6
Infinity Train Scale: 1 square = 3" Underground Passage Entry from Bridge Sample file

Swords of the Iron Legion - DMs Guildwatermark.dmsguild.com/pdf_previews/17537-sample.pdf · OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY Swords of the Iron Legion A BATTLESYSTEM™ GAME ANTHOLOGY CREDITS

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Infinity TrainScale: 1 square = 3"

Underground Passage

Entry from Bridge

Sam

ple

file

OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

Swords of the Iron LegionA BATTLESYSTEM™ GAME ANTHOLOGY

CREDITS

Editing: "Skip" WilliamsEditorial Assistance: Bruce Heard

Jean RabeCover Painting: Larry ElmoreMaps: DieselKeylining: Stephanie Tabat

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Ran-dom House Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Can-ada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade byregional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdomby TSR UK Ltd.

This adventure is protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States of America. Any reproduction or other unau-thorized use of the material or artwork contained herein isprohibited without the express written permission of TSRInc.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, BAT-TLESTSTEM, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION,FORGOTTEN REALMS, and the TSR logo are trademarksowned by TSR, Inc.

e1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA.

PRODUCTS OFTSR, InOF TOUR

TSR, Inc.POB756Lake GenevaWI 53147 U.S.A.

ISBN 0-88038-559-69226XXX1S01

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore Road

Cambridge CB14ADUnited Kingdom

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use this Book 2The Storm of Greshlyrr (Bill Connors) 3

Armies 7Those Who Forget the Past (Christopher Mortika) 8

Armies 14Maps 14

The Hand of Tyr (Rick Reid) 15Armies 24Map 23

Rumors of War (Scott Bennie) 25Armies 31

Battle of the Five Crowns (John Terra) 32Armies 37Map 37

The Khan's Mighty Army (Jay Batista) 38Armies 43

The Gratitude of Princes (Roy Schelper) 44Armies 51Maps 50

The Final Battle (Rick Swan) 52Armies 60Map Inside front cover

FirefightsThe First (and last) Charge of the Dwarven Air Cavalry 61

Armies 64Troll Bridge 62

Annies 64The Defense of Halfling Vale 63

Armies 64Combined Monster Statistics Table Inside back cover

Sam

ple

file

How to Use this Book

This product provides the referee witheight interrelated battle/adventures. Eachscenario includes a BATTLESYSTEM™Fantasy Combat Supplement miniaturesbattle and an AD&D® game role-playingadventure related to the battle. In somecases the adventure leads to the battle, inothers the adventure takes place duringthe battle.

Although each scenario is designed tostand alone, all eight can be played togeth-er as a mini-campaign. The scenarios arepresented in chronological order and getprogressively more difficult for both play-ers and characters. This will give playersand referees time to become familiar withthe BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy CombatSupplement rules and the challenges ofbattlefield command.

This product also includes three smallerscenarios—Firefights. The Firefights are ofmedian difficulty and can be played sepa-rately or inserted into a campaign.

If you decide to use this product as amini-campaign you will have somework to do, adding material to bridgethe gaps between scenarios. Mostimportantly, you will have to provideyour PCs with reasons for being wherethe action is. The locations are provid-ed for you, but you will have to get the

PCs there. Perhaps just as importantly,you will have to pace your campaign sothe PCs do not find themselvesinvolved in adventures they can't han-dle. Be sure to read the entire productbefore you start play.

Background for the DMThe dread, brooding citadel of Khin-Oin towers 20 miles above the diseasedplains of Oinos, the uppermost Gloomof Hades.

The Khin-Oin, or Wasting Tower, isthe seat of the oinodaemon, Anthraxus,ruler (nominally) of the Middle Planesand all of daemonkind. Anthraxus's ruleis not easy or quiet. The oinodaemonmust discourage or oppose invasionsfrom the Abyss or the Hells, keep orderamong his unruly, vainglorious subjects,and resist endless attempts to unseat him.Anthraxus, jealously guarding his power,is always wary of ambitious vassals whomight acquire enough power to usurp hisrule, just as he usurped the oinodaemonwho proceeded him.

One such vassal is the arcanadaemonYrkhetep, who has shown unusualinterest in the Prime Material Plane—specifically the lands of the ForgottenRealms which surround the Vilhon

Reach. Whatever Yrkhetep is up to inthe Forgotten Realms, Anthraxus rea-soned, it would be best if the effort fails.

Anthraxus has reasoned correctly.Yrkhetep, like all powerful daemons,has coveted Anthraxus's power for mil-lennia, and he means to have it. Yrkhe-tep has plans to build an invinciblearmy spearheaded by an indestructibleweapon—the Infinity Train. Yrkhetepbelieves that such an army can do thehitherto impossible: lay siege to theKhin-Oin and win.

To provide souls to power the Train,and to train veteran troops for thesiege, Yrkhetep is exhorting evil crea-tures living in the Turmish/Chondatharea to go to war. Anthraxus has deter-mined to stop Yrkhetep before he canbecome a threat, but he is initiallyunaware of the Train or Yrkhetep'sdesire for souls. Anthraxus intervenesby subtly manipulating events to aidthe side of good (and the PCs). Ofcourse, Anthraxus won't mind if theforces of good are decimated whileopposing Yrkhetep.

When Anthraxus finally learns thefull extent of Yrkhetep's plans, he luresthe PCs into Hades itself to confrontYrkhetep directly.

Sam

ple

file

The Storm of Greshlyrr

OverviewThis adventure is designed for a groupof 4 to 8 characters of 2d to 3d level.The entire party should be of goodalignment, although they may be law-ful, neutral, or chaotic as desired. Themembers of this party should representa wide variety of character classes.

All of the events in this adventure areset in the land of Turmish. The adven-ture begins with the party travelingthrough the region on business. Theexact nature of this business is up to thereferee. It should be important enoughto insure that the players will undertakethe journey, but not so pressing as tomake it impossible for the party to stopfor a brief period while enroute.

The party is forced to seek shelterfrom a fierce storm. Coming across asmall cave, they duck inside, only todiscover that it is the entrance to akobold lair. Moving into the nest, theyfind that it is defended by only a hand-ful of guards, women, and children.With no difficulty, they overcome theresistance offered and loot the warrens.

Unbeknownst to the party, thekobold nest is so poorly defended onlybecause the majority of the inhabitantshave gone to attack a nearby band ofgoblins.

Upon leaving, they resume their tripand eventually come to the small townof Gildenglade. The folk of Gildengladedo not greet the news of the characters'raid on the kobolds with delight, asexpected, but are instantly scornful.

It is explained to them that a truce hasexisted for years between the koboldclan and the townsfolk. The actions ofthe adventurers may well bring this per-iod of peaceful coexistence to a suddenend.

The characters are ordered to returnall of the treasures which they havelooted to Greshlyrr, the kobold chief.The gnomes of Gildenglade will supplya messenger to transport the goods.

The return of the valuables makes nodifference to the kobolds, who sendtheir armies to Gildenglade with ordersto raze it to the ground. For them, there

can be no response to this great insultbut war.

The Storm BuildsThe party is traveling through the richfields of Turmish. The referee is free touse any means desired to bring them tothis point. Some suggestions: the deliv-ery of a message to a noble in the area,rumors of a dangerous monster whichneeds to be defeated, or simple tourism.

As they travel, the party sees theimpressive efforts of local farmers, thefields are in excellent shape, and theharvest promises to be most plentiful.The people of the land seem to be kindand honest, providing food and waterfor the party whenever they stop andrequest it. The only fee for these serv-ices is a few hours of conversation andthe telling of some stories about theirpast adventures.

As they ride onward, the fields grad-ually give way to light woods, whichare dotted with occasional fruit trees,and the road becomes less well used.Just as the territory around themchanges, so does the weather. A windbegins to pick up and the skies begin toturn gray.

By the time the trees about them havethickened into a heavy wood, a gentlerain has begun to fall. Within minutes,the rain has become a veritable cascadeand the wind batters the characterswith sudden, powerful gusts.

No matter how great their desire topress on, the weather quickly makestravel impossible for the party.Although the protection offered by thetrees reduced the ferocity of the storm,they are quickly drenched, leavingthem with no option but to seek shelter.

Luck is with them, for they quicklyspot a small trail which leads fartherinto the woods. Following this promiseof protection, they come to the mouthof a cave. It looks to be large enough tohold the entire band of adventurerswith only a little crowding.

GreshlyrrGreshlyrr is an unusually strong andintelligent kobold. He is cunning andcruel, taking great joy in the sufferingand hardship which he brings upon oth-ers. However, he feels a responsibilityto his tribe.

During his ten-year rule as chief ofthe Scything Claw tribe, Greshlyrr hasbrought his people to a level of civiliza-tion unknown to other kobolds.Although individual members of thenest are every bit as savage and viciousas their peers elsewhere in the ForgottenRealms, the group behaves far better asa whole.

Greshlyrr has managed to accom-plish this feat through his strong per-sonality and his people's belief that hehas been granted a special position inthe eyes of Kurtulmak, the kobold dei-ty. They believe this because Greshlyrronce found a masterfully crafted (bykobold standards) figurine of Kur-tulmak in an abandoned den. Only sec-onds after he had recovered it and leftthe area, the caves collapsed in anearthquake. The fact that he emergedunharmed from this near-fatal encount-er was ample proof of Greshlyrr'sdivine favor.

Shortly after Greshlyrr came topower, the tribe encountered thegnomes of nearby Gildenglade. As isthe norm in such meetings, violence

Sam

ple

file

The Storm of Creshlyrr

broke out. For several years, the twogroups exchanged futile attacks andskirmishes which resolved nothing. Inthe end, they settled into an unofficial,but mutually accepted, truce. To thisday, the agreement has remainedunbroken.

Greshlyrr always carries his prizedshield, Blade Turner, a sturdy constructof wood and wicker with the bloodytalon glyph of his tribe painted on itscenter. He normally fights with a smallscimitar or axe.

Greshlyrr: AC 5; Move 6"; HD1; hp7; THACO19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; AL LE);AR 34; Rank Army; CR 9"; CB 0.

The Scything ClawGreshlyrr's tribe is, by kobold stand-ards, quite civilized. Of course, thatisn't saying much in human terms, butit is significant, and the referee shouldtake it into account. This doesn't meanthat the individuals are unusualkobolds, only that Greshlyrr's influenceover them has been beneficial.

The Scything Claw tribe has roughly700 kobolds. Of these, about 250 arewoman and children who do not nor-mally become involved in the tribe'smilitary affairs.

The Storm RisesAs the characters enter the mouth of thecave, they find a trio of kobold guardsstanding watch there. Actually, "stand-ing watch" is an exaggeration. Two areplaying a dice game in one corner whilethe third snores restf ully next to a smallfire which has been started to keep outthe storm's chill.

Upon spotting the characters, theguards move to resume their duties asquickly as possible. Two of themattack, while the third produces a keyand runs for a door set into the wall atthe back of the cave. If he can getthrough it, he will flee into the lair andalert the others that they are underattack. That is not likely to make muchdifference, however, because of the cal-

iber of the kobold forces within.After the characters have dealt with

the guards at the entrance, they willfind that the large rusty key carried byone of them fits into a lock on a heavystone door at the shadowy back of thechamber. When the key is inserted andturned, the door can be pushed asidewith a minimum of grinding and scrap-ing.

Once beyond this portal, the charac-ters will find themselves in a long tun-nel. Its rough construction is typical ofthe kobold craftsmen who built it, as isthe foul stench in the dank air. The slickfloor and poor air will make the descentvery uncomfortable for the characters,but their most pressing problem will bethe size of the corridor. Its height variesfrom 4 to 5 feet along its entire length.Similarly, the width is minimal, rangingfrom 3 to 4 feet.

The party can only hope that theinner chambers will be more spacious,as anyone fighting in such confinedquarters will be greatly handicapped.This is not the case, however; the entirecomplex is similarly cramped. Doors inthe caves are even more uncomforta-ble, being about 6 inches lower and nar-rower, on the average, than thecorridors.

As the party explores the tunnelswhich are home to the Scything Clawtribe, they find them to be almostdeserted. Here and there, periodicresistance will be offered by smallbands of kobolds, but this will be mini-mal and easily overcome. The warriorsencountered will be older and in poorphysical condition. Often, they willhave been badly injured previously andare clearly unfit for normal militaryoperations, for example; a kobold witha missing hand, a bad limp, or one whohas lost an eye. The referee should go tosome lengths to make it obvious to theplayers that they are fighting the secondstring.

After several encounters with pathet-ic kobolds the characters come acrossthe only well-organized defense in thecaves. A force of 11 kobolds has assem-bled outside of the center of the nest and

fights boldly to drive off the invaders. Itshould be a far more even battle thanthe others, but still fairly one-sided.

The referee should draw up somesimple maps of the cavern complex. Forthe most part it is quite basic, but thereare a few rooms which must be includ-ed:

The Temple: This is a large chamberwith a high ceiling (almost 6 feet). Acrude etching, depicting a large koboldwith a long tail that ends in a stingerand with a slender spear clutched in hishands, has been crafted on the northernwall. A small stone altar stands beforethe carving and holds two black candlesset atop gnomish skulls.

Standing on the center of the altar,between the candles, is a figurine. It isonly about 6 inches tall and is carved ofpure obsidian. The statue is of Kur-tulmak, the kobold god, whose imagealso adorns the northern wall. Thisobject is of no great value and will bringonly about 100 gold pieces on the openmarket, but it is the single most impor-tant object in the entire lair.

The Hatchery: At the core of thecaverns is a large room which is keptvery humid and warm by a hot springbubbling up in one corner. The wallsare covered with moisture and the air isthick with fog. In the center of thischamber are mounds of kobold eggs.At any given time there are roughly 150of them in here. It is here that the sur-viving kobolds have erected their finaldefense. They have gone to greatlengths to protect this room and its pre-cious contents.

A single tunnel leads into the roomfrom the rest of the complex, and it hasbeen rigged with a variety of impro-vised traps (see DMG, appendix G forexamples). Any thief can spot and dis-arm them easily (+25% to Find/Remove Traps ability). Only half thetraps actually work, and none inflictmore than Id6 points of damage. Eachaffects only a single character.

Once the players have fought theirway through the 11 guards who have

Sam

ple

file

The Storm of Greshlyrr

stationed themselves as a last line ofdefense for the eggs, they are free todestroy or take as many of them as theylike. Kobold eggs have little or no mar-ket value and weigh about 2 poundseach. They are fragile, and care must betaken if they are to be taken out of thenest intact.

The Barracks: There are three bar-racks in the tunnels which are home tothe warrior population. When the char-acters find these, it should be obviousthat the majority of the kobolds areelsewhere. There are numerous rackswhich look to have been designed forthe storage of arms and armor, but theyare mostly empty. A few broken or bad-ly maintained items remain behind.

The barracks contain an assortmentof personal belongings, including amodest amount of treasure—2,000 cpand 1,000 sp. This is made up of smallingots of precious metal, and variouscoins. The only other item of value inthe entire complex is the figurine ofKurtulmak from the temple.

The Storm BreaksGreshlyrr and his forces return to the nestonly an hour after the characters haveleft. The triumph of his forces over thegoblin raiders has done wonders formorale, and all are eager to return anddisplay their newly acquired trophies.

When they enter the nest, it quicklybecomes obvious that their home hasbeen attacked and ransacked. Ragequickly spreads through the warriors asthey hear stories of the invaders and thelooting of the caverns.

The last straw, however, is the theftof the figurine from the temple. Therecan be no other course of action, thethieves must be hunted down anddestroyed, no matter what the cost. Alleyes turn to Greshlyrr for guidance.

Greshlyrr looks around the cavesand examines the various scenes whichmark the adventurers' visit. He makes acareful study of the evidence and comesto a conclusion: the trust has beenbetrayed.

The gnomes, Greshlyrr reasons,must have hired these mercenaries andsent them to destroy his people. Theyhave been watching, no doubt, andwaiting for a time when the attackcould be made.

Within hours, Greshlyrr leads histroops to another battle. This time, thegrim determination which inspiredthem against the goblins has beenreplaced by the traditional racial hatredwhich all kobolds feel for gnomes.

Eye of the StormUpon leaving the kobold warrens, thecharacters will find that the storm haspassed. The sky is still dotted with grayclouds, but they are breaking up andthe sun is visible through the thick treesoverhead.

Although the ground is slick and theway is broken by large puddles, theparty is able to resume their travels andmake fairly good time.

They have only been on the road foran hour or so when the trees about themthin slightly. In a few miles, the roadhas once again become well tended andshows signs of frequent use. Shortlythereafter, they come upon a few scat-tered farms and small homes at the out-skirts of a small village.

The town of Gildenglade is a quietsettlement of gnomes who make theirlivings mostly by farming or as crafts-men. The village is composed primarilyof earthen mounds and burrows whichhouse individuals and small businesses.There are a few above-ground struc-tures, like the Tallstrider Inn and PublicHouse which seems to be the social cen-ter of the area.

The travelers are greeted with looksof curiosity as they enter town, but alsowith smiles and waves. For the mostpart, the people of this community arefriendly and open to those on the roads.

Lodging at the inn is easily obtained,as is a hearty meal in the public house,at moderate rates. Dinner consists of agood stew made from lamb and vegeta-bles, which is seasoned with localherbs. Fresh bread is served with the

meal. The wholesome repast quicklyfills the hall with its aroma. Followingthe meal, a fine dessert of fruits and piesis brought forth.

Afterward, as pipes begin appearingaround the room, the travelers areurged to tell of their adventures on theroad. Their stories are eagerly andintently taken in by the crowd; untilthey tell of the kobold nest. As theyexplain the events which preceded theircoming, the mood of the crowd turnsdark. By the time the characters havefinished their tale, there is not a smilingface in the room.

Thunder in GildengladeThe people of Gildenglade confront thepoor travelers fiercely. They explain, inno uncertain terms, that the charactershave done a horrible thing. As the partylistens, Benjin Earthforger steps for-ward and identifies himself as thepatron of the clans who dwell inGildenglade.

He explains that there is no choice inthe matter; the characters must return allof the items removed from the koboldlair. It is hoped that these measures willbe enough to satisfy Greshlyrr. The char-acters have no choice but to obey, as theentire populace of Gildenglade will beagainst them if they refuse.

As the sun sinks from sight, Benjinrecruits a gnomish soldier from thetown militia to carry the treasure back.The soldier is a brave-looking fellowwith defiant eyes who rides a swiftpony. The party's treasure is stored inhis saddle bags, and, as the sun van-ishes for the night, he sets out upon theroad. Minutes later, the moon breaksabove the horizon and spreads its cold,pale glow across the village.

The Storm RagesSeveral hours pass as the characters andtownsfolk wait for the messenger'sreturn. In Gildenglade, the tensionmounts. Throughout the village,gnomes make ready for battle. In theevent that Greshlyrr should turn down

Sam

ple

file