The Ferry Overfull
For 6 level 8 PCs, 3 to 3.5 hours, 3 encounters. Charon is not a kill target.
📜 Session Summary
| Style Underworld disaster escort where the hardest fight is keeping order on a boat that must not sink. |
| Win Condition The living are turned back or delivered lawfully, Charon's ferry stays balanced, and the dead keep their road. |
| Loss Condition The barge capsizes into Styx; living names wash from memory while undead opportunists steal the crossing. |
| Players 6 × Level 8 · 3–3.5 hrs · 3 encounters |
| Key Ally Myrto with the Blue Lantern (recruit Enc. Enc. 1 or Enc. 2) · Maguffin: Balanced Obol Ledger |
Description
Charon, Overworked Boatman hooks the party. Maguffin Balanced Obol Ledger pays off in the finale against The Fare-Thief in the Wake. Recruit Myrto with the Blue Lantern along the way.
Hold Charon's barge steady while too many living souls try to buy a one-way crossing.
Major Beats
- A living mother offers Charon every coin she has and the name of her last enemy.
- The dead mutter that the living always think grief is a ticket.
- The barge tilts when someone lies about who belongs aboard.
- A stolen name drips from the boss's hook like black ink.
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Easy | Med | Hard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desperate Living Petitioners | — | med | hard | CR 4 · Crowd hazard |
| Coin-Drowned Dead | — | med | hard | CR 5 · Boarding undead |
| Styx Memory-Eel | — | med | hard | CR 6 · River control monster |
| The Fare-Thief in the Wake | — | med | hard | CR 10 · Boss, undead smuggler |
| Myrto with the Blue Lantern | — | 1 | 1 | Recruit Enc. Enc. 1 or Enc. 2 |
Encounter 1 — The Queue That Should Not Breathe
Overview
Sort the living from the dead, spot forged fares, and keep panic from rushing the gangplank.
🗺 Terrain
Styx dock, rope lanes, obol booth, shade benches, and black water below loose planks.
Mechanics
- Run triage as 5 successes before 3 failures using Insight, Persuasion, Religion, Medicine, or Intimidation.
- Each failure adds 1 to the Overfull clock; at 3, passengers surge onto the barge.
- The Balanced Ledger reveals one forged fare or rightful return with each strong clue.
- Recruit Myrto by recovering her name-token from a living petitioner using it as false fare.
Creature Cards
Charon, Overworked Boatman
Unique undead ferryman, neutral keeper of passage
Motivation. Keep the crossing lawful, paid, and afloat despite living petitioners forcing their way aboard.
Secret. Someone forged return fares with ink made from stolen memories.
Hard rule. He will not abandon the dead, waive the oldest laws, or let the party kill passengers to simplify the load.
Balanced Obol Ledger
Underworld manifest, lawful counterweight
Appearance: Black reed-paper pages sewn with coin-bright thread and damp thumbprints.
Handout. "One fare, one name, one shore. Cross out a lie before it learns to row."
Enc. 1–2. Identifies forged fares, calms one passenger group, or reveals who belongs on the return shore.
Enc. 3. Balanced on the prow, it stabilizes the barge and exposes the undead smuggler boss for 1 round.
Myrto with the Blue Lantern
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
AC 13 | HP 55 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Enc. 1 or Enc. 2). Find her missing name-token, defend her place in line, or let her speak for frightened shades.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Lantern flare +6 to hit, 10 radiant to undead; grants advantage on one social check with dead passengers.
Desperate Living Petitioners
Medium Creature · CR 4 · Crowd hazard
AC 12 | HP 90 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Should be persuaded, restrained, or redirected; do not frame them as kill fodder.
Attack. Surge, DC 15 Strength or Charisma save or 16 bludgeoning and the Balance clock worsens.
Encounter 2 — Midstream Weight
Overview
Keep Charon's barge balanced while living souls bargain, dead souls object, and the Styx starts listening.
🗺 Terrain
Long black ferry, pole lanes, passenger benches, coin brazier, and fog banks hiding swimmers.
Mechanics
- Balance clock starts at 0; failures move it toward capsize, successes move passengers to lawful places.
- Useful checks include Athletics at the pole, Persuasion at the benches, Religion with rites, and Perception in fog.
- Charon rows and judges; he helps clear one lawful order but never becomes a damage solution.
- Coin-Drowned Dead board if forged fares are burned without naming the thief first.
Creature Cards
Charon, Overworked Boatman
Unique undead ferryman, neutral keeper of passage
Motivation. Keep the crossing lawful, paid, and afloat despite living petitioners forcing their way aboard.
Secret. Someone forged return fares with ink made from stolen memories.
Hard rule. He will not abandon the dead, waive the oldest laws, or let the party kill passengers to simplify the load.
Balanced Obol Ledger
Underworld manifest, lawful counterweight
Appearance: Black reed-paper pages sewn with coin-bright thread and damp thumbprints.
Handout. "One fare, one name, one shore. Cross out a lie before it learns to row."
Enc. 1–2. Identifies forged fares, calms one passenger group, or reveals who belongs on the return shore.
Enc. 3. Balanced on the prow, it stabilizes the barge and exposes the undead smuggler boss for 1 round.
Myrto with the Blue Lantern
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
AC 13 | HP 55 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Enc. 1 or Enc. 2). Find her missing name-token, defend her place in line, or let her speak for frightened shades.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Lantern flare +6 to hit, 10 radiant to undead; grants advantage on one social check with dead passengers.
Coin-Drowned Dead
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Boarding undead
AC 15 | HP 98 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Climb over the sides when forged fares are exposed.
Attack. Cold hands +7 to hit, 13 necrotic; stolen obol forces DC 15 Wisdom or frightened.
Encounter 3 — Too Many Names in the Wake
Overview
Fight the undead smuggler and river horrors while holding the ferry steady and protecting passengers.
🗺 Terrain
Tilting ferry deck, two side rails, prow ledger stand, stern bell, and grasping black water.
Mechanics
- At initiative 20, roll a ferry event: list, passenger fall, fog wall, or Styx surge.
- A PC can spend an action to stabilize the barge, rescue a passenger, or command a lawful seating shift.
- Maguffin payoff: place the Balanced Ledger on the prow to reveal the Fare-Thief and reset the Balance clock once.
- Charon cannot be killed for victory; if attacked, he stops rowing and the river becomes the real disaster.
Creature Cards
Charon, Overworked Boatman
Unique undead ferryman, neutral keeper of passage
Motivation. Keep the crossing lawful, paid, and afloat despite living petitioners forcing their way aboard.
Secret. Someone forged return fares with ink made from stolen memories.
Hard rule. He will not abandon the dead, waive the oldest laws, or let the party kill passengers to simplify the load.
Balanced Obol Ledger
Underworld manifest, lawful counterweight
Appearance: Black reed-paper pages sewn with coin-bright thread and damp thumbprints.
Handout. "One fare, one name, one shore. Cross out a lie before it learns to row."
Enc. 1–2. Identifies forged fares, calms one passenger group, or reveals who belongs on the return shore.
Enc. 3. Balanced on the prow, it stabilizes the barge and exposes the undead smuggler boss for 1 round.
Styx Memory-Eel
Medium Creature · CR 6 · River control monster
AC 16 | HP 121 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Targets anyone overboard or leaning over the rail with the ledger.
Attack. Bite +8 to hit, 16 piercing plus 10 psychic; memory shock recharges on 5-6.
The Fare-Thief in the Wake
Large Creature · CR 10 · Boss, undead smuggler · Boss
AC 17 | HP 184 | Speed 40 ft.
Role: Boss, undead smuggler
Note. Boss last. It forges living passages to overload Charon's law and steal the wreckage.
Hard encounter focus. Win condition may be steal, escape, disable, or drive-off — not always kill.
Multiattack / Assault. Oar-hook +8 to hit, 18 necrotic; name-theft gaze DC 16 Charisma or lose reactions and identity cues.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One attack from Assault.
⚖️ Difficulty Scaling
As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 8.
Library Standard — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Identical to As Written — this guide’s baseline is already 6 PCs at average level 8.
Easier
- APL 4–6: reduce minion counts ~30%; DCs −2; boss loses one recharge or legendary option.
Harder
- APL 10–12: boss HP +25–35%; +1 legendary action; add a lieutenant or extra wave.
📋 Appendix — Cards
Charon, Overworked Boatman
Unique undead ferryman, neutral keeper of passage
Motivation. Keep the crossing lawful, paid, and afloat despite living petitioners forcing their way aboard.
Secret. Someone forged return fares with ink made from stolen memories.
Hard rule. He will not abandon the dead, waive the oldest laws, or let the party kill passengers to simplify the load.
Balanced Obol Ledger
Underworld manifest, lawful counterweight
Appearance: Black reed-paper pages sewn with coin-bright thread and damp thumbprints.
Handout. "One fare, one name, one shore. Cross out a lie before it learns to row."
Enc. 1–2. Identifies forged fares, calms one passenger group, or reveals who belongs on the return shore.
Enc. 3. Balanced on the prow, it stabilizes the barge and exposes the undead smuggler boss for 1 round.
Myrto with the Blue Lantern
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
AC 13 | HP 55 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Dead guide, crowd mediator, and honest witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. Enc. 1 or Enc. 2). Find her missing name-token, defend her place in line, or let her speak for frightened shades.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Lantern flare +6 to hit, 10 radiant to undead; grants advantage on one social check with dead passengers.
Desperate Living Petitioners
Medium Creature · CR 4 · Crowd hazard
AC 12 | HP 90 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Should be persuaded, restrained, or redirected; do not frame them as kill fodder.
Attack. Surge, DC 15 Strength or Charisma save or 16 bludgeoning and the Balance clock worsens.
Coin-Drowned Dead
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Boarding undead
AC 15 | HP 98 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Climb over the sides when forged fares are exposed.
Attack. Cold hands +7 to hit, 13 necrotic; stolen obol forces DC 15 Wisdom or frightened.
Styx Memory-Eel
Medium Creature · CR 6 · River control monster
AC 16 | HP 121 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Targets anyone overboard or leaning over the rail with the ledger.
Attack. Bite +8 to hit, 16 piercing plus 10 psychic; memory shock recharges on 5-6.
The Fare-Thief in the Wake
Large Creature · CR 10 · Boss, undead smuggler · Boss
AC 17 | HP 184 | Speed 40 ft.
Role: Boss, undead smuggler
Note. Boss last. It forges living passages to overload Charon's law and steal the wreckage.
Hard encounter focus. Win condition may be steal, escape, disable, or drive-off — not always kill.
Multiattack / Assault. Oar-hook +8 to hit, 18 necrotic; name-theft gaze DC 16 Charisma or lose reactions and identity cues.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One attack from Assault.