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WHAT IS THE SHROUD? WHAT IS A WORLDSEED"!?
Not long ago, in the once-frozen North, Worldseed"! is the name One Bad Egg
beneath vast glaciers that covered the gives a setting idea that we never intend
ground, a single chasm miles across, to fully flesh out a starting point, if
countries long opened to swallow the you will. It s up to you to take each
ice, taking small tribal villages with it. Worldseed"!, and plant it, water it, love
Shortly after, a strange and dire mist it, and help it grow into a full world
billowed forth the ice, melted and or to transplant it into a garden you
transformed into fog, warm and fetid. In already have going, mixing our material
time, the fog covered all of the northern together with your setting of choice.
lands and came to be known as the
Shroud. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
The Shroud changes everything it
You can learn more about the Shroud,
touches, twisting the forms of some,
Worldseeds"!, and more at our website:
gifting others with strange, dark powers.
But worst of all, in thawing graveyards
www.onebadegg.com
throughout the North, the dead have
begun to rise and walk.
OF
GODS THE
SHROUD
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Writing " Cam Banks " Adam Dray " Lee Hammock
Fred Hicks " Justin D. Jacobson
Editing " Adam Dray
Layout " Fred Hicks
Art " Jeff Preston
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GODS OF THE SHROUD
©2008 One Bad Egg, LLC
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The Bone Witch
Unaligned
Witch gives little thought to the living and considers
One of the ancient powers of the Ghostcrag Peaks, the
suffering to be way that the living learn and grow. With
Bone Witch serves as the keeper of the dead among
the arrival of the Shroud and the preponderance of
its many tribes. It is said that she travels the moun-
undead it has created, some believe she has decided it
tains collecting one bone from each of the tribal dead.
may just be better to kill everyone in the Peaks and take
Anyone who sees her passing is killed by the sight.
their bones to make sure they won t turn into undead.
When a tribe member dies, the shaman leaves the
bones of the deceased outside of camp overnight. By
The Bone Witch makes these demands of the faithful:
morning, the bones are gone. The goddess considers the
profession and deeds of the recently dead and chooses
* Never allow the dead to be disturbed in their graves.
the most suitable bone for her coat. From a great
* Honor your ancestors and abide by their wisdom.
warrior or leader, the Bone Witch takes the skull. From
* Strength only comes through suffering; seek a heavy
a craftsman, she takes a finger bone. From a coward, the
burden, and carry it.
goddess takes part of a foot.
The Witch weaves each bone into her bone-laced
coat, and the spirits she honors are thus protected from NEW HEROIC TIER FEAT
necromancers or similar nefarious sorts, who might
control them. In return, the spirits bind their souls
FURY OF THE BONE WITCH [DIVINITY]
to the service of the goddess. Priests and shamans of
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must
the Bone Witch can summon these bound spirits for
worship the Bone Witch
guidance through acts of supplication, which involves
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to
offering her more bones from man or beast.
use fury of the Bone Witch.
Because of her responsibility to protect the dead, the
Bone Witch hates all forms of undead and considers
Channel Divinity: Feat Power
them an affront. While she cares for the dead, the
Fury of the Bone Witch
Calling on the Bone Witch s power, your destruction of an undead
creature strengthens allies who have suffered.
Encounter * Divine, Healing
Immediate Reaction Ranged 10
Trigger: You are bloodied and your attack drops an enemy
undead within range to 0 hit points or fewer.
Effect: You and each bloodied ally within 2 squares can spend
a healing surge.
Special: You must take the Fury of the Bone Witch feat to use
this power.
NEW CREATURE
UNWORTHY SERVANT
Through an extensive, secret ritual known only to a few
of the Bone Witch s priests, the finger bones of cowards,
traitors, and other undesirable sorts are used to bind
their spirits to serve in death as they were unwilling in
life. These unworthy servants are commonly tasked
to serve as scouts and guardians, raising a warning cry
when enemies are near.
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Gods of the Shroud | The Bone Witch
JEFF PRESTON
Unworthy Servant Level 4 Minion
ADVENTURE IDEAS
Medium spirit humanoid XP 44
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
BLACK TALON DOWN
AC 18; Fortitude 14, Reflex 16, Will 15
In a terrible battle, the warriors of the Rock Eagle tribe
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
decimated a rival tribe, the Black Talon. The Rock Eagle
Immune disease, fear, poison; see also a creature of spirit
warriors propped up the bodies of their enemy around
Speed 6; phasing
their village as a warning to any future challengers.
m Specter From Beyond (standard; at-will) * Fear
Fearful of the fate of the spirits of the tribe s fallen
+7 vs. Will; the unworthy servant slides the target 1 square
loved-ones, a Black Talon shaman asks the characters
and the target is marked.
to go to the Rock Eagle tribe and return with at least
A Warning to Others (when the unworthy servant is reduced
one bone from each of the slain so they can be given to
to 0 hit points)
the Bone Witch. The heroes could try to talk the Rock
Within one mile, immediately wake any shaman who
Eagle tribe into surrendering the bones, or use stealthy
bound the unworthy servant and any ally in possession of
or violent means to accomplish the task.
one of the unworthy servant s bones. They are given a sense
of impending danger.
BONE WAR
A Creature of Spirit
The unworthy servant is considered insubstantial for the
The Bone Witch sees suffering as the path to strength,
purpose of abilities which affect insubstantial creatures.
while the Voracious Host sees comfort as the way to
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
survive. Fearing that the Voracious Host is drawing her
Str 12 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 14 (+2)
people to pampered, easy lives and away from the wind
Con 8 (-1) Int 10 (+0) Cha 13 (+1)
and cold of their ancestors, the Bone Witch speaks
through her shamans. She declares a holy war against
UNWORTHY SERVANT TACTICS
the Voracious Host and its followers. Winter supplies
are destroyed, houses burned, and fortunes destroyed.
Unworthy servants are typically stationed at the outer
The characters are drawn into one side of the conflict
perimeter of a tribe s village to give early warning
and must fight to strengthen their people in the face
of an incursion. Unworthy servants cannot damage
of gluttony or defend their hard-earned comfort from
their foes. Instead, they use specter from beyond to herd
those who have not worked as hard for their own.
enemies into exposed positions and to draw their fire.
When killed, they act as a warning to others, awakening
A CORPSE BEST SERVED COLD
the tribe they are bound to protect.
Olnar Regnik, a very wealthy and powerful shaman of
the Voracious Host, has at last died of old age. He was
NEW MAGIC ITEM
long an enemy of the Bone Witch s priests, opposing
their message of  strength through suffering at every
Bag of the Bone Witch Level 15
turn. His followers hid his body in a trapped tomb to
This small leather pouch contains the finger bones of fallen
keep the Bone Witch from binding his spirit to her,
warriors.
on the assumption the goddess would torture such a
Wondrous Item 25,000 gp
longstanding enemy. The followers of the Bone Witch
Property: Any warrior whose finger bone is kept in the bag
approach the characters to have them penetrate the
cannot rise as an undead creature. The bag can hold a
dozen finger bones at most. tomb s defenses and steal a bone from the corpse from
Power (Daily): A silent, spectral image of one of the Olnar Regnik so the goddess can have her revenge.
contained warriors appears. You may ask this oracular
apparition up to three yes-or-no questions about matters
which resonate with the spirits purpose and acts in life.
3
Gods of the Shroud | The Bone Witch
The Gleaming Eye
Channel Divinity: Feat Power
Flare of the Gleaming Eye
Evil
One of your eyes flares with the inescapable light of the Gleaming
Eye.
Brother of the Silent Sister, the Gleaming Eye fashioned
Encounter * Divine, Radiant
the sun and the moon from sheer force of will. Thus,
Standard Action Close burst 5
he could always watch over all other creations. When
Target: Each illusion effect within the burst
the Shroud first came forth, he thought the Silent
Attack: Wisdom vs. the Will defense of the creator of the
illusion effect.
Sister used it as a means to obscure her activities from
Hit: The effect ends.
his watch. In his rage, he raped her for the imagined
Special: You must take the Flare of the Gleaming Eye feat to
offense.
use this power.
Imprisoning her, he eventually drew the sinchildren
forth from her mouth before she effected her escape.
NEW CREATURE
These tortured creatures live among the people of
the world, acting as spies and scouts for their father,
ferreting out the secrets of men. SINCHILDREN
The sinchildren, plucked from the mouth of the Silent
The Gleaming Eye demands discipline in accordance
Sister by the Gleaming Eye, appear to be normal
with the following edicts:
members of the various races of the world. In truth,
* Joy is precious so precious it must be taken,
they live in constant pain, their infernal nature driven
measured, and hoarded.
inward to torture their own flesh. Sinchildren are infil-
* Secrecy must be destroyed by the light of unforgiving
trators and scouts, spies and messengers, all forming
truth.
a network of information gatherers whose common,
* Keep one eye always open stay alert, and stay wary.
overarching goal is to discover hidden knowledge and
use it to ease their own burden and that of the world
NEW HEROIC TIER FEAT preferably by destroying creation.
A sinchild infiltrator prefers to befriend its foes in the
guise of an ally: a helpful scout, a trustworthy contact,
FLARE OF THE GLEAMING EYE [DIVINITY]
or an I ve-got-your-back diplomat. The infiltrator may
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must
even accompany its quarry on several adventures before
worship the Gleaming Eye
finding the right moment to strike if harming its foes is
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to
even its goal. Often, the sinchild has an ulterior motive,
use flare of the Gleaming Eye.
using its supposed  allies as cat s-paws to achieve some
larger goal, such as uncovering a valuable secret.
Many infiltrators are combined with a class template
from the D&D 4E Dungeon Master s Guide,
enabling them to contribute much to the party s
success and eventual betrayal.
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Gods of the Shroud | The Gleaming Eye
JEFF PRESTON
Sinchild Infiltrator Level 8 Lurker
Medium immortal humanoid (devil) XP 350
Initiative +13 Senses Perception +11,
Insight +11; low-light vision
HP 62; Bloodied 31
AC 22; Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 20
Resist 5 fire
Speed 6
m Shortsword (standard; at-will)
+13 vs. AC; 2d8+5 damage.
R Poisoned Dart (standard; at-will) * Poison
Ranged 5/10; +11 vs. Reflex; 2d6 damage and ongoing 5
poison damage.
C Flare of the Gleaming Eye (standard; encounter)
Close burst 5 targeting each illusion effect within the burst;
+11 vs. Will (of the effect s caster). A hit ends the effect.
Infernal Advantage
The sinchild infiltrator deals an extra 1d8 fire damage
against any target it has combat advantage against.
ADVENTURE IDEAS
Steal from the Gods (immediate reaction when an enemy
uses a divine power to affect its allies within range;
DIVERSIONARY TACTIC
recharge 56)
Ranged 10; the sinchild infiltrator benefits from the effects
The Shroud encroaches on a temple of the Gleaming
of the power that triggers steal from the gods as if it were
Eye. The god demands his followers find a way to drive
a targeted ally. If the triggering ability grants the use of a
it back. In doing so, they divert it to a highly populated
healing surge, the sinchild infiltrator heals 10 hit points.
valley. The people there enlist the heroes to save their
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Supernal
village. Can they divert the Shroud and stave off the
Skills Bluff +12, Stealth +14
attacks of the Gleaming Eye s disciples?
Str 16 (+7) Dex 20 (+9) Wis 14 (+6)
Con 8 (+3) Int 13 (+5) Cha 17 (+7)
POISON SEED
One of the sinchildren revolts and swears allegiance to
SINCHILD INFILTRATOR TACTICS
his mother, the Silent Sister. The Gleaming Eye orders
If forced to fight, a sinchild infiltrator strikes from
the sinchild s brethren to hunt him down and destroy
ambush whenever possible to make use of its infernal
him for his impudence. They track the traitor to a Silent
advantage. It uses a poisoned dart to soften up enemies at
Sister temple, which grants him refuge. The characters
range and positions itself to take advantage of Divine-
must protect the sinchild and secret him away to a safe
powered foes with steal from the gods. Illusions (espe-
location. But can he be trusted?
cially invisibility) are quickly banished with flare of the
gleaming eye. The infiltrator never stays long for a fight
where it doesn t have the upper hand; once bloodied, it
beats a tactical retreat.
5
Gods of the Shroud | The Gleaming Eye
JEFF PRESTON
The Pale Wanderer
Channel Divinity: Feat Power
The Pale Wanderer s Fellowship
Good
The Pale Wanderer strengthens the will of your allies, binding you
together in times of need.
Built by the Bone
Encounter * Divine
Witch, the Pale
Minor Action Ranged 5
Wanderer is commonly
Target: Each ally in range. You must have at least two allies
within range to use this power.
depicted as a man-
Effect: Each ally receives a +2 power bonus to Will defense
shaped collection of
and Perception until the end of your next turn.
bones held together by
Special: You must take The Pale Wanderer s Fellowship feat
an ill-fitting skin. The Bone
to use this power.
Witch tasked this god with collecting
the bones and spirits of the tribes of the Ghostcrag
NEW MAGIC ITEM
Peaks, but the Wanderer found the living to be far more
interesting than the dead. He left the Witch s service to
watch over them.
Bracers of Fellowship Level 4
The Pale Wanderer has since worked to support the
Inscribed with the symbol of the Pale Wanderer, these bracers
communities of the Peaks, encouraging their people
extend your protection over all of your allies.
to work together to survive in the harsh environs of
Item Slot: Arms 840 gp
their homeland. The god believes that he eases his
Power (Encounter * Healing): Immediate Interrupt. Use this
power when an ally within 10 squares takes damage from
mother s burden by seeing that fewer people die. The
an attack. You take some or all of the damage from that
Bone Witch does not take this meddling well, seeing
attack instead, reducing the damage your ally takes by the
the meddler s efforts as nothing more than coddling the
same amount.
weak. Despite this, the Wanderer continues his work,
championing fellowship, loyalty, and cunning among
ADVENTURE IDEAS
the mountain tribes.
BLEEDING HEART
The Pale Wanderer counsels his friends to follow these
teachings:
In the tribe of the Iron Bleeders, a murder most foul
* Fellowship is more valuable than any coin or relic.
was committed. The chief  s best warrior, a man who
Value your family, allies, and friends, for they will
fought many times to defend his people and given
protect you in the cold winter times.
much in their cause, was killed in his sleep. This deed
* Never betray a brotherhood made in battle. Loyalty
is a grave affront to the Pale Wanderer: a good man of
forged in blood is more powerful than any steel.
the tribe murdered in cold blood. As outsiders, the
* Strength of mind is as valuable as strength of body.
heroes are asked to help solve the murder as they can
Respect all forms of learning and partake of their
see with eyes unclouded by prejudice or history. They
fruits.
must unweave a tangled story of revenge, betrayal, and
forbidden love that led the chief of the Iron Bleeders to
kill his most loyal warrior, who had fallen in love with
NEW HEROIC TIER FEAT
the chief  s daughter.
THE PALE WANDERER S
COLD HARVEST
FELLOWSHIP [DIVINITY]
In the village of Kerais, good people struggle to prepare
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must
for winter. The followers of the Voracious Host have
worship the Pale Wanderer
secured all they need to survive, but one of their priests
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to
has stymied the village s preparations. Can the heroes
use the Pale Wanderer s fellowship.
and a shaman of the Pale Wanderer help the others of
the village gather food and firewood before the icy grip
of winter comes?
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Gods of the Shroud | The Pale Wanderer
JEFF PRESTON