OSR Sword & Sorcery Adventure Fodder-A d100 Contraband Table: Black Markets, Smugglers & Shadow Vaults For The Castles & Crusades rpg

 Here is a d100 random contraband table tailored for the gritty, low-magic, and illicit underbelly of a Castles & Crusades campaign. This picks right up on the blog from 

OSR Sword & Sorcery Adventure Fodder - d100 Random Serpent People & Treasure Table tailored for the Serpent Tower fully compatible with Castles & Crusades (and most classic OSR systems)

In classic Sword & Sorcery fashion, these items range from forbidden texts and illicit substances to cursed relics, strange alien artifacts, and black-market commodities.

d100 Contraband Table: Black Markets, Smugglers & Shadow Vaults

d100	Item Description	C&C Mechanical / Story Effect	Value (gp)
01–03	Lotus Dust (Red): Fine crimson powder refined from desert blooms. Highly addictive.	Grants +2 to Wisdom saves vs. Fear for 1d4 hours, but imposes a -2 penalty to Constitution checks for 24 hours after.	50
04–06	Lotus Dust (Black): Rare, dangerous narcotic used by sorcerers.	Allows a caster to cast one spell without expending a slot, but requires a successful CON Check (CL 3) or the user suffers 2d6 damage and loses 1 point of CON for 1 day.	250
07–09	Unstamped Royal Bullion: Raw silver or gold ingots missing the local sovereign’s mint stamp.	Possession is a capital offense. Legitimate merchants will not accept it.	Face value (-30% fencing penalty)
10–12	Demon-Blood Ink: Glowing, foul-smelling liquid harvested from fiendish entities.	Used to scribe scrolls or tattoos; gives +1 to spell CL for fire/curse spells, but user takes 1 damage per spell level cast.	100 / vial
13–15	Poison: Spider-Kiss: A milky, odorless liquid harvested from giant arachnids.	Injury Poison: Save vs. Poison (CL 2) or suffer 1d6 STR damage and paralysis for 1d4 turns.	150
16–18	Poison: Serpent’s Breath: A volatile gas held in fragile clay globes.	Inhaled Poison (10 ft radius): Save vs. Poison (CL 1) or suffer 2d4 CON damage.	300
19–21	Forbidden Tome: The Book of Unspoken Names: Leather-bound volume written in human skin.	Reading requires a WIS Check (CL 4). Success grants knowledge of a true name of an outer entity; failure causes permanent insanity (or -2 WIS).	500+
22–24	Stolen Temple Relic: A platinum chalice encrusted with rubies, dedicated to a rival deity.	Carrying it draws divine retribution or holy assassins. Priests can detect it within 60 ft.	800
25–27	Counterfeit Tithe Tokens: Brass coins stamped with sacred symbols to bypass road tolls and temple taxes.	Requires a CHR Check (CL 2) to pass off. Failure draws immediate execution or imprisonment.	20
28–30	Unrefined Shadow-Glass: Razor-sharp obsidian-like shards from the Nether Plane.	Weapons forged with it hit for +1 extra damage, but break on a natural 1.	120
31–33	Blood-Ruby of Acheron: A pulsed, dark-red gem that feels unnaturally warm.	Emits faint evil. Cultists will kill to retrieve it. Acts as a focus to summon minor fiends.	600
34–36	Flesh-Borer Beetles (Jar of 1d6): Burrowing parasites kept in a lead canister.	Used as an instrument of torture or assassination. Imposes 1d4 persistent damage/round until removed with fire or oil.	75
37–39	Forgers' Seal Stamp: A brass seal duplicating the High Chancellor's personal signature.	Grants +4 to forgery checks involving official writs, land grants, or execution pardons.	400
40–42	Preserved Homunculus Eye: A preserved eye floating in murky formaldehyde.	Allows the holder to see through invisible barriers once per day (1 min duration) when pressed to their forehead.	200
43–45	Ghost-Silk Veil: Ethereal cloth woven by spectral hags.	Renders wearer immune to non-magical tracking, but attracts undead within 100 feet.	350
46–48	Smuggled Slaves / Captives: Prisoners bound in iron chains, destined for arena pits or altars.	Ethics aside, freeing them may gain allies or dangerous enemies; selling them requires a dark market.	50–100 per head
49–51	Forbidden Map of the Undercity: Charcoal map detailing secret passages beneath the King's palace.	Reveals secret entrances to vaults and dungeons, bypassing surface guards.	300
52–54	Soul-Gem (Flawed): A glowing amethyst containing a trapped soul.	Sorcerers can drain the gem to regain 1d4 spell levels, destroying the soul forever.	500
55–57	Alchemist's Fire (Unstable Batch): Highly volatile incendiary flasks.	Deals 2d6 fire damage on impact, but detonates if the bearer takes a critical hit or falls prone.	35 / flask
58–60	Poison: Corpse Dust: Fine gray powder harvested from ghoul claws.	Ingested/Contact: Save vs. Poison (CL 3) or suffer ghoul fever (-1 CON/day until cured).	200
61–63	Forbidden Herbalist’s Kit: Instruments used to mix illegal abortifacients, mind-altering draughts, and slow poisons.	Grants +2 to checks when crafting illegal concoctions.	100
64–66	Mummified Sorcerer’s Hand: A dried hand wearing a silver ring.	Can act as a spell focus, granting +1 to Caster Level, but curses the user with horrible nightmares.	450
67–69	Star-Metal Ore: Unworked meteorite iron, banned by decree of the Iron Guild.	Used to forge weapons that bypass damage reduction of outer entities and demons.	600
70–72	Blasphemous Idol: A depiction of a tentacled, slumbering elder god carved from strange green stone.	Anyone holding it must make a WIS Check (CL 1) daily or suffer alignment shift toward Chaos.	150
73–75	Smuggled Royal Escutcheons: Blank knightly armorial bearings and forged lineage scrolls.	Allows a non-noble character to claim nobility with a successful CHR Check (CL 3).	250
76–78	Vial of Gorgon Bile: Corrosive green acid stored in a thick lead vessel.	Dissolves iron locks or grates in 1 round; deals 3d6 acid damage if thrown.	180
79–81	Rune-Etched Slave Collar: Iron collar inscribed with binding magic.	Prevents the wearer from speaking or casting spells with verbal components.	150
82–84	Illegal Siege Blueprint: Detailed plans for a heavy catapult or army-breaking engine.	Highly sought after by rebel warlords, bandit chieftains, and rival kingdoms.	500
85–87	Phial of Dream-Wine: Rare vintage laced with crushed lotus and fey-spores.	Drinker falls into a trance for 8 hours; during this time, they receive cryptic visions of the future (Castle Keeper's choice).	120
88–90	Preserved Basilisk Gland: Stored in a sealed jar of brine.	Used by alchemical guilds to craft oils of petrification or un-petrification.	300
91–93	Stolen Tax Chest (Locked): Heavy iron chest bearing the Royal Seal.	Contains 1d6 x 100 gp and 2d6 x 100 sp, but the lock is trapsmith-crafted (DEX Check CL 5 to pick).	Variable
94–96	Tome of Seductive Heresy: A philosophical text that turns citizens against the state religion.	Possession guarantees torture and execution by the Inquisition.	80
97–98	Cursed Idol of Zath: A spider-shaped figurine carved from black jet.	Summons 1d4 giant spiders under the holder's control once per week, but requires a sacrifice of 1 hp per HD of summoned beasts.	750
99	Key to the Royal Treasury: A heavy, intricate skeleton key forged of cold iron.	Unlocks a specific subterranean vault beneath the capital.	Priceless
100	The Serpent's Heart: A glowing, baseball-sized emerald that whispers in the dark.	Grants +2 to spell resistance, but draws the immediate attention of a powerful liche or ancient sorcerer who wants it back.	2,000+

Integration Notes for Castles & Crusades (Siege Engine):

• Siege Engine Checks: For any contraband that triggers an effect, use the standard Primes system. If a stat (e.g., CON, WIS, CHR) is a Prime for the character, the Challenge Base (CB) is 12; otherwise, it is 18, plus the Challenge Level (CL) listed in the item description.

• Fencing Rules: Selling contraband usually yields only 25%–50% of base value unless sold directly to a buyer who specifically needs it.

• Law Enforcement Encounter: Whenever characters carry contraband through city gates or guarded areas, roll a d6: on a 1–2, guards or inquisitors perform a detailed search.

OSR NPC's - For the Sensational Mademoiselle The Victorious Rpg & The Red Room's Belle Epoque Rpg

 First appearing in Atlas Comics' (now Marvel) Journey into Mystery #10 (June/July 1953) in the story "The Assassin of Paris!", the Sensational Mademoiselle is a Belle Époque telepath and mind-reader. Living in Paris around 1900, she worked as a glamorous showgirl, performing stage mind-reading while secretly hiding genuine telepathic abilities. When targeted by the notorious "Assassin of Paris" (a gentleman thief named Armond who strangled wealthy women for their jewels), she read his thoughts in a cafe, quietly wrote a note to the gendarmes, and led him into a trap where the police shot him. This blog post picks up from OSR NPC's - Old Shatterhand For The Victorious Rpg & The Red Room's Belle Epoque Rpg

Below are stats adapting her into both the superhero/Gothic system Victorious (Troll Lord Games) and the dark historical horror system Wretched Époque (The Red Room).

1. The Sensational Mademoiselle for Victorious

In the SIEGE Engine framework of Victorious, she functions as an Investigator / Mesmerist NPC. While she lacks raw combat power, her telepathy allows her to dismantle conspiracies, gather intelligence, and trap criminals before a fight even begins.

Profile & Attributes

• Class/Archetype: Investigator / Telepath (Hero or Ally NPC)

• Hit Dice: 4d6 (16 Hit Points)

• Prime Attributes: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma

• Attributes:

  • STR: 9 (-1)

  • DEX: 13 (+0)

  • CON: 11 (+0)

  • INT: 16 (+2) [Prime]

  • WIS: 17 (+2) [Prime]

  • CHA: 18 (+3) [Prime]

Superpowers & Skills

• Telepathy (Rank 3): She can passively read the active surface thoughts of anyone within 30 feet.

  • Mind Reading: To probe deeper memories or catch an intentional lie, the target must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw against a Challenge Base of 18 (non-Prime for most).

• Danger Sense / Premonition (Rank 2): She cannot be surprised during a surprise round if a hostile entity within 30 feet harbors intent to harm her.

• Stage Presence & Allure (Rank 2 Skill): Receives a +3 bonus to Charisma-based checks when socializing, performing, or gathering clues in high-society salons and theater venues.

Shortcoming

• Physically Vulnerable: She has no defensive powers or physical damage reduction. In close combat, she relies entirely on allies or police intervention.

2. The Sensational Mademoiselle for Wretched Époque

In Wretched Époque (using the d10-based Wretched system set in the decadent, gritty 1890s–1910s Paris), she is an Occultist / Socialite whose telepathy is an unsettling, anomalous gift.

Profile Stats

• Archetype: Telepathic Showgirl / Parisian Informant

• Hit Points: 12

• Attributes:

  • Strength: 9

  • Dexterity: 12

  • Constitution: 10

  • Intelligence: 15

  • Wisdom: 17

  • Charisma: 18

• Sanity: 65

Skills & Talents

• Perception: 65%

• Deception / Subterfuge: 70%

• Etiquette / High Society: 75%

• Insight (Mind Reading): 80%

Special Abilities (Wretched Engine)

• Read Surface Thoughts: She can automatically read the surface thoughts and immediate intentions of any human within her line of sight with a successful Insight check. If she rolls a Critical Success, she learns their deepest secret or immediate criminal plot.

• Silent Signal: If she senses immediate danger, she can subtly write or signal complex instructions to bystanders or authorities without alerting her target, gaining Advantage on all stealthy communication rolls.

• Mental Overload (Weakness): Exposure to extreme horrors, eldritch entities, or intensely violent minds (such as serial killers mid-slaughter) forces her to make an immediate Sanity Check with a -20% penalty.

Scenario & GM Usage

Plot Hook: "The Mind-Reader's Note"

The Player Characters are sitting in a bustling Parisian cafe when a waiter quietly hands them a napkin passed along by the famous showgirl on stage. The note reads: "The gentleman in the velvet coat next to you is carrying a bomb set for the Opera."

The PCs must act quickly to stop an assassination without causing a public panic, while protecting the Sensational Mademoiselle from the villain's conspirators once they realize their thoughts were exposed.

Adapting North West of Earth By C.L. Moore - Orbital Decay (MicroRed version) From The Red Room & The New Flesh Rpg - Shambleau (The Neural-Erotic Parasite)

 In the Red Room and The New Flesh tabletop roleplaying game system (published by MicroRed / Red Room Publishing), "Adapting 'North West of Earth' by C.L. Moore" represents a specific module/framework that translates C.L. Moore’s classic 1930s pulp sci-fi and weird fiction—specifically the Northwest Smith space-western stories—into the gritty, transhumanist, bodyswap-heavy horror mechanics of The New Flesh RPG. This blog entry picks right up from 

Adapting North West of Earth By C.L. Moore - Orbital Decay (MicroRed version) From The Red Room & The New Flesh Rpg - Expanding The Campaign

Here is a detailed breakdown of how C.L. Moore's fiction is adapted through the Orbital Decay and The New Flesh lens.

1. Core Premise & Theme Synthesis

• C.L. Moore’s "North West of Earth": Follows Northwest Smith, a mid-20th-century pulp gunslinger roaming a dangerous, ancient, and decadent Solar System. The stories blend retro space opera with cosmic horror, featuring ancient alien gods, psychological vampires, psychic parasites, and ruined planetary temples.

• The New Flesh / Orbital Decay Context: The New Flesh is a cyberpunk/biopunk cosmic horror TTRPG set in a dystopian future where human identity is fluid, bodies ("sleeves" or "vessels") are swappable or bio-engineered, and deep-space orbital decay drives humanity into claustrophobic madness and decay.

When adapted by MicroRed for this system, Northwest Smith's retro-pulp universe is reimagined not as optimistic 1930s sci-fi, but as a cyber-cosmic gothic nightmare:

• Planetary ruins on Venus and Mars are treated as ancient bio-mechanical structures or transhuman relic-cities.

• Alien entities from Moore’s work (like Shambleau) are framed as hyper-advanced biological anomalies, psychic parasites, or rogue nanotech/biotech nightmares that prey on the player characters' consciousness and physical vessels.

2. Key Story Adaptations & Mechanical Mapping

The adaptation extracts famous stories from the North West of Earth collection and maps them into The New Flesh mechanics:

A. Shambleau (The Bio-Parasite)

• Pulp Source: Smith rescues a beautiful, red-haired woman from a mob on Mars, only to discover she is an ancient, medusa-like alien parasite (a Shambleau) that feeds on his life force through hypnotic, tentacle-like hair while imparting intense euphoria.

• MicroRed RPG Adaptation:

  • The Shambleau is framed as an Ultra-Organic Bio-Weapons System or a Psychic Nanite Swarm.

  • Mechanics utilize the game's Dissonance/Corruption and Neural Overwrite tracks.

  • The creature inflicts the Erotic-Necrotic Euphoria condition: the character gains temporary stat boosts or thrill-buffs while their current "Flesh" (vessel) experiences rapid, irreversible cellular decay.

B. Black Thirst (The Flesh-Harnessers)

• Pulp Source: Smith travels to a subterranean fortress where the Vneai—a artificial race of beautiful, immortal women—are bred by an ancient cosmic entity that feeds on beauty and consciousness.

• MicroRed RPG Adaptation:

  • Maps directly into The New Flesh's obsession with Sleeve Cultivation and Genetic Elitism.

  • The fortress is treated as an orbital or underground Bio-Cloning Facility where high-tier transhuman consciousnesses extract neural essence from genetically perfected clone stock.

C. Dust of Gods (Ancient Precursor Archaeology)

• Pulp Source: Smith and his partner Yarol search for the remains of an ancient god named Pharol on a dead, frozen asteroid.

• MicroRed RPG Adaptation:

  • Functions as a classic Orbital Decay / Derelict Crawl.

  • Players explore zero-g, decay-plagued precursor stations or dead planetary moons. The "Dust" is treated as an ancient bio-programmable pathogen or precursor databank capable of corrupting both synthetic augmentations and organic brains.

3. Game Mechanics & System Integration

When running a North West of Earth scenario using MicroRed rules, standard cyberpunk/biopunk tropes are adjusted to capture Moore's atmospheric weird-fiction tone:

• Heat Guns vs. Bio-Threats: Northwest Smith's iconic heat gun is modeled as a high-emission thermal sidearm—effective against flesh, but prone to melting internal systems in cramped orbital hulls.

• The "Yarol" Dynamics (Co-op Mechanics): The game encourages the classic buddy-cop / rogue-smuggler dynamic (Smith and his Venusian partner Yarol), utilizing stress-relief and sanity-tether mechanics between party members when facing mind-altering alien horrors.

• Body Horror & Neural Intrusion: Instead of traditional sanity loss, exposure to Moore-style cosmic entities triggers Gynoid/Alien Metamorphosis or Neural Parasitism, forcing players to burn through backup bodies (Sleeves) or risk complete personality overwrite.

4. Aesthetic & Tone Guidelines for the GM

To execute this adaptation properly within The New Flesh / Orbital Decay framework:

1. Decadent Gothic Space: Planets aren't scientific sci-fi worlds; they are dusty, dying, neon-lit bazaars and decaying orbital ruins dripping with organic sludge and ancient secrets.

2. Seductive Horror: Encounters shouldn't just be combat-focused. Like Moore's writing, threats should appeal to the characters' sensory desires, addiction, vanity, or curiosity before devouring them.

3. Retro-Futuristic Biopunk: Combine 1930s noir aesthetics (trench coats, smoky spacer bars, laser-blasters) with hard biopunk horror (cloning vats, spliced organs, psychic radiation).

Here is a complete enemy profile, mechanical stat block, and encounter design for integrating C.L. Moore’s Shambleau into The New Flesh / Orbital Decay (MicroRed) system as a bio-cybernetic cosmic nightmare.

Entity Profile: Shambleau (The Neural-Erotic Parasite)

In The New Flesh, the Shambleau is an ancient, extra-dimensional organic apex parasite. It does not possess a fixed anatomical structure; instead, it adopts an alluring, humanoid "host-sleeve" (often appearing as an ethereal, draped figure) to lure prey into proximity. Its true form is a mass of scarlet, semi-autonomous neural-tendrils that burrow into the target's central nervous system, flooding their neural network with dopamine and endomorphins while consuming their bio-matter at a cellular level.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  NAME: Shambleau (Sub-type: Ancient Bio-Gnostic Parasite)             |
|  HAZARD LEVEL: Extreme (Threat Class: Flesh-Overwrite / Cognitive)    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  STATS & ATTRIBUTES                                                   |
|  * Integrity (HP): 45 / Armor: 0 (Organic Absorption)                 |
|  * Neural Resistance: 18 | Agility: 16 | Flesh-Form Integrity: 12     |
|  * Move Speed: Fast (Grounded) / Rapid-Crawling (Unwrapped Form)     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  SPECIAL PASSIVES                                                     |
|  * Bio-Gnostic Glamour: Requires a Difficulty 15 Neural/Will Check to |
|    initiate hostile actions against the Shambleau while wrapped in   |
|    its initial humanoid concealment drapery.                           |
|  * Thermal Sensitivity: Takes x1.5 damage from Thermal/Heat weapons   |
|    (e.g., Northwest-pattern Heat Guns). Standard physical ammo deals  |
|    half damage due to fluid, non-organ internal anatomy.              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Actions & Attacks

1. Tendril Latch (Action)

• Target: Single biological target within 3 meters.

• Effect: +6 to Hit vs. Physical Defense. On hit, deals 1d6 Bio-Damage and attaches 1d4 Crimson Tendrils to the target's neck/cranial ports. The target gains the Latched state.

2. Erotic-Necrotic Feeding (Sustained Action)

• Target: Any character with the Latched state.

• Effect: Requires no roll to hit. Automatically inflicts 2d8 Cellular Decay Damage to the target's current Vessel/Sleeve.

• The Trap: The target experiences intense, addictive euphoria. They immediately recover 1d6 Stress/Dissonance, but must pass a Difficulty 16 Will/Cognitive Check to voluntarily break free, attack, or allow allies to intervene without resisting them.

3. Unwrap Tendril Swarm (Recharge 5-6)

• Target: All characters within a 5-meter radius.

• Effect: The Shambleau sheds its human form, revealing a writhing mass of crimson hair-tendrils. All targets must roll Neural Resistance vs. DC 15.

  • Failure: Inflicted with Paralyzing Ecstasy (cannot move or take actions for 1 turn; counts as Auto-Hit for Tendril Latch).

  • Success: Takes 1d6 Neural Stress, but acts normally.

Encounter Rules & Mechanics

Rule 1: The Euphoria Loop (Addiction Metric)

Whenever a player character is subjected to Erotic-Necrotic Feeding for more than 1 consecutive round, they accumulate Shambleau Addiction Points (SAP):

• 1-2 SAP: The PC takes a -2 penalty to all Will/Neural checks aimed at fleeing the encounter or attacking the entity.

• 3+ SAP: The PC's current vessel is permanently damaged. If the character is forcibly severed from the creature, they enter Neural Shock (taking 2d10 immediate Stress and dropping to 0 AP for 2 turns).

Rule 2: Severing Tendrils (Ally Intervention)

Allies can attempt to shoot or cut the tendrils latched onto a victim:

• Target AC is equal to the victim's defense + 2.

• Thermal/Heat Weapons: Safely burn away tendrils on a successful hit without harming the host.

• Kinetic/Melee Weapons: On a natural 1-3 on the attack roll, the missed damage is applied directly to the latched ally’s current Sleeve.

Rule 3: Vessel Collapse & Spore Release

When the Shambleau's Integrity reaches 0, its physical host-vessel collapses into a liquified puddle of crimson biogel. Unless incinerated with a Thermal Heat Blast or Bio-Hazard Purge, it releases a spore cloud. Any player in melee range must pass a DC 14 Agility Check or carry a dormant Shambleau Spore in their neural architecture, activating next time they swap sleeves or enter an orbital hibernation tube.

Recommended Encounter Setup: "The Red Room in Lektra"

• Environment: A dim, opium-den-style spacer bar or ruined atmospheric dome filled with neon haze, velvet drapery, and heavy atmospheric recycling fumes.

• The Hook: The PCs track a missing crewmate or valuable asset into a private chamber, only to find them wrapped in the embrace of a veiled figure on a bio-couch.

• Tactical Challenge: The party cannot simply spray gunfire without risking killing their latched ally. They must balance precision thermal fire, physical grappling, and breaking the psychological glamour before the host sleeve is completely drained into cellular dust.