Unfinished Business

Map by Evlyn Moreau, scroll to bottom for player facing version with secret room hidden.

Unfinished Business is a small “dungeon” intended as a short intro adventure for Brighter Worlds. It is designed to allow for many approaches to problem solving: from sneaking, negotiating, magic, fighting, to clever planning. An Example of Play is provided to show both how the rules work at the table as well as an indication of how the game is intended to be run.

Premise (Context for the GM)

Ghosts of a long since dead Executive Board of Thaumaturgic Solutions Inc., have unfinished business. Literally. Contracts require them to deliver a product before they can move on. They have trapped Velma Cranberry (along with a other ‘employees’) in exploitative contracts, which force them to try and accomplish TSI’s unrealistic goals.

Hook (Context for the Players)

You have been hired by a relative of Velma Cranberry, a recent graduate of Wizard Poly- Magic Tech University. After receiving a job offer from TSI, she has dropped out of contact, and her friends and family are concerned. You’ve been given the location of TSI HQ, and tasked with bringing her to safety.

Encounter Table (d6)

Using the Dungeon Crawling rules.

Unpaid Intern
Skeleton Staff
1d4 Skeleton Staff
Security Zombie
1d4 Security Zombies
Head Hunter

Locations

The interior of TSI has the appearance of a modern corporate building but rendered in damp, dank dungeon stone. It is all well-lit, with magical lighting tubes affixed to the ceiling. All the trappings of a modern office building are found embedded in the setting of a classic fantasy dungeon.

Entrance

The entrance to Thaumatergic Solutions Inc. is a large, open archway carved into the side of a cliff. The company’s name is carved into the wall above the door in crisp, clean lettering, and white light shines up the steps leading down into the company.

1. Entrance Hall

Reception desk staffed by Skeleton Receptionist who will give Visitor Badges if an NDA is signed. The NDA is a magical contract that will wipe the signers’ memories upon leaving TSI unless the contracts are ended, or the signers are otherwise freed.

2. Board Room

The Board surrounds a long, glossy table as a mass of souls merged into vague corporate intent. An Intern furiously takes notes on their unceasing buzz-word-laden murmuring.

If a player seems talented, a Head Hunter is called to “hire” them. If the players are disruptive, Security Guards are called.

3. Hiring Pool

A tastefully designed water feature spews a roiling mass of toxic acid and necromantic chemicals. A Headhunter uses a large hook (1d8, bulky) to scoop potential new hires out of the pool. (1d6: 1-2 he scoops out a Skeleton, 3-4 a Guard, 5-6 he’s unimpressed and tosses the catch back in.)

Falling in deals 1 Wound per round. Death causes flesh to be stripped off bones, and transformation into a Bag of Bones bound by Contract to not act against the Company or leave the premises.

4. Copy Room

A djinn named “X’eer Oxx” is bound within a glowing blue cube and forced to make copies for the Company. An Intern is currently X’eer Oxx-ing a stack of documents.

Simple, mundane objects placed on the cube’s surface are copied perfectly in a bright white flash. Complex or magical objects produce fragile copies. Copies of living creatures, or complex and magical objects will fail violently and horribly when copied.

5. Workshop

A desk covered in a mess of technical and magical documents hugs one wall, and an unmade cot hugs another. A large arcane circle engraved into the floor surrounds a huge, complex looking suit of armor.

Velma is currently scribbling notes at the desk. Compelled to work by her Contract she’s frazzled, low on sleep, and living exclusively off of Herb’s Interplanar Delivery from her meager paycheck (Herb doesn’t take stock options as payment).

If the players can provide a halfway plausible plan, she will offer to make the Power Armor functional, although her power source will only last for a single 10-minute Turn.

Power Armor: +2 Armor while powered, immobile while not. Spend 2 minutes worth of power to perform a dramatic powered action (power fist, power blast, power charge, etc.). Requires the wearer to sign over rights to their likeness, 25% of all earned loot, and all future Bardic Tales inspired by their exploits.

6. Founder’s Rest

A sarcophagus sits in the center of the room, surrounded by cold mist flowing out of the lid. A Trophy Case covers the north wall, filled with various corporate and marketing awards. All are polished but one, and if the unpolished award is moved, a secret door to 7 is opened.

Two Security Guards protect the sarcophagus and trophy case. Magical sight or investigation reveals an ethereal soul cord running from the sarcophagus to the Chain Block in Room 7.

Each time the sarcophagus or trophy case is touched, or a loud noise is made, there is a 3 in 6 chance the Founder awakens from his semi-retirement, ready to subdue (and then hire via the Hiring Pool) any interlopers.

7. Secret Storage Room

Filled with chests and filing cabinets containing:

1d6 Pink Slips: If shown to a Security Guard or Head Hunter, both the slip and the target will evaporate instantly.
3d6x100 Anti-Coins - Ghostly, pale blue coins representing debt. Cannot be dropped. Instantly annihilate 1 to 1 with any owned normal Coins.
The Chain Block - A tightly packed brick of welded chain. Contains the Founder’s Soul. The Founder cannot permanently die while this is intact. If the Founder’s soul is removed, the Chain Block can be used to bind non-corporeal entities.
The Company’s Charters & Contracts:
- All contracts are void if the Founder is no longer with the company (i.e. the Founder is completely killed or forced to activate his Golden Parachute).
- The Development Contract to create the Gig Adventure Suit can be completed by a third-party company certifying the product.
- Velma Cranberry’s Contract: She will be fired if she accumulates 3 demerits for refusing to follow the Founder’s Company Policies.
- If an Intern is given any amount of money, their contract is terminated and they are magically ejected from the premises.
- X’eer Oxx’s binding wish as a notarized document. The djinn must copy all documents, but you can’t wish for more wishes: trying to copy this document on his cube will free him.

Bestiary

Unpaid Intern

1 Grit, d4 STR, d4 DEX, d4 WIL, Hot-Coffee (d8, single use)

Wears an Intern badge (with portrait) on a lanyard around their neck.
Lives in both hope and fear they will be made full employees via the Hiring Pool (and turned into a Skeleton or Zombie).
Usually scurrying between rooms with documents or coffee.

Skeleton Employee

3 Grit, d6 STR, d6 DEX, d6 WIL, Clip Board (d6)

3 in 6 chance, they are disillusioned with TSI and will assist players to the extent their Contract allows.
Otherwise they are true believers and will attempt to apprehend the players or call a Zombie Guard.

Zombie Security Guard

3 Grit, d6 STR, d6 DEX, d6 WIL, Club (d6)

Ignores anyone with a valid Visitor’s Badge.

Head Hunter Dullahan

4 Grit, d8 STR, d6 DEX, d6 WIL, Man-Catcher (d8, damages DEX)

Man-Catcher Wounds capture the target.
Drags captured targets to the Hiring Pool.

The Board

4 Grit, d4 STR, d6 DEX, d8 WIL, Hostile Takeover (d8, to WIL, psychic attack)

Wounds from Hostile Takeover all the Board to puppet the target until they succeed at a WIL Save.
Incorporeal, unable to be harmed except by magic or silver weapons.
If killed, reforms in 1d4 Turns so long as their Development Contract is unresolved.

The Founder

5 Grit, 1 Armor, d8, d8, d8, Initial Coin Offering (d8 blast)

Any Direct Damage from an Initial Coin Offering attack adds that many Anti-Coins to the target’s inventory.)
Cannot be permanently killed while their soul remains in the Chain Block.
If the Founder fails a Morale Save, or is killed while his Soul (on the Chain Block in 7) is still intact, a literal golden parachute will burst from his back and drag him towards the exit of the HQ to flee.
Each round of combat The Founder will enact a new Company Policy, anyone not in compliance with the current Policy has all attacks against them enhanced.

Company Policy (1d4):

Ice Breaker Event! Share your work experience and a fun fact about yourself prior to any actions.
Casual Friday! Everyone must be wearing at least one “fun” article of clothing.
Wellness Wednesday! To prevent injury, it is prohibited to carry more than one bulky item.
Re-Org! Each player is randomly assigned a character as their manager. All actions require explicit managerial permission.