The Olde Ball game.pdf

WARHAMMER

SCENARIO

COMPETITION 2006

THE OLDE BALL

GAME

WRITTEN BY ADRIAN TAN

THE OLDE BALL GAME

Introduction

I first came across Snotball when reading the first edition of ‘A complete guide to Middenheim –

City of the White Wolf’ in November 1990. And now, exactly 16 years later, I have an opportunity

to set an adventure based on this madcap Middenheim pastime! This scenario is suitable for 4 to 6

characters.

Synopsis (for the Gamemaster ONLY!!!)

The adventure can take place in Middenheim, before the events that occur in the Storm of Chaos

story arc. Or it can take place in Altdorf after the Storm of Chaos. The adventure prepared here

sets events in Middenheim, just before the Storm of Chaos.

The annual Snotball Cup Finals will begin in 24 hours and the whole city is abuzz with excitement.

The 2 finalists are The Blue Warthogs – a local team with a powerful patron, Baron Juergan

Podolski, who wishes nothing more than to add more glory to his name, as well as bragging rights

among the nobility. The opposing team are The Black Crows – a team sponsored by Charles

Nickerby, an up and coming merchant from Bretonnia who is trying to up his social status and

political standing in within Middenheim.

The adventurers are approached by a Trapper – Fredrich Borowitz, who happens to know one of the

PCs. The organisers of the game have a problem. For some mysterious reason, every last one of

their Snotlings have died. Fredrich now has the urgent task of ‘acquiring’ at least 5 Snotlings for

the game.

If enough of the adventurers have horses then Fredrich will also ride a horse. If the characters have

insufficient horses then Fredrich will drive a cart or wagon and the characters can hop on while the

rest who have horses can ride. They should set off almost immediately, such is the urgency of the

matter, and may make only one or two purchases before setting off.

Unbeknown to them, someone has sent a mercenary party after them, to either stop them from

succeeding, or rob them of the Snotlings and claiming the 150GCs for themselves. This ‘someone’

is Hugo Grandoil, the nephew of Charles Nickerby, who is working secretly with Baron Juergan

Podolski to embarrass his uncle. Hugo is doing this because he wants to return to Bretonnia, and he

feels that embarrassing his uncle here would hasten the process. Needless to say, Baron Juergan

wishes nothing more than to see Charles Nickerby fall flat on his face and lose his standing amongst

the nobility and business elite of Middenheim. Hugo was the one who poisoned that original batch

of Snotlings and then found out about Charles’ attempt to get some more. Hugo then approached

Baron Juergan, and the Baron happily provided the gold needed to hire a group of mercenaries.

The mercenaries will attempt to follow the adventurers as best as possible and relieve them of the

Snotlings after the adventurers have done all the hard work. If the adventurers realise they are

being followed and manage to shake off their pursuers, the mercenaries will simply lie in ambush as

the adventurers return.

Part 1: The Black Hammers Inn

The Black Hammers Inn is owned by a group of retired mercenaries who now reside in the city.

They were well known for using black warhammers as their weapon of choice. Most of them are

now middle aged businessmen and this inn is just one of their investments. The inn now serves as a

gathering for mercenaries and adventurers who are seeking employment or excitement. Everyone

constantly scan the west wall, which now serves as a board for posters, adverts and offers of

employment.

Offers of employment have been slow, as trading has slowed down between Middenheim and other

cities (due to the brewing troubles in The Storm of Chaos). ANY type of employment is now

eagerly awaited as money is running low. As the PCs are discussing what to do for money, in

walks Fredrich, a friend of one of the PCs. He scans the room (PCs can make a perception test to

see if they spot him). Anyway he eventually spots them and hurries over. He drags a chair and

immediately sits down without invitation.

“Gents!” he says in a hush tone, “Yer in luck! I gotta job fer you gents, and the purse is a hundred

Gs! So we all gets a even split yea? Yer know the Snotball cup fer tomorrow? Well as you knows I

works for the man who’s a puttin the game tagether and he needs some of them Snotlings fer the

game, urgent, and he’s givin me a 100 crowns ta get em!” (He actually got 150GCs)

Possible questions for Fredrich

1. What happened to the original Snotlings?

“Well umm they sort of died all tagether, no one knows why! And its no my place ta ask!”

2. Who is the person organising the games?

“Ahh, dat would be Master Charles Nickerby, recently arrived from Bretonnia, he put up the

most money this year to sponsor the cup!”

3. How long do we have for this job?

“The games tarts at the 3 rd hour after noon, so we have ta get the Snotlings to da binders at least

2 hours before it starts. Seeing how its an hour before lunch right now, dat gives us exactly 26

hours!”

5. Where do we find the Snotlings?

“Errmm, well we have to go out of the city, ride about half a day, get through a smaaalll swamp

about half a day and then back again, all in all about 24 hours! No sweat!”

Part 2: Setting Off!

The party sets off through the Eastern gates of the

city and down the winding pass. If they are not

wearing the livery or display the symbols of the

city, they are to pay 2 pennies for each leg! Since

it is about noon, there are very few comings and

goings, so getting through the gate and down the

path is a smooth affair and they reach the main

road less than half and hour later. Here they can

begin to move faster along the road, with Fredrich

leading the way. Fifteen minutes later the

mercenaries exit the gates too and follow the

heroes. Since there is only one road, the

mercenaries have no problems following the

heroes.

4. When do we get paid?

“After we delivers the goods!”

Part 3: The Swamp Folk

2 hours into their journey and the heroes are riding at a moderate pace when they pass a bend in the

road. They immediately notice that there is a commotion up ahead about 150 feet away (about

50m). A bunch of humanoid figures are harassing one or more people.

The humanoid figures are actually human mutants lead by a Chaos Beastman! If the heroes stay

where they are the humans are soon killed (6 rounds), but one of them seems to have managed to

escape into the forest.

If the heroes charge, there will be lots of noise from the pounding of horses’ hooves and the mutants

get to make an easy perception test with a +20% bonus or be surprised .

If the heroes charge on foot, there is less noise and the mutants make a perception test with a -10%

penalty since they are pre-occupied with torturing their victims.

If the heroes specify they are charging silently (experienced players will do this!) then the mutants

have a -20% penalty to their perception test.

There are six mutants but they are lousy fighters. However, the Beastman is goading them on. If

the heroes manage to kill the Beastman the mutants flee immediately. If not, they fight until only 2

of them are left, and then flee regardless of what the Beastman threatens or yells. The Beastman

fight till it is killed, having entered into a Frenzy . The PCs find nothing of value on the Beastman

or mutants but do notice that they all have the same symbol on their clothing and armour

(Archaon’s symbol).

Needless to say, the people rescued are very grateful. They are actually two men and a woman, all

are very poorly dressed and seem to be in their mid-thirties. There is an overturned cart by the side

of the road and the two men immediately see to it, picking up fruit, plants and wood that has been

spilled from the cart, leaving the woman to talk to the heroes.

** If the PCs did not help, or failed to save the people, then skip to Part 4a immediately. **

Margot Hiller, swamp dweller

“Thank you kind sirs! We would be food for crows if not for you! Would you like some fruit? Or

firewood perhaps? We’ll give you a discount!”

The heroes might ask her a few questions, and these are her responses:

“The three of us live in a small village beside the swamp, we come to these parts of the forest for

fruits and firewood everyday, sometimes maybe catch a rabbit of two! Hmmm (she looks at

Fredrich) you look familiar.” (Fredrich has gone to this village before, on his previous task of

catching the first batch of Snotlings, and he does not deny this if asked.)

“That taller one is Doren and the shorter feller is Boren, brothers they are!”

“We were just on our way back when those ugly mutants sprang up!”

If the heroes reveal that they are going to the swamp, Margot offers to be their guide as she knows it

“...like the back of me hand. For a price” (Haggle and bargain till about 2gc or 40s)

Fredrich will suggest that they employ her as he did so with another guide on his first foray into the

swamps. All the swamp dwellers know the swamp pretty well and wouldn’t get lost. Plus, they

know which danger spots to avoid. Further, time is of the essence and they cannot afford to track

through the swamp themselves, where getting lost is a distinct possibility.

Part 4: Black Water Village

The heroes and the 3 swamp dwellers Margot, Doren and Boren finally reach the village at the edge

of the swamp. They proceed straight to Margot’s hovel amid gawps and stares from the other

swamp dwellers. Some are obviously curious but others are jealous as well, guessing that Margot

will be earning a few coins from the strangers to their village. Doren and Boren proceed to their

own hovel next door to put away their cart.

Margot explains that the swamp is not a place for horses and carts and Fredrich agrees, having done

the same thing previously. Needless to say, if the heroes do not return then Margot would have a

new cart and some fine horses! But she is not dishonest, and indebted to the heroes for saving her

life, so she would rather earn their gold the proper way. She tells them that her son will care for the

horses, and calls out for someone named ‘Will’.

A youth appears from Margot’s hovel, about 17 years old (“..found him by the road I did, folks all

killed by robbers..”). He helps stable the horses behind the hovel as Margot gathers some stuff for

her journey into the swamp. She brings a staff, a small sling bag and a lantern. It is approaching

about 5pm and already the swamp is becoming dark as the sun hangs low in the horizon.

Margot leads them to small bridge which spans a body of slow moving water.

“This is where we begin, gents, and since you say that you are in a hurry, we’ll take a shortcut. Just

pray that we don’t meet Blacktooth, or it will be a hard time of it and we may have to take a longer

detour!”

If the PCs ask who Blacktooth this is Margot’s response:

“Blacktooth? Oh he’s a swamp troll, we’ve seen him once or twice but we always avoid his space

and he avoids ours. Best we pass his domain while there is a little light left.”

An hour later, after wading

through knee high water,

dry land and muddy

ground, the PCs arrive at a

narrow causeway, an

embankment, that is about

four feet across and fifty

feet long.

Margot explains: “This was

built by Blacktooth to keep

the water in, and that’s his

island over there,” she

points to a small island

with a mound and a cave

“and I don’t see him

around, do you?”

The troll is actually hiding in the water and he is really very close to the embankment, hidden

amongst a cluster of reeds, with just his snout above the water for air, much like a crocodile. As the

heroes attempt to cross over the embankment he leaps up and attacks them. Although the PCs are

prepared for an attack, they are still surprised by his startling entrance.

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