The Ferryman Encounter

As you approach, the smell of seawater hits your nostrils and the sound of slowly lapping water can be heard echoing through the air. A hefty gust blows in from the water, carrying a omnious mist with it. From the edge of the small sandbar, you can see the silouhette of a boat dock, as well as the figure of a man sitting near the front. There is a path leading down the hill and towards the dock with a large wooden sign hanging off to the side. Once you reach the bottom of the hill, you are able to make out the blurry shapes of a stone structure not far from the dock. Through the mist you are able to read the sign: "Southern Passage Ferry. Price per Traveler: 5 gems. Cargo fee: 15 gems. Critter float: 20 gems per float. NO REFUNDS. NO WHINING. NO STUPID QUESTIONS. BOARD AT YOUR OWN RISK."

The stone structure in the distance is the remains of a bridge the Othala tribe built across the passage, but was destroyed when trolls stole the key stone and it collapssed. There is a dedication stone that reads: "May the trails you tred always lead you home."
The man sitting at the dock is the ferry man. As players approach have them roll perception. Successful players willl hear him muttering nonsense to himself, perhaps even slight groans of pain. The ferryman has a very gruff and mistrusting appearance. He wears a leather poncho with the hood up that covers most of his head and face. The poncho as well as his pants have tears and holes along them. His face is grimy with a sickly complexion, and glistens with sweat while his thick hair drapes down from the hood to cover his appearance. The knees of his pants are blown out and perceptive players may notice that his knee appears injured and infected. Dried blood stains the surrounding cloth as well as spaltters his poncho. He wears one sandal that is barely stitched together and the other foot looks swollen and infected as well. Blackened veins run along his hands and feet, as well as up the neck and branching from the eyes. He is constantly twitching and muttering. His breathing is heavy and strained. Every so often the mutterings raise to sudden shout and then immediately quiet down to a whisper again. The ferryman's voice is shaky and weak as he stutters repeatedly and appears to struggle focusing on even his own words. Often he is repeating phrases such as "Mulch, I need mulch! N-nn-need. Need! M-m-mm-mulch. Mulch. I need mulch. F-f-ff-f-feed mu-l-l-llch" to himself endlessly. If he is asked his name the ferryman will not respond.
The ferry itself is a simple but large flat boat made of logs. On the back end is a large wheel with spokes added as paddles attached to hand crank. This propels the boat through the water. There is a stout cabin used as the ferryman's living quarters. A horrible stench can be detected near the cabin. Nearby is a smaller flat boat that can be tied to the back of the larger one to be used as additional cargo space and for transporting animals.
When players step onto the ferry, announce that it begins to rain. By the time the players are partway across the passage, the rain will have increased to a heavy downpour.
Allow for roleplay and other interactions during this scene. The ferryman will place the players at the front of the boat while he paddles at the back. What follows works best when the players are involved in something else and do not notice the ferryman stop paddling. The ferryman will stop paddling partway across the straight and do his best to sneak into the cabin and retrieve an axe. If he remains unnoticed, he will then attempt to sneak up behind the players and murder one of them. You may choose to describe the scene as follows.

Just then, you hear nervous muttering slowly rise behind you. Heavy footsteps plop in the pools of rain on the dock.(proceed to make splooshing noises) "M-mm-mulch. I must feed it mulch." You turn to look as a bolt of lightning flashes across the sky, lighting the horid scene of the ferryman; hood thrown off to reveal slimy fungal protusions splattered across his skull, boils travleing down the neck and arms, and the blade of a woodsman's axe poised high above his head, ready to strike as he screams out, "MUUUUUULLLLCCCHHHH!!!!!!"

This will begin combat. Throughout combat, continue to roleplay for the ferryman. Make him appear manic and out of control, intent on murder to fuel his hunger for mulch. After dealing with the ferryman, players can row themselves to shore with the ferry's paddle crank.
Athletics check DC10
d Loot and Scatter Items (inside the cabin)
Colorful sea snails of various sizes inching across the walls and furniture.
Large amounts of rotting fish, crab, and other corpses. Spoiled from being left out. Covered in mushrooms.
Fishing Pole
d 1d6 gold rings worth 4 gems each
d Box of 25 gems + whatever the players paid for their passage.
Players may attempt to harvest the parasitic mushrooms if they wish. A harvest check vs a DC13 is required. If the player rolls below a ten, you may have visible puffs of spores shoot off, causing 1d10 damage when inhaled.

GM Secret

The ferryman is infected with a strain of parasitic fungi that have rooted themselves deep within his skin and brain. It causes him to be extremely erractic, as he is in constant pain. The mushrooms are slowly reprogramming his brain to force him into creating ideal conditions for them to spread, particularly through decaying organic matter. Hence the obsession with, mulch. The constant pressure of the mushrooms eventually wins out, as it has before, and drives him into a murderous frenzy.

Roleplay Prompts

D100 prompts
Discussion Questions by topic
Perhaps Rothar reminisces about the last time he went over this ferry or maybe Rothar remains on the lookout for swimming Jorman and asks the players to keep their eyes out.

The Ferryman

For: The Ferryman Encounter Italics indicate a free point to assign to any option with the following marker


Adept Tier - 2 Att, 12 skills | Fungal Host: -1 to INT and +1 to either STR or REF.

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+3 REF, -1 INT | Max Health: 65

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+4 Stealth | +7


+1 Constitution | +3

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+3 Vocation - Survivalist | 8


+3 Med blade | 11 (d8)


+2 Small Weapons | 10 (d6)

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Weapons: Woodsman's Axe (Med blade)


Loot: n/a


Harvest: n/a