04/23/2026
Happy Thursday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!
This week’s Thursday Drop-In leans into something a little more unsettling than outright horror—because sometimes the scariest threats aren’t cruel, violent, or even deceptive.
Sometimes… they’re helpful.
The Kindness of Old Marda is a grim, low-level (1–3) encounter centered around a quiet village that has, by all appearances, never been better. Crops are healthy. The sick recover. Problems are solved quickly and efficiently. At the edge of the woods, a kindly old woman named Marda has become something of a local miracle worker.
And that’s exactly the problem.
What’s Really Happening?
Old Marda is a hag—but not the kind your players might expect. She doesn’t trick her victims or twist her words. In fact, she keeps her bargains perfectly.
She helps.
Every request is granted exactly as asked, and every outcome is, on the surface, an improvement. But in exchange, Marda takes something subtle: the ability to feel kindness, empathy, and compassion. Over time, those she “helps” become efficient, practical, and emotionally hollow.
The village isn’t dying. It’s not cursed in the traditional sense.
It’s just… losing what makes it human.
What Makes This Drop-In Shine
This scenario thrives on moral tension and player choice. There’s no obvious villainy to confront—just a growing unease as players realize what’s being lost. The villagers aren’t hostile, just logical. Marda isn’t lying, just operating under a different understanding of what “help” means.
Do the players destroy her and risk undoing all the good she’s done?
Or do they allow the village to continue becoming something colder… but undeniably more stable?
Why Run The Kindness of Old Marda?
If you’re looking for:
- A hag encounter with a unique twist
- A social and roleplay-heavy session
- A scenario built around choices instead of combat
- Or a grim reminder that not all evil looks like a monster
Then this Drop-In fits neatly into almost any campaign setting.
Because in the end, the real question isn’t whether Marda is dangerous.
It’s whether she’s wrong.
And that’s a much harder problem to solve.
Keep on gaming!
2026 Goals Progress
- Minis Painted: 174/150 – COMPLETED
- Large Models / Terrain: 10/ 6 – COMPLETE
- YouTube Videos:6/ 24
- Game Reviews: 4 / 4 – COMPLETED
- Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4
- Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 4 / 12
- New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3
- Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3
- Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 1/ 1 – COMPLETE