ThE GIaNt MOTh

ThAT AWAiTs US ALl

COMPATIBLE WITH

DCC
RPG
 The Giant Moth
That Awaits Us All

An Adventure at the End of the World for

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Text and layout by Matt Bevilacqua

Cover by Lizzie “Acid Lich” Libby
Maps and interior art © Gino Vasconcelos, used with permission. All rights reserved.
Some artwork © Carlos Castilho All rights reserved.
Some artwork © Diane Ramic, used with permission.
Play-tested by Gino, Chris, Andrew, and Mike
Apologies to Laird Barron for the title of this
Published by Twilit Grotto Press

This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, published by Goodman Games. This
product is published under license. Dungeon Crawl Classics and DCC RPG are trademarks of Goodman
Games. All rights reserved. For additional information, visit www.goodman-games.com or contact
info@goodman-games.com.
 Contents
Introduction 3

Up the Mountain of the Silver Tears 7

The village of the tiny-folk 12

The Caverns 16

Concluding the adventure 23

Appendices 24

4
Introduction Adventure
The Giant Moth that Awaits Us All takes player
characters to a village of tinyfolk on the top of a
background
remote and dangerous mountain. There, they Two tinyfolk women, the sisters Vinel and Viant,
will brave the organized forces of capital and have been living in the drink well of the tavern
religion in order to enrich themselves and Bureauguardian’s Hospitalier and Fromagerie for
release an ancient, alien deity from its mountain weeks. They left their village after the Marvol
home. Mining Corporation subdued the tinyfolk army
and drilled into the tinyfolk mountain home.
Tonally, The Giant Moth that Awaits Us All is Since then, Vinel and Viant have been seeking a
intended for use in a campaign where whimsy worthy group of adventurers to free their village.
and humor are equally at home with danger and The two tinyfolk claim that a bounty of gems in
horror. (This adventure contains all four). their homeland worth approximately 1 platinum
will be provided to the brave souls who free their
The Giant Moth that Awaits Us All is best clan.
enjoyed by three to six 1st level Dungeon Crawl
Classics characters. If attempted by additional
player characters or player characters at a higher (The tinyfolk regard common table salt as gems,
level, more hostile combatants should be added so approximately half of that is in barrels of salt,
to increase the challenge. but this information is not freely shared by the
tinyfolk.)

Dramatis The Marvol Mining Corporation somehow

personae discovered the well-hidden village of the tinyfolk

in the Mountain of Silver Tears. Their wizard
► The tinyfolk, 6 inch tall traders in secrets leader, Marvolox the Prime Accountant, defeated
and buttons the armies of the tinyfolk with a powerful spell.
The Corporation has now set up a mining
► Vinel and Viant, two tinyfolk sisters who
seek the aid of willing heroes operation, looking to extract the unique
resources found in the Mountain of the Silver
► The Moth-God, ancient guardian of the
Tears.
Earth
► Marvolox, Wizard & Accountant and head The corporation is extracting, packaging and
of the Marvol Mining Corporation selling the blood of the ancient guardian spirit,
► Arquin, Marvolox’s spirit servant the Moth God that lives within the mountain, as
► Gulagin, hapless wizard a magical performance enhancement. They also
trade the fossilized remains of the last
► Erroire, stranded wayfarer
incarnation of the Moth God. When dug out of
► Leather cannibals, marauding flesh eaters the mountain caverns, these fragments
► Carnohawks, giant predatory talking birds resemble beautiful silver tears.
► Lavoigne, valiant mercenary

5
 The journey up to the top of the Mountain of the
Silver Tears is a perilous one. If the player Vinel and Viant
characters survive the trip, they will find that the
Vinel and Viant are two tinyfolk women who
mining camp at the top of the mountain is in
have been living in the drink well of the
chaos. Workers have been lost in the mines
Hospitalier during the day and the stables during
below, as the Moth God begins to stir and take its
the night. Kleem allows them to stay because
desperate revenge. The adventurers will have to
they clean hard to reach places within the
journey into the mines and find out exactly what
Hospitalier and Fromagerie. If given any chance to
the extractive policies of the mining consortium
talk to the player characters they will outright
has wrought.
beg them, as they have every group of
adventurers, to give up the Mountain of Silver
The tinyfolk Tears and free the Guardian of Earth, their
Moth-God.
The tinyfolk are a race of magical humanoids
ranging between 5 to 8 inches tall. They come in If the players are amenable, the tinyfolk promise
many colors, most often green and blue, and can substantial riches (equivalent to 1 platinum) to a
be found across the land. party that accepts the quest. They insist on
remaining at the Hospitalier. The tinyfolk do so in
Most commonly, the tinyfolk bargain order to send additional adventurers up the
information and rumors in exchange for trinkets mountain, hedging their bets, although if asked
from the human world. They are especially they will lie and claim that they are known to the
enamored with the small and mundane - mining company by sight as agitators.
buttons, coins, colored glass, dried beans, and
salt. The PCs may have encountered the tinyfolk The women tell the player characters that the
before and if so, know a few facts about them. best tinyfolk to contact at the top of the
mountain is an elder named Dryan O’Dryan.
d6 Facts about the tinyfolk
Vinel & Viant: Init +2; Atk -1 melee, 1d2 damage,
1. The Tinyfolk ride specially raised giant
AC 12, 3 HP, SV Fort -3, Ref +4, Will +0; AL L, Crit
dragonflies, or sometimes small birds.
III/d4
2. They also raise bugs for food.
3. They do not consume alcohol of any kind ► Tiny, green, sincere

4. They love to gamble, feel cheating is perfectly ► Will promise anything to save their village
moral, and don’t consider it important if they
lose large quantities of money or fail to
honor their debts.
5. Since secrets are their currency, many
mistrust them.
6. Orange is the rarest shade of tinyfolk skin,
and the flesh of one such tinyfolk is
considered to be a delicacy amongst some
decadents.

6
Bureauguardian’s Hospitalier and
Fromagerie
The Bureauguardians were an ancient order of knees and the torso indicate how many
knights, long since disbanded. In addition to rooms, and for how many guests.
knighthood, they were known for their love of ► Those who enter and loudly demand service
poetry, ritual and cheese. This inn is situated on will not receive it. A DC 10 Intelligence check
the site of one of their abandoned fraternal will call attention to the significance to the
lodges. tapestries if needed.

Travelers find the interior of the inn warm and Vital personnel
inviting. It is wood-paneled and lit by candles
The bartender and owner is a sour woman
placed at uneven intervals throughout.
named Kleem (Kleemy to her friends). Her
A series of tapestries on the wall explain the brother (Turge) and husband (Gai Su), two burly
process of ordering, which is simplicity itself. descendants of Bureauguardians past, do not
take kindly to any complaints being registered.
Rules of conduct
• Kleem is short, almost triangular in shape,
► You do not address the barkeep directly (such and not cut out for the service industry.
would be the height of incivility). Instead,
refer to the tapestries. Each of the following • Turge is large, friendly, and not bright. He
points of order is pictured on one of the wall obeys Gai Su and Kleem without question.
tapestries.
► To order a sampling of cheese, touch your • Gai Su once dreamed of glory in battle but
right index finger to your nose, and do a instead mastered caseiculture.
quarter turn to your left. The cheeses will be
of the highest quality, and will be Kleem: Init +1; Atk -1 melee, 1d4-1 damage, AC
accompanied by stale bread of advanced age. 10, 6 HP, SV Fort -1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL L, Crit
► To order an accompanying drink, touch your III/d4
right index finger to your nose, and do a
quarter turn to your right. The drinks are a Turge: Init +1; Atk +1 club, 1d4 damage, AC 10, 6
thin red wine of moderate quality. HP, SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will -1; AL L, Crit III/d4
► To register a grievous complaint against the
establishment, touch your left index finger to Gai Su: Init +2; Atk +1 wooden sword, 1d4+1
your nose, and do a quarter turn to your left. damage, AC 10, 6 HP, SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +1;
Be aware that this traditionally carries with it AL L, Crit III/d4
implications about the personal hygiene of
those attending you.
► To request a room for the evening, touch
your left index finger to your nose, and do a
quarter turn to your right. Inclinations of the

7
8
Up the Mountain of Silver Tears
Vinel and Viant inform the PCs there are two paths up the mountain. Unhelpfully, they have described
the paths thus:

“The eastern path is quicker, but more dangerous. The western path is slower, but safer.”

If asked for more details, Vinel and Viant warn that Leather Cannibals stalk the mountain and are more
common on the eastern path. They can offer no other assistance.

The eastern path offers up two encounters: three Leather Cannibals hunting, and a magician (Gulagin
the Munificent) who has lost his spellbook and notes and requires immediate help.

The western is slower - if the party takes this path, they should prepare to spend the evening at the
halfway point or travel through the night.

Regardless of which path the players take, the judge should roll 1d6 at the midpoint of their travels. On
a 1 or 2, they have earned a random encounter. Roll 1d4 .

Random Encounters
1. 20-ft crystalline statue of a moth, with a runic inscription written around the base. Reading it
aloud (it takes a DC 15 Int or Read Languages check) grants each party member a luck point. The
inscription reads “The song will set us free.”
2. Rockslide! DC 10 reflex save or take 1d6 damage as rocks crash into you and you fall a dozen feet or
so.
3. A Leather Cannibal Man, hungry and desperate lunges out of the woods and attacks them.
4. On a rocky clearing, there is a picnic table set out with food, all the kinds the characters like best.
Characters must make a DC 15 Will save or be forced to sit and eat compulsively. The food is
phantasmal and offers no nourishment. They will sit and eat tirelessly for three days, only to
suddenly realize that they haven’t eaten anything or slept in that time. The players lose 1d4
Stamina. Re-roll on the random encounter table, ignoring a result of 4.

9
 The Leather Leather Cannibals: Init +4; Atk tear and bite +3
2d5; AC 15; HP 15 / 11 / 13; MV 30’, Act 2d20; SV

Cannibals Fort +4, Ref +6, Will + 8, AL N, Crit M/d8

► Hungry
Leather Cannibals are a known feature of the
► Can talk but usually don’t bother
Earth in these, the end times. They are not
human at all, but instead some kind of terrible ► Secretly enjoy a wager
magical hybrid. Centuries ago, they escaped
from the wizards who created them and now
travel the land, breeding and killing. They prefer
the flesh of live humans as food above all, but will
also eat the flesh of the dead or of animals.

If the players choose to cross through the

territory of the Leather Cannibals, they will find
that the Leather Cannibals have left a snare trap
to catch travelers. The first member of the party
to pass through the trap must make a DC15
Reflex save or be hoisted into the air, at which
time 3 Leather Cannibals will attack. Freeing
oneself from the trap while upside down and in
combat will require a DC10 Disable Traps check.
If out of combat, it is trivial to free oneself from
the snare.

The Leather Cannibals prefer to subdue the party

without killing them. They will tie the party up
and return to their cave.

The PCs notice that among their belongings, they

have a deck of cards The Leather Cannibals will
be happy to play a game or two with their
prisoners. Generally, the stakes are as follows: if
the players win a round, they will be allowed to
free a limb from a restraint. If the Leather
Cannibals win a round, they will be allowed to
free a limb from its owner's body.

A merciful judge will allow plucky party

members the opportunity to cheat. Otherwise,
luck is all that stands in the way of the Leather
Cannibals eating well that night.

10
Gulagin & Erroire is in a rough spot. She agreed to
accompany Gulagin up the Mountain of Silver

Erroire Tears to try and find the source of the Marvol’s

magical performance formulae. She thought
that this would make her rich. However, she did
The party finds Gulagin the Wizard sitting by the
not expect Gulagin to be so ineffectual in
road crying quietly. He will explain that a
combat. When the carnohawk attacked and
carnohawk has stolen his workbooks, for which
knocked his spellbook out of his hands, she
he will offer a substantial reward (2000 Terces,
thought quickly and grabbed it, expecting this to
plus the rite of transcription). His traveling
compel him to follow and rescue her.
companion, the rogue Erroire, was also taken.
When he did not, she cursed his name, but this is
Without his spell books, Gulagin is useless. If
not the first time Erroire has been on her own in
threatened, he will beg for his life and cry
a dangerous situation. She convinced the
messily rather than fight. He will not accompany
carnohawk mother that she would be best served
the player characters on any rescue missions
to the carnohawk chicks accompanied by a
unless forced to do so.
selection of digestive herbs, and intends to
Gulagin the Munificent: Init +1; Atk dagger +1 escape, although she does not yet know how.
melee (1d4); AC 11, HD 7d6, hp 26, MV 30’, Act
If freed, her leg makes it hard for her to assist the
1d20; sp (with spellbook) spellcasting; SV Fort +1,
players, but she is still interested in learning the
Ref +5, Will +5; AL N, Crit I/d10
secrets of the Marvol formula and will find a way
► Spells in spellbook: Comprehend Languages, to come along with them the rest of the way.
Feather Fall, Force Manipulation, Magic
Shield, Sleep
► Clad in torn purple finery.
► Pale skin with red splotches, thinning brown
hair, ample stomach.
Erroire the Rogue: Init +2; Atk dagger +2 melee
(1d6), arrow-gun +2 missile fire (1d6) range
75/150/225; AC 14, HD 8d6, hp 30, MV 30’, Act
1d20+1d14; sp thief skills; SV Fort +1, Ref +4, Will
+2; AL N, Crit III/d10

► Leather armor
► Broken leg
► Short & muscular, red hair in a tight bun
► Hungry eyes. Hungry for survival.

11
 The carnohawk’s nest
► Carnohawk: Init +4; Atk swooping rake +4 melee
(1d6 plus lift- ing hold) or fang-beak tear +8
Carnohawk are large, intelligent birds of prey. As melee (2d6); AC 18 (head) or 16 (rest of body); HD
adults, they speak human language, as well as 8d10; HP 36; MV 30’ or fly 50’; Act 2d20; SP lifting
many others, although they rarely bother to do hold (may ascend 50’ per round with the victim if
much more than split the sky with their terrible two rake attacks hit the same target in a round,
cries. DC 16 Strength check per round to break free,
victims grant the carnohawk a +1d bonus to
Erroire is lying near a carnohawk nest, her left
subsequent attacks), vulnerability (swooping
leg broken. She has convinced the carnohawk to
instinct: if target presents an inanimate object to
obtain certain specialized herbs and
a swooping carnohawk, must make DC 11 Will
accompaniments to aid with her (Erroire’s)
save or fly with the object for 2d3 rounds); SV
digestion by the carnohawk’s children.
Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5; AL C; Crit M/ d14
The children are meeping incessantly in the nest.
Carnohawk chick (4): Init +2, Atk +2 claw or bite
Carnohawk chicks cannot communicate in the
(1d6); AC 12, HD 3d10, HP 24, MV 10’, Act 1d20,
common tongue as the adults can.
SP call mother (if parent not present, can spend
Erroire has Gulagin’s spellbook obviously a turn to call for them via a strange meeping
displayed in her waistband. noise - parent arrives next round if a turn is
spent this way) SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; AL C;
It requires a DC 15 sneak check to sneak over to Crit M/ d8
Erroire without attracting the attention of the
carnohawk children. She won’t part with
Gulagin’s spellbook easily. She suspects the older
man has arranged for the book’s rescue and not
hers and is suspicious of any attempts to take it
from her.

A DC 15 Agility check will be needed to get

Erroire out without alerting the children. A DC
20 Personality check will convince her to give up
the spellbook. If the children are alerted, the
meeping begins to sound more like human
screams. The players have one round after the
children begin to scream before their mother
arrives.

12
 The village of just want to see the staid village life disrupted.
The mining company’s payments have also won

the tinyfolk over some hearts and minds.

Many of the older folk are upset about the

The village of the tinyfolk sits on a plateau near sacrilege being committed by drilling into the
the very top of the mountain of silver tears. mine. They also find it hard to ignore the defeat
and imprisonment of the tinyfolk army. The
The village itself is built into an enormous
younger tinyfolk have long been dissatisfied by
boulder Swiss-cheesed with holes, into which
the lack of growth and change within the village,
wood and clay houses at the scale of the tinyfolk
and see the Marvol Corporation as a way shake
have been built. Around the boulder are barrels
things up.
filled with all manner of trinkets from the world
of men; buttons, pins, and coins. The young faction is led by Nucklavee, the older
faction Dryan O’Dryan.
Since the arrival of the Marvol Mining
Consortium, their village is flanked by two ► Nucklavee is a young woman of ambition
barracks. One houses the crew of workmen and and pragmatism. She will attempt to
mercenaries who work the mine and one houses convince the player characters to leave; she
the officers. can offer a small payment of 10 gold apiece
to do so. She also has a vial of belegur tears,
At the far east end of the village sits the transport which serve as a unguent that a carnohawk
tube which provides travel down into the mines. finds immediately soporific. She promises it
to the players if they can restore service to
The players arrive to find that miners have not the mine.
reported for shift change in 24 hours. A squad of ► Dryan O’Dryan is a wily old sod, blind in one
mercenaries who went below has not returned. spoiled milk eye, prone to staring directly at
The transport tube has been releasing acrid puffs the sun as he speaks to the player characters.
He tells them that to free the village and
of smoke, black like burnt fat.
restore the moth god, they must go below
The Tinyfolk (1) and release it from its mechanical trap, and
bring back its ancient song.
The tiny houses are modest, but each is in Gambling is available in the village after hours.
possession of at least one relic from the human The tinyfolk love to play cards, although they
world. The nearly flat top of the tinyfolk village have no cultural taboo against cheating and will
rock holds a bug farm and garden. This is attempt to do so vigorously. Also, their currency
unlikely to be of particular interest to visiting is buttons and thimbles, so any adventurer
adventurers, as the wines are served in tiny looking to make his fortune at the card table with
glasses, and most player characters probably the tinyfolk is likely to be disappointed.
dislike eating bugs.
Tinyfolk: Init +2; Atk -1 melee, 1d2 damage, AC
There is philosophical division amongst the 12, 3 HP, SV Fort -3, Ref +4, Will +0; AL L, Crit
tinyfolk within the village. Some of the younger III/d4
tinyfolk feel that the mining consortium
provides a valuable link to the outside world, or

14
The Marvol Mining Corporation (2)

The company mining the Mountain of Silver Tears is the Marvol Mining Corporation. They dispatched
the army of the tinyfolk with one well placed spell from Marvolox (Emrikol’s Entropic Maelstrom, DCC
213). The company convinced the remaining tinyfolk to allow removal of what they call “excess
thaumaturgic fluid”, as well as the famous silver tear gems.

In truth, Marvolox divined the location of a powerful and dormant creature in the mountain. With a
team of trusted mercenaries and Arquin, his servitor spirit, they went into the mountain and
assembled a machine of the wizard’s devising, attaching it to the sleeping god.

Marvolox intends to sell the fluid and gems to magical practitioners at scale, promising that the
potency of their spells will be increased by consumption of the fluid.

The officers in charge of the operation are Grutele, a paunchy, overdressed merchant with a cruel
streak, and Marvolox the Prime Accountant, a wizard of great talent and little imagination. Marvolox
left a spirit that he bound to his service, Arquin, to represent him while he travels elsewhere. Although
inconceivably powerful, Arquin is doing a terrible job, as he is sullen and disloyal.

The Marvol Mining Corporation had hired a company of mercenaries to act as security. They were
competent and well-paid, led by a former soldier named Lavoigne. The mercenaries were sent down
into the mines to find out why work had stopped. Every mercenary was killed, except Lavoigne, who
was wounded and trapped.

Presuming the players are armed, Grutele will immediately offer them employment as mercenaries,
and compel them to take the remaining workmen down below and sort out the issues. If they refuse, he
will politely inform the players that he has other concerns and no further time to speak with them.

Workmen (2d4): Init -2; Atk assorted tools +1 melee (1d4); AC 9; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref
+1, Will +0; AL varies.

Grutele: Init +0; short sword +1 melee (1d6); AC 9; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +1;
AL L.

15
 Marvolox, the Prime Accountant Arquin the Spirit

Marvolox the Prime Accountant is chief financier Arquin the Spirit appears as a thin-lipped,
and director of the Marvol Mining Corporation cantankerous man in his early fifties. Arquin is
(a division of Marvol’s Marvels). His appearance an incredibly powerful spirit from another
is of a cheery wizard with kindly eyes and a dimension, trapped by artifice into service of the
friendly disposition. He has a long white beard, wizard Marvolox. Arquin is patiently waiting for
small eyeglasses, and green robes. He wears a Marvolox to die so he can return to his extra-
funny little hat. dimensional home.

Marvolox is obsessed with wealth for wealth’s As he is a spirit of incalculable power, Arquin
sake. He is driven by a fetishistic desire to see knows all spells and is immune to damage. He is
numbers increase. He divined the location of the reluctant to take any action unless compelled to
moth-god while specifically searching for an do so by Marvolox. The only thing capable of
untapped, infinite resource. scaring Arquin is the return of the Moth-God,
something that truly rivals Arquin in power.
When the players arrive in the camp, Marvolox is
away on business. He intends to return the next If the players devise a way to free him from
evening. His reaction depends entirely on the service to Marvolox, through bargain, trickery,
way the players have acted in his absence. If he or violence, Arquin will consider granting them
feels the player’s have sabotaged his plans, some small boon or aiding them in their quest.
Marvolox will command Arquin to do away with He will not be drawn into their struggles or even
them. long conversation before returning home.
Arquin has seen enough of our world.
Marvolox: Init +1; Atk unarmed +1 melee (1d3);
AC 11; HD 7d6; hp 35; Act 1d20+1d16; SP spellbook Arquin: Init +6; Atk bite +1 melee (1d3); AC 14; HD
(+8 spellcheck, as CL 7), SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will 4d8; hp 21; MV special; Act 1d20; SP invisibility,
+4; AL C; Crit I/d14. immune to magical attacks, ½ damage from
physical attacks, spells (+10 spell check); SV Fort
Spells: Chill Touch (DCC 133) Color Spray (DCC +2, Ref +2, Will +2; AL N; Crit M/d10.
135) Evaluate (Appendix A) Mending (DCC 147)
Read Magic (DCC 152) Levitate (DCC 176) Mirror
Image (DCC 182) Fireball (DCC 216) Emrikol’s
Entropic Maelstrom (DCC 213)

16
The fluid and the gems The silver transport tube (4)

The gems (really fossilized bits of the last Passage to the mines is furnished by a large
incarnation of the Moth-God) extracted from the machine. It resembles a large mechanical pump.
mine are unique and beautiful. A bag of gems is As the gears within turn, acrid black smoke
worth 2d12+5 GP. Players worried about flooding pushes out in clouds, a mechanical goose laying
the market with these unique gems and forcing vile ashen eggs.
the price down need not worry; since the Moth-
God has begun to wake, the gems dissolve into The silver transport tube of the machine holds
colorless dead moths 2 weeks after leaving the four comfortably, and more uncomfortably.
mountain. This fact will begin to cause trouble Working the elevator is simple. There is a switch
for the Marvol Mining Corporation, if they last inside. Throwing it precipitates a great grinding
that long. sound, and then a gut-wrenching drop as the
player characters move into the world below.
The fluid does grant potency to magic users. If
consumed, for the next 1d3 hours spell-casting is
dangerously enhanced. A spell caster rolls a d6
when casting a spell. On a 1 or a 2, the potency
overwhelms the wizard and they lose that many
HP. Otherwise, that number is added to the spell
result.

Workmen (3)

There are only a handful of workmen (2d4) left.

The workmen have heard of the danger of going
below. With most of the mercenaries also below
and Marvolox temporarily absent, Grutele finds
himself unable to force the workmen (or Arquin)
to do anything.

The workmen are pleasant enough to the players,

unless the players agree to help Grutele to
compel them back down into the cavern. None of
the workmen are inclined to fight. If faced with
danger, the workmen are driven by self-
preservation first and foremost. This is not a job
worth dying over.

17
 The Caverns
► One of the affected worker mothmen is
scrabbling in the dirt, looking for food. There is
also a mothman corpse here, with a dagger
Cavern summary
sticking out of its chest.
The mine within the caverns has been co-opted
The tubing mentioned here can be followed
by the Moth-God that the mining consortium
through the entire mine, extending into every
was attempting to exploit. In its radiance, the
area but Room 6 (Marvolox’s laboratory).
holy larva has transformed the men and
mercenaries who attempted to exploit the Moth- Mothman: Init +1; Atk claw +1 melee (1d4); AC 9;
God into mindless servitors. The captain of the 5HP, HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP regeneration:
mercenaries, the dauntless Lavoigne, is trapped gain 1d2 HP per round unless reduced to 0; toxic
down here and plots her escape. blood (dealing melee damage to a mothman, PC
makes a DC10 Ref save or takes 1d4 damage as
The mothmen attempt to sabotage the
they are sprayed with acidic blood); SV Fort +0,
mechanism Marvolox devised by throwing their
Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
bodies into it. The mothmen will be hostile to the
players as they move through the dungeon. The 2: The imprisoned army
players can end their suffering by decoding and
singing the song in room 3. Alternatively, simply This room holds a desk and a sturdy shelf. The shelf is
removing the larvae from the mechanism will filled with glass canning jars. Each jar has an airhole,
cause the moth-men to disperse and the a piece of rag, and a little tinyfolk prisoner inside.
creature to transform and wreak vengeance on
those who enslaved it. One tinyfolk addresses the party - this is General
Sandholder, the tinyfolk commander who was
If the players choose to, they may simply clear unfortunate enough to face Marvolox in the
the dungeon of mothmen and return to the initial battle for the tinyfolk village. He asks the
surface. This will restore normal operation of the player characters to let him and his men free so
mine, and they will be rewarded by the mining that the tinyfolk can get their revenge. If
consortium. released, they make for the upside, where Arquin
will promptly return them to their jars.
1: Transport tube exit
On the desk is a piece of paper with a numbered
The silver transport tube opens in a narrow chamber, lit list. 1,3,4,5 are empty. 2 is labeled “B”. (This is a
by a pair of hanging lanterns. An unruly set of flexible clue to the puzzle in Room 3)
tubes and wires lay on the ground in a trench,
connected to the transport tube. They writhe on the General Sandholder: Init +2; Atk +0 melee, 1d3
ground as they struggle to pump some kind of fluid. damage, AC 12, 3 HP, SV Fort -3, Ref +4, Will +0;
The walls of the chamber are stained with smoke. AL L, Crit III/d4

Buckets of stagnant water are piled in one corner. Rice- Tinyfolk solder: Init +2; Atk -1 melee, 1d3
like larvae swim inside. A figure crouched by the far damage, AC 12, 3 HP, SV Fort -3, Ref +4, Will +0;
wall grunts and digs in the earth with its fingers. A AL L, Crit III/d4
body lies nearby, a dagger lodged in its chest.

18
3: Snakes on a wall

The room’s stone walls were carved centuries ago. Snakes are carved into one wall; on the floor opposite sits five stone
buttons and a curved lever mounted in the floor.

On the wall is a set of snake lines, almost exactly like the ones found in the tinyfolk village. Above the
line of snakes is an upside-down moth, below the line is a right-side up moth. There are four lengths of
snake.

► In order from left to right, the snakes represent the notes B - A - B - C# - D

► Each snake represents a number of steps away from A via its length.
► The first snake is twice as large as the second (Note: B)
► The second snake is the shortest snake. (Note: A)
► The third snake is the same as the first (Note: B)
► The fourth snake is as long as the first and second snake combined. (Note: C#)
► The fifth snake is twice as long as the first snake (Note: D)
There are 5 slightly elevated buttons in the ground and a lever. Pressing the buttons reveals pitches,
from left to right, of A-B-C-D-E.

Pulling the lever while pressing the button shifts the pitch one half step. So a ‘B’ becomes a C, an F
becomes an F#, a C becomes a C#, etc.

19
 3: Snakes on a wall (continued)

The solution is to play the notes in the order of the snake picture, as noted in 1 above (B - A - B - C# - D).

The player characters need to press the buttons (numbered according to their position relative to the
left) in the following order:

1. Second
2. First
3. Second
4. Third, while pulling the lever down
5. Fourth
If the players or judge doesn’t understand music theory or find puzzles frustrating, the Judge can
substitute a DC 20 Intelligence check (spending luck allowed) and explain what the players should do.
Spending luck should also be encouraged.

The players have a total of ten button presses before triggering a trap. After the first five presses, the
room shakes. If they haven’t solved the puzzle after the ten presses, the ceiling opens up and white
“snakes” pour from the ceiling. The snakes are actually larvae, who attempt to climb down the player's
throats. DC 17 reflex save or 1d6 damage. With that, the trap is disabled and nothing prevents the
players from attempting to solve the puzzle again.

If the player characters solve the puzzle, the air is filled with a sweet yet ominous song. There is muffled
groaning from Room 5 as the mothmen inside are compelled to abandon their skin suits as their
organs, meats, and bones transform into thousands of friendly and beautiful moths.

The song also begins the transformation of the holy larva. This will free the Moth-God from its prison.
It will teleport the players to Room 7, where it will grant them each 2d10 temporary hit points in
gratitude before blossoming into a giant, beautiful moth and attacking the encampment above.

20
4: Purification chamber

The wires and tubes that have run the entire length of the mine feed into a network of glass tubes. Eyebrow scorching
heat fills the room. On the ground near the door, an armed woman with a steely gaze and pallid skin eyes you
suspiciously.

This room holds a machine for purifying the Moth-God’s blood into the Marvol formula. It is a man-
sized concoction of black tubes and boxes and is giving off a worrying heat. It is fed by a branch of the
tubing that lies along the floors through these caverns.

Lavoigne, the mercenary leader, has blocked the door from room 5. She and her men were
overwhelmed by the numbers of the mothmen but she is reluctant to leave without doing her duty. She
can be talked into helping face the mothmen in Room 5 with a DC 12 Personality check, or by healing
her.

Lavoigne: Init +2; Atk rapier +2 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 1d8; MV 25’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +0;
AL L.

5: Gem inventory

You see barrel after barrel full of gleaming gems, sorted by color. The wall has been partially dug away. If the puzzle
has not been solved: Three more of those strange creatures fight over the scraps of two armed corpses.

Three mothmen have broken into this room, having dug a hole from Room 7, and are feasting on the
body of two mercenaries.

If the players have completed the puzzle in room 3, the mothmen have been reduced to their
component moths.

A DC 17 Intelligence check identifies the gem barrels as fragments of the wings of an ancient moth god.
If the players take any out of the mine, they should make a DC 15 Will save or begin transformation into
a moth-man (moth mutations, intelligence reduced to 0, hunger for flesh, irreversible unless reversed
by the Moth God.)

The door to room 4 is locked and blocked by Lavoigne. A DC 20 Strength check will force it open.

21
 6: Marvolox’s home away from home 7: The blood pump

Stepping into this chamber is like leaving the mine and A curtain of black smoke greets you. It’s hard to see, but
entering a cozy study. The walls are covered in forest before a wall of glass, an engine sputters and grinds to
green wallpaper and lined with bookcases, the floor is complete its mission. Behind the glass you see an
wood, and two braziers burn incense. Strings covered impossibly blue sky, a fiery orange sun, and a titanic
with multicolored beads hang from the ceiling. In the brown and green larva, speared by black wires pulled
center of the room, a pedestal holds a ball of purple from the smoke-choking engine.
crystal.
If the puzzle in room 3 was not completed:
This is Marvolox’s laboratory away from home. Mothmen shove their bodies into the gears of the
The door is trapped (DC 15 to detect it, DC18 to machine, spraying brackish blood out in arcs. In the
disarm it). If not disarmed, the first PC to enter center of the room sits a serene, nine-foot mothman. As
is trapped by a steel grate. you enter, it watches you with inhuman eyes.

The room is protected by a metal construct, This room holds the mechanism that pumps
which attacks automatically if Marvolox does not blood from the pre-divine moth larva. The smoke
explicitly deactivate it. renders visibility poor and dice chain penalties
should be levied appropriately.
Metal Construct
In the back of the room is a glass wall, cracked,
► Six and half feet tall, metallic, metal claws
door unlocked. Tubes and wires leading from the
for hands
machine are fed through a port in the top of the
► Steam pipes: scream as they come to life glass. The wires carried through the glass
► Exhaust ports: leaking red jelly terminate in a barbed tube. The tube punctures a
Metal Construct: Init +1; Atk scary metal claws, brown and green larva of titanic scale.
+3 melee (1d6); Vent exhaust, +3 ranged (1d4), AC
If the players attempt to prevent the machine
15; HD 6d8; hp 30; MV 20’; Act 2d20; SP immune
from being damaged or interfere with any of the
to charm, hold and sleep; suffers half-damage
moth men feeding themselves to it, the large
from piercing or slashing weapons; SV Fort +3,
mothman will attack them. Otherwise, it will let
Ref +1, Will N.A.; AL N.
them pass without incident.
The player characters can find a spellbook here
Giant mothman: Init +4; Atk claw +4 melee (4d4);
containing Evaluate (Appendix A), Emirikol’s
AC 12; 14 HP, HD 5d6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP
Entropic Maelstrom (DCC213), and 2 other
regeneration: gain 1d4 HP per round unless
randomly selected Level 1 and 2 spells. as well as
reduced to 0; toxic blood (dealing melee damage
assorted gems and currency worth 6d100 GP.
to a mothman, PC makes a DC10 Ref save or
There are also exhaustive financial records for
takes 1d4 damage as they are sprayed with acidic
the Marvol Mining Corporation.
blood); SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1; AL C.
If the player characters steal from Marvolox and
he survives this adventure, he will pursue them
to the ends of the Earth to get his revenge.

22
8: Moth-God larva

Passing through the glass, the blue sky and fiery sun vanish. Instead, you’re in a sordid stone tomb dressed up like
an operating theater. The mammoth creature before you, as large as a blue whale, struggled to breathe.

This is the Moth-God in its larval form. A giant barbed spear has been lodged in its side, and blood is
being extracted from it to flow through the great pump that powers the workings of the mine.

Touching the larva, the players experience a vision of an ancient world ruled by primeval creatures of
impossible scale.

The moth god immediately attempts to implant the sacred song within the mind of anyone who enters.
Learning the song this way grants immunity from the moth-man transformation. It also bypasses the
need to solve the “snake” puzzle in Room 3.

Choosing to resist this mental invasion triggers a DC 15 Will save. Note any failures; if the melody from
room 3 is ever played, they will become glassy-eyed and began to chant the song until physically
stopped.

The moth god wants help, and conveys this magically to the players. It would like for the machine to
disabled and the spear removed that magically pins it to the Earth. The PCs can also sing the song
together - 5 minutes of singing the song causes the Moth God to emerge from the larva

If the players free the Moth God larva from the pump and sing the magical song of its awakening, it will
teleport them back to the village center, where Marvolox has returned.

If the players decline to free the Moth God, it will emit a cloud of gas. Players are allowed a DC 14 reflex
save (using a d16 if they failed the song save when they entered this room), or they will begin to
transform into mothmen in 2d6 days.

Moth-God (larval form): Init +4; Atk crush +6 melee (1d10+4); AC 16; HP 51, HD 7d10; MV 40’; Act 2d20;
SP crit on 19-20, regeneration, heal 1d12 hp/round, gaseous attack to transform victim into mothman
thrall (DC 20 Will save);SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +10; AL L.

23
 Exploring the primeval forest
It is outside the stated goal of this module to provide a detailed version of the primeval forest. In the
author’s conception, this forest is the size of a small planet and contains a near infinite variety of flora,
fauna, and biomes.

That said, the primeval forest is very much like Monster Island from the Godzilla film series, or any of
the various “Hollow Earth”-genre classics (see the 1976 film At the Earth’s Core for a great example). If
player’s decide to explore it, the Judge is encouraged to make something up! If inspiration fails, here
are some suggestions. Statistics have not been provided for combat encounters. The author suggests
opening the DCC corebook, finding the most similar monster, and using those stats.

d10 encounters in the primeval forest

1. 1d6 super-intelligent purple gorillas. They are gentle, vegetarian, and violent only if approached.
2. A flesh eating vine creature
3. 1d8 leather cannibals, having somehow found their way into the mountain, skinny and more
desperate than their surface cousins
4. A lush garden of the most exotic and addictive fruit the players have ever seen, all giant-sized
5. 1d4 bears, standing solemnly around a campfire
6. A giant earwig
7. A 60-ft statue of a human, dressed in Victorian explorer clothes
8. A dune buggy, inoperable
9. A telescope. If looked through, teleports viewer directly to the moon (Will save allowed, probably).
10. A tyrannical, fire-breathing lizard

24
Marvolox vs the Concluding the
Moth-God adventure
One likely outcome of all this is that the Moth- If the players kill all the moth-men below and
God emerges from the mountain and does battle return with the apparatus intact and pumping
with the wizard Marvolox and his servitor-spirit, the creature’s blood, Marvolox will gratefully
Arquin. If so, a cone of arcane energy will spring reward them with 500 GP each. He will
up around the combatants as the duel begins. remember the player’s devotion to good business
The player characters are able to walk through and may ask for their assistance again in the
this shield. Their involvement can tip the scales future.
of battle, but prudence suggests they retreat to
fight another day. Dryan O’Dryan will treat them with hostility if
they promised to free the Moth-God and did not.
If the player’s witness or become involved in the
duel, the Judge can roll on the table below to If the PCs freed the Moth-God, they will find it
narrate the action. Roll 1d6 to determine having freed Arquin and battling Marvolox. The
attacker: 1-3 Marvolox, 4-6 Moth-God. (Idea stolen Moth-God will string Marvolox across the blind
from a similar table in DCC #73: Emirikol Was recesses of time and space, shattering him into
Framed) eternal agony, and then ascend into space.
Tinyfolk, if asked, will insist that it will relight
d8 Occurrences during the battle the sun and perpetuate life on Earth for
countless millennia. The PC’s can all call on the
1. Defender narrowly avoids being crushed or
Moth God as if they had an Invoke Patron result
destroyed by a powerful spell.
of 18-19.
2. Arquin announces his term of service over
and exits the fray. They will also be entitled to a monetary reward
3. Attacker casts a spell that fails to damage equivalent to 1 electrum from the tinyfolk for
defender, but instead careens out wildly to freeing the Moth God. This will be paid in gems
strike onlookers for 1d8 damage. from the caverns (which will still dissolve, so
4. Attacker scores a direct hit on defender for hurry to spend them) and large quantities of salt.
2d8 damage. If unable to transport such quantities down the
5. Defender is shunted to another dimension mountain, or unwilling to transition to careers
briefly, returning next round to the surprise as salt merchants, the tinyfolk offer to house the
of all. salt and sell it for the PCs in exchange for a
6. Arquin freezes time and sits reading a book nominal fee.
entitled How to defeat a Moth-God for 1d4
hours. Everyone is fully aware of time
passing
7. 2d8 moth-men spring from the dirt with
violent intentions
8. Counterspell! Attacker takes 2d8 damage.

25
 Appendices
For the pleasure and convenience of the judge, several
appendices have been provided here to aid in running The Giant
Moth that Awaits Us All or similar DCC adventures.
► Appendix A: Evaluate, a spell from Marvolox’s book
► Appendix B: The City of 10,000 Pilgrims, a possible location for
Bureauguardian’s Hospitalier and Fromagerie, as well as the site
of several happenings, including a brief diversionary quest, the
chance to star in a play, and the identity of one of the many cults
that can be encountered.

► Appendix C: The Moth-God as a patron deity

► Appendix D: A new character class, the Bird Speaker

26
Appendix A Results
► 1 Lost, failure, and worse: Roll 1d6 modified
Evaluate by luck (0 or less) corruption + patron taint
+misfire; (1-2) corruption; (3) patron taint (or
Level: 1, Range: Varies, Duration: Instantaneous, corruption if no patron); (4) misfire
Casting Time: 1 Action, Save: None ► 2-11 Lost. Failure.
► 12-13: The caster learns the fair market value
General: The caster intuits the market value of
of one object they can touch.
any object in-hand, or: identifies the nearest
object of a given value. On a successful casting, ► 14-17: The caster learns the fair market value
of one object they can see (within 20 feet) or
the wizard may choose to involve an effect of
touch.
lesser power than their spell check roll to
produce a weaker but potentially more useful ► 18-19: The caster learns the fair market value
of all objects they can see (within 20 feet) or
result. Note: market value is determined by the Judge
touch.
Manifestation: Roll 1d4. (1) The caster’s irises ► 20-23: The caster learns the fair market value
become gold coins; (2) the object or location in of one object they can see (within 20 feet) or
question glows with pink light proportional to its touch, and get a +1d to any rolls to negotiate
for that item.
value; (3) the caster retches out a single copper
piece minted by an imaginary place; (4) the ► 24-27: The caster learns the fair market value
caster’s voice intones the location or value in a of one object they can see (within 20 feet) or
touch, or they can instantly know the precise
robotic voice not their own.
location of the most valuable item within 1
mile.
Corruption: Roll 1d4: (1) the caster loses the ability
to read and write words and is only capable of ► 28-29: The caster knows the precise location
reading and writing numbers; (2) the caster’s of the most valuable item within 1 mile, and
can transport themselves and any other
tongue splits into 4 distinct forks (one each of
willing to that location instantly.
silver, gold, platinum, and copper); (3) the caster
incessantly taps their fingers on any surface as if ► 30-31: The caster knows the precise location
of the most valuable item within 1 mile, and
counting a perpetually higher and higher
can transport themselves and any other
number; (4) the caster compulsively refers to willing to that location instantly.
nouns by their fair market values rather than
► 32+: The caster can transmute any object
their names when speaking.
into currency of their choice, equal to it’s
fair market value. If made against an
Misfire: Roll 1d4: (1) The caster suggests an
unwilling target, the target is allowed a Will
inordinately large number as a value and cannot save vs spell check to resist.
be persuaded that this is incorrect; (2) the caster
vomits worthless tin coins uncontrollably for the
next 1d4 rounds; (3) the caster is rendered
catatonic for the next 1d4 hours as they realize
how high numbers can go; (4) the caster cannot
say anything but meaningless strings of
numbers for the next 1d8 hours.

27
28
Appendix B d6 Gods worshipped in the City
1. Anaxos, patron of unsolved mysteries.
The City of Appears as a shadowy figure

10,000 Pilgrims 2. Crabulon-prime, extraterrestrial crab hive

3. DiRenouncio, patron of graft. Appears as a
well dressed androgynous humanoid with a
The City of 10,000 Pilgrims is a loosely described
fancy outfit
adventure location for your Dungeon Crawl
Classics game. It is one place to put the 4. Karon, patron of satisfaction in oneself. A
muscular nude blond
Bureauguardian’s Hospitalier and Fromagerie and
can be near the Mountain of Silver Tears. It can also 5. The Denial Twist, a possibly notional deity
be inserted into your game at any location where of forced chastity
it might be useful. A Judge should feel 6. Job, the patron of false magicians
empowered to consider any of the details below
optional.
d6 Things witnessed on street corners
The City is a holy land to hundreds of religions.
1. A food cart selling baby-sized mushrooms
Seen from a distance, the city is a mismatched
jungle of spires and obelisks, as every cultist and 2. A purple man fighting a green man, both of
mad god’s devotee has raised a symbol of their them intoxicated
faith here, often seeking to outdo their neighbor. 3. Competitive church building
At night, the towers are a jagged mass of black 4. Open mic night at the local Fromagerie
teeth; during the day, they are a rainbow - purple
5. Dogs on stilts races
glass and black stone, with braziers pouring
scented smoke across the dim red sky. 6. Big hole in the ground. Worshippers
tearfully throwing themselves into it.
The City is surrounded by a clay wall of long
antiquity. The City has many permanent
residents, but most exist in a ring of sandstone
houses and neighborhoods on the outskirts.
Small holy wars often erupt in the center of the
city, known as The Area of Free Worship and it is
only wise to stay out of the way of the faithful.

Buying goods in The City is more expensive than

the average costs listed in the DCC core
rulebook. Add 20% to the prices listed there. That
said, a wide variety of weapons and provisions
can be found in the city. There is no short supply
of clerics within The City willing to sell healing or
even serve as retainers.

29
 A side quest Automaton: Init +1; Atk slam +3 melee (1d6),
discharge battery +3 ranged (1d8); AC 14; HP 8,

Missing pet HD 1d10+2; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +3,
Will -1; AL L.
“Sleepy! Sleepy!” A young girl nearly trips and falls Entering the room, there are three disembodied
into you. “Oh! I’m sorry!” She looks around. “Have you hands clutching quill pens, filling out scrolls
seen my dog, Sleepy?” forever. They attack any unauthorized visitors.
A young girl, Zamprina, is missing her “dog”, Disembodied, floating quill-wielding hands
Sleepy. She asks the player characters to find it, (3): Init -1; Atk stab -2 melee (1d3); AC 10; HP 4,
saying a shopkeeper named Jaron had taken it as HD 1d6; MV fly 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +0,
payment for her mother’s unpaid debt. Will -3; AL N.
Although the players don’t know it, Sleepy is a Butchery
belegur. Jaron intends to use Sleepy as inventory
in his shop; see below. The room behind the contractorium is a small
menagerie and butchery. There is a table filled
Zamprina gives the player’s a whistle that calms with bone saws, drying racks of skin, etc. The
Sleepy down. “Otherwise, he doesn’t like cages are currently empty, except for a small
strangers.” carnohawk chick and Sleepy. Jaron will open
Sleepy’s cage as a last resort. If the players have
Jaron claims the girl’s mother was a witch who
the whistle and use it, he will throw himself on
cursed him with swollen buttocks. It’s true - if
their mercy.
the player’s ask to see it, they will find that his
buttocks are covered with bursting red pustules. Sleepy the Belegur: Init +0; Atk claw +3 melee
If asked, Jaron doesn’t remember the witch, also (1d8+3); AC 13; HP 13, HD 2d12; MV 40’ or glide 15’;
named Zamprina, having a daughter. Act 1d24; SP resistant to non-magical attacks; SV
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +8; AL C; Crit M/d8 .
Shop
Sleepy is, in fact, a Belegur; a snarling badger-
Jaron is a merchant of enchanted dentures and
like creature. He is a ½ of muscle, face ringed
prosthetics. The walls of his shop are decorated
with a nest of jagged tentacles. Sleepy is a big,
in fine hangings and bright colors, and the
hungry boy.
shelves are filled with replacement body parts,
built out of a wide variety of monstrous and
mutated creatures.

Contractorium

If the players ignore Jaron’s explanation, he flees

to the back room of his shop through a beaded
curtain. He possesses many mystical charms; the
room immediately behind the curtain contains
an automaton, who does his books and writes
his contracts.

30
Concluding the quest

If the players return Sleepy to Zamprina, she can

grant them select magical favors (boost a stat,
teach a spell, or make an extremely effective
offering to a god of their choice)

If the players decline to help Zamprina, or return

and accuse her of witchcraft, she will curse them
and leave in a cloud of laughter. Each player must
roll a DC 20 Will save, rolling a d5 on the curse
chart if they fail.

d5 Curses
1. Curse of the buttock / As Jaron can attest,
this is most unpleasant
2. Curse of the tongue / 1d penalty to all
personality based actions as the tongue is
engorged.
3. Curse of the knees / Legs of the victim bend
the wrong direction at the knees. 1d penalty
to actions using legs.
4. Curse of the hands / Fingers lengthen and
thin to nearly two feet long, dangling
uselessly like a stretched out glove. 1d
penalty to actions using hands
5. Curse of the brain / The flexibility of the
player’s neural pathways enhances and they
gain a 1d enhancement to Will saves and
other mental checks. However, they are
unable to walk or perform basic motor
functions beyond talking. Their distended
brain also may cause them to take a -2d on
any Personality checks, but it probably
depends who they are speaking to (some
people like a big old brain).

31
 The chance for stardom G’TRAST: SHAKES VIGOROUSLY, RELEASE
MEANINGFUL SCENTS

The mystery HARNO: I worry that Monad must not be

play allowed to address the courtroom. He brings up

many inarguable points about his persecution,
and has engendered much sympathy amongst
You come upon a giant, an ambulatory plant,
the common folk. Additionally, his flanks appear
and a beautiful dwarven woman are acting out
to suffer from the same undernourishment as
the Trial of Monad the Great.
the rest of him. In any case, more time should be
The giant takes the role of Harno the given to consideration and feeding.
Executioner, a warrior who was said to be
PONTECILLA (shrieking): Monad should be
immune to magic and sustained himself on
bound and punished! His words are immaterial!
wizard flesh. He wields a large sword.
HE MUST FEEL MY LASH!
The dwarven woman takes the role of Pontecilla
G’TRAST: SHAKES VIGOROUSLY, RELEASE
the Pious, nun-queen who feared mages and
MEANINGFUL SCENTS
their traffic in demons. She wears a leather habit
and carries a terrifying looking scourge. HARNO: (resigned) Very well. Let the trial
proceed. May the gods guide our judgment and
The plant acts out the role of G'trast, the Judge
protect us from the consequences of our actions.
who would condemn Monad to death. They are
unarmed. PONTECILLA: (shrieking) The only consequence
that matters is the punishment of Monad. All life
One of the players (the most magical, with a luck
is subservient to the great PATTERN! Even
roll to break ties) is elected to play the role of
WIZARDS!
Monad.
G’TRAST: RAISES PSEUDOPOD IN A SOLEMN
Dialogue follows; the player portraying Monad is
MANNER; NEW SCENTS ARE RELEASED
not given any lines beforehand. It’s
recommended that two or three other players are Everyone turns to MONAD, awaiting his response
given a copy of the script and assigned parts; it’s
less fun if the Judge soliloquizes the entire play.

32
The player portraying Monad will be pushed to
their knees. Harno will draw his massive sword,
although he whispers to the player “all part of the
show — say something!”

When the player does respond, the actress

portraying Pontecilla walks out into the crowd to
collect money so they can perform the
conclusion. As she does, she loudly asks the
audience if they wish to see Monad executed or if
he should be spared.

The player as Monad should make a DC 10

Personality check to determine the crowd’s
reaction to their performance. The Judge may
award a bonus if they feel that the player’s
improvisation merits it. The Judge is encouraged
to grade on a curve here, as this is fun role
playing game times and not drama class.

If the crowd declares Monad spared, the player is

hoisted to their feet by Harno and encouraged to
take a bow. Pontecilla will slip the player a cut of
the proceeds (3d10 CP) and thank them for their
time.

If the crowd wishes to see Monad executed, the

player may attempt a DC10 Reflex save to avoid
Harno’s blade. Otherwise, the sword cleanly
severs their head and a wide, thin gout of blood
sprays the appreciative crowd.

33
 Promising new friends spellcasting (+8 spell check); SV Fort +4, Ref +0,
Will +8; AL N.

The Bird- Cronis’ spellbook: Color spray (DCC 135), feather

speaker cult fall

Xyt represents the carrion bird. She has no

The Bird-speakers are in the midst of their particular quest for the player characters but will
pilgrimages. The devotees are dressed in cordially offer them membership in her cult, and
feathered robes, and have undergone body teach them the funerary rites of the carrion cult.
modifications to appear more bird-like (eyes Any player with a lawful alignment who takes the
relocated, beaks implanted, etc). time to learn the rites should gain a luck point.

They will try to recruit any passing player Xyt: Init +2; Atk martial arts +2 melee (1d4+4); AC
characters to their cult, explaining the different 9; HD HP 15 4d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP
aspects of the over-bird that they serve. Anthrometry (+8 spell check, see Appendix D);
SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4; AL L.
There is one representative of each of the three
factions:

Wrox represents the predators. He seeks a live

carnohawk as a fetish of worship. If given one, he
will provide a player with a quantity of meat that
grants 3d12 temporary hit points when eaten.

► Tall, muscular
► Bronzed skin, broad forehead
► Wields an axe
Wrox: Init +2; Atk axe +3 melee (1d8+2); AC 14;
HP 11 HD 2d12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP battle
madness; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0; AL C.

Cronis represents the familiar. They seek the

notes of the magician Gulagin, who Cronis
claims has stolen certain secrets from the over-
bird. They can share a spell (feather fall) if
Gulagin or his workbooks are returned to the
cult.

► Flowing green robe, head covered with a

hood
► Androgyne
Cronis: Init -2; Atk claw -2 melee (1d4-1) or spell;
AC 9; HP 12 HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP

34
Appendix C ► 20-23 One enemy within 20’ must make a
DC 20 Will save or be transformed suddenly

Moth-God and painfully into a mothman, who will aid

the caster for 1d6 rounds before dissolving
into moths.
Protector of the Earth ► 24-27 All enemies within 20’ must make a
DC 20 Will save or be transformed suddenly
The Moth-God had another name once, but it’s and painfully into a mothman, who will aid
been forgotten since the sun was young. The the caster for 1d6 rounds before dissolving
Moth-God represents the spirit of an earlier into moths.
time, dozens of eons before our own. It is ► 28-28 All enemies within 20’ must make a
worshiped in a few forgotten corners of the DC 20 Will save or be transformed suddenly
Earth and favors those who risk their lies in the and painfully into mothmen, who will aid
protection from others. It will grant assistance the caster for 1d6 rounds before dissolving
to acts of heroism but will ignore calls from those into moths. The caster’s skin is surrounded
who seek personal gain or domination. To form by a hardened larval armor (+5 to AC).
a bond with the Moth-God, a hero must lay down ► 30-31 The Moth-God grants the caster a
their life, dedicating the act to its spirit. The fraction of its power for 1d6 rounds. The
Moth-God will return the hero to life as one of its caster’s skin is surrounded by a hardened
larval armor (+5 to AC). The caster gains the
paladins.
power of flight, and they heal d10 HP.
Special: Larval resurrection ► 32+ The caster takes on the power of the
Moth-God for 1d6 rounds. They can fly, they
If the “roll the body” check is failed, the dead heal 2d20 hit points and can cast Lightning
character may make an additional Luck check to Bolt (DCC 222) with a d20+10 spell check.
see if their body has begun to transform into a Patron taint (d6)
cocoon. On a success, it has; the cocoon will
crack upon in 1d4 days; the character is the same, 1. The caster’s fingers begin to fuse and
except 1 stat has been increased by 1d3 and 1 stat lengthen. Any actions requiring manual
dexterity require a -1d penalty.
has been lowered by 1d3. (Determine stats
randomly). 2. Two extremely sensitive antennae spring
forth from the caster’s head.
Invoke Patron check results 3. The caster finds that they secrete silk from
their mouth, nose and ears at night time.
► 12-13 The Moth-God cannot answer the
caster’s summons, as it is engaged in more 4. The caster can’t help but break into chanting
important business. The caster feels the ritual melodies of the Moth-God
confidence, as they know they have whenever they find themselves in silence
everything they need to complete their (DC20 Will save to resist)
mission. 5. The caster is irresistibly drawn to bright
► 14-17 The Moth-God sends a powerful, lights (DC20 Will save to resist)
melodic chant which emerges from the 6. The caster’s skin becomes soft and
caster’s lips. Every ally within range gain +1d vulnerable as they near the end of the
to their next roll. shorter mothman lifespan. They take a -2
► 18-19 The caster’s skin is surrounded by a penalty to AC.
hardened larval armor (+5 to AC).

35
 Appendix D light armor, as they may need to be carried by
one of their feathered masters.

The Bird Alignment: A Bird Speaker can be of any

Speaker Class alignment, depending on which birds they've

chosen to align themselves with.

The birds at the end of the world know better ► Those who serve the carrion birds are
than most that the sun could go out tomorrow. usually aligned with Law
Millenia have passed since man relied on the ► Those who serve the familiar birds are
unerring locational loyalty of the homing usually neutral-aligned
pigeon. Now, the birds speak to each in secret ► Those who serve the predator birds are
languages. A display of plumage could carry usually Chaos-aligned
terrible tidings or good fortune. The wisdom of
Spells: A Bird Speaker cannot cast spells, except
birds is both lauded by desert sages and mocked
when a bird shows them how.
by learned magicians.
Falling damage: If conscious when doing so, the
Some serve as companions to lonely leather
Bird Speaker takes a +1d + CL bonus to saving
cannibal hunters; others carry messages from
throws related to falling.
head man to head man. Some eat the dead only.
Others terrorize travelers who stray off the Flight: At 5th level, the Bird Speaker has
known roads. Some birds have learned spells and mastered the power of flight, and can fly once
whisper them to the ears of men. per day for 1d16+CL minutes.
There are whole sects of clerics who pay them Languages: At 1st level, a Bird Speaker
homage and raise rooftops full of loyal owl automatically knows the language of the dead
familiars, taking on the same nocturnal lifecycle future, the common language of birds, and the
as their masters. There are those who follow the language of the bird cultures with which they are
carrion birds, knowing that for each corpse or aligned.
creature that is consumed, a new knowledge is
gained and one day, the vultures of the far wastes
will lay not a golden egg but an IOUN stone.

You are a Bird Speaker, one of those with the

sacred duty of speaking to and learning from the
true masters of the world. They seek the WIND
that will relight the sun and gift earth with
another millennia of life.

Hit points: A Bird Speaker gains 1d6 hit points

per level.

Weapon training: A Bird Speaker is proficient

using the arrow-gun, dagger, longsword, rapier,
sling, and staff. Bird Speakers typically wear

36
Bird speaker you would roll a d10 for an untrained skill, you
can roll a d16 (includes thief skills).

culture Likely familiar bird quests

Carrion birds ► Uncovering a library, long lost

► Carrying knowledge from one magician to
Carrion birds serve the forces of Law, making
another
sure that the wheel of life continues to spin even
as the sun itself is extinguished. Examples of carrion birds: Owl, pandecticon, furry
gleaning
If your Bird Speaker is aligned to the carrion
birds, you gain the anthrometry ability. Predator birds

At fifth level, you can understand the carnifex Predator birds believe that only the strong will
variant of bird language, which grants you the survive the dying of the earth.
ability to communicate secretly with the carrion
If your Bird Speaker is aligned to the predator
birds, as well as the ability to speak with the
birds, you gain the same deed dice and
recently deceased.
proficiency with all weapons as the Fighter
Likely carrion bird quests
At fifth level, you can understand the emperor
► Tracking down and killing a great ancient variant of bird language, which grants you the
beast ability to communicate secretly with the
► Unlocking a particularly juicy morgue or predator birds. You also gain the ability to
crypt command and cause fear in lesser creatures
(including other humans). When you speak to
Examples of carrion birds: Vulture, wroxclaw, greater
those you wish to command in the emperor
sparrow
tongue, they should make a Will save at DC10 +
Familiar birds CL. If you do so, they will be paralyzed with fear
and obey simple commands, as long as those
Familiar birds study the WIND, extracting the commands don't cause them harm.
traces of past spells and words that lie on the
winds and re-formulating them. They gather Likely predator bird quests
knowledge for knowledge's sake.
► Crush your enemies
If your Bird Speaker is aligned to the familiar ► See them driven before you
birds, you can learn and cast spells using a d16 ► Hear the lamentation of their women
action dice.
► Preparing a big feast
At fifth level, you can understand the Examples of carrion birds: Carnohawk, falcon,
thaumaturgical variant of bird language, which gladiatryx
grants you the ability to communicate secretly
with the familiar birds. You also have an
improved chance to understand any language,
know any fact, or perform any task; whenever

37
 Anthrometry
Level: 1, Range: Self, Duration: varies, Casting time: 1 turn, Save: None

When a Bird Speaker consumes the flesh of the recently dead, roll +CL and add their personality modifier:

► 1 The Bird Speaker is poisoned by the patterns within the flesh, and takes 1d6 damage
► 2-11 No effect
► 14-17 The Bird Speaker can visualize one image from the last 24 hours of the life of the consumed
flesh. At the judge's discretion, this can be something the Speaker was looking for.
► 18-19 The Bird Speaker has the memories and experience of the consumed flesh's last 24 hours of
life.
► 20-23 The full memories and experience of the consumed flesh become part of the Bird Speaker
for 1 day.
► 24-27 The full memories and experience of the consumed flesh become part of the Bird Speaker
for 1 day. The Bird Speaker can make a DC 15 personality check to mimic the voice of the
consumee.
► 28-31 The full memories and experience of the consumed flesh become forever part of the Bird
Speaker. The Bird Speaker can make a DC 10 personality check to mimic the voice of the
consumee, or a DC 20 personality check to assume the countenance of the deceased.
► 32+ The full memories and experience of the consumed flesh become inextricably part of the Bird
Speaker. The Bird Speaker can mimic the flesh and voice of the consumee at will. The Bird Speaker
should make a Will save when doing so. A failure and they become lost in the sauce of the
consumed, forgetting their own life entirely.

Level Attack Critical Action die Ref Fort Will Predator deed die
1 +1 1d6/III 1d20 +1 +1 +1 d3
2 +1 1d8/III 1d20 +1 +1 +1 d3
3 +2 1d8/III 1d20 +2 +1 +1 d4
4 +2 1d10/III 1d20 +2 +2 +2 d4
5 +2 1d10/III 1d20 + 1d14 +2 +2 +2 d6
6 +2 1d12/III 1d20 + 1d16 +3 +3 +3 d6
7 +3 1d14/III 2d20 +4 +3 +3 d7
8 +4 1d14/III 2d20 +4 +4 +4 d8
9 +5 1d14/III 2d20 +5 +4 +4 d8
10 +6 1d16/III 2d20 + 1d14 +5 +5 +5 d10

38
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Explore the far future, a world where:
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Aside from the main adventure (a Dungeon Crawl Classics
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MOTH THAT AWAITS US ALL also includes:
► An introduction to the City of 10,000 Pilgrims, where clerics
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► Three things to do in the City
► A new class based on one type of said pilgrim
► A new spell, specifically for market-minded wizards
Includes all new original interior art and maps by Gino Vasconcelos
and a cover by Acid Lich.

SKU: GMG3P296
MSRP: $13.33 USD