Additional Scenes for: Rivals for Glory

A fan addition by FFG Forum User Gregorius 21778

Rivals for Glory(the BC adventure from GM-Kit) builds heavily upon random encounters as fillers between the relevant plot points, which is a fine thing if you intend to add additional scene to it. Setting the 40K background aside, the whole affair is similar to the high-fantasy adventures that dominate the RPG scene in the early days, and so inspiration for a little exra comes easy. After all, anything goes! Have fun

Changes: A bloodstained signal I find it a little bewildering that the module assumes the pc will be able to identify stains of blood as belonging to one side or the other. But a Psyniscience test (+10 or +0) should be able to give a hint about the Psyker whom was part of the battle on the attackers side. In addition, an Awareness test (+0 or +10) should identify some of the spent Bolt casings on the floor as those of Legion Weapon. Not that any of this would be all to relevant, but players feel better if they role some dice an get some information.

The pleas of a mutant (Weeping Halls Encounter)

As the pc walk past the slave columns a small tumult erupts in the slave chain. A large but deformed pale mutant throws himself against the chains. With his mismatched arms he reaches out to the pc, salvia squirts out of a toothless mouth in an eyeless fess with oversized nose slits as the mutant screams out something in garbled low gothic. Ask the pc present for a test on Linguistics (+10 or +20). If the pc do not pass the test they can try again if they stop and turn to the mutant. If they fail this test again, the slavers will rush in and whip the mutant and the slaves around him into weeping submission. If the test was passed, the player will have understood that the mutant pleads them to release him. If two or more degrees of access where achieved they understand that he offers fealty in return. The name of the mutant is Szaljun (as far as it can be understood) and once aspired to be a Champion of the Dark Gods but failed. To many gifts left his body deformed and his mind broken. But he feels things. Like that he is going to be sold to the pits soon. That the PC are in the favour of the Dark Gods. As well as the other group that came past the days before. The slavers will not allow the pc to chat with Szaljun unless they buy him (Infamy+10 or trading some item or another). If bought, Szaljun will fall to the knees in front of one of the pc and will try to lick his hands or boots. Talking to Szaljun is difficult. If no success on a Linguistic skill (with a difficulty determined by the GM) is achieved, only very basic things are understood. Szaljun can be treated as Minion to one of the pc (either the anointed of the group one who is devoted to Tzeentch). He is quiet strong (S:45) but a coward and suffering from a deformed lack, making him slow and nigh useless in combat (AG:20; WS:20). Not that he would attempt combat against anything but an obviously inferior foe. He is blind, but has extraordinary olfactory senses (like a bloodhound) and the Psyniscience skill. He senses peoples around him (5m; Unnatural Senses). If questioned, Szaljun can tell little about the other who have passed, but can tell that they were in the favour of the Gods (strong individuals, like the pc) and can confirm that a Psyker was with them. He is able to track them, so. Szaljun is insane and murderous. He will try to strangle another Minion or PC in their sleep as soon as he sees a change for it. If left to do something, he will kill an somebody or something if possible. The sooner the PC get rid of him the better.

Additional Scenes for: Rivals for Glory

A fan addition by FFG Forum User Gregorius 21778

Will you kill for me? (Weeping Halls Encounter)

This encounter is best played out after the pc established themselves as the Greater Evil among the denizens of the Weeping Hall. Please wait! A woman in her late 30s approaches the pc. She wears thick dark rags as a protection against the rain but underneath she wears a stained but once fine purple gown that emphasizes her womanly curves. Her eyes fixate the pc and her full lips slowly form a request. Will you kill for me? If the PC do not brush her aside but show some interested at all, she will suppose to discuss the matter in one of the stalls over a cup of wine. The woman is Sharna, once the mistress of an influential men within the Weeping Halls. Her man was killed by one of the goons frequenting the Sheering Pit. With him, Sharnas good standing is gone and she seeks revenge. A warp-dabbler herself, she is a worshipper of Slaanesh and has been waiting for warrior so powerful (or bloodthirsty) that he might kill another for a body of delight and a special gift. This gift is just another map (see Treasure Trade and roll a d10, but re-role any result of 3-7.). If the pc want, they can take Sharna even before the deed (and betray her later without any sanction) but she will not depart with the gift before the deed is done. Any pc that listend to her more for any time must engage in an opposed test with her; the pcs willpower against Sharnas Charm skill (effectively: 44). If the PC loses a test he is willing to do the deed. The man in question is named Tarbor (use the Bounty Hunter stats) and leads a small crew of thugs (use Imperial Guardsman stats). Killing Tarbor will not be much of a problem, but he was in the favour of the Liege. After the pc claimed his price, the group should leave in a hurry since the Liege has withdrawn any goodwill from them and Tabors men are rounding up Mercs willing to go up against the pc. If they do not hurry, this could become a fighting retreat. If the GM once some additional mechanics, any devotee to Slaanesh might gain a CP from the deed while any other pc will gain the 1 or 2 CP which will count as failure. The deed will not harm their Infamy, so, since Sharna pleaded to them and offered herself as a gift. But all in all, this can be as well played as a simple but seedy roleplaying opportunity. P.S.: Taking the price delays the group for about an hour.

Navigating the Vaults (Optional Rules)

I somehow cannot find any real rules for the Navigation of the Vaults, although there are many hints about some rule mechanics regarding their navigation. I suggest treating the affair as an extended test for one of the following skills with a difficulty of challenging(+0). Logic; Navigation; Survival; Trade (Archeologist); Intelligence [increase difficulty by one step] Being assisted by a guide or a tracking beast will offer a +10 bonus. Having both adds an additional degree of success to any role. In order to determine if (or how fast) the pc find a given location (or find the way into the painted Ziggurat) the PC need to achieve number of success equal to (3 to 7; according the rank of the pc and the difficulty that the GM wants to assign to the task). If the pc need more then 5 roles to achieve the needed success, their Rivals had have enough time for some preparation (for every 2 or 3 three further roles, as the GM sees fit). The GM should treat the finding of an Artefact (like the Dust of Ynesth or the Daemon Weapon or the Treasure Room with the Knowledge of the Dead) as separate tasks from following the Rivals into the Ziggurat. As a suggestion, the side quest should take three successes on an extended test while following the rivals should be five successes.

Additional Scenes for: Rivals for Glory

A fan addition by FFG Forum User Gregorius 21778

The maps from the Treasure Trade apply the following Modifications
Gold Admist Brass enables the pc to find the Treasure Trove with routine(+20) skill tests and add +10 to any skill test to find a way inside the Ziggurat. An Obvious Fake will result in the pc automatically failing their first role before they recognize the sham Common Trash & A Perfect Forgery will result in the pc automatically failing the first two roles before they recognize the sham Beaten to the Cache will give lead to an room already obviously already looted, but the map will still provide an additional +10 bonus to find the way to the Ziggurat. Red Herring will impose the mentioned penalty for (6 minus highest Intelligence Bonus of the Heretics) roles.

A way into the Ziggurath.? (Optional Rule)

Since the Ziggurath is described as unlooted, it is doubtful that any map exists that really leads the pc into the Ziggurat but only near it. To reflect this, the GM might decided that maps will only provide a bonus in the heist of the Rivals for a limited number of tests (perhaps till 4 of 7 success are accumulated).

Spider-Wretches of the Vaults (Vaults Encounter)

After a couple of hours (roles) the PC will be followed by some pale nigh-blind mutant wretches that dwell in the Vaults. At first, there are only two or three of them but their number will grow Ask the PC for Awareness tests. This test start with challenging(+0) and every further will be one step lower in difficulty. As soon as the PC are successful on the test they will notice that they are followed by a number of pale mutant whose travel on all four, with limbs more like that of a spider then those of a men. If the Heretics past the first test, it will only be two or three of them. For every test they failed before, their number is increased by one or two. If the pc attack the Spider-Wretches will scuttle away immediately but they will return in even greater number if the PC do not pass an Intimidation test. The test is routine(+20) to begin with but will become one step more difficulty for every Awareness test the pc have failed since the Spider-Wretches where able to draw in some more of their kind. The Heretics should get a +10 bonus fore every Space Marine they have among their ranks. If they PC are not able to scare them off, they will be attack by 8 Spider-Wretches (or a Magnitude 15 horde of them). But since the Mutants seek prey, they will flee after three rounds of combat. Use the stats for Mutant Devotee, but ignore equipment and the Unnatural Toughness trait but at the Darksight Trait. Their weapons count as Chitinous Appendage; add the Hard Target Talent. Please note this Encounter is only for thrills, by no means should the Spider-Wretches wear the PC down!

Unstable Ground (Vaults Encounter)

The floor of one of the rooms or corridors the pc pass in concaved. A fact the Heretics can notice with a difficult(-10) touch-based Awareness test. If the PC do not notice it, the ground will cave in beneath them and the will tumble 5 meters into the deep unless they save themselves with a quick jump to the side (Agility+10). Getting out of the lower level is easy if the Heretics were smart enough to bring robes along. If they did not (or all of their Spacemarine dropped down while the human heretics remained above) it either takes an ordinary(+10) Athletic test to climb up or one negated role to rejoin at another point of the Vaults.

Additional Scenes for: Rivals for Glory

A fan addition by FFG Forum User Gregorius 21778

A Lake in the Deep (Vaults Encounter)

The Encounter is best played during the Heretics chase of their Rivals. While the PC follow the trail (or their way the Ziggurat) their way leads to a stone doorway. Behind the doorway the pc find large hall that is split in half by a large crack in the floor that reaches up to the wall in the right half of the room. From this wall, a continuous stream of water pours into the gab which has turned into a large pool more then 10 meters wide. On the other end of the gap, the water slowly drains away. The water comes from the rain above and the step crack is more then five meters deep with steep walls. The ground of the crack is inhabited by small and frog-like creature with oversized maws sporting ridiculous long and sharp teeth. If the Heretics cross the water fast (Atheltic+30) they are in and out of the water before the primitive little frog-things could react to their movement. Otherwise one of them will launch itself at the Heretic and BITE and lock itself into one of the PCs limbs. While not able to really wound the Heretic, the teeth are sharp enough to penetrate anything but an Armour of AP:4+. Removing the dastardly bugger without causing a serious wounds (1 wound) takes an ordinary(+10) test for either Agility or Medicae. Any Heretic in full Servo Armour can of course walk through the gap and ignore the frog-things completely. Oh! Walking around in the cold corridors in water soaked clothing (anything but sealed armour) leads to a point of Fatigue from the cold unless the Heretic passes an ordinary(+10) Toughness test. Of course, the PC an simply avoid this encounter by taking another route, but this will negate the successes of one of their roles.

A Chamber of Sacrifices (Vaults Encounter)

If the PC have an at least somewhat useful map (anything but Common Trash & A Perfect Forgery) the pc will notice a shortcut on their way if they want to cross this one hall marked with a prominent skull. If they do so, one or two of their roles are not counted against the number of roles used to determine how fast they pass through the Vaults (see rules Options above) but they need to pass through what will turn out to be the a Chamber of Sacrifices. As they approach the marked room, ask for Psyniscience(+0) tests. Those who succeed will sense the presence of a malign entity ahead. Two or more degrees of success will tell the PC that it is some sort of Warp Spirit with considerable might (Willpower: 45). This test can be re-roled upon entering the chamber. The room turns out as a large circular chamber with a round basalt altar in the middle of it. Treasury in form of golden items and fine weaponry are pilled up against the wall and scattered across the floor together with bones and skulls. If inspecting the altar the Heretics will note that its surface features blood runnels in the form of the symbol of Chaos Undivided. If the pc simply pass the chamber nothing will happen to them. If they try to run through, ask for an easy(+30) Agility test or they will stumble above something and fall prone before the altar. And act that will lead to their ridicule in front of the Gods if they do not pass an Infamy test. A pc spending 5 rounds to horde treasure will acquire enough riches to grant him a +20 bonus on the next test to Acquire anything. Searching the room for a certain item (like a good weapon or fine suit of armour) can provide the pc with anything they desire if they pass Search with the acquisition modifier for the rarity of the item. Amount is not taken into account her and the item must be of at least good quality. If the PC spend time looting the room, the malign entity will try to posses them. Treat this as a possession attack but role in secret and attack all the Heretics at once. They will not notice the attempt unless they pass a test with three levels of success. If the entity is successful, it will not result in the possession of the pc but the addition of a random negative effect of one of the Disgraces found on p.72 of the core rules. In addition, any pc removing items from the Chamber must pass an Infamy+20 test or will suffer a point of Corruption through the disdain of the Warp. A fact that any PC will immediately know with an easy(+30) Forbidden Lore (Warp/Daemonology test.