January 2011

The Unofficial Magazine of First Edition Gaming (1978 edition)

Swords & Wizardry “Original Edition” Gaming (1974-1977)
and
Fantasy Retro-Clones

2 Editor’s Note, Matt Finch

2 Adventuring at Conventions, Tim Kask
3 Teach Your Children, Bill Webb
6 Out of the Bag: Generating Encounters with
Scrabble Tiles, Jim Pacek
9 Dark Gods, Al Krombach
12 WhiteBox Weaponry, Richard Lionheart
18 Where Dwells the Mountain God, Bill Silvey
28 Operation Unfathomable, Jason Sholtis
49 Weird Watery Magic of Vats and Pools,
Richard Hart
53 Five Portable Rooms, Andrew Trent
56 Magic Items of the High Seas, James E.
Bobb and Kim Nicholson
57 ‘Don’t Touch Anything’: Traps in Swords &
Wizardry WhiteBox Edition, Scott A.
Murray
59 Sorcerous Servitors, Jason Sholtis
61 NPCs of Note, Rob Hewlett
62 The Bestiary, Matt Finch
62 Legal
63 Forthcoming Publications

Cover Art: Kevin Vito

Interior Art: Jason Braun (1), Matt Finch (15, 51), Paul Fini (18), John Larry and Jason Sholtis (28-46), Robert S.
Conley (map 47)

Any mention of D&D or other trademarks is to identify of a set of rules that have no non-trademarked name. It is not to be considered “use” of
the trademark, nor to be construed as a statement of compatibility under the terms of the Open Gaming License

“DM,” and “D&D” are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are mentioned without permission. This magazine is not affiliated with
Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and makes no claim upon such trademarks.

Copyright Matthew J. Finch, 2010-2011, all rights reserved. Copyright information on individual articles and artwork is included at the end of the
magazine.
 Doug Rhea and his crew of henchmen do a great job,
and have had several “names” on hand each time.)

This issue of the magazine has been a long time I have been somewhat surprised to discover that
coming – so long, in fact, that many people have some enter an adventure run by a “name” looking for
been wondering if the whole magazine had been a glorious PC death. The Tower of Gygax event at
discontinued. The answer to that is a resounding GenCon is perhaps the most extreme example of this;
“Nope.” What happened to delay the fifth issue of the I have overheard players comparing notes on who
magazine wasn’t actually about the magazine at all; it killed whom. I even overheard one young man
had to do with the fact that I was transitioning the crowing that I had killed him five times in ToG. I
Swords & Wizardry game over to Frog God Games, must admit that the discovery, on my part, of this
writing the “Complete” version of the game, touching mindset threw me for a loop. However, it is cool. It is
up several of the old products into the Frog God supposed to be all about having fun, after all.
Games format, and writing new material to go along
with the launch of the Complete Rules. As a result, For myself, I would be trying to pit my skills and
the magazine got pushed to the side because of time game-play against the DM so as to survive, and
constraints. My bad. “outwit” the DM.

This issue #5 is in many ways a transition issue of the Having done several of these “one-offs” in the past
magazine. In the future, Frog God Games will be couple of years myself, I know that I am not nearly as
picking up a lot of the editorial burdens involved in hard on the PCs at a con, just there to have some fun,
producing the magazine. The effects of this, however, as I might be on players in my campaign. I have
don’t show in this particular issue, which I’ve edited debated the issue on Dragonsfoot; go more lethal or
myself, as well as doing the layout. not? I think I have found the right balance, but I am
never sure. I can run the same adventure twice with
There is one final change which loyal readers will two different groups and have one end up a TPK, and
note, which is that there aren’t any advertisements for the other succeed.
blogs or anything that isn’t an announcement of book
publications. That’s due to the requirements of I know that some sign up for this type of event
sending the magazine by media mail. If we have simply to study another DMs technique, and I
advertisements, the magazine isn’t eligible for media applaud that. All of us can learn from each other.
mail, which (in the USA at least) increases shipping
costs to the readers. The subject that came up most frequently in these
talks about convention adventures was the conduct of
Enjoy the issue, and look forward to more excellent the players themselves. I have seen what they were
issues in the future! grousing about, but I do not necessarily agree with
them. I will give two cases, but before I do, we need
Matt to remember how it was for us when gaming, and
RPGing, were new and wondrous.

First case: Usurpation of Leadership. Thrown

together into party, it takes a while to figure out how
the players fit together. These things come about
gradually with a group that plays together regularly;
that is a luxury con games do not have. If it seems
like just one or two want to do the “calling” (i.e.,
speaking for the group or questioning for the group),
there is usually no problem. The situation becomes
What is the goal? What are the standards?
stickier when five or six players, who each may well
be their groups “caller,” insist on that prerogative
Editorial by Tim Kask now. That problem pales in comparison to the
Sifting through thoughts and feelings after my recent dilemma a group finds itself in when one player
trip to NorTex RPGCon, I focused on one topic that I simply bulls his way to the forefront and seizes the
had discussed with several attendees while there: mantle of authority. The problem compounds
what is the proper etiquette one should expect or exponentially when the player acts like a d**k and
practice at a one-off adventure? To answer that, you alienates the whole group. What do you do? Effect a
must first determine the motivation for players to coup and kill the PC?
sign up. (It should be pointed out here that NTRPGC
is a small, very well run event in a nice cozy venue.
The worst thing that can then happen is for that learn what type of behavior was appropriate in any
player to declare that he is being a d**k as a function given situation.
of “playing the role,” as if that shallow façade
legitimizes ruining the fun for the rest of the group. “Gaming,” from its inception with Tactics II, right up
As a DM, I hate being arbitrary for no compelling to today, attracts geniuses, ordinary folks, misfits,
reason and appreciate that someone may have paid to and socially uncomfortable people as a place where
play in my game. If I get uppity and toss/kill a player, they can be themselves and we can all embrace each
should they get their money back? How can I, as other and our diversity. For me, it happened when
DM, say to someone that I am going to take away another A-student in my 6th grade class discovered
from him what he has fun doing? (My guess is that AH’s D-Day. Now the two of us could do something
this player does not act like a d**k with his home together where we could be as smart as we wanted to
group; if he did, he would not have a group to play be and not derided as “brains” or “teacher’s pets.” I
with.) have heard, from their own mouths, dozens of tales of
what a great social influence D&D was for people in
Nevertheless, and this is a big one, the “RP” in RPG their youth. That is perhaps the one aspect that makes
stands for role-playing. Just because they might be a me the proudest about what we created at TSR; we
bad actor does not mean that they are not pursuing created a social network before it became a
what they perceive to be “acting.” buzzword.
I overheard several grognards grousing about having
to “play with kids,” and had a few bring up the topic So, the next time you sign up for a con adventure,
in chatting. Well, we were all kids once, too. It would and think yourself “stuck” with an attention-hog or a
do us all good to think back what pushed our buttons squealing kid, give ‘em a break and try to remember
when RPGing was fun, and new and exciting. I will when it was exciting and new, and envy them for the
bet we got loud. I will bet we blurted out ill-advised enthusiasm that so many of us have sublimated.
suggestions for action. I will bet we all did “stupid”
things. It is called a “learning curve”; all of us had to

Editor’s Note: This final point Tim raises in his editorial, about playing with kids at a convention, happens
(completely by serendipity) to be the perfect springboard into Bill Webb’s article about gaming with kids outside the
context of a convention.

Guild Journals (for those of you younger than I they

actually came in brown paper envelopes on newsprint
paper) the other day while sorting through my game
stuff, and I saw the movie review for Star Wars…My
wife finally is making me clean out my stuff, set
aside what I want to keep and sell the rest. She keeps
Editorial by Bill Webb reminding me how lucky I am to live on a large farm,
because we have 3 BUILDINGS full of “that gaming
“Give them the kernel of an idea, a spark, a fever stuff.”
dream, a chime of something adventurous or wild.
That' s what powers this magazine. What images are I recently tried to order copies of this fine
the octane fuel when you' re writing? If you can tap publication, and having issues (likely user error on
into that - frankly, even if it's a stream-of- my part); I emailed Matt Finch to ask for assistance.
consciousness blast of ideas - then you' re hitting the We traded thoughts back and forth, and at some point
nail for this audience. They care about adventure and I offered to write an article or ten (really a column)
images and fear and treasure, runes and spells and for him. After all, I produce material for later editions
magic circles, deep dungeons and forgotten things. of the game, but we still play old style at my table.
How about describing an artifact in your purplest After getting that email from Matt, I had a “Johnny
prose, or considering the significance of some Appleseed” moment recently that I thought I would
particular demon' s sinister activities?” share. I want everyone to think on this. How many 10
Matt Finch, email to Bill Webb, June 25, 2010 year olds play WoW? How many 14 year olds play
4e? Now, how many 16 year olds play 0e?
Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…oh yeah,
wrong quote. I was looking through my old Judges
I don’t care about edition wars and whether 4e is a Needless to say, I taught her how to play. That was 2
“bad” or “good” game. What does occur to me is that years ago.
the game I play is the playground of the old (guys
like me), and that should we fail to teach a new Two weeks from the time of this writing, I had the
generation how to do that voodoo that we do, we are privilege of teaching a D&D class at my kid’s school
going to be farming nursing homes for players within camp. Eight kids signed up, ages 11-13. Jillian (now
2 decades. I shared bits of this story online, but I 8) of course signed up as a teaching assistant (and
wanted to share a few thoughts and a story. they let her, of course). Those of you who don’t play
with young kids really are missing out, I gotta tell
In 1977, I was 12, and had just learned how to play you. I took me back, I mean, back to 1977. Five of
this new game. The boys who taught me were older the kids had played 3.5 or 4.0. They looked at me like
(some as ancient as 16!), and quickly decided that I I was John Carter incarnate when I told them to roll
was to be the “dungeonmaster”, mostly because that 3d6 6 times and write down the numbers. One kid
way they got be play characters while I had to do scored a 17 strength, and almost cried when I told
most of the work. The first game I did not quite “get him “Excellent, you get +1 to hit and damage with
it”, and they all had 15th level characters very quickly. hand weapons!”
Then I read a few books, bought a copy of the new
supplement Greyhawk, and talked with the guy (his The funniest conversation revolved around “feats”.
name was Buck) who ran the rogue portion of the With the adventure underway, a kid asked me if he
local toy store; you know, the section with the weird could make a “spot check”. He gleefully rolled a die,
dice, lead models of panzer tanks and little toy declared a high number, and asked if he found a
soldiers painted in Napoleonic colors on balsa bases; secret door. I asked him what he was looking for, and
the Geek section. He sold me this cool little orange we went back and forth in a confused dialogue for a
book shrink-wrapped with a couple maps of a bit until Jillian stepped in. “No” she said, “Daddy, I
haunted mansion, carefully explaining one golden examine the stones along the wall, and feel for any
rule to me. Roll dice on the table in front of pieces that are loose or movable. Then I gently pull
everyone, every time, and let them fall where they the loose ones away and see if anything moves”.
may.
It was like a lightning bolt hit all 8 kids. They
And fall they did. Imagine the player’s surprise when suddenly got it. We kept going through the adventure
they encountered the new and improved Bill. I killed and they were actually using their minds and not just
11 player characters that next session (one guy lived their dice. They were role playing, not roll playing.
to run away on their 3rd try—there were 4 players). Now keep in mind, I am a hack and slay kind of
As time went on, they got better, and I got wilier. In guy—I mean read Rappan Athuk—but I am a firm
the old days it was a bit more DM vs. Player than believer that good questions and close examination
today. You hid treasure, they found it. You made big outweigh dice rolls. I tell a story while we play. My
monsters; they killed them, died or ran away. No one players have to help tell that story. Dice do not tell
worried about topics like “balance” or “CR/EL”, or stories. You have to outthink a good DM, you cannot
whether a first level monster had a vorpal blade. If outfight him. After about 4 hours, the kids were
the dice said they did, they did. Period. I let the dice begging me to play more. I was wiped out. One thing
fall where they did. for sure, 12 year olds have more energy than hung-
over 45 year olds (the adult campfire runs later than
Now shift forward 31 years. My oldest daughter, other activities).
Jillian, had just turned 6. She is a bit of a genius
(truly, not just dad talking here), she decided that she That’s the coolest bit you see. The DM kid, the one
wanted to learn to play daddy’s dice and miniatures who ran the 4e game for 4 of the players, asked me if
game. So she read a book, then another book. Then he could take a shot at it. I handed him a copy of
she went to the game store and rolled my dice for me. Matt’s short form rulebook, and a couple of printouts
Then she asked for her own dice. This kid was 6 of Brave Halfling Adventures books I bought, and
years old, mind you. If you want to see something spent an hour talking with them about source material
really funny, take your little kid to Gencon, have (none had ever read R.E. Howard), game theory, and
David Kenzer high-five her and have her giggle and storytelling. Two hours later, as I was semi-napping
shout “TPK!” at the top of her lungs. I think the in the next room, I heard the sounds of gaming begin
players almost wet themselves. Until she rolled a 20, anew. Those kids had forgotten all about “feats” and
again giggling with glee, and declared “I crit him in “CRs”, and were actually playing D&D. They played
the head with a hammer for 33 damage!” At 6. for 5 hours. In 5 hours, he had killed 3/7, and each
survivor had 128 experience points (see next issue
article on that).
The DM kid (I call him my “Young Apprentice” works with me on Frog God Games books) is a
now, getting laughs out of all (see, I circled back to superior Pathfinder/3.5 DM (way, way better than I
Star Wars)) is running a regular 0e game instead of would be), but I need the crutch of few rules to
4e. He is telling stories and roleplaying with the remember to tell a better story.
others instead of thoughtlessly rolling dice and
moving miniatures across the squares of a battle mat. Product Pitch Section!
I like miniatures games mind you, but roleplaying I gotta make a pitch or two for products. Most of the
games are not miniatures games. That is why when I time I won’t pitch my own stuff, but may on
got Matt’s email telling me to write whatever I felt occasion. I’ll try to do that each article. First one I am
like writing, I sent him back a note that said I wanted swearing by at the moment is then line of flavor texts
to write about his email. Let’s dissect these lines: coming from some truly nice folks called TableTop
Adventures (http://www.tabletopadventures.com/).
Give them the kernel of an idea, a spark, a fever These guys make some of the most inspiring game
dream, a chime of something adventurous or wild. aids I have ever seen. No other single item besides
They got this. The new way of thinking and playing dice is always in my game bag. Buy at least one of
opened parts of their imaginations they did not know their books (like $7 or something, I mean dirt cheap)
existed. They “felt” the part of their PCs. The “saw” and let me know what you think. The other thing I
what the DM said. It had that spark of adventure I experienced at PaizoCon last week was this little
once felt when I played this game in 1977. deck of cards called Gamemastery Plot Twist cards
(yes, a card deck). It can be found at
What images are the octane fuel when you' re http://paizo.com/gameMastery/itemPacks/v5748btpy
writing? 8b8m&source=top. This thing was incredibly fun.
This is exactly why I do what I do. The feel of the You use these cards to alter a game in progress. I am
cold wind blowing across the glacier and the icy sting not too sure how well it would work in a campaign,
of the frost giant’s axe are not lost on me. These kids but at a Con or a 1-shot game, it was a blast.
woke me back up, at least for a time, and gave me
great inspiration. Listening to the DM kid describe Hug a Frog!
scenes in such detail and tell the story was inspiring. Let me know what you would like to hear about, let
Listening to the other kids ask questions and grow the me know if I make you happy, make you sad or just
story was even more so. downright piss you off. My email is always open to
the gaming community. I can be found at
They care about adventure and images and fear and bill@talesofthefroggod.com, on the necromancer
treasure, runes and spells and magic circles, deep forums (http://necromancergames.yuku.com/), or on
dungeons and forgotten things. my website at http://talesofthefroggod.com/. Until
Image and feel are everything to me in this game. If next time, keep the faith, and may you always roll
players are not sitting on the edge of their seats, I am 20s.
failing as a DM. If you MUST have miniatures and
gridded maps to illustrate a scene, you are not doing
the job (I can use both, but don’t always need them). “…And continents of serpent-shapen trees,
Fear and wonder were present in the room, even With slimy trunks that lengthen league by league,
more so after I retired to the side room. My Young Pursue my light through ages spurned to fire
Apprentice had them spellbound. By that supreme ascendance; sorcerers,
And evil kings, predominanthly armed
With scrolls of fulvous dragon-skin whereon
How about describing an artifact in your purplest
Are worm-like runes of ever-twisting flame,
prose, or considering the significance of some Would stay me; and the sirens of the stars,
particular demon' s sinister activities? With foam-like songs from silver fragrance wrought,
This demon’s sinister activities included taking an Would lure me to their crystal reefs; and moons
artifact that was the D&D I grew up with out of the Where viper-eyed, senescent devils dwell,
closet and reintroducing it to the world. With antic gnomes abominably wise,
Heave up their icy horns across my way.
What all this means is that us old Grognards have got But naught deters me from the goal ordained
to get out more. If Buck had not taught me to DM, I By suns and eons and immortal wars,
And sung by moons and motes; the goal whose name
would never have learned to play. Teach some others
Is all the secret of forgotten glyphs
what we all learned so very long ago. Hit the local By sinful gods in torrid rubies writ
game store and run a 0e/1e game, just to see what For ending of a brazen book…”
happens. Tell some stories. I am pretty sure any Clark Ashton Smith
edition could be played properly, but the old stuff has The Hashish-Eater, or, The Apocalypse of Evil
to be. I have seen a few guys; Greg Vaughan (who
 words, whatever you draw, just plop that down on the
table. (If you get some of the unique counters like
tricks or traps, you might want to think about how
that plays out.)

Another way to do it is to choose a few tiles to

randomly determine the type of encounter. Then,
choose a variety of letters that you can use to
represent the various enemies present. (That way you
won' t have a group of kobolds ALL using the letter A
and E. Which one is she attacking again?)
By Jim Pacek
In practice, I alternate between these approaches as I
see fit.
I live in Arizona, which is known as the "land of the
sun." The views are magnificent, the humidity is low,
In the model I propose below, I make the assumption
and temperatures in the trunk of my car can get high
that the first few groups of letters are a "tribe" of
enough to bake bread. In fact, daytime temperatures
humanoids or some other "group" of beings that are
are hot enough to re-shape miniature figures into new
loosely organized together. There are 100 Scrabble
and interesting poses if they stay in the trunk too
letters in the English version of the Scrabble game
long. So, a while back, I started using Scrabble tiles
with a set number of each type of letter. Those
at the gaming table in place of minis. They don' t pack
percentages are given below. When an encounter is
the same visual punch as a huge army of painted
needed or desired, reach into the bag and grab a few
figures, but I discovered that they work really well in
letters. Compare those letters to the groupings
other ways, such as keeping track of damage (orc "J"
below.
has 5 hit points left, and orc "A" is undamaged, etc.).
They are also extremely portable if you are a GM
Mnemonics and Organization:
(like me) who often takes game sessions on the road.

Even better, it occurred to me that you can use a bag Vowels (A, E, I, O, U) 42%
This group of letters represents an encounter with
of Scrabble tiles not just to represent the monsters,
common thugs and mooks. If you' d like to spice the
but to generate the encounters, too. With a little
group up a bit, each letter can give a little clue about
experimentation, I created a system that allows me to
how the thugs are a bit different. For example,
pull tiles out of the bag, put them on the table, and
A=archer, E=experts (perhaps a bonus to hit or better
(with a little improvisation) have a unique encounter
weapons), I=infiltrators (bonus to surprise), O=oil
created for me.
throwers, U=uglies (extra tough – maybe maximum
hit points).
Here is how my system works --

Based upon the tile distribution for the standard L, D, R 14%

LDR = “Leader” (these guys are sergeants or minor
English version of the game, I' ve come up with a
leaders) L=large, D=distraction, R=ranged weapons
quick table that you can use to plan the monsters for a
given dungeon or terrain type. The table ties the
W, M, C 6%
letters to mnemonic devices that can help you
WMC = “Wizard/Mage/Cleric” (spell slingers of
remember what the letters mean when you draw
some type) W=most powerful, M=middling,
them. There' s plenty of opportunity for
C=weakest/common
improvisation within this system (a feature that I
like).
H, V, Y, F, P 10%
HVYFP = "Heavy Firepower" Each of these letters
When an encounter is called for, I' ll just grab a few
represent significant monsters or enemies that can be
tiles out of the bag and create an encounter that
found 1 or 2 at a time. They may or may not
makes sense. If I need a few extra monsters of a
combine with the groups above; Vowels (Mooks),
given type, I' ll either dig a few more out of the bag (if
LDR (Leaders), WMC (Spellcasters).
I can find them quickly) or I' ll just grab a few tiles
and write on their backs with a wet erase marker (this
B, G, N, S 15%
only works for the wooden ones).
BGNS = "Big ' uns"; These should be significant
monsters that can be found in small groups of 2 to 6;
You can use the letters “as is” if you'
d like. In other
the letters *might* have meaning for your adventure; trap), maybe not even a monster but an event or
B=brute, G=gross, N=NPCs, S=sneaky magical happening.

T 6% Trick or Trap You can also use this approach to determine “non-
standard” encounters, such as the “On The Road”
[Blank] 2% table below. Feel free to adjust the nature of each
Wild Card - if you draw this, make something weird group to suit your needs. Looking at the percentage
or wonderful happen. chance for each type of encounter can be helpful
when planning these tables.
J, X, K, Q, Z 5%
Each is a unique one-off encounter (perhaps a trick or So, here are a few takes on using my system.

Low Level Encounters (Upper High Level Encounters (Lower On The Road
levels of dungeon) levels of dungeon)
AEIOU Goblins; O=oil lobbers; U=+2 AC Bugbears; A=have flasks of acid to Oncoming Caravan (letter
from better bits of armor/max hp'
s throw; I=weapons have spider venom determines wares) A=armor,
artichokes; E=elfin wine, smoked
eel; I=firewood, produce;
O=tomatoes, onions; U=clothing,
apples
LDR Hobgoblin leaders; D=uses giant Owlbears; R=has been fitted with Bandits
centipede poison on blade; R=has poisoned razor claws by wizard
light crossbow
WMC All are shamans; Apprentices - Wilfar and Webbly - 4th Wizard leader of the bandits and
W=Hobgoblin/cleric; W=Night level; Mox and Mix - 5th level; Charr his henchmen
goblin/wizard and Chill - 6th level (they are in
charge of keeping all the ' bears in
line)
H Ogre(s) Hill Giant(s) Harpies
V Worg(s) (trained by Ogres) Baalrog Vagabonds or Gypsies
Y Giant Centipede(s) (raised by Flesh Golem(s) Hydra (4-7 heads)
shamans)
F Firebat(s) Troll(s) Friendly Wanderer
P Piercer(s) Dopplegangers Patrol from local keep
B Ghoul(s) Adult Black Dragon Bear
G Gelatinous Cube Green Slime Griffons
N NPC Party (roll on subtable) NPC Party NPC Party
S Giant Spiders Shadows Signpost
T Magic mouth "Beware the crimson Magic mouth “Go back lest ye be Terrifying Purple Worm!
fountain" doomed”
J Giant Scorpion Ogre Mage Josper, a local farmer, found
unconcious at the roadside
X Strange sounds (roll on subtable) Strange sounds (roll on subtable) Wagon breaks a wheel
K Knockout Gas (save or sleep for 2– Falling block from ceiling (save or Fallen tree blocks the road
12 turns) crushed)
Q Quasit spy for wizard on lower level Quasit spy for wizard Rockslide
Z Zombies! Alcazzar the Archmage (has Quasit Zombies! (seriously – looking for
familiar) brains!)
I'
ve created a form that you can download, edit and Jim Pacek has been playing RPGs since the summer
print out. It'
s located at my blog of 1980 when a friend introduced him to the Red
carjackedseraphim.blogspot.com. It contains some Book edition edited by the late, great Tom Moldvay.
ideas about what the letters might mean in each of the He' s been creating his own world and DMing for his
groups. Feel free to adjust them as you see fit – they friends ever since. His Queston Campaign (he' s
are suggestions only. hoping to write a sourcebook about it soon) has been
running since 1983. He' s a latecomer to the OSR, but
Another way I use the tiles is for NPCs. I especially he' s enjoying all the creative ideas percolating
like the cardboard tiles for this purpose. I use the through the blogosphere. Jim is married to Jeanne,
blue ones for “good” NPCs and the yellow ones for has three stepsons and four grandchildren. Grandpa
“evil” NPCs (usually the minions of the master Jim runs the occasional game for friends and family
villain). I just draw a letter at random and then create (including two of the grandchildren - Matt has a
a name based upon the letter. Perfectly suitable for lizardman warrior and Maddie has a dire badger).
henchmen, hirelings and minions. Once a name is
established, I will avoid using that letter for other
NPCs of the good or evil variety.

Here' s a list of quick names for your henchmen,

hirelings and minions you might want to use:

A Alec, Agaron, Amreth

B Bandor, Barsow, Belrath
C Cazgar, Caryn, Cantos Babels of blocks to the high heavens towering
D Davar, Delenn, Dundo Flames of futility swirling below;
E Elwar, Embril, Essian Poisonous fungi in brick and stone flowering,
F Farli, Fangrin, Fezzal Lanterns that shudder and death-lights that glow.
G Gond, Grangor, Gubble
H Halm, Hender, Hundspeth Black monstrous bridges across oily rivers,
I Ignatz, Issen, Ior Cobwebs of cable to nameless things spun;
J Jessup, Jahn, Jakot Catacomb deeps whose dank chaos delivers
K Karl, Kandys, Kalin Streams of live foetor that rots in the sun.
L Lyan, Lorn, Lirken
M Mardin, Morrad, Mithilin Colour and splendour, disease and decaying,
N Norn, Nurble, Nandarn Shrieking and ringing and crawling insane,
O Ort, Orrin, Obrigasst Rabbles exotic to stranger-gods praying,
P Perrin, Parbol, Purrn Jumbles of odour that stifle the brain.
Q Q'azan, Queeg, Quen
R Roz, Robin, Redgarn Legions of cats from the alleys nocturnal.
S Sarn, Shambor, Swerdlow Howling and lean in the glare of the moon,
T Tam, Turrin, Tekaril Screaming the future with mouthings infernal,
U Urdin, Ullah, Ubrik Yelling the Garden of Pluto' s red rune.
V Venna, Vara, Vhan
W Warrik, Welk, Wurnn Tall towers and pyramids ivy' d and crumbling,
X X'drin, Xant, Xxyzn Bats that swoop low in the weed-cumber' d streets;
Y Yarrill, Yuva, Yerri Bleak Arkham bridges o' er rivers whose rumbling
Z Zambor, Zenna, Zath Joins with no voice as the thick horde retreats.

On a side note, I was able to find a number of used Belfries that buckle against the moon totter,
word game copies at my local thrift store. Each box Caverns whose mouths are by mosses effac' d,
cost me only a couple of dollars. I was also able to And living to answer the wind and the water,
find a copy of the “classic wooden version” at a Only the lean cats that howl in the wastes.
neigbor' s garage sale for one dollar! The classic H.P. Lovecraft, The Cats
version has wooden tiles. The “junior” version has
thick cardboard tiles. There are several colors and
varieties. I know that there are at least two different
colors of wooden tiles and the two cardstock sets I
have are yellow and blue respectively.
 Less than a decade ago, a town of hundreds on the
northern border was discovered to have been
devastated, its inhabitants frozen where they stood,
most of them gazing with lifeless, icy eyes towards
the sky as if in terror. Historians, hearing of the
tragedy, were forced to concede that the occurrence
may very well have been the work of a deity long
thought banished from the Earth, Ghola Hoon, the
Icy Darkness. Ghola Hoon was the patron of an
empire of great evil that had formed in the vast
jungles of the southeast, eventually falling as all
empires must, and had left little but a legacy of
nightmares behind.

Who or what was responsible for stirring the god

from whatever slumber it lay idle in is unknown, but
many sages fear that if nothing is done, a new age of

! "
darkness may be looming on the horizon. So far,
investigations have led to three possible culprits: the
Temple of the Eye (a notorious assassins’ cult), the
By Al Krombach Circle of Bel’hain (a coven of dubious sorcerers and
witches), or a group of priests of Law recently
discovered to have been serving Chaos in secret. Of
Sword & Sorcery literature is rife with dark gods, course, none of these may be responsible, and the
malicious cults, and the forgotten patrons of fallen true culprit may remain safely in the shadows.
civilizations. Incorporating such entities into a
campaign is a great way to help engender an Recently, potions have appeared in underground
atmosphere of dread and uncertainty, as well as a markets referred to as the “Essence of Hoon”, a
sense of age and ages past. nectar that, once imbibed, allows the user to see in
darkness, move freely through webs or other
As cults and civilizations rise and fall, so to do the impediments, and act as if hasted, for 1d6 turns.
gods they honor. Busy, bloodstained altars are broken Whether these potions actually have anything to do
and buried, burned and forgotten. The chants of the with Ghola Hoon, or are merely an attempt to
fanatic clergies and ardent worshippers die out, capitalize on the lost god’s sudden notoriety is not
existing only in the echoes of ghosts in long known.
abandoned galleries. Vast libraries of dark knowledge
and baleful wisdom are destroyed, lost to the Rumor: The staff of the Great Library was recently
unrelenting erosion of time. found murdered, and only a rare book detailing the
Jungle Empire was discovered to be missing. Also, a
Or so civilization would like to believe. shop on Rutting Street is supposed to have three vials
of “Essence of Hoon” for sale.
Sometimes, a seed of evil remains: a faint pulse of
dark malice that squats, maundering, in subterranean
vaults or ivy-choked ruins. Rumors and hints of vast
power remain in dusty archives and histories, ready
to ensnare the greedy and tempt the weak-minded Grombe the shapeless is a terrifying dark god who
into plumbing secrets best left undisturbed. And has existed on the mortal plane for countless
when the rotted log is pushed aside and the fat grubs centuries. Once possessing its own form, the god was
of forbidden knowledge and diabolical ambition vanquished by a hero of Law, and now only its
wriggle into the wrong individual’s path, a new priest formless spirit remains. If the secret rites and
rises. And so a cult is reborn; and if the conditions sacrifices are performed, Grombe may be summoned
are right, and the proper rituals observed, so too the and take possession of the flesh of its summoner.
dark gods themselves. Through history, many horrific villains are suspected
to be nothing more than hapless fools who were
This article presents six foul deities to drop into your unwise enough to call up the Shapeless into
campaign. themselves.
 Rumor: A rune-inscribed iron gate of indescribable
Some mortal oracles and fortune-tellers flirt with cold has been discovered in the dungeons beneath a
disaster by attempting to summon Grombe into ruined keep. Any who dared touch the gate were
themselves only temporarily. Drums, chanting, and a driven insane. Also, a spy captured in the city
circle of true believers are usually necessary to barracks was discovered to bear the mark of the
perform such a feat successfully, though it rarely pitchfork branded into his chest.
works as planned. Sometimes, an oracle will awaken
days later, their hands and clothes smeared in blood, ! ! "
with no memory of what has transpired.
When mankind first came to these lands, they
Two black sapphires are known to exist, called by
sometimes stumbled across the deserted cities of a
scholars “the Eyes of Grombe”. If such a gemstone is
long-dead race. Scholars are unsure as to what
possessed by an individual, they function as a
brought about the downfall of this enigmatic people,
character of one level higher. It is not known if the
but they seem to have been dedicated to the worship
possession of one of the eyes increases the chances of
of a foully countenanced, toad-like deity always
drawing the dark god’s attention.
represented by statues of dull gray stone. Naturally,
the apparent dominance and opulence of this long-
Rumor: The chief seeress and matron of a clan of
gone race appeals to men of a certain unhealthy
wandering dervishes has turned to cannibalism. She
ambition, and so the worship of F’hluang F’ghoh
sends her agents out each night to procure her feast.
occasionally rises from obscurity to grow like a
Nonetheless, the authorities ignore her crimes
cancer upon civilization.
because she is in high demand by the local nobility.
Also, a visiting merchant is claiming to possess a
Worshippers of the Gray Toad report strange trances
book of potent Grombian prophecies.
and hallucinations of a bygone age, and are capable
of acts of great cruelty. Secret shrines to the Toad are
usually to be found deep underground, in caves or
dangerous dungeons. Most alarming to scholars,
however, is that the worship of the Toad is to be
found in almost all lands of the Earth, from the
Karkeros is among the most savage and cunning of
lowliest tribe of savages, to the highest courts of
the dark gods, and is worshipped by those who find
civilization. As the main tenets and beliefs are
such qualities desirable. Karkeros is typically
transmitted through whatever group hypnosis and
depicted as a fifteen foot tall ape-like humanoid with
hallucination the worshippers undergo, their motives
black eyes and dark reddish fur. Great tusks sprout
and designs are often only vaguely decipherable.
from his jaw, and spiraling, ram-like horns jut from
his head. When Karkeros speaks, his voice resonates
Clerics who worship the Gray Toad can often use
in your ears and in your mind at the same time.
spells normally associated with Magic Users, such as
spells of illusion or enchantment. Small statues of the
Historians claim that Karkeros was summoned up
Gray Toad have been circulated as items that bring
from a black pit of hell to do the bidding of an evil
great luck, but apparently bring only madness.
overlord. In the end, the dark god turned on its
master, and walked the earth spreading chaos and
Rumor: The head of the local Thieves’ Guild is never
death wherever it went. After some few centuries of
to be seen without his hideous statuette of some
terror and woe, the god was, at last, imprisoned out of
abominable toad-demon clutched to his chest. Also, a
time behind an impenetrable gate of rune-inscribed
ship recently drifted into port with all hands missing
iron. It is said that the worshippers of Karkeros can
save one, a maddened fellow who will do nothing but
still draw power from the slumbering tyrant, and
chant “F’hluang F’ghoh Gh’nang! F’hluang F’ghoh
some wish to free it from its arcane prison.
Gh’nang!”.
The faithful of Karkeros allow themselves to be
branded with the sign of a three-pronged pitchfork. A
few more privileged acolytes are given iron collars,
symbolizing their servitude to the Tyrant of the Pit.
The collars radiate unnatural heat, but impart to the
wearer a +2 bonus to Armor Class, as well as a
resistance to non-magical fire.
 # priests would perform still darker rituals. As the
barbarian tribes gradually settled the lands they
$ " % " conquered, new gods and religions were adopted, and
the worship of Thraldur fell from favor. Eventually,
One of the so-called Old Religions, the worship of the worship of the Eyeless King was outlawed, and
Peyleyra is mercifully uncommon, though shrines the few remaining enclaves of worship were violently
consecrated in her name are not. Any pool of water, rooted out and destroyed.
fountain, well, spring, or cistern may have been a site
of sacrifice, intentionally or not. Believed to be a And yet, the cult has somehow managed to survive
daughter of the Earth itself, Peyleyra lurks in the through the ages. At first just a few casual traditions
silent waters beneath, especially favoring those were observed, usually by professional soldiers and
waters which have never seen the light of day, and bandits; a way of attempting to ward off the dangers
the frozen, salt-rimed coastlines that have never inherent in such careers. Eventually, those with
known warmth. enough resources, and enough curiosity, began to
uncover more and more of the banned cults rituals
The cult of Peyleyra has never had a formal order of and tenets. Thraldur’s most fanatic followers are
priests, rather the occasional individual thirsty for the berserk in battle, wielding the holy axe and spear, one
power that comes from the favor of a dark god, and in each hand, as the god’s bloodlust overcomes them.
willing to perform the uncouth sacrifices necessary to A few priests have apparently managed to recover a
obtain such power. The most precious sacrifice that cache of rune-carved “Impaling Spears”. These
can be offered up to Peyleyra is a young maiden spears are +2 magical weapons, and do an additional
deliberately drowned in cold, dark water. 2d6 points of damage if a natural 20 is rolled to-hit.
Worshippers of Peyleyra may be found among the
noble houses of decadent cities, among the greediest Rumor: A company of mercenaries in the Baron’s
of merchants, and among certain more sociopathic employ carry a standard depicting a crossed axe and
orders of druids. spear. Their captain is said to have an unquenchable
thirst for blood.
Those making the proper offerings and obeisance
may harvest the Hair of Peyleyra, a thick black
seaweed that, when ingested, allows one to breathe
underwater for 1d6 hours.

Rumor: Once a month for the last four months strait, Blog Focus
the bloated body of a drowned maiden has been Beyondtheblackgate.Blogspot.com
pulled out of the capitol’s reservoir. The last maiden
was of noble blood. Further, a new dancer has been Al Krombach’s Beyond the Black Gate blog is one of
appearing at the Silk Lantern, who is said to be the the most popular blogs in the out-of-print gaming
mirror image of the Drowned Goddess. community, most likely because he tends to offer
very little in the way of chatting and commentary,
and lots and lots in the way of resources. It doesn’t
matter whether you’re playing AD&D, OD&D, Basic
D&D, a retro-clone – or frankly even if you’re
As the first great civilizations began to decline and playing a much more modern set of fantasy rules.
fall, vast hordes of barbarians swept down from the What makes Al’s blog such a powerhouse isn’t based
icy northern forests to prey on the remains. With on any particular set of rules; viewed as a whole, it’s
them they brought their darkest god, Thraldur the a phantasmagorical offering of sword & sorcery
Eyeless. The great totems depicted him as a grasping, ideas. They’re almost always presented in terms of
emaciated old man, his hair and beard choked with gaming – you aren’t left with the feeling that the blog
icicles, and his eyelids sewn shut with rawhide is about fiction first and gaming as an afterthought.
stitching. Thraldur was a hungry god, only Al’s article on Dark Gods is an excellent example of
temporarily lifting the many dooms placed upon his what you tend to encounter when looking through the
worshippers if properly sated with the blood of posts in his blog. There’s layer upon layer of this
innocents. kind of mosaic-tile imagery – the pure substance of
swords & sorcery as a genre. As a game master or
Impaling was the preferred method of sacrifice, and referee, if you haven’t taken a look at Beyond the
the fat, weak cities of crumbling empires provided Black Gate, you’re missing out on a phenomenal
many trees for the god’s “sacred groves”: vast forests creative kick-in-the-butt.
of writhing victims. Usually these “forests” were
centered about a natural cave or ravine, where the
# $ ARMOR PENETRATION
Crossbows, maces, morningstars and warhammers

# % &
are designed to pierce heavy armor or negate its
effectiveness to defend against a blow. I define
“heavy armor” as plate mail or greater protection.
By Robert Lionheart When deciding if a particular monster is heavily
armored, rely on your physical description of the
Weapons do 1d6 damage in the White Box edition of beast. Dragons are famous for scales hard as steel,
Swords & Wizardry. so that’s an easy call. Weapons specifically designed
I absolutely love this rule! Instead of looking at to penetrate armor receive a +1 “to Hit” bonus
weapons simply for their maximum damage, we can against foes in heavy armor.
consider their other qualities. I hope this article adds
more interesting options to your adventurer’s choice The flail is a special case. Flails do not have noted
for best death dealing. penetration, but are designed to ignore shields.
Against opponents with a shield, the flail gains a +1
These house rules have been inspired by many “to Hit” bonus.
sources, including the Gygaxian Weapon vs. Armor
tables, Philotomy Jurament‘s most excellent website, CLOSE COMBAT & OFF-HAND WEAPONS
Akrasia’s fighting styles article in Knockspell #1, Short impaling weapons are best when fighting in
along with forum discussions and drunken boffer tight quarters or when grappled. Attackers using
fights. These house rules were playtested extensively anything other than fists, daggers and short swords in
with Swords & Wizardry White Box, but they can be these circumstances should suffer at least a -1 “to
easily converted to your favorite old school game. Hit” penalty.

&' &( ) * ! + When fighting with two weapons, daggers, hand axes
and short swords are good off-hand choices. I
*, , # & ,- ( ) * & suggest the two-weapon fighting style grants a +1 “to
In White Box, one six-sider represents the base Hit” bonus because the primary weapon is usually the
damage of all weapons. Daggers and short swords do aggressor while the off-hand weapon is used for
1D6-1 and two-handed weapons such as battle axes, feints and parrying. At the referee’s discretion, the
pole arms and great swords do 1D6+1. In my own warrior may instead make two separate attacks, but
campaign, wooden clubs and walking staves do 1D6- with a -4 penalty to each roll.
1 damage. I also limit slings to 1D6-1 since rocks are
free and they are the only ranged weapon that does Another consideration regarding close combat
blunt damage. weapons is their lightness, quick recovery and ease in
maneuvering. The referee may wish to allow
If the damage is identical, what makes a sword Fighting Men to substitute their Dexterity bonus
different than spear? Why use a hammer instead of a instead of their Strength modifier as a “to Hit” bonus
battle axe? The answer is found in the different when using daggers and short-swords.
characteristics and tactics the weapon was designed
to achieve. Some weapons are better at penetrating DOUBLE HANDED CONTROL
heavy armor, others for breaking shields, and a few Large weapons like pole-arms and great swords must
for taking down charging cavalry. Here is a list of be gripped with both hands to wield effectively.
basic qualities: Their hefty weight earns them extra damage.
However, certain long hafted melee weapons have
• Armor Penetration the option of being used two handed to achieve
• Nocked & Readied greater control. Flails, spears, swords and war
• Set vs. Charge hammers are particularly well built for 2H control.
• Close Combat & Off-Hand A look at medieval texts and museum pieces reveals
• Parrying Blade that this long haft is the general difference in the
• Social Issues construction of the mace versus the warhammer.
• Double Handed Control
• Reach By foregoing a shield, a warrior can double hand his
• Thrown Weapon weapon to gain a +1 “to Hit” bonus with his attacks.
• Great Weapon In campaigns where small folk like gnomes need
• Reliability both hands to use anything larger than a dagger, they
would not gain this bonus.
• Utility & Tool-Usage
 additional -1. Remember that some monsters can
GREAT WEAPON parry as well.
Great weapons are large versions of melee weapons
that require both hands to wield effectively. The REACH
vast litany of pole-arms and pole-axes fit this Longer weapons allow the attacker to harm their
category. Two-handed swords include the famous opponent from a slightly safer distance. A dagger
Scottish claymore, the Arabian sham-sheer and the has a short reach. Spears and pole arms have a long
samurai’s no-daichi. A two-handed mace is often reach. Most other weapons have a medium reach.
referred to as a maul and a two-handed spear is Comparatively, small monsters generally have a short
sometimes called a pike. According to the White reach, medium sized monsters have a medium reach
Box rules, all great weapons do 1D6+1 damage. and large monsters such as ogres have a natural long
reach. The referee should consider a -1 “to Hit”
In gamer math, the +1 damage bonus is not as penalty whenever an attacker with a short reach
valuable as the +1 AC lost from not using a shield. weapon strikes against an opponent with a long reach
Also, in close quarters, great weapons are difficult (or weapon. Thus, gnomes with kitchen knives are not
impossible) to use. Thus, great weapons are often the most effective defense against rampaging ogres.
seen as poor choices. To avoid this perception, I
have experimented with giving great weapons either Traditionally, reach weapons have also allowed
a +1 “to Hit” bonus or increasing the damage bonus attackers in the second rank of battle to deliver melee
to +2, depending on the type of weapon. attacks, thus making hired spearmen worth their
weight in gold.
Knockspell author Philotomy Jurament has an
interesting option for great weapons as discussed on The downside of reach is the lack of maneuverability
his website. You roll 2D6 and keep the higher die with large weapons in tight quarters. In small
roll. This is a good method to increase damage, spaces, the dagger is king. Consider a -1 “to Hit”
while avoiding the number bloat that results from too penalty for attackers using reach weapons in arenas
many bonuses. If you enjoy this option, I suggest where there is little room to maneuver. The referee
using it with large monster attacks as well. Most will have to decide if the small space makes the use
importantly, if you want to see more 2H weapon of pole arms impossible, or just doubly penalized.
usage in your campaign, include a magical one in the
next treasure horde. Nothing changes minds faster
than a Vorpal Polearm! RELIABILITY
Some weapons are inherently sturdier than others.
NOCKED & READIED Maces are difficult to break, while staves and spears
An advantage enjoyed by bows and crossbows is they are vulnerable to snapping. Consider a -1 penalty for
can be held in a ready position that only requires a Break Weapon attacks (see below) against sturdy
flick of a finger to deliver death to the target. A weapons and a +1 bonus against weak weapons.
nocked arrow or readied quarrel could be shot before Metal shields are automatically considered sturdy.
Initiative is rolled in the first round of combat. The
referee may consider this a “wild shot” and negate What about weapons made of stone versus steel?
any “to Hit” bonuses because the archer has no time Shark-tooth swords and
to aim. The downside of nocking an arrow is that if obsidian knives can inflict the same damage as their
the archer is surprised or somehow lose their grip, iron or steel cousins. However, they are easier to
that arrow is going to launch. I love friendly fire! break. When a bone or stone weapon is targeted,
grant a +1 Break Weapon bonus to the attacker. In
PARRYING BLADES primitive campaign worlds, metal weapons may be
Defenders are assumed to be actively parrying considered quite special. If stone and bone is the
attacks. However, sometimes a character may forfeit baseline technology of the setting, iron weapons
his entire action to concentrate on knocking away would gain a strong social quality and be considered
incoming attacks, sometimes referred as total extra sturdy by comparison.
defense. Melee attacks against the parrying defender
suffer a -2 “to Hit” penalty. At the referee’s SET & BRACE VERSUS CHARGE
discretion, at higher levels the defender’s BHB could Spears and pole arms are excellent weapons against
act as the “to Hit” penalty against incoming blows, cavalry and rampaging beasts. These long impaling
reflecting the greater skill of the warrior. Among all weapons can be braced and set against incoming foes.
weapons, swords are the best for parrying. Parrying Any opponent who charges a defender who has set
with a sword increases the attacker’s penalty by an and braced suffers an immediate attack and if
successful, that attack delivers double damage. Or
instead of double damage, consider rolling two dice The cost of a modified weapon should be at least ten
and keeping the higher roll. times the base price of the weapon for each new
quality. Here is a list of Master Craft qualities:
SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Depending on the campaign setting, referees may • Balanced
wish to consider social reactions by NPCs based the • Extra Heavy
weaponry carried by an adventurer. Swords have • Serrated Blades
traditionally been associated with nobility. Not • Composite Bow
surprising since swords are crafted from iron or steel, • Hilt Basket
resources much more expensive than wood. Spears • Spiked
are the weapons of militias, savages and guards.
• Double Weapons
And in many fantasy adventures, carrying a mace
• Hooked
usually means you are a cleric!
• Unique
Polearms, flails and crossbows are clearly weapons
BALANCED
of war, certain to get a second look by the town
Craftsmen can forge weapons to be perfectly
watch. In many circumstances, a dagger’s easy
balanced, making them easier to wield and more
concealment trumps all other qualities. Swords also
accurate when thrown. Perfectly balanced daggers,
gain an additional social status if they are only
spears and hand axes gain a 20 foot range increment.
magical weapons capable of sentience. Such would
The referee may consider allowing Fighting Men to
hold their place of honor above all other implements
add their Strength bonus to damage when throwing a
of war.
balanced weapon.
THROWN WEAPON
COMPOSITE BOW
Technically, any weapon can be thrown. Daggers,
A bow may be made from composite materials, such
hand axes and spears are aerodynamic and enjoy a 10
as laminated woods, sinew and bone that strengthens
foot range increment. As much as I love hurling
the bend and pull. A composite bow gains an
swords and maces, I limit all other weapons to a 5
additional 10 foot range increment and powerful
foot range increment when thrown.
warriors can add their Strength modifier as a damage
bonus. In some campaigns, this technique may be a
UTILITY & TOOL USAGE
secret of the elves, and thus the power of their
Some weapons are also capable tools. Axes and
legendary bows. Or these may be known as “strong
warhammers can take down stuck doors and
bows” akin to the myth of Odysseus where only those
barricades where even a magical sword would be
of great muscular prowess even have a chance to pull
useless. Spears are excellent for poking and
the bowstring.
prodding anything suspicious. An oak staff is an
innocuous walking stick. A dagger doubles as the
DOUBLE WEAPONS
key utensil at most meals. Just try carving a turkey
Swords with two blades are just silly…unless the
with a katana!
blades are lasers and the wielder has horns.
However, in a world where undead skeletons are
"# $ % & ' " resistant to cutting and slashing, it may make sense
( "% ' $ for a dwarf to forge an axe-hammer that combines
Few blacksmiths have either the time, training or both a heavy blade and the flat smashing head. This
alchemical knowledge to become true weapon category could also include staves with a hidden
smiths. But some masters do exist. The reputation spike or blade that could deployed as a spear or even
of Toledo steel, the vengeful swords of Hattori- pole arms that can be broken down into interlocking
Hanzo and the legendary tales of elfin longbows parts for easy carrying.
among many other stories will cause players to seek
out their own special weapons. EXTRA HEAVY
The great weapon versions of flails, maces,
Uniquely crafted weapons are great fun, especially in morningstars and warhammers can be made extra
low magic campaigns. An innocuous +1 bonus in heavy, akin to something used by an ogre or giant.
Swords & Wizardry is notable bump, and thus the Extra heavy weapons receive an additional +1
referee is encouraged to carefully weigh these damage bonus, but attackers suffers a -1 “to Hit“
concepts before adding them to his game. penalty because of the unwieldiness of the oversized
warhead. Extra heavy weapons must be used two-
handed. Referees may disallow the use of extra
heavy weapons unless the Fighting Man has # ( )" * " "( +! ) " ' ,
extraordinary strength.
- " "# $
HILT BASKET $ ( ! $
The hilt basket is a popular addition to expensive
Every weapon is designed to damage the opponent.
swords. The curved metal protects the swordsman’s
However, some weapons have additional qualities
hand and adds bone-crunching effect to his punches.
that make them excellent tools to achieve certain
Tactically, the wielder can parry more aggressively
effects in combat. The three main special attacks
knowing his hand is safe. A sword with a hilt-basket
are Disarm, Break Weapon and Knockdown.
delivers 1D6-1 punches and are excellent for
subduing attacks when you want that guard alive.
Making attacks against a foe’s weaponry or their
The referee may also consider an additional Parrying
balance is more about the luck and skill of the
bonus.
attacker than the defender’s AC. Instead of making
any attack rolls, I suggest using the highly versatile
HOOKED
Saving Throw system instead. Since the tricks of
Flails, pole-arms, spears, and staves can be attached
battle are the domain of Fighting Men, I grant them a
with curved hooks to catch at the opponent’s
+2 bonus to these special attack saving throws in
clothing, armor or weapons. Hooked weapons
addition to either their STR or DEX bonus. Whether
receive a +1 bonus to Disarm and Knockdown
or not dwarves, elves or gnomes also receive this
attempts (see below).
bonus depends on the referee. I know the excellent
saving throws of clerics make it appear they can
SERRATED BLADE
succeed at these maneuvers at equal or greater odds
Axes, pole arms and swords can be fitted with
than a Fighting Man. This is fine. Friar Tuck would
viciously sharp serrated blades. These weapons
be proud.
receive a +1 damage bonus because the deep ridges
rip into the opponent. Saw-tooth blades have poor
Of course, the individual situation may create
armor penetration and are easily broken. Against
modifiers to this roll. Certainly these tricks are going
any breaking attempt, a serrated blade is considered
to be more difficult against an opponent of higher
weak. Also, when used against a heavily armored
skill. I suggest -1 penalty per 4 levels or HD above
foe, the attacker suffers a -1 “to Hit” penalty.
that of the attacker. Of course, the flipside bonus
versus lower skilled opponents should also be used.
SPIKED
That’s how the Lancelot disarms overzealous palace
Long vicious spikes can be built into clubs, mauls
guards instead of killing them when he visits
and warhammers. The spikes do not necessarily
Guinevere.
increase damage, but the weapon now delivers both
impaling and crushing damage which may be
At the referee’s discretion, a thrown or fired weapon
important versus some creatures. Spiked clubs are
can disarm, sunder or even trip at range. While this
cheap and nasty weapons that do a full 1D6 damage.
may appear overly cinematic, the ancient Franks
A spiked mace is called a morningstar.
were renown for hurling axes (the francisca) at the
start of battle to shatter their opponent’s shields.
UNIQUE
Unique weapons are those rare works of perfection
DISARM
that mark the masterwork of a renown craftsman.
Disarming is knocking a weapon or shield out of the
Just like DaVinci painted only one Mona Lisa, such a
hands of an enemy, leaving them defenseless. It is
weapon marks a lifetime achievement, not something
harder to disarm someone using either a shield or a
easily duplicated. These unique non-magical
two-handed weapon. Consider a -2 penalty for these
weapons gain both a +1 “to Hit” and +1 damage
attempts. Disarm attacks might also be used to
bonus. Such weapons would sell for a hundred times
knock helmets off heads, snap off amulets or cut
or even a thousand times the basic price, depending
purse strings.
on the rarity of magic items in your campaign.
Swords are easily the best weapons for disarming
foes. The swordsman’s ability to lunge, cut, thrust
and suddenly twist make defending against disarm
very difficult. Swords receive a +1 Disarm bonus.
In Ruins & Ronin, chain weapons such kusarigama,
kyoketsu shoge and nunchaku are also ideally suited
for disarming.
BREAK WEAPON ' " " -* %
Both fantasy literature and museums are strewn with
broken hafts and snapped blades. Breaking a ( ' # * )( " ) $
weapon is choosing to attack the weapon or shield of
your foe, instead of your opponent’s body. Axes are As much as Old Schoolers love simplicity, some of
best built for shattering, their chopping edge makes us enjoy complicating our games. Here is the Master
quick work of shields and spear hafts. Axes gain a Table of Basic Weapon Qualities.
+1 bonus when making a breaking attack.

Instead of worrying how much damage a crossbow MASTER TABLE OF COMPLICATIONS

can withstand versus a pole arm, I declare that all
non-magical weapons and shield have one hit point. WEAPON LIST OF BASIC
A solid blow breaks them. Why? The attacker is QUALITIES
forfeiting a chance to do damage. These effects Battle Axe +1 Break Weapon, Tool,
make combat more interesting and cinematic, thus 2H Control
the simplicity. Give it a try! Hand Axe Off-Hand, +1 Break
Weapon, Tool
Can magical weapons be broken? What a terrifying Bow Nocked Arrow, Twin
thought! Can Stormbringer shatter Excalibur? In my Wild Shots
games, a +2 weapon can make a +1 weapon suffer, Dagger Off-Hand, Thrown, Easily
but a normal weapon will never scratch an enchanted Concealed, -1 Damage,
one.
Tool
Club -1 Damage unless Spiked
KNOCK DOWN
Crossbow Armor Penetration,
Tripping an opponent flops them to the ground.
Nocked Bolt, Slow
Larger opponents and those foes with four legs (or
Reload, +1 “to Hit”
more) are harder to knock down. Consider a -2
Flail +1 Disarm, Ignores
penalty for these attempts.
Shields, 2H Control
Unless the ground has its own dangers, tripping only Mace Armor Penetration, Hard
bruises egos. Instead of damage, knock down puts to Break, Tool
the foe in a vulnerable prone position. As our games Morningstar Armor Penetration, 2H
use an abstract system that reduces the dance of Control, Tool
combat into a single roll, there is no reason to require Pole Arm Reach, +1 Knockdown,
a fallen character to spend his entire action rising and Hard to Disarm, Set vs.
readying himself. Instead, grant all attackers a +2 Charge
“to Hit” bonus against a prone target. Sling Easily Concealed, -1
Damage
Pole-arms, particularly halberds and other hooked Spear +1 Trip, Breaks Easy, 2H
spears, are excellent for trip attacks as are Asian- Control, Thrown, Set vs.
inspired chain weapons. Consider granting them a Charge
+1 Knockdown bonus. In honor of Friar Tuck, the Staff +1 Knockdown, Breaks
humble staff should also get this bonus. Easy, Tool, -1 Damage
Short Sword Off-Hand, +1 Parry, +1
TAKING THE HIT Disarm, -1 Damage
Why disarm when you can shatter just as easily? Sword Social, +1 Parry, +1
Broken weapons fetch no gold. Shattered shields are Disarm, 2H Control
useless for replacing your own. Some players may Warhammer Armor Penetration, 2H
fear these house rules because it breaks their stuff. Control, Tool
As an option, allow the adventurer the choice of
throwing their body in the way and suffering the full
damage of the attack instead of the disarm, weapon
breakage or knockdown. Choices are good and hard
choices are even better!
 & . /& $ ' ) )* "# $
I have never been happy with Rate of Fire issues with & 0 01 / 02 0 3 4
missile weapons. If a bowman can fire four arrows
in the same time a heavy crossbow can shoot off one Geomorphs are, as virtually all of us know, jigsaw pieces of
bolt, there is no reason for crossbows to exist. a map that can be fitted together to form the larger map.
Historically, the longbow was considered extremely They can be turned upside down or sideways, so even a
difficult to learn, thus the anecdote “if you want to small number of them can create a huge variety of possible
train an archer, start with his grandfather.” combinations.
Crossbows, like guns, were “point and trigger”
weapons that could be quickly mastered. There is considerable artistry involved in creating a
geomorph, because each piece has to be capable of joining
up with any of the others in any orientation.
There is no question an arrow can be strung and
nocked much faster than a bolt can be loaded and In the recent past, several geomorph artists have gotten
cranked. In White Box, the light crossbow can be together on the internet to combine their efforts, creating
fired once each round for 1D6-1 damage while the jigsaw-pieces that all follow the same “rules” – and thereby
heavy crossbow needs a round to reload and does allowing the work of several cartographers to be used
1D6+1 damage. together. It’s one of the great examples of the power of the
internet, and an example of the phenomenal generosity of
My personal solution has been to allow archers the those who are contributing their time and formidable talents
option to fire their bows once per round as a well- to this project.
aimed shot, or give them the option to “wildly shoot”
Moreover, David Millar has taken all the various tile-sets
two separate arrow attacks, but with a -2 penalty to created by the cartographers (he is one of the cartographers
each roll. Also, to emulate the concept that himself, by the way – a man of many talents), and stored
crossbows are easier to master, I grant them a +1 “to them up in a computer program which does all the
Hit” bonus in short range. combining for you. Click on the site, and you see a
complete map made up of 6 randomly-combined tiles,
In actual play, these house-rules have resulted in a selected from the contributions of several cartographers.
more interesting mix of weaponry among both
adventurers and adversaries. I hope the same The contributing artists – at this time – are David Millar (as
mentioned), Stonewerks, Dyson Logos, Risus Monkey,
happens for your future campaigns!
Talysman, Sigurd Sigurd, and Amanda Michaels.

Dave’s Mapper (the computer program):

http://www.thegriddle.net/mapper/

Blogs of the contributing cartographers:

Dyson Logos
http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/
(this is where it started)
Risus Monkey
http://www.risusmonkey.com/
Aeons & Augauries
http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/
Stonewerks
http://stonewerks.wordpress.com/

(I haven’t found blogs or sites for Amanda,

Talysman, or Sigurd).

Kudos to ALL of the artists who have been putting

this project together – the results are phenomenal,
and anyone with the slightest interest in dungeon
maps should check it out!
 An Adventure for Character Levels 7-9
For 0e, First Edition, or Swords & Wizardry
By Bill Silvey

BACKGROUND begging for aid. Gathering the last of their treasure,

they have sent for assistance. Since Tellim is a free
High in the mountains above the rolling plains of the town, no Lord is compelled to defend them. If they
Sea of Grass sits the village of Tellim. The people of are to be freed, it will be at the hand of skilled
Tellim have long kept the worship of their Gods, and adventurers…
have prospered accordingly. However, during the
last snow season, when the northern winds were START
easier than they had been, and snowfall lessened
somewhat, clerics who had gone up the mountain The journey across the Sea of Grass from your own
passes to pay respect to the dead under their cairns on city-state is uneventful. The cool, early spring of the
the roof of the world returned with an ominous new plains quickly gives way to the remnants of bitter
sermon. In the Temple of the Forgotten God, a new winter as you enter the foothills and eventually the
deity demanded obeisance. The Temple is a shunned mountain paths that lead to Tellim. The village itself
edifice a few leagues away from the village, further sits atop a flat hill, and is surrounded by a high stone
up the rocky precipices. It was abandoned ages wall topped with wooden hoardings. Given enough
before the founding of the little outpost and trading food, the place looks as though it could hold out
village that grew into Tellim. forever against an army trying to pass it by. Most of
the villagers regard you with suspicion; they wish to
This new God claims to be a living descendant of the be troubled no further. But your patrons welcome
Titans of old, returned to the mortal plane to restore you with open arms, providing you with stout
the worship of his kin. This old religion was dire and mountain horses to replace your long-legged beasts
dark: sacrifices were to be sent, both treasure and … of the open plains, as well as a place to rest. A guide
humans. At first the villagers of Tellim denounced is assigned to show you to the so-called “Temple”
the pilgrims as heretics – but no less than one day when you are ready. The town has a single tavern,
later, the Council of Elders were struck down by two smithies, a general trading post, an inn (above
some unseen force within the council hall itself, their the tavern) and other such amenities.
bodies entombed beneath an unnaturally cold sheet of
ice! NOTES FOR THE JUDGE

The surviving village leaders, fearful of what this The people of Tellim are on edge; they have been
terrible force might wreak on the townsfolk forced to surrender many of their children and much
immediately obeyed the Mountain God’s pilgrims. of their livestock and money to this new, so-called
The strongest and best mountain ewes and rams were god on the mountain. They want little trouble, and
gathered up. Terrible levies were put upon every the priesthood of this new “god” is fanatical about
villager; the town treasury was sent northward – but not raising their deity’s ire. The new priesthood is
even worst, the fairest and finest of the village youths comprised of a level 3 cleric and two acolytes (first
were hauled away as well in an attempt to appease level). All wield maces and carry shields. They have
this wrathful new god! taken over the old temple, but tokens of the new god
now adorn it. These symbols depict a blue-white
But while the mightiest of the village may have been starburst representing the sudden cold the god seems
struck down by some dark power, some of the able to mete out. They are not evil per se, but are
townsfolk sent word out to the lowland cities, driven by a fanatical devotion to the new god so as to
spare their people any further hurt. If approached by 3. Inner Sanctum
adventurers and told about the mission to depose the This is a largely bare, 30ft broad hall. Old sculptures
new god, the town militia may be called upon to eject have been removed; any painting or decoration here
the “meddlers” from the town (or worse). Most town has completely faded away over time. A discolored
militia fight as normal men, with clubs, knives, and stone can be seen on the curved northern wall.
the like. A few (ten out of the thirty or so) are armed
with swords and equipped with shields. This group The stone is an easy-to-spot concealed doorway that
fights as level 1 fighting-men and will be the first leads deeper within the temple.
responders in the event of trouble…
4. Readying Chamber
Otherwise, as noted, the villagers simply want as This is the readying chamber of one of the priests of
little trouble as possible. the new god. He is here meditating, and can observe
the outer temple through a mesh screen in the secret
You may wish to employ random outdoor encounters door that opens there. He is accompanied by four 6th
during the climb to the temple, which will take level fighting-men (AC 2, HP 28, 27, 30, 21), all of
approximately one day (sun-up to sun-down). whom wield swords. The priest is but a 4th level
cleric who will direct his bodyguard to attack while
MAP KEY he uses spells. Each fighting man carries 1d10 gold.

1. Entryway 5. Bodyguard Quarters

Around a bend, a broad natural opening in the Two of the six fighting men (currently in area #4)
mountainside can be seen. Several rough-looking sleep here; most of their equipment is unremarkable
types are around a campfire, built in the lee of the (as is the room). However, hidden beneath the bunk
opening so as to be shielded from the wind. These of one of them is a lockbox containing a necklace
men are bandits drawn to the area by rumors of with ten gems worth 10gp each; the chain is silver
treasure within the temple. They now serve those and worth 250gp. As jewelry, the entire item is
within, and will willingly attack any who approach worth 500gp. The box is trapped with a poison
without the appropriate device or password. The needle.
password is “Cloud God” – the clergy in Tellim
know the password but will not willingly give it. 6. Bodyguard Quarters
There are eight men total, all of 2nd level of fighting Similar to area #5, this room is where two guards stay
ability. They wear chainmail and carry shields. Half when not on duty with the temple staff. Beneath a
are equipped with short swords and a spear to hurl; flagstone in the middle of the room is an
the others are armed with flails. They all have 1d6 undiscovered secret hatch; inside are two vials of
gold and have 8hp each. holy water.

The entryway itself has been etched by time; no 7. Guardpost

identifying marks remain upon it. Unless previously encountered, four orcs (HP 6, 6, 7,
8) stand watch here. They are armed with sword and
2. Outer Temple shield and chain armor. The sound of fighting will
A rich curtain hangs on the western wall of this place. raise the attention of the two ogres at area #8. The
Black granite pillars stand on either side of the room. orcs carry 2d6 silver pieces each, all having
The floor is scuffed and worn from countless benefitted in their way from the looting of the
footfalls over the ages. A raised dais stands at the beleaguered village.
north end of the room; on it is a gong with the white
starburst device. 8. Ogres’ Post
Lounging in this room (unless alerted by the noise of
Striking the gong will summon four acolytes (8hp combat) is a pair of ogres (HP 15, 20) who are not
each, wearing breastplates and carrying maces). paying much attention to anything. They are both
Noise further south will alert temple guards (four armed with halberds which they use as battle axes
orcs, AC 7, HP 6, 6, 7, 8) who will come up from (treat them as +1 to hit and +1 damage due to the
area #7. The orcs carry tough nets and will throw ogres’ strength). These ogres regard the whole affair
them on characters (save v. paralysis or become of working for human goals as highly suspicious and
totally entangled for 1d4 rounds) and then try to if given quarter, will throw down a sack of 500gp and
subdue interlopers. If required, a pair of ogres that head for the exit. They will not cooperate with
dwell in area #8 will be whistled for. adventurers, and may (at the judge’s discretion)
actually wait to ambush them outside to regain their
lost gold! Note that four more of their kin lie in wait 12. Storeroom
in area #9. Here is an average storeroom; at a glance there is
nothing of interest here. Inquisitive delvers searching
9. Ogres’ Den the supplies will find much of the material wealth of
Once-fine tapestries cover the floor here as mats and Tellim in furs, amber, gems, and other trade goods.
blankets; opulent furnishings have been smashed to The total overall value is approximately 11,000gp In
near uselessness by these brutes’ constant use. The addition, notable items are:
four ogres herein will assume that any sounds of • A crate of iron spikes
battle to the south are simply the two guards in area • A barrel, half full of (unused) torches
#8 bickering or disciplining the feckless orcs in area • A crate containing six weeks of iron rations
#7. There is only a low chance (1-2 on d6) that any • A barrel holding 50 iron-tipped spears
will investigate – unless an ogre escapes to this area. • An armor stand with a full set of fine
The ogres have the usual collection of clubs, as well chainmail (not magical; it is simply well
as their gnarled fists. (HP 14, 17, 17, 19). They have made and if not worn or damaged in combat
3d10 gold pieces each. Ogre #4 wears a tarnished it is worth 25% more than the standard
silver necklace worth 200gp (but only if carefully selling price)
cleaned – it is 90% probable that to the untrained eye • A weapons rack with four short swords, six
it is mere junk). Additionally they have secreted 4 maces, and three small shields hanging on it
bloodstones worth a base of 50gp each under a plank
in the floor, in the northeast corner of the room. 13. Ogre Guardpost
These louts are more loyal to the temple than the Two foul ogres are here hunched over a stone table in
other ogres, and will not flee, instead seeking to gain the corner of the room (Judges Note: they cannot be
favor by dint of bringing prisoners (or dead seen from the hallway, as they are in the far eastern
interlopers) to the priest. corner of the room). They are both concentrating on
a game of knucklebones, each watching the other for
10. Statue signs of cheating. While they are belligerent and
In the center of this octagonal room is a fountain hateful towards each other, they will set aside
half-filled with scummy water. In the middle of the differences to deal with interlopers! Their hit points
fountain pool, on a low pedestal, stands a life-sized are 23 and 33 respectively. Both fight with iron clubs
statue of a beautiful warrior maiden, arms and deal an additional +1 points of damage due to
outstretched as if expecting an embrace. The statue their wicked strength.
is carved from some dark green stone.
14. High Priest’s Chamber
The water is foul and cold, but otherwise harmless. The apartment of the high priest of the Mountain
If someone braves the water and steps on the pedestal God. Turning his back on the old religions has paid
to touch the maiden, the statue will embrace the off for this individual – the chamber here is richly
character and draw him forward, as though for a kiss. appointed! The floors are covered in fine carpets,
Any who allow a kiss must make a saving throw and well-made furniture decorates the room.
versus poison or die immediately. After this, the Tapestries depicting a giant, blue-skinned “deity”
statue turns from jade green to pure alabaster, and standing over obedient followers decorate one wall.
resumes its beckoning pose. Any who now embrace The high priest himself is here, planning another raid
(and kiss) the statue are granted a single wish (as the on Tellim (unless alerted to the presence of
spell, at Judges’ discretion). The statue radiates a interlopers, in which case he may be encountered
strong magic aura if magic detection is employed, elsewhere). The high priest is a 9th level cleric
and has been the source of much study by those (37hp), with three attendant clerics of 5th level (HP
within the temple (although none have braved a 18, 22, 25). There are also four men-at-arms here,
dalliance with it). simple mercenaries with some considerable skill
(treat as 4th level fighting-men). All are clad in plate
11. Hall of Refuse mail. The high priest wields a +2 mace with deadly
This disgusting chamber may once have had some efficiency; the clerics are armed normally. The high
other purpose, but it is now filled with trash, broken priest’s usual tactics will be to send his attendants
pots, and the like. Fresh, bloody bones from all sorts and bodyguards in first, employing spells to keep the
of creatures are scattered about, mixed in with the party at bay accordingly. The apartments for the
garbage. A carrion crawler rests beneath the pile, attendant clerics are at areas 23-25.
having recently eaten two unwary orcs who came
here to dispose of trash. A locked (and trapped with a poisoned scything
blade) chest underneath the great throne-like chair of
the high priest holds his personal fortune: four
tourmalines worth 200gp each, a platinum necklace potion of healing. The Owl-bear likes the bottle for
of office with the holy symbol of his (former) god its red color. The creature is indifferent to occupants
worth 1100gp, a pair of sacrificial +1 daggers, a in the temple; it knows little more than that it is
potion of gaseous form (he has not identified it), and sometimes brought food and shiny coins. It might be
183 platinum pieces. The key to the chest is hidden convinced to not attack if it is given food. It is
in a carving on the chair itself, under the right currently snacking on a temple guard who wandered
armrest. into the caves.

15. Torture Chamber 17. Giant Spiders’ Lair

This dismal chamber seems to be some sort of Cobwebs hang from the walls here. A few desiccated
improvised torture chamber. A smoldering brazier skeletons dot the floor. Lurking on the ceiling are
stands in one corner; chains are attached to a large, two giant spiders (HP 18, 15) which feed on vermin
heavy, butcher-block table in the middle of the room. and any temple faithful dumb enough to wander in –
The floor is stained rust-brown and blood red, and which are few, for the location of the spiders is well
several normal kitchen and farming implements, known. They will surprise (50% chance) any
obviously used here for unsavory purposes, hang interlopers. They have no treasure.
from pegs on the walls. The room is currently
unoccupied. A faint wailing can be heard from the 18. Large Cavern
north. This is a sandy-floored room, obviously created by
some kind of cave-in. It seems now to be stable.
Areas A-F are individual cells for sacrifices, Weird footprints go off in all directions. While it
prisoners for ransom, and other doomed folk. Cell A isn’t the lair of any one creature there is a chance
is unoccupied. A (normal) dwarf, emaciated and (judge’s discretion) that a creature might be
weak, is imprisoned in cell B, the victim of a raid on wandering through on the way back to its lair after
a distant dwarven outpost in the mountains. He seeking prey.
fights as a normal man if given time to recuperate.
Cell C holds the body of a recently deceased female 19. Troll Cave
elf. In cell D sits a dispirited human, seemingly A dreadful troll (40hp) lives here, and considers itself
resigned to his fate. He is one of the temple faithful, the warden of the caves at large. It would very much
caught in an act of theft from the treasury. He is half like to kill the owl-bear in area #16, but fears the
mad and utterly Chaotic, and will reward his freedom priest might respond to the death of his “pet.” The
with treachery. He is, however, sly, and will attempt troll is willing to wait. It has a simple, evil, cunning,
to convince the party he is like the other prisoners and it has already stolen what little amount of
here. Cell E is empty. Cell F is occupied by a human treasure the spiders once had. Their numbers were
female who looks healthy but has clearly been a originally larger; but as poison little affected the troll,
“guest” in the torture chamber recently. The it simply killed off several, took what it wanted, and
maltreatment has left her crazed, but if treated kindly left.
she will recover quickly. She is actually an
experienced fighter (as 2nd level fighting-man, 11 20. Troll Treasure Room
HP) and will accompany the party if given Beneath a huge boulder in the north end of this
equipment. Cell G is unoccupied, but careful chamber is the troll’s treasure. Two potions (one of
searching of the room may reveal a loose stone in the water breathing and another of fire resistance) are in
floor. If the stone is removed, a short passage may be an iron box. A ring hauberk of fine construction
found that leads to area #42. The tunnel was dug (treat as chainmail +2), too small for the troll to wear;
long ago by the original occupants of this temple as a bag of eight gems (worth 40, 50, 50, 50, 100, 200,
an escape route should they come under siege… 200 and 500 GP respectively); a broadsword +1
(again, too small for the troll to use except as a hand
16. Owl-Bear’s Den knife); and a cursed helm of alignment changing sit in
The air in this cave has a thick, sour, rotten odor to it. a hole beneath the boulder. It will take a very strong
Out of sight in the southeastern corner a hideous group of individuals to move the boulder.
crunching and tearing sound can be heard. The room
is the lair of an owl-bear (33 HP) that moved into the 21. Unstable Area
caved-in area after the temple proper was abandoned, This room is choked with rubble approximately 3ft
but before the new cult occupied the temple. The deep. Passage to the caves beyond is possible, but
high priest sees to it that prisoners are occasionally difficult. The rocks, sand, and mud here are slippery
fed to the creature, and some small treasure is given and of uncertain stability. Once the tunnel to area
it. A filthy sack (90% chance indistinguishable from #18 is approached, there is a cumulative 10% chance
a rock unless carefully searched) holds 350gp and a (roll for each character as they proceed toward it) that
a rockslide will occur when the refuse here is 25. Dining Area
traversed. Most of the loose stuff from the walls and This is a richly appointed chamber; a 10ft long table
ceiling has already tumbled into the room, but while down the center is surrounded by comfortable chairs;
the cave-in will be mild, it will still inflict 1d12hp on a silver service is set in place for the next meal. A
each person in the room (no saving throw is allowed gong stands in the northwest corner, with a decanter
due to the difficulty of moving, much less dodging). of some kind of liquid on the sideboard next to it. A
lit oil lamp chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The
22. Doppelganger Lair brandy in the crystal decanter is (together with the
Beyond the portcullis to the west is a rough, decanter) worth 150gp; the silver service on the table
unfinished-looking chamber. A few (six) bedraggled is nothing but highly polished pewter and only worth
humans stand about with mining tools. They look to perhaps 10gp.
adventurers who approach as if waiting on orders.
However, they are not as they appear: this is a group 26. Antechamber
of doppelgangers that occupied the temple ruin for a This is a bare room, with little to distinguish it from
time before the cultists took over. Originally the any other unused place in the dungeon. A trapped
doppelgangers’ goal was to infiltrate caravans secret door leads to the temple treasure store at #26a.
passing through the mountains, spreading out to The trap consists of a scything blade which does 2-24
assimilate the unwary, but they have been thwarted points of damage to any who try to force the door. A
by the presence of the cultists. The clever shape- full 24 points of damage indicates a severed hand!
shifters may even try to alter their appearance by use
of their ESP ability to look like a long-lost friend or 26a. Treasure Room
family member to one of the adventurers. If found Chests, studded leather bags and iron strongboxes fill
out, they will fight viciously. While they but fight as the room. All appear to be locked, and indeed most
4th level men (HP 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22) they save as are. Unlocked chests contain coins of lead washed
10th level men and do 1d6 damage with their fists. with pyrite, which are (on very close inspection)
The “tools” are mere props, and useless as weapons; valueless but at a glance appear to be normal gold
the doppelgangers are not proficient with weapons at pieces. The judge should determine what chests
any rate. They will change shape rapidly to sow contain which. There are 10 locked chests or strong
confusion among party member ranks if melee boxes in the room which contain the following actual
becomes intermixed. The doppelgangers have no treasure items:
particular hatred towards anything, but regard the • 2200gp.
murder and replacement of victims as a sort of • 10 pieces of jewelry with a base value of
natural order… 100gp each.
• A book of magic-user spells containing Read
23. Supply Room Magic, Write, Levitate, Floating Disc,
Unlike other places in the temple area, this small Transmute Rock to Mud, Magic Mouth, and
room seems dry, neat, and well appointed. Dry meat Sleep. The book itself is trapped with a
hangs from hooks, kegs of wine and ale are stacked dusting of poison that rubs off on contact,
along the northern wall, and boxes of spices, bags of causing the incautious handler to fall into a
wheat and flour and dried corn line the shelves. coma for 2d10 turns. The dust is slightly too
There is enough food here to supply the temple for adhesive to be normal, and this could be
two weeks. All of it bears the mark of nearby towns noticed by close observation; magical
and settlements. detection of traps will reveal it instantly.
• 30 gems of base 10gp value
24. Kitchen • A silver service (a duplicate of the false pewter
A pair of humans in fairly good physical shape (3 HP service in the dining room at #25) – it is worth
each, fight as normal men, but only if attacked) 300 gold pieces intact, but is very bulky. The
attend this kitchen. There is little cooking going on custom-fit chest for it weighs 50 pounds alone
at the moment, and unless they are given reason to and is very bulky; it must be carried by both
believe otherwise, they will assume passersby to be handles.
residents or authorized visitors to the temple. This • A coffer of four potions. One is a potion of
pair occasionally steals food to smuggle back to the Resist Fire, another is a potion of Polymorph
prisoners at area #15 when they are relieved for the Self, two are potions of Gaseous Form. All of
day, but know if they are caught it will likely mean the bottles are marked with a painted-on black
their deaths. They have no treasure. skull and crossbones. They were put here
pending further investigation and forgotten…
• Platinum-plated bronze tablets, depicting the
triumph of some sort of huge figure riding on a
 cloud over cowering humans. The plates have side of the room, and a richly carved vanity stands
no special value, but the platinum can be near the entryway. This chamber is where the leader
separated and is worth 800gp. The plates and of the ogres – and the “concubine” of the “Mountain
the chest weigh in excess of 200 pounds. God” at area #40 resides. If the party has made any
• This curious box seems filled with junk: loud noises or bypassed this room and fought the
chipped marbles, bits of glass, bent copper ogres in areas #27-#29, she will be alerted to their
coins, etc., some 6 inches deep. However, in presence. The Concubine is a powerful ogre mage
amongst the refuse is a Figurine of Wondrous (HP: 52, AC 2) and unless totally surprised (or
Power: Marble Elephant. Only six turns of occupied in area #40, below) she will prepared for
careful searching will unearth the item (or a interlopers by shape-shifting into human form. In this
Detect Magic spell). guise she will attempt to lull adventurers into a false
• A lockbox containing 330 silver pieces and sense of security, claiming she is a princess from the
800 copper pieces, mixed together. east, being held for ransom. If the party believes her,
• A box of rags; mixed in is a Bag of Holding. she will wait for the most opportune moment (likely
in the waist-deep waters of the flooded area of the
27. Ogre Miners’ Room temple) to strike, using her formidable spell abilities
This room has the same unfinished appearance that to their devastating worst. She is sly and ruthless,
area #22 does – except it is the chamber of four and will sacrifice her kin to gain any magic items or
strong-looking ogres. The room is clustered with the treasure the party has, and to try to gain a bit more
usual junk (empty crates, broken cots and other ad- power over her master in hopes of supplanting him
hoc “furnishings”). All the ogres carry mining tools and becoming the “mountain goddess”. Her treasure
which suit their large stature. They wear leather consists of 2330 silver pieces in an iron floor safe
aprons, and can use the tools with a deadly (only she knows the correct combination) beneath the
efficiency. These ogres, more skilled than most, vanity; a +2 flame tongue sword beneath her divan;
chafe under the human leadership here and have and, concealed behind one of the tapestries, a bag of
tunneled out the ceiling with plans to leave after three diamonds, each of exquisite cut and clarity,
overpowering a few “tinyfolk” and stealing as much worth a base of 500gp each. She also wears a copper
treasure as they can carry. Their leather aprons give scroll tube around her neck as a pendant; on the scroll
them an additional +1 to their armor class and they is a 6th level Fireball spell. If asked, she will say that
strike for 1d8+1 points of damage with their picks the tube is merely a good-luck charm, and dear to her
and shovels. They currently have a collection of – she will not willingly give it up.
210sp, 35gp and two base 50gp value bloodstones
under a boulder in the corner of their room. Moving 31. Black Water
the boulder requires a total of 60 strength points (the Clearly some kind of disaster has struck this part of
four ogres can do this with ease). the temple: the stairs descend into still, black water.
The water is only 3ft deep, but this will slow
28. Ogres at Knucklebones movement to 1/4th normal. The floor is fairly rough
A pair of ogres are here, playing knucklebones. No and not too slippery, but running will surely trip even
humans as such are “allowed” here, so they will the most sure-footed adventurer. Beneath the water,
immediately leap to the attack. They have 18 and just to the outside of the pillars lining this chamber
20hp, and fight with their bare hands for 1-10 points on each side, is an encroaching green slime (0 HP,
of damage per attack. eats flesh). While the stuff will only be encountered
if those areas are approached, it is virtually
29. Bowling Alley undetectable unless stepped on directly.
A sort of nine-pins alley has been set up in this room
– well worked rock spheres are stacked at one end, 32. Meditation Chambers
and “pins” consisting of broken stone pillars are at
the other. A trio of ogres is bowling, and the noise 32a. Altar Chamber
will mask any entry from the north. The ogres can It is impossible to tell what this chamber may have
hurl the stones for 2-7 points of damage (there are once been; the damp has ruined any markings or
five rocks total), or fight normally. They have 18, frescoes along the walls. There is an alcove to the
18, and 22 hit points, and no treasure. east and another to the west. Beneath the murk, in
each alcove is a meditation altar; on each sits a
30. Concubine’s Boudoir wooden box containing a pearl of wisdom. A detect
Beyond the portcullis at the top of a short flight of magic spell will locate the pearls, but touching the
stairs is a room that seems most out of place – the tables without using any sort of magic detection will
walls are painted a calming blue, soft silk pillows dot (95% chance) knock the pearls off into the silt and
the floor, a low couch is against the wall on the far
such on the floor, forever losing these magic “god’s messengers” – they accompany raiding parties
treasures… of ogres, and drum up “converts” in nearby villages.
They are thoroughly wicked, and will attack any
32b. Fountain Chamber unrecognized persons (adventurers!) immediately.
Like the other flooded areas, whatever this large They are as powerful as any of their kind, their size
chamber was once used for is now forgotten. The and toughness gives them the equivalent of plate
water seems coldest here, and shallower (perhaps mail. They have no handy stones to hurl, but fight as
only 1ft). From the southeast, the sound of flowing 13th level fighters (HP: 44, 44, 46, 50). A (large!)
water echoes forth. A fountain, demolished by the secret passage in the east wall leads further into their
ogres early on when they were put to work by the den.
“mountain god” has run out of control and filled the
lower-floored part of the temple chambers. While the 36-39. Cloud Giant Quarters
“god” was initially furious, the water deters any over- These are the quarters of the Cloud Giant’s kin, who
curious temple faithful, and has thus not been are in area #35. Their goods are the best that have
repaired. Holes were bashed at strategic places to been looted; likewise each cloud giant keeps personal
allow the water to drain at roughly the same rate it treasure in the rooms. While the chambers are (by
fills up. Islands of rubble dot the floor here; there is cloud giant standards) tiny, and essentially the same,
otherwise nothing of interest. If the players manage the treasure differs for each giant. Note that the
to formulate a way to close the pipes, over the course giants do not also carry additional gold.
of 7-12 days the water will eventually drain out of the
temple. Part Water, Destroy Water or Lower Water Room #36 belongs to the toughest of the cloud giants;
spells can accelerate the process. locked in a huge iron chest (the giant has the key) are
1000gp, 3 gems (two 250gp tourmalines and a single
33. Ancient Treasury 2000gp jade lozenge), a +1 shield used as a scoop for
The floor here steeply slopes away to the north from the coins, a +2 warhammer, and a potion of undead
the entry. Although some sort of ramp can be felt control padded in a straw wrapper.
underfoot, it is narrow, and clearly very steep. The
water in this room is fully 10’ deep; this chamber was Room #37 contains a huge bronze jug with a leaden
the treasury of the old temple. A few gems (base stopper; only the strength of the cloud giant could
value 100gp, total of 5) dot the floor, but a search easily pry it out. Inside the jug is a cursed scroll
with appropriate measures for surviving in the cold (inflicts a disease which is fatal in 3 turns unless
water to locate them. Unless the water is disturbed, if cured with an appropriate spell or power), a scroll of
a good light source (magical) is used, similar ramps protection from lycanthropes, and a magic-user scroll
can be seen to the east and west, leading up out of the of levitation, invisibility and comprehend languages.
basin-like room.
Room #38 has a simple (large) wooden chest with a
34. Oily Water flimsy bronze lock – with a poison needle trap inside.
The water in this chamber is only 5ft or so deep. An One of the two 44 hit point giants has the key. In
oily scum floats on the surface here, as do several amongst common items (clothes, etc.) is a potion of
barrels. Clinging to the ceiling is a huge (20ft longevity.
diameter) colony of yellow mold above the entryway.
The oily scum is lamp oil; the barrels are half-full of Room #39 has no obvious containers; a hole beneath
rancid dregs of the stuff. If flame is used in this the sleeping pallet has a quiver with 10 +2 arrows
chamber, such as torches held aloft, it will ignite (there were 20; the giant used them as darts in a game
(explode!) the yellow mold, and the oil. The barrels with his fellows some time ago), and a clerical scroll
will burn furiously, adding to the conflagration as of cure serious wounds, detect magic, and holy word.
they leak into the water. All in the chamber must
make a saving throw (the fire is similar to dragons’ 40. Mountain God’s Chamber
breath) or suffer 5d6 points of damage. A successful This truly must be the chamber of the mountain god.
saving throw indicates half damage. Standing in the Everything here is done in rich blues and purples.
burning waters will inflict 2d6 points of damage. Lounging on a giant throne hewn from marble is the
The oil here will burn for six turns due to the barrels’ decadent cloud giant responsible for all of the
leakage. troubles visited upon the highland villages. He will
first taunt interlopers, and then hurl huge polished
35. Cloud Giants marble spheres at them. He wears a giant-sized +2
Standing in this huge, well-lit chamber are four giant ring of protection, in addition to his other abilities.
figures, all wearing dark blue robes. These cloud He has 68 hit points, attacks as a 13th level fighter,
giants serve their “lord” and consider themselves the and strikes for 3d10 points of damage with each blow
(also the value of hurled stones, of which there are 10 42. Escape Route (Sort of)
in a pyramid next to his throne). As mentioned This dismal cave has an opening to the east.
above, there is a 50% chance the ogre mage, Boulders dot the sandy floor here. A broken pick-axe
transmorphed as a female cloud giant, will be lies at the mouth of a sandy pit in the middle of the
present, scheming with him. If the female ogre mage room. This was the escape route of a dwarven
is slain and the cloud giant reduced to half its hit adventurer caught some time ago in a temple raid.
points, it will try to flee to area #41, slamming the He dug his way out and hoped to find his freedom…
stone door behind it, then grab the most portable
treasures and flee up the chimney. 43. Carrion Crawler’s Chamber
Another forlorn cavern, this one is filled with bones.
41. Treasure Chamber Behind the charnel heap is a carrion crawler – it
This is the cloud giant’s treasure chamber. Huge caught the unwary dwarf and dragged him to his
sacks of coins are scattered about (25,000 gold pieces doom. The creature has 18 hit points and is hungry.
in all, in many bags). Additionally, a huge (hollow) A few (100gp worth) coins are scattered through the
iron statue of a steed here is filled with 8,000 gold mess here.
pieces and brazed shut. Buried in the coins therein is
a scroll of protection from elementals. The brass 44. To the Cliff
chain that makes up the horse’s bridle has a marble This otherwise unremarkable cave smells faintly of
vial containing a potion of gaseous form. The cloud fresh, cold air. A natural tunnel leads a quarter mile
giant will seize the statue and climb up the chimney to the east, and opens on a cliff-side, some 1000 feet
in the corner of the room to escape attackers. It can above a ravine floor. The drop is sheer, but a risky
handle the statue and manage the escape ladder with descent using pitons and rope might be possible…
ease.
This ends the adventure Where Dwells the Mountain
God.

' 3 0 $ 56 #
Convention Announcement
NTRPG Con
The 3rd annual NTRPG Con will take place June 2-5 in Irving, TX (same location as last time, the Staybridge
Suites). NTRPG Con is the south'
s premier old school con, focusing on pre-2000 RPGs of all types, particularly
D&D in it's many forms. No card games, no board games, no 4e, etc. Only OOP or old school oriented games need
apply!

This year we will award the first ever Three Castles Design award for achievement in RPG design. The statuette is
stone cold gorgeous! We have had some great submissions this year and we are still going through them.

Doug and I have discussed giving out an annual NTRPG Con award for best release at the con itself. Basically, any
adventure released at the con for the first time will be eligible. We need to work on it a bit more but it looks like
we'll take votes on all submissions and give out the award sometime at the end of June, to be awarded at the next
year's con.

Reminder that registration for events goes live midnight April 15th....as some of you know events fill up VERY fast,
especially premium events.
Home Page for the Convention:
http://ntrpgcon.com/
% ' (
 % ' (
By Jason Sholtis, Illustrated by John Larrey and Jason Sholtis
A Swords & Wizardry (Core or Complete Rules) one-off adventure for 4-6 1st level characters

INTRODUCTION: map of a small section of the Underworld in the

youth’s tattered sack, along with a small golden idol
Gonzo alert! This adventure is designed for use as a depicting a little known demigod, the Worm Sultan,
convention game, a one-shot scenario pitting Shaggath-Ka. Former associates of the Prince
neophyte adventurers against competing factions confirmed that Eyraen had long fomented a terrible
ranging from beings from the far future to bizarre vengeance upon the Worm Sultan, to whom one of
demigods, set deep within the world-spanning the Prince’s most ardent lovers was sacrificed in an
megadungeon known as the Unfathomable unspeakable rite.
Underworld. Without the concerns of an ongoing
campaign to restrain the writer, and the secondary According to the map, Shaggath-Ka’s realm lies
objective (fun being number one) of demonstrating somewhere beneath the frontier territories to which
the freedom inherent in a rules-light game such as your group has traveled in search of adventure. Here,
OD&D or S&W, this adventure’s hazards are in the modest wilderness outpost you have chosen as
extreme, chances of character death (and even entire your base of operations, the Sorcerer-King’s local
party death) high, and the kitchen sink stands ready regent has put out a desperate call for the bold. By
to be tossed into the mix. Only those characters who chance, the entrance to the Underworld used by the
laugh at death need apply. Prince lies but a few hours travel into the nearby
wilderness. With perpetual internecine wars raging
While the adventure is location based, with a number on all fronts, most of the greatest heroes in the
of set encounter areas, it also features the use of Sorcerer-King’s service are occupied or very far
random event and encounter tables by means of away.
which a variety of plotlines can be developed by the
referee and players. My aim is to make the gaming Just yesterday, the local captain attempted to plumb
experience just as surprising for the referee as the these depths with a sizable force of soldiers. A half-
players. insane survivor, before rescinding his citizenship and
disappearing into the night, reported that the war
PLAYERS’ BACKGROUND: band attracted so much attention they were drawn in
to non-stop battles. The captain and his remaining
Sorcerer-King Syantides, autocrat of the ancient city- stalwarts fell in an encounter with a singular horror,
state Mur, has made a terrible blunder. The fabulous which he was either unable or unwilling to describe.
Null-rod, an anti-magical artifact of mythic
proportions, long kept safely locked away in his A smaller expedition, proceeding stealthily and
Tower Impregnable, has been taken by one of choosing battles wisely (this cannot be
Syantides’ sons, the gallant Prince Eyraen. overemphasized), may have a better chance of
success. According to the best information, the
Unable to master the mystic arts and doomed to section of the Underworld visited by the Prince’s
obscurity in the shadows of his nine (confirmed) party has been at least partially pacified and many
siblings, the Prince dedicated himself to mastering horrors destroyed. Certainly, whatever wiped out the
the arts of war and became a mighty fighting-man party remains at large, but with care, planning, and
and prominent explorer. While outfitting himself for stealth, the Null-rod may still be recoverable. The
an expedition, Eyraen discovered the Null-rod among opportunity to reclaim any treasures procured by the
his father’s substantial treasure hoard and Prince before fate overtook him should not be
appropriated the relic for use on a suicidal errand into ignored. Your newly formed company, already
the Unfathomable Underworld. planning a career in exploration, treasure hunting,
and dungeon-delving, will simply have to do. As
At some point in their delve, the Prince’s party met nominal subjects of the Sorcerer-King, you are
with some terrible fate, from which only a single officially compelled into service. However, the
hired porter escaped. This young man, his hair regent says, there shall no doubt be a princely reward
prematurely white from terror, was able to offer very for your efforts, to be determined in a face-to-face
little in the way of coherent testimony before his meeting with Syantides himself (a rare privilege
overtaxed heart gave out. Authorities found a rough indeed), should you succeed.
 Oothu (Ftr 1): HD 1; HP 6; AC 7[12]; Atk 1
With only scant clues to follow, an incomplete map longsword (1d8) or short bow (1d6); Move 12;
of a small portion of the Underworld, and a few Save 17; AL L; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.
loaned magic items, your group must find the prince, Equipment: soldier’s kit (backpack, bedroll, full
dead or alive, and return with the relic. To further waterskin, 5 days rations, flint and steel)
complicate matters, spies within the Sorcerer-King’s
government have probably already reported to their Chuthok (another ex-Zao warrior, mystified by much
nefarious masters the true nature of the relic and the in the world outside of the scope of his tribal culture):
prince’s folly. Even now, other parties may be setting Chuthok (Ftr 1): HD 1; HP 6; AC 4[15]; Atk 1
out on the same subterranean path. Time is of the longsword (1d8) or short bow (1d6); Move 12;
essence! Get thee below! Save 17; AL N; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.

A few words of encouragement from the regent: Archers (2):

Adventurers! You think yourselves brave? You call Phlonx (son of a local settler, nervous and likely to
yourselves the bold, the mighty, the daring? I call you bolt under duress):
out! Phlonx (Ftr 1): HP: 5 AC: 6 (chain) short bow AC
4[15]; Atk 1 longsword (1d8) or short bow (1d6);
Some friendly advice from the referee: Move 12; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP 1/15; Special:
Be sneaky! Run from extreme dangers! Hide when None.
running fails! In the Unfathomable Underworld there Q’tang (a steady bowman currently dedicated to
is no such thing as cowardice, only living staying drunk when off duty):
adventurers and dead ones. O’Tang (Ftr 1): HP: 5 AC: 6 (chain) short bow
AC 4[15]; Atk 1 longsword (1d8) or short bow
The Sorcerer-king’s regent in the frontier keep offers (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP 1/15;
the party the following items, as a down payment on Special: None.
their eventual reward for completion of their mission,
to be divided among the party as they see fit. These
items were commandeered from the nearby noblesse
and a few well-off retired adventurers, who wished to
avoid service.

• Sword +1
• 20 arrows +1
• 3 healing salves (1d4+1)
• 1 potion of invisibility
• Ancient charms vs. Chaos (grants bonuses
as protection from evil to the wearer)
• Stone cloaks: provides camouflage (+1 to
any checks)
• Wand of Magic Missiles: fires 2 magic
missiles per charge, 5 charges

With the local garrison heavily depleted by the

captain’s ill-advised expedition and recently
dispatched reinforcements from the south yet to
arrive, the regent can offer but two men-at-arms, two
guides, and two archers to aid the party in their
endeavor. Oothu of the Zao, a corporal of the guard,
has experience in the local wilderness and will guide
the party to the Underworld entrance some hours
away.
Spearmen (2): HD 1d6, HP 6, 6, 5, 5; AC 7[12];
Atk 1 short sword (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; AL L;
CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.

Oothu (brave and loyal expatriate warrior of the Zao

people, a tribe of hill barbarians):
REFEREE’S NOTES From a distance of 20-50 feet (1d4+1 x10), spells fail
50% of the time. The Null-rod also possesses a
Underworld Common Knowledge: simple intelligence (allowing limited telepathic
Thought by some to be as vast as the surface world, communication with whoever holds the relic) and
the Underworld runs the length and breadth of the powerful ego. Prince Eyraen found himself unable to
world and can be reached by numerous known resist the single impulse of the Null-rod: to smash
entrances deep within natural caverns, through chaos.
dormant volcanic vents, at the bottom of huge
sinkholes, via underground rivers, beneath Demigods in the Underworld: For the purposes of
subterranean kingdoms, underneath the last level of this scenario, demigods are defined loosely as any
deep dungeons, etc. etc. To the south, many of these unique supernatural entity of great physical and
entrances have long been known. While some have magical potency. These beings are occasionally
been permanently sealed by great works of spewed forth by Primal Chaos, seething away an
engineering or sorcery, others are guarded by indeterminate half-life at the center of the world, and
whatever powers or principalities rule the region. The often making their way into the more frequently
Underworld lies somewhere between reality and trodden pathways of the Underworld. Unlike many
myth, owing to the slowly deteriorating influence of traditional assumptions regarding deities, Underworld
Primal Chaos, still cooling in the core of the world. demigods are wholly corporeal, and may be
Here physical laws are more like a set of loose permanently destroyed. But, you may ask, how can
guidelines and most anything can happen. Some you incorporate such entities into a game featuring
esoteric authorities regard the Underworld as a fledgling characters, scarcely able to hold their own
nexus-point where a multiplicity of universes in a scrap with an equal number of orcs? The answer
converge and occasionally spill over into one lies in the axiom that not all that is encountered in the
another. Most religions have their own conceptions Underworld is meant to be defeated. Indeed only
of the place of the Underworld in their cosmologies. truly suicidal parties would pursue a policy of
For some, the Underworld serves as a realm of the unabashed hack-and-slash in this environment. The
dead, for others, the center of creation. Heroes aspire super-powered beings in this adventure are meant to
to one day be masterful enough to pit their strength be feared, fled from, supplicated, bargained with, and
and fortitude against the horrors of the Underworld only engaged in combat as a last, desperate,
and even then they are frequently destroyed, driven to ultimately hopeless resort. The folly of Prince Eyraen
madness, or lost forever in the unfathomable depths. stands as a material example of such pursuits.
Dead heroes (from every epoch of the world,
including those of extinct races) often leave behind Character Pool: During the course of the game there
fantastic relics and enchanted arms when they perish. will very likely be a few character deaths. Try to get
An ancient tradition, still honored in many cultures, your players to see this as a feature, a chance to
encourages aging warriors and adventurers to end experience true fear for their characters’ lives and an
their careers by setting off alone into the deeps, opportunity to ham up their last words or pitiable
smashing Chaos in its nest before succumbing to shrieks. Part of the fun of the old school style lies in
their inevitable ends. Many religions contain clauses the perpetual mortal peril of low-level play. To
entitling those who perish in the Underworld to VIP facilitate the easy re-introduction of players into the
status in the afterlife. game following some terminal incident, prior to the
game roll up a good number and variety of 1st level
The Null-rod: Created sometime in the distant past characters (and perhaps a few 2nd level clerics) to
by a forgotten people for use in their struggle against provide as needed. Players of recently deceased
Living Chaos, this 4 foot long black cylinder of characters may choose to take on the role of one of
mystically-wrought meteoric iron was empowered by the party’s hirelings and continue with play
its creators with a virus-like matrix of Primal Order, immediately, or return as a new character from the
dampening and remaking chaos in its own image. pool and await the referee’s cue. Several other
When struck by the rod, any chaos-tainted creature’s similarly-outfitted teams were dispatched from
tissues will begin to ossify, shrivel, and slough off nearby allied citadels and fortresses, and these are the
(when it is used as a hand weapon, treat the rod as a source of the replacement characters. When a back-
+3 war-hammer, +2d6 damage against Underworld up character is required, one (or more) of these
horrors and other chaos creatures). Due to the dimly adventurers shows up in some fashion in keeping
understood relationship between magic and chaos, with the current action. The new character may be
the rod also dampens or dispels enchantments as found imprisoned or unconscious, as the lone
dispel magic. Any magic item touched by the rod is survivor of another group, the recipient of a felicitous
permanently rendered non-magical. Spells cast within teleport by an allied mage, disgorged from the belly
20 feet of the rod are subject to automatic failure. of some Underworld horror, etc.
 been chewed) tunnel wall. Adventurers peering down
START the shaft will notice a pale bluish luminescence far
below. To reach the Underworld, the party must go
En Route: For the purposes of a convention game, I down the ladder in single file, a task that will take
recommend a brief description of the terrain, building considerable time and effort, for the total distance to
tension by having Oothu describe some of his past the landing below is about 1000 feet. While it is
encounters in the wilderness before fast-forwarding recommended that this descent, surely physically
the action directly to the cave entrance. challenging to attempt, go without incident, those
characters of weak constitution, especially spell-
The guide has reconnoitered twice before to the cave casters who constantly slave over their mystic tomes,
entrance (detailed below) in the recent past, and eschewing exercise in favor of more cerebral
knows that the surrounding lands are often plagued pursuits, may have to take occasional breaks, hanging
by strange terrors from below that have wandered out by their elbows and trying to shake life back into
onto the surface. He tells of an invisible giant that weakening hands. Referees who delight in destroying
routed an entire patrol before devouring both soldiers characters (or hapless NPCs) before the action really
and their horses. The swallowed men, astride their begins could always have one of the competing
half-digested steeds, nearly overran the outpost the parties (the sorcerer’s expedition, detailed below)
following day. Another patrol surveying the area grease a few ladder rungs after making their descent.
around the cave found itself face-to-face with a Save or die!
newly born demigod, a floating, glowing, writhing
ball of snakes. Driven by child-like curiosity, the RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
being, who had not yet named herself Thrantrix the
Ineffable, carefully dissected each member of the Due to the highly dangerous and changeable
patrol before assembling the available parts into a conditions in the Underworld and the presence of
ghastly, twenty-headed, reanimated servitor. These several factions all looking for the same object,
anecdotes are second-hand; Oothu himself remains referees should check for random encounters at the
untested against such nightmare creatures. beginning of each turn spent in the main
passageways. Encounters occur on a roll of 1-2 on a
This region, only a few decades since the most recent d6. In secluded caves and chambers the chances drop
Great Catastrophe caused a massive and speedy to 1 in 6. Roll a d6 again on the following table:
retreat of the glaciers that once enveloped these lands
in a mile-thick blanket of ancient ice, most closely 1-2. Roll once on the Random Events table
resembles southern Alaska in perpetual early spring. 3-4. Roll once on the Competing Parties table
The terrain is very rugged, jagged with rocky hills 5-6. Roll once on the Wandering Horrors table (only
and mountains, heavy with thick, often thorny brush, in main thoroughfares, otherwise treat as NO
and punctuated by stands of young pine. Movement ENCOUNTER)
here is reduced to a third of normal.
On the following tables, treat a repeat result as NO
Entrance: The only charted entrance to the ENCOUNTER. Each entry is detailed below.
Underworld in this region, this yawning opening at
the base of a lofty cliff face spans fully 50 feet across Random Events Table (1d6)
and is 30 feet tall. The area around the cavern mouth 1. Sudden Blackout
is partially clogged with wickedly spiked briars that 2. Whirlwind of unbidden transportation
seem to thrive in the cool, damp, and peculiar 3. Seismic gas activity
smelling breeze coming from the cave. The briars are 4. Sounds without cause
parted in two areas, obviously stomped down by 5. Cave lightning
entry into the cave by at least one sizable group. The 6. Procession of skulls
handful of identifiable footprints in the passable areas
indicate the presence of booted feet, as well as some Competing Parties Table (1d4)
three-toed claw prints of various size. 1. Professor Zabon Gormontine
2. Doctor Ephraim Thontorios
Beyond the cavernous entryway, the cave descends 3. Sorcerer’s expedition
gently, narrowing into a single cramped tunnel which 4. Thrantrix the Ineffable
terminates in a round chamber approximately 20 feet
in diameter. In the center of the floor a 6 foot wide Wandering Horrors Table (1d8)
shaft opens straight down into the depths, iron ladder 1. Mind-bats (1d2)
rungs embedded into the roughly hewn (perceptive 2. Giant centipedes (1d4)
characters might speculate that it appears to have 3. Fire-bomb Beetle
4. Flaming Hounds 3. Seismic Gas Activity: A violent but momentary
5. Bewildered White ape tremor shakes loose stalactites, topples columns, and
6. Hrrk and Krrgh, Twin Princes of the Magmen creates a number narrow cracks in the floor ahead. In
7. Chaos flies with carrion cargo the ensuing chaos, characters must make a saving
8. Psychotic Cyclops throw at +4 (adding any Dex bonuses) to avoid
damage from falling debris (1d6 damage).
Note: The use of these tables is intended to provoke Simultaneously, the fissures in the floor flood the
improvisation and surprise for the referee as well as area (20ft cube) with a scintillating gas that heals 1d6
the players. Results should be altered (or ignored) as hp upon vigorous inhalation and adds 1d6 to Strength
required by the circumstances of the game as it for 1d4 turns.
unfolds. Many entries have little bearing on the
players’ objectives and serve only to add flavor and 4. Sounds Without Cause: A terrible, resonant
texture to this conception of the underworld. gurgling followed by a series of dinosaur-sized bleats
Other entries have built-in implications that imply and warbles emanates from the passage ahead. The
plot possibilities. If pressed for time in a convention noise is loud enough to make shouting necessary for
game, the referee should freely pick and choose from communication and, if traced to its source, seems to
the entries to create maximum drama or to engineer a be coming from empty air. Touching or otherwise
satisfactory conclusion for the session. If desired, disturbing the air around this obnoxious chaotic
these encounters and events could be pre-selected to effect causes it to immediately cease. Mysterious
provide a more “programmed”, and therefore more disturbances, though frequent in the Underworld,
easily manageable, scenario. often attract attention: roll once on the Wandering
Horrors table.
Random Events Table (1d6)
5. Cave Lightning: Without warning, a deafening
1. Sudden Blackout: Without warning, the ambient thunderclap accompanies the outbreak of horizontal
lighting of the Underworld crackles and goes out, cave lightning, ricocheting around the area in a
leaving characters in a totally lightless environment. blinding flash. Each character in the immediate
After 2d4 turns the blue-green illumination just as vicinity must roll a saving throw but needs only to
suddenly returns. score higher than a 1 to avoid being struck. If any
characters or creatures fail this save, they take 5d6
2. Whirlwind of Unbidden Transportation: A damage (save again at the normal score for half
miniature twister careens wildly about the area, damage).
moving in the opposite direction as the adventurers.
Any character in its 10ft wide area of influence must 6. Procession of Skulls: Innumerable skulls of every
save or be swept up in the funnel. Unless somehow conceivable origin silently float toward the
rescued, the funnel cloud will eventually collide with adventurers, eye sockets illuminated by green
a wall, stalagmite, or some similarly immovable radiance. The skulls seek out the dead, which they
object and dissipate, depositing its contents on the surround and bathe in green light until a magical
spot. Adventurers dropped will be dazed for 1 turn effect strips the flesh from the fallen, and detaches
and unable to act. Roll 2d4-1 for the number of the skull from the rest of the body. The skull rises up
contents, then proceed to the table below. to join the procession, subsequently wandering on
towards its unknowable purpose. The skulls take no
Whirlwind Contents (roll 1d8): notice of the adventurers (except dead ones).

1. Loose change: 2d6x10 gp value

2. Unidentifiable alien skull, notable for 3 eye
sockets, 3-way mandibles lined with razor-sharp
teeth, and distended brain-case
3. Fungus-folk: 1d4, immune to whirlwind daze
effect
4. Sword +1
5. Dead Nanuits, innumerable (see Ice City of the
Nanuits, below)
6. Giant centipede, dazed
7. Tunnel prawn, dazed
8. Wax-sealed vial containing a potion of healing
Competing Parties Table (1d4)
For purposes of a convention or quick one-off game,
it would probably take too much time to track the
independent activities of the Competing Parties, and
this is not recommended unless the groups have
encountered each other and have started making
tactical decisions based on the existence of the other
group.

1. Professor Zabon Gormontine, The Robot-

master: Secretly a robot himself (from a factory-
recalled line of AI robots), Gormontine will do
anything to see to it that the Null-rod returns to the
safe-keeping of the Sorcerer-King, which will set in
motion a highly complex series of events resulting in
the ultimate elimination of magical forces in the
universe and the establishment of immutable physical
laws, which in turn ensures the rise of science and
Gormontine’s objective: the eventual triumph of the
robots after a generations-long struggle, ending in the
total extermination of all organic life. If encountered,
Gormontine will feign lawful goodness, explaining
himself as a scientist from the future desperate to
undue the damage caused by Syantides’ loss of the
relic, and attempt to fall in with the party, doing
anything he can to further their mission. The Robot
Master entered the Underworld via a home-spun time
door (see area 5, below)

Gormontine: HD 3; HP 24; AC: 5 [14] (can only

be hit by +1 or better); Atk death ray (30 ft, cone,
1d8, save for half damage) and 2 claws (1d6);
Move 12; Save 14; AL C; CL/XP: 5/240; Special:
force field generator absorbs first 10 points of
damage before it is destroyed, after first hit flesh
begins to falls away, revealing true robot identity.

Guard-bots (2): HD 2; HP 14, 9; AC: 7 [12] (can

only be hit by +1 or better); Atk 2 claws (1d6) and
hardening foam (range 30ft, 10ft area, save or be
immobilized), stun beam (range 60ft,save or fall
unconscious for 2d4 rounds); Save: 10; Move 9;
CL/XP: 4/120; Special: riot foam, stun beam. Guard Bot
 2. Dr. Ephraim Thontorius: This giant bear-man
from the future, though ferocious in appearance, is in
actuality a noted scholar and academic (decidedly not
a professional adventurer). Thontorius discovered
Gormontine’s scheme after snooping through the
Robot-master’s personal e-mails in their shared office
in the Galactic University’s department of
cosmology. Convinced by Gormontine’s dire but
seemingly irrefutable arguments, he is willing to
sacrifice the science-fantasy future he now knows; by
destroying the Null-rod to prevent the robot
apocalypse. Should he succeed, the future shall
remain firmly within the high fantasy sub-genre.
Thrown into a panic when Gormontine came up
missing, Thontorius failed to look in the closet in his
office, where he could have conveniently followed
his rival to the ancient Underworld, instead wasting
valuable time by illegally souping up his personal
flying saucer to break through the time barrier (area
8, below). Having narrowly escaped an encounter
with a huge black pudding (area 3b, below), he is
more than willing to enter into an alliance with the
adventurers, should the situation present itself.
The bear-man’s flying saucer (see area 8, below)
remains capable of traveling through space and time,
but due to inconsistencies in Thontorius’s rushed
calculations it ended up in a cavern with exits too
small to accommodate the ship. He will only use it to
return to the future upon completion of his mission.
Any other use of the ship is left to the referee’s
discretion.
The gamma gun, a common sidearm in Thontorius’
world, projects a visible wave of emerald energy,
which erupts into a spectacular green mushroom
cloud upon impact with any solid material.

Thontorius: HD 2; HP 16; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1

gamma gun (2d6) (300ft range, 36 charges) or 2
fists (1d6+1); Save 15; Move 12; AL C; CL/XP
2/30; Special: none

Professor Gormontine
 Dr. Thontorius

3. Sorcerer’s expedition: Solgum the Resplendent, Solgum (MU 6): HD 6d4; HP 14; AC 2 [17] (bracers
an on-the-rise mage who takes a great deal of pride in of defense); Atk dagger +3 (1d4); Save 10; Move 12;
his personal appearance, seeks the Null-rod for his AL C; Spells: 1: charm person, shield, detect magic,
arcane collection. Like the adventurers, he got wind sleep 2: mirror image, ESP 3: lightning bolt, haste
of Eyraen’s folly and has come to loot while the Equipment: bracers of defense AC 2 [17], potion of
looting’s good. Solgum and his amphibious crew flying, dagger +3, scroll with the following magic
entered the Underworld an hour or so ahead of the user spells: hallucinatory terrain and dispel magic.
adventurers using the same entrance. He seeks to
avoid confrontation whenever possible (lest he Newt-men (4) (see New Monsters): HD 1d4hp; HP
unnecessarily soil his fabulous garments), using his 4, 4, 3, 2; AC 9 [10]; Atk; short sword (1d6); Save
scroll of hallucinatory terrain to obscure his party 16; Move 12; AL C; CL/XP: B/10; Special: take
from view when forewarned of danger. While as evil double damage from fire, heat.
as can be, Solgum is not unreasonable, and could
enter into a very temporary alliance with the Lizard-men (2): HD 2+1; AC 5[14]; Atk 2 claws
adventurers, should the opportunity present itself. (1d3), 1 bite (1d6); Move 6 (Swim 12); Save 16;
CL/XP 2/30; Special: Breathe underwater.
4. Thrantrix the Ineffable: Wandering Horrors:
A demigod freshly born of Primal Chaos, Thrantrix
still experiments with the universe around her, 1. Mind-bats (1d4): (See New Monsters)
seeking to understand her own power and place Mind-bats: HD 2; AC 6[13]; Atk 2 claws (1d6
within the cosmos. Like most of her kind, her each); Move 14; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP: 4/40;
colossal ego cries out for approbation, and the Special: Flight, stun power (save at +2 or be
worshipful acknowledgement of her innate unable to act for 1d4-1 rounds).
superiority, by lesser beings. Now, her ranging
consciousness has detected the recent distress of 2. Giant centipedes (1d4): Adapted for life in the
fellow demigod Shaggath-Ka. Sensing weakness, Underworld, these creatures, approximately 3ft long,
Thrantrix makes her way to the Worm Sultan’s lair are scavengers as well as hunters of small prey,
where she hopes to destroy her rival and lay claim to Giant Centipede (small, non-lethal): HD 1d2hp;
his flock. In so doing, Thrantrix has found herself AC 9[10]; Atk 1 bite (0 + poison); Move 12; Save
frequently distracted by the wonders so plentiful in 18; CL/XP 1/15; Special: non-lethal poison bite
the depths. If encountered, Thrantrix appears as a (+4 save).
writhing ball of snakes suspended 6 feet in the air,
exuding an eerie yellow luminescence and addressing 3. Fire-bomb Beetle (1): (See New Monsters)
all that moves with a booming basso voice. She Fire-bomb Beetle: HD 2; HP 13; AC 5[14]; Atk 1
demands praise, worship, and unquestioning bite (1d4) and firebomb; Move 12; Save 17; AL N;
obedience from all she encounters and will settle for CL/XP 3/60; Special: Firebombs (1d6 damage,
nothing less. Only by speedy retreat can characters range 30ft., 10 ft. radius burst, save for no
hope to avoid either her service or her wrath. Her damage)
personality still being a work in progress, the
Ineffable one remains a bit unintelligible in 4. Flaming Hounds: Only the insanity of unchecked
conversation, inexperienced in the subtleties of chaotic influence over living matter could produce
communicating with beings of lesser cosmic such a senseless mockery of natural processes. A
enlightenment. Indeed, Thrantrix still attempts to pack of 12 wild dogs following a blood trail into the
command praise from unintelligent creatures like Underworld have undergone a shocking
giant centipedes, blasting them to smithereens when metamorphosis: where once lush fur sprouted from
they fail to fall to their many knees. If the adventurers their skin, tongues of flame now blaze forth, fanned
find themselves in her service, whether willfully or by their panicked stampede. The pitiable creatures
by means of her geas power, she will command them have no plan or purpose, only blind flight from an
to locate the realm of Shaggath-Ka while she attends uncanny fate they can never outrun. Unless engaged
to other business, and to return to her with the precise by the adventurers, the pack will pay them no notice.
directions (Thrantrix claims any space she occupies Should they be attacked, the creatures seek to vent
as sovereign territory, regardless of where she is their rage and terror upon their perceived enemy.
encountered). Should the adventurers accomplish
this, Thrantrix will order them to herald her arrival in Flaming Hound Pack (12): HD 1; HP 8, 8, 8, 7, 7,
the realm of Shaggath-Ka; and to watch and bear 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2; AC 6 [13]; Atk: 1 bite (1d6+1d4
witness as she attempts to assassinate the weakened fire damage); Save: 15; Move 14; AL N; CL/XP
Worm Sultan. The ensuing chaos should provide 2/30; Special: Fire damage from bite (1d4).
plenty of opportunities for player-driven
improvisation. Thrantrix has no knowledge of the 5. Bewildered Martian ape: This huge, white, four-
Null-rod, but will shrink from the relic if it is armed simian, somehow transported from his native
brandished at her. dimension, charges along the main passages in a
desperate panic to find some means of escape,
Thrantrix the Ineffable: HD 20; HP 99; AC: 0 checking side caverns as he goes. If encountered in
[19]; Atk: 2d6 bites (1d10+ poison; save or be close quarters, the creature will violently lash out at
instantly liquefied); Move 12; Save 3; AL C; anything between it and an exit.
CL/XP 25+/5300+; Special: +1 or better magic
weapon to hit, regenerates 3 hp/round, immune to Martian Ape: HD 10 HP 45; AC 6 [13]; Atk: 4
poison and mind-control spells, spell-like abilities arms (1d6 each) and 1 bite (1d10); Save 5; Move
(each usable once per day): charm person, all 12; CL/XP 11/1700; Special: None
detect spells, ESP, fireball (x3), polymorph self,
geas 6. Hrrk and Krrgh, Twin Princes of the Magmen:
Traveling on diplomatic business further north, the
twins have no time for amusing diversions such as
slaughtering parties of first-level characters.
However, their very proximity is a danger, with MAP KEY
radiating body heat inflicting 1d6 damage to the
lungs and exposed skin of anything passing within 10 That a very powerful party of adventurers recently
feet of the creatures. They can be heard approaching passed through this region of the Underworld is
(unless the adventurers are occupied by something evident, owing to the remains of several terrors fallen
like a noisy battle) due to their thunderous footfalls before their swords and spells. Following this trail is
and buoyant conversation regarding social affairs at vital, representing the only real chance of fledgling
the molten center of the world. adventurers achieving their aims and returning alive.
Players who choose to move off of this relatively
Hrrk: HD 12 HP 60; AC 2 [17]; Atk: 2 fists obvious path or proceed down passages leading off
(2d10+1d6 fire damage each); Move 10; Save 5; the map will hopefully realize their mistake before it
AL N; CL/XP: 13/2300; Special: 1d6 damage to is too late.
any within 10 ft, save for no damage Major thoroughfares have ceilings between 20 and
40ft in height; larger caverns vary between 20-60ft,
Krrgh: HD 11 HP 38; AC 2 [17]; Atk: 2 fists small passageways 10-20ft.
(2d10+1d6 fire damage each); Move 10; Save 5;
AL N; CL/XP: 12/2000; Special: 1d6 damage to 1. Landing: The pale blue-green luminescence seen
any within 10 ft., save for no damage. from above emanates from the walls, floors and
ceiling, as it does everywhere in the Underworld,
7. Chaos flies with carrion cargo: (See New creating an atmosphere of dream-like strangeness.
Monsters). Eight of these creatures fly toward the This dim illumination allows for clear vision for up to
adventurers, carrying the body of one the men-at- 60 feet before details are obscured by the
arms from the local captain’s expedition. The soldier Underworld’s musty, miasmal atmosphere. Careful
appears to have a very large bite taken out of his investigation of the floor will reveal scuff marks,
midsection. The flies will defend their prize disturbed dust, and debris from recent use.
aggressively if assailed. Otherwise they will make
their way to area 7, below. Hp: 1 each 2. Mind-bats: This cave’s floor is covered with
heaps of discarded carapaces from several dozen
Chaos Flies: HD 1hp; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 sting giant centipedes. Adventurers carelessly entering the
(1hp); Move 14 (fly); Save 18; AL C; CL/XP: chamber will find themselves noisily crunching these
B/10; Special: flight, weak poison (save or take 1 husks under their feet. The mind-bats, for whom
additional point of damage) centipede is their chief form of nourishment, detect
the activity of the adventurers nervous systems
8. Psychotic Cyclops: Even with only one eye, he immediately upon entry, and swoop down to attack in
has seen too much. This deranged member of an defense of their territory.
already-chaotic race might be encountered in one of
several possible mental states. Roll 1d4 and consult Mind-bats: HD 2; HP 12, 6; AC 6[13]; Atk 2 claws
the following table: (1d6 each); Move 14; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP:
1. Ebullient: Still quite irrational and paranoid, but 4/40; Special: Flight, stun power (save at +2 or be
cheerful and open to negotiating. unable to act for 1d4-1 rounds).
2. Bewildered: Lost and childlike, pliable
3. Despondent: When encountered, will be weeping Investigating the chamber reveals additional bodies
and muttering, likely to collapse against any available among the carrion on the cavern floor. The shriveled
wall to sob inconsolably. body of one of the keep’s men-at-arms, obviously
4. Homicidal: Frothing with hostility toward the sucked dry by the mind-bats, lies near the entrance.
entire universe and shrieking curses; attacks He carries a diadem charm on a golden chain (75 gp
immediately value) given to him by his betrothed as a good luck
charm. A bit further into the room are the bodies of 2
Cyclops: HD 8+2; AC 4[15]; Atk 1 weapon (2d8); more mind-bats, their forms distorted by strangely
Move 12; Save 8; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Throw shriveled bruised areas where the flesh seems dry and
boulders for 2d8 damage. crumbly like loose-packed soil. The prince struck
down both of these creatures with the Null-rod.
3. Dead monsters: Each of the following creatures approximately 200gp worth of mixed coinage lies
succumbed to attacks from Eyraen’s party. Wounds scattered around its immediate area.
that could only be caused by the Null-rod (as noted
above) are readily noticeable on the giant skeleton b. This area is defaced by multiple scorch marks on
and the Tyrannoclops body. walls and floor and a large (20 foot diameter),
roughly circular stain that used to be a huge black
a. Giant skeleton: This early victim of the Prince’s pudding. The unique stench of incinerated pudding
expedition is currently being stripped of flesh by a hangs heavy in the air, like burnt rubber and strong,
swarm of dragonfly-winged prawns, one of the runny cheese. Small sticky blotches of black goo still
agents of decomposition in the Underworld. These retain the acidic properties of the late monster, as
carrion-feeders have no interest in living creatures, investigating characters may learn by touching (1d4
and take to wing if approached, dodging deftly damage) or probing with objects (wood begins to
around investigating adventurers before returning to dissolve immediately, metal smokes on contact and
feed on a nearby spot. If attacked, the swarm rises must be scraped clean before damaged irrevocably).
high into the air, waiting for threats to move on. They Investigating the scorch marks will in no way reveal
will not abandon the giant’s body until it is their origin: gamma blasts delivered by Dr. Ephraim
completely consumed. The body itself was a frost Thontorius (see Competing Parties, above), sometime
giant hermit, driven mad by isolation in the recently.
Underworld. His broken axe lies several feet away.
The giant’s threadbare sack, recently rooted through
and discarded by Eyraen’s crew, is empty but
c. The Tyrannoclops: Here lies the broken body of to accommodate the creature’s body and legs. The
the Tyrannoclops, a unique horror of the Underworld. googolpede’s body surges forth at break-neck speed.
This strange being once stood 15 feet tall, an albino About 3’ feet in height, athletic characters could vault
bipedal sauropod distinct for its head, taken up over the creature’s constantly moving form with only
entirely by a single colossal red eye, still dimly moderate difficulty. Characters of short stature would
luminous in death. Null-rod wounds are obvious and require assistance. Landing atop the racing body
multiple. Careful observation yields a disturbing would likely send the character sprawling on the
revelation: fist-sized shapes move subtly beneath the other side or slamming into the opposite wall.
creatures lumpy flesh. If the flesh is in some way Adventurers interested in waiting around for the tail
damaged or perforated, dozens of 6-inch long end to come into view should check their water
Tyrannoclops larvae will begin to slither forth, their supply and rations, for their vigil, if seen through to
crimson eyebeams crackling into life, illuminating completion, may take weeks. Attacking (a fruitless
their paths as they stumble away for cover amongst endeavor) or otherwise molesting the arthropod’s
rocks and grottoes. This event, almost unbelievably segments or legs invites danger: the googolpede will
smelly, attracts 2d4 giant centipedes, arriving in 1d4- reflexively attempt to throw a coil of its body around
1 turns. The centipedes will ignore non-hostile its assailant, dragging those unable to escape in time
adventurers and set about snapping up the larvae. along with it. If the googolpede makes a successful
attack roll (as a 20 HD creature) on an adventurer, the
4. Googolpede: This passage is being crossed from character must make a strength check at -3 to escape.
left to right by the seemingly unending body of an Failing this, unless somehow rescued, in one round
incalculably long googolpede, entering and exiting the adventurer will disappear into the exit hole, never
through small round side passages just large enough to be seen again.
5. Doorway to the future: On the south wall they really don’t yet fully understand the effects of
adventurers will notice the illuminated outline of an spore-exposure on surface creatures. They are,
arched doorway, the stone beneath the arch hazy and however, extremely curious about the possible
subtly moving in rhythmic waves. Attempting to outcomes of exposure and will do all they can to
touch this section of the wall causes a rippling effect cajole the party into taking part in experimental
like disturbing a vertical pool of water. Objects or spore-exposure. In their experience, no two
body parts will move freely through the stone wall, exposures are the same. If the adventurers can avoid
which causes a momentary chill in living flesh that stimulating the fungi (causing them to release clouds
has no ill effects. Objects thrown through the of spores), and no other creatures disturb the growths,
doorway disappear into the space beyond. Should an it should be safe to pass, using the patches of green
adventurer pass through, he will find himself in a lichens as a path. If the adventurers wish to
crowded room, assailed by bright flashes of light experiment with spore effects, the fungus-folk
from gathered space-paparazzi and the stunned faces excitedly monitor events, making careful study of the
of a gaggle of research scientists, generals, and various outcomes.
government officials, some human but most aliens of - They have seen several strange interlopers passing
every conceivable stripe. The door opens into a through, determined by die roll on the Competing
broom closet in the office Professor Zabon Parties table above, altering results as necessitated by
Gormontine shared with the rest of the Department of encounters thus far.
Cosmology at the Omni-Cosmic University 3000+ Fungus-folk: see New Monsters, below. Hp: 19, 16
years in the future. This area and the adjoining office Kilifrix the Devil-mantis (unique Underworld
space has been taped off as a restricted time door horror): HD: 8 AC: 2 [17] hp: 39 atk: 2 claws (1d6),
zone. Goal-oriented players will probably lose bite (1d4) sv: 6 mv: 12 spec: teleport as spell, strobe
interest after posing for a few hologram shots and effect from eyes as sleep spell 3 times a day. CL/XP:
return to their objective. If the group wishes to 10/1400
further explore the University’s planet-sized space Moving through the fungal garden, thick with an
station, the referee must place nose to grindstone, for astonishing array of molds, lichens, and fungi of
the details are left in his or her capable hands. every size and description and arranged according to
Treasure: Buried in a pile of stones along the wall the alien aesthetics of the fungus-folk, each character
opposite the door, the dust of an ancient hero still so doing may trigger a spore eruption (a roll of 1-2 on
occupies a suit of opalescent scale mail, fashioned of a d6). If the party rushes through the area for some
some unearthly material (ancient magic scale, AC: 1 reason, or a monster has blundered into the garden
[18], +1 to saving throws against damage, wt: 10). area, chances increase to 1-4.
Adventurers tempted to try out spore effects must
6. Friendly fungus-folk: Here a pair of toadstool- jostle a fungal growth, causing a small cloud of
shaped men (see New Monsters, below) hash over the spores to fill the air in 10 ft. cube. Have the player
Underworld news of the day with a large demonic- roll a d6 adding any bonus for constitution. Results of
looking mantis creature. When they notice the 1-3 roll again on the spore effects, bane table, 4-6 on
adventurers they pause in their incomprehensible the boon table. Each growth will only produce a
utterances long enough to ascertain whether they are single puff of spores and no two fungi will have the
about to be attacked. If the party makes no hostile same effects, so repeat results should be re-rolled.
moves, the fungus-folk return to conversation, Spore effects, bane (1d8):
seemingly unperturbed. The devil-mantis, less 1. Surface infestation: The exposed breaks out in grey
trusting of interlopers and more nervous in general, lumps all over their body, becoming extremely
teleports away after a quick explanation to its friends. unpleasant to view (-1d6 to CHA) but no other
Adventurers wishing to talk to the fungus folk must effects.
first consent to be exposed to a puff of psychoactive 2. The speed of mildew: The character suffers a loss
spores exuded by the creatures that magically allows of 1d6 to DEX and a personality shift toward intense
communication, a process the fungus men will lassitude.
attempt to convey via hand gestures. If things go well 3. Fungal vision: After a brief period of blindness (1
the party may learn the following information: turn) the character’s vision is restored but altered.
-The Prince passed through this area several days The world is now perceived entirely in shades of
ago, with a party of heavily equipped men and at green, and an alien sense of aesthetics renders the
least one powerful sorcerer. Several of the party formerly hideous beautiful and vice versa.
members sampled the spore effects (detailed below). 4. Mushroom-mind: Virus-like fungal tissues rapidly
They had excellent luck. replicate and replace the nervous system of the
- The fungus-folk can advise the characters on affected character, who must re-roll his Intelligence
relatively safe travel through their garden, though score. Regardless of this result, which may effect
class-related abilities, the character suffers a Underworld. The 15’ high ceiling is obscured by a
complete personality overhaul: speech takes on a flat, swarm of chaos flies buzzing around in a semi-
atonal quality, decision-making processes orderly fashion. One by one they descend to feed
agonizingly slowed by confusion, and whatever other from the heaps of rotting carcasses on the chamber
role-playing effects seem entertaining to the player, floor. When they are satiated, the flies gather at the
who should make the most of this opportunity to western exit until they form a group of about six. So
amuse. gathered, they proceed to area 12 to deposit their
5. The slow change: Over the course of 2d4+1 turns eggs. This goes on continuously, with new flies
the adventurer undergoes a slow metamorphosis in arriving (often burdened by fresh carrion), and egg-
the following order: skin turns grey and begins to laden flies departing every few minutes. At any given
stiffen, head begins to broaden into a mushroom cap time there will be 3d8 chaos flies buzzing about the
shape, intelligence drops by 1d4 points per turn, ceiling. They only attack if their carrion is disturbed
tendrils burst through footwear, rooting the (by burning oil, say), avoiding dangers whenever
adventurer to the floor, legs fuse into a single stalk, possible to improve chances of reproduction. Among
adventuring career over. the carcasses lie several of the local captain’s men-at-
6. Funganthropy: Undergoing an immediate arms, and less identifiable bodies.
metamorphosis, the victim becomes a were-fungus Chaos flies (3d8): see New Monsters, below. Hp: 1
with a ravenous hunger for human flesh. All stats each
remain the same save hit points, which are doubled If searched, the rotting heap yields the following
due to the damage resistant nature of the fungal form. treasure: a decomposing backpack containing a small
The character must make a saving throw each turn to bag of gems (1000 gp total value) and two corked
resist homicidal urges. Once this roll is failed, the flasks, one a potion of flying, the other a potion of
character attacks the rest of the party, becoming the water breathing.
province of the referee.
7. Explosive growth from within: the victim perishes 8. Someone left their flying saucer running: Doctor
while fungal stalks burst forth from mouth, ears, Ephraim Thontorius (see Competing Parties, above),
eyes, etc. currently in the middle of an extensive Underworld-
8. Spontaneous puffball: Before the rest of the party’s crawl, left his ship hovering 10ft above the ground in
horrified eyes (and over the course of 30 seconds), this chamber, tethered by automatic anchor beams
the victim rapidly swells to gross immensity, skin (just visible as thin distortions in the air) and
growing lumpy and purple, until exploding forcefully protected by a powerful electric force beam. Any
in a thick cloud of spores. Any character within 10 creature or character approaching within 20’ of the
feet of the explosion must save or suffer the same ship will be targeted by the ship’s computer. Waves
fate. of crackling electric force harmlessly push anything
with less than giant strength back to the 20ft
Spore effects, boon (1d8): perimeter, where they are released. The onboard
1. Burst into blue flames, burn off clothes, start fires, computer can target up to three characters or
allows subject to intensify flames at will: all in 10 ft. creatures per round. Any character who manages to
radius take 2d6 fire damage (save for ½) get past this defense finds the ship impervious to
2. Grow beetle wings/carapace on back, fly (as spell) entry, its hatches sealed to anything short of ray-gun
at will, grants AC: 5 [14] but subject can no longer fire or a disintegrate spell.
wear armor.
3. Develop fungal third eye, charm (as spell) once per 9. Eyes of the Pit: This otherwise featureless cavern
day contains a pair of floating orbs some 3’ in diameter.
4. Eyes turn red, heat vision once per day (1d6 To all appearances, they are gigantic human eyeballs.
damage, start fires, heat objects) These regard anything entering the chamber
5. Eyes turn white, cold vision once per day (1d6 continuously, monitor events, and scrutinize
damage, freeze waters, cool objects) characters closely. Able to freely fly around the
6. Eyes turn golden, detect magic, evil as per spells at chamber, the eyes never leave the immediate area.
will Should adventurers choose to attack these passive
7. Random attribute (roll 1d6) increases by 1d6 observers, they will be able to hit but not damage the
8. Grow thick fur (random color), +1 [-1] to AC eyes, which regenerate instantly. They will, however,
succeed in provoking the wrath of the Oracle of the
7. Chaos fly hive: Adventurers approaching this area Pit (area 15, below).
immediately detect the stomach-wrenching stench of
decay issuing from the chamber ahead. Within, the 10. Intermittent river: A stone bridge in the center
chaos flies store their current collection of carrion, of the passage arcs over what appears to be a dry
harvested from around this vicinity of the river bed running from a 3’ high by 10’ wide opening
in the north wall to a similar opening in the south them back to reason. Otherwise they will remain
wall, as indicated by the pattern of erosion in the gazing upon the woman, contemplating her strange
sunken bed. Examination indicates the area is quite fate until they collapse from exhaustion and die of
damp and muddy. When adventurers near this area exposure in the frigid conditions. The Prince,
the referee should roll 1d4+1 to determine how many despondent after the deaths of his comrades (see area
minutes will pass before the intermittent river erupts 14, below), wandered into this chamber and met his
back into life, sending a deluge of rapid waters back end. A careful examination of the area around the
through the pillar reveals a series of very tiny footprints and
bed with enormous force. This event is preceded by indentations in the snow indicating a heavy
a low rumble, slowly building into a watery cylindrical object was dragged from the Prince’s
cacophony. Any character caught in the bed when body and away to the opposite wall, disappearing into
this occurs must make a saving throw, adjusted by a 1 foot diameter round tunnel. The tunnel leads to
any Dex bonus to scramble out of the way before area 13, below. Investigations of any sort within the
they are tossed helplessly in the surging waters and chamber will also reveal the wriggling presence of
out the south wall opening. From this point the river several dozen snow-maggots, the larvae of the chaos
passes underground until it reaches area 15, below. flies. At any given time, 1d6 adult flies will be in the
Here, allow the character another saving throw plus chamber depositing eggs. They will not attack until
Str bonus to allow a chance for the unfortunate they have done so, completing their life cycle, at
adventurer to seize a rocky outcropping or hurl which point they become very aggressive.
themselves from peril before the waters flow over the Chaos Flies: see New Monsters, below. Hp: 1 each
edge of the bottomless pit. What becomes of such
characters is left to the referee. The bridge itself 13. Ice city of the Nanuits: This out-of-the-way
appears ancient and composed of large slabs of stone grotto houses an entire civilization in miniature. The
held together only by their own weight. A thorough Nanuits, descendents of the crew of a whale-hunting
search under the bridge reveals the calcified corpse of expedition marooned in this universe by a freak
an ancient hero, wearing her still-intact cloak of maelstrom, each stand less than half an inch in
defense (grants -2 [+2] to AC). height. They have managed to construct a city of ice
domes, some the size of earthly igloos but composed
11. Defeated soldiers: Here fell the local captain’s of many floors, rooms, and chambers within. The tiny
expedition, just hours ago. Some 24 corpses (armed streets bustle with anorak-clad Nanuits going about
and armored as hirelings, above) litter this area, their their affairs, several piloting beetle-driven sledges
bodies almost entirely intact but for mournful facial laden with freshly harpooned snow-maggots. In the
contortions, streamed with dried tears of blood. Four center of this micro-metropolis these people have
giant centipedes, in the midst of feasting on the recently erected the Null-rod like an obelisk, still
bodies, defensively attack anything entering the area, strung with tiny ropes and pulleys. Though only
but will not pursue foes in retreat. The captain’s adventurers resourceful enough to entice a Nanuit
body, if rolled, yields a pristine suit of chain mail +1 into their ear canal could hope to ascertain the full
and a battle axe +2. story, the Nanuits’ sacred texts (The Utterances of the
Giant Centipedes (4): hp: 2, 2, 2, 1 Flies) prophesied the coming of the Prince and his
relic, scripture indicating that by bathing in the anti-
12. Snow cave: Approaching this cave, adventurers magical rays of the Rod they shall in time be restored
within 30 feet of the entrance detect the rapidly to normal size and freed from their current state of
dropping temperature, a zone of cold emanating from degradation. No longer will they be forced to hunt the
the chamber ahead. A column in the center of this unpalatable snow-maggots, their only source of
snow and ice-filled chamber, obscured by a cloudy sustenance. Never again will their children weep
mist, radiates a faint white light. The wintry weather piteously at the chiming of the dinner bell. No more
conditions in this and the adjoining room (area 13) shall they cower from the terrible giants that stalk the
seem to emanate from this column. Closer viewing Underworld. On and on the tiny reporter will thus
reveals the form of a motionless woman, draped in ramble, wasting precious time for over-polite
regal finery from a by-gone age, encased within adventurers. The Nanuits will do everything in their
several feet of semi-transparent ice. In a heap at the power to retain the relic, though this doesn’t amount
pillar’s base lies the frozen body of Prince Eyraen. to much more than occasional shots from a few
Any character gazing into the woman’s luminous micro-ballistae harpoon launchers used for maggot
green eyes must immediately make a saving throw or hunting (as shot by 1 HD monster, 1d2-1 damage).
become magically enthralled, transfixed by her Their chief defense and sole reason for continued
melancholy countenance. Only unaffected characters existence is their relative isolation and a general lack
may free enthralled comrades from this spell-like of interest from Underworld predators.
effect by dragging them from the area and slapping
14. Vault of Shaggath-Ka: This chamber serves as a 1d4 thousand gp value in mixed coinage and raw
secret parlor for the Worm Sultan to meditate, rest, jewels can be retrieved.
and recuperate within, his realm and worshippers
located on the other side of the underground lake that 15. Oracle of the Bottomless pit: This chamber is
divides this giant cave. The entrance available to the dominated by a large, uneven opening in the floor
adventurers had been almost forgotten, sealed off some 20’ in diameter and of indeterminate depth. An
long ago by magic. The Prince, having tortured the opening in the north wall roughly 3’ high by 15’ wide
door’s location out of a captured high priest, blasted shows signs of erosion, a deep groove worn into the
through the stone barrier, hoping to assassinate the floor leading directly to the pit. The opening is an
Worm Sultan by surprise. The rubble choking the outflow of the intermittent river detailed above (area
passageway is all that remains of the barrier. This 11), and will spew forth a high pressure blast of water
plan failed utterly, resulting in the deaths of the rest for 10 minutes at a time every 2d4 turns. This
of Eyraen’s party and his own suicidal final eruption is preceded by the slowly building sounds of
meanderings around the Underworld. The Prince’s rushing water from the opening. Any character
crew got in significant licks before succumbing one- remaining in the eroded area must make a saving
by-one, however, and even now the Worm Sultan throw or be swept into the pit. Characters entering the
continues to enjoy a recuperative coma, attended by room during one of the lulls between deluges who
faithful servitors. Shaggath-Ka lies in the sand that speak (even whisper) to one another immediately
composes the floor of the cave, half of his 50’ length attract the attention of the Oracle of the Pit. This
submerged in the lake. The visible portion of the being, something of a demigod itself, is composed of
demigod looks like a bloated caterpillar, semi- many disparate parts, each comprised of the living
translucent skin barely containing the visibly stone of the Underworld. The pit in this room is its
churning guts within, covered with long spiky mouth. Its ears are near, somewhere deep within the
protuberances, the bulbous head adorned with a stone surrounding this chamber. Its eyes, as noted in
vaguely human face, equally regal and repellent in area 9, remain strangely confined in a nearby cavern.
peaceful repose. Teeming in the waters around him, Unable to physically move or significantly interact
several dozen albino mermen attend to their deity’s with the world around it, the Oracle, as it calls itself,
many wounds. The sandy beach glitters with gold and projects its mind far and wide throughout the
jewels, deposited by representatives of various multiverse, continuously expanding its consciousness
merman factions from the strange city beneath in pursuit of ultimate enlightenment. However, when
Shaggath-Ka‘s lake. These parties beach themselves, visited by a living being in this area, the Oracle will
pay ritualistic respects, and offer their tribute before make every effort to engage them in conversation.
genuflecting their way back into the waters. Due to This strange being will greet adventurers with a
the mind-bending terror and obviously overwhelming booming salutation, especially warm if the Oracle has
danger of this situation, any hirelings still with the laid eyes upon them before (unless wrathful, in which
adventurers at this point will be on the brink of case the Oracle roars out insults and curses, see area
mutiny. Should the mermen discover the party, they 9, above). Here the improvisatory skills of the referee
will begin missile attacks immediately and attempt to must take over, as the Oracle speaks and answers
rouse their deity from his slumber. This can be questions in a customarily (for the oracular) obscure
accomplished in 1d6 rounds. Once awaked, the and ambiguous manner, always with an air of
Worm Sultan will promptly destroy any who dare complete superiority. If asked for the location of the
remain in his territory. Null-rod, the Oracle answers: “ Of the Null-rod I will
Shaggath-Ka: HD: 21 AC: 0 [19] hp: 81 (down from say only this: follow the flies.” In the event any of
118) atk: smash (3d8), bite (2d6) mv: 9 sv: 2 spec: +1 the adventurers have been swept into the pit, the
or better magic weapon to hit, regenerate 3 hp/round, Oracle obliquely explains “ Weep not, for he (or she)
lethal gaze (saving throw applies), spell-like abilities, is Me now.”
each usable once per day: all detect spells, charm
person, darkness, ESP, stinking cloud, web, lightning Endgame: Should the party succeed in finding the
bolt CL/XP: 25+/5300+ Null-rod, they must still make their way back to the
Mermen (4d12+4): HD:1+3 AC: 7 [12] hp: 7 each surface, an endeavor that will take several turns,
atk: short bow (1d6), spear (1d6), short sword (1d6) during which they are still subject to random
mv:1/18 (swimming) sv: 17 spec: breath water encounters and events. In the event they regain the
Adventurers prone to gold-fever may attempt some surface, they find the situation has changed in the
mad dash (perhaps invisibly) to the beach to seize time they have spent underground. A mounted war-
treasures. For game purposes, the wealth, though party from the Sorcerer-King’s elite corps arrive in
vast, is scattered over the sand haphazardly, and the area within hours of the adventurers’ descent and
would require a great length of time to collect. For immediately secure the entrance cave. Emerging
every minute spent shoveling treasure into a sack, adventurers are apprehended and the Null-rod and
any treasure confiscated. The party is loaded into FIREBOMB BEETLE
wagons for transport (under heavy guard) to shadow- Armor Class: 5 [14]
haunted Mur, far to the south. Upon arrival in the Hit Dice: 2
city-state, the adventurers are debriefed by the Attacks: 1 bite (1d4), firebomb
personal interrogators of the Sorcerer-King and Saving throw: 17
tossed into his deepest dungeon to await speedy Special: Firebombs (1d6 damage, range 30ft., 10
execution as a matter of state security. Syantides, ft. radius burst, save for no damage)
making good on his promise of a personal meeting, Move: 12
explains that he never anticipated the party Challenge level/XP: 3/60
succeeding in their mission. His best hope was for
them to perish while collecting additional intelligence Another component of the Underworld’s carrion
to be gleaned by more a experienced party (probably clean-up crew, these solitary giant insects are also
via speak with dead spells). ferocious, thriving in their environment by a
Referees off put by this gallows humor may be defensive strategy that can be summed up as “shoot
desirous of a more cheerful ending. These gentler first, ask questions later”. The rhinoceros-like horn
judges are once again advised to engage their powers adorning the head of the fire-bomb beetle contains a
of improvisation. natural weapon similar to a modern-day mortar.
Projectiles lobbed from this organ explode on impact,
NEW MONSTERS doing damage to anything within 10 feet. On a
successful attack roll, the projectile strikes the
CHAOS FLY intended target. A miss indicates the projectile has
Armor Class: 5 [14] landed 2d10 feet away in a random direction. In this
Hit Dice: 1 hit point way it is possible for unintended targets to be
Attacks: Sting (1 point of damage) damaged by a fire-bomb attack. A successful saving
Saving throw: 16 throw indicates that the target managed to jump clear.
Special: flight, poison (save or take 1 additional It is possible to harvest 1d4-1 bombs, gelatinous cysts
point of damage) filled with a liquid that immolates upon contact with
Move: 14 (flying) the air, from deceased beetles. These may be carried
Challenge Level/XP: B/10 in relative safety, requiring significant force to
rupture.
Chaos flies appear as fist-sized house flies with
twisted, agonized human-like faces. They sting with FUNGUS FOLK
extendible barbed tongues. Their peculiar life cycle Armor Class: 6 [15]
requires the presence of snow within which their Hit Dice: 3
larval spawn, the snow-maggots, somehow thrive. Attacks: weapon (1d6)
Swarms of chaos flies compete with other Saving throw: 5
Underworld vermin for carrion, which they carry Special: slow regeneration 2 hp/turn
back to their hive. Move: 9
Challenge level/XP: 4/40

These jolly little toadstool men go about their affairs

(the fungal topiary arts a principle concern) with little
regard for the hazards that frequently surround them
in their Underworld environment, likely due to the
fact that they are so difficult to destroy. When fungus
folk are reduced to zero hit points or below, they
become temporarily inert until they regenerate
positive hit points. Only soaking their inert forms in
acid or repeated burnings will ensure a permanent
death. They are curious creatures, dedicated to
learning for its own sake, rarely practically applying
their hoarded knowledge and then only in service of
new and improved fungus gardening techniques.
MIND BAT defensive weapons and to scoop up fallen prey for
Armor Class: 6 [13] leisurely consumption back at their lairs in lofty
Hit Dice: 2 underworld grottoes.
Attacks: 2 claws (1d6 each)
Saving throw: 17 NEWT-MEN
Special: Flight, stun power (save at +2 or be Armor Class: 9 [10]
unable to act for 1d4-1 rounds) Hit Dice: 1d4 hp
Move: 14 Attacks: weapon (1d6)
Challenge level/XP: 4/40 Saving throw: 16
Special: double damage from fire, heat
Winged, hairless subterranean predators of great size Move: 12
and menacing aspect, mind-bats get their name from Challenge level/XP: B/10
the brain-like shape of their otherwise featureless
heads and their singular ability to stun prey with a Created from living salamanders and newts by
focused beam of mental energy. This special attack misguided sorceries, diminutive newt-men exist only
causes both the creature‘s brain and that of the to serve the whims of their master (typically a
intended victim to momentarily glow a bright green misguided sorcerer). Silent and seemingly
and those who fail their saving throw (at +2) collapse emotionless, these creatures are fearless combatants,
to the ground, unable to move for 1d4-1 rounds. eager to escape their debased condition through the
These creatures also use this ability as a psychic sweet release of death in battle. Due to their sensitive
analogue to echolocation and can detect active skin, newt-men never wear armor and take double
nervous systems from a distance of 100 feet. Wicked normal damage from fire and heat-based attacks.
serrated claws the size of broadswords serve as

Here ends the adventure Operation: Unfathomable. Maps follow on the next pages.
PLAYER MAP
# # &) *
+
By Richard Hart Liquid Held in the Vat/Pool

Human kind has long had both a fascination and fear Roll 1d8:
of water. Man needs this precious liquid each day to 1. Pure water.
live and yet he can drown in a mere teaspoon of the 2. Chemical sludge/slime/solution.
substance. Vessels of water hold a powerful 3. Organic protoplasm similar to embryonic fluid.
symbolism of motherhood and the womb. This 4. Blood
symbolism juxtaposes the origin of life itself with an 5. Collected tears of: angels, virgins, widows, babies,
environment that man can no longer enter without strong men etc...
fear of death by drowning. Foul potions brewing in 6. Aether, airy water, or some other
the cauldrons of witches, horrific creatures dreaming mystical/magical/ or unknown fluid...
in the inky black depths of the sea, and embryonic 7. Saliva of a huge dragon, gorgon, titan, etc...
vats birthing a monster are just a few examples of 8. Liquid metal.
how this powerful symbol has been employed in
literature. This article aims to flesh out a variety of In addition to the base liquid held in the vessel the
ideas on how you can use vats and pools in your DM could rule that the vessel requires aliquots of an
fantasy RPG game. These entities should be used additional component routinely (daily, weekly,
infrequently and each use should invoke either a monthly, yearly, etc.). The materials added to the
magical almost holy wonder or a sense of horrific vessel could be as strange as the liquid held in the
alien fear. The statistics used in this article are vat. Rose petals could be added each spring to re-
written for Swords and Wizardry, however they enchant a magical spring of romantic powers.
could be adapted with ease to any retro clone or Another natural pool of magic could require the light
original edition of our favorite role playing game. of the full moon each month or it would lose its
magic if shaded during that night. A demonic vat full
of blood may need frequent replenishment of its
" 33 6 blood due to consuming some of its fluids with each
magical effect.
Use your imagination on creating the body of liquid,
the enchantments that gave it power, the liquid held Example Enchantments or Magical Forces Used to
inside of the vessel, and the person or entity or Grant Powers
natural force/phenomena that created this magical
focus. The following random tables are springboards Roll 1d6:
for your imagination. 1. Presence of trapped or inhabiting water spirits or
elementals,
Types of Vats and Pools 2. Harnessed energy: lightning directed to the vat,
sunlight or starlight or moonlight focused and
Roll 1d8: captured by mirrors or crystals or lenses, directed
1. Natural Cavern Pool voices from chanting monks, etc..
2. Clear Fountain of Water surrounded by elaborate 3. Trapped souls captured by magical gems.
statues 4. Essence of victims drowned in the vessel.
3. Bubbling Natural Spring 5. Bound demons or gods.
4. Huge Glass Vat 6. Powerful enchantments cast by a wizard or priest.
5. Massive Iron Cauldron
6. Large Vessel carved from a single block of:
crystal, granite, the calcified heart of a dragon, bone, ' 7 11 76
a living tree, the tip of a mountain, etc...
7. A spherical body of liquid, floating in air, held While this article provides a group of random tables
aloft by powerful magic. for generating magical vats and pools, the magical
8. Small object sewn or bonded together to form a abilities of a pool or vat should be decided by the DM
vat: leaves, skin, gems, eyelashes, hair, gold/silver with the theme and backstory of the vessel in mind.
wires or strands, feathers, etc... These tables are meant to be used as a springboard
for the imagination of the DM to create even more the vat or slain. The wizards body remains
wondrous manifestations. If a powerful magical motionless until his spirit returns.
effect is selected for your pool or vat, think about 5. Each month the pool births a monster of the DM’s
giving the pool or vat a drawback or limitation for choice. The monster will be the servant of the pool’s
game balance. inscrutable wishes and intentions.
6. The pool is a gateway to extraplanar intelligences.
Example Healing/ life-force Related Powers Staring into this ghostly still liquid will grant visions
and auguries that will help the victim at first. These
Roll 1d6: visions could warn of danger or provide directions to
1. Any creature drinking of the waters of the pool/vat lost treasures. Few men can withstand temptation of
will be fully healed of all wounds, diseases, or this kind of power and woe to the victim of this
ailments. gateway for each additional use of the vision pool
2. Any creature bathing in the waters of the pool is will have a +25% cumulative (50% the third, 75% the
restored of all lost memories, lost levels, and lost Stat forth, etc..) chance of twisting the visions such that
points. the victim is dealt misfortune. The DM is
3. Any creature even touching the waters of the pool encouraged to be creative in twisting these visions.
is aged 1d10 years, age an additional 1d10 years for Even from the first time the pool is used, when the
each minute the character remains in the pool. character is looking into the pool the DM should
4. The pool will permanently increase CON+1 and remember that the extraplanar entities are forever
1d2 HP when drunk, however the character will also watching with lidless eye in return.
permanently lose 1d4 WIS.
5. The waters will regenerate lost limbs/organs, Other Example Weird Powers
etc... full regeneration takes ~1 week of bathing in the
waters each day. Roll 1d4:
6. A deceased creature immersed in the vat/pool will 1. By stepping into the pool/vat a creature is
be raised back to life. The creature loses 1 pt of CON teleported into another place, time, or dimension.
permanently and may have other side effects. The DM could even link a group of pools together...
2. By drinking the waters of the vat a creature can
Example Dark/evil Powers gain the memories of another creature that drank
from the same pool. The imbiber also simultaneously
Roll 1d6: gives up a random memory that can be viewed by
1. A creature drinking the liquid falls into a coma others in the future.
and sleeps until a Remove Curse spell is cast on the 3. Upon drinking the waters of the pool a character
victim. will split into two duplicates. Each duplicate will
2. Anyone looking upon the vat must roll a saving hate the other and will have an irresistible urge to kill
throw (modified by intelligence) or leap into the vat. the other. If both are allowed to live they will slowly
The vat will slowly change the character into a go insane. If either is killed the other reverts back to
twisted frog/man creature - it also dissolves away all normal as if nothing has happened and remembers
the characters items. This process takes 1 day - if the the whole like as if it is a nightmare (although any
victim has friends to pull him out within 1 hour there damage suffered during the fight remains).
is no effect. The DM can determine the effects of 4. If a wizard holds a piece of flesh, hair, blood from
staying in the liquid for a fraction of the critical time another creature in his hand and plunges his head into
and also can create stats for the frog creature that the the vat he can look through the eyes of the other
victim will become. creature no matter where the creature is for as long as
3. Any dead creature placed in the vat/pool is he can hold his breath.
reanimated as a vat zombie with a hunger for flesh -
this type of zombie cannot be slain. It must be " 7 3 6 60 # 00 8 6
trapped, chopped into little bits, or otherwise
immobilized. A dark wizard with the correct
The main component of all of these spells is an
knowledge may be able to bend these zombies to
appropriate vessel of liquid. The requirements for the
his/her will - at least for a while...
vat/pool, liquid, and ritual are left up to the DM
4. A dark wizard (Level 5 or higher) who enters the
although in some cases the spell description will
pool will be able to create a ethereal form (move rate
identify a particular concept. Typically the pools and
9) that can move in any direction within 500 feet of
vats used for these spells do not need to have
the vat and pass through non magical walls and
permanent magical powers.
barriers. If the dark wizard touches a victim he can
However, if a magician has access to a pool with
attempt to take possession of it (Saving Throw) until
permanent enchantment, similar to the pools/vats
he chooses to release it or his body is removed from
described in the preceding sections, the DM could
rule that it would amplify certain of these spells that Call Water Spirit
are in “tune” with the magical focus of the vessel in Spell Level: Magic User, 4th level
question. This brief list of arcance spells barely Range: 1 natural pool within 240 ft
scratches the surface of the possibilities, but acts as Duration: until dispelled
example of what can be accomplished with this weird
watery magic. In addition, the DM may wish to The caster calls forth a spirit, elemental, ghost, or
adapt variations of vat and pool magic to pre-existing other supernatural being that inhabits a given body of
spells (simulacrum, clone, animate dead, magic jar, water. This spell may have no effect if cast on a
etc..) perhaps amplifying or altering their effect if body of water with no spiritual history. If the caster
they are used with a properly designed or enchanted knows the true name and location of a spirit he can be
vat/pool. Finally, feel free to create "one-time-use" specific in his summoning, otherwise the DM can
arcane versions of the permanent powers described in randomly determine the spirit called forth by the spell
the preceding sections. or decide that there is no spirit bonded to this
location.
Examples: This spell offers no immunity to the wizard from
whatever he/she calls forth. If the wizard performs
Watery Rest prior research, uses binding circles, and/or brings
Spell Level: Magic User, 2nd level gifts or sacrifices to the spirit these acts should be
Duration 8 hours rewarded by the GM with some cooperation from the
spirit depending on the being called forth.
By casting this spell exactly at dusk a wizard can slip
into any pure body of water (forest lakes, seas,
babbling brooks, etc..) becoming part of the water for
one night' s rest. The wizard cannot see or hear while
existing as part of the water and having no physical
body.
When the morning sun rises the wizard will emerge
from the water at the same spot he entered feeling
well rested and healed of 1d6HP. A detect magic
cast in the area will identify an enchantment, and a
dispel magic can wrench the wizard back early
without him/her feeling rested or gaining hit points.

Stasis Pool
Level: Magic User, 3rd Level
Range: NA
Duration: Permanent until dispelled, or victim
removed from the pool.

Using this ritual a magic user adds narcotic drugs to a

vat or pool and then casts this enchantment on the
vessel. The first being to touch the water must pass a
saving throw or slip into a trance-like state. If the
victim is already charmed or enchanted and then
asked to step into the water, they will not receive a
saving throw to avoid the effects.
In the trance the victim will slide into the waters of
the vat. They are bestowed with an ability to
"breathe" the waters of the vat and will not drown.
The victim will stay in the vessel until physically
removed (regaining consciousness and not
remembering what happened) or until a dispel magic
is cast on the pool (at which time the victim will
awake and begin to drown in the pool unless they
scramble to the surface).
Victims in the pool can be probed with mental
interrogation spells (ESP, telepathy, etc.) they do
receive saving throws against these spells (at –4).
Watery Hold Regenerate Flesh
Spell Level: Magic User, 4th Level Level: Magic User, 5th level
Range: 1 natural pool within 240 ft Range: NA
Duration: until dispelled or the item returned Duration: Permanent.

The caster casts this spell on a body of water and then After this spell is cast on a target, the target must
hurls a single item into the body of water. The item fully submerse himself in the waters of a prepared
will vanish into the water and is only returned by vat. The target will slip into a coma for 24 hours
three methods: inside the liquid, during which time they will be able
to "breathe" the liquid in the vat. During this day of
1. The wizard who cast the spell can return later and stasis, any missing limbs and tissue will regenerate
call the item back. It will rise from the water back to and they will become whole again. The DM may
the wizard’s hand. rule that regenerated flesh has side effects (discolored
2. The wizard can specify an individual, or group of green, smells funny, doesn' t feel right, or moves on
individuals (example, any of the descendants of the its own sometimes…). Also, if the target is removed
"true king") who can also return to the body of water from the vat before a full 24 hours the process will
and call forth the item to their grasp. only be partially completed.
3. Another wizard can force the item out of the water
using a successful dispel magic spell. Create Life
Level: Magic User, 9th level
Otherwise, the item will stay in the body of water Range: NA
forever, until either called up or the waters dry up or Duration: Permanent
are destroyed.
Using this spell a magic user can create a living
Exneuration creature. The wizard must first create a large vat
Level: Magic User, 6th level spell with a long forgotten recipe of protoplasm,
Range: Any victim within 240 feet of a prepared vat. ectoplasm, and strange chemicals held in this arcane
Duration: Until dispelled text of this spell.
It takes one month of undivided focus from the
Using exneuration, a wizard magically rips the brain wizard to create a living creature. At the end of this
from the body of one victim (saving throw only process a living creature will be "born" from the vat.
allowed if the victim is > 8HD) and teleports it into The age, sex, race, species, are all decided by the
his vat. The brain and body of the victim will wizard. The wizard may also decide to create a new
collapse into a permanent state of stasis until the species of creature of his own design (moderated by
brain is returned to the body. The brain can be the Referee). Obviously, the vat must be large
returned to the body with a successful dispel magic enough to hold the creature formulated.
spell. However, both the brain and body could be There is a 50% chance that something goes wrong
destroyed by physical trauma before being reunited. with the creation process - the results of failure are
The wizard who cast this spell can send the brain decided by the DM. Since a part of the wizard’s
back into the body at any time, even if there are many lifeforce is forever connected with his creation, there
leagues between the body and brain, unless one or the will be a psychic bond between the wizard and his
other is on another plane of existence. If this wizard creation. The DM will decide what in game effects
has collected multiple brains he can send any of the this bond will have (but could include sharing hit
brains into any body under his control with this points, sharing saving throws, telepathic
terrifying spell, assuming the target body is on the communication, psychic pain sharing, etc.). It is
same plane. incredibly risky to use this spell multiple times; each
Any brains that are in the liquid of the vat are still additional use of this spell incurs a cumulative 5%
capable of thinking although they will be in a chance of the caster losing sanity (-1d4 WIS).
perpetual dreamlike state. Any mental
communication spells can be cast on the brain (ESP,
telepathy, etc..) and the brain will not receive a
saving throw. As a result this spell allows a wizard
to glean any information his victim holds including
ripping spells from the head of a captured spell caster
brain.
, + Suggested Tricks/Traps
Select as many or as few features from the list below

- (
to make the room more interesting.

1. A chill wind blows down from the great

By Andrew Trent yawning void above, extinguishing torches on
a 1-4 on a d6 and lanterns on a 1-3 on a d6.
Editor’s Note – Andrew suggests a few monsters 2. When an injured, poisoned or diseased
from the Swords & Wizardry Monster Book, which character pulls the ropes in the order necessary
many readers probably don’t own. We have left those to create a second inversion (D, G, B), the
references in the article, because we figured it would bells sound as harmonious as they do when
be stupid to take out some interesting ideas just to unaffected characters pull on them. There is a
make the article more generic. If you don’t own a 25% chance that the injury, poison or disease
copy of the Monster Book, just disregard the afflicting the character is completely healed.
references. This effect may only happen once per day, and
then only once per character.
There' s one thing about old school players - they're 3. If all three ropes are pulled on in unison by
unstoppable exploration machines. They search high injured/poisoned/diseased characters, a
and low for secret doors even when there are none to cacophonous blast of sound fills the room,
be found. They examine every piece of furniture, rendering all present permanently deaf. This
every sconce, every tapestry, rug and mural they can deafness may only be removed by the casting
get their hands on looking for a way to open that of Remove Curse by a Cleric of a deity of
portal that just isn't there. Normally a GM just takes music.
advantage of all this wasted time by rolling for an 4. Any character who pulls more than three times
extra wandering monster or two. But sometimes it on the same rope must make a saving throw
just feels right to give the persistent chumps a bonus (vs. Spells) or suffer the loss of 1d6 points
room to check out. from his or her Intelligence. These points will
return at the rate of 1 per week. This rate
Below are five rooms that could be used to fill this cannot be accelerated by any means.
purpose, or any other "Man, I need a room!"
situations that arise. For each room, a basic Suggested Monster
description is provided along with some suggested An impossibly high bell tower seems like a great
tricks, traps and possible monstrous occupants. place for impossibly large bats. Consider any of the
Think of these like a soup stock. Pick and choose, Giant Bats found on pages 65-66 of the Swords &
combined as desired, or just throw out everything and Wizardry rules or, for a slight change of pace, use the
season to your own tastes. Belfry Goblin found on pages 39 & 40 of the Swords
& Wizardry Monster Book.
-
5( 29
This small, almost closet-like, room would be
scarcely worth noticing were it not for its impossibly Every surface of this medium-sized rectangular room
high ceiling, which recedes into the darkness. Any is covered with wax of varying colors. The stubs of
effort to climb the walls to find where they end yields countless candles, most melted to their bases, others
only frustration, for the walls simply continue to never having been lit, dot the floor and are found in
climb further still. numerous small alcoves found at irregular intervals
around the walls. In one corner a large metal
Three stout ropes hang down from that impenetrable cauldron has been turned over, spilling out its once-
height. Pulling on any of the ropes (or attempting to molten contents across the floor. The remains of a
climb them) results in the tolling of faint, far away shattered apiary lie in a different corner, the beeswax
bells. Normally, each rope intones a different note that it once contained smeared haphazardly on the
(G, B, and D), and all blend harmoniously with the walls.
others as a major triad. If the ropes are activated by
any character who is wounded, poisoned or diseased, The center of the room is dominated by two large
though, the notes sounded by the bells are wildly out- stone tables, upon each of which rests a slender,
of-tune and dissonant (though the musically inclined waxen, humanoid, female form. Both figures, which
should be able to tell that it'
s still supposed to be a G are identical in their features, have a large hexagonal
major triad). platinum coin embedded in their chests. Other wax
figures - cast aside in various states of development -
are scattered about the room. Each specimen is labeled or tagged, identifying the
race or origin of the item, and in some cases the
Suggested Tricks/Traps specific individual. A character with sufficient
Select as many or as few features from the list below knowledge of history might recognize a few of the
to make the room more interesting. names as significant, either as famous or infamous
figures or as noteworthy "vanished" persons.
1. A mosaic is barely visible beneath the wax on
the wall opposite the door. If the wax is Suggested Tricks/Traps
cleared away from this wall, the mosaic can be Select as many or as few features from the list below
seen to depict a human woman resembling the to make the room more interesting.
wax figures lying upon the tables.
2. The wax that covers the floor obscures a hole 1. The eyes of a skull on the shelf - labeled "Ulax
in the flagstones between the two great stone Wizardbane, King of Bron" in an ancient
tables. Anyone walking between the tables variation of Common - glow green when any
will discover this hole, the hard way, on a 1-2 magic-user stands within 10ft. Non-magic-
roll on 1d6. The hole itself only drops 12 users who possess the skull on their persons
inches, but as a foot strikes the bottom it receive a +1 to all saving throws against magic
triggers a scything blade located just below the cast or created by magic-users. Magic-users
hole' s opening, which does 1d8 damage to the who possess the skull on their persons have
leg of the person who found the hole. Further, their spell effectiveness reduced, granting
attempting to remove the affected limb from enemies a +2 on saving throws made against
the hole inflicts an additional 1d8 damage per their spells.
attempt. An attempt may be judged as 2. A mummified monkey' s paw might be found
successful if a saving throw is made. in a pile of preserved animal limbs. This item
3. A small silver mirror has been placed in the grants a single Wish and then crumbles into
hands of one of the wax figures. Any dust. The results of the wish will always carry
character who removes the mirror and looks some degree of negative results as well as
into it must make a saving throw or change being the strictest possible interpretation of the
gender (if male) or gain 1d4 Charisma (if wish.
female). The mirror then shatters, doing 1d6 3. A jar of teeth sitting on one of the shelves
points of damage to the player holding it. contains a ruby worth 500gp. Handling the
4. For every full turn spent exploring this room, teeth to remove the ruby may (1 in 6 chance)
each character has a 5% chance of falling into infect the character with lycanthropy.
a deep melancholy that lasts for 1d4 days. 4. If disturbed, one of the mummies sits upright,
During this time, the character suffers a -2 on opens its mouth, and releases a large and fast-
all to-hit rolls and saving throw attempts. spreading cloud of poisonous spores. It then
collapses back to the table. Characters in the
Suggested Monster room must make a saving throw (vs. Poison)
This room is begging to house one or more Wax or suffer the immediate loss of 2d4 points of
Golems (S&W Monster Book, p. 41). But other Constitution. These points do not return
options might include Fire Elementals (S&W Core without the casting of a relatively powerful
Rules, p. 73), Iaeru (Knockspell #3, p. 55), or Giant spell. Three days hence, each affected
Bees (HD 2; AC 4[15]; Atk 1 sting (1d4 + non-lethal character must make a second saving throw
poison); Move 6 (Fly 16); Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; (again, vs. Poison) or die, as the fungus
Special: Non-lethal poison sting (2d4 damage, save consumes their lungs.
for half)}.

8 : 76 0 002 Suggested Monster

The most logical monster for this room would be one
or more Mummies (S&W Core Rules, p. 82),
The walls of this large square room are lined with
Skeletons (S&W Core p. 86), Zombies (S&W Core p.
shelves and bookcases, and a grid of nine operating
90), or Flesh Golems (S&W Core, p. 76). Any other
tables occupies its center. The surface of each table
monster comprised of bits of the dead would be
is occupied by the remains of some humanoid or
reasonable foes here as well. This room may also be
another, ranging from complete skeletons and
home to the ghosts of one or more of its occupants.
mummies to mere remnants of limbs, torsos and
heads. All of these are obviously ancient, though
some are clearly better preserved than others.
 5 2 002 " 7 2 6; /

Dead eyes peer at the party from every corner of this A light as bright as the sun floods this mid-sized
large round room. Taxidermy animals and monsters hexagonal room, its source a glowing ball set in the
litter every inch of open space, with only the high ceiling. The room is a riot of overgrown
narrowest of aisles between them. Preserved beasts planters, low raised beds choked with various herbs
of the air hang by wires from the ceiling. A glass- and weeds, and a small copse of different varieties of
fronted case containing butterflies, beetles, and other trees clustered at the center of the room. If more than
insects hangs on the wall opposite the door. a few minutes are spent examining this room it
becomes apparent that the room' s "sun" is, in fact,
Suggested Tricks/Traps moving across the "sky" at a rate proportional to the
Select as many or as few features from the list below speed of the real sun across the real sky.
to make the room more interesting. A series of aqueduct-like troughs crisscross the room,
fresh water flowing through them. At distinct
1. A taxidermy goblin, posed with a bow, is intervals, drips, sprays, and jets of water descend
trapped to fire an arrow at the first person to from various locations of this system, providing
enter the room. 1d6 damage; save for half. water to the different varieties of plants that grow
2. A strong magnet has been implanted in the here.
head of a multi-horned beast similar to a
triceratops. The head will tear loose and slam Suggested Tricks/Traps
into the first person wearing full plate who Select as many or as few features from the list below
enters the room, doing 2d12 damage and to make the room more interesting.
rendering the armor unusable (it has a giant
head stuck into it). 1. Silver-skinned apples grow from one of the
3. A suit of armor stands posed in a diorama trees in this room. Picking and eating one of
depicting a battle against a troll. It is clearly these reverses the effect of gravity on the eater
labeled, in common, "Saint Moderatus, The for 1d6 hours.
Troll-Slayer." Within the armor rests the spirit 2. Mounted on the wall near the door is a
of the evil wizard Horvath, who once cast burbling lion-headed fountain. Anyone who
Magic Jar upon this container. His body was drinks the water from this fountain is cursed to
destroyed while the spell was active, and now eat only plants for the rest of his days. Eating
his malevolent soul waits here, longing for a meat or dairy products renders the character
body to possess. violently ill and unable to perform even the
4. The skin of a taxidermy giant centipede, found simplest of tasks for 24 full hours.
near the back of the room, has had a map 3. Bright yellow carrot-like root vegetables are
drawn upon it. This map is clearly not of the spotted in one of the raised beds. Anyone who
dungeon in which this room is found, but it eats one of these is immediately transported to
might lead to a different dungeon or to some the Astral Plane as per the Astral Spell (S&W
other perilous, but profitable, destination. Core, p. 31).
4. Each full turn spent in this room, there is a
Suggested Monster 25% chance that a character will Shrink (as per
This room could easily contain any number of a Potion of Diminution, S&W Core, p. 98).
animated constructs, but in truth it is more ideally
suited to creeping players out than it is to dumping Suggested Monster
them into yet another combat. The suggestion that Plant-like monsters (including these nasties from the
the eyes of a taxidermy Owl Bear seem to follow S&W Monster Book: Assassin Vine, p. 6;
them as they explore the room is probably more Spiderweed, p. 92; Tree Ghost, p. 99; and
interesting than actually being attacked by one. Still, Urrslumber, p. 102) are the natural choice for this
if the Referee desires, almost any creature (or rather, room. Water-based creatures (such as a Keeper Of
the taxidermy remains of one) could be thrown at the The Well, S&W Monster Book, p. 53) could easily
players here. Shape-shifting monsters like Mimics have taken up residence in the irrigation system. Of
(S&W Monster Book, p. 65) might also have taken course, given the nature of this room, any kind of
up residence in this room. vermin, lizard or insect might be found here as well.
 (similar to a Bag of Holding) of similar size to the
) . ( ship'
s normal cargo hold.

/
Flag of Displacement: While this flag is run up, the
first attack made on the ship by another ship or siege
engine automatically misses, and any further attacks
By Kim Nicholson and James E. Bobb suffer a -2 penalty on the '
to hit'roll.

Eyepatch of Loyalty: When worn by a captain of a Flag of Friendliness: While this flag is run up, all
vessel, the loyalty and morale of the crew are raised who view the vessel she is flying on see a friendly or
by +1. allied vessel.

Eyepatch of Command: 3 times per day, the captain Masthead of Regeneration: When attached to the
of a vessel may issue a command that the crew are highest mast, the ship repairs itself at the rate of 1 hit
forced to follow unswervingly (saving throw at point (or hull point) per turn. Ships with these
-2 penalty negates). mastheads will not sink unless totally destroyed.

Figurehead of Protection: Ships fitted with one of Masthead of Deflection: When attached to the top of
these shield-bearing mermaids (or mermen) gain a a mast, this masthead toughens the ship it looks down
bonus of 4 to their armor class. upon. Any successful attack made on the ship has it's
potential damage reduced by one die type; a d10
Figurehead of Ramming: Ships fitted with one of becomes a d8, a d8 becomes a d6, etc.
these trident-wielding mermaids (or mermen) do
double damage when ramming another vessel. Mutineer' s Plank: When a crewmember is
justly convicted of mutiny and sentenced to walk the
Figurehead of the Watch: Ships fitted with one of plank, this magical plank summons 10d6 sharks of
these scholarly-looking mermaids (or mermen) keep various sizes who make a spectacle of the demise of
a constant watch for one sight they are commanded the offending crew member.
with, such as icebergs, land, waterspouts, etc. When
the object they are tasked with finding is within the Explorer's Charts: These charts magically create
horizon line (whether day or night) the figurehead maps of wherever a ship sails, detailing land
raises an alarm, notifying the captain and crew. The formations, topside sea formations (such as sargasso
figurehead can be commanded to look for one object groups or reefs) and deep water trenches.
per day.
Necromancer' s Bell: A ship outfitted with one of
Sails of the Zephyr: These magical sails have a minor these vile-looking bone bells immediately becomes a
air elemental bound within them. When sailing under rotten-looking hulk. Sails appear to be tattered, wood
wind power, ships with these sails move at double the is worm-eaten and salt-water warped, even the
normal rate. On calm days where the winds are barnacles appear to be more repugnant than normal.
negligible, the elemental can provide half normal The function of the ship is not compromised in any
movement under its own power. way by this transformation, but any crew member
that dies on board is immediately animated as if an
Wheel, Undersea: Ships with one of these wheels animate dead has been cast on the body. These
attached to the rudder can submerge a ship and allow zombie crew members still perform the functions
currents to pull a vessel instead of the winds. All they did in life and continue obey the captain of the
creatures in contact with the ship while submerged ship.
are safe from drowning and all interior areas retain
breathable air (even if a door or hatch is opened long
enough to allow entry, as long as it' s closed
immediately).

Pegleg of Sure-footedness: When attached to a leg

stump, the wearer suffers no hinderance to movement
on the water slickened, rolling and pitching decks of
a ship, being as sure-footed as if on land.

Cargo Door of Holding: When fitted to a ship with a

cargo hold and the command word is spoken, this
door allows access to an extra-planar dimension
 The Referee might consider lowering the damage
0! dice for traps that attack multiple times or target
several creatures, such as a dart wall or flame jet.

&
Conversely, he or she might increase the damage of
or apply enchantments to weapon-based traps to
challenge higher-level dungeoneers. Particularly
fearsome traps might even inflict debilitating
Traps in Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox Edition conditions on their victims, including poison,
By Scott A. Murray blindness and deafness, confusion, or immobilization.
It is well understood by Referees and players across The Referee may choose to heighten or lessen the
the spectrum of experience that no dungeon delve is danger posed to the dungeoneers by a mechanical
complete without the menace of lurking traps and trap by placing it on a dungeon level higher or lower
nefarious tricks. Such threats are iconic not only to than its HDE. A 4 HDE acid-filled pit trap hidden on
the fantasy adventure genre, but are a cornerstone of level 2 of the dungeon, for example, makes for a
what one might call the ‘old-school’ dungeon crawl nefarious threat that is sure to be deadly if not
aesthetic. avoided. That same 4 HDE trap placed on level 6, on
the other hand, is less menacing, not least due to the
This article presents Referees with tips on designing dungeoneers’ increased saving throws and hit points.
mechanical and magical traps for use in the
WhiteBox Edition of Swords & Wizardry. In addition
to guidelines for trap creation, this feature offers " : 7 ' 7 7 3
Referees several example traps both novel and classic
that can be adapted to any dungeon adventure. The following traps, while mechanical, operate in a
more complex or unconventional fashion than basic
Note that the information presented below is not mechanical traps. The Referee may set the HDE for
intended to be divine writ, but rather suggestions, these traps to any value.
tools, and inspiration to help both novice and veteran
Referees build exciting, challenging encounters. Pendulum Blades

A row of swords, axes, or other blades swing across a

- 7' 7 7 3 narrow corridor at dungeoneers attempting to pass
through. Each melee round, one or two (or more) of
A mechanical trap is a device intended to ward off the pendulum blades attack with a +1 ‘to hit’ per
intruders by attacking, hindering, or frightening them. HDE. Creatures standing in the hallway have an 1 in
While magic may aid in their construction, 6 chance of being attacked per blade. This trap deals
mechanical traps are entirely mundane and cannot be damage appropriate for the weapon used.
discerned with detect magic.
Ethereal Pendulum Blades: The blades of this trap
A mechanical trap has a Hit Die Equivalent pass through mundane armor and are unaffected by
(“HDE”) equal to the dungeon level it appears on (for physical objects. Magic affects ethereal pendulum
more on HDE, see page 54 of S&W WhiteBox). Many blades normally.
mechanical traps, such as falling doors and gas vents,
require the target to make a saving throw to avoid or Vorpal Pendulum Scythes: Vorpal pendulum scythes
reduce their effects. Other traps, such as thrusting decapitate their victim if a ‘natural’ 20 is rolled on
spears and hidden darts, instead attack as a monster the attack die.
with a number of hit dice equal to its HDE, or +1 ‘to
hit’ per HDE (to a maximum of +15). Crushing Walls
Many mechanical traps activate only once, and are Two opposite walls of a chamber at least 20 ft. wide
designed to mortally wound or slay dungeoneers. close in on each other at a rate of 5 ft. per melee
Such traps, including crushing blocks of stone or round. Creatures and objects caught between the
deep pits, deal 1d6 points of damage per HDE. walls when they meet take 1d10 points of damage per
Others are meant only to harry or deter intruders, and HDE and are pinned unless a Strength check can be
thus do less damage. Traps that implement a weapon, made (dungeoneers are entitled to a new Strength
such as a swinging axe or crossbow turret, deal check each melee round). Creatures that do not
damage appropriate for the weapon used. escape from between the walls after three consecutive
rounds of crushing are slain, their bodies and
possessions reduced to pulp and dust.
 dealing 1d6 points of damage to creatures passing
Descending Ceiling: As above, with the exception through it.
that a ceiling of at least 20 ft. in height lowers to the
floor, crushing those trapped beneath it. Magnetic Spiked Boulder: This wrought iron boulder
is hewn from magnetic stone and deals 1d10 points of
Wall Spikes: Hidden spikes jut from the crushing damage per HDE. Metal objects and creatures
walls one melee round after the trap activates. In wearing metal armor with 15’ of the boulder must
addition to dealing 1d4 points of damage to creatures save each melee round or be pulled 10’ toward it. The
trapped between the walls, they are also a dangerous spikes are often poisoned.
hazard into which characters might be pushed by
monsters – and vice versa. These spikes are often Green Slime-Coated Skull Boulder: An 8’ diameter
poisoned or coated in slime. obsidian skull is coated in a 2’ thick membrane of
green slime. A dungeoneer struck by the boulder
Water-Filling Chamber takes no damage, but instead must save or be affected
as if by a green slime and stuck to the boulder. A
Frigid water pours into a small chamber from several successful Strength check frees a stuck dungeoneer,
vents or chutes at a rate of 2’ per melee round. When but does not reverse the slime’s effect.
the water level reaches 4’, movement for human-
sized creatures and smaller is reduced by half. When - 7' 7 3
the water level rises to 8’, human-sized creatures or
smaller must swim, while all other creatures have
Magical traps are spells that are designed to be cast
their movement rates halved (the Referee may rule
from a focus (a gem, a hidden rune, a carving) when
that certain creatures are immune to this penalty).
a trigger condition is met, such as a door being
Living creatures submerged in the water risk
opened or an object being touched. Like mechanical
drowning.
traps, magical traps are most commonly used to
protect important chambers, such as burial crypts and
Acid-Filling Chamber: As the water-filling chamber,
treasure vaults. Arcane magic traps are commonly
but the acid deals 1d4 damage per melee round to
referred to as ‘wards,’ while those implementing
creatures exposed to it. The acid might be substituted
divine magic are deemed ‘curses.’
with purple worm bile or dragon’s blood.
The use of detect magic reveals the presence of most
Lava-Filling Chamber: As the water-filling chamber,
magical traps; dispel magic neutralizes them. At the
but the lava deals 2d6 damage per melee round. The
Referee’s discretion, spells such as dispel chaos or
lava might be substituted with flowing elemental
dispel law will also disable a magical trap. Magical
energy or molten iron.
traps automatically and instantaneously reset when
triggered and remain active until dispelled.
Vermin-Filling Chamber: Rather than liquid, the
chamber fills with vermin such as snakes, rats,
A magical trap has a HDE equal to twice the level of
scarabs, or insects. In addition to impeding
the spell used. For example, a fireball trap (spell level
movement and sight, the swarms bite creatures within
M3) would have an HDE of 6, and a death spell trap
the chamber, attacking with a +1 ‘to hit’ per HDE. At
(spell level M6) would have an HDE of 12.
the Referee’s discretion, the bites may deal damage,
deliver poison, or some combination thereof.
Magical traps have a caster level equal to their HDE.
The Referee may increase or decrease the HDE of a
Rolling Boulder
magical trap to create a spell effect with a higher or
lower caster level, such as a 9 HDE lightning bolt
The boulder rolls in a straight line at a speed of 5 ft.
trap that deals 9d6 points of damage or a 2 HD
per melee round. This speed increases by 5 ft. each
telekinesis trap that moves only 40 pounds.
subsequent round, to a maximum of 40 ft. Creatures
caught in the path of the boulder must make a saving
throw or be crushed for 1d8 points of damage per . < ' 7 3
HDE. Those succeeding on their saving throw leap
out of the way; if this is impossible – such as in a The following traps are magical in nature, but do not
narrow corridor – no saving throw is permitted. implement spells listed in the S&W WhiteBox
Edition rulebook. The Referee may set the HDE for
Oil-Filled Boulder: This hollow boulder is filled with these traps to any value.
smoldering oil that leaks through holes bored into its
surface. The trap leaves a burning trail in its wake,
Faerie Fire with full experience. However, at the Referee’s
discretion, the dungeoneers may earn one-quarter or
When triggered, a faerie fire trap bathes the victim in one-half experience for merely surviving an
a radiant purple or azure glow (saving throw negates) encounter with a trap – learning from their mistakes,
for 1d6 days. This glow shines as bright as a lantern perhaps.
and marks the victim as an intruder in the dungeon.

Quest Haunt

This magic ‘trap’ is applied to an object that can be

opened: a vase, a chest, a sarcophagus, and so on.
When a dungeoneer opens the object, a spirit is freed
that believes the dungeoneer to be a hero of prophecy
destined to free him from the dungeon and fulfill a
difficult quest of the Referee’s design. The spirit will
harass the dungeoneer until her or she completes the
quest; the Referee shall determine what penalties, if
any, are incurred from the distraction. It cannot be By Jason Sholtis
harmed, though it can be dispelled or removed.
Turning it (as a wraith) sends the spirit away for 1d4 Upon achieving a certain level of success in their
hours. endeavors, magic-users often establish a base of
operations for themselves, frequently a private tower
Embalming Vise of some kind where their arcane activities can remain
for the most part uninterrupted. In so doing, they take
An upright sarcophagus filled with necromantic runes on the mundane responsibility of providing security
hurls itself open when triggered and attempts to for their hoarded treasures and simpering underlings.
magically pull a creature within 15’ inside (saving Typically, mages take to hiring professional help of
throw resists). A dungeoneer trapped inside the some kind, whether mercenaries, armies of
sarcophagus is slowly embalmed alive, taking 1d8 humanoids, or even more monstrous security forces.
damage per melee round. Trapped creatures are But some magi, a career’s worth of victories serving
entitled to a Strength check once per melee round to only to amplify the hubris customary to the
escape; allies may also attempt to pry open the profession, their super-heated intellects craving the
sarcophagus with a successful check. A dungeoneer new and unusual, opt instead to magically create or
reduced to 0 hit points by the embalming vise dies otherwise harness more specialized guardians.
and rises again on the next melee round as a mummy.
Sorcerers may also wish to invent new life to serve
Dimensional Anchor them in other ways, such as enhancing power,
construction, planar exploration, and even waste
This fearsome albeit subtle trap binds its target to its disposal. Naturally, only highly unscrupulous mages
physical form and the plane on which it exists (saving with little regard for the sanctity of life would go
throw resists). If the victim teleports or becomes around fashioning homemade creatures to enslave
ethereal, they suffer 1d6 damage per HDE, and the ruthlessly.
teleportation or jaunting effect fails. This effect lasts
until dispelled. The processes required for the creation of unique and
even self-replicating life forms are beyond the scope
Mark of Truth of this article. Suffice it to say that a sorcerer so
disposed must spend vast quantities of treasure and
The subject of this curse is unable to willfully tell a his nights (for weeks, months, or years, depending) in
lie or mislead another (saving throw resists). The research and unholy experimentation, communing
victim must also correct others who lie in his or her with unmentionable gods and other terrible cosmic
presence, if able. This effect lasts until dispelled or entities. Insanity and horrible death are unavoidable
removed. risks in such pursuits, but the possible rewards
(bragging rights in arcane circles not the least among
them) can seem worth the perils.
"= 53 7 10 3

Traps have an XP value equivalent to a monster of

their HDE (see page 82 of S&W WhiteBox).
Disabling or dispelling a trap should be rewarded
The creatures detailed below are examples of Pitch-dogs
sorcerous creativity in action. Hit Dice: 5
Armor Class: 9 [10]
Editor’s Note: these follow the S&W monster format, Attacks: envelop: on a successful hit; the target must
but the numbers and descriptions work for other make a saving throw (and again each round if
editions without any conversion effort. enveloped) or be trapped in hot tar, suffering 1d2
heat damage
Cerebromorphs Save: 15
Hit dice: 2+1 Special: immune to edged weapons, double damage
Armor Class: 9 [10] from cold
Attacks: electric shock (may strike any opponents Move: 6
within 10’) 2d6, save for ½ damage Challenge level/XP: 6/400
Save: 14 These magic-spawned creatures lack any sort of
Special: immune to electricity consciousness beyond obedience to a single
Move: 12 command, such as the typical, “trap all intruders“.
Challenge level/XP: 3/60 Pitch-dogs appear as vaguely hound-shaped globs of
hot tar, steaming and reeking obscenely while
These pitiable beings appear entirely human with one sloppily advancing from their posts to envelop any
major exception: in place of a head, a huge mass of trespassers, who must also contend with their
convoluted tissues the shape of a brain glistens with deafening, non-stop howls of alarm.
moisture and crackles with electricity. When
threatened, cerebromorphs lash out with a lightning- Voracites
like blast of voltage in a 10ft radius (followed Hit Dice: 2
instantly by a peal of miniature thunder). Armor Class: 7 [12]
Cerebromorphs are most often encountered as the Attacks: 1 bite (1d10)
thralls of evil wizards who use the creatures as Save: 10
adjuncts to their own intellects, enhancing spell- Special: flies
casting abilities (1 extra low-to-mid level stored spell Move: 14
per thrall). With the proper arcane techniques, Challenge level/XP: 3/60
cerebromorphs can also be utilized en masse for more Thought to be three-dimensional manifestations of a
complex magical effects. single, chronically-famished, six-dimensional being
whose unutterable name has never been heard by
Exonites human ears, these entities resemble 200 pound flying
Hit Dice: 3 tadpoles, with outsized mouths filled with
Armor Class: 0 [19] disturbingly human-like teeth. Their powerful jaws
Attacks: by weapon bite through flesh, bone, stone, and steel with equal
Save: 10 ease and instantly transmit any ingested matter to
Special: none their native dimension, making them desirable slaves
Move: 12 for mages powerful enough to summon and
Challenge level/XP: 3/60 command them.
Created by a half-mad wizard to serve as her private
army, these creatures are actually semi-intelligent Watchflowers
gas-beings from another dimension, housed in A research fellowship of sorcerers developed these
animate exoskeletons shaped like suits of plate magical, plant-animal hybrids as a self-perpetuating
armor. This polished black shell, composed of both defense for strongholds and towers. The
earthly and extra-dimensional materials, provides watchflowers must be telepathically linked to the
exceptional protection from most weapons and could wizard in question, or, more conveniently, to a bank
be harvested for use by clever adventurers (suit of of dedicated cerebromorphs (see above).
exonite chitin: AC: 0). Once this encasing armor is Watchflowers are large white flowers with a human-
penetrated (at 0 hp) the gas-being within dies of like eyeball growing from the center of a lush mass
exposure to the atmosphere with a mournful hiss. of petals. The plant has a bulbous, urn-shaped stem,
These creatures, innately warlike, lack any way to into which the flower retracts if endangered.
engage in physical violence in the form of a gas, and Particularly vain mages often clone their own
consequently relish their new lives as mighty eyeballs for use in these constructs, adding a personal
fighters. Exonite guardians only rarely mutiny against touch for anyone lucky enough to meet the flowers
their dark masters. face-to-face.
 + A long time ago, Claude was a dungeon explorer
himself. Trapped by a cave-in, he sustained himself
by living on the carcasses of monsters while awaiting
( 6, ' 0 6 6 rescue from outside. His survival was aided by his
By Rob Hewlett (aka “ze bulette”) family’s greatest treasure, a Ring of Invisibility.
Claude trained for a time as a magic user, but his last
Claude de Sarlat is an eccentric and very wealthy dungeon experience turned him away from it (it also
gourmand. He regularly employs groups of made him a touch mad).
adventurers to hunt down, kill (or trap), and retrieve
various creatures for him - mostly four footed Claude: Magic User 7: HP 28, AC 9 [11], Atk
monsters, but also exotic flora and fowl. Claude eats dagger d4, Str 10, Dex 9, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 8,
it all. His chef, one “Tirel,” himself an eccentric and Cha 7, Ring of Invisibility, Spells: Charm Person,
worldly character, gladly indulges Claude’s culinary Magic Missile, Read Magic, Sleep, Continual
desires. Without Claude knowing it, Tirel has even Light, Detect Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, Haste,
expanded his repertoire to include bipedal beasts such Lightning Bolt, Charm Monster. He will seldom
as owlbears (and others) but has not yet dared to use the ring unless in extreme danger, and will only
directly introduce Claude to these more acquired do so in conjunction with casting Haste upon himself.
tastes.
Tirel: Fighter 4: HP 21, AC 5 [14], Atk long sword
Claude owns a keep and has inherited a small d8, Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14.
fiefdom. While not exactly encouraging monsters to
forage for human and demihuman fare of their own, Bodyguards (1d6 at any given time) are 1st level
he does seem to tolerate a large number of monsters fighters with a 2nd level captain.
in the vicinity, or at least does so according to many
of his not so loyal nor admiring subjects. Rumors of
his more exotic tastes have recently spread
throughout the land, and his appetite is already
legendary.

He is a large man: short of stature, but it would be

wrong to call him “fat” - obscenely obese would be
more accurate, or as Claude prefers, “most long of
girth”. He wears an unfashionable mustache,
typically encrusted with the remains of food, and he
is almost constantly eating. Short-tempered and
demanding, he’s very unpleasant to be around; were
it not for the fact that he pays extremely well (and
can afford it), he would no doubt be quite alone in the
world. He’s always surrounded by personal servants
and bodyguards, one of whom will have a bucket
handy should Claude need to vacate his stomach’s
contents quickly to make room for another course.

Claude is eager to employ experienced travelers and

dungeoneers in his territory, to retrieve for him some
“free-range” meats from nearby grottos, preferably
alive or very freshly killed. Some of his servants stay
busy watching the local taverns for such (ahem …
seasoned) travelers and will occasionally approach
them with offers of employment (not revealing the
actual name of their own employer). Acquired
“game” should be presented to, and will be paid for,
by Tirel directly.

Several other nobles have heard of Tirel’s exotic

meals, and some wish to try them. Others feel the
notion of eating monsters is an abomination.
 &
0 ! 0 Swords & Wizardry Stats:
Toad Dragon: HD 4-10; AC 4[15]; Atk breath
By Matt Finch weapon or 1 bite (3d6); Move 9; Save 8; CL/XP
8/800; Special: Breathe fire (1d6 damage per hit die,
FREQUENCY: Very Rare save for half).
NUMBER APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 9 I used a toad dragon in the fourth level of my
HIT DICE: 4-10 Mythrus Tower game at NTRPGCon ’10, and it was
CHANCE IN LAIR: 45% made up entirely on the fly when the players got into
TREASURE TYPE: H an area I’d mapped but not yet keyed. This write-up
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 1 bite (3d6) is based on the stats and abilities that I (pretty much
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breathe fire arbitrarily) assigned to this nasty as it pursued the
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil characters, who were rolling a big wheel of gold
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard away from it at the highest speed they could manage.
INTELLIGENCE: Average It all came to a head when they reached the elevator
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil room and realized that they couldn’t all fit into it with
SIZE: L the gold before the dragon arrived. In defense of their
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil gold they challenged the dragon to bring it on for an
Alamo-style defense … and they won. Battered and
Toad dragons are huge creatures, neither entirely scorched, they managed to limp out of the dungeon
dragon nor entirely batrachian. They are capable of rolling the wheel of gold along with them, and
squeezing through relatively small spaces, and can leaving behind the toad dragon’s body to be raised as
leap to the attack. Toad dragons are fire-breathers, a zombie by a nearby necromancer…
and like dragons they can breathe gouts of fire thrice
a day before their innards are depleted of the
pyrotechnic venom they spit forth to produce a cone-
shaped blast of flames.

*
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System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich
Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by
E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Adventuring at Conventions, copyright 2010, Tim Kask
Teach Your Children, copyright 2010, Bill Webb
Out of the Bag: Generating Encounters with Scrabble Tiles, copyright 2010, Jim Pacek
Dark Gods, copyright 2010, Al Krombach
WhiteBox Weaponry, copyright 2010, Richard Lionheart
Where Dwells the Mountain God, copyright 2010, Bill Silvey
Operation: Unfathomable, copyright 2010 Jason Sholtis
Weird Watery Magic of Vats and Pools, copyright 2010, Richard Hart
Five Portable Rooms, copyright 2010, Andrew Trent
Magic Items of the High Seas, copyright 2010, James E. Bobb and Kim Nicholson
‘Don’t Touch Anything’: Traps in Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox Edition, copyright 2010, Scott A. Murray
Sorcerous Servitors, copyright 2010, Jason Sholtis
Claude de Sarlet, copyright 2010, Rob Hewlett
Toad Dragon, copyright 2010, Matthew J. Finch
Knockspell Magazine Issue #5, copyright 2010, Matthew J. Finch
END OF LICENSE

%0 6 702 # 9 7 60
C1 The Circle of Fire
Publisher: Pacesetter Games & Simulations
http://pacesettergames.com/c_series
Pacesetter Games & Simulations announces the general release of its newest adventure game module, C1 The Circle
of Fire. This module is designed for the OSRIC rules system and/or the First Edition game. The Circle of Fire is part
one of the three-part City of Spire module series, although this adventure is also designed for stand alone play. The
Circle of Fire includes two new monsters and eight new magic items.

The Circle of Fire includes a detached full color, card stock cover and a 36-page adventure book. The module
includes more than 20 illustrations by Christopher Letzelter. Additionally, the adventure can be dropped into
virtually any campaign setting so long as a desert is present.

The first print run of C1 The Circle of Fire is limited to 125 numbered copies. Price: $11.00
 %0 6 702 # 9 7 60
Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti
Scott Casper
Publisher: Frog God Games (http://www.talesofthefroggod.com/index.php)
Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti is an adventure for a party of 4-8 characters of fourth through seventh level. A
century ago or more, when the town of Cholagadi was just a frontier fort on the coast, Madaro-Shanti was the most
powerful city-state in the entire Ambicuaria Jungle. Its citizens were highly advanced in the arts of magic, and even
retained some vestiges of magical quasi-technologies perhaps more ancient than humankind itself. Their prosperity
made for jealous enemies, none more covetous than the powerful and sorcerous Kiengaa Tribe of the deep jungles.
The Kiengaa plotted against Madaro-Shanti, making dark pacts with the monstrous ape-centaurs known as the
Borsin, and with the monkey-faced, snake-like monsters known as the Hanu-Naga. Once this terrible, unnatural
army was gathered, the Kiengaa and their allies laid siege to Madaro-Shanti itself.

As the walls of Madaro-Shanti fell, and the invaders swarmed into the city, the high priest of the city closed himself
within the royal shrine, praying to all the gods for intervention. Yet none of the gods answered his prayers until the
last – and that was Ojala, whom the people of Madaro-Shanti knew as a god of evil and treachery. A deadly bargain
was struck that night, and true to his promise, Ojala caused a horrible wasting disease to strike the besieging army.
But the full extent of the evil god’s treachery became clear when the surviving people of Madaro-Shanti themselves
began to succumb to the same disease which had slain their enemies. Within a fortnight, all the people of Madaro-
Shanti had either died of the plague or scattered into the depths of the predator-filled jungle.

In only a few years, the city was overgrown by the jungle and fell into ruin, but the magical disease was to have one
final consequence. Not only did the contagion affect the Kiengaa and the Madaro-Shanti – it also infected the mind
of a powerful nature-spirit that inhabited the surrounding jungles. The nature-spirit Cho-Odaa, driven mad by the
disease and hungry for vengeance against all humankind, has discovered the means to exact a terrible reckoning.

Retail Price: 11.99 perfect bound softcover and pdf (200 copies only of the first printing), $4.99 pdf only
Formats (separate purchase) Swords and Wizardry and Pathfinder
Estimated Page Count: 36
Author: Scott Casper

Ursined, Sealed, and Delivered

Dennis Sustare
Publisher: Frog God Games (http://www.talesofthefroggod.com/index.php)
Written by RPG legend Dennis Sustare, this module was originally released at NTRPG Con 2010. A grim, icebound
coastline hides the origins of a strange curse. Can the adventurers rescue the victims before their ship returns?
Price: $14.99 for softcover and pdf

Vengeance of the Long Serpent

Ken Spencer
Publisher: Frog God Games (http://www.talesofthefroggod.com/index.php)
Pull on your hauberk, ready your shield, and take up your axe, the tide is moving out and it is time to set sail on a
voyage of adventure. In Vengeance of the Long Serpent, the heroes sail north into a land of murder, savagery, and
madness to face a reawakened dark god and his deadly cult.
Vengeance of the Long Serpent is the first in a series of ten stand-alone modules set in the Northlands.
Estimated page count: 24
Estimated Release Date: January 2011
Estimated Price: pdf 4.99, pdf and softcover module $8.99
Released in separate editions for both Swords and Wizardry and Pathfinder