TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE

Rules for daring Sword & Sorcery exploits in the Forbidden Lands

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
 This product was created under license. Forbidden Lands and its logo, are trademarks of Fria Ligan AB.

This work contains material that is copyright Fria Ligan AB and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission
under the Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Adrian Lopez Sanjuan and published under the Community
Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.

Art by dead people. Remnants of another time, long forgotten by mortal men.

Flavour text by Robert E. Howard, from his Conan stories. Go read them immIdiHrIly if yos hHsIn’r.

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
 TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE

Heroes of their Sagas ............................................................................................................ 3

Resilience ........................................................................................................................... 3
Willpower ......................................................................................................................... 4
Born on the Battlefield .........................................................................................................5
Damage and Recovery .......................................................................................................5
Broken Shields...................................................................................................................5
Displays of Might .............................................................................................................5
Critical Injuries and Death ...............................................................................................5
The Day of Doom................................................................................................................ 6
Menace ............................................................................................................................. 6
Enemies ............................................................................................................................ 6
Mobs................................................................................................................................. 7
Evil Sorcery ...................................................................................................................... 8
Perilous Lands ..................................................................................................................... 9
Petty Minions .................................................................................................................. 9
Dangerous Foes .............................................................................................................. 10
Horrifying Monsters ...................................................................................................... 11
The Cult of the One-Eyed God ......................................................................................... 13
The City and the Cult ..................................................................................................... 13
The Temple of the One Eyed God ................................................................................. 14

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
“There is always a way, if the desire be coupled with courage -
answered the Cimmerian”
The Sword & Sorcery genre is characterised by epic stories
where the characters face personal dangers and powerful
enemies in fast-pace and action-packed tales of heroic fan-
tasy and high adventure.
The archetypal Sword & Sorcery hero, Robert E. How-
Hrd’q ConHn rhI CimmIriHn, fHcIq common foIq, rIrriblI
sorcerers and horrors beyond our reality to save himself
and his closest allies; and maybe build a legacy in the pro-
cess. His stories are heroic tales of High Adventure, where
dull moments are left untold and the narrative focuses on
action and danger.
Fallen civilizations to ages past, powerful sorcerers seek-
ing immortality, greedy characters that value gold more
than life, ancient and forgotten magic, violent action and
certain elements of horror are some of the themes found
in a Sword & Sorcery story. Forbidden Lands already
shares many of these elements under an Old School Re-
naissance (OSR) umbrella, where characters are not he-
roes, but raiders and rogues in a cursed world.
The following set of rules introduces elements of High
Adventure to the Forbidden Lands, making the characters
heroes of tales filled with action and epic deeds of bravery.
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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
Heroes of their Sagas
“Gither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-
eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic
melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jewelled thrones
of the Earth under his sandaled feet.”
Player characters in Forbidden Lands are fragile things. A
single blow can leave them bleeding to death on the floor,
an unlucky roll can compromise a carefully laid plan, and
a rushed action can risk the lives of the entire party. These
are highly valued characteristics in a OSR game, but they
are hardly the stuff of Sword & Sorcery and High Adven-
ture sagas, where characters rush into danger only to bare-
ly escape with their lives and their honour, but having
succeeded in their goal.
Player characters in a Sword & Sorcery High Adventure
game are larger-than-life characters who aren't quite he-
roes. No overarching plot to save the world; the only
quest is the day-to-day quest for gold, thrills, and good
drink. Maybe revenge once in a while.
Either for divine providence or narrative influence, they
are able to resist more blows and take risks that no other
mortal would dare to even consider. They may not be the
heroes of the land, but they are the heroes of their own
saga.
The only thing keeping these characters from succumbing
to their foes is their magnificent RESILIENCE and
their extraordinary WILLPOWER.
Resilience
The normal rules regarding character attributes still apply
to this rule set, but two additional characteristics are de-
rived from them: VIGOR and RESOLVE
VIGOR is the physical RESILIENCE of the character,
thich ir’q IqsHl ro rhI HsIrHgI sHlsI of SrrIngrh Hnd Agili-
ry rosndId sp. Ir’q H pool of poinrq rIprIqInring rhI hIro’q
ability to deflect blows and avoid wounds before taking
damage to their Strength or Agility.
RESOLVE is the mental RESILIENCE of the charac-
rIr, thich ir’q IqsHl ro rhI HsIrHgI sHlsI bIrtIIn Girq Hnd
EmpHrhy, rosndId sp. Ir’q H pool of poinrq rIprIqInring
rhI hIro’q Hbiliry ro rIqiqr mInrHl HrrHckq Hnd fIHr bIforI
taking damage to their Wits or Empathy.
Whenever a character receives damage from an attack, the
total is subtracted from VIGOR or RESOLVE before
reducing the actual related attributes. Losing RESILI-
ENCE poinrq doIqn’r HffIcr rhI nsmbIr of dicI H chHrHc-
ter rolls in consecutive challenges, but losing attribute
points does as per the base Forbidden Lands rules.
RESILIENCE can be recovered as follows:
✥ Spending WILLPOWER to recover one point of
VIGOR or RESOLVE. This does not consume an ac-
tion and it can be done at any time as many times as
the character decides.
✥ Using a SLOW action to recover all VIGOR or RE-
SOLVE.
Willpower
WILLPOWER can be earned in the same way as in the
base Forbidden Lands rules: by pushing rolls and rolling
BANES (rIqslrq of “1” in rhI D6q).
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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
However, in a game of High Adventure the player charac-
rIr doIqn’r rake damage from BANES on pushed rolls,
instead they increase the pool of MENACE by one point
for each BANE rolled. MENACE measures the overall
impending sense of doom that follows the characters in
rhI qrory, Hnd ir’s explained in detail on page 6.
WILLPOWER can also be used to roll up to three addi-
tional dice on any single roll, at the cost of one die per
WILLPOWER point spent. Dice rolled this way are not
rerolled on a pushed roll.
All player characters lose two WILLPOWER points
whenever they REST or SLEEP, representing the cool-
ing down of the energy and bravery that pushed them this
far.

Born on the Battlefield
“Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer
said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. "Civilization
is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism
must always ultimately triumph.”
Critical Injuries and Death
Whenever a character takes any amount of damage to an
attribute after depleting their RESILIENCE, they roll
on the critical injuries table. This can happen regardless
of them being BROKEN or still have some attribute
points left.

✥ If the attribute does not reach zero (the character

Damage and Recovery received damage, but is not BROKEN), the player
The rules for damage in tales of High Adventure are the rolls on the critical injuries table and takes the low-
same as in the base Forbidden Lands rules, but player est D6 result as the tens, and the highest D6 result
characters receive damage to their RESILIENCE first as the units.
before damaging their attribute scores. ✥ If the attribute reaches zero (the character has been
BROKEN), the player rolls on the critical injuries
If VIGOR or RESOLVE (physical and mental RESIL-
table and takes the highest D6 result as the tens, and
IENCE of the character, respectively) are depleted,
the lowest D6 result as the units.
characters will take damage to their physical (Strength
and Agility) or mental (Wits and Empathy) attributes,
which will result in a reduced number of dice being
rolled on skill checks, as normal.

RESILIENCE can be recovered with just a quick pause

to take a breath and re-evaluate the situation during the
intensity of an action scene; or when action ceases and
the player characters are no longer in danger. Refer to
the section on RESILIENCE for specific ways to re-
cover it during combat.

Broken Shields
When using a PARRY action with a shield, the charac-
ter can choose to discard the shield to reduce all damage
from the parried attack to zero if it had at least one suc-
cess on the PARRY roll. This leaves the shield com-
pletely broken.

Displays of Might
Characters can use a FAST action to intimidate Min-
ions after a successful attack against a MOB where at
least two Minions have been killed on the same turn by
the character making the Display of Might.
The character makes a test of MIGHT against their
INSIGHT to scare them off and disband them from the
MOB, where the number of successes equals the num-
ber of Minions that run away. This only works against
Minionq tirh GITS (ir doIqn’r tork HgHinqr sndIHd,
for instance).
For instance, a character with 3 Strength is hit for 2
damage. She rolls on the Critical Injuries table with a 4
and a 6. Since she is not BROKEN, this means she
rolled a 46 and receives a more merciful critical injury.
However, if the blow had caused 3 or more points of
damage instead, she would be BROKEN and the same
dice roll of a 4 and a 6 would have meant a result of 64
on the critical injuries table.

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE

The Day of Doom
“Cast in the mould of humanity, they were distinctly not
men. They were winged and of heroic proportions; not a
branch on the mysterious stalk of evolution that culminated
in man, but the ripe blossom on an alien tree, separate and
apart from that stalk. Aside from their wings, in physical
appearance they resembled man only as man in his highest
form resembles the great apes. In spiritual, aesthetic and
intellectual development they were superior to man as man
is superior to the gorilla. But when they reared their colossal
city, man's primal ancestors had not yet risen from the slime
of the primordial seas.”
Menace
MENACE is the imminent danger the heroes face as
rhIy psqh on rhIir psrqsir. Ir’q rhI Isil nHrrHrisI qInqI
of doom hanging over their heads, which in terms of
play translates as a pool of dice (D6s) that the GM can
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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
use to fuel the talents of Foes and introduce other com-
plications to the story as narratively appropriate.
The GM starts the game with a pool of MENACE
equal to the sum of WILLPOWER points of the he-
roes, if any. The following are guidelines on how to use
MENACE, bsr GMq qhosldn’r bI HfrHid of improsiqing
new ways of embodying the approaching ruin threaten-
ing the heroes and their goals.
✥ Fuel talents of Foe level NPCs at the cost of one
MENACE per WILLPOWER required by the de-
scription of the talent.
✥ Introduce Minions into the fray at the cost of one
MENACE per Minion. Minions are generally in-
troduced in MOBS.
✥ Use bonus dice for NPC rolls at the cost of one
MENACE per bonus die, to a maximum of +3.
✥ Introduce a minor complication into the scene at
the cost of two MENACE (for instance: the escape
door is jammed and the players need to force it open
quickly or escape using a different route)
✥ Introduce a medium complication to the scene at
the cost of four MENACE (for instance: the room
catches fire and it will spread destroying treasure if
rhIy don’r Hcr qsickly; or H plHyIr chHrHcrIr dropq irq
weapon after a failed attack; or perhaps a Foe or
Monster find the strength to make a second attack
on the same turn)
✥ Introduce a major complication at the cost of six
MENACE (for instance: the bridge is not so stable
after all and it breaks under their feet, requiring a
MOVE roll to save their skin; or a Foe or Monster
gains the Berserker talent).
Enemies
HIroIq qhosldn’r bI rIHlly rhrIHrInId by rhI Minionq of
their real adversaries: powerful Foes and horrifying
Monsters. The rules for High Adventure games intro-
duce a new classification of enemies and rules to handle
them easily without slowing down action scenes: Min-
ions, Foes and Monsters.
Minions
Minions fulfil the important role of providing contrast
with powerful Monsters and dangerous Foes. They only
suppose a real danger in great numbers and their main
function is to support Foes, their leaders, and make the
player characters feel like heroes in an action scene.
Minions have only two points on each attribute, they
hHsI no rHlInrq, no RESILIENCE Hnd cHn’r PARRY or
DODGE. Minions are generally unarmoured.
To create a Minion, use the skill stats for their respec-
tive average KIN or Monster (for the few monsters that
use skills like normal NPCs) as detailed in the game
master book, and reduce all attribute scores to two.
Minions can be grouped into MOBS of four individu-
als, sharing their attacks and health. Refer to the section
on MOBS for further details.
To account for group tactics, the MOB attack adds a
number of bonus dice to their attack roll equal to the
number of Minions above one. This means three bonus
dice for a full MOB with four Minions, but this num-
ber will decrease as Minions are eliminated from the
group.
A MOB shares a health pool and armour rating. When
an attack is directed to a MOB, a common armour roll
is made for the whole MOB, which is assumed to have
the same amount of armour for each Minion. If the
MOB takes damage from an attack, since each Minion
has only two points on each attribute, each two points
of damage will incapacitate or kill one Minion.

Foes
Foes are NPCs at the power level of the player charac-
ters. They have attributes and skills like a normal char-
acter, as well as RESILIENCE and Talents fueled by
MENACE instead of WILLPOWER. They can PAR-
RY or DODGE attacks as normal, as well as discard the
shield to survive a strong blow. Foes are generally
named NPCs and they are created exactly as any player
character.

Foes may be leading a mob of Minions, being shielded

by their inferior counterparts. Refer to the section on
MOBS for further details.

Monsters
Monster rules are as per the base Forbidden Lands
rules, but their attacks can be parried if they are not
disproportionately larger than humanoids, such as trolls
or giants. The decision is ultimately left to the GM.

Mobs
The MOB mechanic is introduced to increase the speed
of combat when large numbers of Minions are present;
but also to increase the feeling of Sword & Sorcery and
High Adventure genres, where the heroes fight large
numbers of enemies and take down a numerous amount
before getting to the real enemy.
A group of four Minions can form a MOB. Minions in
a MOB attack as a group with a single action instead of
each individual attacking on its own.
MENACE can be spent by the GM at any time to rein-
forcI H MOB tirh HddirionHl Minionq. Don’r torry
about where the Minions come from; this is a High
Adventure game.
A Foe can be included in a MOB to make a formidable
opponent. In this case, the Foe is the only one in the
MOB making attacks, but the Minions will support
their leader providing up to three bonus dice to the Foe
attacks.

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
When attacking a MOB, all damage dealt will eliminate
Minions before the Foe can be targeted without a -2
penalty. This is to represent the Minions hindering the
attacks from the Heroes, sacrificing themselves for their
mHqrIr, bIing sqId by rhIir mHqrIr ro qrHy osr of hHrm’q
way, or a combination of the tactics above.
Evil Sorcery
“First there was the blackness of an utter void, with the cold
winds of cosmic space blowing through it. Then shapes,
vague, monstrous and evanescent, rolled in dim panorama
through the expanse of nothingness, as if the darkness were
taking material form. The winds blew and a vortex formed
a whirling pyramid of roaring blackness. From it grew
Shape and Dimension; then suddenly, like clouds dispersing,
the darkness rolled away on either hand and a huge city of
dark green stone rose on the bank of a wide river, flowing
through an illimitable plain. Through this city moved beings
of alien configuration.”
The base Forbidden Lands rules for magic already have
a very powerful feel of Sword & Sorcery, where magic is
H dHngIrosq HffHir Hnd potIr doIqn’r comI frII. HotIv-
er, to increase the intensity of magical rituals and make
them more in-tune with traditional Sword & Sorcery
themes, the following rules for ritual sacrifices and ca-
bals are introduced.
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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
Ritual Sacrifice
Ritualistic sacrifices of conscious intelligent beings act
as incredibly potent lure of dark horrors beyond the veil
of reality, which help the sorcerer to achieve whatever
blasphemous goal has in her perverted mind.
In terms of game mechanics, a ritual sacrifice doubles
the WILLPOWER points spent by the sorcerer. This
means that the base Power Level is doubled, and the
sorcerer must roll double the dice to determine if the
spell is overcharged or a magic mishap occurs.
The sacrifice must happen on the same turn as the spell
is cast, and it requires a FAST action to perform the
sacrifice itself. The sacrifice must be prepared in ad-
vanced; most likely needing minions to ensure the ritual
is uninterrupted and the sacrifice about to be offered
doIqn’r fighr bHck. A good rule of thumb is a few hours
to prepare the ritual and one full turn of chants/gestures
per spell rank just before the sacrifice.
Cabals
Several sorcerers with aligned interest can join forces
and sign a pact before their gods and the magical void
beyond our world.
Cabals can share their WILLPOWER points when cast-
ing spells, supporting each other with strange rites and
murmuring forgotten psalms. However, their souls are
joined by a strange and powerful magic beyond their
control, and therefore if any of the members of the ca-
bal is BROKEN, all other members, no matter their
location, will suffer an attack to their WITS with 10
base dice and damage equal to the amount of sorcerers
in the Cabal.
There is not theoretical limit to how many sorcerers can
collaborate in this way, but there is a practical limit:
sorcerers tend to be individualistic creatures, pursuing
their own interest before any other things. It is rare for
more than two sorcerers to form a cabal among the
NPCs, and this is still very rare. If all your players want
to form a cabal of sorcerers, let them! It can be a fun
game to play working together towards a common goal
of their own; just make sure to introduce discord in the
group and powerful enemies to thwart their scheming.

Perilous Lands
“The thing was not a human — it could not be; it was a
growth of Life from the pits of blasphemous creation — a
perversion of evolutionary development.”
The following is a selection of archetypal Minions,
Foes and Monsters for a Sword & Sorcery scenario.
Petty Minions
Minionq don’r PARRY, DODGE or use talents. Min-
ions should be used in MOBS with one weapon type.
Cultists – Dangerous Lunatics
Usually found serving a higher power, they will do any-
thing to achieve their unholy goal: kidnappings, sacri-
fices, rorrsrI…Nothing is beyond limits to please their
foul master.
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 1, Insight 3, Manipulation 2
GEAR: Dagger (+1, 1dmg, Arm, Edged Pointed),
Flail (+1, 2dmg, Near, Blunt)
Pirates – Scourge of the Sea

Roaming the waters in search for prey and treasure;

Mercenaries – Hired Blades
sometimes they let the victims of their robbery live an-
Bandits in time of peace, soldiers in time of war; these other day, hoping to encounter them again in the fu-
men and women are ruthless killers selling their blades ture. Sometimes.
to the highest bidder, no matter their intentions.
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 2, Move 2, Scouting 2
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Scouting 2 GEAR: Scimitar (+1, 2dmg, Arm, Edged Pointed
GEAR: Falchion (+1, 2dmg, Arm, Edged Point- Hook Parrying)
ed), Light Crossbow (+1, 2dmg, Long, Slow
Loading)

Savages – Tribal Warriors

Ancient tribes living off the land; hunting and making

war with each other to defend their territory. Some-
times these tribes ally themselves with powerful leaders
or worship foul gods of a forgotten time, doing their
bidding in exchange for influence over their equals.

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2

SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Survival 2
GEAR: Short Spear (+1, 1dmg, Near, Pointed),
Short Bow (+2, 2dmg, Short, Light)

Cannibals – Degenerate Kin

Groups of cannibals poison the land with their mere

existence. They lurk in forgotten paths, ambushing un-
lucky travellers to eat their flesh and use their blood in
abhorrent rituals.

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2

SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Move 2
GEAR: Wooden Club (+1, 1dmg, Arm, Blunt),
Rocks (-, 1dmg, Near, Light)

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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
 Dangerous Foes Pirate Captain – Rough Master

Foes can PARRY, DODGE and use talents fueled by It takes a strong hand to lead inferior men into battle;
MENACE instead of WILLPOWER. They can be and even a stronger hand and a rough mood to control
used supported by a MOB. them at sea. This Foe can intimidate the strongest of
warriors and their men feared him more than death
Mercenary Leader – War Veteran itself.

Hardened warrior leading soldiers or bandits into battle.
A dangerous veteran rhHr ir’q nor IqrrHngI ro dIHrh. HI
answers to riches, not to threats, and his loyalty is ex-
pensisI Hnd doIqn’r change hands easily.
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3
SKILLS: Might 3, Melee 4, Insight 3
GEAR: Battleaxe (+2, 2dmg, Arm, Heavy Edged
Hook), Large Shield (+2), Chainmail (6 ar-
mor, Heavy, half armor against stabs)
TALENTS: Kin talent, Path of the Blade (Rank
1), Axe Fighter (Rank 2)
War Chief – Tribal Leader
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3
SKILLS: Melee 3, Move 3, Manipulation 4
GEAR: Scimitar (+1, 2dmg, Arm, Edged Pointed
Hook Parrying), Studded Leather (3 armor)
TALENTS: Kin talent, Path of Poison (Rank
1), Sword Fighter (Rank 2)
Evil Sorcerer – Black-hearted Nemesis
Strong will and even stronger ambition. This Foe will
not stop at anything to achieve power, making deals
with local tribes, gathering cultist and sacrificing souls
to fuel unholy experiments and rituals. The only harm-
less sorcerer is a dead sorcerer.

Chief of the village, the hunting rites and the war band STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
when the tribe is in conflict. This Foe fights with two
SKILLS: Lore 4, Insight 3 Manipulation 3
weapons at the same time, attacking with both each
GEAR: Sacrificial Dagger (+1, 1dmg, Arm,
turn in a display of incredible skill. Light Edged Pointed)
TALENTS: Kin talent, Path of Blood (Rank 2),
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 Path of Death (Rank 2)
SKILLS: Melee 4, Survival 2, Insight 3
GEAR: Short Spear (+1, 1dmg, Near, Pointed),
Falchion (+1, 2dmg, Arm, Edged Pointed)
TALENTS: Kin talent, Ambidextrous (Rank 3)

Venerated Shaman – Keeper of Secrets

Holder of secret rites, elder among the old. This Foe

studies the stars at night at waits for the full moon to
make sacrifices to the old gods in exchange for the pros-
perity of her tribe.

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4

SKILLS: Might 2, Melee 4, Insight 3
GEAR: A pouch full of carved teeth that can
be used to predict the weather and other,
more frightful, things. The shrunk heads of
tribe members, hanging from a belt made of
the skin of a giant serpent. They may hold
some value for the right buyer.
TALENTS: Kin talent, Path of Sight (Rank 3)

10
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
 Horrifying Monsters
“It was no ape, neither was it a man. It was some shambling
horror spawned in the mysterious, nameless jungles of the
south, where strange life teemed in the reeking rot without
the dominance of man, and drums thundered in temples
that had never known the tread of a human foot.”
Monsters work as in the base Forbidden Lands rules,
but GMs are encouraged to allow characters to PARRY
attacks if it makes sense in the narrative; especially if
they are willing to sacrifice their shield in the process.
Allow these monsters to act twice per round if they are
not horrifying enough.
Giant Serpent
These massive serpents can swallow whole creatures of
surprising size. These enormous predators are prized
among degenerate cultists and sorcerers as guardians.
STRENGTH 18, AGILITY 5
ARMOR: 8 (scales) MOVE: 1 (acts once per
round)
WEAKNESS: An attack aimed at the mouth suf-
fers a –2 penalty, but is not protected by
any armor.
ATTACKS:
1 – HYPNOTIZING LOOK! – The eyes of the ser-
pent make horrible promises. Roll an attack
against one character with 8 base dice and
fear damage 1. If it hits, the target loses
her next SLOW action.
2 – CRUSHING EMBRACE! – The serpent traps
one character with their massive body. Roll
an attack with 8 base dice and damage 1
(Blunt). If it hits, the target is GRAPPLED
and the serpent automatically succeeds on a
SWALLOW WHOLE on the next turn.
3 – OTHERWORLY HISS! – The serpent hisses at
its prey. Roll an attack with 10 base dice
and fear damage 1 to all characters within
Short range.
4 – POISONOUS BITE! – The serpent extends
its teeth and attacks. Roll 8 base dice with
damage 2 (Stab). If it hits, the target suf-
fers a lethal poison of potency 6.
5 – TAIL SLASH! – The serpent dangerously
slashes its tail. Roll an attack with 10
base dice and damage 1 (Blunt) against all
enemies in Near range
6 - SWALLOWED WHOLE! – The serpent opens its
maws and tries to swallow a character whole.
Roll 6 base dice with damage 3 (Stab). If it
hits, the target is now inside the beast and
will suffer an attack with 10 base dice and
damage 1 each turn inside.
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TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
Feral Ape
These humongous apes are the result of an evolutionary
offshoot of humans that devolved into hyper aggressive
gorilla-type creatures. They have an incredible strength
only matched by their lust for gore.
STRENGTH 14, AGILITY 8
ARMOR: 4 (thick hide) MOVE: 2 (acts twice
per round)
WEAKNESS: Afraid of fire (attacks against a
character holding fire have a -2 penalty to
all attacks)
ATTACKS:
1 – CHEST BEATING! – The ape beats its chest
with untamed fury. Roll an attack with 8
base dice and 1 fear damage against all
characters in Short range.
2 – RUSHED JUMP! – The ape jumps towards a
character in near range. Roll an attack with
8 base dice and damage 1 (Blunt). If it
hits, the target falls prone and drops a
weapon at random.
3 – CHARGE! – The ape charges head on
against a character in Short range. Roll an
attack of 6 base dice and damage 2 (Blunt).
If it hits, the character falls prone and is
pushed a zone.
4 – HIDEOUS BITE! – The ape bites a charac-
ter, trying to rip off some flesh. Roll an
attack with 8 base dice and damage 1 (Stab).
5 – BONE BREAKER! – The ape mauls its victim
to break their bones. Roll an attack with 6
base dice and damage 2 (Blunt).
6 – RIP APPART! – The ape grabs an extremity
of its victim and pulls with a tremendous
force. Roll an attack with 4 base dice and
damage 3 (Slash).
Enormous Spider
These large spiders only grow in the darkest corners of
the earth, ambushing travellers and animals of all sizes,
growing large as they feed on the corpses of their vic-
tims and lay eggs on the spoils of the carcases.
STRENGTH 12, AGILITY 10
ARMOR: 2 (hard skin) MOVE: 2 (acts twice per
round)
WEAKNESS: Only attacks once per turn when in
bright light.
ATTACKS:
1 – DANCE OF DEATH! – The spider moves in a
tantalizing way, playing with its prey. Roll
an attack with 8 base dice and damage 1
(Horror) against all characters within Short
range.
2 – SILK EMBRACE! – The spider shoots a
thread of silk towards a victim in Short
range. Roll an attack with 8 base dice and
damage 1 (Blunt). If it hits, the victim
fall prone and is covered in sticky silk,
which is highly flammable and gives a -2
penalty to all physical actions until
cleaned.
3 – MESMERIZING EYES! – The spider looks in-
to the eyes of its victim. Roll an attack
with 8 base dice and damage 1 (Horror)
against a character in Near range. If it
hits, the victim loses its next FAST action.
4 – GRUESOME BITE! – The spider bites its
victim. Roll an attack with 8 base dice and
damage 2 (Slash).
5 – BODY SLAM! – The spider uses its body to
crush its victim. Roll an attack with 8 base
dice and damage 2 (Blunt).
6 - POISONOUS STING! – The spider stings its
victim. Roll an attack with 8 base dice dam-
age 1. If it hits, the victim suffers from a
paralysing poison of potency 6.
alien that cause fear on the heart of the
bravest warrior. Roll an attack with 10 base
dice and damage 2 (Horror) at all characters
in Short range.
2 – TENTACLE GRAB! – The horror tries to
grab a character in Near range and squeeze
their organs out with tremendous force. Roll
an attack with 10 base dice and damage 2
(Blunt).
3 – OTHERWORDLY SCREECHING! – The horror
produces an unbearable sound from an unknown
source. Roll an attack with 6 base dice and
damage 3 against all characters in Near
range.
4 – ACIDIC SECRETIONS! – The horror spits
acid from several pustules in its body to-
wards a character. Roll an attack with 8
base dice and damage 2 (Special). Any damage
reduced by armor is permanently reduced from
its armor rating.
5 – BEAK ATTACK! – The horror uses its beak
to break a character in two parts. Roll for
an attack with 6 base dice and damage 3
(Slash). If it hits and causes damage, it
causes Critical Injuries from both Slash and
Horror tables.
6 – TENTACLE SMASH! – The horror smashes a
character. Roll an attack with 6 base dice
and damage 3 (Blunt). If it hits and causes
damage, it causes Critical Injuries from
both Slash and Horror tables.

Forgotten God

A creature older than the earth that it inhabits and feeds

from; sucking all life and consuming all things around
them in the short periods they are awake. They usually
live in ruined cities and swamps, spoils of their last feed-
ing rampage, but they are willing to move in search for
new prey when their hunger is insufferable.

STRENGTH 25, AGILITY 5

ARMOR: 10 MOVE: 1 (acts once per turn)
WEAKNESS: Bronze weapons ignore armor and
cause double damage to this foul creature.
ATTACKS:
1 – SIGHT OF AGES PAST! – The horror sends
visions of past times and other worlds so

12
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE

The Cult of the
One-Eyed God
“Not for naught had he gained access into darksome cults,
had harkened to the grisly whispers of the votaries of Skelos
under midnight trees, and read the forbidden iron-bound
books of Vathelos the Blind.”
The following scenario sets the player characters inside a
city under siege, infiltrating into an ancient temple and
interrupting forgotten rituals; all while trying to steal
the relic of the cult of the one-eyed god before the army
at the gates storms the city.
The City and the Cult
This section paints a broad picture of the city where the
adventure is to take place, the cult against which the
characters will struggle, and the siege
precipitating the action.
The city, the cult and the army can be placed in any
setting, but the original Robert E Howard Hyborian
land of Shem, bordering Stygia, was used for testing
instead of the Forbidden Lands.
A Siege for Power
The city of Eridhu is in peril.
Eridhu is a small city-state by the sea, its origins dating
back to the time of the sorcerer-kings, and an ancient
but small religion has survived in the city across the
ages: the cult of the One-Eyed God. This minor god is
sometimes worshipped as an emissary of newer gods
across the land, but the cult is especially strong in
Eridhu, where its one and only temple resides. The land
around Eridhu is not overly fertile, and the city mainly
survives on slave trade and the pilgrimage generated by
the temple.
An army camps outside the walls of Eridhu, building
siege engines as fast as thy can manage it. The
commander at the head of the conquering force - Nafer
- knows the city cHn’r be annexed for long; as the local
lords will conquer this ancient settlement
promptly. The only reason the local lords hHsIn’r taken
the almost unprotected city for themselves is the sacred
place it holds in their pIoplI’q minds.
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
The commander's plan is to storm the city before help
can arrive or a mercenary company can be hired by its
enemies. Ir’q only purpose is to recover an ancient
artifact held in the temple: The Iron Eye, said to be the
very eye of the One-Eyed God.
To move quickly and lay a siege before help could be
summoned, he has only brought with him a few
thousand hardened soldiers. He knows Eridhu doIqn’r
have a large standing army and relies on the protection
from local lords.Eridhu is open to the sea, but hired
ships block the escape.
However, the city is confident that help will arrive
soon, and th temple has incresed its offerings to the
One-Eyed God in the form of human sacrifice inside
the ancient temple.
The Nature of the God
During the time of the great sorcerer kings, Nechrubel
rhHr’q
of Eridhu achieved immortality through dark arts that
would repulse any common man. He made abhorrent
deals with horrors in the dark, and made sacrifices to
link his soul to the Iron Eye, a small orb of rare metals
fallen from the night sky in times immemorial.
He carried it with him at all times, afraid that it would
be stolen from him, and he inserted into his empty eye
socket; a gaping wound from an earlier life lived by the
blade.
Nechrubel died with the fall of the sorcerer kings. The
conquering horde, knowing he would eventually come
back, buried him deep within his old fortress in Eridhu.
Afraid to touch the Iron Eye, they buried it with the
mortal body of Nechrubel.
A cult was created with the sole purpose of keeping him
dormant in his tomb, and blood rituals of protection
were performed on each full moon to keep him from
waking.
The cult to the One-Eyed God developed over the
generations, transforming into a power hungry sect
more interested in politics than on the proper care of
the rituals. The consciousness of Nechrubel has been
back awakening for centuries. The ritual sacrifice of slaves
bought in the slave market are no longer enough, and
the proper words of protection are long forgotten.
13
 The Contract
The true cult to Nechrubel is kept alive by the
descendants of its disciples, living as desert Nomads for
centuries. Aware of the plans of sieging army, they have
arranged for the Iron Eye to be stolen from the temple
and taken away to its rightful place of worship, where
Nechrubel can be finally reborn.
They have arranged for a group of thieves, the
adventurers, to infiltrate the Temple of the One-Eyed
God and retrieve the Iron Eye from the tomb before the
army storms the walls.
No locals will accept a job to steal it, religious or not, as
it is said that a curse will fall upon any unrightful
owners; and so they must resort to wanderers. It is said
that its power is beyond this world, and it will slowly
consume the mind of its owners, unleashing death upon
their kin.
This curse was introduced as a lie by one of the original
high priests of the cult, as a precaution against thieves;
but as it turns out, the curse is not far from the truth.
The mind of Nechrubel is waiting in the Iron Eye and
will not awake without the proper rituals; but a
fragment of his being is still attached to its perished
body, which will rise to defend its claim over the
artifact.
The Temple of the One Eyed God
This scenario is structured in a series of interconnected
scenes. The adventure starts with “A Bloody AllIy” and
finishes with “ThI Siege and the EqcHpI”, with a
number of encounters between these two dependant on
the actions and decisions of the players.
A suggestion on how these scenes can be easily linked is
presented at the end of the adventure, but don’r be afraid
to improvise, create new scenes, and encounters with
new characters as appropriate.
You can use the Minions, Foes and Monsters described
in this supplement for the Temple Guards, Askalan and
the Enormous Spider respectively. Use the Dead Knight
from the Forbidden Lands rulebook for Nechrubel.
Remember to always skip the dull moments and jump
straight into action to make a memorable Sword &
Sorcery experience.
14
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
A Bloody Alley
The adventure starts ‘in media rIq’, with the PCs blades
red with blood and a dying slaver at their feet.
The PCs are trying to recover Fellan, the only slave ever
able to escape the cult. Their hope is that he will be able
to tell them a secret passage to the heart of the temple
and avoid more dangerous routes. But first, the PCs will
have to defeat a group of temple guards supported by a
group of slavers. The guards and slavers just
apprehended Fellan, drunk with wine, happy to have
escaped the Temple and waiting for the siege to finish to
flee the city.
The captain of the guards, Askalan, will leave the scene
after stabbing Fellan on the first turn of combat and
ordering the guards and slavers to kill the foreigners.
Roll 1d6 to determine how many turns until Fellan
bleeds out, taking the location of the secret passage with
him.
If Fellan survives or they speak to him before he dies, he
can tell the story of how he escaped from the Temple
through a trapdoor leading to an ancient tunnel in the
hill where te temple stands. They were two of them
when they left, but he lost his companion in the dark
tunnels. Afraid that the guards would follow them, he
left him behind to save himself. The tunnel opened to
the cliff towards the sea, where a set of tortuous stairs
carved in the rock took him to the angry waters below.
A Sheer Cliff
The temple sits on a hill towards the sea, over a sheer
cliff where the old fortress of Nechrubel used to stand,
and where ancient tunnels and other hidden rooms were
built.
The tunnel and stairs used by Fellan can take the PCs
from the sea all the way up to the temple bowels. The
stairs are carved out of the very rock and very difficult to
spot if you don’r know they are there. The tunnel looks
like a small cave on the cliff that opens to a wider tunnel
inside. It leads them to a stone trapdoor that opens up
to the old fortress below the temple.
A horrifying beast lurks in the dark tunnel: an enormous
spider that feeds on the unfortunate gulls that seek
refuge from storms. The bloated corpse of FIllHn’q
companion can be found in the tunnel trapped in webs
and about to burst into several transparent spiders the The Golden Halls
size of a mHn’q hand. They don’r attack the PCs. But the
scene causes mental anguish to any witnesses (Horror The temple built on top of the ancient fortress stands

attack with 8 base dice and damage 1). proud and well maintained. Golden riches ornate the
walls and spiralling columns reach a domed ceiling.
The Temple Walls Glass windows allow the faint light of the moon to just
barely illuminate the riches dedicated to this god; the
The PCs could decide to assault the temple walls and
fruit of taxes on slave trade that Eridhu depends on. An
infiltrate the temple in the night. This is a viable but
idol representing the eye of the One-Eyed God made of
risky option, since guards routinely patrol the inner
crimson wood, old bronze and black iron stands on a
gardens day and night.
dais at the end of the chamber.
The walls don’r hHsI H tHlktHy for qoldiIrq, and the
inner gardens can be used to hide themselves and reach
the temple gates.

Most of the soldiers have been moved to the city walls

for defence; but they will have to confront groups of
soldiers and aggressive guard dogs in the temple doors if
they are not stealthy enough. If they are discovered,
make them sweat and bleed all the way to the temple, The fortress below is almost impossible to find without
where they can try to hide again or even block the door. guidance of someone that has been there before. Luckily
for the PCs, any guard or servant can lead them there if
Thieves in Disguise convinced with the right arts, social or martial. Other-
wise, a successful hard scouting or lore skill can be used
If the PCs decide to disguise themselves as priests or
to find the passage, with failure meaning that they end
guards, they can use the garments of the slaughtered
up finding the entrance due to a group of cultists and
guards or find priest robes in the city.
guards led by a captain coming out into the upper tem-
Any other disguise could work, but the patrols in the ple.
temple are on edge with the siege outside the city.
Winding and narrow stairs take them to the halls of the
Disguising as temple guards is possible, but difficult, as
ancient fort below the temple, where the tomb of the
their face is uncovered and they are familiar with each
One-Eyed God resides. They quickly arrive at a room
other. Disguising as a priest is the most efficient option,
with a cage where five naked slaves await for their turn
as their robes cover their faces, but they would have to
to be sacrificed. They will do anything to survive and
procure the robes somewhere in the city.
escape with them, including helping or lying to the PCs.
Temple priests routinely go to the slaver's market to
A lockId rrHpdoor ro FIllHn’q IqcHpI route through the
purchase slaves to sacrifice to the One-Eyed God. This
cliff can be found on a recess of the qlHsIq’ room, hidden
usually happens once a month to perform the
behind drapes. This is where the PCs would come in if
appropriate rites of the cult, but with the impending
rhIy follot FIllHn’q inqrrscrionq.
siege the cult is sacrificing an increased number of
slaves. They walk around the city protected by a squad of Drums and a low humming noise come from a room at
temple guards, and their first reaction would be to run the end of the corridor, and a set of stairs climb up to
away towards the temple if any danger arises. the new temple.

Uncanny Plans
If the players devise any other daring exploit to infiltrate
the temple, roll with it: ask for details and remember
that the temple is well guarded most of the time.
The smell of the incense impregnates the area. The door
is closed, but not locked. Dozens of priests of the cult
enjoy food, wine and sex in pillows around a dais sur-
rounded by decorated columns to the like of the upper
and newer temple.

15
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
At the most inappropriate time, two guards and a cultist
will come forth from the orgy into the qlHsIq’ room to
pick a slave. Unless stopped, they will grab a single slave
kicking and screaming to the orgy, where the high priest
of the One-Eyed God, Kasithres, will blow some purple
power onto his face. The power is pulverised lotus flow-
ers that knock your senses and make you a docile beast.
After that, the slave will be painted with blood from a
bronze bowl in the centre of the room before being tak-
en away to the Tomb.
The PCs can find the Tomb by stealthily following the
cultist taking the slave or by forcing a cultist to reveal its
location. If the PCs try to find the tomb chamber by
themselves, they must succeed on a Wits roll (no skill,
just attribute) to guide themselves; and a Stealth check
for each turn looking for the chamber, including the
successful try. If they fail Stealth, they are discovered by
a wandering party (one MOB) of either cultist or temple
guards (roll 1d6, 1-4 cultists, 5-6 guards).
The Tomb Below
Two bronze doors open to an extremely large round
chamber held by simple columns and extending into the
darkness, such that the opposite and side walls cannot be
seen from the entrance. Dozens or hundreds of skele-
tons and drying corpses of the sacrificed slaves lie naked
prostrated towards an ancient ceramic vessel of large
size. Two of the cadavers are recent; their throats cut
and their blood spilt into the stone pool surrounding
the vessel before posthumously moved to their final rest
position in adoration of the god.
Only four cultists are waiting here to perform the rites
on the next slave. They will not fight, and will run for
help at the slightest opportunity.
The ceramic vessel can be easily opened with a weapon.
The top is held with iron melted over the fissures and an
old symbol with the shape of a spiked eye can be dis-
cerned painted on the lid; the ancient banner of Ne-
chrubel.
16
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE
Inside lies the skeleton of a man with the Iron Eye in-
side its skull and buried in ashes, only dried skin tight
against its bones. Removing the Eye requires a single
success on a Might roll, as the will of the sorcerer is
partially alive in the dried corpse.
When removed with strenuous strength, a fragment of
the life force of Nechrubel inhabiting the Eye will awake
its former corpse, which will rise to destroy the intrud-
ers as a Dead Knight. The temple above them and the
ancient fort that is its foundation will start to crumble
to ruin. They have limited time to escape with their
lives and the Eye.
At this moment, or later when he sees that Nechrubel
has seemingly awaken, Askalan will appear through the
door with several gsHrdq Hnd cry “Yos foolq, hI lisIq in
the Eye! You have awakened him!”
Ask the players to narrate the escape and play the com-
bat if they engage against Nechrubel or Askalan. The
trapdoor is blocked by the crumbling ceiling, and can
only be accessed with a difficult Might roll.
The Siege and the Escape
The army besieging Eridhu is finally storming the walls.
Fires and battle cries are heard over the destruction of
the temple.
If you have time in the session and the mood of the
table demands more action, ask your players what the
escape plan is and play it out. Otherwise ask them to
narrate their escape with no rolls.
As a final scene, the PCs are in a secluded camp by the
hills, giving the stolen Eye to the man that contracted
them. The man is part of the ancient bloodline of fol-
lowers of Nechurbel, and he is accompanied by mount-
ed soldiers. He is willing to pay them the promised
amount; with stolen treasure raided from merchants,
no doubt.
As they hand over the Eye, they notice a tattoo on the
man of the banner of Nechrubel that was painted on the
vessel.
 17
TALES OF HIGH ADVENTURE