The Ferryman's Ninth Bargain

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Sometimes a total party kill is the end of a story. Sometimes it is the point where the story becomes honest about what it costs to keep going. The Ferryman's Ninth Bargain is for the DM who does not want to wave away a TPK with "you wake up fine" but also does not want to throw away months of campaign investment. The party died. That fact is real. Now they have one night in the lands of the dead to earn their return, and what they bring back with them will shape the rest of the campaign. Problem It Solves This module answers the post-TPK problem: how do you continue the campaign after everyone dies without robbing death of consequence or forcing a total reboot the table does not want? The solution is to let the TPK stand and build a one-shot in the afterlife. The party must bargain, steal, or suffer for a second chance. The campaign continues, but not as if nothing happened. They return with scars, debts, and a strong new tone. Setup Use this immediately after the TPK or at the start of the next session. Do not spend too long arguing with the table over whether resurrection magic exists. Open on certainty: the heroes are dead, and they know it. The module works for almost any level because the challenges are symbolic, social, and...