Dungeon Magazine 046

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COVER:Deep in anancient undergroundfortress,adventurersapproach a magical

portal to the Underdark.Scott Burdick paints thisinterlude in the search for"TheIron Orb of the

Duergar."

Trite and True

This week, I received a letter from one ofour readers who is

serving with the U.S. Army in Germany. Thomas J. Broadfootpoints out that someofour published adventures seem inconsis-

tent with the "Ideas to Avoid" section ofour module guidelines.

"I am amazed to find adventures that go against what your

guidelines say to avoid:' Thomas writes. He goes on to cite

"Ransom" (rescue a kidnapped child; issue #42); "Isle oftheAbbey" (fight an evil cleric and his undead legions; issue #34);

and "The Siege ofKratys Freehold" (ore invasion; issue #33).

Thomas adds, "It seems to me that all of the adventure themesImentioned are ones that are listed as not acceptable. So what

gives?"

I've heard it said that all fiction (and adventure modules area form of fiction) is variation on a dozen or so basic themes. So,

ifthere's nothing really new under the sun, how dowe produce

a magazine containing adventures that are fun to read andenjoyable to play?

One way is to encourage new writers to submit adventures.

Our module guidelines are designed to help the person who has

never submitted anything to us before. Wewant you to have

the best chance of submitting an adventure proposal that

strikes a chord, tickles our fancy, rings our bells (and all thoseother trite phrases, which have their uses in the proper place).

One way for a new author to do this is to write something out

of the ordinary. ITtoday's mail brings half a dozen ore infesta-tions and one old man plagued by singing mushrooms, which

one do you think has the best chance of publication?

Our guidelines don't say that we'll never publish another

module featuring an are raid, a kidnapped princess, 01' an evil

wizard. Guidelines are meant to guide, not lead around by thenose. If you're a new writer (new to us, that is), your chancesare greatly improved ifyou send us an imaginative proposal

that avoids the standard plots of fantasy literature and gaming

adventures. Ifyou can take well-used concepts and turn theminto something new and different, feel free to prove us wrong.

Vol. VIII, No.4

PUBLISHER: TSR, Inc.ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER:Brian ThomsenEDITOR-IN ·CHIEF:Kim MohanEDITOR: Barbara G. YoungASSOCIATE EDITOR:WolfgangH.Baur

Printed in U.S.A.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT:Dale A. Donovan

ART DIRECTOR:Larry W. SmithCARTOGRAPHER: DieselTYPESETTING: Tracey Isler

SUBSCRIPTIONS:Janet L. Winters

ADVERTISING; Cindy Rick

The Readers LETTERS

Ted James DOVEDALE

Thomas Zuvich CD&D®adventure, levels 1-3)

The river is running dry, the harveis threatened, and the fish are

unhappy

Steve Kurtz FL OA TIN G R OC K

(AD&D®adventure, levels 5-9)

Meet the strangest band of pirates

on the seas. Meet their ship, too . .

Randy Maxwell GO BLIN FEV ER

(AD&D adventure, levels 3-5)

Snipers, food shortages, fires, and

mayhem. The city of Waen Fawr h

a bad case of the fever. .

Peter Aberg THE IRON ORB OF THE

DUERGAR

(AD&D adventure, levels 11-15)

The Northmen are on a rampage, a

only the duergar know why. Discovthe secret of the iron orb

From the wrath of the Northmen, 0 Lord, deliver us.Unknown Frankish m



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L E T T E R SPlease let us Imow what YOI.l think aboutthis isstte of DUNGEONi' Adventures ..Although we can't print every letter wereceive, we read them all and seriouslyconsider your comments and sugges-tions. Write to: Letters, DUNGEONAdventures, PO. Box 111, Lake GenevaWI 53147 USA.

Email [email protected].

Lights! Camera! Action!

Mter recently resubscribing to

DUNGEON';; Adventures, Iead Matt

Mulcahy's and Mark Krzeminski's Iet-tel'Sin issue #44. I think I can give both

a little advice, because I've encountered

similar problems.

First off,Matt has to realize that most

stupid people donot play role-playing

games (too many brain cells tied up at

once with the dice, miniatures and all),What Matteannct identify is what

motivates his players. If he learnedthat, he could manipulate his players!

Just because players don't follow the

written plot doesn't mean they're stu-

pid. Matt's distress comes from the

conflict between what he would like to

have happen and what the players aremaking happen. -

My own example comes from the pag-

es ofDUNGEON Adventures H13, "The

Moor-TombMap." I wanted to use the

town as a base setting for a larger com-

bination of adventures, and while I used

the map as the story hook, I wanted to

expand the role of the bandits ..My goal

was for the PCs to become the rescuersofMoorwall, local heroes.

My own noble pursuits were immedi-ately at odds with t.heplayers'. The PCs

were there for the money, Instead of

burying the bodies in encounter 2, they

looted them to make sure the banditshadn't missed anything! When the

bandits ambushed the PCs on their way

out of the tomb with the treasure, in-

stead ofdumping the loot, escaping, and

waiting tojump the bandits at a betterplace and time, they fought on thebeaches of the lake and several PCsdied. When the bandits attacked

Moorwall, the PCs thought it would be

a fantastic opportunity to backtrack tothe bandits' hideout and loot it while

the bad guys were busy burning thetown to the ground!

In other words, the Knights of the

Round Table were really the Dirty

Dozen, and Iwas forced to put on my

sunglasses and drawl, "What we have

here is a failure to communicate." Ihadforgotten the carrot and the stick philos-ophy to better DMing. I wanted rescuersgetting free ale for the rest of their lives

in a grateful little town. What I got

were a few survivors rejoicing that they

didn't have to split the treasure with

their fallen comrades! Their biggest

worry was where they were going to

spend their money, now that the townwas leveled.

My advice to Matt is to find out whatmotivates his PCs. If they're after

money, use that as a hook and keep it in

front of them like a carrot ..If the PCstend to wander off on their own all the

time, make nasty things happen to

them. After a while, they'll realize the

world is a dangerous place and life isbetter if they stay with the group..Keep-

ing them motivated makes them want

to go down the paths you'd like, and you

don't have to use the stick as often.

This comes back toMark's letter.

Mark, a DM is like a movie director.

Youcontrol the cameras that let the

players see your world. Youhave close-

ups, wide-angle shots, and focus shots.

Sometimes the soundtrack will let the

players hear events going on around

them that they cannot see. Youcontrol

the whole thing. Ifall movies werefilmed in wide-angle shots, lacking an

detail, nobodywould go to the movies.

If your PCs like your dungeons, you

must have good "focus shots" that provide detail. Youdon't let the PCs wan-

der all over a dungeon, do you? The

confines of the story keep them chan-

neled. The same applies to forests andcities. Keep your "cameras" focused,

lead the PCs where you will, and let th"soundtrack" remind them that they'r

in a much larger place with events

going on all around them, Let the PCs

wander right where you want them to

Th both Mark and Matt, the key tomanipulation is getting other people t

act on your ideas, making them think

they're their own ideas. They have fUD

the illusion of free choice, and you get

what you want. Decide on your desired

outcome before beginning, and make

sure you keep that end in mind. Playe

get trained after a while to wait for

clues, but keep up the details so that

nobody gets bored.

As a final note, Dougal and Radcliffe

(from "The Moor-Tomb Map") success-fully conquered the outlying lands, an

one day annexed the castlethat the Phad so painstakingly built with their

fabulous wealth. As DM, I had a lot of

fun doing that, and the PCs learned

that bandits are easier to kill at 3rd

level than at 10th level. In the AD&D

world, there is no such thing as finan-

cial security.

Chris Champag

NoAddress Giv

Buried in aplot

A small thread of letters has appeare

through the last three issues of

DUNGEON Adventures, The general

DUNGEON' IISBN 0890·71021 i. published bimonthly hy TSlt, Inc., 201 Sheridan Sp,·ings Road. Lake Gene", W153147 U.S.A. Tho mailing addro sa for all mmcrlnl except subscrlptjcn QrdfiDUNGEON', P.O.Box J I I. Lake Geneva WI 53147 U.S.A.; telephone (4141248·3625: [a, 14\4) 24S-0389.

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6 Issue N o. 4 6

mailto:[email protected].

mailto:[email protected].



L E T T E R

theme ofthis thread deals with the

inclusion ofplot in modules. This start.

ed in issue #41 with Adam C. Chunn

advocating more modules that lack a

solid plot. Issues #42 and #43, respec-

tively, contained letters by Gary Lai

and Paul F. Culotta arguing to the con-

trary. I shall continue this by support.ing M r. Chunn's position.Mr. Chunn's letter could be loosely

summarized as saying, "Please include

modules that are more heavily detailed

in terms of setting than in terms of

plot." And I am asking the same. Iam

not asking to get rid of plot-filled mod-

ules; they have their place as do setting-

filled modules.

Both Mr. Lai and Mr. Culotta stated

that a DM has only to remove the plot

from an adventure to get what Mr.

Chunn needs. I disagree. In most plot.

driven adventures, the setting is devel-

oped in such as way as to best suit that

plot. When this plot is removed, the

setting becomes shallow and next to

useless. The DMhas to spend an inordi-

nate amount of time developing the

setting to make it useful, and would be

better off starting from scratch ..

Mr. Lai and Mr. Culotta, each in his

own way, argued that non-plot adven-

tures are easy to design. I agree that

plotless adventures are easy to create.

But I am not really interested in plot-

less adventures (and I feel that M r.Chunn is not interested in them, ei-

ther). What we want are detailed set-tings to help our own campaigns and

place our own plots in. I personally feel

it is more difficult to create a believ-able, viable, living setting-one that can

exist and function on its own, without

the. crutch of a specific plot. (As a side

note, this may also address part of Chris

Roberts' problem of linear story lines;

see issue #43. With a full, living setting,

the DM would find it easier to have

multiple or non-linear story lines.)

Finally, Mr.Lai and Mr. Culotta

stated that the purpose of DUNGEON

Magazine is to provide quality plot-

filled adventures. I would like to expandthat definition. I feel that DUNGEON

Magazine should provide quality tools

for the DM. Tools that can intellectually

stimulate both players and DMs. 'Ibols

that help save the DM's time and en-

ergy, allowing the DM to host a quality

game-playing session. Tools that include

thought-provoking, plot-filled adven-

tures and inspired living, detailed

settings.

Modules of setting have a place in

DUNGEON Magazine. These modules

would be much more than just maps,

encounters, and caches of loot. They

could include local histories, broad NPC

descriptions, and motives, local geo-

graphical descriptions, etc. In essence,

POLYHEDRON®Newszine already doesthis with the "Living City." DUNGEON

Magazine could also dothis, allowing a

wider variety of small but highly de-

tailed settings.

Thomas L. Whitten

South Haven, Michigan

Where's Willie?

I have a few questions that I think

need answering. First let me say that

I've been reading your magazine since

issue #28, which brings me to my firstquestion. What happened toWillie

Walsh? It seemed for a while he had anadventure in every issue, then all of asudden nothing.

Second. why does it say "Adventures

for TSR role-playing games" below the

magazine name when you publish ad-

ventures for only two ofTSR's games?

Shouldn't. it read "Adventures for the

DUNGEONS &DRAGONS®game?"

Third, I recently purchased the

AL-QADIM®boxed set and the book.

Will DUNGEON Magazine ever publish

adventures for this setting, or doesn't it

get enough support?

Prescott Delke

No Address Given

Wehave several Willie Walsh adven-tures in inventory, and I know that oneor two are still being written. I'm sureWillie will pop in here to let us knowwhat he's been doing lately.Our past experiments with publishing

adventures for TSR's TOP SECRE'[@and MARVEL SUPER HEROES®games were not rousing successes. Wemight consider an AMAZING

ENGINE'" adventure if we receive onethat fits our general fantasy theme. We

will definitely publish an. AL-QADIMadventure soon.

Never Follow the Script

I am writing in response to letters in

issue #44 from Matt Mulcahy and Mark

Krzeminski. Matt writes that he doesn't

know what to do with "stupid" players.

Well,Matt, here are a few suggestions:

First, remember that they're not re-

ally stupid. In15 years ofplaying

D&D®and AD&D games, I've yet to

meet a stupid person with enough inte

est to try the game. Your players are

quite smart, they simply don't come u

with the same solutions that you do,

with your DM's omniscience.

Second, given that. decide what typeof campaign you want to run, and run

it. If you want a fast and loose, mostly

fun campaign, silly mistakes and odd

remarks should be allowed to the play

ers. If you are running a more serious,

high fantasy campaign, inform your

players of that fact and then simply le

them live with their mistakes. If a plaer announces his character's presence

a potential enemy, as the player in yo

letter did, he should experience the

results in a direct and no-questions-

asked manner. Smart people learn fro

their mistakes; stupid ones don't. Thacharacter may be dead, but the next o

will be wiser.

Similarly, if players simply refuse to

pick up on obvious clues, let them. Th

trick is to not be so focused ou the ad-

venture or module at hand that you fe

it has to end where the designer inten

ed. If they just don't get it, let themwander off into another story where

they might do better. You'll be less fru

trated and have a better time.

Third, and perhaps most important,

switch roles. Let one of them be the D

for a while. Not only does reading or

constructing a few modules and runnithem allow players to understand som

ofthe conventions of the game (secret

doors, cryptic notes, etc.), it gives them

an empathy for the effort that you go

through in order to run an adventure.

In addition, this will give you a peek

the other side. Playing a character we

and solving someone else's clues isn't

easy as we DMs sometimes think it is

Finally, always remember that role-

players are the most devious, contrary

and just plain frustrating set of peopl

you could ever hope to meet. In my

experience, ifthere is a way to do som

thing completely the opposite ofwhatthe DM would imagine, they'll find it

Never expect them to follow the scrip

closely, because they rarely will. Any

adventure that forces them to perform

certain actions not only removes the

most interesting element of the game

but leeches most of the fun out, too.

Consequently, you as DMmust be

prepared to handle wacky alternatives

that you would never have dreamed o

DUNGEON 7



L E T T E R S

Your reward should be knowing that

you skillfully guided the players back

on track without their ever suspecting

that they were off of it. Remember, you

are telling a story, so imagination isyOU1'biggest asset.

'Ib Mark, Isuggest two things to in-crease your powers of description. The

first is to read everything that you can

get your hands on. Read novels, travel

articles, vacation brochures. Notice how

the authors paint a picture with the use

ofonly a few well-selected words. Read

the section on description in the

RAVENLOFTIDboxed set. Nothing in-

creases the ability to communicate and

use language better than reading.

Second, describe things that you have

seen, either in your life or in film. De-

scriptions ofthings that you have expe-rienced offer the greatest ease of

memory and the best "feel." Every

haunted house that I have ever de-

scribed in my games has been one of the

houses that I grew up in. If I needed alarge house, then when the players got

to where my attic was, Ijust started

with the basement of another house,

mentally stacking one on top of the

other, This is the oldest and best trick in

the storyteller's arsenal: If it soundslike you've been there, it will feel like

the players are there.As for describing people, try describ-

ing three things about each person: onefacial feature, one item of clothing, and

something about their physical attitude.

("You are approached by a woman with

deep-set, violet eyes. Her scarlet cloak

swirls about her as she approaches, and

you notice that, although she is unarm-

ed, she moves like someone sizing up an

opponent in the arena.") This formula

usually is enough to let the players

form their own mental image of tbe

person they have seen or met, but re-

member, it's just a formula. Never be

bound by formulas or rules within the

confines of a role-playing game.

I hope that these suggestions will help

you both in your games. Good luck.

Scott C. Nolan

Fairfax, Virginia

Disturbing Implications

I enjoyed Timothy Ide's "Train of

Events" in the NovemberlDecember

issue but was disturbed by the implica-

tions. Like many DMs who use this

magazine to insert adventures into an

ongoing campaign, I find a module

involving steam engine technology to be

logistical suicide. That is tantamount to

saying that those dwarves are standing

right there on the edge of the Industrial

Revolution. That is saying a lot.The Dungeon Master's Guide has atable showing what items are available

or unavailable to adventurers within

the temporal/historical framework of a

particular campaign. The latest time

period shown is the Renaissance, which

is as it should be, and yet the railroad

adventure puts a nineteenth-century

spin on things. There would be nothing

to confine the tecbnology to that moun-

tain range, and nothing to stop an evil

archmage who learns of all of this from

marching in with an army of human-

oids (armed with arquebuses, no doubt)

and wresting the technology from un-willing dwarven hands.

As associate editor of a magazinedealing with fantasy fiction, and as an

author who writes it, I feel constrained

to respect the expectations of readers

and keep unnecessary anachronisms

and inconsistencies to a minimum. I let

my group create a special set of charac-

ters specifically to run through that

adventure, so that Iwould not bave to

worry about the technological repercus-

sions for my own carefully developed

campaign world. While Injoyed thisone-shot adventure and liked Mr. Ide's

concept, I probably would not appreciatesimilar anachronisms in future adven-

tures. What's next? Lasers?

Tim Scott

Chicago, Illinois

The True Spirit

I took great exception to the letter by

"The Rez" [issue #45], in which he as-

serted that there are three levels of

players: those who enjoy combat, those

who are facile at combat, and those who

enjoy role-playing. Thme, this is entire-

ly incorrect and represents everything

that is wrong with the "new school" ofgarners. In fact, there are three elementsofgaming: combat, role-playing, and

problem solving (the last being too

much ignored these days).

Quite often a gamer meets people who

tell with a pompous air how they have

"gone beyond mere hack and slash"

gaming and are now brilliant role-

players. I tried putting a group of these

clowns into an old 1st edition module

and they died quickly. Almost every

"classic" 1st edition module was de-

signed so that players could not "mere

back and slash:' because the monsters

were too powerful to just walk in and

kilL The characters had to think a gre

deal to survive, but these guys were nused to thinking.Thday at tournaments they only gra

role-playing. After all, the adventures

have become such that you would hav

to be an idiot not to figure out the my

teries, and a fool not to survive the

combat. Instead, you are led by the

hand along some predictable and conv

luted plot, so you have nothing else to

do but role-play to your heart's conten

Thankfully, there are enough good mo

ules (and quite a few good DUNGEON

adventures) that are actually ehalleng

ing enougb to sustain the people that

this game was invented for.I would say that, if you play with a

group where 1)you never actually had

character die, 2) you never had to sit

more than an hour making plans or

solving puzzles, 3) you were neverforced to retreat, 4) your DM ignores

rules that make your life harder, such

as item saves for things you carry and

for treasure you hit with spells; weap

speeds; declaration of intent; casting

times and material components, then

you are probably playing with a grou

that does not exemplify the true spiri

of the AD&D game.

John NowakowLas Vegas, Neva

PC Jewels

After reading Matt Mulcahy's letter

(DUNGEON #44), I wondered why it

was ever published. Three possibilitie

came to mind: 1. As a warning to his

players (commendable but a bit publi

and harsh). 2. As a lesson on bloated

and condescension to other DMs. 3. T

editors would prefer the gaming com

munity to respond instead of sounding

off themselves.

There is but one generalization Istand by after 13 years of DMing a

campaign that, for varied periods, has

included 63 players from different cu

tural, social, and economic back-

grounds: Anyone who shows up for th

second session is worth developing, a

is certainly not stupid. Stupid people

never come back.

It appears that Mr. Mulcahy hasforgotten the primary rule of good ga

ing, that "the play's the thing." It is

understood, at conventions and tourn

8 Issu e N o. 4 6



L E T T E R

menta, that a DM is primarily a judge,with all the restrictions that one-shot

competitive gaming entails ..An ongoingcampaign, however, greatly enlarges

the DM's role and allows considerably

more latitude in handling gaming situa-

tions. Furthermore, a campaign with

inexperienced or first- time players

moves the DM's already varied roles

(author, actor, psychoanalyst, etc.) into

the realm of purveyor of near-mystical

experience. Those first sessions are the

rites of passage into our hobby, when

the whole thing is alien and fantastic,

before gamespeak and chronic account-

ing set in..The DMhas an obligation to

stretch himself for those first-timers,

not write denigrating letters about

them,

Look closely at the situations Mr.Mulcahy complains about. His bard

pulls a Kermit the Frog entrance into a

lair of hallucinating humanoids. I can

COQut on one hand the number of times

a role-playing hook that incredible

jumped into my lap. Forget the instruc-

tions that say the party shouldn't enter

the lair at "fix" times. The DM should

react to opportunity and wing it, which

is the true challenge and joy of DMing.

Earlier,this same bard had become

enamored with a hook of bad poetry

(this PC is a jewel) owned by a halfwit

gnome archaeologist ..Any DMwho

can't get a memorable session (or three)out of that relationship and teach young

spell-casters the value of divination

spells should find a different hobby, It

makes no sense to criticize players for

behaving humorously (intentionally or

not) in silly adventures-or in extremely

grave situations, as most heroic litera-

ture is filled with comic relief.

Mr.Mulcahy asks for advice:

1. Play with people whose company

you enjoy and whom you respect.

2. When DMing an inexperienced

party, run an NPC for direct input. I use

halfling thieves, as they are less likely

to be completely trusted, can disappear

and reappear believably, make timely

saves when necessary, and lead the

party into situations that serve the plot-

line. Specific-mythoi priests who can't

turn undead and have obtuse goals are

a good second choice, though they can

easily end up as crutches unless their

temples are kept at great distances.

3. Leave yourself an exit from a dead-

end adventure. I always keep a complex

encounter stashed that will lead the

party into an entirely different adven-

ture. That way, if my ranger/druid de-

cides not to help that beached whale,

the session can head in a different direc-

tion without a huge lull, Later, I can

determine the repercussions ofhisinaction.

4. Apologize to your players, and re-

member that this hobby of ours is for

fun. We all compete constantly just to

maintain ow' lives. Fantasy role-

playing offers us a chance to be.more or

less than ourselves.

If you use this letter, please print my

full address. If that bard is ever in

Paris, I'd like a chance to play withhiI1l. -

Emett H. Barfield III

38 rue Marx Dormoy

75018 Paris, France

Magic Overdose

As a subscriber to your magazine, I

felt I should drop a line or two to give

my opinion on a few things.

First of all, your magazine is a huge

time-saver for me, since I rarely have

the time, determination, or inspiration

to write a module half as good as the

ones you publish. Not only that, but the

quality of yow' publication, both aes-

thetically (1don't know who makes

those maps, but helshe does a great job

of it) and substantially, is excellent.

[Almost all our maps are drawn. byDiesel, our .staff cartographer.]Another thing I would like to point

out is the abundance of written props in

your adventures, I should remind DMs

and editors alike that not everyone in

the AD&D world can read or write. [W e

figure that most mages can reed, and a

party without a mage is in trouble even

without the complication of not beingable to decipher written clues.]

My last comment is one that concerns

all of your writers and editors. I admit

this may be a question of opinion, but I

think there's an overdose of magic. I can

only suppose all writers are familiar

with the second edition rules on creat-

ing magical items, and know it's not

something you do on a whim. It takesan Ll.th-level spell-caster to create amagical item, and I'm sure there aren't

hordes of those (remember, that's

375,000 XP). Heck, I admit that magic

may be fairly common in fantasy worlds

such as these, but a magical item is not

something you can buy at the general

store, or pick up at the town market.

Even if it was, not many people have a

few thousand gold pieces to buy a new

sword. I'd like to see a more rational

placement ofmagical items in future

adventures. [Check out Ted Zuuich's

adventures in Volkrad, a low magicworld, in issues 27, 33, 37, and 44.]Hey, are there any English-speaking

garners or clubs in the Paris area? I've

been DMing a solo game far the last

year or so, but it would be fun to have

some more players (or even become on

I'llplay any RPG. Please print my fuladdress.

Edward Rostain

20bis rue Henri-Marti

92100, Boulogne-Billancou

Fran

Sense of Wonder

1 am completely sick ofseeing rules

error quotes in the letters section of

DUNGEON Magazine. I speak from

experience when I say that nothing

takes away the mystique of a gaming

session faster than when someone say

"Excuse me, but according to the Player's Handbook, page ... " That is sofrustrating! I usually reply to those

kind of observations with,"Yeah, so

what's your point?" It is rarely theplace of a player to dictate anything to

DM. If I want to have a 40', fire-

breathing, telepathic, telekinetic,

magic-resistant cockroach in my cam-paign, then I'm damn well entitled to

I'm so familiar wi.th the game system

that nothing anyone can do strictly by

the rules holds my interest as a player

for any length of time. I love it when a

DM surprises me with a singing troll

(,'Song ofthe Fens:' issue #40) or a

dancing mushroom band ("Old Man

Katan," issue #41).

I was prompted to write when I was

angered by David A. Dwyer's correctio

of a certain magical effect in "Kharnsa

Folly" [module in issue #40, letter in

issue #431.What are you thinking,

David? The entire point of magic is fo

the players not to know exactly what's

going on all the time. Who cares if the

is no specific rule for the flinging of

images across space and time by a pow

erful sorcerer? The rules are only guid

lines for your own creativity, and ifyo

can't see past them, you shouldn't be

running a campaign.

Tim Goodn

2004 NE 85th Stre

Vancouver WA98665-97

DUNGEON 9



DOVEDALEB Y T E D J AM ES T HOM AS Z UV IC H

I f the drought doesn'tget you, the goblins will.

Artwork by Tony DITer lizz l

'led says: '7got the idea for this advenwhile hiking near the real Dove Dale,England's Derbyshire Dales District.apologize for the liberties I have takenthe local geography and inhabitants."

"Dovedale' is a D&D®adventure foplayer characters of levels 1-3, or on

elven PC of levels 4-5, for a total of

least 4 levels. The adventure deman

the use of stealth, so if there are mu

pie PCs, at least one of them should

thief or a halfling. All the PCs shou

be either Lawful or Neutral.

"Dovedale" emphasizes role-playi

humor, and creative negotiating. Th

adventure is short and relatively si

to complete.

For the Player Characters

Read or paraphrase the following toplayers:

The Dovedale district is one of the

many small farming areas nestled

the foothills of'a long mountain

range. The district takes its name

from the narrow wooded valley

known as Dovedale. The like-name

Dovedale River flows out of the da

and provides water for the many

farms in the area. The Dalewold

forest skirts the northwest edge o

the valley:

The farmers of the Dovedale dis

trict have a problem: It is midsum

mer, and the river has suddenly d

up. A small trickle ofwater remain

but not enough. Without water, m

of the farmers' crops (which rely o

irrigation) are doomed to fail. The

locals are convinced that the abru

drop in the river is yet another ev

plot of a tribe of wicked goblins th

live in the steep, winding dale. It's

only a matter of time, they say, be

fore the goblins issue a long string

unreasonable demands in return

restoring the river.

The farmers spend much oftheir

time standing around and grousingthat someone should do something.

However,none ofthe farmers have

volunteered to gosort out the gobli

The local farmers' cooperative has

offered a lOO-gpreward to anyone

brave enough to go up the Dovedal

and force the goblins to restore the

river. Youhave learned that interes

parties should apply toMrs, Cogs, t

leader of the cooperative.

1 o Is su e No . 46



For the DUNGEO N MASTER 'M

The farmers' complaints are partiallycorrect; the goblins really are responsi-ble for the river drying up. However theinconvenience to the local farmers i~

merely a side effect of the goblins's?heme. The real reason why the gob.hns sabotaged the river has to do withthe goblin chiefs passion for fishing.For the last few years, Chief Gravel-beak has been trying to catch the trick-iest fish in the Dovedale River: Salvelt~e Talking Trout. So far, the quick.witted Salvel has avoided capture.Gravelbeak's continual failure to

catch Salvel finally drove him to con-

sider desperate measures. Gravelheak(using impeccable goblin logic) reasonedthat it would he easier to catch Salvel ifthe river did not have as much water in

it. So the goblin chief and his misfitfamily laid their plans and captured thesource of the river: Unda the RiverFairy. Normally, Unda (a nixie) main-tains the spring that is the source of theDovedale River. When Unda was take-na~ay, the spring dwindled and finallydied out. The mighty Dovedale Riverquickly withered to a slow, anemictrickle.

Running the Adventure

If "Dovedale" is being used as a first-time adventure, the DM could give the

PCs backgrounds as brave young per-sons from the surrounding area. ThePCs could be inhabitants of the villageof Ashbourne, or one of the PCs could beone of Mrs. Cogs's numerous children(see area 4). If the PCs have back-grounds as locals, each has heard 1-4rumors associated with Dovedale (seesidebar, page 13). More than one PCmay know the same rumor.If the PCs are wanderers in search of

adventure, start the adventure inAshbourne. The phrasing oftbe intro-duction should lead the PCs to contactMrs. Cogs, the leader of the farmer's

cooperative. She will supply the PCswith some information that shouldspark the PCs' interest in talking to thelocals about the Dovedale goblins ..ThePCs should spend some time talking toAshbourne's citizens, asking the locals~eep farmers about their experiencesWIth the goblins, and inquiring at theInn-on-the-Peak. Ferreting out thesebi t s of information and scraps of oldlegends will provide an abundance ofrole-playing opportunities ..PCs who

skip this chance to gather informationon their foes will regret their mistake.The adventure begins in earnest once

the ~Cs have finished gathering infer-mation and finally venture into goblinterritory: the twisting canyon ofthe

Dovedale itself. The PCs have a chanceto gather additional information whenthey encounter Salvel the 'ThlkingTrout. PCs who rush right into thegoblin lair will have difficulty complet-ing the adventure,

Dovedale Dis1rlct

LAshbourne. Ashbourne is a smallfortified farming village located aboutthree miles southeast of Dovedale. Be-cause of its proximity, Ashbourne isconsidered to be part of the Dovedalearea. The Dovedale River flows past

Ashbourne. The village has a farmer'smarket, a bakery, a dry goods store, abrewery, a church, several passableinns, and a couple of boarding houses.Someofthe villagers may have oldfamily armor and weapons for sale butsuch items will cost at least twice theprices listed in the Rules Cyclopedia(pages 62 and 67).The DM can use the description of any

small village to flesh out Ashbourne.The village of Grinley Crossing, de-tailed in "Pearlman's Curiosity"

(DUNGEON® Magazine #32), wouldserve admirably. In this case, "Dove-dale" can be used as a logical precursorto "Pearlman's Curiosity."The text below outlines two NPCs who

live in Ashbourne. The DM should pre-pare several additional NPCs for the PCsto question while they are in Ashbournealong with a listing ofwhich rumors eachNPC has heard. If the PCs ask around fori.n.fonnation in Ashbourne, they can hear14 rumors per day.If the PCs spend more than a few

hours in Ashbourne, a bum accoststhem in the village square. The bum is[an McNeill, the town drunk, who begs

for money to buy a drink. If the PCstalk with Ian, he tells them about hisencounters with Salve Ihe TalkingTrout (see rumor 87) ..Ian hints to thePCs that he knows a great deal aboutthe Dovedale goblins (he does not, butthat will not stop him from making up afe.wstori~s), hoping to get them to buyhim a drink. The inhabitants ofAshbourne rib Ian fiercely about his"speaking fish" stories.Ian McNeill, town drunk: AC 10; HD

DOVEDAL

1-1 (M); hp 3; MV 120'(40'); HA T 1;

Dmg by weapon type; Save NM; ML 4AL N; S 7, I 10,.W 6, D 8, C 9, Ch 12;XP 10j dagger.Ian's one great talent is his ability t

make up whopping great fibs without

forethought or preparation. His storiesare sufficiently entertaining that thetownsfolk provide him with enoughmoney to maintain his self-destructivehabit. Ian's widely renowned talent fomaking up stories is the main reasonwhy nobody believes his tales aboutSalveIhe 'Thlking Trout.Plonna of Ashbourne, Mayor: AC

10; HD 1(M); hp 7; MV 120'(40')j HATDmg by weapon type; Save Fl; ML 9;AL L; S 12, I 13, W 13, D 9, C 12, Chdagger, short sword, spear, long bow.Mayor Fionna is a strong, dynamic,

red-haired, 40-year-old woman whodoesn't take lip from anybody. She isapt to thump troublemakers on thehead first and sort out the details laterBesides being the mayor of AshbourneFionna is an officer in the local militiaShe can provide clear directions to MrCogs's farm, and the PCs will hear ru-mor #8 from her.

2. Inn-on-the-Peak. The Inn-on-the-Peak is a quaint country inn, cateringprimarily to the local sheepherders anfarmers. The inn sits on the top of asmall hill amid a small stand of oak

trees. A narrow country lane borderedby 3'-tall stone walls winds its waythrough the trees to the top of the hillThe Inn-on-the-Peak is famous for tw

things. The first is the rich, dark,musty-smelling beer that Hal the inn-keeper brews in his cellar, This beer iknown throughout the region as "Hal'Old Singular." Second, the inn'sexten-sive rose gardens are reputed to be themost beautiful gardens for hundreds omiles. In the summer, the Inn-on-the-Peak attracts a number of rich visitorsfrom Ashbourne, who come out to sample the rustic life, get pampered and

well fed by Hal's excellent cook andspend a few evenings walking i~ theinn's beautiful rose gardens..~ut the rose gardens are sufferingthis summe~. The inn's well is fed byDovedale RIver. Now that the river isdry, the wen has also petered out.The Inn-on-the-Peak has a total of 1

",:,arm and comfortable rooms. At anytime, 3-12 ( Id.IO +2) of the rooms are~lled. P : - room rents for 10 sp per night(including meals). Each room is fitted

DUNGEON 11



DOVEDALE

Dovedale Area

Dalewold

5

N

-*Tor's CloudPeakON

•

4• " 1 o iI II~ . . . .~', .

o

I

I

J//

II/

//

l-

I "/ "

./ '/

I.1

lf2 mile between points

Miles

IIIII

II/

- . . . .,,( ,

-c\

"" 1. . .

To Ashbourne

Smiles

with two large beds with straw-stuffed

mattresses and goose down comforters,

a small hearth for a peat fire, a dresser,

a mirror, a closet, a writing desk, and

several comfortable chairs. Hot baths

are available at an additional cost of 1

sp. Boarding for horses or similar

mounts costs 4 sp per night ..The inn's large common room serves

as a pub ..A warm, fragrant peat fire

heats the room. The pub has a low ceil-

ing, which creates a dim interior where

pale blue pipe smoke wafts among the

hand-carved rafters. Anyone who stands

taller than 5'6" had better learn to

duck. Overstuffed wing-back chairs and

couches are spread throughout the

room, along with tables for chess, back"

gammon, and checkers. During the

evening, 11-30 (ld20 + 10) locals gatherin the common room.

The PCs can heal' 1-4 of the rumorsand legends about Dovedale per evening

spent gossiping in the inn's pub, The

pub patrons repeatedly mention the

100-gp reward in a pathetically trans-

parent effort to encourage the PCs to

explore the dale.

Old Man Krimble: AC 10; HD 1-1

(M); hp 4; MV 90'(30'); NAT 1; Dmg by

weapon type; Save NM; ML 8; AL L

8,.I 10, W 12, D 10, C 10, Ch 10; dag

Krimble is a stooped and weathere

old graybeard, conversant with mos

the lore about the local area. He is a

regular feature in the inn's taproom.

the players are beginners and needlittle prodding in the right direction,

Krimblecan suggest that the PCs in

view some ofthe local farmers about

goblins. This will provide the PCs w

the opportunity to learn more of theinformation contained in the "Rumo

and Information" sidebar.

Hal the Innkeeper: AC 10; F2 (Mhp 10;MV 120'(40'); HA T 1; Dmg by

weapon type; Save F2;:ML 9; AL L;12, I 11, W 11, D 9, C 13, Ch 14; shosword, club.

Hal is a thin, wiry, hard-working

middle-aged man. He is an officer inlocal militia and a well- respected bunessman in the Dovedale area .Shep, old sheep dog:AC 7; HD 1(8

7; MV 60~(20');HAT 1bite; Dmg 1-3;SFl; ML 7; INT 4; AL N; CC/30 (Dog).Shep is a retired sheep dog. He is

old and suffers from arthritis, so he

moves quite slowly. He spends most

his time lying in front of the fire in

common rOODl.From his position by

fire, Shep keeps up with local eventsand happenings.

If the PCs have a speak with anim

spell, they can talk with Shep, who

relate the tale of how he and his felsheep dogs tangled with a pair of di

wolves that live in the Dalewold for

Shep also knows that the goblin chi

named Gravelbeak, and that Stinkf

IS the only other goblin who can riddire wolves. At the DM's discretion,

Shep may know a few further detail

Anything that the PCs learn from S

is in addition to the rumors related

the other patrons at the inn.

Years ago, Gravelbeak's great-

grandfather bullied his family into

building a secret tunnel leading int

Inn-on-the-Peak's beer cellar. It took

goblins several years to finish buildthe tunnel, hut the result was worth

The Dovedale goblins have been pining beer from the cellar for generati

now. They are very careful to contro

their greed; they steal only from ke

that are already open and take only

gallon or so at a time. The losses ar

barely noticeable, small enough tha

Hal would never think to mention t

in casual conversation. Hal has attr

uted the losses to spillage, and perh

12 Issue N o. 4 6



DOVEDALE

a little bit to the cook and the stablehands sneaking a few pints on the side,which he does not mind,If the PCs ask Hal ifthey can search

his cellar (perhaps after they find the

beer kegs in the Goblin Beer Celiar,area 9), Hal will let them in, The PCshave normal chances to find the secretdoor, which is carefully blended into thebrick wall behind one of the many wineracks in the cellar, The tunnel exit ishidden under a large stump in a copseof trees on the north side of the hilL

3. 'Thr's Cloud Peak 'Ibr's Cloud peak,elevation 1,370', serves as a local land-mark, The peak is one mile northwest ofthe Inn-on-the-Peak, Dozens of sheepgraze on the lower reaches of its grassyslopes, 'Iburists often climb to the summit

during the warm summer months, dodg-ing the sheep as they go, From the top ofthe peak, the view of the surroundingCOUntrysideis spectacular,There is a l-in-l0 chance per day of a

freak storm striking the top of Tor'sCloud, Roll lcl12 to determine the hourof the day when the storm strikes, Eachstorm lasts Id6 + 1 turns, The stormdelivers a deluge of hailstones, rain,and fiercely howling wind, Anyone .

caught in the storm takes 1-3 hp dam-age -per turn, There is no shelter on thepeak, and getting down to safety takesfour turns, Someone with climbing skill

can get off the peak inthree turns,If any or the PCs has danger senseskill or mountain survival skill (see Re,pages 83 and 85), the DM should secret-ly make a check before the PCs go upthe mountain, If the skill check suc-ceeds, and a storm is going to strike thepeak that day, tell the player that hisPC feels apprehensive about climbingthe mountain,

4. Mrs, Cogs's Farm. Mrs, Cogs ownsa large, prosperous farm on a hilltop tothe west of Dovedale. She is a hardworker, an excellent cook (her pies al-

ways win blue ribbons at the annualfair), and the leader ofthe local farmers'cooperative. Her farm boasts a largehouse, several barns, many acres ofgrazing land, and several hundredsheep, Mrs, Cogs has six children, whohelp her run the farm: Ben (6), Bridgett(7),.Kathy (10), Kevin (12), Parsival (16),and Petra (16),Mrs, Cogs: AC 10; HD 1-1 (M); hp 6;

MV 120'(40'); #AT 1; Dmg by weapontype; Save NM; ML 9; AL L; S 9, 19,

Rumors and Information

The PCs ean hear the following rumorsin the Dovedele area, In some cases, onlyaparticUlal' NPC will know the informa-tion, as noted below. Each NPC willrepeat rumor HI and also knows oneother rumor from the list ,1. "A tribe of nasty goblins lives in the

Dnvedale. 'Tha.t'swhy everyone avoidsthe place, There al'e at least [30/50190Jofthe monsters." (Partially true; there areonly nirie goblms.)2, "Ifyou find the goblin's c h imn ey ,

you're right near their front door, I heardthat from my grandpappy, who used to goplay checkers with the goblin chief,"(True, Old Man Krimble (area 2) makesthis claim, Heaas told this story manytimes over the years, The other localsthink he is merely bragging,)

3, "A goodfairy maintains the DovedaleRiver, Without her, the river would ceaseto flow,She lives near a beautiful springthat's the SOUl1Cefthe river." (True)4, "The goblins have a secret lair in

Dovedale,' (True)

5, "Without wat$:, our farms will witherand die. Without tr affic o n the river;Ashbourne wil l become mn eh poorer, andthe Inn-on-the-Peak will be unable tomamta:in its famous rose gardens," (True)6, "A big, hairy epidershouted at me

while Iwas gathering mushrooms in theDalewold. It leapt out from behind a treeand ye11ed, 'Put that down!'" (False, Mrs,Cogs's youngsst dilu~hteJ;,Bridgett,

makes this Claim, but she has an ex'tremely active imagination.)7, "Speaking-Fish Weir is located right at

the mouth ofDovedale, It's ~lled thatbecau se Ian M cN eill sw ears that a talkingfish livesthere, Of course, everyone knowsthat Ian is u,ttel'1y daft" (Thue, Noone in~heDovedale area believes Ian, but he'stelling the truth, Ian bas talked withSalvel the Thlking Trout several times,)8, "Ben Cogs is a quiet child, but he's a

troublemaker, He'-s always filching thlnss,lying, and pulling mean tricks on the otherChildren, dust last week he pushed Susie.intoa mud puddle and stole her lunch.Whenever Ben does s ome th i:n _ g bad, th e

shameless lad-refuses 00take responsibili,ty," (False, Ben Cugs IS a wen-behaved andtruthful young man, Ben gets in troublebecause Grabbo the goblin disguises him-self as Ben W Id pulls pranks on the Jocala)9, "Tcame across t h , e goblin chieftain

fishing on the river one evenil.)g,Wekicked back for a while, swappeil somefish stories, That goblin chief, be's quitea·skilled and knowledgeable fisherman!'(True, A farmer tells this .story at theInn-en-the-Peak.)

10, "The goblins have a secret entranceto their home, on t-opo£Tbr's CloudPeak."(False)11, "Freal; storms sometimes hit the top

ofThr's Cloud Peak. It can be sunny and -

clear one moment, t,hen the next minutethe wind starts whipping ice and rain

down onyOlll' head. The storms have killedquite a few people over the years, moStlyfoo l ish tou r i s ts : ' (True, If the PGs g rew u pin the Dovedale area, they automaticallyknow this piece of information.)12, "The storms on Tor's Cloud Peak

are caused by an insane air-elementaltrapped in a rune cirde on top of themountain," (False, unless the DM wantathis rumor to be true,)13, "Them goblins, tbey's fairly slug-

gisb during the day, Gets up. tD most of:

their miscliief in the eyellitlgs and atnight!' (True,)

14, "Once or twice a year, a goblin ridesout.of the Dalewold on a great slaveringwolfand steals one ofmy sheep, And itseems like every timeIurn around, thosenasty goblins ate stealing my Fresh.-bakedpies and-cookies afftne windowsill!' (True,Mrs, Cogs tells this tale,'15, "There a r e three large, stone columnsinthe midst ofthe Dalswold, They've beencalled The Three Giants for as long as Icanremember, but Ion't recall.why"(True, Mrs, Gogs or any other sheep farmerwithin three miles ofthe Dovedalecanimpa:l.'tthis informatioa)

16. "Long ago, in the time of my great,great-grandfather, a powerful druid livedin the Dalewold. She's gone now, but bel'influence on the land remains. If shewerestiU here, she'd..sort those goblinsout in short order:' (True)17, "The Dalewold is a dangerous

place, with wolves and spiders and pan'thers and bears running through thewoods, I'd avoid it, if I were you,. espe-eially after daJ:k~'(Partially true; thereap e welves and spiders in the Dalewold.)18, "I heard that the goblins are going

to demand a payment of 1,000 gp and 40sheep incrder to restore the river,Greedy little bastards," (False)

19. "The gobliniST,llust have a newchief, The old chief, he never did any-thlng like this befor·e,"(False)20, "'I'here are wolves in the Dalewold,

that's true, But r doub t tlmt they haveanything 00 dowith the goblins, That Mrs.Cogs, she's a silly old woman and probablyjust tmagined the whole thing. Or maybeshe'ajust making excuses £ 0 1 ' that rottenlittle kid of hers, (Fai~, The Pes hem' thisrumor from one ofMrs, Cogs's poorerneighbors: a hitter, lazy old i'artnel'J

DUNGEON 13



DOVEDALE

W 13, D 9, C 12, Ch 13.Mrs, Cogs is a large, businesslike

woman with a no-nonsense attitudeabout running her farm.Parsival and Petra: AC 7; HD 1 (M);

hp 6 each; MV 120'(40'); I IAT 1; Dmg byweapon type; Save F1; ML 8; AL L; S12, C 13.Mrs. Cogs's oldest children are members

ofthe local militia. The twins have leath-er armor and are proficient with the shortsword, dagger, spear, and long bow. If thisadventure is being conducted as a soloadventure, the DM may allow the PC torecruit Parsival and Petra.The PCs can get directions to Mrs,

Cogs's farm from any NPC in Ashbourne,although Ian McNeill's directions mightbe a bit incoherent. If the PCs climb tothe top of the hill to talk with Mrs. Cogs

she invites them in for a chat and givesthem herbal tea and lemon cookies. Mrs.Cogs talks with the PCs for a maximumof three turns, after which she must getback to work.Mrs. Cogs's farm is the closest farm to

Dovedale, so she is used to the goblinsand their conniving tricks. Mrs. Cogsconfirms that the farmers' cooperativehas put up a 100-gp reward for restoringthe river. She emphasizes that the PCs'mission is to restore the river, not neces-sarily kill the goblins. The goblins havea long history of coexisting with theDovedale locals, and in some situations

being friendly (see rumors #2 and #9).The farmers don't want to start a blood-feud with the goblins.Mrs. Cogs also tells the PCs rumors

1 1 1 4 and # 15. At the end of their conver-sation, Mrs. Cogs informs the PCs thatsome of the local farmers gather in theevenings at the Inn-on-the-Peak; theparty might be able to get some moreinformation there.If given a chance, six-year-old Ben sol-

emnly swears to the PCs that he is notthe one who keeps doing bad things. Benexplains that one of the goblins living inthe Dovedale looks exactly like him. The

goblin does bad things {such as stealingpies from windowsills and pushingsmaller children into mud-puddles) andthen Ben gets blamed for it. Ben claimsthat he has spoken with this goblin sev-eral times and tried to get him to stop,but the goblin just laughs and runs awayto pull yet another prank. Ben has triedto explain this to others, but no one be-lieves him. IfMrs. Cogs catches Bentelling this story to the PCs, she scoldshim for fibbing and sends him to clean

out the cow barns.Mrs. Cogs's farm is similar to the

other farms in the area, which arespaced several miles apart in an arc tothe south and west of Dovedale. None ofthe other farms are quite as well off asMrs. Cogs's farm. The local farms in-clude: Hanson, Bistern, Llam, Shar-plowe, Thorp, Baley Hill, Raven's 'Ibr,St. Bertram's Well, Hillend, Blore Hall,and Standlew.

5. The Dalewold. The Dalewold is aforest located on the northwest edge ofthe Dovedale. This stand of oaks, elms,maples, and poplars covers severalsquare miles. Sparse undergrowth fiUsthe open areas beneath the forest cano-py. The Dalewold teems with animallife, especially sparrows, robins, grouse,

quail, and rabbits. The forest also has abountiful supply of berries and mush-rooms, including truffles, tuffets (largetoadstools), and chanterelles.For every hour that the PCs spend

wandering in the Dalewold, an encount-er takes place on a roll of 1 on Id6.Consult the "Dalewold Random En-counters" sidebar on page 15, but usediscretion. Some of these encounters canbe extremely deadly and are unsuitablefor beginning PCs. The PCs have a 10%chance per encounter to stumble into amonster's lair, in which case the "num-ber appearing" in the encounter should

be maximum. Lairs are not assignedany specific location in the Dalewold,Low-level PCs should not stumbleacross a monster lair.

6, Speaking-Fish Weir. When thePCs reach this point, read or para-phrase the following to the players:

A weir of large, loosely piled boul-ders sci-etches across the DovedaleRiver. It looks as if it might be poesi-ble to cross the river by stepping onthe tops of the moss-covered stones.A 50'-diameter pool has formed be-

hind the weir. In normal times, thepool would be much larger anddeeper, but the water has retreatedto show cracked mud along thebanks. Now that the river has beenreduced to a trickle, the pool is only2' deep at its deepest point. Colorfulgravel lines the bottom of the pool.Rushes and willows, many of themdrooping in the artificial drought,grow along the banks. Two 6' tall, 2'diameter stone pillars stand at the

top of the pool, one on either side othe river. A narrow footpath windsits way through the grass and reedsup the side of the pool and along theast side of the river. The footpath

goes right by one of the stone pillars

The stone pillars are carved withpictographs and symbols indicatingthe Dovedale is the territory of Gravebeak the Goblin Chief. When a PC gwithin 10' of the pool or one of the stcolumns, Salvel the trout sticks hissnout out of the water and squirts anonblinding stream of water at one othe PCs. This is Salvel's way of attracing attention.Once Salvel has the PCs' attention,

introduces himself, apologizes for geting the PC wet, and asks who the Pare. By the time he talks to the PCs,Salvel will have used his detect evilability; if the PCs are evil, he will nospeak to them. Salvel then asks thewhat they are doing in the Dovedale,the PCs tell Salvel that they are gointo seek the goblins, restore the river,similar comments, read or paraphrasethe following to the players. This marial is presented as a monologue bySalvel, but it's more likely to be a coversation between him and the PCs.

Yom comment about the awful stateof the river appears to have piqued

Salvel's interest. His shimmeringscales glint in the dim sunlight asswims closer."The river is low because the gobli

have captured Unda the River Fairy,says the fish. "If you want to restorethe river, you'll have to rescue herfrom their secret lair. The goblinscaptured Unda about a week ago.They've kept her alive; I would havefelt it ifshe died. They're trying tocatch me, too, but I've managed toavoid them so far. I've been trying tofind someone to go into the goblin laand rescue Unda, but you're the firstlikely prospects that I've encountered"If you go up the river, past the

. three stone giants, you'll find a tallweeping willow that the goblins hachewed on. The entrance to theirtunnels is in a shallow cave nearthat tree. I've managed to find outthat much, over the years, by watching them from the river."

Any PC with fishing (hunting) skil

14 Issue N o. 4 6



DOVEDAL

can identify Sal vel as a rainbow trout,although he is an unusually large speci-men. If the PCs ask Salvel more ques-tions, he knows a few things that maymake the PCs' task somewhat easier.For instance, Salvel knows the names of

some of the goblins [DM's discretion],which may be of some use to the PCs.Salvel's information is accurate, for themost part, although he does not knowthat the real reason the goblins kid-napped Unda was to make it easier tocatch him. If the PCs ask why the gob-lins chew on the tree, Salvel respondsthat he thinks it has something to dowith cleaning their teeth.Over the years, Salvel has teased

Gravelbeak fiercely. Salvel's favorite trickis to wait until Gravelbeak gets in anawkward position as he wades along theriver. For example, Salvel may wait until

Gravelbeak has both his feet on slipperyrocks. Salvel then swims up, leaps out ofthe water, slaps Gravelbeak on the facewith his wide silver tail, and then swimsaway while Gravelbeak splutters anddesperately windmills his arms in anattempt to maintain his precarious bal-ance. Salvel takes great delight in teasingGravelbeak and his family.Salvel the Talking Trout; AC 6; HD

2 +2* (8, 3' long); hp 12; MV swim180'(60'); IJKr 1; Dmg 1.2; Save F4; ML9; INT 13; AL L; XP 35; New Monster.Salve! can detect euil in a 50' radius.

He can also spit a stream of water up to

30' that hits as a 4·HD monster. Anyonestruck by the jet of water is blinded for1-3 turns. Sal vel speaks fish, Common,and goblin.In this region of the world, some ani-

mals can speak and understand speech.The long-departed druid mentioned inrumor fl16 granted some of the animalsin the area the power to speak. Thepower has manifested itself in at leastone fish in every generation ever sincethat time. The talking animals in thearea tend to be the leaders of the nor-mal animals.

7. Small Cave. Small caves riddle theDovedale's 200'-talllimestone walls.This cave is only one example. Cavesare located 30'·40' up the side of thecliff-face, The narrow and twistingcaves go back about 30', but humanscan go in only about 20' before the stonewalls close in. The caves are emptyexcept for some rather barbaric goblingraffiti (written in Common; goblins donot have their own written language).

DaIewold Random Encounters

01-20 Jumping spidel's,large (1·20):AC 8; HD 1 + 1" (2' diameter); np 4 each;MV 60'(20'), web 120'(40,); f iAT 1 bite;Dmg 1 plus poison; Save Fl: ML 7; !NT

0; AL Nj XP 25; RC 206 (modified GiantCrab Spider),The spiders normally scuttle along inthe trees and drop ontheir prey, trailinga safety-line of'webbing behind them. .The ~pider's poison does 4d4 hp damage,at a rate of 1d4 hp pel' round. A savingthrow vs, poison (+ 2 bonus) for halfdamage is allowed. The spiders havescattered their treasure in the bushesnear their lair, The treasure consists of:two suits ·ofchain mail (20 gpJ, two shortswords (5 gp), two daggers (2 gp), a lan-tern (8 gp), 4 gp o 10 sp, 27 cp, a whitecotton bonnet, a pair ofchildren's shoes,a silver SPQOD (2 gp), and a small wooden

bowl (2 cp),

2.1-35 Baron hanbeak, talking owl;AC 6, lID llz* (8); hp 3; MV 9'( :J '} , fly120'(40'); IINr 1;Dmg 1; Save NM; ML 8;INT 10; AL N; XP 6; New.Baron lrcnbeak may trail the PCs if

they errtar the Dalswold at night. A§>long a' 8 the PCs do not make any hpstilemoves, he remains friendly. If the PCsbribe him with a mouse or other tidbit,Baron Ironbeak tells the PCs.that one ofthe goblins flies around at night on agiant bat.

35-40Greet the Spring'S Warm Wind,

treant: AC 2; HD 8* (L) ; hp 49; MV60'(20'); IIKf 2 branches; Dmg 2d612d6;Save F B ; ML 9; !NT 11;ALL; RC 209.The treant oithe Dalewold is an 18.'-

tall maple. AU encounters with thetreant occur at a distance of 30 yards orless. Becausethe treant closely resem-bles a normal tree, it surprises on a rollof 1·3on IdS. Blunt weapons inflict only1 hp.damage per hit (P Ius magic andstrength bonuses). The treant can ani-mate any two trees within 60' to move at30'{10') and fight, as tteants.The treat approaches the PCs if they do

not light a fire while they are in theDalewold. The treant knows about tha

dire wolves but is not bothered by theirpresence because the wolves behavethemselves while they are in the lJale-wold and never kill more chan they caneat. If the PCs talk with the treant, itcan confirm that a powerful druid usedto dwell in. the Dalewold (if the PCs haveheard rumor fl16).

40-55 Stirges (1·IO) AC 7; HD 1'" (S);MV 30'(10'), fly 180'(60'); IiAT1; Dmg

81-00 Sparrows (id20 +20), robins(1t:!20+<20),grouse (ldlO +5), quail(ld10 +5),and rabbits (ld6). One of thescreatures pops out ofthe undergrowth,startled by the PCs' passage. The creaturmay in turn startle the PCs.

1d3; Save F2; ML ~; INT 1;AL N; XP 1RC 208.A successful hit means the stil'ge has

attached itself to ita victim, stt<;.kingfor

ld3 hp damage until the victim is dead.A flying stirge gains a benus of + 2 on ifit !;It attack roll against any epe.oppo-nent due to its speedy attack. The stirgehave a lair ina small cave deep in theDovedale, The PCs can find the lair ifthey spend 1d6 +2 days searching for itThe stirges have two crystals in theirlair, which they picked up because theyglittered. The crystals are garnets, andwould be worth 100 gp each if cut andpolished,

55·70 Horseflies, giant (10·30): AC 6ED L/4 (S); hp 1 each; MV fly 120'(40');!fAT 1 (per 1.0borseflies); Dmg 1-2 plus

confusion (per 10 horseflies); Save NM ,ML lO;1NT 1;ALN;XP6;New.These. giant flies weigh about two

ounces each. They attack men, cattle,horses, sheep, and just about anythingelse that moves. The horseflies swirlaround in a great cloud, causing confu·sian in their victims. There must be atlease 10 horseflies to confuse or damageone character. Characters who becomeeonfused suffer a -2 penalty on theirattack rolls and saving throws, andcannot cast spells (save vs. spells fornoeffect).For example, if 13 horseflies attack agroup of 3 PCs, the horseflies can confu

and attack only one of the PCs perround. As soon as the PCs kill 4 of thehorseflies, the remaining nine cannotattack effectively. De not use more than20 horseflies when running this encouner unless you are confident that the PCcan think ofsome clever way to escape.The horseflrea do not have a lair.

71-80 Boar, wild (1-6):AC 7; HD 3*00; hp 21,17,14,13,11,9; MV 90'(30')IIAT 1tusk; Dmg 2d4; Save F2;.ML 9;!NT2; AL N; XP 50; RC 162.Wild pigs hide in the brush and charg

out at their victims, A pig that has 20yards to charge before reaching its prey

can inflict double damage. If the Pt:scome across just one wild pig, it is a badtempa ed boar (hp 21) that attacks immdiately" charging from ambush.

DUNGEON 15



For example,munz tak baths:' goblins ride WolfS;'and "Elfs taste gratelles filing:' The DM isencouraged to think up other examples.

8. The Three Giants. Halfway up thedale, the PCs come across three 25' tali,10' diameter granite columns. The rough-surfaced granite columns are quite out ofplace in the normal limestone formationsof the Dovedale. The columns are lined upaU in a row, and all of them seem to beleaning slightly forward.The three columns are really giants

transformed to stone. The columns lookexactly like natural stone columns;there are no visual clues to their realnature. If anyone uses a know align-ment spell here, the columns radiateChaos. A detect evil spell reveals thatthe columns are also evil. Unda theRiver Fairy knows what the statuesreally are and will try to stop anyonewho is so foolish as to try to returnthem to flesh.The columns originated over a hun-

dred years ago, when three evil hillgiants rampaged through the Dovedaleregion. The greedy giants wreakedenormous havoc on the ecology of the

area and used the Dovedale goblin tribeas slaves. Finally, the giants' excessesincurred the wrath of the legendarydruid of the Dalewold. With the coope r -ation of the enslaved goblin tribe, shelured the giants out into the open andworked a mighty enchantment thatturned the terrible giants into stone.The Dovedale goblins know this story

and have passed the tale of their libera-tion down through generations. TheDovedale goblins have great status withother goblin tribes because they man-aged to throw off the yoke of the evilgiants, even though they did have help.Chief Gravelbeak and his family will doeverything in their power to prevent thecolumns from being tampered with orrestored to life.The Three Giants: AC 4; HD 8; hp 56

each; MV 120'(40'); HAT 1 weapon; Dmg2d8; Save F8; ML 8; INT 7; AL C; Size L(12' tall); XP 650 each, RC 179.The giants throw rocks (range 30/60/

100) for 3d6 hp damage. Each hill giantwears clothing made of uncured animalskins. Each giant has a huge club, aspear, and a bag containing 2d6 x 100gpoThese items were turned to stonealong with their owners. One of the

giants can speak goblin, and anothercan speak Common. If their enchant-ment is ended, the giants are apt toattack anything in sight.

9. Goblin Beer Cellar. This smallstone building shaded by tall elms liemostly underground. Only its peakedshale roof sticks out above ground. Awell-worn footpath leads from the matrail up to the building, where 3'-widstairs lead down to a stout oak door.huge iron padlock (made by Gravelbeaholds the door shut. No matter whatweather, the interior of the beer cellaalways cool and dark.The cellar contains four 3D-gallon b

barrels and three five-gallon wine barels. Two of the oldest beer barrels hamarks indicating that they are theproperty of the Inn-on-the-Peak; theof the barrels are unmarked. The goblins stole the two marked barrels fromthe cellars of the inn when they firstcompleted their secret tunnel, yearsago. One of the marked barrels is emty, and the other is half-full of Hal'sSingular (value 40 gp), The three un-marked barrels are full of incrediblyvile goblin-brewed beer. Only one of

16 Issue N o. 4 6



DOVEDAL

wine barrels is full (value 8 gp). Techni-

cally, the half-barrel of Hal's Old Singu-

lar beer should be returned to the

innkeeper, since it is stolen property. If

the PCs return the barrel to Hal, he

gives them a reward of 10 gpo Less am-

bitious PCs could just tell Hal wherethe barrel is and let him retrieve it.

Note that a full beer barrel weighs

about 275 lbs., and a full wine barrel

weighs about 45 lbs.

Gravelbeak has the only legitimate

key to the beer cellar. Strongarm,

Gravelbeak's son and the goblin smith,

has a c'ude copy of the key, which he

made while Gravelbeak was out fishing

one evening. Strongarm's key has an

80%chance ofopening the lock. If thekey fails to open the door, it bends inthe lock and Strongarm must spend 1-4

days repairing the key before he can

make another attempt.

Strongarm and his brothers sneak into

the beer cellar from time to time and

have a few pints of beer when they think

Gravelbeak is not watching them. Gravel-

beak is well aware that his sons foray

into the beer cellar, but he feels that their

sneaky behavior is appropriate for young

goblins. Gravelbeak will not complain as

long as his sons donot overindulge.

10. Goblin Lair. The Dovedale gob-

lins are a very clever and talented clan.

They have inhabited the Doveda'le for

as long as Ashbourne has existed, so all

the goblins are familiar with the area.

The goblins really like their home and

will do their best to defend it, including

killing intruders if they have to.

However, if the goblins are in control of

the situation, they will attempt to take

prisoners to be held for ransom, especially

ifthe PCs have backgrounds as Dovedale

locals.The goblins have managed to

coexist with their neighbors for many

years, and they know that peace (and

relative prosperity) will not last long if

they start killing lots ofpeople.

As another option, if the goblins capture

the PCs, they could try to make the PCsinto soup. Everyone knows that leeks axe

an essential ingredient in any proper

halfling (or human, or elf, etc.) stew. Un-

fortunately, the goblin pantry is fresh out

of leeks at the moment, soChief Gravel-

beak will have to send his son Grabbo outto steal some from one ofthe surroundingfarms. While the goblins are gathering

ingredients for their soup, the PCs could

get a chance to escape.

Remember that goblins are nocturnal.

This tribe normally sleeps from 8:00 A.M.

to 4:00 P .M. , although they always post a

guard. The adventure assumes that the

PCs enter the caverns sometime during

the goblins' sleep cycle.Ifthe PCs enter

the goblin lair during the waking cycle,

adjust goblin responses accordingly.

lOA.Willow Tree. If the PCs have

spoken to Salvel, read or paraphrase thefollowing information to the players when

the PCs reach this part ofDovedale. If the

PCs have not spoken with Salvel, roll to

detect S8C1'etdoors for each PC. Ifthe PCshave heard rumor 1 1 2 , they each get a + 1on the roll. If the check succeeds, leave

out any mention ofSalvel when reading

the following to the players.

A large weeping willow on the bank of

the liver spreads its branches over the

dry riverbed. The tree is visibly droop-ing from the lack ofwater. Scars and

cuts mark the trunk and branches ofthe tree where the goblins have

chewed on the bark. The goblins have

also decorated the tree trunk with allsorts ofhorrible graffiti and carvings.

A rope Swinghangs listlessly fromone

of the branches.

Salvel's words about the goblin

doorway appear to have been correct.

On the eastern wall of the dale,

about 20' up, you can see the opening

to a cave. The trail leading up to the

cave shows signs of heavy use.

doorway. The goblins take turns guard

ing the front door. If the PCs approach

during the day, a goblin named Pishbe

ly is asleep at the guard post. As long

the PCs do not make noises louder tha

normal speech inside the cave, Fishbel

ly will not wake up, even if the PCsopen the front door. If the PCs nab thesleeping guard, they can negotiate wit

Gravelbeak to trade Fishbelly for Und

the nixie. Gravelbeak will grind his

teeth, throw a terrible tantrum, and

curse for several minutes, but in the

end he will agree to the trade.

If the PCs make a loud noise, Fishhely wakes up (one round), looks out

through a crack in the rock to make

sure he was not dreaming (one round),

and sounds the alarm (third round afte

the noise). Fishbelly then runs into the

maze (area 10D).

Anyone searching for secret doors in

the cave has a + 1bonus to find a smastone knob set in a recess that only

human-sized (or smaller) hands can

reach into. Twisting the knob causes a

wide stone door to quietly swing open.

small crack in the rock near the knob

goes all the way through to the interio

ofthe cave and allows the guard to loo

into the outside portion of the cave

without being seen. The snoring sound

is much louder neal' the crack in the

stone. If the PCs manage to get the do

open without making a loud noise and

waking Fishbelly, read or paraphrase

the following to the players:The swing will support anyone who

weighs less than 100lbs. If any greater

weight is placedon it, the swing breaks as

it swings out over the dry riverbed, send-

ing whoever was on it plummeting to the

ground. The fall causes 1-6hp damage.

PCs who take time to read the graffiticarved into the willowtree can determine

that several generations ofgoblins have

carved their initials into the tree.

lOB. Front Door. When the PCs

enter this cave, read or paraphrase the

following to the players:

Goblin footprints go right up to the

back wall of the cave and just stop.

When you stand still for a moment,

you can hear someone snoring. The

sound seems to be coming from be-

hind the wall.

The false stone wall swings away on

silent hinges to reveal a semicircular

interior chamber. This narrow room

is warmed by a fireplace at one end,

beside which lies a neat pile of peat

bricks. Three small wooden chairs

are drawn up to the hearth, in which

a low peat fire burns. A goblin clad

in scale mail is asleep in one of the

chairs. A foot-long metal mallet is

slowly slipping out of his fingers. A

large iron triangle hangs from a

chain fastened to the ceiling.

The goblins have grown complacent

over the years; clearly there is much

traffic in the vicinity of their "secret"

10C. Chimney, The goblins have eon

verted this l50'·tall rock spire into a ve

for their cavern system. It is possible toclimb to the top of the spire; thieves ma

add 10%to their chance to climb walls,

since there are many handholds. Even

people without skill in climbing walls c

climb the spire, if they are not wearing

armor and they make a Dexterity check

with a - 4 penalty.

DUNGEON 17



without a guide have an 80% chanceof becoming lost. Any PC who hascaving skill (RG, page 83) can makeskill check with a - 4 penalty to avobecoming lost. The chance of becominlost applies whether the PCs are goi

into or coming out of the goblin lair.If the PCs become lost in the maze,

the goblins have a-40% chance (1-4 on1d1D)per hour to discover that someonhas invaded their home. If someonestumbles around in their maze forhours, the goblins will certainly noticeTwo to eight hours after the PCs be-

come lost, a giant black rat slowly ap-proaches the PCs, carrying a piece ofwhite cloth clenched in its teeth. Therat's name is Greasyfur, and it canspeak Common. Greasyfur offers toguide the PCs through the maze, for afee. The creature initially asks for suf

cient food to feed a giant rat for a wee(about one day's worth of human ra-tions), but he will settle for a sandwichand some shiny baubles. Oreasyfur walso lead the PCs out of the goblin tunnels for the same fee. If the PCs makeany hostile moves toward him, Greasyfur turns and disappears into one of thsmall tunnels of the maze.Greasyfur (giant rat): AC 7; HD liz (

hp 2; MV 120'(40'), swim 60'(20'); HKr 1bite; Dmg 1-3plus disease; Save NM; M8; !NT 10; AL N; xr 6; RC 201.

DOVEDALE

At the top of the spire, thin smokefrom the peat fires below wafts out of a2'-diameter vent hole. A halfling couldclimb into the hole, but no one larger.The passage goes straight down for100', then branches. The right branch

leads to the fireplace in the front doorguardroom (area lOB), and the leftbranch leads to Bigdome Cavern (arealOE)_ Small shafts also lead to Haggythe herbalist's room (area 10L), thesmithy (area lOK), and various otherplaces throughout the goblin lair. Thesmaller shafts are too constricted topermit passage.From the top of the spire, it takes

three turns to climb down inside theshaft to the front door, and four turns toreach Bigdome Cavern. Anyone whoclimbs down the chimney takes 1-2 hpdamage pel' turn from the detrimental

effects of smoke inhalation.This chimney is mostly a ventilation

shaft. The various fires in the goblinlair vent their smoke through separatechimneys with better draft. The goblinsuse this chimney to promote airflow inthe lair, and divert some smoke into itto discourage unwanted visitors.

lOD. Maze. When the PCs enter themaze, read or paraphrase the followingto the players:

The Dovedale Goblins

Unless noted, each goblin has thefollowing statistics; AC 6; HD11;MV 90/C30'); HAT1 weapon; Dmg byweapon type; Save NM;ML 7 (9 withchief);.INT 9; AL 0; SZ Small (4'tall); XP 5; -l-penalty to attackrolls in bright light; RO 180.

Each of the goblins has the follow-ing equipment: scale mail, shortsword, dagger, light crossbow, fourcrossbow bolts, spear ..All the goblinsspeak Common and goblin.

Chief Gravelbeak: HD 2**; hp 12;

Save F2; ML 9; I 12, W 13; XP 30;keys to beer cellar and Unda's cage.Skills: fishing, weaponsmithiJ:'jg, ridedire wolf, leadership.Gravelbeak has spent enough time

above ground that he no longer hasthe -1 penalty to attack rolls inbright light. In the late evening andearly morning, he can often be foundnear the Dovedale River.

The dark tunnel ahead ofyou dividesinto smaller tunnels going in a dozendifferent directions. The crisscrossingtunnels form a confusing maze, withno sign of which way to proceed. The

tunnels vary in size from full-sizedpassages to 3" -diameter holes. Intheshadows at the limit ofyour torchlight,you catch fleeting glimpses ofthescurrying shapes of large rodents.

write Common and goblin, deception,herbalism (poisons).Baggy uses poisoned crossbow bolts.

The poison causes an extra 1-6 hpdamage (sa ve vs, poison at +2 for halfdamage, minimum 1hp),

Stinkfoot; hp 5. Skills; ride direwolf, cheating.Stinkfoot has big smelly feet, and he

never takes off his socks er boots. TheDM may wish to rule that Stinkfootcannot surprise opponents, because ofhis unusually potent and offensivebody odor.

Strongarm: ED 11*; hp 9; Dmgby weapon type + 1; INT 8; Size M (5'tall); XP 19; hammer, key (copy) topeer cellar. Skills: armor-making,blacksmithing, mining.Swoop; hp 3; TNT 13; Size S (2' tam;

XP 15. Skills: animal training, aerialziding (giant bat).Swoop Is not a member of'the imme-

diate family. He is Merekoo's nephew.

The floor of the maze of tunnels isriddled with pits to fall in and looserocks to twist an ankle on. If the PCshave a light souree, they are in no dan-ger of falling into a pi t or otherwiseharming themselves. For each turnspent wandering in the dark, roll 1d6. Aresult of 1-2 indicates that the lead PChas fallen into a pit (60% chance, 1-6 hp

damage) or twisted an ankle on a looserock (40% chance, 1hp damage). Partiesusing infravision have half the chanceof injuring themselves in the dark.The twisting intersections of the

tunnels forms a confusing labyrinth.The maze of tunnels is nearly impos-sible to navigate for those who do notknow the way, and it is impossible tomap. The goblins know their wayaround the tunnels very well, so theyhave no problems navigating themaze. PCs who venture into the maze

Metekoo: AC 10; HD 1 +3** (Sha-man 4); hp 9; Dmg by spell or weapontype; Save C4; Size S (3'6" tall); W 14;XP 23; gold ring (wQlth 15 gp), Skills:ceremony, healing. Spells: curt! lightwounds, light) bless.Merekoo is GraveLbeak's wife. She

dresses inthe black hooded garmentsof the goblin clergy.Bignose: bp 7. Skills: tracking (+ 2),

hunting.Bignose earned his name because his

nose is at least 8" long and 4" wide,He tracks his prey by sniffing out

trails, much as a dog does.Fishbelly: hp 5. Skills: fishing,

swimming, acrobatics.Fishbelly is very pale and is the only

goblin. that can swim, hence his name.Grabbo: hp 4. Skills as T2: OL 20%,

FT 15%,RT 15%, CW 88%, MS 25%,HS 15%, PP 25%, HN 35%, doubledamage with backstab, disguise (craft).Haggy: hp 4; XP 7. Skills: read and

18 Is su e N o. 4 6



DOVEDAL

Any lone PC who strays from thepaths normally used by the goblins willbe attacked by Greasyfur's cousin giantrats (INT2, XP 5). The rats will notattack groups of three or more peopleunder any circumstances. These giantrats do not speak and cannot help thePCs leave the maze.If the PCs get lucky and do not be-

come lost, they stumble into BigdomeCavern (area E) after 4-6 (ld3 +3) turns,If the PCs force Fishbelly or bribeGreasyfur to guide them, passagethrough the maze takes only one turn.

10E. Bigdome Cavern. When thePCs enter this cavern, read or para-phrase the following to the players:

You are in a cavern that is at least 50'high and 120' in diameter, Flickeringshadows caused by the dim fire burn-ing in the central fire pit cloak theupper reaches of the cavern. Severaltunnels lead off to other areas. A fewledges perch high on the cavern'swalls. Off to the side of the central firepit, a large iron birdcage is suspendedabout 10' off the floor by a chain thatdisappears into the dark shadowscloaking the ceiling. A small, blue-skinned humanoid huddles miserablyon the floor of the iron cage.

This large natural cavern serves as

the main goblin living quarters, IfFishbelly sounded the alarm successful-ly, the goblins are waiting to ambushthe PCs here. The goblins keep Unda,the river spirit, in the iron cage, to lurethe PCs into rushing into the cavern.The goblins wait until the first two PCsenter the cave, then release a rock on awire. The rock swings down like a pen-dulum and strikes anyone still in theentryway for 3d6 hp damage (attacks as4-HD monster). All PCs in the path ofthe rock are considered to have AC 10for this attack, unless they have Dexter-ity bonuses. A saving throw vs, paraly-

zation for half damage is allowed.Haggy, the tribe's herbalist, occupies

the tower ledge (area lOF). Swoop, the battrainer, and one of his bats sit on theupper ledge (area lOG). The remaininggoblins (and their two dire wolves) hide inthe side passages. Gravelbeak's wife,Merekoo, stays out of hand-to-hand com-bat and uses her spells to the goblin's bestadvantage. A straight fight between thePCs and the goblins should be short andbrutal, and it should end with most of the

pes either dead or captured.If the PCs have not alerted the goblins

to their presence, Bignose is the onlygoblin in Bigdome cavern. Bignose sitsin a comfortable chair by the fire pit,nominally guarding Unda. In this case,Unda will have been singing to Bignose.Unda's slow, liquid song has madeBignose dream of being asleep on thebanks of a peaceful river, so the PCswill have a +2 bonus to surprise thegoblin. IfBignose manages to shout analarm, the other goblins arrive in 1-4rounds. Gravelbeak commands them.Unda's cage hangs from the ceiling by

a stout iron chain. The cage is about 4'high and 3' in diameter. Gravelbeakand his son Strongarm forged the cage,then Merekoo engraved the heavymetal bars with mystical runes to keep

Unda from escaping and to prevent herfrom using her magic. A winch, locatednear the passage to area lOG, raisesand lowers the iron birdcage. A largepadlock fastened to the winch keeps itin its current position. A similar pad-lock holds the cage door shut.Strongarm made these padlocks, whichare so well made that they are worth 50gp each. Gravelbeak has the only keysto the two padlocks.If a fight occurs in Bigdome Cavern,

Unda helps the PCs in any way that shecan, even if all she can do is shout ad-vice and encouragement. Unda knows

that Gravelbeak has the keys to thewinch and the cage, and she tells this tothe PCs at the earliest opportunity.Unda is weakened from the stress of hercaptivity, so she cannot help the PCs bycasting spells or using her innate mag-ic. When released from the cage, Undawi II be too weak to walk, so one of thePCs will have to carry her. Fortunately,Unda is very small and light (20 lbs.,200 en), Unda will beg the PCs to returnher to her spring as quickly as possible,so that she can regain her strength andrestore the ri vel'.Unda the river fairy (nixie): AC 7;

HD 1* (8, 2' tall); hp 11;MV 120'(40'),swim 120'(40'); #Nr 1; Dmg 1-4 (sword)or 1-3 (arrow); Save E1 or C4; ML 6;INT 13; AL N; RC 197; Spells as 5th-level druid: detect danger, cure lightwounds; speak with animals, obscure,Unda appears as a small, beautiful

woman with light blue skin, fins, andwebbing between her toes and fingers,Unda is invisible while she is in the wa-ter ( - 6 to armor class). She can cast awater breathing spell on a humanoid once

pel' day. This form of the spell lasts 24hours, Because of her duties as a riverfairy, Unda also has the innate ability t

detect evil in a 50-yard radius. She speaCommon, elven, fish, and nixie.Unda uses a small trident in hand-to

hand combat, although she also has asmall short bow. Any creature struckone of Unda's arrows must make a saving throw vs. poison or fall asleep for1-6 hOUl'S,Normally, a nixie may summon a

giant bass for aid in times of danger.Unda uses this power to summonSalvel, the talking trout, when sheneeds help, Unda has never Used hercharm ability because five more nixiesare required and there are no othernixies in the Dovedale River.Unda has more powers than a norm

nixie because she looks after a largearea alone. Her extra powers weregranted to the Dovedale River nixiemany years ago by the long-departeddruid, and have been passed down fromother to daughter through severalnixie generations.

I O F . Lower Ledge. The goblins havdropped a rope ladder from this ledge,which is 30' above the main floor. lfthalarm has been sounded, Haggy perchon the ledge (the rope ladder pulled uwaiting for an opportunity to use herpoisoned crossbow bolts. While she is

the ledge, Baggy has a - 6 adjustmentto her armor class vs. missile attacksfrom the cavern floor (AC 0).

lOG. Upper Ledge. A small tunnelopening on the main floor of BigdomeCavern provides access to this highledge, which is 60' above the floor. Ona halfling or goblin can get through tsmall tunnel. If the alarm has beensounded, Swoop and one of his bats won the ledge for a chance to "swoop"down and wreak havoc. As long as theremain on the ledge, Swoop and his bhave a -6 adjustment to their armor

class (AC 0). See area 101 for more infmation on Swoop and the bats.

lOR. WoIfDen. Gravelbeak's familysupports two dire wolves. The direwolves spend most of their time in theDalewold preying on rabbits, quail, aMrs. Cogs's sheep but they have alsobeen known to attack the occasionalunwary sheepherder. The wolves spenmost of their time (90%) outside in theDalewold; they sit in the cave only if

DUNGEON 19



DOVEDALE

\

Goblin Lair

Area 101 square =10'

N

*

100 Feet between potnts

the weather is extremely foul, or

Gravelbeak or Stinkfoot has called

them in (10%).Ifthe wolves are outside

when the alarm is sounded, they returnin one turn. The wolves get in and out

ofthe cave by way of a narrow tunnel,

which runs a half mile north and comesout in a pile of boulders and brush.

Dire wolves (2):AC 6; HD 4 + 1 (M);hp 23; MY 150'(50'); HAT1 bite; Dmg

2d4; Save F2; ML 8; INT 4; AL N; XP

125;RC 212.

Grabbo sometimes disguises the wolves

as sheep sothey can sneak in with Mrs.

Cogs'sflock.The sheep disguises are

hanging onpegs in the back of the cave.

Unless the alarm has been sounded,

Stinkfoot is here cleaning out the cave,

which is also his bedroom. He sleeps ona pile of twigs and grass against the

west wall. A nearby footlocker containseight brand-new pairs of socks (never

used), tlu·ee bars of soap (never used,

although one bas a bite taken out of it),

four cloves of garlic, a deck of marked

cards, three pairs of loaded dice, 6 gp, 8sp, and 3 cp.

101. Bat Cave. This dark cave is the

headquarters for the goblin air force,

current membership: one. The cave i

40' above the level of the corridor bel

A ladder located behind the secret do

provides access. The cave has a secre

door to the outside as well, which is

disguised as part of the cliff-face. The

10'·wide by 6'.high opening is 60' upside of the cliff. A winch located in thcave opens the secret door.

The cave has to be high up on the cwall so that the bats can get up airsp

when they are carrying Swoop. The

most serious limitation to the goblin

force is that it can operate only at nig

However, the air force has one major

advantage: all of its fliers are' stealth

units. Swoop has trained two bats so

that he has a backup if one of the bat

injured or not feeling well.

Giant bats (2): AC 6; HD 200; hp9;MV 30'(10'), fly 180'(60'); HA T 1 bi

Drug Id4; Save FI; Size M (5'long, 2wingspan); ML 8; INT 5; AL Nj XP 2RC 159.

Although the bats are blood drinke

they are well fed and will not attack

sight. The bats love to eat fruit and c

be bribed not to sound the alarm by

throwing an apple or pear to each. T

giant bats will attack if Swoop 'is thr

ened in any way.

Swoop sleeps here with his furry,

flying charges. His wooden cot is cov

ered with several dirty blankets. His

gear consists of a leather flying jacke

(lined with lambs' woo l ) , a leather fly

ing helmet, a spare set of goggles, sadles, flight lines, safety lines, several

spare sets of metal fittings, a signal

horn, flight bag, 25 gp, 30 sp, 45 cp,

silver lucky charm (for flying) worth

gp, flight boots and two white silk

scarves (3 gp each).

IOJ. Sleeping Quarters. Grabbo,

Fishbelly, and Bignose have their quters in this cavern. There are two sp

beds, in case the goblins have visitor

from other goblin clans. Each bed ha

large footlocker beside it. A 3' x 8' pltable occupies the middle of the room

The floor is covered by a 6" -deep layofdirt, shredded paper, dirty clothes,

discarded bits of food, and other unsa

tary debris.

Grabbo's footlocker contains 4 gp,sp, 21 cp, and an assortment ofwigs,

makeup, clothes, and accessories. Th

footlocker also contains a mask that

looks exactly like Ben, Mrs. Cogs's

youngest boy.Grabbo often disguises

himself as Ben and performs all sort

20 Issu e N o. 4 6



DOVEDAL

mischief around Mrs. Cogs's farm andin Ashbourne. Grabbo knows that Bengets blamed for the trouble he causes,and that is at least half the fun.Bignose's footlocker contains an as-

sortment of animal paws and feathers,

four mink pelts (10 gp each), 14 gp, 27sp, and 30 cp.Fishbelly's footlocker contains 15 gp

worth of f ishing lures, a pair of hip-waders, and a jar of rotten trout eggs.Anyone who opens the jar must make asaving throw VB. poison or gag and retchfor the next turn, during which time theunfortunate person has a -2 penalty toall attack rolls. A 10-gp opal is hiddenamong the eggs.

10K. Workshop and Smithy. Gravel-beak's oldest son, Strongarm, spendsmost of his time in the smithy. The

room is very hot and lit only by theever-present ruddy glow of' the forge.Strongarm keeps the workshop neatand tidy, which is unusual for a goblin.All the tools are carefully arranged onthe walls, and the metal stock is sortedaccording to type and grade. Strongarmhas quite a reputation in goblin circlesas a fine smith. He is a large goblin,and his constant work at the forge basmade him abnormally strong.In a corner of the smithy, Gravelbeak

has a workbench devoted to his fishinghobby. The surface and the drawers arefilled with fishing gear; lures, shiny

spinners, lead sinkers, floating lines,sinking lines, bobbers, flies, knives,tools, vises, worm hooks, egg hooks,multi-colored feathers for fly-tying,thread, and wax. The accumulatedfishing gear is worth a total of 200 gpoGravelbeak still has not had any luck

catching Salvel; the fish is just too wilyand clever. However, Gravelbeak has abackup plan that, when coupled with thelowered river, just might succeed. Inonecorner of the bench, a delicate fly-tyingvise holds an exquisite fly fashioned witha razor-sharp hook of the finest steel. Thebook is hidden beneath golden thread,gold-dust impregnated wax, eyes made ofruby chips, and the softest, rarest, mostdelicate golden-colored peacock feathersavailable. The fly is so beautiful that itwill tempt SalveL In normal times, evenwithout the lowered rivet, Gravelbeakwould have a 1·in-20 chance per day ofcatching Salve} with this fly.With thelowered river, Gravelbeak has a 1-in-8chance per day of catching Salvel, be-cause food is scarce in the drought-

stricken river. Gravelbeak has spent thelast several days working on the fly, andit will be ready to use in one more day,after the wax sets. The gorgeous fly couldfetch as much as 150 gp from a collector.Gravelbeak does most of his fishing

during the early morning and late eve-ning hours. This is the best time to gofishing, and he doesn't mind getting upa little early. or staying up a little late,in order to indulge in his beloved hobby.Gravelbeak sometimes gets up in themiddle of the day to go fishing, if it iscloudy outside.

10L. Haggy's Room. Haggy the herb-alist is the only daughter in the goblinfamily. Her parents ate quite proud ofher talents. Haggy developed an inter-est in herbalism at the tender age ofseven, when she baked her first batch of

poisoned cookies for her brothers. Lucki-ly, none of her brothers died, but to thisday not one of them will eat anythingthat Haggy has prepared.The tools of her trade fill Haggy's

room from corner to corner; knives,mortar and pestle, pounding blocks,hammers, stone mixing pots containingpoisons in various states of production,glass storage jars containing noxioussubstances, pots and pans, a smallstove, and a kitchen grater. Haggy dis-tills most of her poisons from mush-rooms that she gathers in the Dalewold.The Dovedale goblins trade Haggy's

poisons and Strongarm's smith work toother goblin tribes for things that theyneed and want. There are four vials offinished poison (3d6 hp damage; save vs.poison for half damage) in Haggy'sworkshop, which could be sold to anunscrupulous person for 50 gp each.A woolen sock hidden under the pillow

on Haggy's bed contains 20 gp, 17 sp, 34cp, and a poisoned needle. The needle willprick anyone who reaches into the sock,causing the unfortunate trespasser toturn purple, quiver, froth at the mouth,and finally fall into a deep sleep for 1-4hours (save vs, poison for no effect). Hag-gy put the needle in her sock as a trap forher prying brothers.

10M. Gravelbeak and Merekoo'sRoom, The northern part of this roomis given over to sleeping quarters forGravelbeak and his wife, Merekoo. Thespacious room has obviously had a con-siderable amount of work put into itsfinishing. All the stone walls aresmooth and polished. The floor has been

leveled and tiled with heavy, red-veinegranite. All the chinks and cracks thatwould normally make a cave subject tdrafts have been sealed, making theroom a cozy place.The chief goblin and his wife sleep i

a large, comfortable, fur-covered bed ione corner of the room. A bearskin rug(worth 80 gp) lies on the floor near thebed. Gravelbeak's great-great grandfa-ther killed the bear, and the rug hasbeen keeping bare goblin toes off thechilly stone floor ever since.Beneath the bed, a secret trapdoor i

carefully disguised to fit into the pat-tern of the floor; a PC must roll to de-tect secret doors. The trapdoor opens treveal a 3' x 3' x 3' cubbyhole that contains a potion of healing, a bag containing 100 gp worth of gold flakes andnuggets (the fruits of Strong arm's min

ing skills), two golden cups (religiousitems worth 25 gp each), 80 gp, 140 spand 43 cpoWhen Merekoo left her family to be-

come GraveLbeak's wife, she promptlyappropriated the southern alcove of thisroom as a shrine to the goblin deities.Merekoo decorated the shrine in thetraditional goblin fashion: floor-lengthblack drapes, black granite altar, blackwax candles, and several paintings of thgoblin deities, mostly done in differentshades of black. Merekoo was trained bher mother to be a shaman, and now shserves as the family shaman for the Do

dale goblins. Merekoo spends most ofhfree time in the shrine, kneeling in prayer to the various goblin gods that haveblessed her family.

ION. Back Door. The goblins' backdoor is hidden under a 3'-tall boulderthe middle of a cow pasture half a mileast of Dovedale. The boulder requiresan open-doors roll to move (a 5 or 6 on1d6 for most characters, 4-6 forStrongarm the goblin). Only goblin-sized or smaller creatures can wriggledown this narrow, muddy tunnel. Ahalfling could fit in the tunnel, or posbly a small elf with a minimum of cloing. It takes at least an hour tonegotiate the narrow, twisting tunnelfrom the cow pasture to where it con-nects to the main goblin tunnels. Thegoblins use their back door for emergecies only.

.11. The Painted Brtdge. A smallbridge arches across the Dovedale RivThe footbridge is l' wide and 30' long

Continued on page

DUNGEON .2 1





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24 Issu e N o, 4 6

Shell-shocked in the belly ofthe beast.

B Y S TE VE K U R TZ

Artwork by Dovid O. Miller

"Floating Rock" is an AD&D aquatic side trek, intended for a party ofmid-level

player characters (5th-9th level) of any disposition or alignment. The party is

assumed to be traveling on a nautical vessel across a large body of salt water.

For the DU NGEO N MASTER TM

Many sea captains have heard ofthe Floating Rock tribe, a group of bugbears that

can be encountered in just about any ocean or sea. Despite numerous attempts to

stamp out this pirating menace, the Floating Rock tribe has managed to persevere,

chiefly because of its unique lair.

The success of the tribe lies in its wandering island home, which the bugbears

call Floating Rock in their own language. In fact, the entire tribe resides on the

back of a zaratan: a huge sleeping sea turtle described fully in MClS, the

AL-QADIM appendix to the Monstrous Compendium. A brief description of the

zaratan is given here to simplify running this encounter.

Zaratan: INT Avg(10);AL N; AC -6 (carapace) or 0 (head and flippers);MV swim 2;

lID 70; hp440;THACO5; IIKr 1;Dmg 10-100;SA swallow; SD immune to poison,magical weapons needed to hit shell; SZG(350' diameter); ML 19;XP 65,000;MC13.

F L O A T I N

The zaratan remains asleep for the

entire encounter, awakening only if th

PCs inadvertently inflict 20 hp damag

(a painful scratch). If the PCs wound t

zaratan, the giant turtle instinctively

withdraws its head and flippers inside

its shell (a mini-earthquake that shak

the entire "island") and remains in th

position for 1-10 years unless the PCs

provoke it further by inflicting anothe

20 hp damage. In this case, the zarata

attacks the bothersome pests. Althoug

its massive bite attack arrives last in

any given round, everyone within 10'the zaratan's target will be swallowed

the attack roll succeeds by 4 more tha

needed to hit.

Swallowed opponents can survive

indefinitely on the stale, trapped air

the zaratan's cavernous stomach, but

trapped creatures also suffer 2 hp dam

age per day unless they can protect

themselves from the stomach's corros

digestive juices. The stomach lining i

AC 5. Ifswallowed PCs inflict damageequal to 20 hp (a case of painful indig

tion for the zaratan), the creature wil

regurgitate the victims. The zaratan's

stomach might contain just about anything, depending on the whim of the

DM, from pieces ofdriftwood and

chunks of ships, to weapons, armor, a

even a small amount of treasure (type

suggested).

The zaratan's slow metabolism as-

sures it an incredibly long (if unevent-

ful) life, measured in millennia. As it

slumbers, it keeps its mouth wide ope

Any small- to man-sized creatures stu

pid enough to swim inside are reflexiv

ly swallowed.

The zaratan's shell looks like a slop

rocky mound over a hundred yards

across. In almost all respects, it appeato be a small floating island covered

with the Floating Rock tribe's thatche

huts, canoes, and even a few palm tre

The zaratan's head, over 50' across, is

easily mistaken for a partially sub-

merged, barnacle-encrusted boulder.

During its slumber, the zaratan keeps

its eyes shut, covered with stony lids

that blend with the rest of its head in

texture and color.The zaratan's four

flippers, each over 100' long, appear t

be small reefs, supporting a variety o

corals, barnacles, and small fish.



ROCKPushed along at the whim of the oceancurrents, the zaratan is so massive thatit does not appear to be floating, al-though this fact will become quicklyapparent if the party inspects the "is-land" from underwater.This zaratan is sleeping off its last

strenuous encounter with a female of itsspecies, which occurred 97 years ago.Many decades later, the bugbear chief,Mad Dog, discovered the zaratan as itfloated lazily by his tribe's coastalhome. Feeling inspired to bravery, Mad

Dog rounded up his small, inconsequen-tial tribe of bugbears, built a few largerafts, and paddled out to visit the "sa-cred island:'During the visit, the tribal shaman,

One Ear, discovered that the island wasalive after casting an augury spell. Theshaman named the island FloatingRock and declared it a holy site. Using alimitedJorm of telepathy, the zaratanhas made it clear to One Ear that it wasperfectly content to be attended by thebugbears, provided they were not toobothersome and did not interfere withthe zaratan's sleep.

Ever since that first telepathic com-munication, One Ear has come to reverethe tribe's island home as a god. Hebelieves (rightly) that were the island toawaken due to hunger, it might sinkbeneath the sea and destroy the Float-ing Rock tribe forever. As a result, thebugbears strive at every opportunity tokeep the zaratan well fed and content,sacrificing large quantities of fish andeven prisoners captured through piracyto placate their floating deity.

Night Attack

The tribe subsists by raiding and loot-ing whatever passes near their rovingisland home. The 37 male warriors ofthe tribe (including Mad Dog and OneEar) prefer to attack at night, usingtheir 60' infravisiou and the shaman'saugury spell to guide the timing of theirassault. The warriors pile into five largetree-trunk canoes and paddle silently tointercept the PCs' ship as it passesnearby inthe middle of night.Mad Dog, bugbear chief: INT avg; AL

CE; AC 3; MV9; HD 4; hp 30; THACO17; HAT1; Dmg by weapon type +4; SA

surprise; SZ L (7' tall); ML 13; XP 175;MMl32; two-handed sword + 1, battleaxe, spear.One Ear, bugbear shaman: AO 4; hp

22; Dmg by spell or weapon type + 3;SA cast spells as 4th-level priest, sur-prise; other statistics as per Mad Dog;footman's mace; Spells: bless, cure lightwounds (x 2); augury, silence 15' radius.Bugbear warriors (35): AC 4; HD

3 + 1;hp 20 ( x 7); 17 ( x 7); 15 (x 7); 12(x 7); 10 (x 7); Dmg by weapon type + 2;XP 120; other statistics as per Mad Dog;

battle axe, spear.The shaman casts a silence 15' radius

spell on the bugbears' lead canoe toensure its stealthy approach and board-ing. As the first canoe, containing MadDog and seven warriors with 20 hpeach, approaches the PCs' vessel frombehind, its occupants hurl their spearsat anyone standing watch on deck. Thetribe's technique is so effective that thedeck watch suffers a -4penalty tosurprise (surprised on a 1-7 on ldl0). Ifthe party's surprise roll fails, the bug-bears from the first canoe clamber onboard the PCs' ship without resistance

after throwing their spears.The occupants of the other four canoes

judge the resistance met by the leadcanoe, then swing around to throwspears at defenders and board the PCs'-ship from another location. The bug-bears fight-striking to subdue, notkill-until the PCs' ship is taken or thetribe sustains 50% losses (after whichthey hastily withdraw in their canoes).If the PCs lose the battle, the bug-

bears round up any treasure and loadthe survivors into the canoes. The bug-bears sink the PCs' vessel with a fewwell-aimed axe blows to her hull, TheDM should contrive a way for the partyto survive the assault so that they canbe taken prisoner and continue theadventure.

Celebration and Sacrifice

The bugbears and any PC prisonerspaddle back to Floating Rock and aregreeted enthusiastically by the othermembers of their tribe: 22 bugbearfemales (AC 10, hp 6 each, THACO 19,Dmg 1-6) and 19 bugbear young (AC10, hp 3 each, THACO 20, Dmg 1-6).

These noncombatants fight only whenabsolutely necessary.When they return to Floating Rock,

the bugbears throw a victory feast 'usingsupplies captured from the PCs' vessel.The party members are promptly strip-ped, gagged, and bound to large woodenspits on the sandy shore while the bug-bears eagerly prepare a great celebra-tion. A few bugbears depart in canoes togather firewood from nearby islands,while others begin basting the PCs witha revolting fish sauce (a brackish liquid

made from fermented haddock andsmall bits of squid).During this time, most of the tribe

members wander over to the bound PCs,to either stare at them in curiosity, testtheir plumpness with a painful pinch, orhelp with the continual basting. Thechieftain struts proudly around the is -land, keeping an eye on the prisoners andgleefully displaying any treasures (espe-cially weapons or armor) he may havegained from the PCs. The shaman, mean-while, retires to the rocky head of thezaratan, where he starts a small fire,breathes in the black smoke, and znedi-

tates before the upcoming ceremony.Give the party time to think and pre-

pare to escape from the festive scene thatis unfolding around them. Any obviousattempts by the PCs to break free will bequickly met with a brutal beating fromthe vigilant bugbears.While the PCs might expect to be roast-

ed over a slow fire, a much different fateawaits them. After they have been prop-erly basted with a thick coating of thecaustic fish sauce, they are blessed by theshaman in a brief, solemn ritual andceremoniously tossed into the cavernousmouth ofthe zaratan.Once the PCs are swallowed, the DM

should give the adventurers an opportu-nity to escape. Perhaps they discover asharp object in the zaratan's belly,which they can use to cut themselvesloose and cause enough indigestion thatthe zaratan spits them up.After the prisoners have been sacri-

ficed to the zaratan, the bugbear cele-bration rises to a fevered pitch. If thePCs had any alcoholic beverages onboard their ship, these are quickly con-sumed, and unabashed revelry breaksloose. Prisoners who have escaped from

DUNGEON 2



the zaratan's belly should have no

difficulty skirting the perimeter ofthe

celebration and investigating the

bugbear camp, which consists of 11

large shacks constructed of piled rocks

and driftwood.

Nine ofthe shacks house communal

living quarters for the tribe, and each

contains 1-100 coins of each type except

platinum, scattered around the smelly

interiors. A thorough search of each

shack takes at least one turn but yields

1-4additional items that might prove

useful in escaping from the bugbear'sisland. The DM can choose from the

following list, adding any extra items as

necessary: a rusty knife, a piece of flint,

a 20' length of rope, a club, a collection

of fish hooks, a large sack, a spear, and

an empty scroll case.

The 10th shack belongs to One Ear,

the shaman. Its interior is dominated by

a shrine of piled rocks over which hangs

a large sea-turtle carapace. If the PCsdecide to move the rock pile, they find

the shaman's dried ear, cut off years ago

to symbolize his role as arbiter for the

gods. A search of the rest of the shack

reveals a small golden bowl (worth 100

gp), a flea-ridden cloak, a belt, a hand

axe, a candle, a small wooden box, and

20-120 coins of each type (including

platinum).

The 11th shack belongs to the chief.

Its decor is not noteworthy, except for a

large locked sea chest (the key is always

in the chiefs possession). A search of

the rest ofthe chamber turns up two

spears, a large shield + 1, a copperchamber pot (worth 50 gp) filled with

sand, a few cups fashioned from coconut

halves, and a small collection of ship's

flags (these represent the tribe'sconquests; the flag from the PC's ship

can be found here, too).

If the PCs get the chest open, they

find it contains 5,230 cp, 1,112 sp, 970

gp, 190 pp, and any treasure taken from

the PCs or their ship (any armor and

weapons taken from the PCs after the

battle is in the possession of the chiefand his warriors),

The party can easily swipe one of the

bugbear canoes and make a stealthy

escape from the Floating Rock tribe.

However, a wise party might decide to

recover some supplies before escaping.

26 Is su e N o. 4 6

Unfortunately, all the food and water is

stacked in barrels and crates near the

clear area where the bugbears carouse.

The recovery of supplies would be an

ideal mission for a rogue, who can

sneak off with a random box or keg each

trip, provided he makes a successful

move-silently roll (or other relevant

skill check, as ruled by the DM).

Given the battered condition of the

PCs after their capture and escape from

the zaratan's belly, the likelihood ofthe

PCs' overrunning a large tribe of

bugbears (even if the monsters aredrunk) is slim at best. The PCs should

realize that, if their assault fails, they

will not be taken prisoner by the

bugbears a second time.

If the party decides to throw caution

to the wind and attack the drunken

bugbears, assume that the tribe

members suffer a -2 penalty to attackrolls and initiative. The bugbear

fema1es and young will enter the fray if

the drunken warriors seem to be having

trouble chopping up the PCs. If the fightgoes badly for the bugbears, the

survivors attempt to escape in their

canoes, leaving the party marooned on

the zaratan.

If the PCs wisely decide against

attacking the bugbears and try instead

to escape, thei.r getaway is assured but

their survival at sea is not. With a

limited or nonexistent supply offood

and water, little in the way of gear, and

a few small weapons, any number of

unfortunate occurrences (even a storm)

could spell certain disaster for the PCs

in their stolen canoe. For ideas on how

to simulate this kind of a sea journey,

the DM is encouraged to read Men.

Against the Sea, the sequel to Mutiny onthe Bounty.

Steve Kurtz is an eternal graduatestudent studying orthopaedicbiomechanics at Cornell University. Hehas worked on the MonstrousCompendium appendix and four boxedsets for TSR's AL -QAD IM® campaign.Steve is currently recovering aftercompleting the Crusades CampaignSourcebook for TSR's historicalreference series. n

M AP SYM BO LThese symbols are used on most

maps in DUNGEON'" Adventures.

~ DOOR

§DOUBLE DOOR

BECRET DOOR

~ONE WAY DOOR

~FALSE DOOR

~LOCKED DOOR

c::J ARCHWAY

BONCEALED DOOR

~BARRED DOOR

BORTCULLIS OR BARS

~ONE WAY SeCRET DOOR

BINOOW

BRROW SLIT

~FIREPLACE

[][]COVERED PIT

~OPEN PIT

[ill FOUNTAIN

c : & J SPIR.AL STAIRS

I~I STAIRS

I @ ] I TRAP DOOR IN CEILING

I 0 TRAP DOOR IN FLOOR

I [I] I SECRET TRAP DOOR



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GOB IN FEV ERB Y R A ND Y M AXWE LL

"Bring out your dead!Bring out your dead!"

Artwork by L. A. Wlllloms

Randy writes: "This adventure is aboepidemic and the toll it takes on a citPCs can be instrumental in finding afor the disease. Unfortunately, our owworld is affl,icted with the epidemicsdrugs and AIDS, and there are no mcal cures. However, each of u« can hebring the epidemics of our world undcontrol. An epidemic starts with a sininfected indioidual. Epidemics are enby individuals who take the time andtrouble to not become infectecL Please

thin.k about what you are doing."

"Goblin Fever" is an AD&D®adventfor 4 -6 player characters of levels 8- 5

(about 20 total levels). The PC party

should he ofbasicaUy good alignmentneutral or evil characters may haveinterest in helping the plague-stricken

city used in the adventure. A mix ofes and abilities will prove useful. Thof Waen Fawr can be placed in any cvenient location in the DM'scampaigAs there axe only human antagoniststhe adventure, the DM can raise or lthe level and number of NPC opponeto suit any PC party.This adventure does not use a sta

ard city map, but instead uses movtiles to depict the city. The DM shocarefully cut apart the map piecesvided on the cardstock insert, andshould become thoroughly familiarthe information in "Using the City

Tiles" sidebar before play begins.

Adventure Background

You are moving down a well-tenderoad leading to the gates of a cityfew miles ahead. There seems toan unusual amount of burning goon in town; smoke is rising frommany points within the city wallsThe road dips sharply and the citmomentarily hidden from view bylow ridge. As you ascend to the tothe ridge you see a well-crafted wen signpost. It is carefully letteredand proudly announces the namethe town: Waen Fawr ..Below the

careful lettering is a hastily scrawwarning written in red paint andrunes of the Common tongue. Theletters seem to be melting becausethe paint has run downward, as iwishing to escape from the verymessage it spells out. The sign wof fear incarnate, of a silent, uncaring, and relentless killer. The sigreads: BEWARE PLAGUE.

28 Issu e N o. 4 6



GOBLIN fEVE

Ifthe PCs are looking for adventure,they should hurry on to Waen Fawr to seeifthey can help deal with the epidemic. Ifthe PCs do not wish to proceed to the city,they find the local countryside lawlessand unfriendly. The city militia's hands

are full within the city, so it no longerpatrols outside the walls. Frequent en-counters with bandits and crazies maypersuade the PCs that the city-plagueridden 01' not-is safer than the country-side. (The DM can use the "City Encount-er Table:' page 33, for encounters inthecountryside as well.) From fear oftheplague and of bandits, none of the inns,taverns, Dr festhalls near the city areopen. (See "The Plague" sidebar for de-tails on the disease.) Many outlying farm-houses, taverns, and inns have beensacked and burned.

Exploring the City

Waen Fawr is a walled city of some55,000 citizens (primarily humans). Itsbuildings are constructed of wood onstone foundations; many buildings havestone-lined cellars. The city is neitherfabulously wealthy nor poverty strick-en. It lies at the crossing of two traderoutes and prospers by servicing thetrade caravans. The populace consists ofa small wealthy trade class, a largemiddle class of artisans and craftsmen,and a still larger and poorer lower classof peasants, servants, and menials.

Usually the city is neither wildly law-less nor oppressively restrictive. Beforethe plague, Waen Fawr was governed bya council comprised of the heads of thelocal guilds, representatives from themerchant and trade houses, and thecaptain of the city militia. Now, becauseof the crisis, there is virtually no one incharge and utter chaos and lawlessnessare rampant.Adventuring in a plague city is more

dangerous than wandering the streetsof a normal town. Snipers-crazed orevil men with crossbows-fire on peoplefrom the rooftops. Prices for goods and

services are much higher because ofshortages of supplies and manpower.Some items or services may be com-pletely unavailable (DM's option). TheDM should determine the cost of equip-ment, weapons, armor, or magical itemsby multiplying the price listed in thePlayer's Handbook by Id4 + 1.

Continued on page 32

The Plague

Waen Fawr is afflicted with a diseaseknown as goblin fever. The fever is rare,even among the goblinoid races, andgenerally afflicts only young and adoles-cent goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs. Thegoblinoid races regard this disease assomething like the flu. It is consideredmore of a nuisance than a calamity andis rarely fatal. Among humans (or any-one withhuman blood, such as halfelves and half-orcs), the disease is highlycontagious, virulent, and deadly. Forelves, dwarves, and halflings, ~he dis-ease is seldom fatal but causes a pro-Ionged period of incapacitation.An outbreak of goblin fever in a

human enclave is usually brought inby an adventurer, trader, or other

wanderer who came in contact with aninfected member of a gohlinoid race.The spread of goblin fever is difficultto control because of the disease's longincubation period. The original carriercan infect dozens of people, and thosepeople in turn can infect others, beforeany symptoms appear. By the time thedisease. is identified, it is already outof controLGoblin rever can be cured using cure

disease, heal, limited wish/ and wishspells. Unfortunately, an epidemic ofthe proportion seen in Waen Fawrsoon overwhelms anyone attempting

~o eliminate itwith cure disease spells.In addition, the symptoms of goblinlever include deterioration of the cen-

hal nervous system, causing forgetful·ness, This further aggravates theproblem as clerics and mages forgettheir spells.Other symptoms include severe,

unpredictable, and rapid mood swings.The afflieted person passes suddenly[tom dancing with joy to depressed,almost suicidal behavior. In the finalstages of the disease, victims becomeviolent and must be restrained or theybecome a danger to themselves and

others. ~one with human blood whosurvives this period o f violence lapsesinto a coma and eventually dies. Anelf, dwarf, or halflmg falls into a comafor 2 -8 days, then dies if .not constantlycared Ior. Given the proper care, a -dW81'f,elf, or halfling eventuallyemerges from the COmawith a reduo-tion of 1-12 points each in Intelligence,Wisdom, Dexterity, and Constitution.

Each ability's points return at a rate ofone pet week until the affected scoresreturn to normal. Points lost to thedisease can also be restored using re-store, heal, limited wish, or wish spells.The cure for goblin fever is a special

tealike elixir that is not a potion ormagical substance. However, the elixiris made to an exacting formula ofarcane ingredients and must be pre-pared by an alchemist. Even asmallmistake can ruin the elixir and renderit inert. The elixir cures goblin feverand returns the victim to normal in2·8 hours.POs and the Plague: There is a

base 10% chance per day of a PC COD·

trading the plague while in the city.

The chance increases by1for everypoint of Constitution under 10 (a PCwith a Constitution score of 8has a12% chance of contracting goblin fe-ver). The chance decreases by 1% forevery point of Constitution over 15 (a .

ro with an 18Constitution has only a7% chance of centracting the disease).ITa PC contracts the disease, symp-

toms begin appearing after Id4 + 7days. At this time, the PC loses 1pand one point of Intelligence, Wisdom,Dexterity, and Constitution pel' day.As ability scores decrease, the PC alsoloses any bonuses gained for high

scores. No ability score can be de-creased below 3; once this minimum is

reached, the disease ceases to affectthat ability.While affected by the disease, the PC

suffers severe and unpredictable moodswings (the player can ham it up asmuch as he wishes). After Id4 +4 daysthe PC becomes extremely violent andis a danger to himself and ethers. Inany encounter the PG has withfriends foes, or innocent bystanders,roll Id6 and consult the followingvalues, 1 = PC attacks until subduedor killed; 2-3 = PC is aggressive, an-

gry, and completely uncooperative; 4-6= PG is sullen and testy, complyinggrudgingly to only the most insistentof pleas.A human, half·elf, Dr half-ore PC

dies of goblin fever when his hit pointareach zero. A demihuman PCs whosehit points reach zero passes into acoma and must be constantly cared foror die (as above).

DUNGEON 29



G OBLIN FEV ER

from the City Encounter Table to demine the number and statistics of thoccupants defending a structure. Th

occupants of most buildings (even thdriven mad by goblin fever) are consered innocent bystanders. The DMshould not award an>, experiencepoints for defenders the PCs harmwhile entering a building.Building details, interior maps, sh

names, condition of buildings, hit-podamage needed to force open doors owindows, etc., are left to the DM'sdiscretion. The DM may find it usefuto use typical floor plan maps suchthose from FRl, Waterdeep and theNorth or any other products on hand

City Map Key North Gate \ \L.._I I

J] ;..'~I

3 2 2 6

~

V U @ l ~ ~C ~ B < J ~

West Gate !II IT] mrn_ _ r _

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4 rn 9 DO 9 rn 9

a tx I Gu B UG a B~ 3rn

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9

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rG c ~G ~

F=Fire u = ° •1,000

C .D=Debris FeetBeBarricade

South Gater - - . . . ,i 1

Using the City Map Tiles

The city map tiles are double-sided andlabeled A through H. Each tile repre-

sents a 500' x 500' neighborhood of thecity of Waen Fawr. The tiles are designedto depict as many different types of'Io-cales as possible, The buildings of thecity are tightly packed together and,while.PCs are free to move around with-in a tile, the only way to pass from onetile to another is 01 1 the roads. The tilesare not scaled to miniature figures, aut_players may use them to show the loca-tion of each PC inrelation to hazards,buildings, an d other PCs. The DM maywish to use his own figures to showplayers which buildings contain snipernests or other hazards,The City Map ~y Shows the location

and orientation of eacb tile and definesth.e city's.size and shape: As the PCsmove through the city; the DM places themap tiles on th e table to match the designofthe City Map Key . The letter in thecenter ofeach tile is used for orientation.1)'01' example, ifthe letter is upside downon the City Map Key, the DM should besure that the letter on the tile is upsidedown When it is placed on the table.

Buildings and Structures

Buildings depicted on the tiles arecolor-coded by usage:

Yellow = Private residence, roominghouseGreen = Commercial building (shop,

office, or service business)Red = Warehouse, storageBlue = Inn, tavern, restaurant, guildhall .

Brown = Stable, barn, shedWhite = Temple, shrineThere are no structures in Waen

Fawr over three stories high. Ifit isnecessary to determine the height of abuilding, the DM can roll 1d4-1odetermine the number of stories. Aresult of 0 means that the building hasbeen, demolished by fire.Ninety percent ofthe buildings in

Wae:nPawrare occupied, the rest unin-habited. However, tbe windows anddoors of all buildings are shuttered,locked, barred, bolted, and nailed. Untilthe PCs attempt entry, it is impossible totell which buildings are oecupied andwhieh are not. Occupants defend theirbuilding against intruders to the best oftheir ability, Use the "Militia" entry

Placing the Tiles

When the adventure begins, the DMplaces the map tiles in the configuration of the north gate area (see F:igu1).When the PCs leave this area, thtiles are moved and reoriented onetime as each new area is entered (seFig. 2). In this way, encounters, pur-suit, and evasion can an take placethe tabletop in much the same scroling fashion as a computer game ma

30 Issue N o. 4 6



G O BLIN FEV E

The DM may wish to~e a completemap of the city, and PCs may have ac-cess to partial maps of thecity. However,because ofthe many fires, barricades,and dangers in Waen Fawr, maps are of

little use. Once the PCs have left. thesafety ofmilitia-controlled areas, theymay n O t be able to return by the waytheY'came. The old saying, "You can'tget there from here:' is very true whenwandering the streets of Waen Fawr.

Tile Descripnons

Tiles A·D. These are neighborhoodsof homes, apartmenb, small shops,taverns, and inns. Movement throug:hthese areas is at normal movementrate for the party, and only these haz-ards listed in the "City. EncounterTable" are present.Tile E. This section of the Gity con-

tains warehouses, covered storageareas, and storage sheds. Movement inthe area is at the normal movementrate] and only the hazards listed inthe"City Encounter 'Iabls" are present.Tile F. This area of tbe city has been

devastated by fire. Mount~d movementthrough the rabble is impossible. butthe PCs can pick a dangerous path onfoot. Movement rates are reduced toone-third normal, and a roll for con-cealed hazards is made for every 50' oftravel. Do not rell on the "City En-

counter Table" for this tile. Ro111d6and consult the following chart:1-2 No hazard3 Shifung rubble. a PC (DM's choice or

random roll) must roll De.xterity or lesson 1d20 or lose h is footing and fall, taking1- 4 hp cut and stab damage from glassshards broken crockery, and loose.nails.4 A PC steps in a "hot pocket:' a

pile of glowing coals concealed by otherdebris. The pocket collapses around thePC's foot for 1-4 hp bum damage.5 A PC steps on debris that col-

lapses, dropping him into a cellar for 1·6 hp falling damage.

6 The ground collapses beneath theentire adventuring party. dropping thePCs into a cellar. .Each PO takes 1-6 hpdamage.Tile G. This is the 'Iemple of the

Pools (see encounter 10). Movementrate is normal, ThE!DM should consultthe text on pages 44-48 for encountersin the temple area (do not roll on the"City Encounter Table"). In futureadventures, the DM may use this tileto depict a castle, college of magic,

Figure 1

_i.

Figure 2

c ~ Line of travel

..-----~-----.-,..--.+

H

Note the orientation of the letter Ain Figures 1 and 2.

warrior'sechool, dungeon, fortress., etc.Tile H. This open park was formerly

used b3"peddlers to set up booths,tents, and pavilions en market days.Paths wind among the park's trees andbushes. with benches placed at conven-

ient locations. No market days havebeen held since the plague broke out;the park is one of the few open areas.inthe city where funeral pyres can be ht.Movement rates are normal] and onlythe hazards listed on the "City En-counter Table" are present.

Token Descriptions

The tokens represent barriers to thePCs] progress through the city. Thecity walls, gates, and towers form theborder of the city (see the City MapKey). Other than through the northern

gate, it is impossible for the PCs topass beyond the city walls] whic~ aredefended by goblin-fever-afflicted sol-diers and citizens. (As always, the PCshave a right to defend themselves fromattacks, but the DM should give .00experience points for any gate, tower,or wall defenders killed or wounded byPCs. They are disease victims and notresponsible for their acbions.)The barricade, debris, and fire tokens

represent barriers within the city (seethe City Map Key for locations) andare not to scale. These tokens are al-ways placed across a read through a

tile. Unless contradicted by logic or thetext, the DM is free to block any l'9adhe wishes within the tile. If the PCparty has ;split up and occupies morethan one HIe, the DM can use photo-copies of the tokens or any other obvi-ous marker as substitutes for thecardstock tokens.Gates. The city gates are constructed

of huge fire-hardened and iron-boundwooden beams. The east, south, andwest gates have been barred, sealed,

and blocked with rubble. Before thesegates can be reopened] the PCs mustremove the archers from the adjacenttowers. Then a large work crew willtake one full day to clear away therubble piled against the gates, and a

blacksmith needs yet another day toremove the bolts, chains, and othermetal debris sealing the gates.Towers. The city's towers are brick

and stone constructions standing 25'-30' nigh, pierced by innumerable ~.l'QW slits, windows. and other npenrngs.Tower defendeors rain arrows .on anyonecoming within range. Each tower isdefended by 6-24 city militda (see area1). In addition, the guard units areaugmented by 2-12 citizen-soldiers (seearea 2). If the PCs return missile fire,

see page 99 of the PH and treat thetower defenders as 90% hidden by

cover (-10 to armor class) The de-fenders of the towers are lost in fever-induced paranoid delirium. Theyneither negotiate nor surrender, Thetowers are sealed from the inside andrequire a ram or similar siege device toopen the doors.Walls. The 20'-high city walls are

primarily made of brick, stone, andpacked earth. Perched on the walls orpatrolling their lengths are another 2-8city militia and 2-8 citizen-soldiers (seeareas 1and 2 for statistics). The walldefenders. suffer from the same paranoiddelusions as the tower guards, and willfire indiscriminately on anyone passingnear the wall. lithe PCsre,turnfl1'e,tJ.·eatthe wall defenders as 75% covered(-7 to~C). The wall guards haveburned or blocked the staircases up tothe wall and use only rope ladders tocome and go. Therefore, it is extremelydifficult for the PCs to get at the archers.and very dangerous to b-y.

ContintJee on page 3

DUNGEON 31



G O BLIN FEV ER

Ccnl/,wad from page 29

The city is constantly shrouded infoul-smelling smoke from burning build-ings. There is no organized attempt toextinguish the blazes, but residents

living near a burning structure mayform impromptu bucket brigades in anattempt to put out a fire. There are nostreetlights in the city. Torches, Ian-terns, or other sources of light at nightdraw the attention of snipers. From

Oanl/nlled from page 31

Barricade. This blockade of trash,boxes, lumber, and other assorted junkhas been constructed across a roadwayby regue scldiers or vigilantes (see the"Militia or Vigilan~s" entry in the"City Encounter Table"), The barrio

eade stopa progress alohg the l'oadwayand can be passed only through negoti·ation, bribezy, combat , or a combina-tion thereof:Debris ..A burning building or

other large structure has collapsedinto the street, eff~ctiv.ely blockinga n forward movement. This is not amere barricade or pile of garbage,but a huge, dangerously shifting hillof smoldering rubble. The PGs mayclear a path through- the debris in 3-36 C3d12)hours but cannot sell-ambleup and over it, If the PCs clear away

the debris, tbe DM should removethe token.Fire. A major blaze blocks further

progress through the area. After thefire has burned for .24hours,. the DMshould replace this token with adebris token, Fire loeatrorisnoted on

I the City Mae Key are for the fit:st 24hours that the PCs are in the city.Mter this time, the DM may placefire tokens in any logical location., There are always 14 fires burningper day, hut no fires should be placedinthe city militia-controlled anea,The fires are inte~e and dangerous.

While resiet fire spells and magicalitems that protect againstfire worknormally, it is obviously suicidal forPCs to attempt to pass through. theseblazes. It is impossible to see throughthe smoke ani! flames, but over thefire's roar PCs hear beams ami tim-bers falling, roofs collapsing, floorsfalling into cellars, and the explo-sions of kegs and barrels of cookingand lamp oil.

arson, accidental blazes, and the pyresof the dead, Waen Fawr smolders by dayand is a netherworld of flame and wild-ly dancing shadows at night.

1. North Gate and Militia

Compound.

Two silent guard towers flank theclosed city gates. No traffic waits toenter the city; as you approach, youcan see why. Painted across thegates, with more care and fewerdrips than the signpost, are thewords "Beware Plague."Suddenly, you are hailed from the

eastern watchtower. An unseen guardintones, "Plague walks abroad in thecity." Apparently, the verbal warningis issued in case no one in the partycan read. The great city gates remainshut, but you notice a smaller doornear the base the eastern tower.

decimated by plague and the ongoinconflicts in the city.The person in charge here is the w

ard Zeeker Olm, He knows a cure fgoblin fever, and the militia is willitake orders. from him while he attemto rid the city of the disease. The ciin the grip of fear and chaos, allowifew people to take charge of specificareas because no one else is willingtake the lead. In addition to ZeekerOIm, 15 off-duty militiamen are resin the compound,The compound was formerly a lar

(200' x 400') warehouse and stable.exterior reeks of horse manure andinterior retains the aroma of oats ahay. The guards have contrived a nber of bunks, cots, hammocks, andlets at one end, while the other is f

with an odd assortment of what loolike alchemical equipment.

If the PCs bang on the small door orotherwise try to attract attention, it iseventually opened by two tired-lookingguards who wear the worn look of over"worked men.

The guards neither welcome you tothe city nor dissuade you from enter-ing, but only look at you as if youwere more grist for death's mill.

Moving in and out of sight among tclutter is a tall, thin man in a staingreen robe. He finally notices yourentrance, stops a moment to makeadjustment to some device,then approaches you. He looks weary, as ifhectic days and sleepless nights weed heavily on him. As the gaunt maddresses you solemnly, the scenereminds you of a tired general addring his defeated troops before the labattle of a lost cause.

"As you may have noticed, you'vcome at a bad time, and the city mnot be as comfortable as you wishWe are faced with a serious epidemSome fool caught a dose of goblinfever and didn't have the decencydie alone. We'd be grateful if youstayed here in Waen Fawr to help

By talking to the gate guards, the PCscan learn the name and nature of theplague afflicting the city (see "ThePlague" sidebar). They also hear per-sonal opinions and rumera=some true,some false, and many contradictory--about the plague and the current stateof affairs in the city:"The plague was deliberately started

by the rulers of a neighboring city thatwants to take over Waen Fawr. Whenthe city is weak enough, they'll sackand burn it." (False)"Some parts of the city ate under the

control of demented cults and gangs."

('!'rue)"The disease is unstoppable. It's only

a matter of time until the entire city iswiped out:' (False)"The fever has about run its course.

The crisis will be over in a few days."(False, but can be made true dependingon the PCs' success.)One gate guard escorts the PCs to the

militia compound nearby. The city mili-tia is well trained and equipped, butoverworked. Their numbers have been

Zeeker deals with the PCs as honas possible under the circumstances.Though obviously tired, his demeanbusinesslike. If the PCs agree to heZeeker tells the party what assistanhe needs.

There is a cure for goblin fever, brequires vei-y specific ingredients avery careful preparation. The curemade from a large amount of chamomile tea, distilled water, powderedon's tooth (any color dragon will door more vials of holy water, and smamounts of mundane and arcane sustances (DM's choice, see below). Tconcoction is brewed, then strainedthrough a filter of papyrus ..

Continued on p

3 2 Is su e N o. 4 6



GO BLIN FEV ER

City Encounter Table(Roll Id8 + Id12)

RollldlO every hour from sunr-ise tosunset, and every two hours from sun-

set to sunrise: 1-7 = No encounter; 8-9'" Encounter occurs at the DM's op-tion; 10 '" Roll1d8 +1d12 and consultthe table be low .The smoke and haze ofthe fires in

Waen Fawr affect visibility and rangeof vision. The smoke decreases en-counter distance during the day, butthe fires increase encounter distance atnight. For daylight encounters treatthe distance as Mist or Light Rain. Fornight encounters, treat the distance asTwilight (see page 117 of the PH).

2. Bandits (2·16): Bandits roam the

city looking for anything they cansteal. They mayor may not attack,depending on how strong the PCs ap-pear. (See area 3 for details.)

3. Crazies (1-8):AL any; AC 10; MV12; O·levelhuman; hp 3 each; THACO2 0; HAT 1; Dmg by weapon type; I V 1 L seebelow; XP 15; club or dagger, Crazies arethose unfortunates in the last stages ofgoblin fever. They are unpredictable,often violent, and may attack wi thou t ,provocation. Because they are fevervictims, no experience points are award-ed for killing them. However, the PCshave the right to defend themselves from'

attacks and should not be penalized f01"doing so. The experience paints listedshould be awarded only for crazies sub-dued and returned to a safe location.

4-6. Animals: Many animals are freein the city. Some have been left unat-tended; others flee in terror from themany fires, Roll 1d4 and consult thefollowing list:1= Wild dogs (4"16): These packs of

stray dogs are not particularly danger-ous unless provoked. scared. or veryhungry. (See area 80 for details.)2 = Guard dogs (2-8): These trained

dogs have been unleashed in the confu-sion and chaos of the city. They aredangerous and may attack withoutprovocation. (See area 6 for details.)3 = Bull (1-2): INT semi; AL N; AC

7; MV 15; HD 4; bp 15; THACO 17;H A T 1; Dmg 14; SA stampede; SZ L;I V 1 L 4; X P 120; MM/243 (Mammal,Herd, Cattle). Bulls may charge anopponent for 2-12 hp of impaling dam-age and an additional 1·4 hp in tram-

pling damage. Bulls loose in the cityare skittish and charge anyone whoapproaches them.4 = DM's choice or roll again. Many

relatively harmless animals are run-ning loose, such as horses, milk cows,and goats. The DM may include a pettiger, trained bear. or other more exotic(and dangerous) animal.

7-11. Militia or Vigilantes (2-12): ALany evil; AC 7; MY 9; F2; hp 11 each;THACO 19; tta: 1;Dmg by weapontype; ML 11; XP 35; ring mail, shortsword, dagger. There are many newlyformed militia groups in the city, andsome are mere ruffians looking fortrouble. These men do not have theplague and are responsible for theiractions. When the PCs encounter such

a group, the DM rolls 1d100 and con-sults the following: 01-25 = = Militia isa gang of evil bandits; 26-75 = Militiais neutral; their behavior depends onthe PCs' actions (roll on the "Enc.ount-er Reactions" table. page 103 oItheDMG); 76-00 = Militia is good alignedand is attempting to restore order.They are friendly to thePCs once thepal"ty makes its quest known.

12-15. Mob or Looters (3d20)( 10):AL any; AC 10; MV 12; O·level human;hp 3 each; THACO 20; H A T 1; Dmg byweapon type; ML 8; XP 15; knife, club.

or torch. This may be a fight betweenrival gangs or a general riot. POs canwork their way through the riot in 6-60(6d10) rounds.For each turn that the PCs are in-

volved in a mob encounter, roll IdlOOfor each of the following incidents. It ispossible for each PO to suffer all thefollowing in every turn:5% chance oflosing a valuable object

in the crowd (accident or pickpocket-ing), The object lost should not besomething that hinders completion ofthe adventure.5% chance ofbeing knocked down

and trampled by the crowd for 2-8 hpdamage.5% chance of being hit by a projectile

(bottle, board, or rock) for 14 hp damage.

16-18. Refugees (2-16): AL any; AC10; MY 12; O·level human; hp 3 each;THACO 20; #AT 1;Dmgby weapontype; ML 8; XP 15; knife or club. Theseare ragged people were forced fromtheir homes by fire 01"violence. Award

experience points only for refugees ledto a position of relative safety.

19. Snipers (1·4):·This may be asingle individual taking potshote from

a roof or an organized band killing androbbing victims. Snipers fire fromrooftops, windows, or any concealedlocation. (See area BB for details.)

20. Special: These events are unusu-al and should be used sparingly. Eachoccurs at least once before any arerepeated,1= Death cart: This encounter sets

the mood of the adventure and givesthe PCs some idea of the grim realitiesof a city in the grip of plague. The airof despair, hopelessness, and fear thedeath carts embody cannot be exagger-

ated or overplayed. These horse-drawncarts are led slowly about the city,accompanied by a crier who clanks ametal bell and chants, "Bring out yourdead!" The dead are brought forth andunceremoniously dumped in the cartfor disposal. When full, the cart isbrought to an open area (map tile H),where the bodies arestac4ed, coveredwith wood and oil. and set ablaze with.out rite, ritual, or eulogy.2 = Fiery Collapse: A crucial beam

in a burning building collapses or asmoldering fire flares up when theflames spread to dry thatch, a barrel of

lamp oil, or another flammable sub-stance. The beam collapses or fireflares in the upper story of a buildingdirectly overhead andshowers the PCswith flaming debris. Each PC must rollDexterity or less on Id20 or take 2-12hp damage.3 "" Projectile: An object such as a

bottle 01' brick strikes a PC (OM's

choice-or random roll) for 1-4 hp dam-age. (Projectiles are never weapons 01"grenadelike missiles.) The object wasthrown in anger, boredom. or pointlessvandalism, but the reason has nothingto do with the PCs.

4 = Individual: The PCs enceunter alocal citizen (1'011n the City or 'Ibwnencounter table of the Monstmus Com-pendium) who is attempting to reach anarea ofrelative safety. IT this person isdetained, the DM must decide whatquestions the individual is able or will-ing to answer and in what detail. TheDM should pre-roll a few such individ·uals before beginning play so that theyare ready to use if this encounter occurs.

DUNGEON 33



GO BLIN FEV ER

CO nlim J sd fro m p a ge 3 2

When imbibed, the tea works won-del's. It cures goblin fever, relieves allsymptoms, and returns the infectedperson to normal within 2·8 hours.

However, to cure a city the size of WaenFawr requires great washtubs of thestuff. If the PCs choose not to pursuethe cure ingredients, other adventurersand local citizens are available for thejob (and the credit and reward).However, the PCs do not get off easily

if they decline Zeeker's offer. They areimmediately drafted into the city mili-tia and are not allowed to leave WaenPawr until the crisis has ended. Themilitia is working 16 homos on duty and8 hours off. They are not being paid butreceive food, shelter, and the promise ofone gold piece per week, to be paid assoon as the crisis is over. If the PCsdislike the duty, they can easily escapeeither into the disease infested city or,with some difficulty, over the walls or

out the gates. .The militia and others have supplied

Zeeker with most of the needed equip-ment, the chamomile, distilled water,and other special substances. (If hewishes, the DMmay use the search forsmall amounts of mundane and arcaneingredients for added adventures.)Zeeker still needs the powdered drag-

on's tooth, the holy water, the papyrus,

and a copper steam-driven adjustabledouble boiler, preferably of gnomishmake (because they're the best). Thisitem is required for cleaning the instru-ments and devices used in making thefever cure. The items are boiled to in-sure no foreign substances cling to theirsurfaces and inadvertently contaminatethe fever cure. Simply boiling the itemsin a pot works, but it takes much longerand is a very poor substitute for a gnom-ish double boiler. The wizard states:

"I don't know where you can find theboiler I need. The only place that

would possibly carry such an item isCooper's Copper on Caper Street. Goa bit south, then turn west. !fyou getto the west gate, you've gone too far."One of the local inns or alchemical

shops might also have such a boiler,but to search each establishmentwould take years."Youmay be able to locate some

powdered dragon's tooth at Jade's al-chemical shop. She specializes in suchthings. It's southeast of the west gate.

"I also know there's a good deal ofholy water and a supply of papyrusin the Temple of the Pools, near thesouth gate. But be warned! That areais in the hands of some demented

cult. We don't know what they wantor who they are, or exactly wherethey're located. My assistant, Danell,went looking for them to offer moneyor goods for the holy water and papy-rus, They captured him and sentword that, unless we surrender theentire city, they're going to sacrificehim in some sort of ritual. They gaveus no time limit; for an I knowthey've already done it."I'll give you 1,000 gold pieces out

of my own pocket if you can rescueDanell. He's my friend and knows

what's needed here. The work will gofaster ifIhave a trained assistant.I'd try to find him myself, but Ian'tabandon my duty to the city, what-ever my heart may say."What recompense the city can

offer for your help is difficult to say.Because this is a time of great uncer-tainty, all promises may be in vain.But, should the city survive withyour help, Iam sure the populacewould be grateful-and generous."

Zeeker makes no promises of eitherwealth or glory, and gives the PCs fair

warning:

"If you go, take this advice. Levita-tion and flying spells can get youkilled. There are madmen and snip-ers on the rooftops, including spell-casters who'll use spells against you.If you take to the air, you'll draw firefrom several different directions."Yesterday, a guard mage named

Sigmund tried to levitate for a quickreconnoiter of the situation inanadjoining neighborhood. He got anarrow in the eye for his trouble. Anddon't bother trying to go round the

walls and through the other gates.We've tried several times, but thenorth gate is the only one open. Stayaway from the city walls. There arearchers up there who shoot at anyonewho passes beneath. We control onlythe walls ofthe north gate and abovethe barracks. If you pass beneath anyother, beware!"

contraptions of his hastily establishelaboratory. If the PCs have questionthey must follow him about to askthem. Any answers Zeeker gives arconstantly punctuated with "Don'ttouch that!," "Watch where you'reping!" and "That's not a toy!" No mter how persistent they are, the PClearn little more than Zeeker alreadtold them.The wizard's warnings are serious

the PCs pass beneath gates, towersthe city wall outside the protectedsee "Using the City Map Tiles" sidfor details. AllYPC who attempts tlevitate or fly attracts fire from snip(see the "City Encounter Table" fosniper statistics). For every roundair, the PC draws fire from 1d4 + 1ers using heavy crossbows. In addit

there is 10% chance per round of acasting sniper using a magic missillightning bolt spell (the DM also haoption of a sniper using magical iteThe smoke shrouding the city prohthe PC from gaining any useful infmation from aerial exploits.Zeeker Olm: AL LG; AC 9; MV

M12; hp 27; THACO 17; HAT 1; Dmspell or weapon type; I 18, Ch 18;M13; ring of protection + 1, dagger.Spells: comprehend language», id

tify, read magic, unseen servant; biESP, locate object, strength; infrculssecret page, suggestion, tongues; deBerying, extension I, minor creation,wizard eye; extension II, fabricate,{eeblemind, telekinesis; true seeing.City militia (30):AL any non-evi

7;.MV 9; F2·F4; hp 11 (x 10), 17 (x22 (x 10).;THACO 17·19; #AT 1; Dmweapon type; ML 11; ring mail, shosword, short bow, dagger.

With that last cheery word, ZeekerOlm returns to work among the strange

2. City Militia Barricade. The cmilitia barricades are sturdy, well-engineered constructions runningbuilding to building across the streThe center of the barricade is a lar

wagon that is pushed into positionpulled out of the way when the barcade is opened or closed.Because business in the city is at

standstill, the barricades usually rmain closed most of the day. Theyto give entry to refugees from lawlburning quarters of the city. (See t"City Encounter Table" for detailsdeath carts and refugees.)The barricades' primary purpose

keep out roving bands of crazies anbandits. (See the "City Encounter

34 Issue N o. 46



GOBLIN F E V

Table" for both.) Because trained sol-diers are rare, the barricades aremanned by three militiamen (F2, hp 11each, see area 1or complete statistics)backed by a larger contingent of citizen-soldiers ..The citizen-soldiers are localresidents who help by taking a tum ofduty on the barricades.Citizen-soldiers (4-16): AL LN or any

good; AC 9; MV 12; O-level humans; hp4; THACO 22 (non-proficient); fiAT 1;

Dmg by weapon type; ML 7; shield, longbow, club, dagger. The citizen-soldiershave been armed but are not proficientwith their weapons.The barricade guards are trained and

use a variety of decent-quality standardequipment. The citizen-soldiers areuntrained and poorly equipped. A typi-cal citizen-soldier's shield is a large

barrel lid with a bit of rope nailed to itfor a handle. Long bows are primarilyhunting bows, and dubs are anythingfrom old table legs to pieces of iron pipe.

3. Cooper's Copper.

The PCs have found Caper Street asdirected by Zeeker Olm, but have yet tofind Cooper's Copper. The DMmayplace this encounter in one of thesmaller buildings of Tile A.

You are in a debris-strewnarea.Apparently, rioters have recently

looted many of the shops. They havealso torn down most of the signs inthe neighborhood, so it is impossibleto tell which of the shattered storesmight be Cooper's Copper. As youmove slowly up the street, you hearsomeone swearing loudly and withabandon. As you draw near the areaof the swearing, the voice suddenlystops. You can tell which building it'came from, but you see no one. Theinterior of the building is a shamblesof debris, and the type of shop itwas-or even if it was a shop-isuncertain.

If the PCs call out that they are hereto help, they hear a muffled "Go away!"from beneath the floorboards. if the PCsonce again offer assistance, the personbeneath the floorboards apparentlystands on something to put his mouthclose to a knothole in the floor, and ashouted conversation can now takeplace. The man in the cellar identifieshimself as Karl Cooper, owner of Coop-er's Copper, and informs the PCs that

they are trespassing in his showroom.Itwas Karl whom the PCs heard

swearing moments earlier. He had comeup through the trapdoor from his cellarto survey the ruins of his shop ..Karlwill not come out no matter bow muchthe PCs coax or what promises theymake. He fears the bandits and looters,and comes out only when he is sure noone is near. In addition, Karl double-locked and double-barred the trapdoorfrom below. The PCs must chop throughthe trapdoor or floor if they wish to seeKarl face to face CDM'soption how longthis takes).Karl stands on a ladder in the cellar

to converse with PCs. His hearing hasdegenerated from years of clanging oncopper pots; this deficiency is aggra-vated by attempting to hold a discus-

sion through a small knothole in thefloor. Karl's answers to the PCs'shouted questions are "What wasthat?" or "Speak up ..I can't hear you."Sometimes, Karl's only response ismuffled and uninteHigible .. lfthe PCseventually make their need for a cop-per douhle boiler understood, theylearn the following:

"What, a double boiler? How can youthink of cooking at a time like this?You can see my shop's heen nearcleaned out! I had a solid coppersteam-driven double boiler in here a

few months back, before the fevercame ..It was of good gnomish make,and I sold it to Twilly Winkleman,the cook at the East Gate Inn.What'd you say? Why it's near theeast gate, you fool! Where do youthink the East Gate Inn would be?"Wait a minute! I just rememberedl

Twilly said something about buyingthe double boiler for an orphanage,someplace called The Hearth. I don'tknow exactly where it is, but it'sprobably somewhere near the EastGate Inn;'

Bandits (2d6 + 12): AL any evil; ACMV 9; F2;THACO 19; NAT 1; Dmg byweapon type; ML 9; XP 35; studdedleather armor, short sword, dagger.

4. Jade's Alchemical Shop. Thissmall wooden building is wedged be-tween two larger ones. Its single storycontains a display area, a laboratory,and a storage room.

As you approach Jade's AlchemicalShop, you realize it is being looted.The front window is shattered, andpeople are climbing in and out overthe shards of glass. Several of thelooters disappear around the corneror into nearby buildings,clutchingunidentifiable booty and potion bot-tles. Many more are still in the shopfighting each other over what is leftWith a rending screech, the door

of the shop comes loose from itshinges, then falls into the streetwith a loud crash, Several of thelooters spring out through the openportal and run down the street,openly waving their stolen prop-erty. One looter stops near you andbefore you can react, lifts two po-tion bottles to his lips and downstheir contents. The looter screams,clutches his stomach, and beginsrolling and thrashing wildly in thedebris-strewn street.

All this shouting back and forthdraws unwelcome attention to theshop. For every round the PCs areengaged in shouted conversation,there is a cumulative 5% chance ofattracting the attention of a banditgang ..The bandits arrive in 1-4 roundsafter hearing the shouts, to attack androb anyone they find.Karl Cooper: AL LN; AC 10; MV 12;

O-levelhuman; hp 4; THACO20; flKr 1;Dmg by weapon type; ML 7; club, dagger.

A false rumor has spread through tneighborhood that a potion of healingcures goblin fever, This excited localresidents into breaking into the alcheical shop in hopes of a cure. Some of tless-than-honest citizens are using thrumor as an excuse to rob and steal.Luckily, neither the shop owner nor hguards and assistants were at the stowhen the looters broke in, or bloodshewould have been a certainty. The lackassistants poses a problem for thelooters. None afthe containers aremarked (at least not with any runes t

common person can read), so the lootehave no way of knowing what they arimbibing.The looter drinking the two potions

and collapsing is 20' away from thePCs. The two potions are incompatibleso the unfortunate looter will explode1·4 rounds (see page 141 of the DungeMaster's Guide). Everyone in a 5' radiofthe looter takes 1-10 hp damage frothe explosion.

DUNGEON 35



GO BLIN FEV ER

Jade's

Alchemical Shop

Area 41 square= 5'

tlc't1-~ 1 B1--

-

IiI - Z ; >

= f A f - 1 -

The 22 looters inside the shop are adisorganized mob, busily fightingamong themselves over the remaining

goods ..The looters are making a tremen-dous amount of noise shouting, fighting,and wrecking the establishment.Looters (22.):AL any; AC 10;.MV 12;

O·level human; THACO 20jllAT 1;Dmgby weapon type; :M L 8; XP 15; club,dagger, or knife.If ordered to leave by a strong, orga-

nized force such as the PCs, the lootersabandon their booty and the shop with-out a fight. However, the PCs must firstattract the attention of the mob, whichis difficult considering the amount ofnoise they are making. If the PCs enterthe shop while the looters remain in-

side, they must fight. the looters to gaincontrol of the buHding.If the PC party intimidates the looters

into abandoning the shop without afight, give each party member a 250·XPreward. If the party wins the shopthrough battle, the DM should award noexperience points. (The. battle is nocontest for the PCs, as the looters fightsingly or in pairs while the rest con-tinue to ransack the shop.) Pursuit offleeing looters is futile. The PCs have

no chance of catching them, as theyquickly disappear into nearby buildingsor down alleyways.

4A. Dis~lay Area.

The display area is a shambles. Whatcan be broken has been broken, andwhat can't be broken has been bent,battered, and beaten into uselessjunk. Slivers of glass and shards ofearthenware and ceramic vessels areeverywhere. If the powdered dragon'stooth was here, it is now gone orpolluted wit.h the other substanceslittering the floor.The door in the wall facing the

entrance hangs precariously fromone hinge ..Through the portal driftsa rank-smelling blue haze.

need not be breathed to take effect. Fothe vapors to have any effect, the PCmust be fully in area 4B. The gases arimmediately rendered inert when mixwith cleaner air (even standing in thedoor of the room is protection againsttheir effects). Spells such as gust ofwind work normally and clear the rooof the dangerous vapors for the spell'sduration ..PCs attempting to flush out the roo

with water cause more harm than goWater reacts with the chemicals inmuch the same way as the unidentifiedliquids and goo on the floor do. If thePCs flush the room with water (eitherbuckets of well water or a create watespell), they wash the chemicals into thdisplay area (area 4A). PCs must thenmake saving throws vs. poison in both

areas 4A an d 4 B.If the PCs survive the gases and at-

tempt the door, they find the lock canpicked normally by a thief, forced phycally, or opened with a knock spell. Ifforced, the PCs hit the door automati-cally, but it is solid and takes 25 hpdamage (piercing weapons do half damage) before opening ..

4B. Laboratory. The broken doorwayleads to a laboratory and work area.Like the display room (area 4A), thelaboratory is littered with broken glass,shattered containers, and their spilledcontents. Chemicals and arcane sub-stances are mixing and blending inuncontrolled reactions on the floor.

This room is filled with hazy bluesmoke, and the air smells of someonelong overdue for a bath. The floor iscovered with colorful dusts and pow-ders, over which run rivulets of un-

known liquids. From here and therecomes a venomous hiss or the gur-gling of a noisome, bubbly glop. Thebluish vapor seems to be comingfrom the same area of the floor as thehissing sound and the awful smelLOn the wall facing the broken door

is a double-locked iron-shod door. Thelooters have hammered off one lock,but the other looks untouched.

40. Storage.

The walls in this room are coveredwith shelves from floor to ceiling,and several large shelf units have

been fitted in the center of the roomThe shelves are filled with everytype of beaker, bottle, jar, jug, andvessel imaginable. All are carefullysealed, but none carries the slightesthint of a letter, rune, mark, or glyphto denote its contents.

The chemicals mixing on the floor arecreating dangerous gases and vapors,which will have deleterious effects ifthey come in contact with the PCs' skin.

Each PC who enters the room mustmake a saving throw vs. poison everyturn. PCs who fail their saving throwseach take 1-4 hp damage from the poi-sonous vapors and lose one point ofDexterity ..If Dexterity drops below 3,the PC is unable to walk and must behelped from the room. If Dexterity dropsto 0, the PC dies. If the PCs survive thegases, Dexterity points return at a rateof one point per day.The vapors act as contact poisons and

The containers are marked with macal writing that can be read only by aread magic spell. 'The arrangement othe chemicals on the shelves is notsimple alphabetical order but a compand intricate system used by alche-mists. Even with a read magic spell,

requires 2-8 hours of careful searchingto find the "Powdered Dragon's 'Thothlabel. A PC wizard with spellcraft prociency can reduce the search time to2·12 rounds on a successful check.(Imagine how long it would take to fia particular book in a library using tcard catalog in comparison with howlong it would take to read every booktitle until you find the tight one.)Opening containers to view their

contents is useless, and sometimes da

36 Issue N o. 4 6



gerous. There is a 10% chance per con-tainer opened of releasing a dangeroussubstance with the same effect as thegases in the laboratory (area 4B).

The powder that the PCs seek is in asmall, well-sealed earthenware jar that

may be carried in a backpack or smallsack.

5. Vigilantes. This encounter is bestplayed at night. Itcan be used duringthe day but loses some of its nightmar-ish quality.

You are moving down a rough butlitter-free cobblestone street. The airholds a bitter, smoky tang, and thereis a sense of expectancy in the air.The back of your neck tingles as ifunfriendly eyes were watching youfrom the shuttered windows and

dark doorways.Rounding a corner, you are faced

with a terrible sight: a large bonfirelights four unfortunate souls, recent-ly hanged. Their hooded corpsesdangle obscenely from the shelteringboughs of a large oak. Apparently,someone in the neighborhood is sum-marily executing people. Even as youponder this disheartening thought, acry goes up behind you. "There theyare!"A large number of people are run-

ning toward you. In the flicker andsway of their torches, you catch

glimpses of angry, distorted faces anda gray-and-black banner. The areaseems alive with shouting, and thetorches swarm like angry bees. Sud-denly, the bonfire sends up a hugebelch of smoke, and a great shower ofsparks and flaming cinders rainsdown on the onrushing mob. Shroud-ed in smoke and pelted by glowingcoals, the mob looks like some loath-some, nightmare horde unleashedthrough the gates of hell.

The PCs are in an area controlled by

vigilantes calling themselves the "Or-der of the Gray and Black:' who huntdown and execute without mercy any-one they feel is responsible for theplague. The victims hanging from theoak. were refugees from a burned neigh-borhood who had the misfortune tostumble into the vigilantes' area aroundsunset the day before.The PC party is confronted by 25

vigilantes. However, because of thedarkness and the fact tbat many vigi-

lantes carry two torches, it is impossibleto tell exactly how many people arepursuing them.Vigilantes (25); AL any evil; AC 8;

MV 12; Fl; hp 6; THACO 20; HAT1;Dmg by weapon type; ML 9; XP 15;

leather armor, flask of oil, club, dagger.The vigilantes pursue for as long as

the PCs are in sight. If the PCs eludethem, the mob continues searching for1·4 turns before returning to the hang-ing oak. Attempting to hide in buildingsto escape the vigilantes is not a goodidea, as they burn any building theysuspect harbors the PCs. The vigilantesdo not negotiate except to buy time ortrick someone into surrendering. AnyPCs captured by the "Order" must be

quickly rescued or face a grisly fate atthe oak tree. The PCs are pursued everytime they enter this area.

smoky haze fills your nostrils with abitter stench. You occasionally seesomeone picking through the rubble

of a building. As you travel furtherinto the destruction, the area seemsmore and more deserted. Suddenly, agreat cheer goes up, as if many peo-ple were loudly approving some-thing. The noise comes from behind aparticularly large heap of debris.

6. The People's Court.

This neighborhood has sufferedgreatly from unchecked fires. Manyof the buildings have been reduced tonothing more than blackened piles ofrubble while those structures stillstanding are burned out shells. A

Ifthe PCs investigate the cheering,they come upon a remarkable sight. Asthey skirt the large pile of rubble, theadventurers see a pleasant garden. Thisbeer garden is all that remains of a tav-ern, now reduced to charred debris. Thegarden is an unexpected but pleasanoasis in these fire-scarred surroundings,

Under the boughs o f three largetrees, some 30 people are seated.They all face the same direction andseem intent on the bizarre spectaclebefore them. At the front of the as-sembly, a man in a voluminous redrobe is seated at a large table. 'Ib hisright stands a man wearing a blackhood and robe and holding a large

DUNGEON 37



GO BLIN FEV ER

axe. On the left, a man wearing awhite blindfold and robe holds asword. A woman, guarded by twoother men, kneels in front of thetable. She is gagged, and bound hand

and foot. Each of the men beside herrestrains a large dog on a shortleash. You notice that several othermen in the garden also have dogs.The man in the red robe seems to

be pondering something while histwo companions fidget and fingertheir weapons. He shuts his eyes fora moment as if deep in thought, thenstares directly at the prisoner, say-ing, "So you claim you did not burnour buildings. Why?" The woman isgagged and cannot possibly answer.The red - robed judge holds up his hand

and shouts "Silence! I've heard enough.

What does the prosecution say?"The black-hooded man with the axe

whinnies several times like a horseand then spins around on his heelthree times."Well said, Mr. Prosecutor!" the

judge responds. "What does the de-fense have to say?"The blindfolded man bangs his

sword on the table and barks loudlylike a dog. The guard dogs of thecourt bailiffs answer him wi.th alouder clamor of their own.The judge responds with "Point

well taken, but leniency in suchcases only breeds more havoc. Wecan't have people burning buildingsas they please. What does the Execu-tioner say?"The black-hooded gentleman raises

his axe and cries loudly, "Off withher head!"The judge then turns to his other

companion. "What does the Sword ofJustice say?The blindfolded man shouts "So be

it!"The judge then solemnly intones,

"So be it and be it so. Ido hereby

duly swear and state you have justlybeen found guilty of the crime ofarson and are sentenced to die bybeheading. Sentence to be carried outimmediately."The judge rises and shouts into the

ea.r of the black-hooded man, "Execu-tioner! You have a task before you!"Turning, he shouts in the ear of theblindfolded man. "Sword of Justice!You must witness the execution!"

This kangaroo court would be almostcomical except for the terrible serious-ness of the sentence. Whatever madnessis happening here has gotten completelyout of hand. The poor woman before thetable is ashen faced with terror. The

onlookers are either enjoying the spec-tacle or disinterested in the woman'sfate.As the PCs watch, the black-hooded

executioner prepares to carry out thesentence, and the blindfolded Sword ofJustice is led to a position where hecan "witness" the execution. Thejudge remains standing at the table. Ifthe PCs do not intervene, the womanis executed and the court and crowddisperse.If the PCs attempt to stop the execu-

tion, the judge shouts loudly for the sixbailiffs and crowd of 30 onlookers toattack. The onlookers obey halfhearted-ly. They have low morale and, if thejudge falls, they give up the fight anddisperse. It is impossible to surrender toor negotiate with the bailiffs or themob.Onlookers (30): .AL any; AC 10; MV

12; O-Ievel human; hp 3 each; THACO2 0; HA T 1; Dmg by weapon type; ML 6;XP 15; club or dagger:Bailiffs (6): AL CE; AC 7; MV9; F3;.

hp 23, 17,16,15,.13,11; THACO 18;HA T 1;.Dmg by weapon type; ML 11; XP65; ring mail, short sword, dagger.

The bailiffs do not have goblin feverbut are completely evil and uncaring ..They serve only the judge, Danag Z'a1.They were once Danag's personalguards and now serve as his court bai-liffs. The bailiffs care little what gamesDanag wishes to play so long as theyare paid. IfDanag wants to be a judgeand hand down death sentences, theyare unconcerned, so long as the city isin chaos and they are not held account-able for their actions. Ifcaptured, eachclaims he served Danag because he wascharmed or otherwise magically en-slaved. If Danag is killed or captured,

the bailiffs attempt to disperse anddisappear with the onlookers. The bai-liffs take no prisoners and negotiateonly to gain the upper 'hand,Each bailiff controls a large guard

dog. The dogs are well trained; unlessspells or magical items are employed,they obey no one but the bailiffs.Guard dogs (6): INT semi; AL N; AC

6; MV 12; HD 2+2; THACO 19; HAT 1;

Dmg 2·8; SZ M; ML 9; XP 65; MMl57(Dog, War Dog).

Nicka Thyme (prisoner): AL NG;10; MV 12; F2; hp 10; THACO 19; HA1; Dmg by weapon type; ML 9.The prisoner is the daughter of a l

spice merchant. If freed, Nicka snatcup a club and immediately joins the

battle on the PCs' side. If the PCs recue the woman and take her to a plaof relative safety, they are rewardedwith 1,000 gp by her family (the DMmay delay this payment until the crin the city has been resolved) and 20XP each. Also, at the DM's discretionNicka may join the party as an NPCThe Executioner (hp 3)and Swor

of Justice (hp 2) do not fight undercircumstances. They immediately thdown their arms and surrender if cofronted or attacked. The Executionernothing but a skinny old man with ncombat skills, and the Sword of Justiis not only blindfolded but truly blin(having lost his sight in an explosionThese two are far gone into the de

mentia caused by goblin fever. Theyserve Danag Z'a1 out of fear and feveThey fear being tried before him if tdo not cooperate, and the fever robsthem of the ability to find a way outthe situation.If questioned, the two reveal that

once owned the tavern and beer gardThey know little of the man acting ajudge, only that he is a wizard of somkind, and that he appeared two or th

days ago. The judge promptly appointhem court officials and began holdintrials. So far, 10 people have been excuted for one thing or another.Danag Z'al (judge): AL CEj AC 7;

12; MIS; hp 28 (37 if cured of goblinfever); THACO 16; NAT 1; Dmg by spor weapon type; I 9 (I 17 if cured ofgoblin fever); ML 11;XP 7,000; staffwand of paralyzation (12 charges), rof protection +1, cloak of displace meSpells; charm person, phantasmal

force, shield, unseen servant; ESp,knoek, web; flame arrow, haste, protelion from normal missiles; confusion.

The judge is a powerful evil wizardwho is afflicted with goblin fever anlonger remembers his real name. Hihouse was destroyed by fire, so Danawanders the city holding unauthorizetrials. He truly believes he is a judgeappointed by the city. Danag is fixaton the idea, and there is no way to dsuade him unless he is cured ofthefever.His affliction limits the wizard's a

ty to use speUs. He can no longer ca

38 Issue N o. 4 6



G O BLIN FEV E

spells beyond fourth level or learn thecomplete number of lower-level spellsdue a 15th-level wizard. He cannotmemorize more spells once he has castthose he currently knows because, inhis fevered state, he has lost the

Leomund's secret chest containing hisspell books.Though fevered, Danag Z'al has not

completely lost his wits and is still adangerous opponent. He wears his mag-ical cloak under his red judge's robes. Ifconfronted, he immediately sheds thered robe and attacks. Incombat, thewizard uses his magical items andspells to the best advantage. If cap-tured, the judge can tell PCs nothinguseful. Reality and delusions have be-come so interwoven in Danag's mindthat separating the two is impossible.

7. East Gate Inn. This encounterworks best if the PCs are traveling atnight or under a heavy pall of smoke.They are on a street ruled by a ruthlessand violent gang known as the Bravos,who for years have ruled the areathrough intimidation. Now, with theplague shutting down the businessesthey once milked for extortion and pro-tection money, the Bravos have turnedto murder and banditry. They are cur-rently using the East Gate Inn as theirheadquarters.

The street is very dark, and the great

silhouettes of buildings loom sudden-ly, then fade as you walk past. For achange, there are no burning build-ings nearby to light your way.As you move down the street, you

can barely make out the shape of asignpost in front of a building thatseems to have escaped any fire dam-age. Moving closer, until your nosenearly touches the wood of the sign,you see it proudly proclaims "EastGate Inn." Beneath this the signboasts "Best Roast Mutton in 'Ibwn."The inn is dark, however. Its shuttersare closed, and not a speck of light

shows from any window or door.

The Bravos closed and locked thebuilding's shutters. and boarded up thewindows from the inside. The only waysin or out are the front and back doors.Three gang members are posted on

the roof as lookouts and snipers (seeelite Bravo, area 7A, for details). lithePCs are carrying a light source, thelookouts automatically spot them first

East Gate Inn

Area 71 square= 10' H

a H

II EG

H D

H CF

and warn the gang. If the PCs approachthe inn cautiously and attempt to stayhidden, they spot the lookouts first (thelookouts are moving about and talking).

1b surprise the gang, the PCs mustsilence the lookouts on the roof or ap-proach unseen. If the PCs have usedinvisibility, phantasmal force, or othermethods to elude detection and surprisethe gang, the roof guards take one turn. tocome down and join the battle. As fightsare common among gang members, theguards assume that any battle breakingout beneath them is an internal matter,and do not rush to investigate.

7A. Dining Hall. The inn'slargedining room is filled with long tablesand accompanying benches. Six private

dining cubicles are framed by heavytimbers and the kitchen wall. If thelookouts give warning of the PCs' ap-proach, 10 Bravos hide behind over-turned tables, and the remainder hidein the private dining areas. If surprised,the gang is lounging about the room,eating, drinking, and gambling. Thereare 12 gang soldiers and eight elitemembers in the dining hall. The leader,a loud-mouthed ruffian named Swanky,

A

is also here.Swanky: AL LE; AC 4; MY 9; F4; hp

22; THACO 17; HAT1;Dmg by weapontype; S 18/90 (+2/+4); ML 14; XP 175;

chain mail, shield, scimitar (special-ized), dagger.Elite Bravo (8): AL any evil; AC 7;

MV 9; F2; hp 15,14, 12, 11, 10,9 (x 2),7; THACO 19; ncr 1;Dmg by weapontype; ML 14; XP 65; studded leatherarmor, short bow, short sword, dagger.Bravo soldier (12): AL any evil; AC

8; MV 12; F1; hp 5 each; THACO 20;HAT1; Dmgby weapon type' ML 11; XP15; leather armor, short sword dagger.The Bravos fight with an "every man

for himself' attitude and do not use agreat deal of strategy other than settingup an ambush. The gang takes no pris-

oners but will negotiate to buy time ordeceive victims into surrendering.Swanky rules through strength of arms,not charisma or natural leadershipability. Swanky's death or capture haslittle effect on the gang's morale. EachBravo carries his own share or thespoils. If the PCs search any captured okilled gang member, they find 10-100 gin mixed coins; 25% of the gang mem-bers have a gem or piece ofjewelry

DUNGEON 39



GO BLIN FEV ER

worth another 10-100 gp o

If questioned, captured gang membersknow nothing. They have never heardof Twilly Winkleman or a . double boiler.Each Bravo claims to he a mere pawn,following Swanky's orders out of fear. Ifmagical means of determining the truthare used, the PCs find that most gangmembers truly do know nothing.Some of the Bravos will admit to tak-

ing copper cooking implements from thekitchen and selling them. (The PCs canlearn from the Winkle mans in area 7C·7G that Twilly never brought the dou-ble boiler to the inn, so any copperimplements sold by the Bravos couldnot be the item that the PCs are lookingfor.) Swanky knows nothing about adouble boiler but knows that the peoplelocked in areas 7C-7G are named

Winkleman.

7B. Kitchen. This large room is acombined kitchen, scullery, and storagearea. The inn is situated near manybakeries, meat, produce, and dairymarkets and did not store much food onthe premises. Before the plague, foodwas delivered fresh from the marketseach day. The kitchen did hold a hugebarrel of good beer, several kegs of wine,and a cask of r um, hut the Bravosdrained every drop the first day theyarrived. The gang has also eaten everyscrap of food in the place.

The kitchen contains one large ovenand a stove. Innumerable pots, pans,kettles, ladles, skewers, and forks oncehung from hooks on the rafters but,after the gang took over, most of thecopper implements "disappeared," alongwith the larger and sharper knives.Several crates of cheap earthenwaremugs and plates stand in one corner,while an enormous iron kettle sits overa fire pit in another. The kettle holdsonly cold, scummy water and is appar-ently used to clean dishes. A carefulsearch of the kitchen reveals it holdsnothing that could remotely be called a

double boiler (see area 8D for a descrip-tion of this item).

7C-7G. Family Quarters. The Winkle-man family rooms are similar to the innguest rooms (area 7H), but slightly largerand furnished with a number of personalitems. Area 7C is the bedroom of Willyand Jilly Winkleman, owners of the innand parents ofTwilly (see area 8D) andhis 11year-old brother Billy (bedrooms7D and 7E respectively). The family en-

tertains guests in a small parlor (area 7F),and eats in its own dining room (area 7G).The gang has gone through these roomsand removed any valuables and weapons.Willy, Jilly, and Billy Winkleman:

AL LN; AC 10; MY 12; O-level human;hp 4,3,2; THACO 20; HAT1; Dmg byweapon type; ML 7.The Winklemans have been kept alive

to cook and serve at the gang's beck andcall. If they are rescued, give the PCs anadditional 300-XP bonus each. TheWinklemans are grateful for any help,but will not join the party 01' attempt toleave the inn. If asked about Karl Coop-er's statement that Twilly Winklemanbought a copper double boiler (see area 3 ),the family confirms that Twilly Winkle-man did indeed reside at the inn, hut theyknow nothing about the boiler. If asked

about Twilly, the family states he con-tracted goblin fever and is runningamuck with a pack of dogs. Willy says:

"I never saw anything like it. Hewent wild. He took down the elkhead from the dining room and cut itup. Next thing Iknow, he's runningaround buck naked, waving a spearand wearing elk antlers on his head.He looks like the damnedest 'Ibm-fool

you've ever seen. He's got a pack ofdogs around him, so watch your-selves. Young Twilly's a cleric andcan call the animals if need be.

"I did hear him say something aboutthe orphanage needing a some con-traption for making soft foods for thebabies to eat. It'd he just like him to

have gone off and bought them one."We'd take it as a kindness and act

of friendship ifyou'd do something forTwilly. Can you bring my son home?I'd at least like to lock him in a roomor tie him in the cellar. He's going toget killed ifh~ keeps running wildthrough the streets like that."

Willy can draw a rough map of thearea where Twilly might be found and

where The Hearth is located (see area8). Willy is not a cleric and cannot tellthe PCs exactly what powers or spellsTwilly has. If the pes give the Winkle-mans the money found on the gangmembers as reparation for damagescaused by the gang, Willy offers themfree room and hoard at the East Gatelnn whenever they wish. If the PCskeep the money, the innkeeper and hisfamily are grateful for their rescue but,due to their present circumstances, offer

no reward,If the PCs find Twilly and return

to the inn (cured or not), the familyoverjoyed and the PCs are given freeroom and board whenever they stay

the inn (if this has already been givthe family can do little more).

7H. Guest Rooms. The inn's guesrooms are identical and are being uby gang members. Each room contaitwo beds, a table and foul' chairs, awardrobe, a pitcher an.d wash basin,and a trunk containing extra blankeThe Bravos have stolen any valuableuseful items that once furnished therooms. While never luxurious, therooms now offer only the essential cforts and amenities. There are currefour Bravo soldiers (hp 5 each) and

two elite Bravos (hp 9 each; see are7A for details) asleep in these roomsa battle erupts anywhere in the innmust last one turn before they invesgate the noise.

8. The Gantlet. The Gantlet is anarea given over wholly to chaos andcrime (see map for encounter locatioThe DM need not roll on the "City Ecounter Table" while the PCs are inneighborhood. After passing throughthe PCs may truly feel they have "rthe gantlet."

SA. Ftres. Read the following at atime the PCs attempt to pass througthis area:

The buildings on both sides of thestreet are burning wildly. The heatbetween these two fire-engulfedstructures is intense but not impasable. The roaring of the fires makeit impossible to heal' even shoutedconversation. A great cloud of bittesmoke billows into the street andthen shoots straight upward, borneon the heat.

Any PC passing through the heat uprotected by a spell or a magical itetakes 1-8 hp burn damage. PCs covthemselves with wet blankets, wetcanvas, or other water-soaked coverreduce the damage to 1-4 hp scald dage. The covering must be soaked inwater 01' other nonflammable liquidreduce heat damage,In addition, items or equipment c

ried or attached to the PC must savnormal fire (see DMG, page 39). If t

40 Issue N o. 4 6



GO BLIN FEV ER

item is protected by a wet blanket orthe like, it gains a +4 on the savingthrow. Items such as oils, paper, andpotions are ruined if they fail the savingthrow (burned, boiled, or overheated).Items such as cloth, leather, rope, or

woodare still usable but are scorched,yellowed, or discolored in some way ifthey fail the saving throw. Bone, crys-tal, glass, metal items, and pottery areunharmed if they fail the saving throw,but are too hot to handle without thickgloves (14 hp burn damage).

SB . Snipers. The Bravos (see area 7for details) have positioned themselveson rooftops, in high windows, and infortified ground-floor posts so they canwaylay and rob anyone venturing intothe neighborhood. Unless the PCs areprepared, the snipers surprise the party

on a roll of 1·8 on 1d10. If the PCs arelooking for snipers, they are surprisedon a 1-4 on 1d10.Snipers (2-8):AL NE; AC 7 ( - 3 un-

der cover); MV 12; F2; hp 11 each;THACO 19; HA T 1; Dmg by weapontype; ML 12; XP 120; leather armor,shield, heavy crossbow (30%) or lightcrossbow (70%), short sword, dagger.The snipers fire on anyone coming

within range. Victims are immediatelystripped of all valuables and throwninto a cellar to avoid alerting otherswandering in the area. If a victim iswounded. the snipers pursue for 1-10

rounds or until their quarry is out ofsight. The snipers do not negotiate ortake prisoners.If the PCs return fire, the snipers

have 90% covel' ( - 10 to armor class; seethe DMG, page 62), If the PCs assault asniper nest, determine the type andheight of the building occupied by refer-ring to "Buildings and Structures" onpage 30. Then roll Id6 to determine thesniper's location: 1-2 = ground floor, 3-4::: high windows, 5·6 = rooftop. In somecases, the PCs may have to fight theirway to a sniper nest through otherdefenders of the building.

Each sniper nest is a 20' x 20' squarewith arrow slits knocked or hackedthrough the walls and a single barreddoor. The door can be hit automaticallyeach round but takes 40 hp damagebefore opening. If the nest is breached,the snipers flee rather than fight.

8C. Th~ Wild Hunt. If the PCs res-cued the WinkJemans from the EastGate Inn, they should be anticipating

The Gantlet

Area So 100 200

Feet

the following encounter. If the PCs havenot yet found the East Gate Inn, theapproach of the wild hunt may come asa surprise. This encounter can occuranywhere in the tile, and the DM maymove the location as needed.

in the other. He appears to have ant-lers growing out of his head. The manand the pack of dogs completely ignore

you as they dash by in barking, pant-ing, horn-blowing confusion and disap-pear into the darkness.

As you walk down the street, you heara sudden dear horn call and the bark-ing of many dogs. As you approach thenext street, you are confronted with awild and marvelous sight. A pack ofdogs comes pelting around the corner,followed closely by a naked man whocarries a speSl' in one hand and a horn

The PCs have just encountered thewild hunt of Celtic legend. It is not thereal wild hunt, but the best imitationthat the goblin-fevered mind ofTwillyWinkleman can muster. Twilly believeshe is Master of the Hunt, and has col-lected a pack from local stray dogs. Heand the pack chase up and down the

DUNGEON 41



imagination.IT the PCs want any answers from

Twi11y,he must be captured and maused to gather his far-flung, feveredthoughts. An ESP spell is ineffectiv

against him because his thoughts aswirling confusion centered on thehunt. Spells like aid, cure light wouor goodberry reduce Twilly's feverthat he acts rationally for 2·8 turns.cure disease spell cures Twilly of gfever, and he ceases to believe he isMaster ofthe Wild Hunt ..If Twilly is cured and questioned,

can tell the PCs that he purchaseddouble boiler from Cooper's Coppergave it to an orphanage called TheHearth. He even helped move it intbuilding'S cellar. TwiUy can directsto The Hearth (area 8D), but he wil

join the PC party. He is thankful toPCs for curing him, but is too concefor his family at the East Gate Inn7) to join the PCs. If only temporarilsane, he soon returns to running mabout the streets with his dogs.

GOBLIN FEV ER

street after imaginary quarry and ig-nore virtually everyone else. The Mas-ter and the pack attack only if attacked

themselves. The wild hunt pack consistsof 10 wild dogs (see below) and six wardogs (hp 11each, area 6 for completestatistics).Wild dogs. (10): IN'T semi; AL N; AC

7; MV 15; HD 1 + 1; THAOO 19; NKr 1;Dmg 1-4; 82 8; ML 6; XP 35; MM/57(Dog).

Twilly Winkleman, Master of theHunt: AL LN; AC 10; MV 12; C3; hp 10(14 ifcured of goblin fever); THACO 20;NAT1; Dmg by spell or weapon type;ML 18; spear. Spell: animal friendship.TwiUy has goblin fever and has

passed into a dangerous delirium where

the line between fantasy and reality isblurred. Twilly used animal friendshipand speak with animals spells to gather,control, and direct the dog pack. How-ever, in his deteriorating condition, hecan now cast only a single spell. Thedogs are ferociously protective of Twillyand, in turn, Twilly is protective of hisdogs. Any attack on the pack bringshim to their aid.Twilly scalped the old elk head that

once hung in the dining room of the

East Gate Inn and contrived a well-made, close-fitting headdress oftheantlers. He stole the spear and horn

from a shop, and gallops about starknaked. The snipers (area 8B) leave Twil-ly alone. They know he has no money,and he sometimes accidentally chasessomeone into their line of fire. Thesnipers find the naked man hystericallyfunny, so they yell and cheer as theMaster and his pack run past.If the PCs wish to talk to Twilly, they

must either subdue or kill the dogs (thisenrages Twilly, and the PCs may beforced to kill him as well). As the dogstravel in a close-knit pack, they may besubdued using ray of enfeeblement,sleep, scare, or web spells or the priest

spells animal friendship, invisibility toanimals, charm person or mammal, orspeak with animals. If the animals aresubdued, Twilly tries to rouse or freethe animals rather than attack the PCs.If the PCscan subdue or gain the

trust of the dogs, they may get nearenough to speak to Twilly, but unlessmagic is used, he won't answer anyquestions. He constantly runs this wayand that, blowing loudly on his horn,chasing after figments of his fevered

SD. The Hearth. The Hearth wanondenominational orphanage rungroup called the Sisters of the LighWhen the plague began sweepingthrough the city, the good sisters imdiately packed up the children andWaen Fawr for a safer haven some-where in the countryside. Soon afte

their departure, the 150' x BO'two-structure was gutted by fire.

A charred sign that reads "TheHearth" hangs by one corner fromthe wreck of a large building. Allthat is left are the walls of theground floor holding the collapsedcharred remains of the upper storSearching through the debris prouseless; you find only burned andunidentifiable junk. However, asclear away some of the soot, ash,debris, you notice the floor is of thearthenware tiles that have the s

look of exposure to great heat. Yofind nothing else ofinterest 01' us

Unless the PCs have spoken to TWinkleman (area BO), they may norealize that The Hearth has a cellaThe cellar and its contents were pred from the fire by the thick tile flthe PCs continue to search the debthere is a cumulative 10% chancePO per turn to find the small trapdthat opens onto the cellar stairs. T

42 Is su e No . .4 6



GOBLIN FEVE

Hearth's cellar is an 80' x 80' squarethat contains several trunks and chestsfull of children 's clothes, boxes of toys,and a few crates of cheap earthenwaredishes and eating utensils. If the PCssearch through the goods, there is a

cumulative 10% chance per PC per turnof finding the copper double boiler thatthey seek.Against the southernmost wall, cov-

ered by a sheet but in pristine condi-tion, sits a gnomish copper steam-drivenadjustable double boiler, which theorphanage used to boil fruit and vegeta-bles into mush for the babies to eat. Itlooks sort of like a whiskey still, withdials and steam vents and gnomishoddities of unknown purpose stickingout of the copper ball of the boiler. Themain boiler is about 31/2' in diameter;the gnomish tubing and other unrecog-nizable parts bring the dimensions toabout 41/2 ' wide. The device weighsabout 100 lbs. and cannot be disassem-bled without damaging it. Its shape isso odd that it won't fit conveniently inany sack, bag, or box. If the PCs searchthe cellar, they find hammers, nails,and boards that they can use to build aplatform on which two individuals cancarry the boiler. No matter how it ismoved, the boiler must always be turn-ed and maneuvered carefully throughdoorways. If attacked, those carryingthe boiler suffer - 4 to Dexterity and

- 2 to armor class.

9. Cult of the Phoenix Barricade,

As you approach, you see a barricadebuilt to be seriously defended. It'sconstructed of cobblestones pulled upfrom the street and large, heavy,oaken casks. There are no gates oropenings in the blockade; apparentlythe only way past is to climb over.Makeshift flagpoles at each end ofthe barricade fly crudely paintedflags depicting a bird rising from apile of ashes. The guards are plainlyvisible but neither hail nor chal-lenge. The walls near the barricadeare covered with graffiti. Largeslogans, apparently written with char-coal, cover the fronts of several build-ings. The big, black, block letters read"Long live Chauntecleer!" and "Weare the way!" There are other slogansproclaiming the rightness of "us" andthe wrongness of "them:' but littleexplanation of who is who.

The sergeant and 10warriors man-ning the barricade belong to the Cult ofthe Phoenix (see area 10 for details).They allow no one except members oftheir cult to pass. If the PCs approachthe barricade, the guards neither hailthem nor answer if hailed. Negotiationis impossible, because the guards refuseto speak to outsiders. They merelywatch and wait until an intruder eitherattacks or attempts to pass the bani-cade, then immediately open fire withtheir bows. The barricade provides goodcover; for missile attacks, treat thebarricade defenders as 75% hidden bycover (-7 to armor class).The warriors are all fierce fighters hut

not suicidal. It is possible for the PCs to

capture one or two for interrogation.The Cult of the Phoenix is not a secretsociety, therefore the PCs can learndetails about the cult from prisoners.One detail that the PCs might findinteresting is that anyone captured orsurrendering to the guards is bound andtaken as a prisoner to the Temple of thePools (area 10).Sergeant: AL NE; AC 3 (-4 under

cover); MV 9; F4; hp 22; THACO 17; HAT1; Dmg by weapon type; ML 14; XP 270;

banded mail, shield, long bow, longsword, dagger.Cult warrtors (10): AL any evil; AC

(1under cover); MV 12; F2 (x 5), F1(x 5);hp 14, 13, 12 (x 2), 11, 9, 8, 6, 4,THACO 19,20; HAT 1; Dmg by weapontype; ML 11; XP 65,35; leather armor,short bow, short sword, dagger.

10. Temple of the Pools,

Through the pervasive pall of smokeclinging to the city, you see a largetemple ahead. It has been thoroughlywhitewashed, and large tongues offlame have been painted in exuberantprofusion around the temple's columnsYou notice that people are staring atyou, and you occasionally overhear

remarks like, "They are not one withthe ash:' and "They bear no mark!"These comments are not particularlyhostile but certainly aren't friendly.

This was the 'Thmple of the Pools, aquiet, multi-denomination al structurededicated to no particular deity or align-ment. The temple served as a meetingplace for several of the city's congrega-tions but now serves only the Cult of the

DUNGEON 43



GO BLIN FEV ER

Pheenix, It is a clean, open, airy structurethat was neither built as a fortress norever intended to be defended.The temple is constructed of white

granite and gray marble. While the

craftsmanship is superb, the structurehas no elaborate decoration, statuary, orartwork. The ceilings are 10' high .throughout the temple ..The Cult of thePhoenix uses the temple as their head-qu.arters. It is the barracks, armory, andprison for the cult,and cloister for itsclerics.

The Cult of the Phoenix

Because the city's clerks have beenunable to control the plague, the diseasehas shaken the faith of many people,who believe they have been abandoned

by their deities. A strange cult sprangup to fill this sudden spiritual void ..TheCult of the Phoenix took root near thes?uth gate and is spreading through thecity.The cult believes that the world is

being punished by the gods and can hepurified of its offensive ways onlythrough fire. Thus, like the phoenix, anew and better world will be rebornfrom the ashes of the old. Cult followersare branded with a small bird symbol(usually on the forehead or forearm).The cult teaches that all other religionsand beliefs are false and should be de-

stroyed. Anything not "of theeult" istainted and blasphemous.The cult of the Phoenix is not particu-

larly well organized, nor is it a precisionmilitary machine. If the PCs raid thetemple, cult members defend their terri-tory in a hectic, hodge-podge fashiona,nd without a great deal of strategy, Ifthe PCs retreat, the cult is relentless inpursuit ..Any cult warriors or clerics leftalive (including those on the barricades)pur~ue with a "hit and run" strategyuntil the PCs are either killed, cap-tured, or reach the safety of a city mili-

~ia bar:r.~c~de(area 2 ). If the PCs escapeinto militia-controlled territory, the cultabandons pursuit and returns to thetemple.

lOA. The Pools. The temple is con-structed over an underground springwhose clean, fresh waters are channeledthrough the foundation into eight deep,clear, granite pools. Each pool is 75' i n .diameter and gradually descends to adepth of 10' at the center. The poolswere used as a source of fresh water by

the surrounding neighborhood, and thearea was a favorite lunching spot forlocal workers. That is now past; onlymembers of the cult are allowed nearthe pools.

Standing guard at each of the poolsare two cult warriors (Pl, hp 6 each,see area lOC for complete statistics).The guards shout an alarm ifthey seeanyone who doesn't bear a . cult mark(see the "City Encounter Table" forencounter distances). The alarm imme-diately brings 1-4 warriors from themeeting hall (area 10C) to investigate.If these warriors also begin shouting orthe sounds ofbsttle are heard, the re-mainder of the guards from area 10Carrives in 1 -4 rounds. Any alarm ornoise of battle that continues more thanfive rounds also summons the cult lead-

er, his bodyguards, and the clerics fromareas lOE-IOG in 1·4 more rounds.If the PCs can kill 01' subdue the pool

guards quietly before being seen, theycan approach the meeting hall withoutbeing detected, The guards cannot seeone another because they stand facingoutward at the edge of each pool, not onthe steps above.

lOB. The Veranda, The temple isopen on all sides and may be enteredfrom any direction, The entire structureis surrounded by shallow stone stepsleading up to a pillared veranda. Thepillars are slender granite columns used.to support the roof, and as a kind ofcalendar. The columns are aligned tomark several astronomical phenome-non; their shadows form intricate de-signs during the summer and wintersolstices and the autumnal and vernalequinoxes ..The cult has decorated thepillars with crude depictions of fire,

lOCoMeeting Hall. The followingencounter is best used after nightfall.During daylight hours, assume the areanear the temple is dark with smoke, .

and the torches and lamps of the meet-ing hall have been lit.

This huge hall is open on the eastand west sides, with a row of largepillars down the center: The hall isliterally ablaze with light. Ten torch-es, spluttering and fuming withbright yellow flame, burn in brackets~ingingeach of the columns. Hang.109 from the ceiling are small oil-lamp chandeliers that shed a steadybluish radiance. The cult has placed

several iron cooking braziers in thehall, and these cast a smoky orangelight.This mix of garish lighting make

the hall look festive, as if a carnivawere being held within. But the ligbetrays a more sinister aspect; warriors of the cult are billeted here.They lounge among the pillars andnear the cooking braziers on crudepallets of straW. A quick count re-veals more than two dozen cult-branded warriors ..Piles of wood arstacked near the braziers, and alarge pile of bricks and stones isheaped in the northwest corner ofhall.

The meeting hall is the barracks a

kitchen for most of the cult's warrierThis is also where the cult holds itsrituals and ceremonies. Here, prisonand sacrifices are tied to pillars andstoned to death (using rocks and brifrom the pile). If the PCs attack thehall, any guards standing watch atpools (area lOA) immediately join thbattle. The noise of battle alerts theleader and his henchmen (areasl0E-lOG), who arrive in 1-4 rounds.The warriors and clerics defend th

temple with zeal but are not suicidalovermatched, the cult members withdraw and make no further attacks u

the PCs attempt to leave the area ("The Cult of the Phoenix" for cult segy). If the PCs search, they find noing of value in this area.Cult warriors (25): AL any evil;

8.;MV 12; F2 ( x 10), Fl ( x 15); hp 1(x 10),6 (x 15); THACO 19,20; HATDmg by weapon type; ML 11; XP 65leather armor, short bow, short swodagger.

:100. Prayer Rooms. When the tple was used for its intended purposcleric and his followers could hold p

er meetings or religious instructionone of these large, airy rooms. Therooms are devoid of decorations andother distractions, and the doors hano locks, bolts, or bars.

IOE. Chauntecleer's Qua.rters.

cult leader, his bodyguards, and hisclerics have moved into rooms WE-from which the doors have been re-moved for use as sleeping benches.room is decorated with a variety of

44 Issu e N o. 4 6



G O BLIN FEV ER

flame and phoenix motifs. In the centerof each wall, the floor, and the ceiling, alarge phoenix dominates the mural.Chauntecleer can be found here 80% ofthe time. If he is not here, the PCs canfind him performing a ritual in the

meeting hall (area 10C).Chauntecleer: AL NE; AC 7; MV 9;

C7; hp 27; THACO 16; HA T 1; Drug byspell or weapon type; S 15, I 8, W 14, Ch15; ML 11; XP 1,400; padded armor,shield, war hammer + 1, ring offireresistance.Spells: cause light wounds (x 2), com-

mand, endure heat/cold, sanctuary; dustdevil, flame blade, resist fire/cold; protec-tion from fire, pyrotechnics;' giant insect.Ina Forgotten Realms adventure,

Chauntecleer is a cleric of the Elemen-tal Lord Kossuth (see pages 60·61 ofRunning the Realms in the

FORGOTTEN REALMS® CampaignSetting boxed set). In a WORLD OFGREYHAW K< !l a d ve n tu r e, he is a clericofPyremius (see page 64 of A Guide tothe World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting).Ifthese deities are not satisfactory, theDM is free to select another for thecult's leader to serve.A large black phoenix with red eyes

and yellow claws is tattooed on Chaunte-cleer's forehead. He dresses in red andyellow robes covered by a long ash-graycape. Inside a pocket ofthe cape, he car-ries a small pouch with the keys to thelock on the treasury door (area 10K) and

the chests therein. Another pocket holds asmall wooden box in which several holeshave been drilled, for the comfort of threesmall fire beetles within. If Chauntecleercasts his giant insect spell, he uses theseinsects as the target.Giant fire beetles (3): INT non; AL

N; AC 4; MV 12; HD 3; hp 17, 14, 10;THACO 17; H A T 1; Drug 2·8; SZ S; ML

12; XP 65; MMl18.Chauntecleer does not have goblin

fever; his motivations are purely per-sonal. As a young man, Chauntecleerwas clearing and burning brush on hisfather's farm when he stumbled over

the carcass of a deer infested with rotgrubs. The grubs immediately swarmedthe young man. In terror, he fled wildlyand accidentally ran headlong into oneof the bonfires he had made. Thoughbadly burned, the young man's life wassaved when the fire killed the rot grubs.His father found him a short time laterand tended his wounds, but Chaunte-cleer was close to death. Delirious, hewandered long in dreams of fire and

Temple of the Pools N

Area 10

*-square = 25'

A

A

• • •• • • • • ••••l B . .~••• ••

A • • • • A

••

ttB rn I BB

• H ••

H

••• • •• • • •• • •

A

A

flame but eventually recovered withamazingly few scars to show for hisordeal.He refused to see his salvation as a

mere accident and believed the fire hadsaved him deliberately. He felt "puri-fied" by the fire and, as it had savedhim, he determined to serve it. Therewas no dissuading him, so he left hisfather's farm and offered his service tothe god of fire.After his training as a cleric, Chaun-

tecleer wandered from city to city insearch of converts. He had walked thestreets of Waen Fawr for months, and

was becoming known as one of thetown's characters, when the plaguestruck. Chauntecleer took this calamityas a sign from his deity that "now was

the time and this was the place." Heintends to usher in the Reign of FU'eand Rule of Flame. Out of the ashes, hewants a new, purified world to rise likea phoenix.In truth, Cbauntecleer's deity has

nothing to do with the plague. TheReign of Fire and Rule of Flame arepart of the mythology of Chauntecleer'sreligion and are meant as allegory, notliteral fact. Unfortunately, his zeal for

DUNGEON 45



GO BLIN FEV ER

his religion and its mythology havebecome so intermingled in his mindthat he has become fanatical and unrea-sonable. He sees the present conflict asa holy war against unbelievers, a war inwhich he intends that only "those of theash" will rise as the phoenix, while allothers "perish in the soot."Until the plague, few people even

listened to the ragged cleric, let alonejoined his cult. Now, with their faith in

the old ways shaken, many people listenand join. The cult is growing at analarming rate. When approached byDanell, Zeeker OIm's assistant who waslooking for plague cure ingredients,Chauntecleer had the impertinent blas-phemer thrown into the Pit (area lOLl.Chaunted eel' does not want the fevercured. The longer the plague lasts, the

more people join his cult. (Fear anddesperation drive people into the cult,not any obvious benefits.)

lOF. Bodyguards' Post. This is asentry post for the Claws of the Phoe-nix, Chauntedeer's personal body-guards. There is little in the room otherthan food and water for the guards anda weapons cache containing five shortswords, five spears, and five hand axes.The guards sit outside the doorway

and move to intercept anyone approach.ing Chauntecleer's quarters. They allowno weapons to be carried into their

leader's quarters by anyone (not eventhe other cult clerics). The guards arefanatical in their protection; unlessChauntecleer orders otherwise theymove to put themselves between himand any possible danger.In all, there are 10 bodyguards work-

ing in teams of five, 12 hours on dutyand 12 off (off-duty bodyguards are inarea 10K). The bodyguards are easilyidentified by their shaved heads, and allare branded on both forearms and onthe forehead. IfChauntecleer is killedwhile any bodyguards still live, thesurvivors immediately attack his killer,

fighting for vengeance no matter whatthe odds.Bodyguards (5):AL NE; AC 3; MY 9;

F4; hp 22 each; THACO 17; f iAT 1;Dmgby weapon type; ML 20; XP 175; bandedmail, shield, long bow, long sword,dagger.

lOG, Clerics' QUarters. These roomsare huge, identical, bare, and empty ofeverything but a prayer rug and a smallbrazier for cooking. The door to each

room has been removed from its hingesand placed inside the room for use as asleeping bench. Each room is occupiedby a cult cleric. IfChauntedeer iskilled, the cult is in tumult until a newleader is chosen from among these cler-ics. There is a good deal of infightingamong them as each cleric attempts tobecome Chauntecleer's favorite. Be-cause of their jealousy of each otheronly one cleric occupies each of theseover-large rooms.Clerics (4):AL NE; AC 8; MV 9; C3;

hp 14 each; THACO 20; flAT 1; Dmg byspell or weapon type; ML 14; XP 120;padded armor, footman's mace. Spells:cause fear, protection from good; firetrap.

lOB. Storage Rooms. These large,

empty storage rooms were used by thevarious sects worshiping in the templeEach is identical, with a thick door heldshut by a stout bolt and lock. The wallsare lined with shelves, and each roomhas bins and large baskets for storage.If the PCs search, they find nothing ofinterest. The cult has long since reomoved anything of use or value fromthe rooms.

101. Armory. The floor of this room isstacked high with 150 homemade clubs,130 crude spears, and six. unlabeledboxes. There are few metal weapons and

no armor O r shields. With these crudeweapons, Chauntecleer intends to con-quer the city, If the PCs investigate,they find 16 short swords. The clubs areprimarily table legs, iron pipes, andboards; the spears are no more thansharpened sticks ..Five of the boxes,stolen from the militia, contain 30 well-made arrows each; the other box con-tains 15 daggers.If the PCs destroy the weapons, each

should receive a 200 XP bonus ..If thePCs use the weapons to arm the cult'sprisoners, see area 10L for details. If thePCs seize the weapons in order to sell

them, they find the clubs and spears areworthless, and the militia immediatelyclaims the arrows and daggers (with noreward), In a plague-afflicted city, thePCs should have larger concerns thanthe resale of seized booty, and the DMmay wish to impose a 100-XP greedpenalty on each PC attempting such asale.

10J. Religious Storage.

This room has a musty but pleasasmell. The walls are lined withshelves, and the center of the rooholds more shelves and a number

large baskets and bins. The roomfilled with a variety of objects andaccouterments needed in the rituaof the varying religions using thetemple. There are bells, small braziers, candles, chimes, incense anincense burners, whistles, and alarge number of objects whose naand uses you do not know. The biand baskets hold carefully foldedrobes, vestments, cassocks, and per rugs.

The top shelf in the northeast coholds several pens and inkwells. Nthese, wrapped in a white, ink-stainrag, is a stack of 30 sheets of papyrAs this is a communal storage areaby all, the PCs can find nothing ofvalue other than the papyrus. If thinvestigate the bins and baskets, tmay find two cult warriors (F2, heach, see area lOC for complete statics). These two were shirking theiduty and hid under the robes in asoon as they heard the PCs approacanyone reaches into the bin, the wriors immediately attack. Any PCtigating the bin is surprised on a r

1-7.

10K. Treasury. This door is lockwith a large, intricate, and cumberdevice that requires three keys toThe first key must be inserted anded to unlock a plate covering a seckeyhole ..The actual lock mechanismrequires two separate keys to unloinserted and turned one after thein the newly exposed keyhole.The lock may be picked by a thie

requires a triple attempt, the firsttempt to expose the inner keyholethe next two attempts to unlock th

lock. If the thief fails to expose thehole, no attempts to unlock the locbe made. If the thief fails to unlockfirst part of the double lock, the deremains locked and no further attecan be made.A knock spell exposes the inner

hole and unlocks the first part of tdouble lock only. However, two knospells cast consecutively open theForcing the lock destroys the inn

works and permanently fuses the

4 6 Issue N o. 4 6·



GO BLIN FEV ER

closed. If this happens, the door must he

forced open. The door can be hit auto-

matically, but is an iron-bound, heavy-

beamed creation that takes 40 hp

damage before opening Cedgedweapons

dohalf-damage). If the PCs pick thelocks or have acquired the keys (see

area 10E) and open the door (even

slightly), two small bells fall from their

perch above the door and clatter loudly

across the floor. If the PCs force thedoor, the two bells fall at the first blow

to the door.

This room is partitioned into alcoves

by great sheets of canvas. If it evercontained any shelving or bins, they

have been removed. The canvas

sheets are tied to l-ings driven into

the ceiling and floor. It is difficult tosee what is in any particular alcove

until it is entered. The room has a

lived-in look. On the floor,well-

gnawed hones mingle with apple

cores and moldy crusts of bread.

This room was used for religious in-

struction and partitioned to separate

the beginner classes from more expert

students. It is now the cult's treasury.When not on duty, Chauntecleer's body-

guards (see area 10F) are locked in the

treasury and act as its watchmen. The

bells triggered by the door act as their

wake-up call. If the bells fall, the guards

are ready and waiting. The penalty for

unauthorized entry (by anyone) into the

treasury is death. Chauntecleer told his

guards, "If a thief escapes, you die inhis place." Therefore, the guards fight

to the death and neither surrender nor

negotiate.

The farthest alcove contains three

large chests and many large sacks and

bags. The sacks and bags contain all

manner of gold and silver dinner serv-

ices, knives and forks, cups and saucers

donated by cult members, and many

precious objects looted from nearby

shops and homes. One small bag con-tains a wealth 0 .£ jewelry, mostly heir-looms donated by cult members. In all,the bagged gold, silver, and jewelry is

worth 10,000 gpo Chauntecleer intends

to melt down the precious objects and

thus purify them with fire. The gold and

silver can then be used by the cult.

The three locked chests contain coins,

gems, and magical items taken from

local shops or prisoners. The locks are

not complicated and may be picked with

the normal chance of success. The locks

may be forced open (each takes 10 hp

damage before opening; half damage

from edged weapons). Hammering a

chest open may damage its contents (se

below).

The first chest holds 3,000 gp in

mixed gold and silver coins. The second

chest contains 15 gold rings worth 20 g

each, two platinum rings worth 50 gp

each, a gold arm-band worth 100 gp,

and three ornate silver scroll tubes

worth 50 gp each. Two of the scroll

tubes aloeempty, but one contains a

scroll ofthree spells: cure light wounds,hold person, and cure disease ..The thirdchest contains the following magical

items: one potion of fire resistance, two

potions of healing, a ring of protection+1, and a wand of magic detection. Thethird chest also contains 25 vials of holy

water that the cult appropriated from

the other religious orders. If this chestis hammered open, one potion (DM's

choice) is ruined and 1-10 vials of holy

water are broken.

10L. Tbe Pit. This is the prison where

all who await death by ritual sacrifice

spend their last days. The cult rituals

DUNGEON 47



GO BLIN FEV .ER

do not demand sacrifices be in pristinecondition, therefore Chauntecleer or-dered all prisoners bound and placedhere. He views any who survive the Pitas worthy to be sacrificed. The door

opens outward and is not locked, but iswedged at the top and bottom. Thewedges are tightly driven in, making it

impossible to force the door open fromthe inside. If the PCs knock the wedgesfree and open the door, they are con-fronted with the following:

An unending moan washes over youlike the endless lamentation of thosecondemned to hell. The reek of hu-man suffering accompanies the sightof a mass of people bound hand andfoot. As the horrid scene becomesclearer, you realize that many of the

prisoners have died from lack offoodand water. The survivors wriggleabout as-best they can in their boundcondition.

The cult's prisoners are simply tied upand left in this room without food orwater. They are thus imprisoned untilthey die or are sacrificed.If the PCs examine the bodies, they

find 53 dead and 27 still alive, includingDanell, Zeeker Olm's assistant. He isweak but can walk and defend himself.Danell is a mage but currently has nospeUs memorized. The other prisoners

are a poor collection of peasants, shopowners, and other innocents capturedand imprisoned by the cult. Half can nolonger walk or defend themselves, andthe others are weak and unarmed.If the PCs free the prisoners but do

nothing else to help them, the cult soonrecaptures the unfortunates and placesthem back in the Pit. If the PCs freeand arm those prisoners able to fight(giving them weapons from the armory,area 101), the party receives the experi-ence points listed for each prisoner. Ifthe prisoners are freed, armed, and ledto a place of relative safety, the DMshould award the experience points andan additional 500·XP bonus for eachPC. However, circumstances and for-tunes of war may not permit suchactions. If the PCs can do no more thanfree the prisoners, they suffer no penal-ty. While it seems cold hearted, theparty must remember there is a plagueto deal with, and the disease takes morelives in a day than the cult takes in amonth.Danelle AL LG; AC 10; MV 12; M3;

hp 3 (8 if healed); THACO 20; HA T 1;

Dmg by spell or weapon type; ML 11;XP 65 (if rescued); no spells memorized.Prisoners (26): AL any; AC 10; MV

12; O-level human; hp 3; THACO 20;

HAT 1;Dmg by weapon type; ML 8; XP15.Statistics for movement (MV) and

attacks (#!J) apply only to the 13 pris-oners able to walk and defend them-selves.

10M. Tool Storage. This chamberholds mops, buckets, and other tools forcleaning and repairing the temple. Inthe northwest corner are two five-gallonkegs of lamp oil and a stack of 50 torch-es. The oil may be used for grenadelikemissiles, poured on the floor and setalight, or spilled to make footing treach-

erous (roll Dexterity or less on 1d20every step or fall for 0-1 hp damage). If

poured on the floor, one gallon of oilspreads into a thin film 25' in diameter.Oil spreads evenly on a flat surface, anda PC standing still while pouring is

surrounded by it. If set alight, the oilburns for approximately two minutesand does damage to anyone crossing itas listed on page 100 of the PH.

merit, weapons and armor, or magiitems the PCs lost or damaged ining combat the plague" In addition,Zeeker DIm immediately pays the1,000"gp reward for the return of h

assistant, DaneI!.After he has all the ingredients

barring any mishaps), Zeeker canthe plague cure in Id4 + 7 days. IfDanell has been rescued, the workbe completed in Id4 +2 days.If the goblin fever is conquered,

is still ample opportunity for advenin Waen Fawr, The city's walls andtowers must be retaken, and househouse fighting may be the only wasubdue some occupants and forciblgive them the cure. There are occaal snipers to rout, bandits to arresta great deal of cleaning up and reb

ing to do. The city leaders are gladhire the adventurers for as manythese jobs as the PCs wish.If the PCs have overthrown the

of the Phoenix, fanatical membersstill be abroad who are more thanpy to make life difficult for them.Chauntec1eer was not killed or captured, he seeks revenge on the PCthe first opportunity.The DM is free to expand the ad

ture and include other ingredientsthe plague cure for the PCs to findthe PCs fail to find a particular inent or cannot resolve one of the seencounters, there are other alchemstores, minor temples, and variousshops that may (or may not) holdneeded items. The DM can createnumber of adventures in which thtry to find needed substances for tgoblin fever cure. Other adventurepossibilities include roving bandslow-level undead wandering the chigher-level undead, dopplegangersand lycanthropes using Waen Fawtheir hunting ground or larder.

Concluding the Adventure

If the adventurers are completely un-successful in their attempts to find

ingredients for the plague remedy, theyreceive no reward from the city. Thisdoes not necessarily mean the end of thecity or the PCs, however. The DM mayuse the city militia, other adventurers,and ordinary citizens to help bring inthe items needed for the cure. In anycase, the outbreak of goblin fever even-tually runs its course and comes to anend after ld6 +6 months.If the PCs are unsuccessful in combat-

ing the plague, the DM may take theCult of the Phoenix in any direction hewishes. The fire cult can seize power,continue as a troublesome menace, or

fall to pieces as the fever decimates itsranks.When order is restored (TIM's option

as to how long this takes), the city paysa 1,000-gp reward for recovering thepowdered dragon's tooth from Jade'sAlchemical Shop, and another 1,000 gpfor finding the double boiler. The PCsreceive an additional 2,OOO-gprewardfor recovering the holy water and thesheets of papyrus from the Temple ofthe Pools. The city replaces any equip-

Tum AN ew L e a fF"r your free booklet,write: Tree City

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48 IssueNo. 46



DOVEDAL

Continued from page 21

3'-wide section in the middle of thebridge supports a well-worn sittingbench. The bridge is painted a fieryshade of red, with small painted water-flowers dotted all over its surface. De-spite its 'light construction, the bridge is

sturdy enough to support even an ogre,if one should attempt to cross. Thebridge's beauty is marred only by a fewgoblin chew-marks on the east side, anda number of half-hearted attempts atgraffiti, including, "Hah hah stupidfairy, we cot you:' and "This bridgetastes terrible."Unda built this bridge many years

ago, for three reasons. It's pretty, and itaids foot traffic in case anyone wants tocome see her. Unda's original theorywas that tbe bridge would also keep thegoblins from wading in the streamwhen they wanted to cross the river.Every time the goblins waded across theriver, it was a minor catastrophe, espe-cially when Stinkfoot crossed, becausehe never took a bath. The goblinsstirred up the mud at the bottom andfouled the water. The fish complained toUnda about the stench, and varioussensitive water-plants would just curlup and die. However, much to Unda'sdismay, the goblins wade across theriver anyway. They refuse to use thebridge because "It's an ugly little fairybridge for wimpy girlie-men,"

12. Spring Rock. This spring is theonly remaining water source for theDovedale River. Without the tinyspring, the Dovedale River would beutterly dry. The water from this springcomes out of a 6" -diameter hole on thetop of a roughly spherical 10'-diameterboulder. The resulting stream is g' wideand 6" ·8" deep, a mere trickle comparedto the normal flow of the Dovedale Riv-er. Above this point the riverbed con-tinues on, dry as a bone.IT the PCs have rescued Unda and try

to put her in this spring, she tells themthat this is the wrong place. Her spring

is much larger, and it is farther up thedale.The walls of the Dovedale are not as

steep here as they are in the rest of thedale. The walls are climbable, althoughthe muddy slope is still quite steep. Theascent takes about four turns. Anyonewith climbing skills can make the as-cent in half this time. Anyone whoclimbs the walls of the Dovedale iscoated in mud and slime by the time hereaches the top.

13. Undo's Spring. When the PCsreach this area, read or paraphrase thefollowing to the players:

You have reached what must be thesource of the Dovedale River, at least

in normal times. The high walls of thedale close about you, steep and gray.The walls surround a gOI-diameter poolshaded by tall willows and lithe ma-ples. The pool is evidently quite deep,but the water level has visiblydropped. You can see where waternormally flows out ofthe pool and intothe riverbed of the Dovedale River, butnow that channel is dry. Nestledamong the trees on the east side of thepool is a tiny two-story cottage ofwhitestucco, complete with a railed porchand a brick chimney. The cottage ap-pears to be built for someone who is no

more than 2' tall.

in minutes after Unda's return, waterbegins boiling down the dry channel othe Dovedale River. The river will berestored to its normal flow within hourafter Unda returns to the spring. Fiverounds after she returns to her pool,

Unda will be restored enough tojoinany combat between the PCs and thegoblins. Unda stays in the water andshoots the goblins with her speciallymade bow. She cannot cast spells untilshe has rested in her pool for at leasteight hours.After the PCs return Unda to her

pool, the river fairy urges them to stayby the pool for a day. At the end of thistime, Unda gives the PCs several magical berries as a reward for rescuing hefrom the wicked goblins. Unda cast hercure light wounds spell on the blackberry vines that grow near her home. Thespell caused Id6 + 1 blackberries tobecome magical. Each berry cures 1 hpwhen eaten. Unda cast the spell twice,so the PCs will get 2d6 +2 berries. Eacberry lasts one month, after which timit becomes nonmagical. Unda also giveeach PC a kiss on the forehead, instill-ing them with "the luck of the fairres,"Each PC gets a + 1 bonus on all savesfor the next month.If the PCs restore the Dovedale to its

normal healthy flow, the local farmersgive the PCs the 100-gp reward. TheDM should award a bonus of 150 XP t

each PC. ITthe PCs also get the goldenflyaway from Gravelbeak, thus ensur-ing Salvel's safety, the DM shouldaward an additionallOO-XP bonus toeach PC. If the POs discover Grabbo'simpersonation of Ben Cogs and manageto clear Ben's reputation, each PCshould get an additional 25 XP.This module provides hooks for sev-

eral further adventures. It is possibledevelop a running feud between the PCand the Dovedale goblin tribe. Will thegoblins attempt to retaliate against thPCs for rescuing Unda and thwartingtheir carefully laid scheme to capture

Salvel? Adventures could also be basedon the Three Stone Giants (Where wastheir lair? What happens if someoneturns them back into flesh?), the dan-gerous wolves in the Dalewold, and thesecret goblin tunnel leading into theInn-on-the-Peak's beer cellar.

The pool is indeed the source of theriver. Although the pool appears to besmall and shallow, it extends downmore han 200' through tortuouslywinding caves to a deep, pure under-ground aquifer. Unda has to performdaily maintenance on the spring or itbecomes choked and clogged, cutting offthe water supply.The house beside the pool is Unda's

home: too small for a human or an elf,although a very short and very slimhalfling might be able to squeeze in.The cottage is outfitted with everythingthat a well-to-do human might have inan expensive home. The furniture ismade from expensive woods, the platesand cups are made of fine bone china,the dwarven-made silverware is realsilver, the floor-harp in the corner isbeautifully made and well tuned, thedecorations are tasteful and subdued.The layout of the cottage is left to theDM's imagination.


When the PCs rescue Unda from

Gravelbeak's iron cage, she is too weakto walk or cast spells. Unda tells thePCs that they must return her to herpool, at the far end of the Dovedale(area 13), If the goblins are chasing thePCs, they continue the chase as the PCscarry Unda up the path to the pool. ThePCs can simply lower Unda into thewater once they reach the pool.Once Unda is in the pool, the surface

of the pool begins to bubble and froth.The water level quickly rises, and with-

DUNGEON 49



TH IRON ORB

OF THE

DUERGARBY PETER ABERG

The Northmen and theirallies play hardball.

Artwork by Mark Nelson

Peter writes: "The cold darkness ofArctic North provides the backdropthis adventure. During those long wmonths, many strange and wondroustories are told around the fireplaceswhere friends and family gather towarm. This is one such story."

"The Iron Orb of the Duergar" is anAD&IJ® adventure for a group of 6- 8player characters of levels 11-15 (abo100 total levels, or at least 70 levelsgroup is cautious and well equipped)group should be well balanced, withleast two sturdy fighters, both of whoshould be armed with +3 or better wons. A dwarf or gnome could prove bcial to the group.This module can be played as a s

alone adventure or as part of a serieadventures set in the Arctic North.

used in the FORGOTI'EN REALMSsetting, it can easily be adapted to

ther Icewind Dale or Damara. In thGREYHAWK® world, it could beginthe Archbarony of Ratnik.

Adventure Background

"Flee! The Northmen are coming!Flee for your lives!" Ithad been netwo centuries since these cries of awere heard in the cities and townsthe southern kingdoms. Then lastmer, an old scourge suddenly returnfrom across the North Sea, a scourgthat had been all but forgotten, rembered only in old chronicles as a daperiod of suffering and chaos.Throughout the summer months,

wave after wave of barbaric marauddescended on the region, preying ocities and towns, leaving only corpand ruin behind. By the time the rfinally ceased with the onset of autstorms, innumerable villages lay inashes, entire towns stood abandonedand once-proud cities were thoroughsacked. Thousands of innocent peopwere killed or taken away as slavesThe nightmare of long ago had re-

turned. The fierce, plundering warrfrom the North were back.The people of the southern kingdom

now pray for someone who can delivthem from the wrath of the Northmesomeone who can prevent further rawhen summer returns. Generous rewhave been offered for anyone capableaccomplishing this task, but few arebrave enough-or foolhardy enough-tconfront the Northmen in their homland ..

50 Issue N o. 4 6



THE IR ON O RB O F THE DUER GAR

For the DU NGEO N MASTER '·

The Northmen (also known as Norse-men or Vikings) are a semi-barbaricwarrior people renowned for their mas-tery of arms and combat, and for theirstrong emphasis on pride and personal

bravery. They are described in "Theorthmen" sidebar on page 52.The calamity that has befallen thesouthern kingdoms has its roots in anominous event that occurred just over ayear ago in the land of the Northmen.At that time, a remarkable object wasunearthed in a mine new' the city ofTaUborg. The Northmen uncovered a

perfect orb made of black iron, no morethan a foot in diameter, without mark-ings or other surface features of anykind, The orb was buried inthe rubbleofan ancient underground complex oflong-forgotten origin.

The Northmen didn't know that theorb was the iron orb of the duergar (seesidebar), a powerful artifact created inancient times by the evil dwarven raceknown as the duergar, archenemies ofthe common dwarves. The orb has pow-erful magical abilities as well as anintelligence of its own.When the iron orb was brought to

Thllborg to be placed in the city's templeas a trophy, it revealed its true nature.As Ulvmard, high priest of Odin andchieftain of the Northmen, grasped theorb to place it on the altar, it suddenlylevitated out of his bands and assumed

a position floating in mid-air just abovehis head. From that day on, Ulvmardwas changed.The orb bestowed its abilities on Ulv-

ma rd , providing him with powers he hadpreviously only dreamed ofwielding. Herapidly became dependent on the orb's

powers and the flattering praise it contin-uously offered. Soon he couldn't do any-thing without consulting the orb.

The orb's advice soon turned intoscreamed commands. More and more theorb took the initiative, locking Ulvmardin a mental battle ofwills over who con-trolled his actions. The orb began using

the high priest to further its own goals-goals that encompassed the destruction ofthe dwarven race and the restoration ofduergar power in the region.

Treachery of the Dwarves

The dwarves have long been friends andallies of the Northmen, and the two peo-ples exchange both knowledge and goods.

The I ron O rb

The iron orb of the duel'gar is a powerfulaLiifact created ages ago bythe higbpriests of the duergar in cooperation withthe illithids (mind flayars), It is said thatthe orb was created by trapping the spiritof a beholder in a black, seamless sphere ofiron, nomore than L' in diameter. Whetherthis is true or not, the orb posseseea Jl1.anyofthe PQW61-S normally attributed to be-holders, as well as a malevolent, superiorintelligence,

The iron orb was originally constructedto act as the brain ofa mighty warrior ofiron, also created by the duergar, Thiswarrior was a gigantic variant ofan irongoIem,with a golem's strengths and immu-nities but, due to the orb, also possessingintelligence and considerable magicalabilities. The duergar used the i ron war-rior to bring them many victories in their

ancient wars against the dwarves,'\¥hen the dwarves, under the leader-ship ofDurin Ironfoot, finally defeatedthe duergar at a great battle intheNorth, the iron warrior was destl'oyed-and so, it was thought. was the iron orb.No one had seen the orb in centuries,until it turned up in the hands oftbeNodhmen.When IlQt part of an iron warrior, the

orb can bestow its power on anyone itchooses as a temporary host, until a newwarrior 'Canbe built. The orb can chooseonly IIcreature that actively tries tocommuni.cate with it or invoke its powerswhile in physical contact. Once it finds a

host, the orb levitates to a position abovethe host's head, thereby establishing amental link with its host,At first, the orb is friendly and useful,

giving goodad.vice and putting itspowers at the host's disposal. Soon,how-ever, it attempts to take control ofitshost's actions. Simultaneously, the orb

affects the host's mind and creates apsychological dependency. The host iseventually reduced to a tool under thecomplete control ofthe orb, unless hepossesses exceptional mental powers(high-Wisdom and Charisma). If the hosthas the mental power to resist, the orb

and its host become locked in. a constant

struggle ofwills, neither infull eontrelall the time.The iron orb was created to battle the

dwarves, and it singleroindedly pursuesthis goal in any way it can. If its host hasthe power to build a new iron warrior,the orb will insist that this gets done, nomatter wbat the cost. Once the warrier iscompleted, the orb abandons its tempe-rary host for this new body; the orb's last

command to its formet host is to place itinto the head ofthe iron warrior.The orb's hosl:is capable ofremoving the

orb at any time. However, if the host hasbeen in pessession ofthe orb for any lengthoftime, the craving for it is too strong toresist for more than a fewminutes,Others can remove the orb from the

host only under certain eircumatanees. Ifthe host loses consciousness (ordinarysleep is not enough), the orb falls to theground. A . dwarf, gnome, or duergar canovercome the orb's magical attachmentby physicaUy grabbing it (20%chanceper attempt, one attempt per round) andforcefully removing it from the host.

Orb Powers

The orb is lawful-evil and has the f o l l ow-ing powers, all of which it can bestow on

its host,Duergar powers: in-visibility at will;

enlarge/reduce (20th Isvel); +4 on allsaving throws vs, spells; immunity toparalysis, poison, all illusioniphantasmspells, and all other mind-affectingspe1ls.Beholder powers: anti-magic ray ina

90· arc in front oC the host (HO-yardrange); charm person, charm monster,

sleep telekinesis (250 Ibs.), flesh to sten«

(30-yro:d range), disintegrate (20·yardrange), fear (as wand), slow, cause serious

tuounds (50-yard range), death ray (40-

yard range). The anti-magic:: ray and anyone ofthe 10 other powers can functioneach round. Normal saving throws areallowed.Special powers: In addition to th e

duergar and beholder powers, the orb

grants 30% magic resistance, It can actas a crystal ball up to three times pel'nay. The results oftbe scrying are pro-jected into the mind. of the host, The orbcan cast a sending spell six times per dayand teleport without error up to fivetimes per day. Once a week, the orb Clm

open a temporary portal to the realm ofthe Undsrdark, home of the drow elves,illithids, and many other creatures. Theportal stays allen for 12 hours, until the

orb chooses to close it, or until 20 crea-tures have passed through it (in eitherdirection), whichever comes first,There is no known method ofdestroyingthe iron orb. Supposedly, it survived beingthrown into molten lava by Durin lronfoot.The dwarves are said to have devised somescheme to destroy the orb involving smash-ing jt against the anvil of the gods , anooitifact rumored to b e in their possession,but nothing is known for sure,

DUNGEON 51



TH E.IR O N O R B O F THE. DU E.R GAR

Until recently, they worked together tocontrol the various creatures that infestthe mountains and mines of the region.Under the dark influence of the orb,

Ulvmard soon began talking about thegreat treachery of the dwarves, how

they had killed miners to keep theNorthmen away from the best sectionsof the mountains. Several mutilatedbodies were produced to support hisclaims. He called for the Northmen to

shake off the yoke of slavery to thedwarves and become their own masters.The dwarves had no right to determinewhere the Northmen could mine.

The Northmen

The Northmen differ greatly in termsof both appearanoes and customs fromthe peoples of the southern kingdoml;i.

In g,eneral, they are taller and strong-er,and they tend·to bave long blond or

red hair, .and blue eyes.Foremost among the Nortbmen's

personality traits are bravery andferociousness in combat. Their rigoroustraining and strong physiques enablethem to witJistand woundS that wouldincapacitate or kill a normal man. Ingame terms, Northmen above zerolevel can withstand wounds until theyreach - 5 hp before collapsing (theoptional "hovering on deeth's door"rules from the DMG, page 75~,arerecemmeaded), Dying in combat is agreat honor for .any Northman since hethereby gains immediate entry to

Valhalla.The Northmen are devoutly reli-

gious. Odin is their primary god, butThor is by far the most popular one(due to his warrior appeal).The N orthman tongue is quite differ.

ent from Common:and is understand-able only to those who have received.s~cific training in the language. Veryfew Northmen speak Common.The Northmen are skilled at metal-

lurgy, and they are expert weapon-

smitbs, The excellent steel theymanufacture is almost legendary forita unsurpassed strength and quality.It is made thl'ough an ancient andsecret process from iron are mined inthe towering mQuntains of the North.Weapons manufaetured from thissteel are highly prized and soughtafter. The DM may choosete giveanonmagical + 1 bonus to attack rollsfor Northman weapons.

Ulvmard's position as high priest of Odinpermitted him to claim he was acting onOdin's behalf, and that the orb was a giftfrom Odin to him and his people. For thisreason alone, mos t of his subjects obeyedhim. Those who refused to follow the high

priest's bidding were enslaved and forcedto work in the mines. The Northmenfought many small initial. skirmishes withthe baffled dwarves. At the outset, theNorthmen won most of these; the dwarvespreferred to retreat rather than fight theirformer friends. Later, the skirmishes be-came more fierce as the Nortbmen madeinroads into dwarven territory.Since the dwarves vastly outnumber

the Northmen, it was impossible forUlvmard to consider initiating an out-right war against them. Instead, underthe influence of the orb once more, hecalled on his people to help him create acolossal iron warrior to lead the fightagainst the dwarves. When summercame, Ulvmard ordered raiding partiesto pillage the southern kingdoms toacquire the necessary goods and moneyto build the iron warrior, and more .importantly, slaves to work the mines inorder to extract the vast quantities ofiron ore that would be needed.

is still covered by a thinning layersnow. The weather is cold.and oveThe DM should introduce the scenby reading or paraphrasing the foing to the players:

Over the last few days of travel athe southern coast of the North Syou've seen increasingly frequentsigns of the dreadful calamity thastruck this region last year, beforesnows ofwinter covered the grounYou've passed through numerousdoned villages of burned-out housthei.r inhabitants now dead or amthe hundreds of people living in sid huts and shacks amidst the ruiplundered castles and mansions tdot the countryside.Those you've talked to have sp

of the Northrnen, and how they

across the North Sea last summeplunder and destroy. Everyone sto have a friend or relative whoeither killed or carried away intcertain slavery. A sense of feardesperation hangs in the air, forthe end of winter approaching,newed raids by the Northmen mnot be far off. .

The Present Situation

When the adventure begins, six monthshave passed since the first raids againstthe southern kingdoms. The situation in

the North is very tense. The Northmenhave pushed the dwarves as far as theycan without initiating a full-scale wanDeep inside one of the Northmen mines,amid the ruins ofan ancient duergarfortress, the iron warrior is nearing com-pletion. When it is ready, Ulvmard willlaunch his attack against the dwarves,and the war will begin in earnest.

The Adventure Begins

If the PCs are sufficiently well known,they might learn of the calamity thathas struck the southern kingdoms when

local rulers petition them to provideassistance. If the PCs control land inthe area, they might even have feudalobligations to do something about theNorthmen and their raids.When the adventure begins, the PCs

are approaching the port city of Oisra.According to rumors, Cisra was com-pletely ravaged during the raids and isnow desperately in need of help. See the"City ofCisra" section below.Spring is approaching, but the ground

Through speaking with locals,PCscan learn the information dein the "Adventure Background,"

City of Cisra

As you approach the city of Cisrthe destruction gets even worse.a village or building is left standThe countryside seems completedeserted.At the ruined southern city g

the situation is chaotic. Hordesbeggars and others who have loeverything confront you as youyour way through the gates, plefor whatever scraps of food andyou can spare.Inthe city, dislocated peasants a

other homeless people crowd the sand the many abandoned, burned-buildings. visible everywhere.

Cisra was looted several timespartially burned in last summer'sby the Northmen. Despite this, eone in the surrounding countrysidseems to have sought refuge in othe city in anticipation of reneweNorthman raids when spring arriFood is scarce, and already diseas

5 2 Issue No. 46



spreading too rapidly for the priests ofthe city to keep up.The PCs will be approached by hun-

gry, desperate people every step of theirway through the city. Some beg fo~foodor money; others have wounds or 1 1 1 -

nesses that need attention; still otbersdemand that the PCs do something toprevent further raids by the Northmen.Many rumors are circulating through.out the city, almost an of them concern-ing the Northmen and their plans ...ThePCs can hear one or two of these rumorswhenever they meet an NPC:-The Northmen have a new chieftain

who has rekindled his people's martialspirit. (False)-Ulvrnal"d,.the Northrnen's chieftain,

has been driven insane. (False).....:Thereare Northmen in Tallborg,

their capital city, who are actively re-

sisting their chieftain's rule. They needhelp to overthrow him. (True)-The Northmen are selling the slaves

they capture to some hostile countrynearby. (False)-The Northmen are forging vast

quantities of weapons to use in a large-scale war against the south. (False)-War has broken out between the

Northmen and the dwarves of the north.(True, soon)-A few merchants are still trading

with the Northmen, secretly supplyingthem with vital goods..(True)-The Northmen have sent spies to

the city, to infiltrate the defenses.(False, but see below)'lb continue the adventure, the PCs

must pursue the rumor about the exist-ence of a Northmen resistance. If theydon't, the resistance should make con-tact with them; assume that the PCs'reputations are enough to bring themthe offer below.If the heroes pursue the rumor, they

eventually find the person who startedit an old sailor by the name of 'Thros.Vhth suitable encouragement (such as afew gold coins), 'Thros will tell the PCs

about a man who came to Cisra a monthago looking for a group of adventurersto undertake an assignment of somesort. Taros met the man, who told himabout the existence of a group ofNorthmen opposed to their chieftain.Three days later, the man suddenlydisappeared. Taros knows nothing moreabout the man or what happened tohim. (The man was killed by soldierswho believed he was a Northman spy.)According to 'Ioros, contacting the re-

sistance involves going to a place calledVIC'sTavern in 'Iallborg and telling theowner you want to speak with Ragnar,Toros: AL CG; AC 10; MV 12; Fl; hp

5; THACO 20; fiAT 1; Dmg by weapontype; ML 12; hand axe, dagger.

Heading North

Finding passage on a ship going northwill be difficult and very expensive.Ordinary merchant vessels no longersail across the North Sea. Rumor has it,though, that a few of the more daringmerchant captains are earning a for-tune by making runs to the North withgoods that the Northmen are willing topay handsomely for. Their .cargoes a~esaid to consist of tools, various chemi-cals, and even large quantities of fineclay and sand. (Ulvmard needs all of

these items to build the iron warrion)Cisra is often the last port of call forthese ships before they head off acrossthe North Sea.Since it would not be wise for theunscrupulous captains of these vesselsto let it become common knowledge thatthey are dealing with the Northmen,the PCs will need to muster whateverskills they have at establishing contactsto find a captain willing to give thempassage. The price per person should b.esomewhere around 500 gpo For an addi-tional fee (which the DM should deter-mine), the captain might be willing to

provide the PCs with suitable clothingso they can enter Tallborg posing asNorthmen. The captain will want anextra 50% for dwarven passengers,because of the extra risk involved.(Dwarves are not very popular in'Iallborg right now.)The 60-mile journey due north across

the North Sea takes roughly 2"3 days,depending on the winds (assume thePCs are traveling in a knarr, the mostcommon cargo ship in the region). TheDM may decide that the adventurerswill have to face bad weather, sea mon-sters, or pirates during the voyage, but

these meetings should not be allowed tooverly weaken the PCs before theyarrive in Tallborg.TaUborg is not located directly on the

coast. It lies along the Gothia River, sev-eral miles upstream. If the PCs decide notto accompany the ship into ThHborg's .harbor, the captain drops them off a mileor so downstream from the city.

CIty ofTallborg

'Iallborg is a small city of woodensingle-story buildings, encircled by a30'-high stone wall with watchtowers aregular intervals. The city rests on thewestern shore of the Gotbia River. Aharbor rambles outside the city walls,along the river. Refer to t~e Tallb~rg,Area map for an overview of the city ssurroundings.Three gates lead into TaUborg: one b

the harbor and two more at the mainroads entering the city. Fow· guardsstand watch at each gate, with fourmore standing by in the gate towers.(The guards live in the towers.)The watchtowers along the city wall a

spaced approximately 50' apart. Eachtower is manned by a single guard.City guards: AL CG; AC 4; MV 9; F

hp 13 each; THACO 19; IIAT 1; Dmg byweapon typej :M L 14; banded mail.Iong

sword, dagger, short bow, 20 arrows,alarm horn.Whenever a guard sounds his alarm

horn, 2-4 guards from nearby postsarrive to investigate in two rounds.

Entering the City

Officially, the Northmen do not requirea toll to enter TaUborg, but the PCs mafind that a few gold pieces help makepassing through the gates much easierand quicker; with no questions asked.Anyone arriving at a city gale dress~

as a southerner or speaking Common I

arrested immediately. The pes mayconvince the guards to "reconsider thearrest by payinR a hefty bribe (at least100 gp per guard). If the PCs successfully bribe the guards, they are givenNorthman clothing as part of the deal.If the PCsenter the city harbor by

ship, read the following description.

Darkness is falling when your shipreaches Tallborg and enters the har-bor. The weather is clear but cold. Athick layer of snow covers the groundoutside the tall city walls. A fewother ships of smaller size are tied upin the harbor, but things are other-wise fairly quiet. There are very fewpeople around.

Foreign ships are not unusual inThUborg's harbor. The crews of suchships are officially not permitted to .enter the city, but enforcement o f' thisrule is sporadic at best, as long as thoswishingto enter adopt Northman dress

DUNGEON 53



THE IR ON O R B O F THE DUER GAR

and appearances, and know how muchto bribe the guards. The ship's captaincan tell the PCs how to do this; 2·3 gp

per guard is enough.If the PCs decide to enter the city in

some other fashion, such as by scalingthe city walls, flying in, or enteringwhile invisible, the DM must determinetheir chances of doing so unnoticed. Ifthe PCs are discovered, they may be infor a fight with the city guards (4·6guards initially, with more arriving if aguard sounds an alarm horn).At the time the PCs arrive in

TaUborg, Ulvmard is holding an unan-nounced rally in front of the temple atthe center of the city. This is happeningregardless of whether the PCs choose to

enter the city immediately or wait awhile outside. The rally is attractingquite a crowd. Soon after passingthrough the gates, the PCs hear shoutsand cheers from the city center.Northmen in the city are all dressed

in thick, heavy clothing made of animalhides and furs. Almost all the men havefull beards. Many bave a dirty, dishev-eled look. (These are miners temporari-ly in the city to enjoy themselves or topurchase supplies.)

Finding the way toWs tavern (seepage 55) is easy if the PCs ask for direc-tions (and have a few gold coins to spare).

Ulfs is a well-knownestablishment, thebest place to meet people and relax over ajug of ale. The tavern is located right nextto the temple square, at the center ofthecity, where Ulvmard is speaking.

The Temple

The largest and most beautiful buildingin 'Iallborg is the tall wooden templededicated to all the Northmen gods.Standing at the center of the city, thetemple is a finely crafted structuremade of long wooden staves, their loftypoints reaching up toward the heavens.

The temple facade is decorated withelaborate carvings and other fine pat-terns and designs,Inside, large wooden figures repre-

senting the Northmen gods standaround a stone altar, Foremost amongthem is the one-eyed figure of Odin.When the PCs arrive in the city, Ulv-

mard (see area 37 of "The Mine" forstatistics) is giving a speech in front ofthe temple. Ulvmard is a tall, slim manin his early fifties. He is dressed in afme black robe trimmed with white fur.

His face is narrow with chiseled fetures, and his left eye is covered byblack patch. Numerous wrinkles inface show that he once must havelaughed a lot.He is not laughing now, however,

he whips up hatred against the dwby revealing their latest plots andcrimes. As he speaks, a black, featuless orb, no more than I' in diametefloats a short distance above his hemoving as he does.A contingent of U1vmard's elite p

sonal guards stands around the higpriest, keeping the crowd at a distaElite warriors (10):AL CN; AC

MV 9; F5; hp 39 (x 2), 36, 30, 29,2725,22,20,; THACO 16; HAT1 (3/2

long sword); Dmg by weapon type;D 15; ML 17; XP 175; long sword (

cialized), dagger, chain mail, shieldThe PCs will hear the followingo f Ulvmard's speech (given in theNorthman tongue) even if they onlpass by the temple square quickly.

"Listen! Can you hear them? Woing, Working, night and day. Endlessly they toil in the depths of thearth to bring about our destructioSleepless. Tireless. More like machines than living creatures."They are not human. They do

have pride and honor. They aredwarves, by Odin1 Treacherous.

Scheming. Always trying to expatheir power and influence. Alwayseeking new ways to fool us andus of our wealth."But we will not let them rule u

We are Northmen, by Thor! And liThor's hammer, we will strike to cthe measly dwarves. Our mighty iwarrior will soon be ready to breakback of the dwarven kingdom andtread on its corpse in victory."So it shall be, by all the gods, u

less someone can stop me. I mean-None can stop us of course, By Odin

For an instant the crowd seemsly confused by Ulvmard's last statements (a result of the continuousconflict of wills between Ulvmardthe orb), but soon people begin cheenthusiastically, Ulvmard's guardschant "Crush the dwarves! Crushdwarves!" while banging their weagainst their shields.Ulvmard disappears into the tem

immediately after his speech. Oncinside the temple, he teleports to th

54 Iss ue N o, 4 6



THE IR O N O R B O F THE D UER GA

mine to oversee the completion of theiron warrior. Tfthe PCs attack Ulvmardduring his speech, he flees in the samemanner, leaving his guards to take careofthe fighting.

Ulf's Tavern

Ulf's tavern is a large, two-story struc-ture located by the temple square. Asthe PCs approach the building, they canhear singing and laughing coming frominside. A sign hanging above the doorshows a jug brimming with ale.Inside, the tavern is packed with

Northmen miners enjoying their timeoff in the city, The ale flows freely asthe boisterous crowd engages in tests ofstrength (like arm wrestling) and dex-terity (such as throwing knives againsttargets across the room), No one takes

any notice oftbe PCs when they enter.There is no place to sit, only standingroom by the bar.Ulf, the owner, is serving at the bar

together with his wife, Ingrid. Ulf has akeen eye and will recognize the PCs assoutherners even if they are wearingdisguises. (Subtle clues such as bodylanguage and the expressions the ad-venturers use are difficult to hide with-out powerful magic.) VIf is also a closefriend ofRagnar, the man whom thePCs are looking for.W: AL CG; AC 10; MY 12; F2;hp 13;

THACO 19; tiM 1; Dmg by weapon

type; ML 13; club, knife.Ingrid: AL CG; AC 10; MV 12; F1; hp

7; . THACO 20; H A T 1 ; Dmg by weapontype; ML 14; throwing axe.If the PCs approach Ulf and ask for

Ragnar, he laughs loudly and asks:

"And which Ragnar might that be,my friends? It's a common name, youknow. There must be at least half adozen men here this evening namedRagnar. Take a look around to see ifyou recognize the man you're lookingfor. I'm sure he'll come by eventually,if he's not here now. Meanwhile,

what can Iget you to drink?"

Without telling the PCs, VIf sends aservant to his friend Ragnar's house toget him to come to the tavern.If the PCs choose not to say anything

to Ulf about looking for Ragnar, Ulfserves them their drinks and secretlysends for Ragnar anyway, since heknows Ragnar is expecting a group ofadventurers from the south.A few minutes later, a tall, muscular

man in his early thirties appears at thedoor. He has a typical Northman beard,although it is unusually well trimmedand neat. His long blond hair reachesdown to his broad shoulders.Ulf motions for the man (who, of course,

is Ragnar) to come up to the bar. He dis-cretely nods toward the PCs while talkingto him. Ragnar walks over to the partyand addresses one of the PC fighters (inthe Northman tongue):

"By Thor! It's you, Ingmarl I haven'tseen you in a long time. Are theseyour friends? We must share an aleand talk about old times together."

Ulvmard's House

High priest Ulvmard and his daughterAnja (see "Ragnar's House") live in atwo-story building next to the temple.Since Ulvmard spends nearly all his

time in the mine where the iron warriois being constructed, Anja is the onlyperson normally found in the house (in

addition to servants and two guards).When the PCs arrive in the city, how-ever, Anja has secretly gone to Ragnar'house in order to avoid meeting VIv-mard and being forced to attend hisspeech at the temple square.

Ragnar: AL CG; AC 5; MV 9; R6; hp49; THACQ 15; HAT1 (3/2 with battleaxe); Dmg by weapon type; S 18/27 (+ 11+ 3), D 15, C 16; I 11, W 14, Ch 15; ML

14; chain mail, battle axe (specialized),long sword, spear, dagger, short bow, 20flight arrows, potion of healing.Ragnar is a commanding figure: tall

and powerfully built, with a strong,deep voice to match his appearance. Inthe city, he tends to keep a low profile,avoiding undue attention to himself.Outdoors, in the wild, he is in his ele-ment. There he assumes an aura ofconfidence and determination that isotherwise hidden.If Ragnar could have things his way

(that is, ifUlvmard were not around), hewould be living far from the city togetherwith Anja, his betrothed (see "Ragnar'sHouse"). Instead, because ofhis strongfeelings about what Ulvmard is trying todo to the dwarves, he has reluctantlybecome the leader of a small, secret groupofNorthmen opposed to Ulvmard's rule.His role as resistance leader is compli-cated by the fact that Anja happens to beUlvmard's daughter.Ragnar asks the PCs where they are

from and what they are doing in'Iallborg, He thinks they might be theadventurers from the south he has beenexpecting, but he will be very careful

about saying anything concerning theresistance until he is convinced they arenot working for Ulvmard.Ifhis initial impression of the PCs is

favorable, Ragnar asks them to accom-pany him to his house in the city, wherethey can speak more freely.If the PCs fail to convince Ragnar of

their good intentions, he leaves, makingexcuses that he is expected at home. If thePCs follow him home, he is on his guard,ready to defend himself (and Anja).

Ragnar's House

Ragnar lives in a small wooden housenear the harbor gate, next to severallarge stone buildings that serve as warehouses. On the inside, his simple dwellinconsists of a single 30' x 25' room.As the group approaches his house,

Ragnar coughs loudly, pretending tohave a hit of a cold, in order to alertAnja, who is waiting inside.

As you enter Ragnar's house, you seea beautiful young woman standingby a large stone fireplace. Her hair igolden blond, and her eyes are clearblue. A finely ornamented light bluecape is draped over her shoulders,and she has several gold bracelets onher wrists. She is wearing a necklaceof thin engraved gold disks. A daggerin a finely crafted sheath hangs froma belt around her waist.The woman looks intently at you as

you file into the room. Her eyes seemto flash in the light from the fire asher gaze slowly goes from person toperson,

Ragnar asks the PCs to remain quieand still until Anja is ready to greetthem. (He does not explain what she idoing.)Anja (priestess of Sit): AL CG; AC 7

MV 12; C5; hp 21; THACO 18; #Kr 1;

Dmg by spell or weapon type; S 11, D17, C 13, I 12, W 15, Ch 16; ML 14;dagger +3. Spells: bless, detect magic,command, protection from evil,sanctu-ary; heat metal, hold person, know aligment ( x 2, one has been cast); prayer.Anja is a priestess of Sif, the goddess

of excellence and skill, who looks afteryoung, promising warriors. Anja isquite proficient at arms herself, (Shecan use any blade weapon.)As a priestess of Sif, Anja can be a

DUNGEON 55



Anja retreats to the rear of the houtrying to stay out of sight. One of thewarriors spots her, however, and yellname. He seems surprised to see herAnja remains inactive for the duratiothe battle unless Ragnar is seriouslythreatened, in which case she casts aperson. spell on his opponents.If the PCs are defeated, Anja orde

the warriors (using a charm spell,necessary) to let her make sure theare dead. Infact, she does what sheto restore wounded PCs, focusing hefforts on saving any priests in thegroup. When questioned about theing-foreigners, she pretends ignoranthat the PCs are enemies of UlvmarIf the PCs win, Anja steps forward

again after the battle. If Ragnar habeen wounded, she tends to him fir

while revealing her true identity.

THE IR O N O R B O F THE D UER GAR

demanding person, quick to point outothers' faults and to give advice on howthey should improve. She may seemcold and haughty at first, but this soonchanges once she gets to know the PCs.Anja is Ulvmard's only child, and the

only person for whom he still feels anyaffection. She loves her father in return,but she is ashamed of what he has be-come. She is convinced that, if only theiron. orb could be taken away from him,he would soon become his old self again.Anja loves Ragnar, whom she hopes tomarry once all this is over.Anja cast a know alignment spell

shortly before the PCs came in. (Shewas alerted by Ragnar's cough.) Shewill be frustrated if she is unable todetect any of the PCs' alignments andwill make another attempt later, prefer-

ably with the PCs' permission.When Anja is done, Ragnar introducesher as his wife (not true, yet). He does notmention that she is Ulvmard's daughter.Anja explains her strange behavior whenthe PCs first entered the house:

"Please excuse my rude behaviorwhen you came in. I felt it necessaryto cast a spell to see if you were tell-ing the truth about who you are. Youare very late. We had expected youmuch earlier."

Anja is referring to the time that haspassed since the messenger was sentsouth with a request for assistance.Once this confusion has been sorted

out (or if the PCs play along), she tellsthe PCs about the iron orb and whathas happened to 'Ulvmard (as detailedin"For the Dungeon Master"). Ragnartells them about the iron warrior Ulv-mard is building to use against thedwarves (as described in "Treachery ofthe Dwarves").Anja continues:

"Since coming under the influence ofthe orb, high priest Ulvmard hasbecome an evil, mean-spirited man,completely unlike his old self. But Ican tell you this: the orb is corrupt-ing him against his will."Alas, he is powerless to resist it.

On a few occasions I have seen himremove the orb from its positionabove his head. He can be without itfor a While, but it never takes longbefore the craving for it becomes toostrong to withstand and he puts itback. No one else can remove the

orb, for there is a magical link be-tween him and the orb as long as heremains conscious. Normal sleepdoes not seem to affect the link, but Ibelieve magically induced sleep, or

unconsciousness, could."

"Yes, one or the men recognized mam not Ragnar's wife, at least noyet. I am Ulvmard's daughter."You must all flee Tallborg imm

ately. My father must already knoof ow' plan, and he knows you arehere now as wen. The ceremonytomorrow will undoubtedly be caceled. He will not present us withanother opportunity to get at thebefore the iron warrior is complet"OW' only hope is for you to fin

him in the mine. Ragnar will shoyou the way. There are others, besides the dwarves and a few of usNorthmen, who oppose Ulvmard.may meet them on your way. Dolet your prejudices get in the wayaccepting their help."Youmust leave quickly now, be

more men come and a general alarsounded. May Sif guide your way."Oh, but one more thing. When

you find my father, please take othe orb, not his life as well."

The resistance has devised a plan tosteal the orb from Ulvmard the next day,when he arrives at the temple to p€rforma ceremony. They did not have time toorganize an attempt to take it during thespeech he gave this evening. Anja ex·plains that this plan involves castingcommand spells on Ulvmard during theceremony, to render him unconscious. ThePCs, along with other resistance memobel'S,must keep Ulvmard's personalguards busy until a spell succeeds andRagnar can take the orb.

It should be obvious to the PCs thatthe plan is not well thought out and isprobably very dangerous. For one thing,Anja has no idea what the exact powersof the orb are. She has seen Ulvmarduse it to become invisible once, and sheknows he can use it to magically travel(teleport), but she does not know whatmore it is capable of. She is open tosuggestions for alternative plans by thePCs, however.Before discussion on details of the

plan, or alternative plans, goes on fortoo long, the following event occurs.Unfortunately for Anja, the orb is

functioning as a scrying device (amongits many other uses). Ulvmard has re-cently come to suspect that Anja may beplotting against him, and has beenkeeping an eye on her. His love for herhas enabled him to resist the orb's com-mands to kill her-so far. Alarmed atseeing Anja talking to the PCs, Ulv-mard sent his men to Ragnar's house toeliminate the foreigners.

Anja will not go into any further dabout who the "others" she mentions

out offear that Ulvrnard might sombe listening. (She is beginning to reathe extent of his powers.) Ragnar seeslightly surprised at her mention ofers who oppose Ulvmard, (He does nknow who they are.)If the PCs are concerned about An

safety, she assures them she will beShe says Ulvmard has fallen far, bufar enough to consider harming her,Ragnar still seems worried for A

sake, but he quickly proceeds to gi

56 Issue N o. 4 6

Suddenly the door to the house iskicked open, and several warriorspour into the room with their weap-ons drawn, yelling, "Kill the for-eigners, by Thor!"

The PCs will automatically be sur-prised unless they posted guards outsideRagnar's house.These eight elite warriors (hp 35

(x 2), 33, 32, 30, 31, 28, 24; see "TheThmple" for complete statistics) are partof Ulvrnar d's personal guard. They focustheir attacks on the PCs, ignoringRagnar as much as possible.




each PC a pair of skis and a staff from arack on one wall. After giving Anja akiss and a lengthy hug, he quickly de-parts, urging the PCs to hurry along.(They need not put on their skis untilthey have left the city.)

Ragnar suggests they all try scalingthe wall near his house instead of head-ing for the nearest gate. Alarm hornscan already be heard from that direc-tion. (Extra guards are being, summonedto the city gates-12 more at each gate.)An alternative approach is to climb up aguard tower along the wall and knockout the guard there. From the guardtower, it is an easy matter to lower arope down the other side of the wall.

TheMountains

Once outside Tallborg, Ragnar has ev-

eryone put on their skis. This requires askiing proficiency check (see sidebar) foreach PC. He leads the PCs along themain trail (area A) to the mines in themountains north of the city, Darknesshas fallen, and the air is getting verycold. Fortunately, the sky is clear andthe moon is almost half full, providingenough light to see.Ragnar is taking the PCs to a secrettunnel that lies not far from the city. Thetunnel leads through the mountains andexits close to the entrance to the mine(area H). Besides being a shortcut to themine,the tunnel is also large enough to

allow the group to spend the night (inorder to rest and regain spells),

A _ Mine Trail. The first portion of thetrail is well traveled, with ruts that showthe passage of large carts and sleighs.Since it is late no one else is in sight.

B. Fork. After an hour of skiing(roughly 2 miles) Ragnar turns off themine trail onto a smaller trail thattravels west and climbs upward (requir-

ing another skiing proficiency check).

C. Snow Spiders.

You've been skiing west for nearlythree hours, since leaving the maintrail to the mines, when Ragnarabruptly turns north, heading up asteep slope toward a sheer cliff faceseveral hundred Y81'dsaway.Suddenly the air is filled wi th

flying powder as snow-covered rockssprout 1egs and shoot toward you,Ragnar yells, "Snow spiders!"

Snow spiders (11): INT animal; ALN; AC 2; MV 18; HD 3 +3; hp 18 (X4),16, 15 (x 2), 14 (x 2), 13, 11; THACO 17;

H.AT1;Dmg 1·8; SA bite causes paraly-SlS unless save vs. poison, - 6 on vic-tims' surprise rolls due to camouflage

and jump attack; SD iinmune to cold; SZM; ML 9; XP 650j new monster.Snow spiders thrive in arctic climates.

Their metabolisms generate enough inter-nal heat to enable them to survive thecold. They are most closely related to themore common huge spider. Like suchspiders, they prefer to hide and wait fortheir prey, leaping up to 30' through theair to attack They can run on to p of thesnow at their full movement rate.The spiders attempt to drag fallen

skiers to their nest (area E). Two spidersare required to carry each fallen PCwhich reduces their movement rate to 9.

D. Cliff Face. A narrow opening isbarely visible in the sheer cliff facesome 300' straight up. A thin ledge runsalong the cliff about halfway up to thecave. Ragnar suggests he climb up first,and then help the PCs up using ropes.The cliff surface counts as "rough withledges" and "slightly slippery" for thepurpose of climbing it (+ 15% modifierto base chance, rate is 1 1 2 ; see the Play-er's Handbook, pages 122-123).When two PCs have reached the ledge

where Ragnar is standing, anothersnow spider (hp 12) peeks out from thecave entrance above and scurries downto attack them. Ragnar cannot defendhimself if he is busy helping a third PCclimb up.

E. Tunnel Entrance. Only youngsnow spiders remain in the tunnel.Anyone entering the tunnel is greetedby several of these smaller, harmless~piders (unless a [ire ball, for instance,IS used to first clear it out).The tunnel stretches nearly two miles

through a high mountain, exiting onthe other side at area G. The tunnel is15' wide along its length and slopes~pw81'd steeply, rising some 3,000' dur-mg its course.The floor of the tunnel is littered with

the bones of small animals (mostly snowhares), The tunnel interior is cold, and afreezing wind blows through from the fro:end. Ragnar suggests that the heroesproceed rnward to find a more comfortableplace to set up camp for the night.

F. Skeletons. Pieces of two humanoidskeletons lie spread out among therubbish at this spot. One skeleton ishuman, the other is dwarven. Both haveiron manacles locked around their legbones. They were slaves who managed

to escape from the mines a few months~go, but had the misfortune of runningmto the snow spiders.

Skiing Proficiency

Skiing proficiency is based on Dex-terity, with a modifierof +3, Profi-cient skiers can travel acrosssnow-covered terrain quickly; normalmovement Fate on relatively levelterrain is 15. Speeds of up to two oreven three times that Tate can be,reaqheo skiing downhill, dependingon the steepness of the slope,

Adventurers must make proficiencychecks when they attempt particularlydifficult feats, such as racing at highspeeds down slopes jumping overchasms, or other fa ;ncy skiing. Profi-ciency checks we also required whenengaging incombat (see be low) ,

Characters without skiing: profi-ciency may still try to ski. Proficien-cy checks 81-emade againstunmodified Dexterity scores, h ow -ever and 81'erequired mare QfteD..Aninitial check is required just to standon the skis. Once the character startsmoving, another check is required, If

a check fails, the person falls andmust start over by finding his pal-ance again. Once someone has gottenthe hang of it (succeeded with bothchecks), no further checks are re o

quired for level movement. Addition-al checks must be made to skidownhill, come to a stop, turn, climba steep slope, etc. Movement rates forinexperienced skiers are equal totheir normal movement rate on fooe(12 01' lowed, which is still betterthan walking through deep snow atone-third to one-half normal move-ment rate.

Engaging inmelee while on skisrequires a successful proficiencycheck each round to avoid falling,unless the skier stands absolutelystill (negating any Dexterity bonusesto armor class). Attack rolls for char-actars without skiing preficiencysuffer a -1enalty. and armor classis one step worse (but never worsethanAC 10), .

DUNGEON 57



, ,


Tallborg and Vicinity

AreasA-H

, _ ._

___ Limit of vision from area H.

. Contour lines indicate 500' changes

in elevation.

This area offers some protection fromthe cold wind blowing through the tunnel.Once the PCs exit the tunnel on the otherside, there is no place for them to safely

rest before they reach Ulvrnard's mine.Ragnar has no intention of accompa-

nying the PCs into the mine. He says hemust go back to TaUborg to see that noharm comes to Anja. He will stay withthe PCs as long as they remain in thetunnel, however.

downward. Ragnar says the mineentrance lies to the north, partiallyobscured by two sharp peaks rising

in that direction.

G. Tunnel Exit.

'Ibrches light the area around the mineentrance (area H) at night. The entranceis too far away for the PCs to see anydetails without using spells or magicaldevices. ITsuch means are used to en-hance vision, the PCs see huge lumberingshapes occasionally move infront ofthetorches. Ragnar thinks they might begiants. The scene is otherwise quiet.In daylight, the PCs can see move-

Beyond the exit from the tunnel liesa very steep, snow-covered slope

ment at the mine entrance, but it isimpossible to tell what kind of creatare there or what they are doing.ITthe PCs magically enhance thei

vision, read aloud the following:

You can Bee four frost giants sittingin a circle infront of the mine en-trance, enjoying some food as theywatch a steady stream of humanscoming and going. Several ofthehumans appear to be chained to sthat they haul to and from the mi

The line drawn on the 'Iallborg Amap roughly indicates the limit ofsion from the mine entrance. Personsouth ofthe line are hidden from thview of anyone at the entrance.The slope down to the level of the

mine entails a drop of roughly 3 00

The first part of the slope is very stapproaching 30° . Below that sectionthe slope slowly levels off. Plenty ohalf- hidden rocks dot the slope, andmany small, sudden drops could eathrow an inexperienced skier off baance. Skiing down the slope duringnight is nearly impossible.Each PC must make an initial sk

proficiency check when setting outdown the slope. Further checks arerequired when the PC tries to turn,stop, or undertake any other actionPC who falls while skiing down the

steep mountainside will tumble dowthe slope until coming to a stop agaa boulder or falling into a crack inrock and ice. A tumble causes 2-12damage.When the first PCs have begun s

down tbe mountain, six winter wolrun out onto the slope below and rutoward them to attack. The wolf pabelongs to the frost giants at the mentrance (see area H),Winter wolves (6): !NT average;

NE; AC 5; MV 18; HD 6; hp 49,3127,20,19; THACO 15; N AT 1; DmgSA frost breath once every 10 round

causes 6-24 hp damage to target w10'; SD immune to cold; SZ L; MLXP 975; MM/362. Pire-based attackcause an additional +1 per die of dage. The wolves can run unhinderedthe densely packed snow of the slop

H. Mine Entrance. A steady streof slaves dragging heavily laden slenters the mine, and another line oslaves pulls empty sleds in the oppdirection. Northmen miners enter

58 Issue N o. 4 6




exit occasionally.The frost giants guarding the en-

trance have been alerted and know thatintruders may try to enter the mine. Ifthe PCs approach the entrance head onand in plain view, the giants wait untilthey come within 200 yards and thenbeg i n throwing boulders at the party.Ifthe PCs use some other tactic to ap-proach the entrance, such as inuisibility(although invisible people still leavetracks in the snow), they may get muchcloserbefore being discovered. Unless thePCs somehow disguise themselves asslaves or miners (or are invisible), theywill definitely be noticed and attackedwhen they arrive at the entrance.Three rounds into a battle betweenthe giants and the PCs, the giants' lastwinter wolf (hp 23) emerges from itslair (area 1 of the mine) to join the fight.Frost giants (5);INT low-average; AL

CE; AC 0; M Y 12; HD 14; hp 67, 66, 64,63,54; THACO 7; #Kr 1; Dmg 2d8+9(giant battle axe); SA hurl rocks up to200 yards for 2·20 hp damage; SD im-mune to cold; SZ H; ML 14; XP 7,000;MMl140. The giants can readily walk,and even run, through the snow.Stenkross is the leader of the frostgiants. The giants have agreed to serveas guardians of the mine entrance inexchange for 5,000 gp o

If the PCs are defeated (or surrender),the giants bind them up and haul theminto their cavern (area 1) in hopes of latercollecting a bounty from Ulvmard. Slavesare permitted to tend to the PCs' wounds(in case Ulvmard wants to talk to them).One or two ofthe slaves will help the PCsin whatever way they can (by discretelydigging through their backpacks to findhealing potions, for instance).If the frost giants are defeated, several

slaves approach the PCs, begging to befreed so they can return home. Most ofthe slaves come from the southern king-doms. A few are Northmen, though noneofthese can speak Common.The sleds that the slaves are hauling

into the mine are laden with iron in-gots. The slaves unload the sleds in area4 (at the end of the entrance passage)and drag the empty sleds back to pickup more iron at a nearby foundry. Theydo not know what happens to the ironthey unload, except that other slaveshaul it farther into the mine.Several Northmen miners, obvious by

their lack of leg manacles and theirbetter clothing and tools, also stand atthe entrance to the mine, getting some

fresh air. Although not slaves, the min-ers are forced to work without compen-sation (except for food). They cannotspeak Common.If a charismatic PC reminds the min-

ers how badly they have been treatedunder Ulvmard (working long hourswithout pay, in constant fear of sayingwhat they truly feel about the insanewar against the dwarves), some minersmight be swayed to side with the PCs.The miners can tell the PCs about the

deeper level of the mine ("The Ruins"),where strange ruins were discovered ayear ago. The iron orb that Ulvmardnow possesses was found buried amongthe rubble of these ruins (see area 9).None of the miners know anythingabout the mine beyond area 9.Neither the slaves nor the miners at

the entrance knows anything about theiron warrior or about Ulvmard's where-abouts. They have never seen the highpriest inthe mine.Slaves: AL any; AC 10; MV 12; O·

level humans; hp 3; THACO 20; fiAT 1;

Dmg by weapon type; ML 5; unarmed.Miners: AL any; AC 10; M Y 12; Odev e l

humans; hp 6; THACO 20; f iAT 1; Dmg byweapon type; ML 9; pick, dagger.

The Mine

All mine tunnels are 5'-10' wide and 8'high, making it difficult for the giantsguarding the entrance to go beyond

area 1. Some tunnels slope gently down-ward, as indicated by arrows on themap; each arrow represents a 20'-dropin height. Unless otherwise noted in thetext, the slopes are difficult to detectexcept by dwarves, gnomes, and othercharacters with similar abilities.Ulvmard is well aware of the PCs'

arrival in the Thllborg area (as proven bythe attack on Ragnar's home). Althoughhe doubts they pose a serious threatagainst him and his plans (or rather, theorb's plans), he has taken the precautionof alerting all the guards and duergarthat the PCs may appear soon. The

guards' orders are to kill or capture thePCs at any cost and by any means neces-sary. Ulvmard makes a successful scryingattempt on the PCs soon after they enterthe mine, and alerts the guards. The PCshave normal chances of detecting hisserying (see page 165 in the DungeonMaster's Guide).

Guards and Slaves

The mine is a busy, dusty, noisy place.

Many slaves and miners work in thetunnels and passages, hacking out ironore and hauling it down to the nextlevel. Possible events are listed in the"Random Encounters" sidebar, A checkis required once every 2-3 rounds if thePCs are standing still, otherwise when-ever the PCs approach a fork in thetunnel. The POs might detect the noiseor light of an encounter before theyreach the actual location. Unless other-wise noted in the text, all mine tunnelsare dark.The mine guards are familiar with

areas 1·15 of the mine. They are diffi-cult to sway to the PCs' cause, but notimpossible if the POs make a convincingargument (including, perhaps, a show ofstrength).Guards: AL ON; AC 4; MV 9; F3; hp

17 each unless otherwise noted; THACO18; NAT1; Dmg by weapon type; ML 11;

XP 120; splint mail, battle axe, dagger,alarm horn.The sound of an alarm horn or major

battle attracts 2·4 guards, who arrive toinvestigate in 1-2 rounds.Most slaves, being from the southern

kingdoms, have no difficulty communi-cating with the PCs, although theymight initially be hesitant to do so untilthey are certain of the POs' good inten-tions. When they realize the PCs havecome to free them, they are ecstatic. Afew slaves turn on their former guardswith their picks, or even bare hands, totake revenge for past mistreatment.Others offer to follow the PCs fartherinto the mine to help them in whateverway they can. Still others fall on theirknees and cry, thanking the PCs overand over again.A few slaves speak the language of

the Northmen (all slaves know at leasta few words of the language, enough tounderstand commands) inaddition toCommon, and can act as translators forthe PCs if necessary. Northman slavesknow little or no Common.The slaves have no knowledge of the

mine beyond area 13.

The Dl'OW Elves

Soon after the PCs enter the mine, theyare spotted by a scouting party of drawelves (see area 7) who are lurking in themine.The draw are worried about Ulv-

mard's plans. They are not too keen onhaving a major war break out at themoment, or on seeing the regional

DUNGEON 59



THE IR O N O R B O F THE DU ER GAR

Random Encounters(Ro1l2d6)

2. Whipping: A slave screams ashe is whipped by a guard. Another

guard stands nearby holding a torch.The slave WM trying to (choose one):find food (such as fungus or a rat),escape, hide from guards in order toavoid work.3. Slave group: A group of 5-10

slaves carrying picks is being led byone guard carrying a torch.4. Group of miners: 10 (nonslave)

Northmen miners at work.5. Rats.: A pack of rats is swarming

over a piece of refuse lying on thefloor. They ignore the PCs (brieflymoving out of t he way ifnecessary).6. Slave miners: Farther down the

tunnel, a large group of 11-20 slaves ishacking away at the rock with picks.They are supervised by 1-3 guardsstanding nearby. 'lbrches set in holdersin the tunnel wall provide light.7. No encounter.8. Slave work gang: Four slavesare heading for area 13, carryinglarge sacks of iron ore on their backs.A fifth slave carries a torch in frontof the others.9. Dead guard patrol: Two guards

lie on the tunnel floor. One has beencut down by a sword from behind. Ablack crossbow bolt pretrudes from

the other's neck. The bolt is a drawelf bolt, clipped in sleeping poison.The guards were killed by drow elvessecretly providing assistance to thePCs,.-see area 7 of "The Mine!'10. Slaves with cart: Three slaves

aJ'9 pulling a cart laden with (chooseone depending on location): barrels ofwater, ore, iron ingots ..One of themcarries a torch.11.Mysterious shadow: One of

the PCs sees a shadowy figure mov -ing in the mine tunnel ahead (orbehind). Itis gone before the otherPCs can be alerted. The PC actually

glimpsed one of the drow elves lurk-ing inthe mine tunnels (see area 7).

12. Unsafe tunnel: The frantic paceofmining over recent months hasforced the Northmen to cut corners irI.terms ofsafety. From 1-31arge stoneblocks suddenly draw from th e ceilingof the tunnel. Each block causes 2-20hp damage to anyone standing be-neath unless a Dexterity check issuccessful. A dwarf or gnome might beable to detect this danger. .

balance of power upset. They have beenplaying a delicate game of balance anddeception: keeping Ulvmard thinkinghe has their support against thedwarves, while supplying information

on Ulvmard's plans, and progress on theconstruction of the iron warrior, to thedwarves (and to Anja).The drow know the iron warrior is

nearing completion. The group pres-ently in the mine was sent out to pre-vent this from happening. They are ledby a draw priestess named Remy, whomet with Anja once at a secret meetingarranged by the dwarves. Infact, Anjawas referring to the drow elves whenshe mentioned that "others" might beable to assist the PCs.Remy and her group sneaked into the

mine during the night, a few hours

before the PCs entered. Since then, theyhave been mapping this level's majortunnels and caverns, trying to find thechamber where the iron warrior is be-ing built. They have also scouted outthe strength of the guard force and thelocation of other defenses (such Mmon-sters and traps) in the mine.Initially, the draw remain hidden from

the PCs, observing them and seeing toit that any guards they encounter donot have a chance to sound the alarm(see area 4) . The PCs eventually en-counter the drow at area 7.

Flickering torches sit in holders atregular intervals along the lengththis passage. Ahead, a group ofslaves struggles to haul an emptysled over the uneven stone floor.

L Frost Giant Lair.

Five large beds of hides and pinebranches rise 6' above the floor ofthischamber. Beside each bed sits a large,filthy sack bulging with bulky con-

tents. Immediately to the right of tbeentrance is a smaller bed of branches.

The slaves are not part of the workliving in the mine (they never go farththan area 4). They react as described i"Guards and Slaves;' page 59.

4. Central Cavern.

The passage opens up into a largecavern illuminated by dozens oftorces along the walls. At the far end ofthe chamber, three slaves are loadiniron ingots from a 1OO'geile on thefloor onto a wooden cart, under thewatchful supervision ofthree guard

Two more guards stand to either sidof the entrance you came through.The ringing clangor of miners at

work deeper in the mountain echothrough the many tunnels leadinginto this chamber.

The sacks contain throwing rocks anda few personal odds and ends belongingto the giants, including coins totallingto 5,000 gp, 117 sp, and 2,788 cp.The sixth bed is where the seven winter

wolves sleep. Matted clumps of white hail'

can be found among the branches.

2. Storage Room. This chambercontains sacks of torches. These torchesare used to light area 3 and many otherareas of the mine.

3. Main Passage. The passage slopesnoticeably downward, descending 40'before it reaches area 4.

lithe PCs are dressed as Northmenthe guards ask who they are and wtheir errand is in the mine. If the Pfail to provide a satisfactory answerare easily identifiable as non-Northmen), four of the guards (hp

18,16,15, 10) immediately attack wthe filth attempts to blow an alarmhorn. All the slaves duck for cover.Miraculously, the guard holding t

alarm horn falls to the ground befohas a chance to sound the alert. Hebeen struck by a poisoned crossbowcourtesy of the draw in the northwestunnel. If the PCs inspect the guardunconscious body, they can find thesmall black holt.When all is quiet again the slaves

reappear from their hiding places. Thare one of several groups running thesame route, hauling iron ingots fromcavern to the ore transporter room (a

13). They can describe the transporterthere but have no idea where it leadsThe slaves have no idea who shot

guard wi.th the alarm horn. Theythought the PCs did it.

5. Pool of Water.

Barrels line the edge of a pool ofwater in this chamber. A slave isbusy using a bucket to fill a barrelwith water ft-om the pool as anothe

6 0 Issu e N o. 4 6



TH E IR O N O R B O F THE D UER GA

slave struggles to load a full barrelonto a small cart. A third slave holdsa torch so that the others can see.

The water in the pool is clear and cool.

It is used as drinking water by the slaves,miners, and guards throughout the mine.

6.Main Slave Cavern. The PCs hearagitated voices mixed with occasionalcoughs and moans as they approach thiscavern.

A heavy stench fills the ail' in thisvery large, dimly lit cavern. Much ofthe floor is covered with slaves lyingon simple beds of straw. Most appearasleep. Many look sick and worn out,and a few are coughing badly. Fourguards play cards around a table inthe east end of the chamber: Two ofthem seem to be engaged in a heatedargument over the last hand dealt.Foul' more guards sit on their bunksnearby, watching the brawl.A large fire burns ina fireplace

dug out of the wall near the guards.Smoke from the fire rises to the ca-vern ceiling, where it escapesthrough cracks in the rock. A largecauldron hangs over the fire, withsomething boiling inside it. Next tothe fireplace are several barrels and

a large pile of firewood.Several tunnels lead out of the

cavern, one of them barred by aheavy iron gate. A young man sits onthe floor behind the bars, his face inhis hands as if he were very til' e d, orCloying.

The guards (hp 27, 25 (x 3), 22, 20,11, 8) immediately attack any obviousintruders. If the PCs are disguised asNorthmen, the guards ask them whatthey want. If the PCs cannot provide agood answer, the guards attack andattempt to sound the alarm. See area Hfor slave statistics,The drow observe the PCs from the

passage leading to area 7. providingassistance by silencing guards withcrossbow bolts from the shadows if need-ed. If the PCs pursue the drow, the darkelves quickly retreat to area 7.There are bunks here for an addition-

al 16 guards, who are currently on dutyin the mine. A small chest beside eachbunk holds personal belongings andother items such as food, a few smallweapons (daggers, hand axes, etc.), andsmall amounts of coins. Altogether

The MineAreas 1-8

Down ~()

ar-ea 9

1square= 20'

3 I

N

-*there are 42 gp, 410 SP . and 322 cp.The slaves work in I6·hour shifts

during each 24·hour period. Ulvmard is

kind enough to allow each shift sevenhours of sleep and another hour to eatand rest, so at any time there are 60-70slaves in the cavern (out of the totalpopulation ofroughly 200).The cauldron in the fireplace holds

gruel, the only food the slaves are givento eat. The gruel is actually quite nour-ishing, but bland. The barrels containthe mixture used to make the gruel.Among the stacks of firewood are alsoseveral sacks containing torches.

The barred northwest tunnel leads tothe dwelling of a neo-otyugh, This runneis used as a garbage dump. Anders, the

young man sitting behind the bare, triedto steal a weapon from one of the guardsHis punishment for this crime is death-as soon as the neo-otyugh discovers himOne of the guards currently playing carcarries the key to the gate.Anders knows the way down to the

transporter in area 13. He has seen thduergar fortress once, VelOY briefly, froarea 14. He describes what he saw as"an immense fortress sitting on a cliffin a giant cavern filled with fire." He

DUNGEON 61




will be very grateful if the PCs save hislife and will eagerly accompany andhelp them.Most of the slaves are from the south-

ern kingdoms (see "Guards and

Slaves"). Some have wounds or diseasesthey beg the PCs to cure.Neo-otyugh: INT average; AL N; AC

0; MV 6; HD 11; hp 52; THACO 9; HAT3; Dmg 2-12/2-12/1-3; SA grab, disease;SD never surprised; SZ L; ML 17; XP4,000; MM1283.Anders: AL NG; AC 10; MV 12; O·

level human; hp 3; THACO 20; HAT1;Dmg by weapon type; ML 10; unarmed.

7. Ambushed Guards.

Two guards lie face down on the floorat this fork in the mine tunnels. Both

have black crossbow bolts protrudingfrom their backs. An extinguishedtorch lies nearby, still smoldering.Suddenly you glimpse something

moving in the shadowy darkness of themine tunnels. A dark figure steps intoview from the northeast tunnel. Itis afemale drow elf clad in black mesharmor and wearing a black, featurelesscloak. Simultaneously, several maledrow warriors appear behind the fe-male [in the west or southeast tunnel,depending on the PCs' location]. Therealso seems to be some movement inthe tunnel behind you.

The female drow shows her emptyhands and nods her head in greeting.

The two draw behind Remy (the fe -male) and the three visible in the othertunnel have short swords in hand. Athird drow remains hidden behind Re-my. with crossbow in hand. Two morelurk in the shadows of the mine tunnelbehind the PCs, ready to use their cross-bows if necessary.If the PCs attack the draw, Remy yells,

"Fools!" and brings up darkness aroundherself. The drow then attempt to escapeinto the mine tunnels, slipping off in

different directions. If they succeed, theylater follow the PCs at a safe distanceuntil they find Ulvmard (see area 37,"Sequence of Events;' for their actions atthat point). If the drow fail to escape (orbecome locked in battle with the PCslater) they fight fiercely, using theirspells and abilities to inflict maximumdamage on the PCs while preventingthem from striking back. The draw usedarkness. leoitaie, suggestion, command,poisoned crossbow bolts, etc.

Remy (drew elf priestess): AL CE; AC-4; MV 12; F7/C8; hp 43; THACO 14;HAT3/2; Dmg by spell or weapon type;SA dancing lights, faerie {ire, darkness,leoitaie, know alignment, detect magic,

clairuoyance, detect lie, suggestion, dis-pel magic (each once per day); SD + 2 onall saving throws vs. spells, surprisedonly on a 1 on IdlO; S 16, D 18, C 15, I15, W 17, Ch 15; MR 66%; ML 15; XP7,000i MM1112-1l3; short sword +2,drow chain mail +2, draw shield +2,

draw crossbow (see below), draw cloak of

eluenkind, draw boots of eloenhind.Spells: command (x 2), detect good,

endure heat, darkness, charm person ormammal, find traps, hold person (x 2 ),know alignment, dispel magic, prayer;protection. from fire (previously cast),remove paralysis, cause serious wounds,

free action.Elf, drow (8):]NT 14; AL CE; AC 0;

MV 12i F4; hp 29, 28 (X2), 27,26,25,21,19; THAca 17; IIKr 1; Dmg by weapontype; SA dancing lights, faerie fire, dark-ness (each once per day); SD +2 on allsaving throws vs. spells, surprised only ona 1 on ldlO; S 15, D 16; :M R 58%; :ML 14;XP 1,400; MMl1l2-113; short sword + 1,draw chain mail +1, draw shield +1,draw crossbow (1-3 hp plus sleep poison.- 4 on save), droui cloak of eloenhind;

draw boots of eloenkind.If the PCs refrain from attacking the

draw, Remy speaks in accented Com-

mon, which she hopes the PCs can un-derstand:

"Since you are much slower andnoisier than we are, it would be impractical for you to attempt to mowith us through the mine. Insteadpropose we each pursue our commgoal in our own way, assisting eacother when needed. You may notus again until we find Ulvmard, bbe certain of this: When you confrUlvmard and the iron orb, you wibe glad to have us on your side."

"Greetings, humans! Ifyou care foryour lives and the success ofyow·mis-sion, you will hear what I have to say."We share a common enemy, the

Norlhman high priest, Ulvmard. Hisplans cause us great concern, and wehave come to stop him. You appear tobe of the same mind."Although I realize ow' races

might have disagreements overmany issues, let us not waste bloodand effort by trying to settle these

problems here and now. I ask you toconsider a temporary truce, a trucefor the sake of defeating Ulvmardand averting a devastating and wor-risome war between the N orthmenand the dwarves."We could benefit from your skills,

and you will surely need ours tosucceed. We ask no price for this,only that you avoid getting in ourway as much as possible.

See "The Draw Elves" for more imation concerning the drow. Remymakes it very clear that the drow hno interest in acquiring the iran orthemselves. They would prefer to sdestroyed, once and for all.If the PCs accept Remy's proposal,

drow follow behind the party, stayingof sight and letting the PCs do mostfighting. If an encounter gets out ofthe draw assist the PCs by firing crobolts from the shadows, casting spelland the like. They also take care of aguards (or later, duergar) approachingPCs from behind.See area 37 for the drow elves' ta

during the encounter with Ulvmard

8. Sloping Passage.

This passage slopes noticeably doward. Flickering torches along thwalls cast their light on low stepsspaced at irregular intervals. Molight comes from below and fartheahead, where the passage appearsopen into a wide corridor.

The Ruins

The stonework on this level dates bto the days when the duergar contrthe mountain. When the dwarves,by their great hero Durin Ironfoot,finally defeated the duergar, mostwhat the duergar had built in themountain was destroyed. Some strutures survived, however, and U1vm

has summoned a colony of duergarwarriors and engineers to rebuildancient duergar fortress on this levThe ruins were discovered by accid

about a year ago. Northmen minerslowing a particularly rich vein of i rodug through an ancient wall into are

9. Corridor. The ceiling in this cdor is 30' above the floor.

62 Issue N o. 46



THE IR O N O R B O F THE DUER GAR

The roughly hewn passage you havebeen walking through suddenlyopens into the side of a wide corridorwith walls and floor of finely workedstone. Torches sit in holders alongthe walls of the corridor. which leadsto a pair of 30' -tall bronze doorsstanding ajar to the north. A largechamber lies beyond them.A short distance to the south, the

corridor has collapsed. A wall of looserocks and boulders blocks the pas-sage. Some of the rocks seem oddlyshaped, almost melted. There aresigns of recent attempts to breakthrough the blockage. Broken rockslitter the floor.

Closer inspection of the collapsed

section reveals that most of the rocksonce were subjected to extreme heat.Large amounts of pure iron are spreadlike mortar between the rocks, bind-ing them together to form a compactmass. A narrow tunnel extends a fewyards into the rocks. The iron orb wasfirst found here; the iron in the rockscomes from the iron warrior the orbonce animated,Two umber hulks lurk behind the

rocks of the collapsed tunnel section.Ulvmard charmed them with the orband placed them here as guardians,with orders not to attack slaves or

guards. They attack the PCs as soon asthey feel the vibrations of footstepsmoving toward area 12 (or if the PCsbecome too curious and start diggingamong the rocks).Umber hulks (2): INT average, AL

CE; AC 2; MV 6, burrow 1-6; HD 8 + 8;hp 52, 47; THACO 11; HAT3; Dmg 3-12/3-12/1-10; SA confusion gaze andsurprise; SZ L; ML 13; XP 4,000; MMI352.If the umber hulks attack with sur-

prise, opponents suffer - 5 on their dierolls. The gaze of an umber hulk causesconfusion unless a saving throw vs.

spells is successful.

10. Storage Room. This damp roomholds torches. two carts, and severalbarrels ofwater.

11. Guards' Room, Six two-levelbunk beds line the walls of this room.All are currently empty. (All guardsare on duty.) Chests by the beds con-tain food, ill-ink, personal belongings,and a few coins amounting to 112 sp,and 237 cp,

The Ruins

Area~

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~ Up to area B1 square= 10'

12. Pedestal Chamber.Voices echo from the tunnel open-

ing, accompanied by a creaking and

groaning sound, like wooden wheelsturning over a rough surface. Astrange, deep, rumbling noise alsocomes from that direction.On the west side of the room, sev-

eral rocks and large boulders lie onthe floor, apparently fallen from theceiling some 50' above yow' heads.

At the center of this large, dimly lit

chamber is a 3'-high pedestal ofblack stone. Two stubs of bronzeresembling the lower legs and feet ofa statue stand on top of the pedestal.At the opposite end of the room aretwo closed 30'-tall bronze doors.Torches along the south and eastwalls illuminate a trail through thedirt and dust covering the floor, lead-ing toward a roughly made tunnelopening inthe east wall.

A bronze statue of a duergar warriornamed Balki once stood on the pedestalIt was destroyed by the dwarves.

DUNGEON 63



THE IR O N O R B O F THE D UER GAR

The rumbling noise comes from the

transporter in area 13. The voices and

other sounds are caused by a group of

three young slaves pulling an empty

cart behind them. They are on their

way to area 4 to pick up a new load ofiron ingots.

Before the slaves enter, ropers dis-guised as two of the boulders on the

floor suddenly attack, lashing their

tentacles at the PCs and targeting war-

riors (the ropers know they have little

to fear from mages). Ulvmard recently

placed the ropers here as guardians,

with strict instructions not to attack

slaves or guards.

Ropers (2): INT exceptional; AL CE;

AC 0; MV 3; HD 12; hp 60, 49; THACO9; HKr 1 strand plus 1 bite; Dmg

speciaI/5·20; SAStrength drain; SD

immune to lightning, half damage fromcold, saves vs. fire at -4; MR 80%; SZ

L;ML 15; XP 12,000; MM/304. Each

roper has six strands.

When the slaves heal' the sounds ofbattle, they carefully peek into the room

instead of entering. Seeing the PCs

fighting the ropers, they immediately

turn back to area 13to prevent the

guards there from sounding the alarm.

13. Transporter. Built long ago by

the duel'gar, the machine in this room

has been restored to working order. It is

powered from area 16.

The two guards (hp 10, 8)in this roomare deeply involved in a game ofcheckers

on the floor when the PCs arrive at area

12. They ignore sounds ofbattle coming

from that area for one round. When the

slaves whojust left the room come run-

ning back (after seeing the PCs fighting

the ropers), they throw themselves on the

very surprised guards, knock them over

and pin them to the floor before they havea chance to react.Read the following description when

the PCs finally enter the room:

Three young slaves, their faces beam-

ing with pride, stand watch over twoguards lying on the floor near an open-

ing in the east wall ofthis room.

At the center of the room, a large

metal wheel slowly revolves around

a thick vertical axle, also of metal,

sticking up from the floor. A thick

wire "rope" enters the room through

a narrow passage to the north, runs

around the perimeter of the wheel,

and exits again through another

passage to the north. Man-sized

metal baskets hang suspended from

the wire, slowly moving forward as

the wire is pulled around the wheel.

The rotating wheel makes a steadyrumbling noise.

A large bell is attached to one of

the supports holding the wheel and

axle upright. A hammer hangs froma piece of rope next to the bell.

The west wall ofthe roomappears to

have collapsed long ago. Wooden

beams are braced against the 1arge

rocks and boulders that now form the

wall, securing them in place. A narrow

opening between two large boulders

leads into a low tunnel to the west.

the north. The air is hot and has a

slightly sulfurous odor to it.

15_Lava Cavern and Fortress.

The slaves have no idea where the

transporter goes but would like to findout, now that they have the chance.

If the PCs question the guards, theycan learn, after some persuasion, about

the fortress at the other end ofthe

transporter, and the "special kind" of

dwarves that live there. (The guards

can describe the grey, emaciated fea-

tures of the duergar.)

The baskets attached to the trans-

porter wire are suspended roughly 5'

from the floor. The bottom of each

basket drops open when a small lever

attached to one side of it is pulled. A

close inspection of the baskets is

enough to discover the lever. The bot-tom closes again when it is lifted up

against the basket. A simple latch

holds it in place.

The baskets travel at a rate of 3~ per

round. They are spaced 30' apart (1

round apart). Each basket can hold only

one person (two people if both are sit-

ting on the basket's edges instead of

hiding inside it).

The bell attached to the transporter is

used to communicate with the duergar

at the other end. Repeatedly striking

the hell sounds the alarm.

Remy and the other drow elves (see

area 7) follow immediately behind thePCs across the transporter. See area 16

for their actions once they reach the

other side.

You step out onto a ledge high up o

the south wall of a great cavern. F

below, a sea of lava slowly churns,

casting its fiery glow on the cavern

walls. The air is stiflingly hot and

full of noxious fumes.

The collapsed remains ofa stone

bridge reaches out into the cavern

from the ledge.At the opposite side,another stump of the bridge leads up

to two towering bronze doors set in t

wall ofa mighty fortress ofgray sto

The glow from the lava below ca

an eerie, menacing light on the fortress. Its forbidding walls meld wi

the surrounding cavern, giving it aimpenetrable appearance. Rows of

narrow an-ow slits dot the walls,

flanking a protruding towerlike

structure that contains the entranc

doors.To the east, you can see the cableofthe transporter, with its suspend

baskets, leading offinto the fortres

through openings in the wall.

The lava is roughly 500' below the

ledge where the PCs stand. The wal

the fortress are over 50' high, excepthe tower (areas 21 and 29), where t

rise to a height of 80'. The walls ext

all the way up to the cavern ceiling,

leaving no gaps.

The duergar do not normally keep

watch over the cavern, unless the a

has been sounded or there is a lot of

noise in the cavern (such as from a

battle), in which case all the arrow

quickly will be manned.

The cavern itself is inhabited by a

group ofmargoyles. These stony cre

tures normally hide near the cavern

ceiling until something attracts the

attention. Flying PCs are attackedimmediately (unless invisible). Adveturers riding the transporter have a

20% chance ofbeing discovered, as

as they remain still and quiet inside

their baskets (check individually fo

each PC). PCs sitting on the sides o

baskets, or otherwise moving about

making noise, are automatically dis

ered. Once a person is discovered, th

margoyles swoop down to investigate

64 Issue N o. 46

14. Bronze Doors. These ancient

doors are badly corroded and stuck in

place.

A strange glow comes from beyond

the tall bronze doors standing ajar to




the other baskets as well. It takes fourrounds for the baskets to cross the ca-vern and enter the fortress.Margoyles (6): INT low; AL CE; AC

2; MV 6, fly 12 « » HD 6; hp 35,31,30,27,26,22; THACO 15; #Kr 4; Dmg 1-61

1-6/2-8/2-8; SD + 101' better weapon tohit, camouflage; SZ M; ML 13;XP 975;MM/125 (gargoyle).As long as the margoyles choose to

remain hidden, they are nearly undetect-able (80% chance) against the cavernwalls.

Duergar Fortress

The fortress is solidly built of largeblocks of stoue. The ceiling height in allareas (except area 29) is a towering 50',allowing the iron warrior to be used inthe fortress's defense.

16. 'Pransporter Room. This en-counter requires a great deal of work onthe DM's part. Since all of the duergarin the room are invisible almost all thetime, the DM must do most of the book"keeping insecret.Unless the alarm has been sounded in

area 13, the duergar in this area arebusy emptying the incoming basketsand moving the iron ingots and ore intoseparate piles for later transport downto the forges (areas 35 and 37). Theroom is only dimly lit by torches placed

in holders along the walls, and by thered glow of the lava in the cavern out-side coming in through the arrow slits.The transporter is powered by four

human slaves walking in an uprightdrive wheel (similar to a hamster'sexercise wheel), connected to the trans-porter wheel by a series of gears. (Seearea Hfor slave statistics.)

A PC entering this area inside atransporter basket will be discovered assoon as a duergar pulls the lever on thebasket that releases its bottom, deposit-ing the PC onto a pile of iron ingots onthe floor below.

Duergar (16):!NT average; AL LE; AC4;MV 6; HD 1+2; hp 7 each; THACO 19;HKr 1;Dmg by weapon type; SA stealthgives - 2 penalty to opponent's surprise dieroll; can use inuisibility and enlargementspells at will (level of magic use equal to hitpoints, up to level 2 0 ); S D +4 on all savesvs, spells, immune to paralysis, poison, andall illusion/phantasm spells; SZ S (M -L ); M L

13;.X.P 420; MMJ96.97;footman's pick, warhammer; chain mail, shield.

Duergar sergeants (4):HD 2 +4; hp15 13, 1l, 9; THACO 17; XP 650· foot-

man's pick, light crossbow, chain mail,shield; other statistics as for normal

duel' gar, above.Duergar lieutenants (2): AC 2; HD4+8; hp 23, 20; THACO 15;Dmgbyweapon type; XP 1,400; short sword,war hammer, plate mailyshield; otherstatistics as for normal duergar, above.Duerga r T hct ic s: The first thing theduergar do when they discover the PCs isto use their innate ability to turn inuisi-ble . .Only the flrst PC to enter the roomwill see how many duergar are present.Duergar are immune to all illusion/phantasm spells including invisibility, so

they can always see each other. A duergwho strikes an opponent becomes visible

but the duergar can become invisibleagain by spending one round doing nothing else (except moving a short distance,at the DM's discretion).Inthe next round, the duergar all

enlarge themselves (once again usingtheir innate ability) to their maximumsizes. They grow an additional 10% insize for every hit point they possess. A10-hp duergar could become twice hisnormal size; a 20·hp duergar could groto th.ree times his normal size. Theirdamage die rolls should be adjusted

DUNGEON 65



THE IR ON O RB O F THE DUERGAR

correspondingly.Next, several duergar attempt to

sound the alarm bell attached to thetransporter (identical to the one in area13), while others fire their crossbows orattempt to sneak around the PCs toattack them from behind. A few try toreach the drive wheel to stop the slaves(by killing them if necessary). If the PCsmanage to protect the slaves, they fol-low whatever orders the PCs give, aslong as no duergar are close by tothreaten them.The duergar lieutenants (except for

those on steeders, see below) stay at therear, coordinating the attack. The bestchance the duergar have is to over-whelm the PCs with their numbers (seeoverbearing rules in the Player's Hand-book page 98).

Sounding the Alarm: If the alarm issounded, all duergar in the fortress be-come invisible and enlarged within tworounds. Thereafter, they begin arrivingthrough the doors from areas 17 and 20 ata rate of Id10 +10 duergar per rounduntil their morale fails or their numbersfrom each area (including area 18) havebeen exhausted. Some of those comingfrom area 20 are duergar lieutenantsmounted on steeders, (The steeders arenot invisible; see area 19 for statistics.)These riders attempt to jump in behindthe PCs to attack.If the PCs prevent the duergar from

sounding the alarm, there is a 3-in-6chance pel' round that the duergar inarea 17 hear the battle anyway. Thishas the same effect as sounding thealarm. The chance increases to 4-in-6 ifthe PCs use noisy magic or otherwisecause a commotion.Concluding the Battle: If the duergar

morale fails those remaining retreat toareas 23-26 for a last stand (but seebelow if the draw are present).If the PCs are defeated by the duergar,

they are stripped of their weapons andkept under watch in area 17. Nilglot,the duergar high priest, decides their

fate once he returns from area 37,where the iron warrior is being com-pleted. Inthis case, the PCs might berescued by Remy and the other drow.The drow stay hidden during the

battle between the PCs and the duergar,As soon as possible, they leave the roomand enter area 20, trying to remainundetected, The drow search areas 23-28 before joining up with the PCs again.If the duel' gar retreat to these areas, thedrow ambush them (see areas 23-28)_

17. Sleeping Quarters. The floor ofthis dimly lit chamber is packed withsleeping mats, leaving only a narrowpath of clear space between the twoentrances. If the alarm has not beensounded, many of the room's 88 matsare occupied by duergar resting or en-gaged in simple games (such as check-ers or cards) to pass the time. Others sittogether in small groups, chanting anddroning, They are an impatiently await-ing word to go on the offensive againstthe dwarves once the iron warrior is

fully functional.Present in the room are six duergar

lieutenants (hp 30, 29, 23, 22 ( x 2 ), 20),12 duergar sergeants (hp 18, 15, 14(x 2), 13, 12 ( x 2), 11, 10 ( x 4», and 48duergar (hp 7 each). A1l are equippedas described in area 16.

18. Sleeping Quarters. A total of 132duergar live in this large chamber, just aspacked with sleeping mats as area 17.Present in the room are 12 duergar

lieutenants (hp 38, 30 (x 2),29,25(x 3), 24, 23 (x 2), 22, 19), 24 duergarsergeants (hp 20, 18, 17 (X 5), 16 (X 2),15 (x 3),14 (x 4),13 (x 2),12 e x 3),10,8, 7), and 96 dnergar (hp 7 each).Each of the 12 lieutenants is assigned

a steeder, housed in area 19.

19. Steeder Stables. The duergarkeep steeders, a form of giant spiders

that they use as mounts. If the alarmhas not been sounded, all steeders arepresent in this room. Twelve duergar(hp 7 each) from area 18 tend to them.The room is unlit.Steeders (12): INT low; AL CE; AC 4;

MV 12; HD 4 +4; hp 20 each; THACO15; fiAT1; Dmg 1-8; SA sticky attack tohold opponent; SD jump up to 240'; SZL; ML 11; XP 975; MMl326,327 (Spider,giant).

20. Hall.

Flaming torches along the length ofthis hall cast their light on fadingmurals that cover the walls and ceil-ing. The murals depict great battlesbetween the duergar and t.he dwarves.One particularly vivid scene on theceiling shows a colossal, golernlikecreature ofpolished metal smashingthrough the walls of a dwarven fort.Hundreds of duergar stand ready tofollow it through the breach.Two pairs of tall bronze doors sit in

the north and south walls, across

from each other. A hole has beenopened in the north wall, next to tdoors on that side.

21. Old Entrance Room. The dofrom the cavern (area 15) are luckedbarred. Ulvmard carries the keys. Tlocks are new and accessible only oinside. The room is illuminated bytorches placed in holders along thenorth wall.On Ulvmard's orders, a programme

illusion spell was placed in the middof this room (on top of the large trapin the floor) in case unwanted visitomanaged to force their way into thefortress. The spell is activated whenfirst PC enters the room (through thdoors from areas 15 or 20 .

A tall man dressed in an elegant blarobe stands in the middle ofa largeroom. He is talking to a regally dresduergar clad in finely crafted blackchain mail, and wearing a brightlypolished helmet on his head. A blackorb, about l' in diameter, floats in thair just above the man's head, movinas he moves. Two more duergar, evi-dently guards, stand nearby.

The illusion o f Ulvmard (the humturns its head in surprise when theenter, but it SOOI1 begins to make thmotions of casting a spell. The two

sory guards move in front of the imof Nilglot (the duergar high priest)protect him.As soon as two or more PCs move

the trapdoor (see the map), it givesPCs standing on it fall 500' to the fof aloea 31 below. The fall causes 20hp damage; a PC who survives theing damage must then make a savinthrow to avoid death by massive daage (see DMG, page 75). The pro-grammed illusion instantly terminawhen the trapdoor gives way. Any Pclose to the edge of the trapdoor mumake a Dexterity check to grab holthe edge and avoid a fall. Of course,means letting go of whatever the Phas in her hands.The trap causes enough noise wh

opens to attract duergar from areainvestigate (unless the PCs have already fought the duergar there).A smaller trapdoor is set in the c

above the one in the floor, Its outlinplainly visible from below. This tradoor leads tip to area 29.

66 Is su e N o. 4 6



TH E IR ON O RB O F THE DUERGAR

22. Corridor.

The surface of the stone in the wallsand floor of this corridor seems tohave once been melted. Rivulets ofmelted stone have trickled down the

walls and collected in pools on theflOO1'.Ibward the far end of the corri-

dol', the badly melted remains of twobronze doors lean against the walls.Behind them, the corridor continuesfor a short distance until it runs intoa wall of rocks and debris.

The collapsed passage once led on-ward for quite a distance, into territorynow occupied by the dwarves, Ulvmardplans to send the iron warrior into thispassage, to attack the dwarves.

23-28. Repairs inProgress. Areas23-28 of the fortress were damagedwhen the dwarves defeated the duergarmany years ago. The duergar have beenbusy repairing the walls of these areassince they reclaimed the fortress. Eacharea is described separately below.If the duergar retreat to these areas

while the drow are present there (seearea 16), the draw will ambush them. Ifthis happens, the PCs will find deadduergar throughout the area.

23. Duergar Technicians' Room.This room is inhabited by duergar tech-

nicians currently working on the ironwarrior in area 37, Their sleeping mats(20) and personal belongings lie on thefloor between crates and boxes holdingtools and various mechanical devices(gears, wheels, links, pulleys, etc.)

24. Training Room. The duergar usethis room for military training. Rackson the wall hold blun weapons used incombat practice.

25. Ale and Food Storage.

Several large barrels line the walls

of this room. The lids have beenremoved from some of the barrels,revealing what looks like pieces ofdried mushrooms and fungi. Anadjoining room is visible behindseveral large openings in the westwall of the room. You can see largecolonies of mushrooms and otherfungi growing on the walls and floorof the adjoining chamber.

A few of the barrels contain duergarale of excellent quality.

30. Staircase. The staircase continuesto spiral downward almost 500' aroundan open shaft. Itmakes six completeloops before it reaches the bottom, adistance of over 1,200' traveled, Thereare no handrails.Several steps in the staircase are set

to release spring-loaded pistons thatshoot out from the wall, pushing theperson stepping on the trigger over theedge of the staircase into the shaft.Victims fall to area 31, suffering 20d6hp damage and requiring a savingthrow to avoid death from massivedamage, The stairs are rigged with fousuch traps in all, and each PC passingone has a 50% chance of activating it.The DM may determine the exact loca-tion of the four traps, though none ofthem is less than 200' from the bottom.

The Forge

31. Bottom of Staircase. The stair-case ends in a room with a pail' of talliron doors. Standing in front of thesedoors is an iron golem. Its orders are toattack anyone coming down the stair-case (except Nilglot, Ulvmard, andanyone accompanying them). The floorin the middle of the room is full of empty crates and barrels waiting to behoisted up to area 21. This debris doesnot significantly break the fall of any-one dropping in from areas 21 or 30.Golem, iron: INT non; AL N; AC 3;

MV 6; HD 18; hp 80; THACO 3; HAT 1;Dmg 4dlO; SA poison cloud, once perseven rounds; SD + 3 or better weaponto hit; immune to all spells except magcal electrical attacks, which slow it forthree rounds, and magical fire, whichheals 1 hp per hit die of normal damageSZ L (12'); ML 20; XP 13,000; MMl164,166 (Golem).The i.ron doors are hot to the touch

because the lava heats the ail' in thecorridor beyond them (area 32).

26. Fungus Farm. The fungi growingin this room are all edible and quitenourishing.

27. Guards' Chamber. This room isnormally occupied by the personalguards of high priest Nilglot (see area28). Tw o sleeping mats are laid out onthe floor, together with small piles ofpersonal belongings (including 1,337 gpand 214 sp),

The guards are currently with Nilglotin area 37.

28. High Priest Nilglot's Room. Thisroom is furnished with a wooden bed, amattress, a small table and chair, and

an altar made of black, finely polishedvolcanic stone.At the foot of the bed is a large, locked

chest (protected with both a poison needleand a fire trap spell cast at 9th level), I tcontains 13,787 gp, 21,900 sp, 10 gemsworth 1,000 gp, and 32 gems worth 100gp (all payment from Ulvmard),Nilglot is currently in area 37, help-

ing Ulvmard supervise the completionof the iron warrior.

Lower Levels

The staircase runs from the fortress all

the way down to "The Forge."

29, Crane Room.

A large crane occupies most of thisroom, Its massive timbers are rein-forced with heavy iron bands andplating. A very long, heavy wire isrolled up on the crane's wire drum.From a hook at the end of the wirehangs a single metal basket, similar tothe ones on the transporter. The baskethangs above a plainly visible trapdoorin the floor. A series of gears connectsthe drum to an upright drive wheellarge enough for three O r four humans

to walk in side by side.

32. Bridge.

The corridor leads to a wide bridgespanning a narrow cavern filled withbubbling lava a short distance below.The ail' is very hot and filled withstrong, sulfurous fumes.Beyond the bridge, the corridor

continues. A short distance ahead itappears to lead into a large, illumi-nated chamber.

A dwarf, gnome, or any other PCskilled in construction can tell that thecrane is capable of lifting extremelyheavy loads (weighing several tons).The wire is long enough to reach downto area 31 (roughly 500').

DUNGEON 67




Lower Levels1 square= 10'

. . . < 1

The bridge is a trap. Anyone walkingacross the middle of it (see marked areaon the map) will fall through a trapdoorinto the lava 30' below. The lava inflicts

20d6 hp damage per round and mayrequire a saving throw to avoid deathfrom massive damage. All items wornmust roll saving throws against magicalfire; those that fail the throw eithermelt or burst into flames. The trap isdeactivated by pulling a concealed leveron the other side of the bridge (area 33).

Walking near the edges of the bridgeallows anyone to avoid the trap.The vapors coming from the lava are

strong, but not overly toxic.

33. Bronze Doors. A permanent illu-sion obscures the continuation of thecorridor north of this chamber.

A wide flight of stairs leads up to aplatform in front of two tall doors ofbronze in the west wall of this cham-ber. On either side of the doors, twolarge bowls full of a flaming liquidcast their flickering light on engrav-ings of strange and hideous creaturesthat cover the doors' surfaces.

These doors actually sit in a magicalportal into the realm of the Underdark.They bear powerful enchantments thatmake them immune to all forms ofattack. Information-seeking spells (suchas legend lore) have only a 50% chanceof working on them.The doors were created long ago by

the dwarves to block the portal, afterthey had defeated the duel' gar. Only theancient dwarves understood the intri-cate locking mechanisms of the doors,knowledge now lost. No thief can pickthe door locks, and since the doors arecompletely impervious to magic, theonly remaining means of opening them

6 loops

I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 !

r-;1L:_jl~

- I ll l\ \\ \\ \ \\ II II II \1 1 1 1 1 I1 I 1 1 1

The floor near the cauldron is inded with what appears to be a gianshaped casting mold.

is through the use of brute force (requir-ing a Strength of 25).Anyone closely inspecting the area

around the permanent illusion spell has

a chance (equal to the chance of findingsecret doors) of noticing traces of widewheel tracks heading into the illusorywall. These were created by the cart inarea 36.

34. Iron Doors, Two iron doors sit atthe end of the corridor. A riddle in theduergar tongue is inscribed across thedoors:

OF pine aM I ReJeasetl, Of fiRe aM I

ponMEn.

Of fine aM IpuniriEO, Of finE aM I

CONSUMEO.

1 Malte l{iNGS Of staves aNO staves OfIdNG9.

My NaME is StRENG11J.

My NaME is POWER.

WIJa13M I?

Anyone who can read dwarvish canread the inscription, as might thieves whosucceed with a read languages check.'Ib open the doors requires giving the

right answer, steel (iron might also begood enough, at the DM's discretion), induergar or dwarvish. The doors can alsobe opened using force, at normalchances for a magically held door, or

magic (such as by a knock spell).

35 _ Golem Factory.

Two irongolems

(hp 80 each; searea 31 for complete statistics) stanhidden among the machinery. Theyattack as the PCs enter the room.The doors to the storage room (ar

36) are locked (normal chances toor force open) .

36. Storage Room. The walls ofroom are lined with crates, boxes,barrels of all shapes and sizes. Maare empty, but some still contain gsuch as iron ingots, chemicals, oil,carbon, grease, fine clay, tools, watlarge quantities, etc. Several barre

hold what appears to be blood (frompigs). One half-empty crate holds bgold equivalent to 400,000 gpo Sevsmaller boxes contain thousands ogems: 5,000 gp (x 3), 1,000 gp (X 3500 gp (x 113), 100 gp (x 517), 50(x 898), 10 gp (x 2,211). This is truking's ransom, but most ofit belonthe people of the southern kingdomAt the center of the room is a wi

cart, designed to be pulled from arwhere objects can be loaded onto iusing the crane at the top of the stcase (area 29).The doors leading to area 37 are l

and barred from the opposite side.

37. Iron Warrior. The DM mustfamiliar with the personalities andmotivations of all NPCs in this arebefore running this encounter. Speattention must also be paid to thequence of Events" on page 7l.Ulvmard and the duergar engine

have desperately been working oniron warrior to complete it beforePCs arrive. One of the warrior's arstill not attached, but it is otherwisready for the iron orb to be insertedits head.

Ulvmard has taken a few precauin case the PCs arrive before the iwarrior is activated. His henchmencaptured Anja (his daughter) soonthe PCs left 'Iallborg, They also catured Ragnar on his way back to tcity. Ulvmard brought the two tochamber (using the teleportation pof the iron orb; see the sidebar). Abeing held by one of Ulvmard's guRagnar sits in a cage suspended aone ofthe smelting cauldrons in th

Behind the doors is a vast room clut-tered with machinery and otherequipment. The air is extremely hotand dry. The west part of the roomopens onto a "large cavern filled withbubbling lava. By the edge ofthepool sits an enormous cauldron ofstone or clay, glowing red with heat.

68 Issue N o. 4 6




south section of the rOOID.An iron go-lem holds the end of the wire attachedto the cage. Nilglot, the duergar highpriest, stands beside Ulvmard at theiron warrior's head, accompanied by thepriest's two guards.Read the following description whenthe PCs first enter the room.

Youenter an immense room aglowwith fiery red light coming from alava pool that fills an adjoining ca-vern to the south. Facing youstraight ahead are the sales of twofeet, nearly 10' high, belonging to agigantic golem of polished metallying on the floor and stretching outaway from you to the east. The golemis surrounded by a frame of metaland wood scaffolding. Severalduergar scurry about on the scaffold-ing, obviously ina hurry to escapeyour presence.Two large stone cauldrons, similarin appearance to the one you sawearlier [in area 35]', sit by the edge ofthe lava pool. A cage holding whatappears to be a man hangs suspend-ed by a wire that runs through apulley in the ceiling above one of thecauldrons. An iron golem holds theother end of the wire.Five Northmen warriors are

ranged in front of the golem withtheir weapons drawn. One of them is

holding a woman you recognize fromTallborg: Anja.From somewhere farther inside the

room, hidden from view by the seaf-folding, you hear a man's voice cryout, "You said they wouldn't get thisfar. Why are they here, then? I don'tknow. Hurry up, you lazy scum!When do we kill them? Why are theytrying to stop me?" .As the man speaks, another group

of seven Northmen warriors stepsinto view around the north side ofthe scaffolding.

The voice the PCs hear is Ulvmard's ..He is shouting out loud to himself, argu-ing with the iron orb floating above hishead.When the PCs first enter the room,

Ragnar calls out to them from his cageto let them know he is sitting in it.When she hears Ragnar's voice, Anjacries, "Be careful! The iron man willrelease Ragnar's cage if you attack"The irongolem (hp 80) has orders torelease the cage on Ulvmard's com-mand, or if the Northman king is at-

p. D O D D P I J~D~q]·=~D 36D

oo

-~

~rDO

35

00·000

oo

34

32I

Up to area 30

N

- + --

31 -

-

--

1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I r u i l

--

The Forge

Areas 31-371q'l:iare =10'

tacked. It will also release the cage todefend itself if it is attacked. "The life of your friend Ragnar is in

your hamill. Attack me and he dies."Ulvmard steps into view near Anjaand the Northman warriors, accom-panied by a regally dressed duergar[Nilglot,. as he appears in area 21]and his two guards. Ulvmard's face isflushed and twisted in anger as heyells, "You fools! Always meddlingwhere you don't belong. This is amatter between the treacherousdwarven race and the noble duergar,You were not invited! Must I destroyyou too?

After he has finished speaking, Ulvmardturns around to head back to the ironwarrior. Suddenly Anja shouts (in Com-man soher guards cannot understand):

"You must take the orb when myfather removes it from above hishead to place it in the iron warrtcr.That is QUI' only chance. But please,don't hurt him:' .One ofthe warriors gives Anja a slap

DUNGEON 69



Spells: bless, cure light wounds, daness, detect magic; heat metal; hold pson, know alignment, silence 15' radi

dispel magic, meld into stone, protectfrom fire (previously cast); cure seriouwounds, free action; flam.e strike.Nilglot can understand Common.

is currently more concerned aboutmard and his erratic behavior thanis worried about the PCs. If the PCattempt to attack Nilglot, he becominvisible but is ready to grab the or

case Ulvmard is struck down or fallunconscious. Nilglot is guarded byduergar lieutenants (hp 30, 29).

The 20 duergar technicians (hpeach) are reluctant to fight the PCspreferring to turn invisible and stayof the way instead.Elite Northman warriors (12 in

tially): AL eN; AC 3; MV 9; F5; hp(X 2), 36, 34, 32, 30, 29, 28, 27,26,20; THACO 16; NAT1(3/2 with longsword); Dmg by weapon type; S 17+ I), D 15; ML 16; XP 420; chain mshield, long sword (specialized), dagThe warriors are loyal to Ulvmard

They will prevent the PCs from ap-proaching him, and will defend himhe is attacked.


to silence her. When she lets out ashriek of pain, UIvmard spins around

and a pale gray ray shoots out fromthe iron orb, hitting the warrior andinstantly disintegrating him."Do not harm her!" Ulvrnard yells,

and turns back toward the iron warrior. while talking to himself. "Why did youdo that, you fool!What a waste! I'msorry, Is there nothing to eat here?"

Ulvmard: AL L .E (CG without orb);

AC 3; MV 12; C17; hp 66; THACO 10;fiAT1;Dmg by weapon type; SA ironorb of the duergar (see sidebar) providesinvisibility at will, enlarge/reduce atwill (at 20th level); SO orb gives +4 on

all saving throws vs. spells, immunityto paralysis, poison, all mind-affectingspells, and illusioniphantasm spells; M R30%; S 18/00 (16), D 15, C 15, I 17, W18, Ch 18; bracers of defense AC4, longsword +4, dagger +2.Ulvrnard has no priest spells memo-

rized. He is currently in disfavor withOdin, and the constant battle of willswith the orb makes it impossible forhim to rest to regain spells. The iron orbprovides Ulvmard with powers equiva-

lent to those of a duergar and a behold-er. (See sidebar for details.) He can useanyone function of the orb per round (in

addition to its anti-magic ra:y).The only way the orb can be removed

from above Ulvrnard's head is ifheremoves it himself; if he becomes uncon-scious (through spells or by being re-duced to 0 hpj; or if a dwarf, gnome, orduergar successfully overcomes theorb's magical attachment while at-tempting to physically grab it (20%chance per attempt, only one attemptper round is possible; the person mustfirst reach the orb, of course). Eventu-ally, Ulvmard removes the orb himselfto put it into the iron warrior (see "Se-quence of Events").Nilglot (duergar high priest): INT

exceptional; AL LE; AC 2; MV 6; C91T9;hp 32; THACO 16. ; NAT1; Dmg by spellor weapon type; SA stealth gives -2 onopponent's surprise die roll; becomeinvisible and enlarge/reduce at will(20th level); backstab for quadrupledamage; SO +4 on all saves vs, spells;immune to paralysis, poison, and allillusion/phantasm spells; SZ S (M-L);ML 17; XP 6,000; plate mail, shield,mace, dagger.

7 0 Issue N o. 4 0



THE IR O N O RB O F THE DUER GA

Sequence of Events

If the PCs allied with Remy, the drawelves appear behind the party at thistime. Remy offers to Ievitate the cageholding Ragnar while the other drow

prepare to sneak into the room as soonas the PCs attack, or create some formof diversion to distract the Northmenwarriors. The drow focus their efforts onthe Northmen warriors, beginning withthose to the north of the scaffolding.If the PCs were hostile to the drow, but

did not killthem, the dark elves appearin the room later, when a battle is alreadyunder way. In this case, Remy is moreconcerned about securing the iron orbfrom Ulvmard than helping the PCssurvive. She might try to assist Anja, butthe drow will not hesitate to kill (or other-wise neutralize) any PCs who get in their

way. If the PCs attempt a reconciliationwith the drow, Remy might let bygonesbe bygones, weighing PC·inflicted drawcasualties against bow nicely they askand how well they grovel.The PCs have two rounds to prepare

before Ulvrnard puts the iron orb intothe head of the iron warrior, If the highpriest has not been attacked by thebeginning of the third round, read thefollowing:

Standing near the head of the ironwarrior, Ulvmard removes the orbfrom above his head. With the orb in

his hands be suddenly seems to hesi-tate. Tears well up i.n his eyes.The duergar leader starts scream-

ing something in the duergar tongueto Ulvmard, Anja begs him to stopwhat he is doing, for her sake.

This is the PCs' best opportunity tograb the orb if they can get to Ulvmardquickly (and knock Nilglot out of theway).Ulvmard is no longer under the direct

influence of the orb. He realizes, how-ever, that if he puts it i.nto his creation,the iron warrior most certainly will

never let him take it back.Nilglot waits one round for Ulvmard

to continue, before enlarging himselfand attacking Ulvmard to take the orb.(Ulvmard has 18/00 Strength and doeshis best to resist Nilgiot.) The iron go·lem holding the wire to Ragnar's cagereleases the wire as soon as Ulvmard isattacked. The Northmen warriors alsocome to Ulvmard's rescue, by attackingNilglot's guards. The draw, if present,attack the Northmen warriors.

Anja still has her spells memorized(see "Ragnar's House") and uses themagainst suitable targets. The warriorsdo not hurt her; they fear being disinte-grated like their comrade.Ifthe PCs fail to prevent Ulvmard or

Nilglot from putting the orb into theiron warr-ior, it will come to life. Thebest thing the PCs can do then is to fleeas quickly as possible.Iron warrior; INT genius; AL LE;

AC - 3; MV 9; HD 36; hp 160; THACO

-15; HAT 1 (2); Dmg4d10(l4d10); SA

poison cloud every other round, all orbabilities; SD all orb abilities, iron galemspell immunity, +5 weapons to hit; MR30%; SZ G; ML 20; XP 36,000.

Once animated, the warrior seeks todestroy everyone in the room except theduergar, The numbers in parenthesesindicate the golem's additional attackwhen it has both arms attached.Once placed in the warrior, the orb

cannot be removed from its housingexcept through powerful magic such asa wand of neg alion, Mordenhainen'sdisjunction, or a wish spell. Dispel mag-ic, limited wish, 01' knock spells are notsufficient, Even if it is successfullystruck by a rod of cancellation, the orbsaves with a 3, If the orb fails its save,it falls out of place but is not destroyed.If the orb is removed, the warrior imme-diately stops moving.The iron orb cannot control a PC who

takes it from Ulvmard unless the PCtries to use the orb's powers. The PCmust put the orb above his head orconcentrate on communicating with itwhile holding it in his hands. See' TheIron Orb" sidebar for details.

If the PCs released the slaves In theupper areas of the mine, they may neto protect Ulvmard from his formerprisoners. The slaves have rounded u

or killed all the guards they could laytheir hands on.

The slaves all beg the PCs to helpthem get back to their homes in thesouthern kingdoms as soon as possibleThey insist on following the party outthe mine to Tallborg, stumblingthrough the snow and huddling together agains the cold.The PCs must figure out what to do

with the iron orb. If Remy is with thegroup, she insists itbe taken to thedwarves to be destroyed. Anja agrees,and gives Remy her word of honor thathis will be done.If the PCs allied themselves with

Remy they now have a drow elf friendIf the drow elves played a significantrole in the final battle (by savingRagnar, for instance), Remy mightclaim a favor from the PCs at somefuture date. Anja also feels indebtedRemy, so the Northrnen may come 0

the aid of the drow, 01' side with thedrew, in a future conflict.Once the group reaches 'Iallborg (th

drow travel on their own once darknesIalls), Anja and Ragnar take commandof the city with the help of their fellowresistance members. They order theimmediate release of all remaining

slaves, and eloquent PCs may convincthem to return mas of the propertystolen from the sou hem kingdoms.Anja may ask the PCs to stick aroundwhile to help enforce her decrees.Bringing the orb to the dwarves, an

ensuring its eventual destruction,might not turn out to be such a simplmatter. (See "The Iron Orb" aidebar.)The dwarves might ask the PCs to assist them, which could mean undertaking a new adventure i.n the depths ofthe earth or in the Arctic North.

V American Heart Assaciation


If the PCs gain the iron orb, they havesaved the day and should be awarded astory award of 250,000 XP. Without theorb, the iron warrior is nothing morethan scrap metalTo complete the adventure, the PCs

must successfully take the orb out of themine. This may require dealing withmonsters or NPCs that the adventurersavoided on the way down. The survivingduergar make a last attempt to stop thePCs before they can leave the fortress.Ulvmard will be in a state of with-

drawal for some time. He has a difficulttime ahead as he learns to live withoutthe orb. His presence beside the PCs ontheir way out is enough to prevent anytrouble from Northman guards.

DUNGEON 71



We Goofed!

•

lMdesignat&s a Iradamarl< OWMd ~y TSR, Inc. ©1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The · f i M A Z I N G ENGINE"S [em

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Coming in Issue #47

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The return of Willie Walsh

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"Smouldering Mane," by Rona Kreekel

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"The Assassin Within," by Paul Culotta

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Dungeon Magazine 046