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Back Alley

Environments Designed by Lif
Tier
2
Type
Exploration
Difficulty
14
Impulses
Lure the curious conceal lurking predators distort sight and sound isolate the unwary turn curiosity into danger.

Environment overview

A narrow, lightless alley hidden between towering buildings, where curious creatures disappear and hungry predators lurk among the refuse.

Potential adversaries

Ravenous Mockeries Swarm of Rats Rust Eater

Features

Passives

passive
  • Feline Curiositiy

    A stray cat disappears into a narrow alley, drawing the PCs after it. The passage is cluttered with broken crates, rubbish, and abandoned belongings. Once per scene, a PC can make an Instinct Roll to investigate, discovering something useful or unsettling: a frightened cat, strange scratches, scattered animal bones, a handful of gold, or movement in the shadows.

    Questions
    • What drew the cat into the alley? What unusual sounds echo between the buildings?
  • A collection of Bones

    Small, unnaturally clean skeletons of rats and birds lie scattered among the refuse. A successful Knowledge or Instinct Roll reveals signs of predation, including unusually large bite marks. On a success with Hope, the PC can grant an ally advantage on their next roll to detect or avoid a hidden threat in the alley.

    Questions
    • What killed these creatures? Why are their remains concentrated here?

Actions

action
  • Scurrying Vermin

    Spend a Fear to summon a Swarm of Rats from the surrounding gutters and rubbish within Close range of a PC. The swarm immediately takes the spotlight. The rats instinctively avoid any Mockeries present.

Reactions

reaction
  • Nowhere to Run

    Countdown (4). Activate when the Mockeries attack; tick down whenever a PC rolls with Fear. When triggered, collapsing crates block part of the alley. PCs within Very Close range must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or take 2d8+3 physical damage and become temporarily Restrained. Clearing the obstruction requires a successful Strength or Agility Roll.

About this environment

Back Alley

Tier 2 Exploration

A narrow, lightless alley hidden between towering buildings, where curious creatures disappear and hungry predators lurk among the refuse.

Impulses: Lure the curious, conceal lurking predators, distort sight and sound, isolate the unwary, turn curiosity into danger.

Difficulty: 14

Potential Adversaries: Ravenous Mockeries, Swarm of Rats, Rust Eater

Features

Feline Curiositiy - Passive: A stray cat disappears into a narrow alley, drawing the PCs after it. The passage is cluttered with broken crates, rubbish, and abandoned belongings. Once per scene, a PC can make an Instinct Roll to investigate, discovering something useful or unsettling: a frightened cat, strange scratches, scattered animal bones, a handful of gold, or movement in the shadows.
  • What drew the cat into the alley? What unusual sounds echo between the buildings?
A collection of Bones - Passive: Small, unnaturally clean skeletons of rats and birds lie scattered among the refuse. A successful Knowledge or Instinct Roll reveals signs of predation, including unusually large bite marks. On a success with Hope, the PC can grant an ally advantage on their next roll to detect or avoid a hidden threat in the alley.
  • What killed these creatures? Why are their remains concentrated here?
Scurrying Vermin - Action: Spend a Fear to summon a Swarm of Rats from the surrounding gutters and rubbish within Close range of a PC. The swarm immediately takes the spotlight. The rats instinctively avoid any Mockeries present.
Nowhere to Run - Reaction: Countdown (4). Activate when the Mockeries attack; tick down whenever a PC rolls with Fear. When triggered, collapsing crates block part of the alley. PCs within Very Close range must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or take 2d8+3 physical damage and become temporarily Restrained. Clearing the obstruction requires a successful Strength or Agility Roll.

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