Bleakwood Tower
A Sandcastle TRPG Scenario
for 3 to 6 Level-0 Characters“Straight forward enough for beginners, but imaginative and interesting enough to hold theattention of even jaded longtime gamers.”
- Jeremy Wilson, creator of the Freegrazers RPG

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Bleakwood Tower

Sandcastle TRPG adventure scenario for 3-6
Level-0 PCs
Bleakwood Tower is an introductory adventure for the
Sandcastle Table-talk Role Playing Game (TRPG). This
scenario is intended to be run by a Game Master (GM) fora group of 3 to 6 players. It is designed to take about 2hours to play through this adventure, though individual
game groups may take more or less time.
The GM should read the Sandcastle Core Rules and Game
Masters’ Manual (GMM), and have a basic understandingof the Sandcastle rules before running this adventure. It is
recommended, but not mandatory, that players also readand understand the rules. However as an introductory
adventure, Bleakwood Tower is designed to let the players
learn the rules as they play.
The GM should read the entire Bleakwood Tower
adventure scenario before running it for the players. The
players SHOULD NOT read this scenario before playing
the adventure because it contains information intended tobe discovered through game play. Reading the scenario
would spoil the surprise.
If the GM cannot read the entire adventure scenario before
running it due to time constrains, it is possible to read thescenario while running it, staying a couple of pages aheadof the encounter he is currently running for the players.
TRPG scenarios contain two types of information. Most of
the information is for the GM to help him adjudicate the

Copyright & Credits© NAOJ, National Astronomical
Observatory of JapanFirst Published: 2023
Published by:

NAOJ, Public Relations Center, Publications Office
2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka
Tokyo 181-8588
JAPANwww.nao.ac.jp/en
Author: Ramsey Lundock, Ph.D.
Illustration: Ryuji Fujii

2game. Some of the information is for the GM to read orparaphrase to the players at the appropriate point in theadventure. This information for the players is referred to as“boxed text” due to the convention of enclosing it in ashaded box to offset it from the information for the GM.

Player Characters
Bleakwood Tower is intended to be run for 3-6 level-0
characters. If the players do not have the time or knowledgeof the rules needed to create level-0 characters, the GM cancreate characters quickly, by assigning all attributes a valueof 0 and using the suggested starting equipment for level-0
characters.
If one of the PCs falls to 0 hp during the adventure, givethe player the option of creating a different level-0
character who is assumed to have been trailing the maingroup and has finally managed to catch up with them.

Background
This adventure is set in Meadowbrook, a stereotypical/
generic fantasy town, and a small castle in the neighboring
forest of Bleakwood, an equally stereotypical/generic dark,
spooky, fantasy woods. The castle, consisting of single, 3story tower is simply called Bleakwood Tower.
The main antagonist of this scenario is Eric, a dwarf andthe master of Bleakwood Tower. The dwarf Eric is a madscientist/wizard obsessed on creating a new lifeform. He is
irredeemably evil, but at the start of the adventure hemerely appears unpleasant because he knows he isdependent on Meadowbrook for supplies to continue his
research.
The PCs first encounter Eric in Meadowbrook during oneof his shopping trips.
For his research, Eric acquires a wide variety of exotic
animals, and slaughters them to use their organs in his
attempts to create a new lifeform. One of his acquisitions
was a panther that he kept caged and fed sausages
purchased from the Meadowbrook butcher. When Eric
decided that the panther would be of no further use in his
work, he left the poor creature to starve. The pantherbreaks out of its cage and follows the scent of its
accustomed food, sausages, to the butcher’s shop. Upon
breaking into the shop, the panther is discovered by the
butcher and his wife, and kills both of them, but not before
being severely wounded by a butcher cleaver.
The ruckus from this fight awakens the entire town of
Meadowbrook, including the PCs. Investigating, the PCs

catch a glimpse of the panther before it runs away. At thispoint, the fear and anger of a double murder, with an
obviously non-human killer still on the loose, turns thecitizens of Meadowbrook into a riotous mob, and the flowof the mob carries the PCs to within sight of Bleakwood
Tower.
What happens from there will depend on the actions of thePCs. If they explore the tower, they will encounter the now
severely wounded panther and Eric’s other experiments.
The dwarf himself is on the 3rd floor, absorbed in his workand oblivious to any noise the party causes while exploringhis castle. He will only notice them when they reach the
3rd story. But by that point his experiment to create newlife finally succeeds and he unleashes his new monster on
the group.

1) Meadowbrook
Read or paraphrase the following to the players.
You live in the town of Meadowbrook. It is a typical town
in The Domain, or at least you assume it is typical, having
never visited any of the others. People here go about their
daily lives rarely giving a thought to the monsters lurking
in Bleakwood, just outside the safety of town. “Leave thedangerous work to heroes.” is an oft heard expression.
Today the weather is fair and warm, perhaps a little too
warm, and almost without realizing it you find yourself
pausing for a rest in the town square as you go about yourbusiness. In the center of the square stands a large stone
fountain, with streams of water shooting out from themouths of the giant fish statues. Looking around you see
other people resting in the town square.
Stop and ask the players to introduce and describe theircharacters. Meadowbrook is small enough to assume thatthe characters have already met and know each other’snames.
After character introductions are over, read or paraphrase
the following to the players.
While you are loitering in the town square with you
friends, an overladen handcart with a distinctive fishy
smell rumbles past pushed by a dirty, grumpy looking
dwarf. The cart is piled high with barrels, boxes, andbuckets. Numerous sacks hang from the sides, making it
hard to see the cart underneath, and making it impossible
for the dwarf to see where he’s going. With a loud ‘thud’ heplows straight into a young woman wearing a red skirt,
white blouse, and an apron. She tumbles to the groundwith a shriek. The cart lurches to a stop, water from thebuckets sloshing out over the other contents and onto theground.
“Watch where you’re going, woman! I have valuablespecimens here.” sneers the dwarf.
The woman picks herself up, brushes the dirt from thedancing pig embroidered on her apron, and fixes her curly
golden hair. She looks angry and confused but upon seeing
the dwarf she sighs and forces a tight smile, “Goodafternoon Eric. I didn’t realize you were in town today.
Does this mean you’ll be coming by the shop later for yourusual sausages?”“Why would I want to buy your sausages?” the dwarf yells,
leaning against his cart, trying to get it moving again.
“Oh, well, you do seem to like them. You always buy somany.”“I ain’t never eaten your sausages. Now out of my way.”
The woman gives a confused smile, then tilts her head andshrugs. “Good day.” she chimes as the cart rolls past.
The dwarf replies, “Ung!”
As the cart lumbers on, a bright red octopus tentacle
slithers up out of one of the larger pots and starts feelingaround the surroundings.
The dwarf is Eric, the denizen of Bleakwood Tower and themain antagonist of this adventure. The woman is Wilma
Ham, the butcher’s wife.
If the characters try to confront Eric, he does his best toignore or insult them, but cannot be provoked to violence
unless attacked first. Wilma is quick to try to defuse thesituation, insisting on taking the blame for the accident,
and reassuring everyone that she’s unhurt. If a fight does
break out, the town guard will quickly arrive to stop it.
Eric is unlikely to stop if the party tries to talk with him,
but Wilma is more than willing to chat. If the party doesn’t
think to talk to Wilma themselves, she smiles at them andsays, “Good day.” to break the ice.
If asked about herself Wilma can provide the following
information:“I’m Wilma Ham. My husband and I have a butcher shop.
Our specialty is sausages, not too spicy, just right for
breakfast. Please come and try them sometime. Just look3

for the sign with the dancing pig.” She smiles and points tothe embroidered pig on her apron.
“Today is such a nice day that I took the long way roundfor my shopping. But now I need to be hurrying home.
Fredrick will be waiting.”
If asked about the dwarf she replies:“Oh, that’s Eric. He lives in Bleakwood Tower. Some people
say that he conducts unholy experiments in the Tower. But
he never causes any problems in town, well no big
problems, and he pays honest coinage for his purchases, somost people just try to stay out of his way and ignore hisrudeness.”
If someone decides to take Wilma’s suggestion and buy
some sausages, they cost 1 p for one sausage or 1 c for adozen, and come wrapped in wax paper printed with apicture of a dancing pig.
Nothing else of interest happens that day.

2) Murderous Night
Read or paraphrase the following to the players.
You are awakened in the middle of the night by a scream
cut short. By the time you make your way out on to thestreet you can hear shouting, “Demon! There’s a demon on
the loose.”
The street swells with a crowd of townsfolk. Your everyday
friends and neighbors’ faces are almost unrecognizable inthe dim flickering torchlight, twisted in to masks of fear
and anger. With a mind of its own, the mob presses
forward, carrying you with it.
You find yourself in front of a small shop. A sign with afamiliar looking dancing pig swings in the wind. The glass
window has been shattered; a man’s body lies slumped overthe sill, half inside, half out. His face, arms, and body arecovered with long, deep cuts gushing bright red blood. On
the floor you can see a woman with curly golden hair, herthroat torn out, her mouth still open from the scream you
heard earlier. Above her body, two yellow reticulated eyes
glow in the darkness.
“Gwaaaa!” growls the demon.
Someone yells, “Demon!”The eyes disappear and you see what might be a long tail.
With a crash, the back door of the shop breaks open and a4shadow slips out into the moonlight.
Chaos erupts in the street around you. Everyone is runningin different directions and shouting.
“Don’t let it get a way. After it!”
“It’s coming this way. Run for you lives!”
People grab objects at random to use as weapons, some of
the more excited folk stabbing at random passersby inblind panic. With all the pushing and shoving, before longyou find yourself running out of town and charging
headlong into Bleakwood.
“It ran this way.”
It’s scary to run into monster infested woods at night, but
the horrors of Bleakwood can’t be worse than the rage andhomicidal mania on the once friendly faces of the people of
Meadowbrook. The canopy of trees blots out the light of
the full moon, plunging you into darkness. The tree
branches scratch your face and tear at your hair andclothes. The roots and stones trip you time and time again,
but you arise from the cool, damp soil and keep runningwith no idea what direction. The crowd thins out. The
yelling and screaming fades into the distance. You breakout of the tree line and find yourself in a clearing with asmall group of others.
You look around as you catch your breath. Before youlooms a three story, stone-masonry, square keep withcrenels along the top. This must be Bleakwood Tower. A
foul-smelling moat encircles the tower. Lights are visible
through the upper story windows. From the open door you
hear the clang of metal on metal, and the growl of thedemon. “Grwaaa!”
Conveniently all of the PCs and only the PCs have arrived
outside of Bleakwood Tower. As they take stock of theirsituation, the party will find that everyone is carrying one
improvised weapon. If the PCs have not already been
assigned improvised weapons, determine the type of
weapon on the Random Improvised Weapons Table on thenext page.
Most parties should get the hint that the adventure calls forthem to enter the tower. If some players suggest othercourses of action, remind them that it is a cold night, andthe tower would offer them some protection from theelements. If they still refuse to follow the scenario,
improvise. Once the party decides to approach Bleakwood
Tower proceed to the following section.

Random Improvised Weapons Table (1d6)
1Torch (1 handed; 1d2 hp; red energy)
2
Pitchfork (large improvised weapon; 2 handed;
1d3+1+S hp; normal damage)3
Hammer (small improvised weapon; 1 handed;
1d2+S hp; normal damage)
4
Kitchen knife (small improvised weapon; 1
handed; 1d2+S hp; normal damage)5
Barstool (large improvised weapon; 2 handed;
1d3+1+S hp; normal damage)
6
Broken glass bottle (small improvised weapon; 1
handed; 1d2+S hp; normal damage)3) Bleakwood Tower (Exterior)
3A) Moat
Read or paraphrase the following to the players.
The moat is approximately 3 meters wide, with a bank ofabout 2 meters on the inside between it and the tower.
Garbage, excrement, and the bodies of birds and small
animals can be seen floating in the clouded water. Here andthere bones of larger animals or rusted scraps of metal stickup out of the moat. The smell increases to nauseating
intensity as you approach. On the far side, a wooden panel
lying on the ground looks like it could be flipped over toform a crude drawbridge.
It is impossible to judge the depth of the water by looking
at it, but it is only 1 meter deep at the deepest part in the
middle. Because Erik dumps not only his garbage andchamber pot in the moat, but also unsuccessful
experiments from the lab, the water is contaminated withacid and bacteria. Anyone falling into the moat must makea TN 10 GY (endurance) reaction or suffer 1 hp of primary
green energy damage. There are 0 hp of automatic damage.
The moat can be jumped with a successful TN 11 strengthbased athletics check. Climbing up the opposite bank,either by intentionally fording the moat or as the result of afailed attempt to jump over it, requires a minor action, but
no check. Crafty characters might pull a log out of thewoods to make a bridge. Making a bridge like this allows
the moat to be crossed safely without the need for a check.
Once one or more characters have crossed the moat, thewooden plank on the far side can in fact be laid over themoat to form a bridge.
3B) Door
Read or paraphrase the following when a PC approaches
the door.

A simple wooden door hangs crooked in the door frame,
the bottom sticking into the soft dirt around the tower andthe top tilted back into the darkness inside. As you
approach the door, no sooner than you realize that a pairof yellow reticulated eyes are peering out of the shadows
inside, one of those shadows leaps out and ambushes you.
“Gwaaa!”The panther automatically goes first, attacking the firstcharacter to approach the door.

Wounded Panther
Level 0defense: 12
hp: 6
pp: 1
Move: 12Attributes: S +1; D +3; E +1; A +2; W −1; P +0
Resistances: RB +3; GY +1; OP −1; HR −1

Attack Actions

Claw [Major or Interrupt] +1 melee 1d2 hp (normal
damage)On each of its turns the panther will attack a character
chosen at random. It attacks until reduced to 0 hp.
After the combat have each character make an awarenessbased life sciences check. The character who rolls thehighest recognizes the panther for what it is. The characters
can also see that in addition to having been seriously
wounded before the fight (wounds Fredrick inflicted inself-defense during the panther’s rampage in the butchershop), the panther is thin and malnourished.

4) 1st Floor
The first floor of the tower serves as Eric’s kitchen andstoreroom. This is where he keeps his handcart and where
the panther was imprisoned.

4A) Main Room
Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs enter
Bleakwood Tower.
The first floor is a single room. The center of the room is
occupied by the handcart you saw in Meadowbrook earlier
today. Most of the packages have been removed. On the left
wall, there is a metal cage, broken from the inside. Scrapsof shredded white paper are strewn about inside andaround the cage. A simple kitchen with a, currently unlit,

5

fireplace is at the back of the room. In between the kitchen
and the cage is a pile of disheveled white paper. Above thepaper a shield, painted with a yellow half-moon on a black
field, hangs on the wall with two longswords crossed
behind it, forming a kind of crest. A staircase to the level
above runs along the right wall.
The interior of Bleakwood tower is 16 m x 16 m, making it
a convenient 8 x 8 squares on a 2 m grid. This is the same
size as a chess/checkers board. A checkers board can beused as the battle map for these encounters, if specialized
game maps are not available. A shogi board (9 x 9) is also
acceptable.
Investigating the scattered white paper reveals that it wasbutcher paper printed with a dancing pig design the PCs
will recognize from the butcher shop. The paper smells likesausages.
The two longswords and shield are only loosely secured to
the wall. They can (and should) be used by the PCs. Referto the Core Rules for the equipment statistics. The heraldic
symbol on the shield doesn’t have any cultural significance(unless you want it to). Eric claims it as his family crest, but
it isn’t well known.
The kitchen contains normal supplies, and two knives
which could be used as small improvised weapons but
nothing else of interest. The pantry is stocked with root
vegetables, but there are no sausages in the kitchen. If
properly prepared, the food in the kitchen could be used tomake one week’s worth of trail rations for one person.

4B) First Floor Stairs
One of the steps is loose, when climbing up the stairs thelead character must make an unskilled TN 9 dexterity
check or fall and take 1 hp damage.

5) 2nd Floor
5A) Main Room
The second floor of the tower is Eric’s bedroom and study.
A zombie, one of Eric’s failed attempts to create life, lies on
the table. Eric has instructed the zombie to attack anyone
other than himself who attempts to move past the table.
Read or paraphrase the following to the players when thecharacter climb the stairs to the second floor.
Five torches placed around the walls light this room, and afire burns in the hearth. A bookshelf lines the wall opposite

6

the fireplace. Coffins sit in a row on the floor in front of thebookshelf. One appears to be empty, another is occupied
by a long-dead corpse, and the final one is still closed. Set
macabrely between the coffins is an unmade bed with alarge footlocker. Near the head of the stairs, a closed coffin
stands in the corner with a target painted on it. Four
daggers are stuck in the wood around the bullseye. On thefar side of the room, an interior wall with two doors
partitions off an area from the main room. A short,cluttered desk is set against the interior wall, with charts ofsome kind hanging above it.
On a low table in the center of the room lies a body in a
black robe, surrounded by strange experiment equipment.
The head of the body is a bare skull with purple gemstones
set into the eye sockets. The hands and feet are muscular,
covered with brown fur with long nails that could almost
be called claws.
As soon as any characters try to touch or attack anything
on the table or move past the table, the zombie in the blackrobe rises to attack. The characters should be on guard by
this point, so roll initiative to see which side acts first.
Because of the clutter in the room, only one character at atime can engage the zombie in melee, unless one of thecharacters explicitly maneuvers into position by runningaround the table or jumping on top of it, etc. The daggers
stuck in the target painted on the coffin, placed
conveniently near the head of the stairs, can be used as
thrown ranged weapons by characters not involved inmelee.
The first time the zombie is struck in melee combat, it falls
apart. The skull and left hand go flying off. After that, thehead, hand, and main body act as separate monsters. The
main body continues to use the stats given below, minus
any hp already lost. The body will attack the nearest PC
each turn, moving closer to attack if necessary. The stats
and tactics for the severed skull and hand are given below.

Fall-apart Zombie
Level 0defense: 10
hp: 10
pp: 1
Move: 6 m
Attributes: S +1; D −1; E +2; A −2; W −2; P −4
Resistances: RB −1; GY +2; OP −2; HR −2

TraitsSlow Reflexes: This zombie cannot make interrupt actions.

Attack Actions

Bare Hand [Major] −1 melee 1d2 hp (normal damage)

Flying Skull
Level 0defense: 11
hp: 2
pp: 3
Move: 10 m
Attributes: S −3; D +2; E −2; A +1; W +1; P +2
Resistances: RB +2; GY −2; OP +1; HR +1

Special Actions

Eye Beams [Major] (att= +1, cost 1 pp, purple energy):
Rays of purple light shoot out of the gemstones in the eye
sockets and deal 1d2 hp purple energy damage if they
strike the target.
Self-Destruct [Major or Interrupt] (cost 1 pp, purple
energy): The skull explodes into a ball of unholy purple
flame. All creatures within melee range of the skull arecaught in the blast, taking 1d2 hp of primary damage and 1
hp of automatic damage. A successful TN 11 OP(willpower) reaction is needed to avoid the primarydamage.
Self-destruct can be used as an interrupt action when theskull is targeted by a melee attack. Using self-destruct
destroys the skull.
After separating from the main body, the skull will fly overnear the desk and hover there. On the first and second
turn, the skull will target a character not involved in melee
with its eye beams attack. (If multiple PCs are not involved
in melee, determine the target randomly.)
Starting from the 3rd turn the skull will try to use its selfdestruct attack. At the start of its turn, if there is a valid
target (a PC not involved in melee) within 10 m, the skull
will use its minor action to fly straight towards the target
and then use its major action to detonate using the selfdestruct special action, catching the target in the blast. If
there are no valid targets in range, the skull will use both
its major and minor actions to move (hustle) towards atarget. Based on where the skull detonates, additional PCs
might be coincidentally caught in the blast (i.e. be withinmelee range of the skull). But the skull will not make aneffort to target multiple PCs.
If the skull is targeted by a melee attack when it has only 1
pp remaining, it will use an interrupt action and the final
pp to detonate its self-destruct attack, catching theattacking PC in the blast. The self-destruct attack is
resolved after the melee attack, but can be used even if theskull has been reduced to 0 hp (similar to the striker
vengeance-strike ability).

Jumping Claw
Level 0defense: 13
hp: 2
pp: 3
Move: 14 m
Attributes: S −1; D +3; E −2; A −4; W −3; P −1
Resistances: RB +3; GY −2; OP −3; HR −3

TraitsScurry: The jumping claw can move through a space
occupied by a hostile creature. The jumping claw cannot
end its movement in the same space as another creature. At
the end of its movement if it would not have enoughmovement remaining to move back out of an occupied
square, it cannot enter that square.

Attack Actions

Punch [Major or Interrupt] +2 melee 1 hp (normal
damage)The jumping claw uses its small size and scurry trait to
weave between the PCs, moving towards the rear andattacking the character nearest the down stairs. Once inmelee range, it springs its fingers to jump up and slam itself
into the target, delivering a punch of surprising speed andpower.
After all of the monsters (all parts of the zombie) have been
defeated, the party can search the room.

Doors

In addition to the stairs by which the PCs ascend, there are
two doors on the far side of the room. One is a sturdy
wooden door locked with a security lock. The words, “RedStar” are inscribed next to the lock. The key to open thedoor up to the 3rd story can be found in this room (seeKeyring below). The correct key is the one marked
Betelgeuse. Eric made the “Red Star” inscription to help
him remember the correct key. The lock is trapped;
inserting the wrong key, or attempting to pick the lock,causes the key (or lockpick) to electrify, doing 1 hp ofyellow energy primary damage to the character holding the
key. There are 0 hp of automatic damage. A successful TN
10 GY (endurance) reaction is needed to avoid the primarydamage. Behind the locked door is a flight of stairs (area5C) leading up to the 3rd floor (area 6A).

7

There is also an unlocked, untrapped wooden door leading
to a small closest under the stairs (area 5B).

Keyring

As the PCs explore the room, have all of the charactersmake an awareness-based domestic sciences check. The
character who scores the highest notices a keyring lying
beneath the table. This is Eric’s spare keyring. It has 3 keys
labeled Polaris, Sirius, and Betelgeuse.

Desk/Charts

If they examine the desk, the PCs find Eric’s journal lying
open on top of it. Give the players Player Handout 1 when
they find the journal. The other, loose-leaf pages on thedesk consist mainly of calculations. With a successful TN
12 willpower-based physical sciences check a character canrealize that the calculations are celestial mechanics, related
to the positions of astronomical objects. A successful TN 14
willpower-based physical sciences check reveals that thecalculations are intended to determine the position of thefull moon in the sky.
The charts above the desk are old-fashioned astronomical
charts. For example:
https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/gallery/weekly/2014/20140313old-illustration.html
https://eco.mtk.nao.ac.jp/koyomi/exhibition/057/
Note: Use of the contents of this adventure scenario(Bleakwood Tower) are governed by the rules for usage of
NAOJ copyrighted material, but linked content may be,
and often is subject to different rules. Please refer to the
copyright policies of the linked pages before using.

Bed/Footlocker

The unmade bed itself contains nothing of interest. The
footlocker is locked with a security lock, requiring theproper key to open. The words “Brightest Star” areengraved above the keyhole. This is a note Eric made sothat he wouldn’t forget the correct key (Sirius). He has alow opinion of other people’s education and assumes noone else will understand the reference. Inserting the wrong
key, or attempting to pick the lock, triggers a magicalbooby trap electrifying the key (or lockpick), doing 1 hp ofyellow energy primary damage to the character holding the
key. There are 0 hp of automatic damage. A successful TN
10 GY (endurance) reaction is needed to avoid the primarydamage.
Inside the chest, the PCs can find a pouch containing 95
coins, a number of healing potions equal to the number ofPCs, 2 flashbang vials (rank 1), and 2 chromatic splash

8vials (rank 1, orange). If anyone wonders why a madscientist experimenting with evil powers would have holywater (orange chromatic splash vials) in his locker, you can
include a memo in Eric’s journal (see above) or other notes
to the effect that holy water is a useful thing to have on
hand when evil-energy-powered test subjects go out ofcontrol.

Coffins

Two of the coffins are occupied (one opened, one stillclosed). The long-dead human corpses inside wereintended to be used as parts for Eric’s experiments to create
new life. Since Eric has changed his tactics to use sea
creatures instead, the coffins and corpses are not relevantto the rest of the adventure.

Bookshelf

The bookshelf contains various volumes on natural history,
such as geology, astronomy, anatomy, as well as books ofarcane lore. Most of the books are oversized, heavy, poorly
organized, and/or in bad condition. But a PC who takes
the time to search the bookshelf and succeeds on a TN 11
willpower-based physical sciences check will find aphysical sciences field guide, which is small and sturdy
enough to be carried on future adventures. Characterslooking for answers to the key riddles (see Doors and Bed/
Footlocker mentioned eariler) by consulting either the field
guide or the library as a whole can identify the correct key
with a successful TN 12 willpower-based physical sciences
check for each lock.

5B) Closet
This small closet has an arched stone ceiling and stone
walls. It is a hollow space left under the stairs, probably toconserve building materials, which has had a door affixed
to make it a closet. Here Eric keeps his spare clothes,laundry supplies, and other uninteresting mundane
household items. Characters who take the time to search
the closet (the player must state that a deliberate search ismade, but no check is needed) will also find a dwarf-sized
suit of leather armor (defense +1). The armor can beresized for larger characters flowing the normal rules in the
GMM.

5C) Stairs
Read or paraphrase the following to the players when thecharacters start to climb the stairs.
The sporadic metallic clanging you have heard since
entering the tower seems to be coming from upstairs.
Climbing the dark stairs, you can see faint light at the top.

There is nothing of particular interest or danger on thisflight of stairs. However, it will become the staging ground
if the PCs decide to use stealth or quick-attack tactics whenentering the laboratory above.

6) 3rd Floor
6A) Laboratory
When the characters reach the top of the steps, read orparaphrase the following.
This room is lit only by a torch hanging near the ceiling;
the fireplace on the far wall is currently unlit.
In the center of the room beneath the torch stands a glasstank larger than a man, filled with clouded blue liquid.
Perched above the tank, the dwarf you saw earlier in
Meadowbrook adjusts a complicated mechanicalcontraption, his tools ringing loudly against the metalframe.
A nauseating stench of rancid seawater fills the room,
coming either from the central tank, or from two
aquariums containing living, swimming fish set on a tablenext to the stairwell. Inscrutable experimental equipmentlies scattered on tables along the walls and sticks out
haphazardly from an empty coffin and opened crates set
about the room.
Even more equipment hangs down through a hole in theceiling above the tank. On the other side of the room, whatlooks to be a staircase with a door at the bottom promises amore civilized way to reach whatever is up on the roof.
Eric notices the PCs almost immediately unless every PC
who climbs to the top of the stairs makes a successful TN
10 dexterity-based stealth check. Even with successfulstealth checks, Eric will notice if a lit torch is brought up
the stairs.
Assume that Eric notices the party just as the last PC enters
the room. Unless the PCs spring into action immediately,
their encounter with Eric begins with role playing. Eric will
notice the party, squint in confusion, and then ask bluntly,“What are you doing here?”
Secure in his own home, Eric is a complete sociopath; he
has no remorse for starving the panther or for its
subsequent rampage. His comments go along the lines of,“None of my business.” “Leave me alone; I’m almost
finished here.” “Go away! And put all my stuff back where
you found it.”If asked about his experiment, Eric leers at the party, “Youwant to see?” He then throws a level and sets theexperiment in motion.
Eric has just finished his preparation for the experiment. If
the party manages to surprise attack Eric without talking tohim, he doesn’t realize that anything is amiss and uses hislast action before being attacked to smugly throw the lever,setting the experiment in motion.
The nest of metal beams where Eric is sitting is an overly
large and complex governor, a device for driving
astronomy observation equipment to track a celestial body.
When activated, the governor moves the coelostat on theroof into position to steer the light of the full moon straight
down onto the tank, the final ingredient to complete theexperiment.
After Eric throws the switch, read or paraphrase thefollowing to the players.
With whirling gears and clanging metal, the contraption
above the tank snaps into place and a pure white beam ofmoonlight shines straight down through the hole in theceiling like a pillar of light, illuminating the tank of murky
blue fluid.
The liquid churns violently for several seconds, revealing
indistinct shadows trashing about inside. Just as the clamor
seems to be abating and the liquid is settling into a damped
sloshing, there comes an ominous “Tap, tap ... tap, tap.”
from the tank itself. Then shards of broken glass fly
outwards and a wave spills out of the tank, soaking
everything near the floor with a slimy, greasy fluid, andsending a waterfall down the stairs.
Standing in the remains of the tank is a nightmare
incarnate. The body is the shell of a great sea-turtle, but it
stands upright like a man, perched on a thicket of giant
crab legs, bent in impossible directions, but somehow
providing an unsteady, ever-shifting balance. Two morayeels thrust in and out from the foreleg holes in the shell,
and a large octopus forms the head. Somehow that octopus
head manages to roar and the beast lumbers forward out of
the wreckage of the tank.
For extra drama, rather than saying “Tap, tap,” you mightwant to actually tap on a drinking glass is one is available.

9For reference about how shadows behave when light strikes
from directly above, please refer to this article about
Lahaina Noon:
https://www.naoj.org/en/news/topics/2012/05/25/2534.
html
Note: Use of the contents of this adventure scenario(Bleakwood Tower) are governed by the rules for usage of
NAOJ copyrighted material, but linked content may be,
and often is subject to different rules. Please refer to the
copyright policies of the linked pages before using.

Blue Vat Horror
Level 0defense: 12
hp: 8
pp: 2
Move: 6 m
Attributes: S +1; D −2; E +2; A −2; W +1; P +1
Resistances: RB −2; GY +2; OP +2; HR +2

TraitsHardened Blue
Vulnerable Red

Attack Actions

Flailing Limbs [Major or Interrupt] +1 melee 1d3+1 hp(normal damage)Special Actions

Energy Burst [Major] (cost 1 pp, blue energy): This attack
hits one creature within melee range with a blast of blueenergy for 1d2 hp of primary damage and 1 hp ofautomatic damage. A successful TN 11 RB (dexterity)
reaction is required to avoid the primary damage.

Eric, Dwarf Hexer
Level 1
defense: 12
hp: 5
pp: 2
Move: 10 m
Attributes: S −2; D +1; E +0; A −1; W +1; P +1
Resistances: RB +2; GY +1; OP +2; HR +2

TraitsSkills: Arcana, Physical Sciences +1

10

Leather Armor: Eric’s protective gear for working on
dangerous experiments is equivalent to leather armor.

Attack Actions

Tool (improvised weapon) [Major or Interrupt] −2 melee 1
hp (normal damage)Thrown Tool (improvised weapon) [Major] +1 ranged 1
hp (normal damage)Special Actions

Attack Hex [Minor]: −1 to all attacks until the start of Eric’s
next turn. A successful TN 12 HR (willpower) reaction isneeded to avoid the penalty.
Defense Hex [Minor]: −1 to defense until the start of Eric’s
next turn. A successful TN 12 HR (willpower) reaction isneeded to avoid the penalty.
*Eric has the full range of hexer abilities (refer to the Core
Rules), but is likely to only use attack hex and defense hex
during this encounter.
If the PCs used a surprise attack, they will have 2 turns to
act before the vat horror starts to attack: one while themechanism is moving, then another after the vat horror
has used its action to shatter the tank. Otherwise,
determine which side acts first as normal.
From his perch above the floor, Eric will use his hexer
abilities to weaken the party. He will use defense hex to try
to weaken the PC nearest the vat horror and use attack hex
to interfere with any PC who attempted to attach him last
turn. If he takes any damage, Eric will climb up throughthe hole in the ceiling, and out through the coelostat on theroof. He will also retreat up through the hole to the roof if
the vat horror is reduced to 0 hp, or if any PC attempts toclimb up the wreckage of the tank to approach him. Onceon the roof, on his next turn, Eric will place a cover overthe hole and latch it in place to prevent others fromfollowing.
The vat horror uses simple tactics; moving to attack thenearest PC and continuing to fight until it is reduced to 0
hp, or all PCs within melee range are reduced to 0 hp.
When multiple PCs are within melee range, the vat horror
will attack whoever dealt damage to it most recently. It has
a 50% chance of using its energy burst, as long as it has pp
remaining. On turns that it doesn’t use its energy burst, thevat horror attacks with its flailing limbs. After expending allof its pp, the vat horror uses its flailing limbs every turn. If
a PC flees, the vat horror will make its parting shot, butwill not automatically pursue. It will move towards thenearest viable target, be that the character who fled or adifferent target.

Tank Wreckage

The remains of the tank form an effective obstacle, and thePCs may have to maneuver around it during combat. If acharacter attempts to move through the area occupied by
the tank, he must make an unskilled TN 9 dexterity
reaction or slip on the wet glass and fall, resulting in 1 hp
of damage from falling on the broken glass. (Assume thevat horror automatically succeeds on this check.)
Eric is suspended above the tank in the metal governor
hanging from the ceiling. The broken tank could be used asa step to reach up and grab the metal machinery. But
unless the player explicitly says that the climber is taking
some precautions to protect his hands (searching alaboratory bench for gloves, throwing a cloak over thejagged edged of the tank etc.) the climber takes 1 hp ofautomatic damage (normal damage) before the climbing
attempt is allowed. Actually climbing up to Eric’s perch
requires a major action and a successful TN 12 strengthbased athletics check. On an unsuccessful check, thecharacter falls down on the shattered tank, taking an
additional 1d2 hp of normal damage.

Door

The door to the roof is locked with a security lock. Above
the lock are carved the words, “Unmoving Star” a reference
to the Polaris key. Fortunately, this lock is not trapped. But
the lock will force the PCs to interrupt their hot pursuit ofEric up to the roof, in order to discuss who is carrying the
keyring, or if anyone thought to bring it at all.

Research Equipment

While certainly creepy, the laboratory contains nothing offurther relevance to the adventure. There are enough tools
and instruments scattered around the workspace to make atool set if collected.

Eric is carrying three tools heavy enough to be effective
improvised weapons (hammer, wrench, screwdriver). As
soon as the door at the bottom of the stairs opens, and hehas a clear shot at the lead character, Eric will attempt adefense hex and then throw the hammer, followed byanother defense hex and the screwdriver on the next turnhe has an opportunity to target the PCs. He saves thewrench for melee combat. If a PC closes to melee range
before Eric has thrown the wrench, he will fight withwhatever he has in his hand. Once in melee, he will use his
minor action to attempt either an attack hex or a defensehex (alternating each turn) to soften up the target before
using his major action to attack.
If the party waits too long before going up to the roof tofight Eric, he will get tired of waiting. By tying together
some chains and cables, he will make a line and climb
down the outside of the tower, escaping, possibly to
become a reoccurring villain.

7B) Roof
A coelostat sits in the middle of the roof, surrounded by a
50 cm high solid wooden pen. Actually, the pen is thebottom part of a rain shelter used to protect the
instrument. The upper half of the enclosure has been
dismantled and the wooden panels set aside to give thecoelostat inside a clear view of the sky. A coelostat uses apair of mirrors to steer light from a heavenly body into an
instrument. The mirrors move to track the object as it
moves across the sky, but the direction of the output beamremains fixed. This is why Eric constructed it, to steer the
moonlight straight down onto his experiment tank.
More information about coelostats, including a photo andshort video can be found at the following links.
https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/gallery/weekly/2015/20151020mitaka.html

7) Roofhttps://www.nao.ac.jp/en/access/mitaka/facilities/solartower-telescope.html

7A) Stairs to Roof

Note: Use of the contents of this adventure scenario(Bleakwood Tower) are governed by the rules for usage of
NAOJ copyrighted material, but linked content may be,
and often is subject to different rules. Please refer to the
copyright policies of the linked pages before using.

The stairs up to the roof are included in the roof
description because the fight on the roof will start on thestairs. If Eric succeeds in escaping to the roof, he’ll be
waiting at the top of the stairs for the door to open. If a PC
gives chase immediately and has the key to the door in
hand, allow that character to reach the roof before Eric canlay his ambush.

8) Wrapping Up the Adventure
After defeating Eric, the party’s first decision will be what
to do with him. Since Sandcastle doesn’t include instantdeath rules, Eric will still, technically, be alive after being

11

reduced to 0 hp. The party would be justified in finishing
him off (or just letting him bleed out) to prevent him from
causing further trouble in the future. Or depending on
their moral bent, the PCs may want to patch him up to
take him back to Meadowbrook for a proper hanging. Any
attempts to talk sense into him will fail.
The zombie and vat horror and only loosely stitched
together and will die when reduced to 0 hp.
If an animal lover decides to try to save the panther, theattempt is automatically successful. Like recovering fromall wounds in Sandcastle, nursing it back to health will takea week. After that the panther can be released or handed
over to a GMC animal handler. Sandcastle does not include
any rules for domestication or animal training by the PCs.
Returning to Meadowbrook, the PCs will find thetownsfolk still scared and angry, but also more than a little
embarrassed about the chaos last night. Above all, they are
cold, sore, and tired from a night of running through thewoods. The townsfolk will be grateful for information thePCs can provide about the true nature of the “demon” andthe elimination of the treat. Getting rid of Eric, who no one
liked anyways, will also be appreciated.
In recognition of their bravery, the PCs will be unofficiallyregarded as “heroes” in Meadowbrook. Heroes in the sensethat they are now expected to undertake further adventuresto accomplish more great deeds.

Treasure
Experienced players may want their characters to loot the
tower for everything of worth. Sandcastle contains no rules
for fencing the spoils of victory, so everything of worth is
not much: 2 longswords, 1 shield, 7 days trail rations, 95
coins, a number of healing potions equal to the number ofPCs, 2 flashbang vials (Rank 1), 2 chromatic splash vials(orange), 2 suits of leather armor, 1 physical sciences field
guide, 1 tool set, and 4 daggers. The characters will havealready obtained some of the equipment on this list.

Experience
1 xp surviving the night in Bleakwood Tower
1 xp eliminating all threats (including Eric)

9) Continuing the Campaign
The contents of Eric’s desk and bookshelf and the posters
on his wall could be used to plant information to lead tofurther adventures. For example, information about

12

Starsmote Sandpit or the ancient civilization known as the
Stargazers could be used to foreshadow the otherintroductory adventure provided by NAOJ.
Eric’s reference materials could also be used to impart any
scientific information the players/characters should know.
In particular, if anyone has questions about the coelostat orgovernor used in the experiment, you can use Eric’s books
to pass the needed information on to the players.
If the PCs continue their adventuring careers, they now
have enough xp to be level 1 and will need to choose skills
and a combat style. Actually, this adventure is designed tohelp new players decide which combat style they would
like for their characters.
Characters who enjoyed melee, or liked getting alongsword would make good strikers.
Characters who enjoyed maneuvering around thebattlefield, or liked getting a shield or leather armor would
make good harriers.
Characters who were impressed by the energy attacks ofthe flying skull and vat horror, or liked using a torch as aweapon, or liked getting the chromatic splash vials, would
make good energers.
Characters who were impressed by Eric’s hex abilities or
liked getting the flashbang vials would make good hexers.
At some point the PCs should also join one of theadventurers’ guilds described in the Core Rules and GMM.
The next NAOJ adventure, Starsmote Sandpit contains
additional information about the guilds.