Sigard the Woodsman was a doting father. Ever since his wife was taken by the Black Death, his children have been his whole world. But, of course, this was before the brain mold…
He could hear them laughing inside their modest home, preparing for the evening meal. They took his wife. Faster and faster, he kicked the rotating grindstone.
He could hear them mocking him over the bustle of the dinner dishes. His axe, the tool of his trade, was now razor sharp.
Sigard rose from the whetstone. It was time to silence the laughter.
Placed amid the trees of an old forest, this rest stop is not what it seems. Time has muted the screams, and scavenging animals have removed the bones of the once-happy family. The culprit, though, still remains…
The Ghosts
The party might see the woodsman’s plague-riddled wife, the poor murdered children, or the axe-wielding woodsman himself. The apparitions are harmless, but their appearance fuels the delusions caused by the mold.
The Hovel
The roof is leaky and the door is warped, but it’s better than standing outside… for a while anyway. The dripping water or a stuck door (break DC 18, hp 20) at the right time could heighten the paranoia and the fun.
Brain Mold
A silent killer is waiting in the kitchen, under the beds, even in the rough mortar of the chimney. The dusty, chalk-like mold is readily inhaled and hangs in the air when disturbed. If an adventuring party stays overnight—perhaps during a sudden rainstorm—they must roll well to avoid the effects of the mold.
All the characters are affected, though some will be luckier than others.
Mold Paranoia (Pathfinder)
Type disease, inhaled; Save Will DC 18
Onset 2 hours inside the hovel
Effect after first missed save, victim remembers some past injury and starts an argument with another PC; after second missed save, victim makes an unarmed attack; after third missed save and beyond, victim makes armed attack; Cure 2 consecutive saves
Mold Paranoia (4th Edition)
Level 7 Disease
Your friends are out to get you. They’ve never appreciated everything you do for them.
Attack: +10 vs. Will
Endurance: Improve DC 25, maintain DC 21, worsen DC 20 or lower.
< You are cured.
<>Initial Effect You start an argument with an ally. You take a −3 to Endurance checks.
> You make a melee basic attack against an ally.
Creepy, nasty, and with a Guro pic to boot! Internal party combat is something I normally attempt to avoid, but the next time my players irritate me I may just have to raise the horror level in my game with this.
… they never appreciate everything I do for them either…
Another great illustration to go along with the article! :) Nice choice!
Scott’s got good taste. Now I need to look at more Guro pics….
I get you Paladin, I think that my player secretly LOVE being tortured.
Oh now that’s a perfectly executed encounter.
…don’t they understand? I’ll show them…
Wow. That’s some creepy mold!
Woaaahhh… great creepy encounter!
Thank you, for having brought it to us.