel does not want to find
the heroes guilty, but he will do his duty in a fair, evenhanded and just
manner.
During the Duel of Wits, Büttel will stick to a Point/Rebuttal scheme. He

won’t use Obfuscate, Feint, Avoid or Dismiss unless provoked. He should
not use Incite at all during the Duel. It is beneath him.
If Büttel wins with a compromise, he’ll suggest that these young

firebrands work under his direct oversight until their debt to the court
has been repaid.
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Adventures
If the trial goes badly, the characters can be sentenced exile. If it goes
Your Day In Court

very badly, one among them can be sentenced to hang. If for some
mad reason, trial by combat emerges as an option, Büttel will assign a
champion for the court, in this case, Ákos. He will not duel himself. Use
the knight template for Ákos’ stats.
Denouncing Stravit
It is ill advised to denounce Stravit at court. Exposing him as a death-
loving necromancer is terribly bad form. It speaks ill of the dead and of
the duchess’ former favorite. It doesn’t matter that it’s the truth, no one
at court will hear such nonsense.
If players persist in pursuing this line, you can call for versus Etiquette
tests. Members of the court have Etiquette B4. The character suffers
a +1 Ob penalty. If they win the test, they can speak of this matter in
delicate terms. If they fail, they earn a +1 Ob to all social skill and circles
tests for the rest of their time in court—they are social pariahs.
If they win and insist on denouncing Stravit in harsh terms, the duchess
will speak out against them. She grants the bailiff +2D help from
Conspicuous to all of his tests during the Duel of Wits. Her help comes
in the form of a dropped handkerchief and a disapproving glance.
She demands the harshest penalties against them, overriding Büttel’s

mild inclinations. If the players win the Duel of Wits, but denounced
Stravit, they’ve made an enemy of the duchess, no matter what the final
outcome is.
Court Gossip-wise
Court Gossip-wise is by far the most appropriate wise for this scenario.
None of the characters start with it, but now would be an excellent time
to open it up. Here are some recommended obstacles:
Ob 1: The court is excited to see a good show. While the duke is away,
the duchess will play.
Ob 2: The court would love to see a hanging or a duel, but a heroic

speech in defense of honor will do—so long as the interlocutor is bold
and handsome.
Ob 3: To speak ill of Stravit will anger the herzogin. The court dearly
hopes the young heroes are so foolish. They would love to see the
young duchess angered, so long as the herzogin doesn’t turn her wrath
upon them.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Ob 4: Stravit was the herzogin’s favorite at court. A doctor and his

patient can grow very intimate.
Ob 5: Stravit left court before the duke formally exiled him. In truth,
there was no great love between the two men.
Ob 6: Stravit and the herzogin were members of a mystery cult at court,

the Order of the Celestial Vault.
Propriety at Court
The characters are expected to behave in a polite and reserved manner.
Failing to do so will earn censure. This is represented in two ways.
Members of the court will not help those who are openly rude. And
should the behavior be particularly untoward, they’ll actively work
against the characters—helping Büttel or their enemies. Young knights
will fall over themselves to challenge to a duel anyone who impugns the
young duchess’ honor.
Etiquette
Players can make Ob 3 Etiquette tests to have their characters act in the
correct manner at court. Passing this test indicates that the character
has a bit more leeway in his manners and what topics are available
for discussion. If he keeps his tone in a good humor, he can discuss
forbidden topics—so long as he doesn’t probe too deeply.
If a player is interacting with a member of the court and he wishes to

have a frank discussion about forbidden topics, he must pass a versus
Etiquette test. The character suffers a +1 Ob penalty. If he succeeds, he
may be frank. If the conversation was in private and he fails, the courtier
will break off the discussion and make his exit. If the conversation was
in a public forum, the character suffers a +1 Ob to all social skill and
Circle skills tests for the remainder of his time at court.
Proper Dress
If a character is not dressed in courtly attire—either vestments or
finery—he suffers a +1 Ob to all Etiquette and Circles tests.
If the character is muddy, bloody, dirty or obviously sick, he suffers

+1 Ob to all social skill tests until he cleans himself up. Mending can be
used to clean up sullied and ripped clothes. Disguise can be used to cover
up illness. There’s no skill necessary to take a bath.
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The End of Your Day in Court
Your Day In Court

Artha and Court
of the scenario.
Your Day in Court leads to…?

Your Day in Court has no fixed outcome. Where it leads depends on the
results of the Duel of Wits.
There are many trails to follow, many loose ends. The black oil is chief
among them! But this is where you take over. You’ve played three
sessions with these characters. Hopefully, you’ve built up momentum
and there are deeds that the players wish to undertake. Ask them! Let
them write Beliefs about where they want to go and what they want to
accomplish. Pick up and play from there.
Trait and Reputation Vote

At the conclusion of this scenario, I recommend you conduct a trait vote.
Allow traits to be voted off and allow for each character to earn a new
character trait.
And, after tangling with the court, it is only appropriate that the
characters earn a reputation. Conduct a reputation vote. Each character
is eligible for a new 1D reputation based on the outcome of these events.
Oil Amok
contained in Trouble in Hochen (pages 20-22) as the basis for
your own fantasy apocalypse campaign.
We had zombie hordes lead by a necromancer—Götrung—who had

teamed up with a powerful Orc summoner to destroy the duchy with
a zombie and Orc invasion. The invasion was cover to harvest the oil.
But I’m sure you’ll come up with something even better.
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Burning Wheel Gold
Characters for Court

Büttel, the Duke’s Bailiff
Vitals— 38-year-old, former soldier, now officer of the duke’s court
B5 B4 B4 B4 B5 B4 B4 B4 B11 B7 5 B3 B2 7
PTGS
Lifepaths—Born Noble, Lead to Noble Court, Page, Squire, Man-at-Arms, Lead to

Professional Soldier, Sergeant, Lead to Noble Court, Bailiff
Beliefs—The Duke is a busy man, I must shoulder the burden of running this duchy.
I must uphold the Duke’s law, despite my own personal misgivings.
These wayward children are likely innocent in mind but guilty in deed. I must
give them a fair trial.
Instincts—Always take notes during an investigation.
Always bring a hungry young knight with me on my circuits.
Never presume guilt without evidence
Traits—Mark of Privilege [Dt Noble Affiliation], Pragmatic [Char], Your
Lordship [Char], Nose for Trouble [Char], Tough [Dt Round up MW],
Thick Skinned [Dt +2 Ob to Incite against in the Duel of Wits]
Skills—Armor Training, Brawling B3, City-Wise B3, Command B4, Etiquette B4,
Intimidation B5, Mounted Combat Training, Oratory B5, Outlaw-wise B3,
Read B3, Riding B3, Rule of Law B4, Sword B4, Tax-wise B3, Verdorben-wise B2,
Village-Wise B3, Write B3
Affiliations—2D The Court of the Duke of Verdorben, 1D Nobility of Verdorben
Reputations—2D The Duke’s Tough but Practical Bailiff
Relationships—Duke of Verdorben (Significant, other family)
Gear—Arms (Mace, Small Sword, Axe), Armor (Light Mail), Finery, Paper, Pens, Ink
Mace I:B4 M:B7 S:B10, Add 2, VA 2, WS 2, Short, May Great Strike
Arming Sword, I:B4 M:B7 S:B10, Add 2, VA -, WS 4, Long, May Great Strike
Footman’s Axe I:B5 M:B9 S:B12, Add 2, VA 1, WS 1, Long, May Great Strike
Büttel grew up a soldier in a minor noble house. His family was too poor
to even have him knighted. He imagined he’d live a short life as the
squire to some gloryhound knight. But five years ago, he was serving
under Lord Cizi during the Orc raids on Kleist. During the fighting,
Büttel saw a knight’s horse stumble and fall in the face of onrushing
goblin wolves. Unthinking, Büttel raced to his side and helped the man
fight his way out. This man was the duke’s treasurer, Lord Zlaty. Büttel’s
action won him a noble title—lord—and an appointment as Verdorben’s
bailff (but no land or fief).
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Your Day In Court

Herzogin Mechtild zu Verdorben;
Mechtild, the Duchess of Verdorben
Vitals— 23-year-old, inexperienced duchess, jealous of her power and reputation.
B5 B4 B4 B4 B3 B5 B5 B4 B10 B5 5 B3 B2 7
PTGS
Lifepaths—Born Noble, Young Lady, Lady

Beliefs—I cannot allow my favorites to be murdered in cold blood. These hellions
must be punished.
I must not raise a spectacle at court lest the court think I had an improper
relationship with Stravit.
While the duke is away, I am in charge of his court. Büttel must be put in his place.
Instincts—Never be seen bestowing favor on those who don’t deserve it.
Always look for mystery and romance.
Never forgive those who cross me.
Traits—Mark of Privilege [Dt Noble Affiliation], Your Grace [Char], Sonorous Voice
[C-O for Seduction and Persuasion]
Skills—Apothecary B2, Astrology B3, Composition B3, Conspicuous B5,
Court Gossip-wise B2, Court-Wise B3, Doctrine B2, Estate Management B2,
Estate-wise B2, Etiquette B5, Husband-Wise B2, Musical Instrument B2,
Persuasion B3, Read B2, Seduction B2, Staff-Wise B2, Write B2
Affiliation—2D Duchy of Verdorben, 1D Nobility of Tiernika, 1D Order of the
Celestial Vault
Reputation—2D Duchess of Verdorben
Relationships—Duke of Verdorben (Significant, immediate family)
Gear—Finery
Weapons— I:B2 M:B3 S:B4, Add 2, VA -, WS 3, Shortest
The duchess is only included so the GM can have perspective on her

character. Remember, in this scenario, she’s unapproachable. If you run
with the campaign, perhaps the characters can forge a relationship with
her.
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by Luke Crane and Thor Olavsrud

Getting an Adventure Started

I say, “Let’s play an adventure that we can feasibly complete

Dro says, “Okay, sounds like you’re the GM.”

“Okay, as the GM, I have an idea for a game: I want to

“True,” I say. “You’re dispatched to a remote village that is

Setting the Stage

Pretending that I don’t already know the answer, I consider for a

“I want to play ze poor knight, in search of wealth and glory,” responds

I grab some of my foreign language dictionaries and do some quick

“Okay! So the wójt is the appointed head of the village?”

The GM notes the relationships, their roles and their names.

The Situation for Hochen

Be sure to read out each Belief as it is created. Encourage players to take

The GM notes each Belief as it is announced.

Character Overviews for Hochen

The scenario doesn’t run with one or six players.

If you’re new to Burning Wheel, share the following character overviews

Encourage the player to place the knight’s father

Theoden’s abbot cousin is an important character in

His mother lives in or near Hochen. Ask his player

Encourage his player to write earnest Beliefs

Fureard swore an oath to his uncle when he left his

Fureard’s player should be encouraged to write Beliefs about winning

Cerebirn has a cousin. They have a contentious

Starting Artha for Trouble in Hochen

There are three main obstacles in this scenario—Marten, the cultists

We expect you to incorporate Beliefs and relationships into this scenario

Night and Ice

provide a decent source of light—more than a lantern or candle—the

Marten Rayla, Wójt of Hochen

Cultists, Reveal Thyselves!

Spotting Shadowy Movement

If none of the characters keep watch during the night at Marten’s, go to

Eavesdropping on the Cultists

If interrupted in their deliberations, the cultists will pounce on the

If the cultists’ meeting is uninterrupted, they immediately move to

Angar Smith, Blacksmith and Cult Leader

Lifepaths—Village Born, Laborer, Apprentice, Journeyman, Farrier

Fighting the Cultists

Night Raid (on Marten’s house)

Test the cultist’s B4 Speed (unskilled Stealthy) against each character’s

Interrogating the Cultists

That’s One Angry Bear

It can interrupt the brawl in the longhouse—roaring through the outer

The bear is also incredibly tough. It can be killed by a lucky heavy

The Corrupted Bear

Tracking the Bear

Surprise, I’m a Zombie Bear!

Fighting the Demon Bear

Dissecting the Bear

If that Ob 3 test is failed, the dissecting/inspecting character becomes

The village of Hochen is a field of wreckage. The wójt’s residence, the

The End of Hochen

Trouble in Hochen Leads to Dinner for One

Artha and Hochen

The Black Oil

Exposure and Infection

If the Forte test is passed, the character suffers no ill effects.

After the Infected trait is earned, a Purification miracle can be used,

Properties of the Oil

If Health is reduced to exponent 0 by the fumes, the character is reduced

Infected by the Black Oil Dt