THE WEALTHY PATRON ARCHETYPE AND UNIVERSAL WEALTH RULES A Component for Open D6 Lovecraft and Modern Campaigns
The most merciful thing in the world… is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”
— H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”
INTRODUCTION: THE HAND THAT HOLDS THE PURSE STRINGS
A Note for the Game Master: In a 1922 Arkham campaign or a modern Tiger Transit setting, the Wealthy Patron is more than just a source of Deep Pockets. They represent the bridge between the mundane world and the Carnal Truth hidden in forbidden vaults or corporate servers. Mechanically, this archetype is the Face and the Funder of the group. While they may lack raw combat prowess, their ability to bypass Bureaucracy and leverage Elite Connections is unrivaled.
SECTION 1: THE ARCHETYPE PROFILE
THE CONCEPT
A powerful financier, industrialist, or philanthropist whose wealth opens doors—and sometimes tombs that should have stayed sealed. They fund expeditions, hire investigators, and maintain private collections. Their privilege grants access to elite circles, but also paints a target on their back for cults and rivals who covet their resources.
THE PERSONALITY
Refined, commanding, and calculating. They speak with confidence and hide their fear behind a mask of etiquette. They are accustomed to control, yet they are beginning to realize that the Mythos and the shadows of the deep state do not care about bank balances.
THE BACKGROUND
Born into old money or having built a fortune through industry, shipping, or Tiger Transit logistics, the Patron has seen the cracks in the world. Perhaps a family curse or a forbidden ledger has drawn them into the occult. They now bankroll investigations, hoping to understand—or escape—the forces closing in.
CORE ATTRIBUTES
- Strength: 2D
- Agility: 2D
- Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
- Technical Aptitude: 2D
- Knowledge: 3D
- Perception: 3D
- Presence: 4D
SKILLS
(Note: 7D allocated for a starting professional character)
- Bureaucracy: 3D
- Business and Finance: 4D
- Etiquette and High Society: 4D
- Intimidation: 3D
- Persuasion: 4D
- Investigation: 3D
- Languages: 3D
- Occult Lore: 2D \
- Firearms (Pistol): 2D
SECTION 2: UNIVERSAL WEALTH RULES FOR GMS
To keep the narrative moving, Wealth is treated as a Statistic (Attribute) rather than tracking individual coins.
THE WEALTH RATING SCALE
WEALTH DIFFICULTY SCALE (DIF)
Routine (DIF 5): Common items or standard tactical gear.
Easy (DIF 10): Civilian vehicles or professional tools.
Moderate (DIF 15): Luxury cars, small vessels, or discreet bribes.
Difficult (DIF 20): Private jets, industrial property, or bailing a team out of international custody.
Very Difficult (DIF 30): Funding a space operation, purchasing a naval vessel, or silencing a news network.
WEALTH MECHANICS
The Automatic Success Rule: If the characters Wealth Rating is equal to the Difficulty Level divided by 5, the purchase is automatic.
The Depletion Rule: If a character fails a Wealth Roll by 10 points or more, their Wealth Rating drops by 1D for the remainder of the adventure due to financial strain or audits.
Social Leverage: A character may make a Wealth Roll to grease the wheels. A success grants a +1D bonus to subsequent Persuasion or Investigation rolls.
SECTION 3: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Advantage: Wealth (Major): Access to significant financial resources, estates, and staff as defined in the Wealth Rules above.
Advantage: Connections (Elite Circles): Access to politicians, scholars, and curators for favors.
Advantage: Refined Education: Training in history and languages, granting bonuses to research.
Disadvantage: Family Reputation: Rumors of occult involvement or madness follow the name.
Disadvantage: Target of Cult Interest: Entities believe the Patrons bloodline or assets are vital to rituals.
Disadvantage: Fragile Nerves: Exposure to the Mythos causes increased Sanity loss or panic.
SECTION 4: EQUIPMENT AND SPECIAL ABILITIES
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Custom-tailored Harmony suit or formal attire.
Ornate walking cane or monogrammed pistol.
Leather-bound checkbook and fountain pen.
Access to a private library and a chauffeured motor yacht or automobile.
SPECIAL ABILITY: INHERITED OCCULT LEGACY
Once per session, the character may recall a disturbing family memory or a cryptic document from their archives that provides a direct clue or warning about a threat. This always comes at a psychological cost (Sanity check or mental strain).
SPECIAL ABILITY: CALL SECURITY FORCES
Once per session, the Patron can summon a Tier-1 security detail. These forces arrive quickly and are equipped with heavy gear and high-end weaponry to secure a perimeter.
THE WEALTHY PATRON: NATHANIEL DERBY PICKMAN
The Last Patron of the Old Blood
“It was not any fault of mine that the blood of a rotter ran in my veins.”
— H. P. Lovecraft, “The Lurking Fear”
INTRODUCTION: THE HEIR TO THE PICKMAN FORTUNE
A Note for the Game Master: Nathaniel Derby Pickman is the bridge between the high-society glitz of 1922 and the rotting tunnels of the Mythos. He has faked his death to move through the world as a ghost, using the vast Pickman inheritance to fund global expeditions. GMs should use him as a source of mission hooks that focus on containment and recovery of forbidden art or artifacts.
SECTION 1: WEALTHY PATRON ARCHETYPE (PLAYER VERSION)
CONCEPT
A cultured, unnervingly calm aristocrat whose family fortune predates the American Revolution. His resources are vast, his connections global, and his motives unclear. He funds expeditions to Antarctica, the Himalayas, the Congo, and the Pacific.
PERSONALITY
Soft-spoken, observant, polite, and unsettlingly composed. He rarely raises his voice and never seems surprised by the horrors the team encounters.
BACKGROUND
After the disappearance of the painter Richard Upton Pickman, Nathaniel inherited the estate, the secret vaults, and the private galleries. He discovered journals describing creatures beneath Boston and paintings that moved. He now finances expeditions to track these phenomena worldwide.
CORE ATTRIBUTES
- Strength: 2D
- Agility: 2D
- Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
- Technical Aptitude: 2D
- Knowledge: 4D
- Perception: 3D
- Presence: 4D
SKILLS
(Note: 7D allocated for professional start)
- Bureaucracy: 3D
- Business and Finance: 4D
- Etiquette and High Society: 4D
- Persuasion: 4D
Intimidation: 3D
- Investigation: 3D
- Languages (Latin and French): 3D each
- Occult Lore (Pickman Archives): 3D
- Firearms (Pistol): 2D
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
- Advantage: Wealth (Major): Owns estates, galleries, and international accounts.
Advantage: Connections: Access to old Boston families, Miskatonic University, and smugglers.
Advantage: Inherited Archives: Access to forbidden journals and sketches from Richard Upton Pickman.
- Disadvantage: Family Reputation: Boston society distrusts the Pickman name.
Disadvantage: Marked by the Mythos: Creatures recognize the scent of his bloodline.
Disadvantage: Nightmares of the Burrowers: Recurring visions of tunnels cause fatigue.
EQUIPMENT
Tailored 1922 gentlemans suit
Silver-handled cane
Monogrammed pistol
Pickman family signet ring
Access to private vaults and a chauffeured Pierce-Arrow automobile.
SPECIAL ABILITY: BLOOD OF THE BURROWERS
Once per session, Pickman recalls a disturbing ancestral memory that provides a clue about subterranean or monstrous threats. This costs Sanity to activate.
SECTION 2: WEALTHY PATRON (CORRUPTED VARIANT)
NATHANIEL PICKMAN: THE DESCENDING HEIR
This version is for NPCs or PCs walking a dark path.
CHANGES FROM BASE ARCHETYPE
- Presence: 3D
- Knowledge: 5D
- Occult Lore: 4D
- Sanity Threshold: Lower than normal.
NEW ADVANTAGE: WHISPERS FROM BELOW
Pickman hears faint voices from the tunnels beneath Boston. They warn him of danger or lure him toward corruption.
NEW DISADVANTAGE: DEGENERATION OF THE LINE
Pickmans features subtly shift—eyes too reflective, teeth too sharp. He suffers social penalties with high-society NPCs.
NEW SPECIAL ABILITY: ANCESTRAL HUNGER
Once per session, Pickman may tap into a monstrous instinct for tracking, sensing blood, or detecting tunnels. Costs heavy Sanity.
SECTION 3: WEALTHY PATRON NPC STAT BLOCK (GM VERSION)
ATTRIBUTES
- Strength: 2D
- Agility: 2D
- Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
- Technical Aptitude: 2D
- Knowledge: 4D+1
- Perception: 3D+1
- Presence: 4D+2
KEY SKILLS
- Business and Finance: 5D
- Etiquette and High Society: 5D
- Persuasion: 5D
- Occult Lore: 4D
- Investigation: 4D
- Languages (Latin, French, Arabic): 3D each
- Firearms (Pistol): 2D+2
NPC ROLE
Funds expeditions, provides mission briefings, and holds forbidden knowledge. He may become corrupted or betray the investigators depending on their Sanity levels.
SECTION 4: TEAM LEADER TEMPLATE (PICKMAN BLOODLINE VERSION) CODENAME: CURATOR
ROLE: Strategic coordinator, financier, and intelligence broker.
TEAM LEADER ABILITY: OPEN THE VAULTS Once per mission, Pickman grants the team access to rare equipment, occult texts, or specialized transport.
TEAM LEADER FLAW: THE BLOODLINE CALLS When exposed to subterranean or monstrous threats, Pickman risks panic or fugue states.
LEADERSHIP STYLE: Calm under pressure. Prefers planning over improvisation. Uses wealth to solve problems and avoids direct combat unless cornered.
THE PICKMAN EXPEDITION ARCHIVES (1910-1926)
For Game Master Use Only
SECTION 1: PICKMAN EXPEDITION FUNDING LEDGER
GM ADVENTURE AND CAMPAGIN PRIMER THE FIRST SHADOW
INTRODUCTION: THE ANCESTRAL BLOOD BENEATH THE HOUSE (1909)
This adventure is the true beginning of the Shadow Saga. It marks the precise moment when the noble bloodline first stirs, the hereditary mutation awakens, and the Rotter ancestry reveals itself to the living world. The year is 1909. The setting is the ancestral estate, a place of fading grandeur and deep, cold shadows where the air is thick with the smell of old wood, damp stone, and a faint, metallic scent that lingers in the back of the throat.
SECTION 1: THE AWAKENING OF THE PATRON
The Patron has lived a life of privilege, but in the spring of 1909, that life begins to unravel. It starts with a heat in the marrow that no medicine can cool. These are the symptoms of the bloodline stirring—the moment the internal clock of the mutation begins to tick.
THE INTERNAL SYMPTOMS
The Patron is plagued by strange, racking fevers that leave him drenched in sweat but shivering. When he sleeps, he is pulled into vivid, suffocating nightmares of moving through narrow, lightless tunnels of wet earth. During his waking hours, he suffers from flashes of disorientation where the walls of the mansion seem to pulse like living tissue, and he sees visions of the house foundations turning into a web of pulsing, blackened roots.
THE PHYSICAL SHIFT
A constant metallic taste, like copper and wet soil, fills his mouth. Occasionally, he experiences sudden, twitchy bursts of strength that cause him to crush glass or snap wood without meaning to. Most terrifying of all, in the dead of night, he discovers a sickly, bioluminescent shimmer appearing just beneath his skin—a faint glow that pulses in time with a heartbeat that is not quite his own.
SECTION 2: THE ESTATE DISTURBANCES
As the Patron rots from within, the estate begins to manifest the corruption physically. The house is no longer a shelter; it is becoming a shell for something older.
THE MANIFESTATIONS
A loyal servant, who has served the family for three decades, vanishes during the night shift, leaving behind only a tray of undisturbed tea. Days later, a massive section of the lower wine cellar collapses, not from age, but as if the earth beneath simply opened its mouth. The collapse reveals ancient stonework and archways that do not match the architectural history of the house.
THE HIDDEN TRUTH
A search of the family archives reveals a terrifying gap in the records. There are names in the ledgers—ancestors from the 1700s and 1800s—who have no record of death or burial in the family plot. At 3:00 AM every morning, a rhythmic, wet scratching echoes through the floorboards, accompanied by a thick, cloying odor of primordial decay that rises from the vents, smelling of old blood and deep-earth minerals.
SECTION 3: THE CALL TO ACTION
The Patron realizes the horrific truth: The corruption is not a metaphor or a mental illness. It is a living, breathing thing. It is beneath the house, it is in the soil, and it is coursing through his very veins. He is the carrier, and the house is the hive.
Fearing for his sanity and the future of his line, the Patron summons a specialized team—the 1909 progenitors of the expedition roster—to investigate the estate. This is not a mission of archaeological discovery; it is a desperate mission of containment and survival.
THE FIRST DESCENT
The adventure begins as the team breaks the iron seal of the collapsed cellar. They must descend into the ancient foundations where the air grows thin and the stone gives way to hand-carved tunnels. Here, they will have the first Rotter encounter—facing the degenerated, pale remnants of the ancestors who never died, but simply changed.
THE GLOBAL THREAT
In the deep dark beneath the estate, the team will find the First Breach—a place where the house reveals itself as a living organism of soil and stone. They will uncover the first documents of the global conspiracy, proving that this "Shadow Saga" is not limited to one family, but is a viral, occult rot spreading across the continents.
GM NARRATIVE NOTE
Use this session to establish that the enemy is part of the bloodline. Every time the Patron uses a mutation ability, remind him that he is becoming the very thing he is trying to hunt. This adventure sets the tone for a campaign where the darkness is not just in the tunnels, but in the mirror.
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY -- MISKATONIC REGION MYTHOS MAP
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
The Miskatonic River Valley is a fog-shrouded region of New England where the mundane world overlaps with the Mythos. The Pickman Mansion sits on a wooded ridge three miles northwest of Arkham, overlooking the river and the old colonial road. The region contains seven major Mythos nodes, each tied to the Pickman bloodline or its expeditions.
THE SEVEN NODES OF THE MISKATONIC MYTHOS
ARKHAM PROPER This is the heart of the region and home to Miskatonic University. The streets of Arkham seem to twist subtly at night, creating angles that do not quite make sense to the naked eye. Local cats are known to avoid certain alleys entirely, and students often whisper about the ancient, interconnected tunnels that are rumored to run beneath the Miskatonic River.
PICKMAN MANSION GROUNDS (PRIMARY NODE) The estate is built atop pre-colonial stone foundations that predate the town of Arkham itself. It is surrounded by dense, unnatural woods where the fog never truly lifts. Beneath the manor, a network of subterranean tunnels connects to deeper, darker caverns where the Burrowers remain active, tied to the Pickman bloodline.
THE OLD COLONIAL ROAD This narrow, winding path connects Arkham to the Mansion. Travelers frequently report seeing pale, spindly figures watching them from the treeline, and local horses have been known to panic or flatly refuse to pass certain colonial-era mile markers along the ridge.
THE MISKATONIC RIVER The river is a dark, slow-moving artery where the currents often seem to shift against the tide without explanation. Strange, bloated shapes are occasionally seen moving just beneath the surface, and the muddy riverbanks contain fossilized claw marks that do not belong to any known New England fauna.
DUNWICH FOOTHILLS Located to the west, these hills are plagued by rumors of inbred families and monstrous, unexplainable births. Stone circles that predate human settlement sit on the highest peaks, and Pickman funded a survey here in 1918 that ended in a complete, terrified retreat by the hired team.
KINGSPORT HEADLANDS The cliffs above Kingsport are dream-haunted and perpetually cold. Fishermen frequently vanish during the fog tides, and Pickmans agents maintain a constant watch on these headlands to monitor cult activity and the strange lights seen out at sea.
THE ARKHAM CATACOMBS These are the sealed tunnels located directly beneath the town of Arkham. They are known to connect to the Pickman tunnels, forming a hidden geography beneath the surface. The air inside smells of damp earth and old blood, and those who have entered claim that something massive moves in the dark just out of sight.
PROLOGUE (1909): THE BLOOD THAT SHOULD NOT BE
THE AWAKENING
The Wealthy Patron awakens in his ancestral bedroom, the air thick and stagnant despite the autumn chill. He is drenched in a cold, oily sweat that smells faintly of copper. In the absolute silence of the 3:00 AM hour, a rhythmic throb begins to pulse beneath the floorboards—a heavy, wet heartbeat that vibrates through the bedframe. It is a heartbeat that does not belong to him, yet his own pulse begins to race in perfect, terrifying synchronization with it.
THE EVIDENCE OF THE LEDGER
On the nightstand, the heavy leather-bound family ledger lies open. By the flickering light of a single candle, the Patron sees the history of his line unraveling. Names of aunts, uncles, and cousins have been violently crossed out in thick, black ink. Entire decades of birth and death records are missing, ripped from the spine or blotted out entirely. The margins are stained with a dark, crusting substance that has turned the paper brittle. On the very last page, written in a hand that looks identical to the Patron's own, is a single, final entry:
"The blood remembers."
THE BREACH IN THE CELLAR
A muffled, grinding roar echoes from the bowels of the house. In the wine cellar, a jagged crack splits the foundation stones, opening a mouth into the raw earth below. A warm, damp breath rises from the fissure, carrying the scent of ancient decay and iron. There is no longer any doubt:
Something beneath the house is alive.
Something beneath the house is hungry.
Something beneath the house is kin.
THE SUMMONS
Knowing that the sun may not rise on a man who stays in this house alone, the Patron spends the remaining hours of the night scrawling urgent letters. The ink is messy, the pleas desperate. He sends these letters by private courier to the only individuals who might believe him—or at least, the only ones who can survive the truth:
These are the men and women of the established Roster:
1909 PICKMAN EXPEDITION ROSTER: FULL STATS
CAPTAIN ELIAS WARD (THE SOLDIER)
Concept: Veteran of colonial skirmishes and tactical expert.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 3D
Agility: 3D+2
Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
Technical Aptitude: 2D
Knowledge: 2D+1
Perception: 3D
Presence: 3D
SKILLS
Brawling: 4D+2
Firearms (Pistol/Rifle): 5D
Melee Combat (Sabre/Club): 4D+2
Dodge: 4D+2
Command: 4D
Tactics: 4D
First Aid: 3D
Stamina: 4D
EQUIPMENT: Heavy wool greatcoat, Beaumont-Adams Revolver, silver-tipped cavalry sabre, brass lantern.
DR. MIRIAM CALDWELL (THE ARCHEOLOGIST)
Concept: Specialist in pre-colonial ruins and subterranean architecture.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 2D+1
Agility: 3D
Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
Technical Aptitude: 3D
Knowledge: 4D
Perception: 3D+2
Presence: 2D
SKILLS
Archeology: 5D
History: 5D
Research: 5D
Search: 4D+2
Climbing: 3D+1
Navigation: 4D
Firearms (Revolver): 4D
Survival: 3D+1
EQUIPMENT: Expedition trousers and boots, .38 Hammerless Revolver, leather-bound field notes, geological hammer, carbide lamp.
PROFESSOR ABDUL RAHMAN AL-SAYEED (THE SCHOLAR)
Concept: Linguist haunted by the sibilant whispers in the Pickman archives.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 2D
Agility: 2D
Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
Technical Aptitude: 2D
Knowledge: 5D
Perception: 3D
Presence: 3D
SKILLS
Languages: 7D
Scholar (Ancient History): 6D
Occult Lore (Forbidden Texts): 6D
Research: 6D
Cryptography: 6D
Persuasion: 4D
Investigation: 4D
Willpower: 4D
EQUIPMENT: Formal academic attire, satchel of parchment, inkwell and quills, magnifying glass, bottle of tonic for "restless nerves."
JONAH BRIGGS (THE TRACKER)
Concept: Woodsman who understands the "crooked" geography of the Fogwood.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 3D
Agility: 3D
Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
Technical Aptitude: 2D
Knowledge: 2D
Perception: 4D
Presence: 3D
SKILLS
Tracking: 6D
Sneak: 5D
Hide: 5D
Survival (Wilderness): 5D
Search: 5D
Animal Handling: 4D
Firearms (Rifle): 4D
Brawling: 4D
EQUIPMENT: Waxed canvas jacket, Winchester Model 1894 Rifle, skinning knife, pouch of protective herbs, tallow candles.
SISTER AGNES MOREAU (THE SPIRITUALIST)
Concept: Excommunicated nun providing a shield against the rot.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 2D
Agility: 2D
Mechanical Aptitude: 2D
Technical Aptitude: 2D
Knowledge: 4D
Perception: 3D+1
Presence: 3D+2
SKILLS
Occult Lore (Rites): 6D
Theology: 5D
Willpower: 5D+2
Persuasion: 4D+2
Investigation: 4D+1
Medicine: 3D
First Aid: 3D
Dodge: 3D
EQUIPMENT: Heavy black habit, iron crucifix, Latin prayer book, vial of holy oil, satchel of salt.
THOMAS "SPARKS" MALLORY (THE ENGINEER)
Concept: Mechanical genius keeping the lights burning in the dark.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 2D+2
Agility: 3D
Mechanical Aptitude: 4D
Technical Aptitude: 4D
Knowledge: 2D+1
Perception: 3D
Presence: 2D
SKILLS
Repair (Mechanical): 6D
Repair (Electrical): 6D
Drive (Steam/Petrol): 5D
Demolitions: 5D
Technical Aptitude (Photography): 5D
Search: 4D
Firearms (Shotgun): 4D
Brawling: 3D+2
EQUIPMENT: Greasy coveralls, heavy tool satchel, double-barrel coach gun, prototype electric torch, magnesium flash camera.
THE ARRIVAL These are the members of the First Expedition. They arrive at the estate gates on a cold, rain-slicked autumn night, their lanterns cutting weak circles into the encroaching fog. As the front doors groan open, the investigation begins. The Shadow Saga has been initiated.
This sets the mood perfectly for the first session.
ACT I: THE SUMMONS
A Cold Arrival in Lovecraft Country
THE ATMOSPHERE
The year is 1909. A relentless, freezing rain lashes against the windows of the black carriage as it winds up the narrow colonial road toward the Pickman Estate. The trees of the Fogwood press close to the path, their skeletal limbs slick with ice. As the investigators step onto the gravel drive, the mansion looms above them—a jagged silhouette of Victorian Gothic architecture that seems to lean toward the Miskatonic River like a hunched predator.
The front doors groan open before the team can even reach for the iron knocker. A single, trembling butler—the only staff member left—ushers them into the Grand Foyer. The air inside is unnaturally cold, carrying a faint, copper scent that masks the smell of woodsmoke.
THE MEETING WITH THE PATRON
Nathaniel Derby Pickman awaits the team in the Great Library. He sits in a high-backed leather chair, wrapped in a heavy wool robe despite the roaring fireplace. As the investigators approach, they notice the flickering candlelight reveals a sickly, bioluminescent shimmer beneath the skin of his hands.
Nathaniel speaks in a low, strained voice, laying out the horror that has gripped the estate:
THE SYMPTOMS: He describes the racking fevers and the twitchy, uncontrollable bursts of strength. He shows them his eyes—the pupils beginning to elongate into vertical slits. He explains the metallic taste of earth that never leaves his mouth.
THE MISSING SERVANT: Three nights ago, the head groundskeeper vanished. No tracks were left in the mud outside, and his room remained undisturbed. The only clue was a single, three-toed claw mark etched into the floorboards near the kitchen.
THE COLLAPSED CELLAR: Nathaniel reveals that a massive section of the lower wine cellar fell away into the earth, but it did not leave a hole—it revealed hand-carved stone archways and a tunnel system that does not appear on any blueprints of the house.
THE FAMILY LEDGER: He pushes the heavy, blood-stained ledger across the table. He points to the redacted names of ancestors and the terrifying final entry written in his own hand: THE BLOOD REMEMBERS.
THE HEARTBEAT: He asks for absolute silence. Within seconds, a rhythmic, wet throb begins to pulse through the floorboards. It is a heavy, subterranean heartbeat that vibrates through the soles of the investigators boots.
THE PLEA FOR HELP
"I have summoned you because you are the only ones with the steel, the faith, and the knowledge to look into the mouth of this madness," Nathaniel whispers. "The house is breathing, and I fear I am becoming the air it takes in. I need you to descend into that cellar. I need you to find where my ancestors went, and I need you to tell me if I can be saved, or if the Pickman line ends in the dirt tonight."
GM NARRATIVE GOALS: TEAM FORMATION AND PLAYER INTEGRATION
EARLS GM SENSE: THE CROOKED PERSPECTIVE
GMs should remember that the Pickman bloodline is a living organism. When Nathaniel speaks, the house should react—a slight floorboard creak, a shift in the shadows. The players should feel that the house is an NPC in itself, watching their every move.
NOTE ON PLAYER ROLES
This adventure is designed for a full party of players using the provided 1909 Pregenerated Characters. If your group is smaller or lacks a specific specialist, the characters on the 1909 Roster act as the default "Legacy Team" in this scene. Use them as NPCs to provide the necessary expertise:
CAPTAIN WARD: Establishes the tactical perimeter and checks the weapons.
DR. CALDWELL: Examines the masonry of the library for hidden passages.
PROFESSOR AL-SAYEED: Begins a deep study of the redacted ledger.
JONAH BRIGGS: Checks the foyer for tracks or signs of entry.
SISTER AGNES MOREAU: Blesses the threshold to ward off the Rotter influence.
THOMAS MALLORY: Prepares the carbide lamps and checks the mechanical integrity of the cellar stairs.
THE HOOK: THE CELLAR KEY
Once the team has agreed to assist, Nathaniel hands Captain Ward a heavy, rusted iron key. "This opens the reinforced door to the lower cellar. Whatever you find down there... remember that they were once men of my name."
ACT II: THE ANCESTRAL HOUSE
THE ATMOSPHERE
The investigation moves from the library into the decaying veins of the mansion. The GM should emphasize the "Living Organism" theme here. The house doesn't just feel old; it feels like it has a metabolism. The air is humid, the wallpaper feels damp like skin, and the silence is punctuated by the house "settling" in ways that sound like shifting bone.
SECTION 1: THE EXPLORATION NODES
PICKMAN ESTATE -- EXPANDED GROUNDS MAP (GM VERSION)
THE OUTER GROUNDS
THE FOGWOOD: This is a dense, ancient forest surrounding the estate. The fog here clings unnaturally low to the ground, even on clear days. Animals avoid the area entirely, and investigators will find that tracks—both human and otherwise—frequently appear and vanish overnight without a trace.
THE OLD ORCHARD: The trees in this orchard grow in twisted, agonized shapes, and the fruit they produce rots from the inside out before it can even be picked. At night, anyone standing in the orchard can hear a faint, rhythmic scratching sound coming from deep beneath the soil.
THE ABANDONED CARRIAGE HOUSE: This structure is currently used to store expedition crates and broken equipment. However, beneath a pile of old lanterns lies a hidden trapdoor that serves as a secondary entrance to the tunnels.
THE MANSION INTERIOR
GROUND FLOOR The Grand Foyer is dominated by marble floors and portraits of Pickman ancestors whose eyes seem to follow any movement. The Safe Library contains only classical works to fool guests, while the real library is concealed behind a trick shelf. The Conservatory houses strange, translucent plants from past expeditions that seem to move slightly when they are not being observed. The Map Room is the tactical heart of the house, containing global expedition charts, red string, and coded notes.
GROUND FLOOR
Grand Foyer: Marble floors, portraits with eyes that seem to follow.
Library of Classical Works: Harmless books; the real library is hidden.
Dining Hall: Seats twenty; windows face the fog-covered garden.
Conservatory: Strange plants from expeditions.
SECOND FLOOR The Master Bedroom is always locked and contains Pickmans private journals, which describe his recurring dreams of tunnels and burrowing things. The Guest Rooms are lavishly furnished but remain cold and silent, as the household staff refuses to enter them. The Gallery Hall is lined with the horrific paintings of Richard Upton Pickman, many of which remain covered with heavy canvas sheets.
SECOND FLOOR
Master Bedroom: Locked; contains journals and nightmares.
Guest Rooms: Lavish but cold; servants avoid them.
Gallery Hall: Paintings by Richard Upton Pickman, some covered with cloth.
THE SEALED WING Access to this wing requires Pickmans signet ring to unlock the heavy iron door. Inside, the Forbidden Gallery displays the most distorted paintings and sketches of subterranean creatures ever recovered. The Vault of Bones is a small, private ossuary containing ancestral remains and ritual objects used to study the family curse.
THE SEALED WING (Requires Pickman Signet Ring)
Iron Door: Heavy reinforced entrance.
Forbidden Gallery: Distorted paintings, sketches of tunnels, and artifacts.
Vault of Bones: Private ossuary containing ancestral remains.
SUBTERRANEAN LEVEL The Root Cellar appears normal at first glance, but a hidden trapdoor leads to stone steps descending into the darkness. The Burrower Tunnels are narrow, damp, and marked with deep claw indentations. The air here tastes metallic, and echoes of movement can be heard traveling from deep below the foundations.
SUBTERRANEAN LEVEL
Root Cellar: Normal at first glance.
Hidden Trapdoor: Leads to stone steps descending into darkness.
The Burrower Tunnels: Narrow, damp, claw-marked. Air smells of decay.
SECTION 2: THE ANCESTRAL CLUES AND ENCOUNTERS
THE SEALED WEST WING This area has been locked since the 1870s. The air is stagnant and thick with dust. As the team moves through, they find that the furniture is not just covered in sheets, but the sheets are fused to the wood by a strange, translucent resin.
THE OLD NURSERY A chilling reminder of the bloodline's decay. The wooden cribs are clawed from the inside. A single rocking horse moves back and forth with no draft to push it.
THE CLUE: A portrait hangs here of a Pickman infant. At first glance, it looks normal, but under a lantern's glow, the child’s eyes reflect light like a cat’s, and the jawline is slightly unhinged.
THE FAMILY CRYPT (INTERIOR ACCESS) Located behind a heavy oak door in the chapel wing. The stone sarcophagi are cracked.
THE CLUE: Captain Ward or Jonah Briggs finds a blood-stained handprint on the lid of a 1741 tomb. The fingers are elongated, and the palm print is missing the standard human lines—replaced by pebbled, reptilian skin.
THE STUDY AND LEDGER ROOM This is where the Professor and the Archeologist shine. The room is filled with discarded drafts of family trees.
THE CLUE: A journal titled "The Living Root" is found hidden in a floorboard cavity. It describes a pact made in 1692, stating that the house was built not on land, but on "The Great Vein." The handwriting devolves into scratchings that resemble tunnel maps.
THE BREATHING WALL
In the hallway leading to the cellar, the team finds a section of wallpaper that is rhythmic and warm. If Dr. Caldwell peels back the paper, she finds the lath and plaster are gone, replaced by a pulsating mass of fibrous, muscle-like "roots" that are pumping a dark, metallic fluid through the house.
THE CLUE: The house is a living anatomy. Dr. Caldwell identifies the roots as high-density muscle tissue, proving the mansion was built to act as a protective "ribcage" for the organism. The metallic fluid is a biological conductor, connecting the Patron’s blood directly to the foundations of the estate.
THE MUTATED RAT As the team enters the kitchen or cellar, a rat the size of a terrier scurries across the rafters. It has no fur, and its front paws have developed into three-toed talons. It doesn't flee; it hisses with a voice that sounds disturbingly like a human clearing their throat.
THE CLUE: The rat is mimicking the staff. Professor Al-Sayeed recognizes the sibilant hiss as the exact cadence of the missing groundskeeper’s morning cough. The three-toed talons match the claw marks found in the servant’s quarters, proving the creature is a scout for the organism.
MUTATED RAT (Subterranean Mimic)
Description: A hairless, terrier-sized rodent with pale, translucent skin and three-toed talons. It possesses an uncanny ability to mimic human vocalizations it has heard within the house.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 1D (Stamina: 2D)
Agility: 4D (Dodge: 5D, Climbing: 5D)
Mechanical Aptitude: 0D
Technical Aptitude: 0D
Knowledge: 1D (Subterranean Instinct: 3D)
Perception: 3D (Search: 4D, Sneak: 5D)
Presence: 1D (Intimidation: 3D)
STATS & ABILITIES
Monster Rating (MR): 15
Deadliness Rating: 1
Move: 12
Attacks: * Three-Toed Talons: Strength + 1D damage ($1D+1D$).
Special Ability: Wall-Crawler. The rat can move at its full speed on walls and ceilings.
Special Ability: Hard to Hit. Due to its small size and twitchy movements, all ranged attacks against the rat suffer a +5 Difficulty modifier.
EARL’S GM SENSE: THE SCOUT’S TACTICS
The rat isn't a front-line fighter. It’s a scout for the Great Vein.
The Lure: Have the rat stay just out of reach, using the "clearing of the throat" to lead a lone investigator (likely Briggs or Mallory) toward the Sealed Wing or the Cellar Breach.
The Escape: If wounded, the rat doesn't die quietly—it lets out a human-sounding scream to alert any nearby Burrowers before vanishing into the wall-voids.
GM NARRATIVE GOAL: PLAYER INTERACTION
If the players succeed in a Perception or Tracking roll after encountering the rat, they find a small "cache" in the rafters: a silver pocket watch belonging to the missing servant, partially encased in the same fleshy "root" material found in the Breathing Wall.
PICKMAN ESTATE ENCOUNTER TABLE (GM-SIDE)
Roll 2D6 when the investigators explore the Mansion Grounds or the surrounding Fogwood.
2 -- THE BURROWER EMERGES: The ground swells and ruptures as a pale, elongated creature claws its way from the soil. Its skin is the color of a mushroom, and its eyes are milky and recessed. It does not attack immediately; instead, it crouches low, studying the investigators with a disturbing, predatory intelligence before slipping back into a tunnel.
3 -- WHISPERING FOG: A thick, unnatural fog rolls in from the Miskatonic River, reducing visibility to a few feet. Inside the mist, voices begin to whisper in a sibilant language that no one recognizes. The whispers seem to come from directly behind the investigators' ears, requiring an immediate Sanity check to avoid a panic response.
4 -- THE ANCESTRAL ECHO: A ghostly, translucent figure resembling a Pickman ancestor from the 1700s appears briefly near the treeline. The figure is dressed in tattered colonial attire and silently points a bony finger toward the Sealed Wing of the mansion. As soon as anyone speaks or moves toward it, the echo vanishes into the damp air.
5 -- DISTORTED FOOTPRINTS: The investigators come across a trail of fresh tracks in the mud. The footprints are deep and suggest a heavy weight, but they show only three long, clawed toes. The trail leads directly toward the Old Orchard and stops abruptly in the center of the clearing, as if whatever made them simply sank into the earth.
6 -- SERVANT IN DISTRESS: A terrified household servant runs from the mansion or the carriage house, clutching their head. They claim to have heard rhythmic scratching and heavy breathing coming from inside the walls of the house. They refuse to return inside and may attempt to flee the estate entirely if not calmed by a Persuasion roll.
7 -- QUIET MOMENT: No encounter occurs. The woods and the mansion grounds fall into an absolute, suffocating silence. Even the sound of the wind and the insects vanishes, leaving the investigators with the heavy feeling that they are being watched by something they cannot see.
8 -- THE SCRATCHING BENEATH: As the investigators walk, they hear a distinct, rhythmic scratching sound coming from directly under their feet. The ground vibrates slightly, and small cracks may appear in the soil or the basement floor. It is clear that something massive is moving through the tunnels just inches below the surface.
9 -- THE PALE WATCHER: A tall, spindly humanoid shape is spotted standing perfectly still at the edge of the Fogwood. It appears to be wearing tattered rags, but its skin is too white for a living man. When the investigators attempt to approach or shine a light on it, the figure melts backward into the fog without making a sound.
10 -- ARTIFACT RESONANCE: Any Mythos artifact or enchanted item the investigators are carrying begins to hum, vibrate, or glow with a sickly light. The Pickman bloodline and the foundations of the estate react strongly to the presence of external occult power, potentially drawing the attention of creatures in the tunnels.
11 -- THE MOVING PAINTING: If the investigators are inside the Gallery Hall, one of the covered paintings shifts subtly. When the cloth is pulled back, the creature depicted in the horrific scene has changed its position, now appearing closer to the "front" of the canvas and staring directly at the viewer.
12 -- THE BURROWER PACK: The ground gives way in multiple places as a full pack of Burrowers emerges from the tunnels. They circle the investigators at a distance, clicking their claws and hissing. They do not attack unless the investigators draw weapons or attempt to enter a restricted area, acting as a terrifying security detail for the estate.
SECTION 3: THE COLLAPSE AND THE TUNNEL
The investigation is interrupted by a violent tremor. The floor of the main cellar doesn't just crack—it implodes. A massive sinkhole swallows the wine racks, sending up a cloud of bone-dry dust and the overwhelming stench of a slaughterhouse.
When the dust clears, the team sees it: A hand-carved stone archway leading into a tunnel that descends at a sharp angle. The walls of the tunnel are lined with the same "living roots" found in the walls, and the wet heartbeat is now deafeningly loud.
EARLS GM SENSE: FORCING THE DESCENT
The house begins to seal the exits. Doors that were open are now jammed by rapid-growing "root" fibers. The only way is down.
GM NARRATIVE GOALS: PLAYER ROLES IN THE HOUSE
WARD: Must manage the team's light sources and ammo as the house grows hostile.
CALDWELL: Identifies that the stone in the tunnel is pre-colonial and non-human.
AL-SAYEED: Realizes "The Living Root" journal is a ritual guide, not just a diary.
BRIGGS: Notes that the "rat" tracks match the servant's disappearance.
MOREAU: Detects that the "breathing wall" is a physical manifestation of a spiritual rot.
MALLORY: Must keep the carbide lamps functional as the air in the cellar grows thin and foul.
THE TRANSITION
The Patron stands at the edge of the hole, his eyes now fully elongated. "They are calling," he whispers. "Go. Find the heart. Cut the root."
ACT III — THE FIRST DESCENT
THE ATMOSPHERE
The air changes the second the team enters the breach. It isn't just humid; it’s alive. The smell is a thick mix of iron, wet minerals, and a sickly-sweet fungal rot. Every footstep on the tunnel floor feels like stepping on a tensed muscle.
THE SUBTERRANEAN DISCOVERIES
PULSING ROOTS: Blackened, man-sized roots weave through the ceiling and floor. They vibrate with a heavy internal pressure.
WARM, FLESHY WALLS: In sections, the stone is replaced by a membrane that gives when touched, feeling like the side of a massive, sleeping beast.
STRANGE FUNGAL GROWTHS: Bioluminescent fungi cast a rhythmic, pale-green light, releasing spores that leave a copper taste in the mouth.
THE CHAMBER OF BONE: A cavern where the walls are reinforced with human bones fused together by living root-fibers.
THE ANCESTRAL COCOON: A translucent, fibrous sac hanging in the center. Inside is a silhouette with elongated limbs and a grotesquely curved spine.
THE PATRON’S SURGE
Nathaniel is hit by a violent mutation surge. His skin ripples, his eyes darken, and he experiences a "blood memory" of a 1741 ancestor feeling the hunger of the earth. He realizes the organism isn't an intruder—it’s the source of his own bloodline.
EARL’S GM NOTES (ACT III)
The Biological Map: Remind the players that the "roots" aren't just in the way; they are the house's nervous system. If they damage a root, describe a "scream" felt through the floorboards above.
Mutation Trigger: This is the moment to have the player (or NPC) playing the Patron roll on the Mutation Table. The surge isn't just flavor; it's a mechanical shift in the middle of the descent.
IV. PICKMAN BLOODLINE MUTATION TABLE For use with OpenD6 + Lovecraftian Variant + Monsters! Monsters! 2.7
This table represents the hereditary corruption of the Pickman line—a slow, creeping transformation tied to the Burrowers beneath the Miskatonic Valley.
GM NOTE: Roll 2D6 whenever a Pickman-blooded character suffers severe Sanity loss, encounters Burrowers, or enters the Subterranean Tunnels. These mutations are permanent unless addressed through high-level occult intervention.
PICKMAN BLOODLINE MUTATION TABLE (2D6)
2 -- THE EYES OF THE BURROWER The characters pupils become slightly elongated, resembling those of a nocturnal predator. Effect: Gain +1D to Perception in total darkness, but suffer -1 pip to Presence when interacting with humans who can see your eyes.
3 -- SUBTLE PALLOR The skin grows unnaturally pale, almost translucent, and feels cool to the touch even in warm weather. Effect: Gain +1 pip to Stealth in dim light; suffer -1 pip to social checks with high-society NPCs who find your appearance sickly.
4 -- ANCESTRAL WHISPERS Faint, sibilant voices begin to echo in the characters dreams and during moments of silence. Effect: Once per session, the character can gain a specific clue about subterranean threats or tunnel layouts. This costs 1 Sanity point as the voices are disturbing.
5 -- SENSITIVE HEARING The characters ears begin to twitch involuntarily at the sound of faint underground vibrations. Effect: Gain +1D to detect movement beneath floors, stone, or soil. You can hear things moving in the tunnels long before others.
6 -- BURROWER REFLEX The character begins to react with unnatural, twitchy speed to sudden movements or danger. Effect: Gain +1 pip to Agility for initiative rolls only.
7 -- NO MUTATION The bloodline sleeps... for now. There is no visible or mechanical change to the character.
8 -- UNEASY HUNGER The character develops a sudden, repulsive craving for raw meat or vegetables that are still covered in fresh soil. Effect: There is no mechanical bonus, but the roleplay consequences intensify as the character finds normal food increasingly ash-like and unsatisfying.
9 -- CLAW-LIKE NAILS The fingernails become thickened, hardened, and begin to curve slightly into points. Effect: Unarmed attacks deal +1 pip of damage. These nails are difficult to hide without gloves.
10 -- SUBTERRANEAN INSTINCT The character develops an internal compass that can sense tunnels, hollow spaces, and deep underground chambers. Effect: Gain +1D to Tracking or Navigation skills when operating underground or within a cave system.
11 -- BURROWERS GAIT The characters movement becomes unnervingly smooth, silent, and slightly hunched. Effect: Gain +1D to Stealth; suffer -1 pip to Presence with anyone who notices the "off-putting" way you walk.
12 -- THE DEGENERATE AWAKENING The bloodline surges with ancient power, forcing a rapid physical shift. Effect: The character immediately gains one monstrous ability (GM chooses: Wall-climbing, Darkvision, or Burrow-sense). Cost: This awakening costs 2D Sanity immediately as the character realizes their humanity is fading.
ACT IV — THE ROTTER AWAKENS
THE ENCOUNTER
The sibilant wet sounds of the tunnel stop. From the shadows of the bone pillars, the first Rotter emerges.
THE CREATURE'S DESCRIPTION
A nightmare of pale, elongated flesh standing nearly seven feet tall but moving in a hunched, predatory gait. Its skin is transparent, showing blackened, pulsing veins. It has unhinged jaws and needle-like teeth—the horrific end-point of the Pickman mutation.
THE COMBAT INITIATIVE
The Rotter protects the core. It views the team as foreign antibodies.
Kill the Team: It attacks with blinding, twitchy speed.
Drag the Patron: It ignores the others to grab Nathaniel, trying to pull him into the central root for "integration."
Protect the Core: It becomes frenzied (+1D to attacks) if anyone targets the roots.
EARL’S GM NOTES (ACT IV)
The First Blood: This is the first combat of the saga. Make it messy and fast. The Rotter doesn't use weapons; it uses the environment. Use the "Crooked Geography" to let it vanish into cracks and reappear behind the team.
Legacy Team Default: If slots are empty, use the list:
WARD: Fires the first shot, using the muzzle flash to sight the translucent beast.
CALDWELL: Realizes the bone chamber is an "incubator."
AL-SAYEED: Recognizes the Rotter's hiss as a distorted ancestral tongue.
BRIGGS: Readies his knife, noting the creature has no human scent.
MOREAU: Attempts to turn the creature’s "folded" spirit.
MALLORY: Struggles with the lamps as the walls begin to contract.
THE TRANSITION
The team must choose: fight through the nightmare or flee as the tunnels begin to seal.
This is the moment the "expedition" turns into a lifelong crusade. The 1909 Prologue ends not with a victory, but with a grim understanding of the war ahead.
Here is the fully written-out Act V with the integrated GM Notes and Legacy Team Defaults, in clean, plain text for your campaign manuscript.
ACT V — THE ESCAPE & OATH
THE ATMOSPHERE
The tunnel is no longer a passive environment; it is reacting like a wounded animal. The walls heave, the "roots" lash out with spasms of bio-electrical energy, and the metallic smell of the air becomes choking. The descent has ended; now the struggle is to return to the world of light.
THE ESCAPE
The team must navigate the shifting anatomy of the house. The hand-carved stone archway is being reclaimed by the "flesh" of the walls. As they scramble back toward the cellar breach, the heartbeat reaches a deafening, irregular crescendo. Dust and ancient mortar rain down as the mansion above threatens to swallow the secrets beneath it.
THE SEALING OF THE BREACH
Once the team hauls themselves back onto the cracked cellar floor, the Patron (Nathaniel) doesn't hesitate. Using a heavy iron lever—or Mallory’s explosives if the situation is dire—the breach is collapsed. The stone slabs slam shut, and the "living roots" are severed, their ends twitching like dying nerves on the cellar floor.
THE PATRON’S DECLARATION
Standing in the flickering light of the team's lanterns, drenched in the dark fluid of the organism and his own sweat, Nathaniel looks less like a victim and more like a commander. His eyes, though still distorted, carry a new, terrifying clarity. He looks at the team and declares:
"This is only the beginning. If my blood is corrupted—if this rot truly flows through the veins of my line—then the world must know what sleeps beneath its feet."
THE SOLEMN VOW
Nathaniel formally initiates the Shadow Saga by vowing to:
Investigate the Mutation: Using his wealth to build labs and hidden clinics.
Track the Rotter Bloodline: Finding the other "lost" branches of the family tree.
Study the Organism: Learning the biology of the Great Vein to find its weaknesses.
Follow the Tunnels: Mapping the subterranean geography that ignores national borders.
Assemble a Permanent Team: Transforming this group from temporary hirelings into a specialized unit.
THE TRANSITION
This moment leads directly into the 1910–1921 Funding Ledger, marking the start of the global expeditions to the Levant, the Congo, and the Himalayas. The "Curator" has been born.
EARL’S GM NOTES (ACT V)
The Narrative Anchor: This scene shouldn't feel like "winning." It should feel like a heavy burden. The players should understand that they are now "in on the secret," and there is no going back to their normal lives.
Mutation Check: If the Patron took a mutation during Act III, describe how it "settles" into his body as the breach is sealed. It is now a part of him.
GM NARRATIVE GOALS: THE LEGACY TEAM DEFAULTS
WARD: Cleans his sidearm, already calculating the logistics for a long-term campaign.
CALDWELL: Clutches her field notes, her mind already racing toward the connection between the Miskatonic stone and the Levantine ruins.
AL-SAYEED: Stares at the sealed floor, whispering the redacted names from the ledger as if they were a funeral rite.
BRIGGS: Wipes the "earth-blood" from his knife, knowing he can never return to the mountains now that he knows what lives beneath them.
MOREAU: Prays silently, not for the dead, but for the living who now carry the secret.
MALLORY: Carefully packs his flash-powder camera, knowing the image of the Rotter is the only evidence the world isn't ready to see.
This is the perfect final beat for the origin story, Captain. It moves the horror from the basement into the very soul of the character and sets the ticking clock for the 1922 campaign.
Here is the fully written-out EPILOGUE (1909) with the integrated GM Notes, in clean, plain text for your final manuscript section.
EPILOGUE (1909): THE BLOOD REMEMBERS
THE ATMOSPHERE
The house is silent now, but it is a heavy, expectant silence. The rain has stopped, leaving a thick, freezing fog to press against the study windows. The only light comes from the dying embers in the fireplace and a single, guttering candle on the desk. The mansion feels less like a building and more like a tomb that has been temporarily resealed.
THE PRIVATE REVELATION
Late that night, long after the team has retreated to their quarters or the local inn, the Patron sits alone. He rolls up his sleeve and examines his forearm in the dim light. The faint, sickly bioluminescence beneath his skin pulses once... twice... a rhythmic, subterranean glow that matches the memory of the heartbeat in the tunnels. Then, with a slow, fading shimmer, it vanishes into his veins.
THE LIVING LEDGER
He opens the family ledger to the final page—the one where he had previously written "The blood remembers." As he watches, new ink seems to seep upward through the fibers of the paper, forming a fresh line in a script that is both ancient and unmistakably his own:
"The blood awakens."
THE RESOLVE
He closes the book with a heavy thud. There is no more room for denial or fear. The next twelve years of his life are now mapped out in stone and shadow. He knows exactly what must be done to protect the world—and perhaps his own humanity.
THE TWELVE-YEAR CRUSADE (1910–1921)
The "Curator" begins his work in earnest, dedicating the Pickman fortune to:
Hunting Rotters: Purging the "failed" branches of the lineage before they can spread.
Mapping Tunnels: Charting the hidden arteries of the world that connect the Miskatonic to the rest of the globe.
Studying Mutations: Cataloging the physical changes to find a way to control the descent.
Confronting Cults: Breaking the secret societies that worship the organism beneath the earth.
Preparing for 1922: Assembling the resources, the lore, and the iron-willed team needed for the coming darkness.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
The fire in the hearth snaps and goes cold. The Patron stares into the darkness of the room, his elongated pupils catching the last of the light.
The Shadow Saga has begun.
EARL’S GM NOTES (EPILOGUE)
The Hook for the Future: This is where you hand out any "Legacy XP" or special notes to the players. If they are playing the 1922 campaign next, remind them that their characters carry the weight of what they saw in 1909.
The Mutation's Cost: Remind the Patron's player that while the glow faded, the potential for it to return is always there. The blood isn't just a memory; it's a map.
GM NARRATIVE GOALS: THE LEGACY TEAM TRANSITION
WARD: Is seen in the hallway cleaning his rifle by lamplight, already a soldier in a war he didn't enlist for.
CALDWELL: Is in the guest library, surrounded by maps of New England, looking for "thin spots" in the geography.
AL-SAYEED: Is heard chanting softly in his room, practicing the pronunciations of the names that appeared in the ledger.
BRIGGS: Stands on the porch, staring into the Fogwood, knowing he can never trust the silence of the woods again.
MOREAU: Spends the night in the chapel, her prayers now focused on the strength to face a physical hell.
MALLORY: Is in the carriage house, tinkering with a new, high-intensity electrical light, vowing never to be caught in the dark again.
The Shadow Saga has begins here.........
1910 -- THE LEVANTINE SURVEY
Objective: Recover fragments of a pre-Sumerian tablet describing the Burrowers Beneath.
Funding: 18,000 dollars.
Outcome: Team vanished near Ugarit. Only a satchel of sketches returned.
Notes: First recorded instance of Pickman interest in subterranean entities.
1912 -- THE CONGO PALEONTOLOGICAL EXCURSION
Objective: Investigate reports of night-walking pale things near abandoned Belgian outposts.
Funding: 22,000 dollars.
Outcome: Two survivors returned with severe psychological trauma.
Notes: Survivors described limbs bending the wrong way.
1914 -- THE BOSTON CATACOMB SURVEY
Objective: Map tunnels beneath the North End.
Funding: 9,000 dollars.
Outcome: Surveyors refused to continue after hearing scratching beneath the stone.
Notes: Pickman sealed the tunnels personally.
1916 -- THE HIMALAYA HIGH-ALTITUDE ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY
Objective: Document rumored white-furred mountain dwellers.
Funding: 31,000 dollars.
Outcome: Expedition leader froze to death; journals recovered.
Notes: Journals mention faces too human to be beasts.
1919 -- THE PACIFIC ISLAND CHAIN RECONNAISSANCE
Objective: Investigate ruins on an uncharted atoll.
Funding: 44,000 dollars.
Outcome: Island later sank beneath the waves.
Notes: Sketches show cyclopean stonework.
1921 -- THE MISKATONIC ANTARCTIC PROPOSAL
Objective: Fund early reconnaissance for a future university expedition.
Funding: 60,000 dollars.
Outcome: Weather forced retreat.
Notes: Pickman insisted on secrecy.
1922 -- THE PICKMAN ESTATE SUBTERRANEAN STUDY
Objective: Confirm existence of tunnels connecting his family's estate to Boston and Arkham.
Funding: 12,000 dollars.
Outcome: Confirmed.
Notes: Pickman ordered all maps burned. See this adventure below.
1924 -- THE CAIRO MANUSCRIPT ACQUISITION
Objective: Purchase a forbidden codex referencing the Degenerate Line.
Funding: 27,000 dollars.
Outcome: Manuscript obtained.
Notes: Pickman refuses to let anyone else read it.
1926 -- THE GLOBAL MYTHOS THREAT ASSESSMENT
Objective: Assemble a team to track cult activity across continents.
Funding: 110,000 dollars.
Outcome: Ongoing.
Notes: This is the campaigns present-day initiative.
SECTION 2: PICKMAN FAMILY CURSE TIMELINE
1692 -- THE FIRST SIGN: Elias Pickman accused of consorting with things beneath the earth. Charges dropped after witnesses disappeared.
1741 -- THE BURROWER PACT: Family journals describe a covenant of silence with unseen entities.
1783 -- THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR INCIDENT: A Pickman regiment vanished in a tunnel collapse. No bodies recovered.
1839 -- THE DEGENERATION BEGINS: Birth records show increasing deformities in distant cousins. Family begins marrying outside Boston to dilute the bloodline.
1874 -- THE FORBIDDEN GALLERY: Richards grandfather constructs a sealed vault for dangerous works.
1908 -- THE ARTISTS DESCENT: Richard Upton Pickman begins painting creatures too realistic to be imagined.
1922 -- THE HEIR AWAKENS: Nathaniel Derby Pickman inherits the estate and discovers the truth.
1926 -- THE BLOODLINE STIRS: Nathaniel experiences dreams identical to those recorded in 1692. The cycle is repeating.
THE GLOBAL CONSPIRACY: THE GREAT VEIN PROTOCOL & TIGER TRANSIT LOGS
(Operational Timeline: 1909 – 2026)
I. THE ERA OF DISCOVERY (1909–1921)
The Pickman Foundation & The SPP Birth
Nathaniel Pickman’s 1909 breach confirms the global organism. The Secret Preservation Project (SPP) is founded. At this stage, transit is handled by private rail and steamship lines, many of which were quietly owned by the Pickman estate to move "biological samples" and "ancestral remains" without customs interference.
II. THE COLD AWAKENING (1940s–1964)
The Rise of the Bureaucracy
The U.S. Government absorbs the SPP. The "Shadow Bureau" begins identifying bloodlines. They realize they need a dedicated, deniable logistics arm to move equipment and "tagged" personnel to "Thin Spots" around the world.
III. THE JUNGLE ROT: TIGER FORCE & THE BIRTH OF TIGER TRANSIT (1965–1973)
The Supply Chain of the Macabre
1965 (The CIA Front): Tiger Transit is officially established as a CIA front company. Its primary mission: to supply Tiger Force operations in the Central Highlands.
1965–1969 (First Tiger Force): While Earl Sr. and Uncle Bill are fighting in the tunnels, Tiger Transit is the only outfit flying in the specialized gear needed to contain the Burrowers.
VETERAN FILE: MAJOR DAVID HACKWORTH (1965)
ERA: Vietnam (1965–1969)
UNIT: Founder/CO, 1st Tiger Force (101st Airborne)
ROLE: Strategic Architect / Team Leader
STATISTICS
STRENGTH: 3D+1 (Stamina: 5D+2, Brawling: 5D)
AGILITY: 4D (Firearms: 7D, Dodge: 5D, Melee: 5D)
MECHANICAL: 3D (Navigation: 6D, Vehicle Ops: 4D)
TECHNICAL: 3D+1 (First Aid: 5D, Demolitions: 4D)
KNOWLEDGE: 6D (Tactics: 8D, Leadership: 7D, Military History: 7D)
PERCEPTION: 5D (Insight: 7D, Search: 5D, Command Intuition: 6D)
PRESENCE: 5D+2 (Command: 8D, Intimidation: 7D, Willpower: 8D)
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGE: TEAM LEADER: OUT-GUERRILLA THE GUERRILLA: (Passive) The entire squad gains +2D to all Sneak, Hide, and Tracking rolls in jungle/rural environments.
ADVANTAGE: TEAM LEADER: THE HACKWORTH PIVOT: (Active) Once per encounter, negate a "Surprise" or "Ambush" status for the whole team; squad acts first in initiative.
ADVANTAGE: THREE-WAR VETERAN: Immune to all non-supernatural "Fear" effects. +2D to identify enemy troop movements before they happen.
DISADVANTAGE: REBEL COMMANDER: Zero support from High Command; any military bureaucracy rolls are made at a -2D penalty.
TACTICAL GEAR (1965 LOADOUT)
MODIFIED CAR-15: "The Shau Valley Special"—short-barreled and light.
THE "WOLF" 1911: Service pistol carried through Korea and into the Highlands.
TIGER STRIPE CAMO: Non-regulation fatigues granting +1D to Hide/Sneak.
CUSTOMIZED M16A1: Features a taped-together "jungle clip" and a shortened barrel for tunnel work.
VETERAN FILE: EARL HEDGES SR.
ERA: Vietnam (1965–1969)
UNIT: First Tiger Force (101st Airborne)
ROLE: 101st Airborne Rangers / Tactical Lead
STATISTICS
STRENGTH: 4D (Stamina: 6D, Brawling: 5D)
AGILITY: 4D (Firearms: M16/Colt 1911: 6D, Melee: 5D)
MECHANICAL: 3D (Navigation: 5D, Boating: 4D)
TECHNICAL: 3D (Demolitions: 4D, First Aid: 4D)
KNOWLEDGE: 3D (Tactics: 5D, Occult: 4D)
PERCEPTION: 4D (Sense "Rot": 5D, Search: 5D, Tracking: 5D)
PRESENCE: 4D+1 (Command: 5D, Willpower: 6D)
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGE: BLOOD SIGHT: Earl Sr. can detect Burrowers or hidden tunnel entrances with a +1D bonus to Perception.
ADVANTAGE: RANGER LEADERSHIP: Once per combat, Earl Sr. can grant an ally a +1D bonus to their next action.
DISADVANTAGE: MARKED BY THE VEIN: -1D penalty to Social rolls with civilian NPCs who are unnerved by his intensity.
TACTICAL GEAR (1967 LOADOUT)
CUSTOMIZED M16A1: Features a taped "jungle clip" and shortened barrel.
THE RANGER’S BOWIE: Heavy blackened steel for silent kills and brush clearing.
101st JUNGLE FATIGUES: Treated to resist the acidic humidity of the Highlands.
VETERAN FILE: UNCLE BILL
ERA: Vietnam (1965–1973)
UNIT: SPP / Second Tiger Force Support
ROLE: Logistics Specialist / Heavy Weapons Fixer
STATISTICS
Strength: 4D (Stamina: 5D+2, Brawling: 5D)
Agility: 3D (Firearms: M16/M60 5D+1, Dodge 4D)
Mechanical Aptitude: 4D+2 (Vehicle Repair 6D, Jury-Rigging 6D)
Technical Aptitude: 4D (Demolitions 5D, Communications 4D+2)
Knowledge: 3D (Military Logistics 6D, Navigation 4D)
Perception: 3D+1 (Search 5D, Scrounging 6D)
Presence: 3D (Command 4D, Intimidation 4D+2)
UNIQUE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES
The SPP Procurement: Uncle Bill can find anything. Give him an hour and a local market or a military depot, and he’ll return with the specific parts or ammo the team is missing (+2D to Scrounging rolls).
Highland Survival: Having served with your dad, Earl Sr., in the '60s, Bill has a "gut feeling" for the terrain. He gets a +1D bonus to Perception when detecting ambushes in rural or jungle environments.
Heavy Metal Specialist: Bill is trained in the maintenance and use of heavy ordnance. He ignores the first -1D of "Recoil" or "Heavy Weapon" penalties.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGE: THE QUARTERMASTER’S GRIT: Bill ignores the first -1D of penalties when repairing gear under fire.
ADVANTAGE: "I KNEW A GUY": Can call in a favor to bypass military checkpoints or secure supplies.
DISADVANTAGE: RELIC OF THE SPP: Perpetually tracked by the Shadow Bureau; cannot hide location from gov-surveillance for more than 24 hours.
TACTICAL GEAR (1967 LOADOUT)
M60 "THE PIG": Belt-fed suppressive fire beast.
THE COCONINO TOOLKIT: Specialized SPP tools for dismantling occult tech and hardware.
PRC-25 RADIO UNIT: Heavy-duty comms for reaching high-altitude command.
1970–1973 (Second Tiger Force): Under LT Hawkins, Tiger Transit’s role darkens. The company becomes the "Masters of Transit Routes," moving more than just supplies. They begin transporting "samples" back to the U.S. and managing the illicit shipments that funded Hawkins' war crimes. The corruption in the air matched the corruption on the ground.
IV. THE SHADOW BUREAU: AGENCY WARS & THE CARTEL ERA (1974–2011)
The Hybrid Asset
Following the Vietnam War, Tiger Transit evolves into a military-CIA hybrid asset.
The 1990s: During Desert Shield/Storm, Tiger Transit manages the logistics for the CIA/DEA undercover operations. They move legacy operatives into the bunkers of Iraq and the drug corridors of Central America. They use the War on Drugs as a screen to ship "biological materials" through cartel-controlled territories.
2014–2018 (Mexico Operations): Tiger Transit functions as a private security force during the cartel conflicts. They are no longer just movers; they are a strike force protecting the "Vein" nodes in the Mexican desert.
V. THE PRIVATIZED ASSET: CAPTAIN HEDGES (2012–2026)
The Acquisition and Modern Mission
In 2012, you officially acquired and privatized Tiger Transit.
The Current State: Since the acquisition, you’ve repurposed the global shadow network. What was once a CIA tool for corruption is now a Federal Strike Force Asset under your command.
The Mission: Tiger Transit now provides the logistical backbone for your independent operations. From the Shreveport Cabin, you use the firm’s deep-cover routes to stay one step ahead of the Agency and the Ether Dragons.
EARL’S GM SENSE: THE LOGISTICS OF HORROR
The Hawkins Link: When players find Tiger Transit crates from the early '70s, they should find "Manifests of the Unnamed"—lists of cargo that were never supposed to exist.
The Modern Advantage: Because you own the company now, you have access to the old CIA flight logs. You can see everywhere they’ve been for the last 60 years, revealing the locations of "Thin Spots" they thought were forgotten.
“I have seen the dark universe yawning… where the black planets roll without aim.”
— H. P. Lovecraft, “Nemesis”
THE CORPORATE MEGA CEO OF TIGER TRANSIT: CAPTAIN HEDGES, THE AGENT
Wealthy Patron Archetype for Open D6
INTRODUCTION: THE POWER BEHIND THE LOGISTICS
A Note for the Game Master: Captain Hedges represents the ultimate level of resource access in a modern campaign. As a Wealthy Patron, he does not just give the party a job; he provides the global infrastructure of Tiger Transit to make it possible. He is the Agent in the boardroom—a man who understands that in 2026, logistics are just as important as firepower. GMs should use Hedges to bridge the gap between street-level investigations and high-level corporate or government interference.
Captain Hedges is the ultimate high-stakes Patron for the modern era. As the CEO of Tiger Transit, he controls the world’s most discreet logistical network. As a Tier-1 Government Asset, he possesses the clearance and crooked perspective necessary to identify threats that do not exist on official maps. He is the man in the black Harmony suit who provides the funding, the fire support, and the floating sovereignty required to get the job done.
SECTION 1: CHARACTER PROFILE
THE CONCEPT: A high-powered financier and industrialist who operates Tiger Transit as a global logistical empire. He is a commanding figure who uses his immense wealth and federal Agent status to facilitate clandestine operations that standard agencies cannot touch.
THE PERSONALITY: Calculating, authoritative, and refined. He hides his crooked perspective behind a mask of corporate etiquette. He is the man who stays calm while the world implodes because he already has the extraction team on standby.
THE BACKGROUND: Captain Hedges has spent decades building Tiger Transit into a Private Mega Corporation. This journey began in the rugged maneuvers of the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, transitioning from field operations into global logistics. Through this lens, he has seen the cracks in global security and the strange things that move through the shadows. He now acts as a Patron, bankrolling specialized teams to protect his interests and the security of the Tiger Force lineage. His history is a bridge between the frontline tactical maneuvers of the past and the high-stakes boardroom battles of 2026.
SECTION 2: OPEN D6 STATISTICS (VETERAN INTEGRATION)
CORE ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 3D+1 (Reflecting your Marshal pursuit training)
Agility: 3D+2 (Reflecting DEA undercover reflexes)
Mechanical Aptitude: 3D
Technical Aptitude: 3D+2
Knowledge: 4D+1
Perception: 5D (Includes "Man-Hunting" and "Investigation" peaks)
Presence: 5D+1 (Highest Attribute: Command and Streetwise)
KEY SKILLS
Bureaucracy (Federal and Deep State): 6D
Business and Finance: 5D
Command (Tiger Transit Assets): 6D+2
Investigation (Intelligence Analysis/Fugitive Recovery): 6D
Persuasion (Negotiation and Immunity): 6D
Firearms (Pistol/Fast-Draw): 5D+2
Pilot (Ocean Vessels/Tactical Extraction): 5D
Tracking (Human/Occult): 6D
SECTION 3: ADVANTAGES AND TACTICAL GEAR
ADVANTAGE: TIGER TRANSIT LOGISTICS: Once per session, Hedges can manifest a Tiger Transit asset—such as a secure safe house, a heavy-lift cargo plane, or a contractor extraction team—anywhere in the world.
ADVANTAGE: CLANDESTINE DIGITAL PATRONAGE: Hedges can invoke his Agent status (drawing on DEA/Marshal/CIA credentials) to cancel one local law enforcement interference or bureaucratic hurdle per session.
THE HARMONY CUSTOM SUIT: A black, reinforced custom-tailored suit with a red shirt and black silk tie. It features a signal-dampening weave, making him invisible to thermal imaging and granting a +1D bonus to Intimidation or Persuasion.
THE EXECUTIVE OPERATIVE COMMAND BRIDGE: Located aboard his Bluewater 643 motor yacht, featuring encrypted satellite arrays. All Technical or Signal-Intelligence rolls made on board gain a +2D bonus.
THE CEO’S BRIEFCASE: A biometric-locked case containing the redacted archives and leverage of the Tiger Force Shadow Saga.
SECTION 4: SPECIAL ABILITIES
OPERATIONAL MEMORY: Once per session, Hedges may recall a redacted document or a specific file from his Agent history (Military, DEA, or Marshal) that provides a critical clue or tactical advantage regarding the current threat.
CALL SECURITY FORCES: Once per session, Hedges can summon a Tier-1 Tiger Transit security detail. These forces arrive within 1D6 minutes and are equipped with heavy gear, high-end weaponry, and the authority to secure a perimeter. They act under Hedges' direct Command skill.
FIELD-HARDENED IMMUNITY: Due to his long history with Tiger Force and exposure to environmental hazards, Hedges is immune to all forms of acid and poison. This trait remains active even in high-society settings.
CARNAL TRUTH PERSPECTIVE: Hedges possesses a "crooked" way of looking at corporate and occult corruption. He gains a +1D bonus to all Perception-based rolls when trying to see through a deception or identify a hidden "Veil Breach."
TACTICAL ONBOARDING: When Hedges personally briefs a team on his yacht, he grants the entire group a "Logistical Edge." This allows each team member to add +1D to any one roll of their choice during the first encounter of the mission.
SECTION 5: TEAM LEADER TEMPLATE (TIGER FORCE VERSION)
CODENAME: THE CURATOR (or THE DIRECTOR)
ROLE: Strategic coordinator, financier, and intelligence broker.
TEAM LEADER ABILITY: OPEN THE VAULTS Once per mission, Captain Hedges grants the team access to rare equipment (Tiger Transit stock), occult texts (Pickman Ledger fragments), or specialized transport.
LEADERSHIP STYLE: Calm under pressure. Prefers planning over improvisation. Uses wealth and deep-state leverage to solve problems, avoiding direct combat unless cornered—at which point his US Marshal "Man-Hunter" training takes over.
SECTION 6: THE BAYOU EARL VARIANT (SWAMP HEDGE WIZARD)
ROLE: Local lore expert, survivalist, and guardian of the Red River nodes.
CORE ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 3D (Stamina: 5D)
Agility: 3D+1 (Boating: 5D, Firearms: Shotgun 6D)
Mechanical Aptitude: 4D (Engine Repair: 5D+2)
Technical Aptitude: 3D (Bushcraft/Trapping: 5D)
Knowledge: 4D (Occult: Bayou Lore 6D, Navigation: Swamps 6D)
Perception: 5D (Search 6D, Sense "Rot" 6D)
Presence: 4D+2 (Intimidation 5D, Animal Handling 5D)
UNIQUE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES
Red River Pilot: +2D to all maneuvers involving airboats or skiffs in the Shreveport waterways.
Swamp Dread Mechanic: Bayou Earl can identify a "Veil Breach" in the cypress swamps by the smell of the water or the silence of the gators before any electronic sensor picks it up.
Shreveport Cabin Sanctuary: When operating out of his cabin, Earl gains a +1D bonus to all Knowledge and Technical rolls involving the repair of occult artifacts or Tiger Transit gear.
SECTION 7: BAYOU TACTICAL GEAR & ADVANTAGES
THE RED RIVER SKIFF: A customized, flat-bottomed boat with a muffled engine and reinforced hull. It is rigged with "Cypress Shadow" netting, making it nearly invisible to both radar and the "Blood-Sight" of Burrowers.
THE HEDGE WIZARD’S WORKBENCH: Located in the cabin, this area contains the Ink of Anticipation and the Parchment of Echoes.
ADVANTAGE: SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY/HOSTILITY: Bayou Earl can swap between a disarming local charm (+1D Persuasion) and a terrifying "Get Off My Land" stare (+1D Intimidation) instantly.
ADVANTAGE: LOCAL INFORMANT NETWORK: Earl can summon a group of local river-rats or swamp-dwellers. They don't have Tiger Transit's high-end gear, but they know every hole in the levee and every secret entrance to the Arkham-linked tunnels.
SECTION 8: BAYOU EARL SPECIAL ABILITIES
SWAMP GHOST: Once per session, while in a wooded or swampy environment, Bayou Earl can vanish from all sight (physical and electronic) for 1D6 rounds, provided he stays near water or heavy cypress growth.
BLOODLINE ANCHOR: Because Earl stays close to the ancestral soil of the Red River, his Field-Hardened Immunity is bolstered. He can purge one "Mutation Surge" effect from himself or an ally once per mission by using local herbs and river-water rituals.
NATURE’S ALARM: Earl is never surprised in the bayou. He can read the behavior of birds and insects to gain a +2D Initiative bonus for the first round of any combat occurring in the Fogwood or the swamps.
EARL’S GM SENSE: THE DUALITY
Now having Bayou Earl in the file gives you the GM the perfect "Home Turf" advantage. While the CEO Operative handles the global board, Bayou Earl ensures that the "Back Door" to the 12 mile Bayou Terrors in Shreveport Lousanna Swamps remains locked down for now.
Yours Captain Hedges
PRODUCT IDENTITY & LEGAL
The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges:
Narrative & Settings: The Arkham City 1922: "The Shadowed Pedigree" campaign primer and the specific 1909–2026 "Great Vein" global conspiracy timeline.
Characters & Units: The specific personas of Captain Hedges (The Director), Earl Hedges Sr. (101st Airborne Ranger), Uncle Bill (SPP Fixer), and Major David Hackworth (1965 Tiger Lead).
Assets: Tiger Transit and its associated mission logs (1965–2026), the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, and the Secret Preservation Project (SPP).
Unique Gear: The Harmony Custom Suit, the CEO’s Briefcase, and the Command Bridge (Yacht/Cabin) specifications.
Humans Humans and Monsters! Monsters!™ is a trademark of Ken St. Andre and Trollgodfather Press.
The specific mechanics for "MM LOVECRAFT VARIENT," Sanity Tables, and Mythos rules are the intellectual property of Bolt Thrower Press (The Roman Brothers).
All OPEN d6 mechanics referenced from the Open D6 System are used under the Open Game License (OGL v1.0a). The statistics and game mechanics provided herein are designated as unofficial playtest material for Lovecraft Country Arkham and the Shadow Saga and its later vaeirnt Tiger Force Shadow Saga campaign settings.
© 2026 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
