Issue Number 19 - friendorfoe.com Magazine/Footprints#19.pdf · Magic Items for Assassins and Other...

Issue Number 19

July 2013

Contents% in lair, by Stuart Marshall 3Field Notes from Davendowns, by Andrew Hamilton 4Kung Fu Monk, by Stuart Marshall 10Magic Items for Assassins and Other Dirty Fighters, by C. Wesley Clough

13

King Rat, by Michael Davis 15Create Food and Drink, by Nicole Massey 17Troubadour, by Stuart Marshall 19Into the Shrieking Hollow, by C. Wesley Clough 22Ecology of the Cave Blinder, by Bryan Fazekas 30Thorks, by C. Wesley Clough 34

Open OSRIC License 36Open Game License 36

Cover art is copyright © Shane M. TYREE 2009, used under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Shane TYREE's art can be viewed at http://shanetyreeart.deviantart.com/

The StaffPublisher Steve YatesAssociate Editor Nicholas PartridgeAssociate Editor Brian WellsSubmissions Manager Nicholas PartridgeTitle Graphics Jim LassiterGraphics Editing Steve McFaddenDesign & Layout Stuart Marshall

Footprints is published by Dragonsfoot. It is available at the Dragonsfoot website for download; visithttp://www.dragonsfoot.org/ft/ to download other issues. The rights to all material published hereinrevert to the author(s) of said work upon release of this issue. Articles may be submitted by email [email protected] (please, don't submit articles by Private Message in the forums). Don'tforget to include your "byline," i.e. how you wish to be credited.

Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, D&D and AD&D are owned by Wizards ofthe Coastand their use here is not intended as a challenge to their ownership of that copyright. Allmaterials are used here without their permission.

All other material copyrighted to the listed author or artist, and used by permission.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

http://shanetyreeart.deviantart.com/

by Stuart Marshall

What's a % in lair? It's a monster statistic inthe Monster Manual, of course, but morerelevantly it's also the first section ofFootprints. When I was asked to write a % inlair, all I had was this vague notion that thiswas the bit of Footprints where you weresupposed to beg for submissions for the nextissue. So I went back to the beginning andlooked up what it was supposed to be.What I found was this:-

This section, "% in Lair" will be where I (andsometimes the Assistant Editors) will rantabout various pertinent topics of theday.--Mike Stewart, Footprints Issue #1, April2004.

Yes, April 2004. Nine-and-a-bit years ago.Saddam Hussein was alive. George W. Bushwas still in his first term. Tony Blair was PrimeMinister (shortly to be re-elected) and JohnPaul II was the Pope. Buffy the VampireSlayer had only just finished its last televisedseason. Gary Gygax was alive and well andchatting on the Dragonsfoot forums. Iwouldn't register my DF account for anothersix months yet.

A rant about pertinent topics of the day?That wouldn't be hard to produce. Rantingcomes naturally to me—I'm not a patientman—and there's no shortage of pertinenttopics. I could produce a 10,000 word rantabout kickstarters without any trouble atall... But I think that a magazine forewordmerits something a little calmer and moremeasured.

I shan't beg for submissions. The truth is thatsmall-press e-zines always need submissions(you can never have too many, inpublishing), but they need everything else aswell:- artwork; proofreaders; layout people;heck, we even need letters to the editor.

What we really need is the main motivatorwho makes it all happen, and we'reextremely lucky to have Nicholas Partridge,who for the moment has slipped into therole of motivating man. It's not an easy role,and the lack of someone with time andenergy to do this explains Footprints' virtualdisappearance for the best part of fouryears. John Turcotte is an admirable editorand manager as well as a writer, and hisdedication to Footprints kept it going threetimes a year from 2005 to 2009. Butapparently he has a life now, so betweenautumn 2009 and spring 2013 we onlymanaged to produce one issue (issue #17from 2011). If you want to help Footprintsand you can't submit content, be nice toNicholas.

Another truth is that there's no pointbegging for submissions. The way to getauthors to submit good content is toproduce a magazine that people arereading, and the way to produce amagazine that people want to read is topublish good content. It's a virtuous circle.If we don't have enough submissions, we'vegot to roll that snowball to the top of the hillourselves. The message here is that for afew issues, you might get a Footprints that'sgot a lot of content written by the staff withillustrations from the public domain. I thinkthat if we keep producing decent stuff,eventually you'll get round to typing up anidea for an article you've got, and thenyou'll send it in to Footprints. That's what Idid, back in issue #5 when my first littlearticle for the zine got published, so whyshouldn't you?

—SJM

Footprints — page 3 — Number 19

Field Notes from DavendownsA Ranger’s Workbook

By Tain Wehrcraft

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I loved the various Pagesfrom the Mages articles by Ed Greenwood;they fired my imagination and made merealize that a spell book should be muchmore than just a list of spells. In fact, there isno reason that any book or journal kept byan adventurer should not hint at the kindand number of dangerous locations,persons & monsters, treasures, and troublesthat keep adventurers tramping about thecountryside for their (probably short)careers.

I developed the Field Notes from Daven-downs as a treasure and set of hooks for asand-boxy campaign. My hope was thatonce a copy of the Field Notes fell into thehands of the adventuring party, they’dbegin to sift through it, following up onvarious leads, rumours and hints containedin its pages. In theory that would let mecreate the illusion of “infinite choices” whileat the same time creating a limited series ofadventuring locations that I could describeand stay at least half a step ahead of theplayers.

As for the Davendowns, this is just aborderlands region, the hills between thecivilized, farmed (and rather boring) plainsof the Kingdom of Illisal and the dangerouswilderness forests and mountains of TheReaches. It’s the kind of place wherehumanity and the humanoids clash violentlyand repeatedly, communities and fortressesrise and fall, and villains of all types come toscheme at a safe remove from the King’sMen.

I don’t expect that a DM will use the FieldNotes From Davendowns “as is”, but I dohope that you find ideas to steal, elementsto strip out and tinker with, and maybesomething in here will fire your imaginationand inspire a few adventures.

Background

Tain Wehrcraft was a well-known resident ofthe Davendowns. A ranger and huntsman,he was constantly roaming the countryside,lending a hand to those in need, chasingaway dangerous predators like the greatlions from the high hills or hobgoblins andgnolls. In addition to his martial pursuits, Tainwas an accomplished naturalist, a decentartist, and a dabbler in magic. His FieldNotes is actually a collection of four leather

bound books. Each is filled with variousobservations, recipes for stew and gravy,comments on fellow travelers, drawing ofplants (particularly leaves, which Tainseemed to have a fondness for sketching),and several rough maps and sketches oflandscape features of note (like somehoodoos, a few waterfalls, etc.). Tain alsoused his Field Notes as a spell book of sorts,and there are a few magic-user spellsscattered throughout the Field Notes. Thereseems to be no rhyme or reason to the orderor nature of the spells, which has led morethan one commentator to note that thislikely reflects the haphazard order in whichthe ranger learned the spells.

This article provides a brief description of the1st and 2nd of the Field Notes. The contentsof the 3rd and 4th books are left to theindividual DM to describe.

The Contents of the First Book

The first of the four Field Notes is a simplebook of 140 heavy paper pages, about 10”high, 7” wide, and ¾” thick. The pages arestitched together and bound in a simpleleather cover (bull hide). The cover of thebook has some intricate tool work, a borderof thorny vines, with the trail sign for“beware” tooled into the centre of the frontcover. The book has clearly seen much use,and the corners of pages are dog-eared,some pages are bent, and a few pageshave been torn out. The color of inkchanges from page to page.

Pages Contents

1 to 4 Description of the geographyof the Davendowns

5 to 9 A description of helping adruid gather some herbal components andbrewing a non-magical herbal healingdraught, including notes on where the herbscan be found (the healing draught is takenbefore sleeping, and an additional 1d4 hpsis recovered overnight in addition to anynatural healing or healing fromproficiencies)

10 to 13 notes on differentiating sweetcherry, choke cherry, red berry (only edibleif soaked, skimmed and mashed) and darkcherry (poisonous)

14 to 16 missing pages

17 to 21 notes on using various woodsto smoke meat, and a description of usinggreen wood from a red willow to smokevenison and trout over campfires


22 to 25 Notes on gnolls in theDavendowns, and the location of an old(presumably abandoned) gnoll hold

26 to 27 Deep pockets, 2nd levelMagic-User spell

28 to 32 Description of some Knights ofIllisal (including sketches of heraldry, coatsof arms), and travel notes (Tain worked as aguide and scout, leading the knights to oldruins along the edges of the Shale Hills in TheReach. They encountered trolls but did notfind the magical sword that the knights werelooking for)

33 missing page

34 to 38 Notes about harvesting trees,made while protecting some loggers fromowlbears (which Tain notes were unusuallynumerous & active), and stirges

39 to 40 Dancing lights, 1st levelMagic-User spell

41 to 46 Notes on an anti-poisondraught that Tain was provided by a druidwhen he accompanied a small band toinvestigate and clear out a giant wasps’nest; there are almost enough details toallow an anti-venom draught to be made(non-magical, and provides a +3 savingthrow vs. poison for 1d4+1 hours afterimbibing)

47 to 53 Notes on a guard job for aminor knight who "claimed" an estate(Raven's Hollow) and surveyed it. Notesabout ettercap nest and ruins/cavesoccupied by lizard men; this also includes asupply list (wagons, draft animals, provisionsfor 80 men, fodder for 60 animals, chickens,shovels, survey equipment, etc.).

54 to 56 Bird call, 1st level Magic-Userspell (new spell, see below), and a de-scription of the elven scout that taught thespell to Tain, and how the spell was used tocoordinate an ambush on a band of ogres

57 to 61 Notes on a ruined tower onthe periphery of the Reach. Tain and hisallies encountered some giant spiders andminor undead, but were unable to get pastan ornate door in the first dungeon level.The runes on the door have been copiedinto the Field Notes

62 to 63 Jump, 1st level Magic-Userspell

64 to 72 Sketch of a treasure map &notes on an old warrior, and a transcriptionof a song about the warrior, his son, and hislife’s tragedy (as well as some notes aboutthe bard Shara Thorne)

73 to 81 Detailed notes and sketchescomparing grizzly bears & owlbears: theirsize, physiology, habits and habitats, alongwith notes that owlbears seem far toocommon in the Thistleridge region

82 to 89 Notes on elven horses &harness, including speculation that the elveshave managed to introduce pegasus andunicorn blood into their mounts. There aremany sketches, with a focus on some of thefine decoration on the bridles and saddles.

90 A series of numbers, addingand subtracting them, with a few notes like“10 lbs., enough for 11 days”, but nothing ofmeaning to a reader

91 to 92 Mud walk, 2nd levelMagic-User spell (New spell, see below)

93 to 99 Sketches and descriptions of14 various trail signs (such as tree blazings,and simple glyphs) in use in theDavendowns

100 to 104 Description of a fight that ledto pursuit of a band of gnolls (includinglycanthropic gnolls) and losing several alliesto an ambush; built a cairn

105 to 116 Notes on eleven types ofmushrooms, and the best way to use themin venison & rabbit stew (the sketchesclearly identify poisonous mushrooms, andthere are brief and incomplete notesdescribing how the gnolls and kobolds ofthe Reach use some mushrooms to makeinsinuative poisons, which cause 1d6+1 hpsof damage (reduced to 1 hp on asuccessful save)

117 to 126 Observations on a trip into theReach Mountains, and a foray into anabandoned dwarven hold (and a watchtower bypassed on the way), with mapsand comments on good camping locations,and the location of a bandit “hold”

127 to 129 A description of hunting giantfrogs for halflings (description of Frog Creek),notes on a discussion of tactics, and how tocook the giant frog legs

130 Notes on using green-berry tomake a dye, and using that dye tocamouflage one’s self (these pages, andthe remainder of the book have greensmudges on them)

131 to 134 Partial spell notes (anunsuccessful effort at learning Invisibility)

136 to 140 Observations on ankheg,based on “hunting” a nest of them in theWillow Flats region of the Civilized Lands


The Contents of the Second Book

The second of the Field Notes looks muchlike the first.

Pages Contents

1 to 7 Notes on witchcraft &herbalism (including the formula for a herbalpaste that heals burns, both fire & acid);there are sketches of each of the herbs andflowers that go into the paste (the pasteheals 1d4 hps if applied to a burn within 1turn of suffering the injury)

8 to 18 A history of the tactics of gnollraiders, including 3 battles (and thedirection the gnolls fled, carrying loot);sketches of the insignia used by four gnollclans are also included (The Tattered EarClan, The Goblin Biters, The Long Hunters,and the Crow Feather Clan. The CrowFeathers are noted for their use of blackfletched and poisoned arrows.)

19 to 23 Comments on a druidic circlein Davendowns (The Winterfall Circle), theirstanding stones and some thoughts onsome “fallen” standing stones and therumored dangers that lie there, such asundead, or servants of some evil power(with a cryptic map)

24 to 26 Preservation, 2nd level MagicUser spell

27 to 31 Notes on an elven fletcher,from accompanying the elf to gatherfeathers from bloodhawks (also notes onbloodhawks, and where one can expect tofind them, and some notes aboutgemstones that Tain recovered from abloodhawk roost)

32 to 34 Affect normal fires, 1st levelMagic-User spell

35 to 42 Sketches and comparison ofwolf, coyote, wild dog, werewolf, worg,hyena and hellhound tracks

43 to 45 Night bow, 1st levelMagic-User spell (new spell, see below)

46 to 47 missing pages

48 Drawing of a tower built intothe side of a huge oak tree, and a note“tracked the wolves to this location; noevidence of tracks leading away, nooccupants”

49 to 52 Transmute stick to arrow, 2ndlevel Magic-User spell (new spell, see below)

53 A list of supplies, presumablyfor dungeoneering (includes 50 ft of rope,sledge hammer, 12 iron spikes, 4 wooden

wedges, hooded lantern, 10 pieces ofleather (noted as being 1 ft square), pry bar,10 large sacks, and a sketch of a sled andharness)54 to 57 Map of the River White, andthree tributaries; a note that the “sylvantower overlooking the shallow waters ofWhite was not to be found on any of thepromontories; was the map wrong?”58 to 64 Description of the hunting andmating habits of giant owls, several sketchesof giant owls and their nests and owlets65 to 66 Mount, 1st level Magic-Userspell67 to 75 A sketch of the stepsnecessary to build a birch bark canoe,including notes on how to peel the bark offof the trees. The description is adequate tolet a skilled carpenter or shipwright build acanoe, but an unskilled person is unlikely tobe successful.76 to 80 Tain’s rebuttal, 2nd levelMagic-User spell (new spell, see below), aswell as some notes about having studied inthe Hall of Theffin Tainted-Blood81 to 84 A sketch showing the locationand layout of a ruined keep, and adescription of the assault led by Tain to rootout the gnolls that were living there; Tainnotes that he felt “something” under theruins, and chose to block the entrancerather than descend into the dungeons85 to 86 A sketch of seven runes(neither elvish or dwarven), and a note thatthe order is water, earth, wood, fire, smoke,air, and ash which gains access to the“Delve of the Elders”87 to 88 Taunt, 1st level Magic-Userspell89 to 91 A drawing of a longsword andscabbard, with notes about thedecorations; it is described as the longswordcarried by the elven fighter/magic-userArvanior. Tain notes that the expedition intothe forests of the western Reach andexploration of some troll mounds searchingfor the matching sword were unsuccessful92 to 95 Whispering wind, 2nd levelMagic-User spell, incomplete (Tain wasunable to learn this spell)96 to 102 Description of a thorncottonharvest and the subsequent festival; Tainapparently learned about the use of bitternut in ale and stews to help ward off illness(such use of bitternut provides a +2 savingthrow vs. disease, and reduces therecuperative time by 25%)


103 to 104 Run, 1st level Magic-User spell

105 missing page

106 to 111 A description of fiery streaks inthe sky, and a subsequent expedition totrack these fallen stars into the northernShale Hills. The wizard leading theexpedition found hunks of strange metaland strangely altered (and violent) animals

112 A list of items and themerchants that Tain was purchasing thoseitems from in preparation for a winterjourney; items include skis, a toboggan andtow harness, winter clothing, a thick canvasstent, small shovels, dried foods, and lumps ofblack fire stone (coal).

113 to 124 A travelogue and mapdescribing a winter expedition to IcewallLake and the glacier above it, searching forruins of the legendary Kingdom of ThreeCrowns (and the clues to “look for thesecond great wall”, and that the “castle liesbehind crystal walls”, to which Tain added,“frozen in ice?”). Tain describes the route,the need to ascend ice walls and traversecrevasses, and the frustration at not findingany ruins. He does describe encounters withyeti, and how to carefully skin a winter wolf.

125 to 126 Shocking grasp, 1st levelMagic-User spell

127 to 130 Wizard mark, 1st levelMagic-User spell, incomplete (Tain wasunable to learn this spell, but there are notesabout researching an alternate to makemagical trail glyphs—provides a bonus toresearch)

131 Several sketches of an amuletand insignia, with a note to “ask BrotherTheodilus if these are representative of somereligion” and that “the brigands wearingthese symbols lurked near the swamps andfallen keep of Wytchmere”

132 Six words, seemingly nonsense,copied from the inside back cover of a spellbook recovered in an abandoned dwarfway-tower from an ettin's hoard (suspectedto be the book of an apprentice ofLonimahr, the Wand Wizard, last known tobe seeking the Tower of Doors)

133 to 140 Notes about the Company ofthe Silver Trumpet; Tain tracked them at thebehest of a Baron, found remains, burnedfoes and buried ashes and remains, wasunable to recover a sword and shield (ofBaron's family); some of fallen were ogresand a pair of brutish humans, unable totrack into the Cascade Valley

Tain’s Fate

Fitting having lived his life there, Tain perish-ed in the Davendowns, fighting troglodyteswho had emerged from deep caves andbegun raiding the outlying farms and com-munities of the region. As Tain had no fam-ily, his possessions were spread amongst hiscompanions. The magic-user Aralent theContemplative took possession of FieldNotes from Davendowns, copying it himself(as well as making each of his apprenticescopy it). The original copy of Field Notesfrom Davendowns was then passed on fromAralent to a young ranger of some renown,Lyssa Whitdotter. Lyssa disappears a fewyears later, while exploring the Shale Hillsnorth of Davendowns. The fate and currentwhereabouts of the original Field Notes fromDavendowns is unknown, although severalcopies exist in the Davendowns region.Copies are easy to identify, as they tend tobe bound in a single volume, rather than as4 separate notebooks.

The originals are rumored to have a numberof treasure maps contained inside, secretroutes or ciphers that were not copied byAralent or his apprentices. These rumorsmake the originals much sought after items.

Bird Call (Divination, Enchantment)

Level: Magic user 1 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting time: 1 segDuration: 1 turn/level Saving throw: NoneArea of effect: Caster & one other creature

Explanation/Description: Tain doesn’t recordwhere he learned the bird call spell from,other than to record that it was taught tohim by a veteran ranger. The bird call spellwas crafted to allow two individuals tomagically communicate with each otherthrough whistles, twittering and other birdsounds. In an environment where there areno birds, this spell will take on the audiblecharacteristics of chirping crickets, croakingfrogs, the skittering of mice, etc.

The caster and one recipient are magicallyendowed with the ability to “speak” witheach other, and while others can “hear” theconversation, they are unable tounderstand it. The bird call allows two scoutsto exchange information, coordinate anambush, or carry on a conversation.Despite the seemingly limited range ofnoises, an entirely detailed conversationcan be held. Once cast, the effectiverange of the conversation is about 12" to18", depending on background noise, coverand weather conditions.


To outside listeners, the bird call isindistinguishable from natural bird calls (adruid may be able to tell, on a successfulWisdom check). It should be noted that atongues spell allows a listener to understandthe conversation; as will several othermagical or supernatural methods ofcommunications.

The material component of this spell is a pairof feathers, from the same bird, one carriedby each benefactor of the bird call spell.

Mud Walk (a.k.a. Wilderness Boots)(Alteration, Enchantment)

Level: Magic user 2 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting time: 2 segDuration: 1 hour/lvl Saving throw: NoneArea of effect: One person (see below)

Explanation/Description: Another spell ofgreat use to a ranger or other wildernesswanderer, the Wilderness Boots spell (knownto Tain and most rangers as Mud Walk)allows the recipient to move through roughor impassable terrain without penalty. Thusa ranger with a movement rate of 12” couldmove through a swamp at a movementrate of 12”, or through dense forest, oracross rugged, rocky hill, etc. The Mud Walkspell is effective in mud or snow of anydepth, but it is not effective in water greaterthan thigh deep (approximately 2’ deep),although a recipient could move up ordown a shallow stream unhindered (possiblyevading pursuit). The Mud Walk spell has noeffect on the trail left by the recipient; whilethey move quickly they may well leave avery obvious trail.

Once the caster has reached the 7th orgreater level, the Mud Walk spell can becast upon a horse or similar sized mount,allowing the caster to reap the benefits ofthe spell while also retaining the benefits ofbeing mounted.

The material component of the spell is afeather which is tucked into one of therecipient’s boots or shoes.

Night Bow (Alteration)

Level: Magic user 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 0" Casting time: 1 segDuration: See below Saving throw: NoneArea of effect: See below

Explanation/Description: Partially inspired bythe effects of a faerie fire spell, a rangercollaborated with a magic-user ally tocreate this spell. A modified version of thedancing lights spell, the night bow spell iscast upon a bow (a bow only, the nightbow spell will fail to take effect if cast upona crossbow). While the spell is in effect,each arrow that is fired from the bow will be“lit up”, casting light equivalent to adancing light (a lantern or torch), althoughthe caster has no ability to make the lightmove; it is affixed to the arrow.

This allows an archer to illuminate an area ora target from a distance. The night bowspell has been used to assist in combat(giving archers an illuminated target), tracka target (following a troll with a glowingarrow sticking out of its back can berelatively simple), mark a trail or path, orilluminate an area from a distance.

The night bow spell has the ability to place alight aura on 1 arrow/2 levels of the caster(rounded up), to a maximum of 6 arrows (at11th level). The enchantment will remain ineffect for 1 turn per level of the caster, sothe bearer of the bow under the effects ofthe night bow spell has some time to bepatient and selectively use the magicillumination provided by the spell. The nightbow spell has no effect on missile combat(i.e. there are no attack or damagebonuses or penalties, the arrow is notconsidered magical, etc.), although thelight effect may reduce attack penaltiesaccruing from darkness or concealment.

The material components of the spell are abow (mundane or magical, the night bowspell does not have a lasting effect on thebow), arrows (which are used normally),and a bit of phosphorous, wytchwood or aglow-worm.


Tain’s Rebuttal (Necromantic, Invocation)

Level: Magic user 2 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting time: 2 segDuration: See below Saving throw: NegArea of effect: One arrow

Explanation/Description: Despite his intense-ly private nature and quiet demeanor, theranger Tain had a bit of a vengeful streak,as proven by this spell. A spell of very limitedapplication, Tain’s Rebuttal allows the casterto take any arrow that has struck them (andonly the caster) and send it back at thearcher who fired it, unerringly striking. Thearrow so fired back will twist and turn aroundobstacles and cover, weaving throughnarrow arrow slits, as long as there is a clearpath (i.e. it cannot return to the target if thetarget was to close a door behind them andthere were no open entrances or windowsto the room they were hiding in). The arrowalso strikes with a damage bonus of +1 hp ofdamage for every 3 caster levels (roundeddown).

While this spell has limited application, Tainwas quite proud of it. He used it to gainsome notoriety, carrying an arrow fired athim by the gnoll war-shaman Furzgh’gh’aalfor many moons, and ultimately using it tobring down Furzgh’gh’aal at a range of 200yards, breaking the morale of the BrokenBite gnoll clan and saving the village ofAlderglen from destruction.

The material component is an arrow thathas struck the caster.

Transmute Stick to Arrow (Alteration)

Level: Magic user 2 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting time: 2 segDuration: 1 rd/lvl Saving throw: NoneArea of effect: 1 stick/lvl

Explanation/Description: This spell is of greatutility to archers far from home and resupply.When cast upon a bundle of sticks (whichmust be at least 2 ft long and relativelystraight), the sticks are temporarily turnedinto arrows. One stick per caster level isturned into an arrow, and the spell durationcontinues for 1 round/caster level. Thematerial component is an arrow head,which is not consumed in the casting.


Kung Fu MonkBy Stuart Marshall

Re-using this material: The following articleis Open OSRIC content.

The Kung Fu monk is a class inspired by KwaiChang Caine in the 1970s TV series of thesame name. In a conventional fantasygame based on Northern European legend,Kung Fu monks should be extremely rare:these characters are far out of place. Theyshould hail from some Shaolin-esquemonastery in a distant Orient (or possibly onan alternative Prime Material plane).

Kung Fu monks suffer the followingrestrictions:

First, the monk may never possess more thanfive magic items.

Second, the monk must give away a tenthof any money that he or she receives tosome Lawful cause, and if there is anymoney remaining after paying the monk'sbasic living costs, this surplus must belikewise donated. "Basic living costs" meansvery basic, for Kung Fu monks eat and drinkvery simply, and are accustomed to living ina plain cell.

Third, the monk loses all special powers whileencumbered. The monk powers below onlyapply to unencumbered monks i.e. thosecarrying less than 35 lbs weight.

Fourth, the monk must be human.

The Kung Fu Monk may use those magicitems usable by thieves, and no otherclasses.

The Kung Fu Monk Character

Minimum Scores: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 7, Int 7,Wis 14, Cha 6

Hit Die Type: d6 (max 14)

Alignment: Any lawful

Experience bonus: None

Armour/Shield Permitted: None

Weapons Permitted: Staff, dagger, spear,trident, javelin, crossbow

Weapon Proficiencies: 1 + 1 every 3 levels

Penalty to hit for non-proficiency: -3

Weapon specialisation: N/A

Kung Fu Monk Level Advancement

Level Base xp required Hit dice (d6) AC Move Bare hand attks Bare Hand Dmg(S-M)

Bare HandDmg (L)

1 0 2 7 +30 ft 1 1d6 1d42 2,100 3 6 +30 ft 1 1d6+1 1d4+13 4,250 4 5 +30 ft 1 2d4 1d64 8,600 5 4 +40 ft 3/2 2d4+1 1d6+15 19,500 6 3 +40 ft 3/2 2d4+2 1d86 40,000 7 3 +50 ft 3/2 3d4 1d8+17 81,000 8 2 +50 ft 2 3d4+1 2d48 124,000 9 2 +60 ft 2 3d4+2 2d4+19 256,000 10 1 +60 ft 2 4d4 2d6

10 500,000 11 1 +70 ft 5/2 4d4+1 2d6+111 750,000 12 0 +70 ft 5/2 4d4+2 2d6+212 1,000,000 13 0 +80 ft 5/2 5d4 2d6+313 1,350,000 14 -1 +80 ft 3 5d4+1 3d614 1,700,000 14+2 -1 +90 ft 3 5d4+2 3d6+115 2,050,000 14+4 -2 +90 ft 3 6d4 3d6+216 2,400,000 14+6 -2 +90 ft 7/2 6d4+1 3d6+317 2,750,000 14+8 -3 +90 ft 7/2 6d4+2 3d6+318 3,100,000 14+10 -3 +90 ft 7/2 7d4 4d619 3,450,000 14+12 -4 +90 ft 4 7d4+1 4d620 3,800,000 14+14 -4 +90 ft 4 7d4+2 4d6+1

Kung Fu Monk Saving Throw Table(as per clerics)

Kung Fu Monk To Hit Table(as per clerics)


Kung Fu Monk Skills Table

Lvl Climb W Find T Hear N Open L Tightrope Long J High JPole V Fall Quest togain level

Notes

1 80% 25% 10% 30% 30% 15 ft 5 ft 8 ft 5 ft No Prone fighting2 82% 27% 12% 33% 34% 16 ft 5¼ ft 8½ ft 10 ft No Feign death 3 84% 29% 14% 36% 38% 17 ft 5½ ft 9 ft 15 ft No Throw foe 4 86% 31% 16% 39% 42% 18 ft 5¾ ft 9½ ft 20 ft No Resist mind

reading 5 88% 33% 18% 42% 46% 19 ft 6 ft 10 ft 25 ft No Blind fighting 6 90% 35% 20% 45% 50% 20 ft 6¼ ft 10½ ft 30 ft No Heal self 7 91% 37% 22% 48% 54% 21 ft 6½ ft 11 ft 35 ft No Resist fear 8 92% 39% 24% 51% 58% 22 ft 6¾ ft 11½ ft 40 ft No Resist poison 9 93% 41% 26% 54% 62% 23 ft 7 ft 12 ft 45 ft No Enhanced

surprise10 94% 43% 28% 57% 66% 24 ft 7¼ ft 12½ ft 50 ft Yes Stunning blow11 95% 45% 30% 60% 70% 25 ft 7½ ft 13 ft 55 ft No Catch arrows 12 96% 47% 32% 63% 73% 26 ft 7¾ ft 13½ ft 60 ft Yes Hold breath 13 97% 49% 34% 66% 76% 27 ft 8 ft 14 ft 65 ft No Resist paralysis14 98% 51% 36% 69% 79% 28 ft 8¼ ft 14½ ft 70 ft Yes Resist disease 15 99% 53% 38% 72% 82% 29 ft 8½ ft 15 ft 75 ft Yes Speak with

animals 16 99% 55% 40% 75% 85% 30 ft 8¾ ft 15½ ft 80 ft Yes See invisible 17 99% 57% 42% 78% 88% 31 ft 9 ft 16 ft 85 ft Yes Resist psychic

barrage 18 99% 59% 44% 81% 90% 32 ft 9¼ ft 16½ ft 90 ft Yes Resist

petrifaction 19 99% 61% 46% 84% 92% 33 ft 9½ ft 17 ft 95 ft Yes Speak with

plants 20 99% 63% 48% 87% 94% 34 ft 9¾ ft 17½ ft 100 ft Yes Vibrating

palm NB: Unlike thieves and assassins, the Kung Fu Monk receives no skill adjustments for race ordexterity score.

A monk using a weapon in a martial artsattack gets a choice: weapon damage+1hp/2 levels, or open hand damage +1hp(irrespective of the weapon used). With thefirst option, the monk gets one attack perround. With the second, he or she getsnormal open hand number of attacks. Withthe first option, if the weapon is magic themonk gets full bonus. With the second, if theweapon is magic then that doesn'tenhance the monk's "to hit" or damage rolls,but it does enable him or her to hit a targetthat would normally only be hit by magicalweapons.

KUNG FU MONK CLASS ABILITIES

Prone fighting: A first level the kung fu monkcan fight without penalty from a proneposition, provided the character's arms andlegs are free.

Feign death: From second level, the kung fumonk can feign death, slowing his or herheart rate and breathing to near-zero. Thisprocess can be performed at will, but ittakes one round. The monk remains alert tohis or her surroundings but cannot otherwiseact while in this state. He or she can returnto normal at will, taking one round to do so.

Throw foe: From third level, the kung fu monkcan perform a judo throw on a foe. Thetarget must be human, demi-human orhumanoid and its level or hit dice must belower than the monk's level. The monkdeclares the throw before the initiative diceare rolled, and sacrifices all of his or herattacks or other actions that round. Themonk must roll a successful "to hit" roll inmelee to perform the throw. If successful,the target is thrown 1d10 ft in a directionchosen by the monk. The target will landprone and has a 50% chance of droppinganything it is carrying. It can get up next


round but will lose all its actions in theprocess. The throw foe ability is particularlyuseful when fighting near a cliff, chasm orriver.

Resist mind reading: From fourth level, thekung fu monk gets a saving throw at +4 vs.any attempt to read his or her mind(whether via ESP or any other ability).

Blind fighting: Normally, fighting a targetthat cannot be seen (whether due todarkness, blindness, invisibility or any otherfactor) incurs a "to hit" penalty of -4. A kungfu monk of fifth level or higher has such keenhearing and such quick reactions that he orshe disregards this penalty.

Heal self: Starting at sixth level, the kung fumonk can enter a healing trance. While inthe trance, the monk heals 1hp of damageper round. The trance lasts 1d4 rounds, plusone round per level of the monk above sixth(so for example a 10th level kung fu monk'strance would last for 1d4+4 rounds). Thisability may be performed once per day.

Resist fear: At seventh level, the kung fumonk's mental discipline is sufficient tocontrol most forms of fear, even thoseinduced by magic. The monk gets a savingthrow against any fear effect that would notnormally permit one. If the fear wouldnormally allow a saving throw, the monkgets bonus of +4 on the roll.

Resist poison: From eighth level, the kung fumonk's control over his or her bodyempowers the character to resist venomsand toxins. The monk gets a saving throwbonus of +4 against poison of any kind.

Enhanced surprise: A kung fu monk of ninthlevel or higher reaches a new plane ofalertness, such that he or she can only besurprised on a d6 roll of "1".

Stunning blow: From tenth level, the kung fumonk can perform a stunning strike on afoe. The target must be human,demi-human or humanoid and its level or hitdice must be lower than the monk's level.The monk declares the stunning strike beforethe initiative dice are rolled. and sacrificesall of his or her attacks or other actions thatround. The monk must roll a successful "tohit" roll in melee to perform the strike. Ifsuccessful, the target is incapacitated andunable to act for 2d4 rounds.

Catch arrows: At eleventh level or higher,the kung fu monk masters the discipline ofyadomejutsu. He or she learns to avoidarrows, crossbow quarrels or hurled missiles,by dodging them, by knocking them aside

with a hand, or even by catching them. Themonk must have complete freedom ofmovement and at least one hand free; if so,he or she gains a saving throw against alllaunched or hurled missile attacks. The rollneeded is 13 or higher on 1d20, reducing by1 for each level the monk attains thereafter(so a nineteenth level monk would need a 5or higher to avoid a missile attack). A roll of"1" is always a fail, and the monk cannotavoid very large missiles (e.g. thoselaunched by a catapult or hurled by agiant). The power is also ineffective againstarrows of slaying or spells of any kind (so aflame arrow or acid arrow spell would beunaffected).

Hold breath: From twelfth level, the kung fumonk can hold his or her breath for threerounds, increasing by one round for eachlevel thereafter. (The monk can alreadyreduce his or her breathing to near-zero byfeigning death, but the hold breath abilityenables the monk to act as normal withoutair.)

Resist paralysis: When the kung fu monkreaches thirteenth level, the characterachieves such perfect muscle control thatparalysis of any kind is less likely to affect himor her. If the paralysis effect would notnormally have a saving throw, then themonk gets a saving throw at normalchances. If the effect would normally allowa saving throw, the monk gets a bonus of +4on his or her roll.

Resist disease: A fourteenth or higher levelkung fu monk achieves such purity of bodythat he or she is able to shrug off diseases. Ifa disease effect would not normally have asaving throw, then the monk gets savingthrow vs death to avoid it. If the effectwould normally allow a saving throw, themonk gets a bonus of +4 on his or her roll.

Speak with animals: A kung fu monk atfifteenth level is so in tune with nature thathe or she can communicate with animals,as the druidical spell Speak with Animals, atwill.

See invisible: From sixteenth level the kungfu monk's senses become so preternaturallysharp that he or she can perceive invisiblecreatures and objects within 30 ft purelybecause of the way they affect air currentsaround them. The monk can effectively"see" invisible.

Resist psychic barrage: From seventeenthlevel the kung fu monk is protected from thepsychic barrage power possessed bycertain monsters, rolling saving throws


against it as if he or she has both intel-ligence and wisdom of 18.

Resist petrifaction: An eighteenth level kungfu monk becomes harder to turn to stone. Atthis level the monk gets a saving throwagainst petrifaction, even if the effectwould not normally allow one. If a savingthrow would normally be allowed, the monkrolls at +4.

Speak with plants: A nineteenth level orhigher level kung fu monk cancommunicate with vegetable life, as thedruidical spell Speak with Plants, at will.

Vibrating palm: At twentieth level, the kungfu monk achieves the ultimate monkly

power of the vibrating palm. This is thepower to stop a creature's heart with asingle, light touch of the fingers. The targetmust be human, demi-human or humanoidand its level or hit dice must be lower thanthe monk's level. The monk declares thevibrating palm strike before the initiativedice are rolled, and sacrifices all of his or herattacks or other actions that round. Themonk must roll a successful "to hit" roll inmelee to perform the strike. If successful, thetarget's heart stops. It is incapacitated atonce and will die in ten rounds. The monkcan restart the creature's heart within theten rounds by touching certain secretpressure points known only to the monk. Noother force can save it.

Magic items for Assassinsand Other Dirty FightersBy C. Wesley Clough

Some characters are paragons of virtue onthe battle field, reveling in the opportunityto overcome their opponents in valorouscombat. The magical items listed here arenot for such characters. Cavaliers andPaladins would not be caught dead usingmost of these items - to even consider doingso would tarnish their shining honor. No, theitems listed here are for the othercharacters: the assassins, thieves, and morebrutish fighters who do not care abouthonor and fighting fair. These items are forthose characters that want to end fightsquickly and decisively, while giving theiropponents little chance to save themselves.

Whether first encountered in a long losttreasure hoard or in the hands of a fiendishfoe, these items can be a helpful addition toa DM’s bag of tricks. An assassin or a thiefwith a far blade can make an interestingopponent, as he strikes at a player

character from hiding and then vanishesdown an alley way with a good head start.A few basilisk bolts in the case of a low levelcrossbow-armed bandit or mercenarysuddenly make him much more dangerous;even, potentially, to higher level characters.Without further ado, here are some items forthe blackguards and reavers amongst us all.

Acid Dart

Most often found in bunches of 2-5, thesemagical black darts transform into globs ofacid when thrown. An acid dart can bethrown just like a standard dart, having thesame range and weapon characteristics.Acid darts grant the thrower a +3 bonus tohit. Should the dart successfully strike thetarget, it deals 2d4 points of acid damageand continues to deal 2d4 points of aciddamage on each of the subsequent tworounds. Acid darts are destroyed whenused, whether they hit an opponent or not.

Experience Point Value: 250; Gold PieceSale Value: 3000


Basilisk Bolt

These crossbow bolts are uniformly dull grayin color. Designed originally by the evilcabal of spell casters known as the “UmbralSpark”, these dangerous weapons havebegun to proliferate in the hands ofassassins. Sized for light crossbows 75% ofthe time, basilisk bolts function as +1crossbow bolts. On a successful ‘to hit’ roll of20 or more, considering only the bolts +1bonus, the target must save vs. petrificationor instantly turn to stone. From 2-8 basiliskbolts will be found.


Crippling Dagger

This short, thick bladed dagger is made ofsolid iron and has a pommel shaped like ahuman skull. Vile runes are etched into theblade and handle. The first recordedappearance of these daggers was in thehands of scarlet horde assassins about acentury ago. Since that time, many evilorganizations have begun to arm theiragents with such weapons.

A crippling dagger is a +2 weapon that on asuccessful ‘to hit’ roll of 20 or more,considering only the daggers +2 bonus, willslow and enfeeble the target for 1d4 rounds.While slowed and enfeebled the target willmove and attack at half value, and alldamage scored will be reduced by 25%.


Far Blade

The origin of these ornately crafted shortswords of magically hardened silver is lost tothe mists of time. Often found in ancientburial crypts and the remains of cities longsince fallen to ruin, far blades are highlysought after by assassins. Each far blade isa +1 short sword. The wielder may strikeopponents up to 3” away, as if the far bladewere a thrown weapon; however, the swordnever truly leaves the wielder’s hand. Thewielder gestures as if striking with the bladeand the effects of the strike are felt at adistance. The target of the attack must bevisible to the wielder. The first such rangedattack against a given opponent is alwaysconsidered to be by surprise, unless thatopponent already knows the blade’scapabilities.


Scabbard of the Spider

Often found on the belts of assassins, villainsand drow, these lacquered black sheathsare inscribed with silver web-like runes andspider symbols. Some 90% of those foundare sized to fit a short sword, but other sizes,from dagger to two handed sword, do exist.Upon command, up to 3 times per day, thescabbard can coat the blade held within itwith large spider venom. This venom is goodfor the next attack made with the blade. Anopponent hit while the blade is so coatedmust save vs. poison at a +2 bonus or die,exactly as if that opponent had been bittenby a large spider.



King Ratby Michael Davis

This villain and monster were originallydesigned as drop-in encounters for DF23:The Haunted Keep (available for freedownload from Dragonsfoot). They aregeneric enough to drop into any dungeonof your choosing.

Walter Rodemus

Like the other Rodemuses (see DF23), Walteris a wererat. He is the most hideous of hisclan and will always be encountered inratman form. He wears decaying robes(made of once-fine velvet, trimmed withgiant ferret pelt) and exudes an unhealthystink of urine and decayed flesh. He wears agold medallion with an embossed image ofa rat skull on it (worth 200 gp).

AC 6, HD 3+1, hp 24, MV 12”, #AT weaponor bite (1d3), surprise on 1-4, hit only by silveror magic weapons, Int Very, AL CE

Notable stats: Str 7 (-1 to hit in melee if usinga weapon), Int 16, Cha 4

Walter is a necromancer who can com-mand undead as a 5th level cleric. Insteadof summoning normal rats, he will summon2d6 undead rats to his aid:

Giant Undead Rats

Rat Skeletons AC 8, HD 1-1, MV 12”,#AT bite (1d4), SD ½ dmg from edgedweapons, AL N

Rat Zombies AC 9, HD 1+1, MV 6”,#AT bite (1d4), always lose initiative, AL N

Rat Ghouls AC 7, HD 1+1, MV 9”,#AT bite (1d4 + paralysis), AL CE

Undead rats take 2d4 damage from holywater and can be turned at +1 on the dice.Zombie and Ghoul rats inflict disease asnormal rats.

Walter can cast the following spells: L1: ChillTouch (treat as Shocking Grasp that doescold damage), Darkness, Spider Climb; L2:Reaper's Scythe (treat as Spiritual Hammer),Scare, Shatter, Ray of Enfeeblement; L3:Animate Dead

Tactics: keep distance (perhaps with SpiderClimb); summon rats; get rid of spell casterswith Scare; disable missile weapons with

Shatter/Ray of Enfeeblement; fight at rangewith Reaper's Scythe; if forced into melee,use Chill Touch; if reduced to less than 12hp, change to Giant Rat form and flee(possibly under cover of darkness).

Walter has been engaged in a project tocreate an unspeakable horror, a King Rat.His daemonical experiments havesummoned demonic spirits into 9 rats whichhave swollen to prodigious size:

Monstrous Rats AC 6, HD 2, MV 12”,#AT bite (1d6), Int Low, Size M, AL CE

Some of these monstrous rats have beenintertwined with giant rats and normal ratsto create a hive-mind, the King Rat.

KING RAT

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 10 ftHIT DICE: See below% IN LAIR: 100% TREASURE TYPE: CNO. OF ATTACKS: See belowDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d3SPECIAL ATTACKS: Disease, PsionicsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Regen 3 hp/roundMAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: LPSIONIC ABILITY: 139Atk/Def Modes: A, F

The King Rat is a crawling abominationcreated by intertwining the tails of 1d6+1Monstrous Rats, 2d6 Giant Rats and 3d6normal rats. The necromantic ritual whichcreates the King Rat unites their minds into ahive mind with increased intelligence andpsionic abilities. The King Rat can speak inthe common tongue.

If it is threatened, the King Rat can protectitself with a psionic blast in a 30' diametersphere centred on itself (cost 20; see DMGp.78). It also has the psionic ability ofdomination, which allows it to completelycontrol the actions of a single creature(range 30', cost equal to dominatedcreature's level or HD, Save vs. Magicnegates). The King Rat prefers to use thislatter ability on animal minds, which it findseasier to understand and control. If thereare no animals within range, it will attemptto dominate a higher intelligence. The KingRat will have an additional 1d4-1 minorpsionic disciplines.


As the King Ratis a tangledmass of bodies,it has limitedability to makemelee attacks.To determinethe HD of theKing Rat for thepurpose of biteattacks, count 1HD per 2Monstrous Rats,

1 HD per 4 Giant Rats and 1 HD per 8 normalrats in the composite body. Anyoneattacking the King Rat with a meleeweapon can be attacked by up to 3 bitesper round (1d3 damage each, with theusual 1 in 20 chance for disease). Attackersusing missile weapons or weapons with longreach such as a spear are safe from biteattacks. However, the King Rat can chooseto disentangle some of its giant rat bodies todefend itself, and can summon 2d6 GiantRats once per day.

To kill the King Rat, it is necessary to kill thebodies in the composite individually; or anattempt can be made to separate the tails(which will likely expose the attacker to biteattacks). The tails can be treated as AC 4with 1 hp per intertwined creature. If the tailsare cut or there are less than 2 MonstrousRats left in the composite, the King Ratseparates and each of the remaining ratsattacks individually. In this case, the ratsattack in an insane frenzy at +2 to hit andwill fight until slain.

The King Rat can regenerate 3 hp/round,but it cannot raise rats which have beenslain. The 3 hp can be divided as requiredbetween any wounded but surviving rats inthe composite.


Create Food and Drinkby Nicole Massey

After getting inspired by the priorinstallments of this column, I decided tosubmit some of my own recipes for use byy’all. So here they are for your enjoymentand gastronomic pleasure. First we’ll startwith a couple of snack options, then do amain dish—everyone likes hamburgers,right?

I’d love to hear from folks who make any ofthese, so send me an email [email protected] with feedback.

Spades Mix

This is a great collaborative snack optionthat also adds variety and helps to keepfolks from getting burned out on a singlesnack item flavor. The other stuff in it alsocuts down on the problem of what’ssometimes called “Orange Mold”. And it’salso a lot more appetizing than iron rations,too.

Servings: 1 (for use in building a shopping listonly, there’s far more than one serving here)

Ingredients:1 bag chex mix, your choice1 can puffed cheese balls1 box bugles1 bag Ghardettos snack mix1 can mixed nuts1 bag Cheddar, Parmesan, or pizza Goldfishcrackers

This is a good mixed salty snack for cardplaying or other gaming groups. Thestandard mix comes from each member ofthe group bringing a bag or box of oneingredient. Other ingredients can besubstituted at group discretion. Note thatpopcorn isn't recommended, as it tends toget soggy quick in this mix for some reason.A large bucket is useful, preferably with a lid,for mixing the ingredients. This also preventsspillage when the bucket is passed around.Other options are Cheetos, Cheese-its,seasoned croutons, and slightly crushednacho cheese or cool ranch Doritos orFunyuns.

Build Your Own Trash Recipe

We call it Chex Mix these days, but backwhen my grandmother made it it wasknown as “Trash”. Here’s a recipe forbuilding your own blend. And just think…youdon’t have to roll on the potion miscibilitytable for it, either.

Servings: 1

Ingredients:1 cup Rice Chex1 cup Corn Chex1 cup Wheat Chex1 cup Goldfish Crackers1 cup Sesame sticks1 cup salted peanuts or mixed nutsMarinade:4 tbsp. Butter or margarine 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce½ tsp. Creole Seasoning or Ranch DressingMix½ tsp. Garlic Powder½ tsp. Onion salt

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 250°f. Meltthe Marinade ingredients until warm andblended. Cover a large cookie sheet withfoil. Pour all of the remaining ingredients intoa large Ziploc bag. Pour in the marinadeand mix in the closed bag so that themarinade covers all of the dry ingredientsevenly. Pour the mixture onto the cookiesheet, distributing evenly, and cook for 1hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Method: Combine the first sixingredients in the slow cooker. Mix meltedbutter and Worcestershire sauce and pourover the dry ingredients, then mix theseasonings and sprinkle over the top, stirringwell to spread spices evenly. Do not cover!Cook on high for 2 hours, and stir well every30 minutes. Turn to low and cook for 2 to 6hours.

Variations: I don’t care for pretzels, so Ireplaced them with sesame sticks. Ditto withCheerios, so I substituted the goldfishcrackers, which also add a different flavorto the mix. I’ve also tried Chinese noodles,and fried onions in a can might also workwell. The core of this is six cups of somethingyou like that’s a grain or nut based snack,then the butter and the Worcestershiresauce. One salty seasoning is probablymandatory, but feel free to try other things.I’ve also seen spoon-sized shredded wheatas an ingredient, so let your imagination fly.

Industrial Strength Burgers

This is a recipe my dad makes, and they’remy absolute favorite burgers. I prefer themwith cheddar cheese; the sharper thebetter, but other folks have other opinions. Ifyou want a smaller burger, make them intomore patties per pound. I’ve not tried anyother meats, though I suspect groundvenison mixed half and half with groundpork, or a more fatty ground beef, groundbuffalo, ground lamb, ground elk, or possiblyeven ground catoblepas would work.


Servings: 6

Ingredients:2 lbs. ground beef1 packet dry onion soup mix1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce1 tsp. season salt

Mix all ingredients well. Divide into six equal

patties and shape. Grill, fry or bake untildone to proper amount for each person'staste. Serve on hamburger buns, eithertoasted or untoasted depending on taste,and cheese can also be melted on top byplacing it on the cooking burgers for aminute or so until it starts to melt. Use theregular condiments and fixings.


TroubadourBy Stuart Marshall

Re-using this material: The following articleis Open OSRIC content.

Troubadour is a masculine word. Its feminineform is "Trobairitz". Historically, they were amovement of poets and musicians fromsouthern Europe who used certainOccipitan verse forms. In-game they rep-resent a class of wandering poets, musiciansand storytellers who feature heavily inOSRIC's source literature—Fflewddur Fflam,Taillefer, Snorri Sturluson and Alan a Dalecould all be represented by Troubadours.

Troubadours have a few unique abilities oftheir own, which they combine with theability to cast druid and illusionist spells.

Troubadours suffer the following restrictions:

First, the troubadour may not wear rigidarmour. Flexible armour types such as chainor scale are permitted, so the armour typesa troubadour may not wear are plate,banded and splinted.

Second, troubadours must be human,half-elven, elven, or (rarely) gnomish.Humans are unlimited in level. Half-elves arerestricted to level 8, elves to level 6 andgnomes to level 5 as troubadours.

A demi-human troubadour may multi-class

as a fighter/troubadour or thief/troubadour.Half-elves may also multi-class as assassin/troubadours or ranger/troubadours. Noother multi-class combinations involving thetroubadour are permitted. A multi-classedtroubadour suffers the troubadour's restric-tions on choice of armour, but may wieldany weapon permitted by his or her otherclass.

The troubadour may use those magic itemswhich are usable by thieves, druids, andillusionists.

The Troubadour Character

Minimum Scores: Str 9, Dex 10, Con 7, Int 12,Wis 11, Cha 13

Hit Die Type: d6 (max 11)

Alignment: Any

Experience bonus: None

Armour/Shield Permitted: All but plate,banded and splinted

Weapons Permitted: Club, dagger, dart,scimitar, short bow, sling, spear, staff,longsword, broadsword, shortsword.

Weapon Proficiencies: 2 + 1 every 3 levels

Penalty to hit for non-proficiency: -3

Weapon specialisation: N/A

Troubadour Level AdvancementLevel Base xp Required Hit Dice (d6) Charm Mesmerise Lore Read languages

1 0 1 5% 10% 10% 10% 2 1,800 2 8% 14% 15% 16% 3 3,600 3 11% 18% 20% 22% 4 6,500 4 14% 22% 25% 28% 5 13,500 5 17% 26% 30% 34% 6 28,000 6 20% 30% 35% 40% 7 58,000 7 23% 34% 40% 46% 8 120,000 8 26% 38% 45% 52% 9 240,000 9 29% 42% 50% 58%

10 480,000 10 32% 46% 54% 64% 11 720,000 11 35% 50% 58% 70% 12 960,000 11+1 38% 54% 62% 75% 13 1,200,000 11+2 41% 58% 66% 80% 14 1,440,000 11+3 44% 62% 70% 85% 15 1,680,000 11+4 47% 66% 74% 90% 16 1,920,000 11+5 50% 70% 78% 92% 17 2,160,000 11+6 53% 74% 82% 94% 18 2,400,000 11+7 56% 78% 86% 96% 19 2,640,000 11+8 59% 82% 90% 98% 20 2,880,000 11+9 62% 86% 94% 99%

Troubadour Saving Throw Table(as per thieves)

Troubadour To Hit Table(as per thieves)


Troubadour Skills Table, Charisma effectsCharisma Charm Mesmerise

13 -5% -5% 14 - -5% 15 - - 16 - +5% 17 +5% +10% 18 +10% +15%

Troubadour Skills Table, Intelligence effectsIntelligence Lore Read languages

12 -10% -10% 13 -5% -5% 14 - -5% 15 - - 16 - +5% 17 +5% +10% 18 +10% +15%

Troubadour Skills Table, Racial effectsRace CharmMesmerise Lore Read

languages Elf +5% -5% - +10%

Gnome -5% -5% +10% - Half-elf +5% -5% - - Human - - - -

Troubadour Spells TableLevel Casting

levelDruid lv 1 Druid lv 2 Druid lv 3 Druid lv 4 Illus lv 1 Illus lv 2 Illus lv 3

1 0 - - - - - - - 2 1 1 - - - - - - 3 2 1 - - - 1 - - 4 3 2 - - - 1 - - 5 4 2 1 - - 2 - - 6 5 3 2 - - 2 1 - 7 6 3 3 1 - 2 1 - 8 7 3 3 1 - 3 2 - 9 8 4 3 2 - 3 2 1

10 9 4 4 2 1 3 3 2 11 10 4 4 3 1 4 3 2 12 11 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 13 12 5 5 4 3 5 4 2 14 13 5 5 4 3 5 5 3 15 14 6 5 4 3 6 5 3 16 15 6 6 5 4 6 5 4 17 16 6 6 5 5 6 6 5 18 17 6 6 6 5 6 6 5 19 18 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 20 19 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

NB: Troubadours do not gain bonus druid spells for having high wisdom. This ability is limited to"true" priests, i.e. clerics or druids.

Troubadour class abilities

All troubadour class abilities are availablefrom level 1. The troubadour may only useone ability at a time. Make friends andinfluence is automatic, but all the other skillsrequire a roll to use.

Make friends and influence: A troubadourshifts the initial reaction of monsters(excluding undead, golems and the like)

one step if they hear his music beforeencountering him; this applies to monsters oflower level or hit dice to the troubadour. So,a troubadour of level 3 would shift thereaction of any monsters less than level 3 or3 hit dice, from hostile to unfriendly forexample. Hit point bonuses count as anadditional hit die for each completemultiple of 4, so for this purpose a monsterwith 2+3 hit dice would count as 2HD, 10+4


hit dice would count as 11HD, and 12+36would count as 21HD.

Charm: Charm resembles the magic userspells Charm Person and/or Charm Monster.It affects a maximum of one creature at atime. The target must be of at least animalintelligence, neither undead nor extra-planar, and up to the troubadour's level inHD. The target receives a saving throw vs.magic, modified by its wisdom bonus if app-licable, to avoid the effects. If the savingthrow is failed the charm lasts only while thetroubadour continues to play and sing. Acharmed creature believes the troubadouris a good friend, and behaves accordingly.If there is a shared language then thetroubadour can "sing" instructions which thecreature will tend to follow, provided suchinstructions are not against the creature'snature or obviously self-destructive.

This ability can also be used to counteractcharm-like effects produced by creatureslike harpies, sirens or vampires, provided thecharming creature is of the troubadour's hitdice or less. If the troubadour makes asuccessful skill roll the charm or charm-likeeffect is cancelled.

Mesmerise: "Mesmerise" affects one or morecreatures of at least animal intelligence,neither undead nor extraplanar, up todouble the troubadour's level in HD. Targetcreatures receive a saving throw vs. magic,modified by their wisdom bonus ifapplicable, to avoid the effects. If thesaving throw is failed the mesmerisation lastsonly while the bard plays and sings.Mesmerised creatures will stand quietly, raptand absorbed by the music, and ignoringother stimuli.

Both mesmerisation and charm automat-ically end on one of the following events:-

a) The creature is attacked, meaningsomeone rolls a "to hit" roll with a melee ormissile weapon where the creature is atarget. If the creature feels it needs todefend itself, it is free to do so.

b) The creature loses one or more hit points.Any kind of pain breaks a troubadour'scharm or mesmerisation.

c) The music is interrupted. This happens ifthe troubadour is struck by a weapon ormissile (they can keep playing if the attackmisses), or if the troubadour fails a savingthrow of any kind, or moves at more thanhalf-speed.

Neither skill is of infinite duration. If the

troubadour uses them for protractedperiods, re-check the skill with frequencyaccording to the following table:-

HD of monsterscharmed/mesmerised

(as a fraction of thetroubadour's level)

Recheck skillfrequency

Half or less Every three turnsHalf to one Every turn/ten rounds

One to one and a half Every three roundsOne and a half to two Every round

Lore: This skill simulates the troubadour'sknowledge of poetry, literature, history andmusic. A successful Lore skill roll enables thetroubadour to glean information about alegendary or famous person, creature,object or locale. The information gained willbe whatever is set out in myth, story or song(and thus may be out of date, exaggeratedor even totally inaccurate).

It is also the troubadour's chance to identifycommonplace magical items by examiningthem. "Commonplace" means all potionsand scrolls, common miscellaneous magicitems (if the OSRIC rules are in play then thismeans items from the CommonMiscellaneous Magic Items table; if otherrules are in play then it is GM discretionwhether a miscellaneous magic item is"common"), and magical weapons andarmour of up to and including +3 value. Inthe case of a druid scroll, an illusionist scroll,a non-spell scroll, a potion or a commonmiscellaneous magic item, the troubadourlearns exactly what it is and does. In thecase of a magic-user or cleric scroll, thetroubadour learns that it is a spell scroll butcannot determine which spell. In the caseof a weapon or armour, the troubadourlearns its bonus but not its special powers.

Occasionally troubadours may gleancommand words, true names, or otherwell-hidden knowledge with this skill, thechance being ten percent of the lorepercentage (or alternatively, rolled on a d‰rather than a d%). For example, a 9th levelbard with 17 Intelligence urgently wants tolearn the true name of a certain six-armeddemoness. His lore percentage is 55%, so hischance to determine her true name is 5.5%.

The command words of artifacts and relics,and the true names of unique demons anddevils, may not be divined by this method.

Read languages: This skill exactly resemblesthe thief skill of the same name.


Into the Shrieking Hollow A small dungeon adventure compatiblewith the AD&D game system , for 4-6characters levels 1-3

By C. Wesley Clough

INTRODUCTION

Into the Shrieking Hollow is a short dun-geon-based adventure designed for 4-6characters of first or second level. Most ofthe adventure takes place in a naturalcavern environment, so a dwarf or gnomePC could prove useful.

BACKGROUND

When he was younger, the wizard Holcombwas well known for his mighty deeds ofmagic in the service of good. As he aged,he adventured less and less, and spentmore time working on magical research andtraining apprentices. One of thoseapprentices, Reynard by name, has justbetrayed his master, and fled after stealingsomething of extreme value to the oldwizard.

Chaffing under the limitations that Holcombis known to yoke his apprentices with (nostudying of necromantic or "evil" magic, forinstance), Reynard has been of lateconsorting with Kalaman, a long-time rival ofHolcomb. Kalaman has, for some time,sought entrance into the lost Leichegarten,once a great school of necromancy, nowlong since abandoned to the undead thatwere created there. Leichegarten is said tohave seven entrances, each through a setof doors which open only for one holdingthe proper key. In his studies Kalamanlearned that one set of these "doorsunopenable" is in the cellars of a wizard'stower that once stood near the small townof White Rock; the same small town whichthe goodly Holcomb now calls home. Thewizard's tower is gone, razed in a magicalduel more than a century past, and most ofits cellars have collapsed, but a naturalcave system, known locally as the ShriekingHollow, lies very near the tower's formerlocation. Kalaman suspects that the cellarsmay have once connected to the caverns.A month and a half ago, Reynard toldKalaman of a spell he had seen whileperusing one of the few books in Holcomb'shome forbidden to his apprentices. Thisspell, called Nyzimm's Key, created amagical key that would unlock a "doorunopenable".

Feeling that his time was at hand, and find-ing it fitting that Holcomb's book and stu-dent should be the cause of his greatesttriumph, Kalaman put a plan into motion. Heused a spell scroll to summon a lesserdemon, and sent it to attack Holcomb. Hethen hurried to the Shrieking Hollow tosearch for a way to the "doors unopenable".While Holcomb was dealing with thedemon, Reynard managed to slip awaywith the Librum Arcanis, the tome thatcontained the Nyzimm's Key spell. He toomade his way toward the Shrieking Hollowto deliver the book to Kalaman and claimhis promised reward.

After the demon was driven off and thedanger passed, Holcomb realized what hadtranspired; he cast a spell to locate theLibrum arcanis, and discovered it was beingtaken to the Shrieking Hollow. Holcomb isunable to go after it himself, as the demonmay return at any time, so he is turning toadventurers to help him retrieve the book.

INVOLVING THE CHARACTERS

The easiest way to involve the characters inthis adventure is to have them approachedby Holcomb or his representative. The initialoffer to recover the Librum Arcanis from theShrieking Hollow will be 1000 gp for thereturn of the book undamaged. If the partytries to negotiate, make one reaction roll forHolcomb using the reaction adjustment ofthe character with the highest charismanegotiating as a modifier to the roll. If theresult is friendly, he will increase the offer tomatch their price up to 2000 gp; if the resultis anything else, then Holcomb stands firm at1000 gp. Holcomb (or his representative)can tell the characters how to get to thehollow, and will give them up to 10% of theirpayment in advance if asked for it.

THE DUNGEON

The shrieking hollow is entered through asinkhole in a slightly sunken forest gladeabout two miles from the town of WhiteRock. The terrain around White Rock ismostly lightly forested hills. Characters notfrom the area will have little trouble gettingdirections to the sinkhole from localtownsfolk if they failed to get them fromHolcomb. In fact, an overgrown trail leadsto the glade it is located in, showing thepeople do go there on occasion; thoughthe locals generally give the shrieking hollowa wide birth, especially around dawn anddusk when the cavern is most likely to"shriek". Local lore says that the shrieks are


the undying echoes of the last screams of apair of star-crossed lovers who threwthemselves into the sinkhole more thantwenty years ago. Other than some normalforest birds and small animals, such assquirrels, there are no encounters whiletravelling to and from the hollow during theday. If the characters decide to go to thehollow by night, they have a 1 in 6 chanceof encountering 1d6 stirges (HP 5 each).

From the ground of the glade, it is a 40 ftdrop from the top of the sinkhole to the floorof the cavern below. Any character fallingin takes 4d6 points of damage, althoughthere is no particular danger of falling, asthe edges of the sinkhole are quite stable. Aknotted hemp rope has been tied around astump about ten feet from the edge of thesinkhole, and the rope enters the sink holeand runs all the way to the cavern floor.Investigating the stump reveals that it isslightly rotted, but fairly sturdy, and the ropeshould be able to hold the weight of onecharacter at a time climbing down it (ifmore than 300 pounds is ever put on therope, the stump gives way with a crash,sending everybody on the rope hurtling tothe cavern floor below; damage is basedupon how far down they are when itbreaks). If the weight limit is not exceeded,a character can climb up or down the ropeautomatically, taking two full rounds to doso. Characters can do the same climb in asingle round if they succeed on a strength ordexterity check (whichever ability score ishigher), or a climb walls roll. A failed checkmeans they fall off the rope at some pointduring their climb (roll 1d4 to see how manytens of feet up from the bottom they arewhen they fall).

THE SHRIEKING HOLLOW (Level One Key)

1. Light filters into this cavern through thesinkhole in the ceiling, but other than thearea right beneath the hole the chamber isdimly lit at best. The floor is rough anduneven and the walls glisten with mineralformations. A dozen giant rats, all of themdead, lay scattered by the southern wall.There is nothing of danger or value here. Atracking check determines that a single setof human tracks lead away to thesouth-east. A dwarf or gnome can see thatthe south-east passage slopes slightlyupwards while the south-west passageslopes slightly downwards.

2. The passage from room one starts slopingmore steeply downwards after just a fewfeet, and then levels out as it gets to this

chamber. Unfortunately, the chamber is lowenough that about a foot and a half ofmucky, cold water has collected there, andcharacters wishing to continue on have towade through it. At the place marked x onthe map there is a ten foot deep depressionin the cavern floor, hidden by the scummywater. A character who does not probeahead could be in for a shocking plunge.Near the far wall of the room is anotherdepression, this one about four feet deep.From this depression a five foot high, totallysubmerged, tunnel leads away from thecavern (see area 3).

Three two foot long giant leeches (HP 6, 4, 4)swim in the dirty water here, ready andwilling to get some fresh blood fromadventurers that happen to be wadingthrough. Another giant leech, a four footlong monster (HP 21), lurks in the deepdepression, but only attacks if dropped inupon. There is nothing of value in this room.

3. This submerged passage is only about 30ft long, although the characters will nothave any way of knowing that in advance.Characters will have to hold their breathand swim underwater to pass through thetunnel here. Any character can hold his orher breath for 1/3 of the character'sconstitution score in rounds (rounded up);after that time, the character will have tomake a constitution check each round tokeep holding his or her breath. This checkgets progressively harder; each check afterthe first has a cumulative -2 penalty appliedto it. If a check is failed, the character mustbreathe, and if he or she is unable tosurface to do so the character drowns.

A swimmer who attempts to navigate thetunnel automatically takes two rounds to doso if they are unencumbered and not wear-ing metal armor, or three rounds to do so ifthey are encumbered or wearing metalarmor. Thus, only a swimmer in metal armor(or encumbered by lots of gear) with a verylow constitution score actually risks drowningin the flooded tunnel. There are slimy algaegrowths on the walls of the passage, butnothing of danger or value.

4. The submerged tunnel opens into a poolalong the northern wall of this room; char-acters of good alignment immediately feelthat there is something wrong here. Thewalls of the room have veins of hideousgreen and purple rock shot through thenormal gray of the surrounding stone, thecolors seeming to blend and swirl togetherinto an almost hypnotic, though revoltingjumble.


In an alcove on the eastern side of thechamber rests a three foot high, six footlong, and four foot wide block of greenflecked mauve stone. Set into the top of thealtar stone are a number of smallaquamarine stones; these stones form atriangle with an inverted Y within (thebranches at the corners of the triangle'sbase, and the stem meeting the apex). Thesymbol is sacred to an incredibly ancientand little remembered primordial elementalgod of great evil. 100 aquamarines, in all,make up the symbol. Each is worth 5 gp,and they can be pried up with little trouble.Of course, the primordial deity will not bepleased if his shrine is defiled, but there isonly a 10% chance that he can rousehimself from his lethargy long enough tocurse the defilers (if he does curse them,then from that moment on, all creaturesnative to the elemental planes encounteredby the cursed will automatically be hostile.This effect can be removed via a wish orlimited wish spell or by a remove curse spellcast by a 14th or higher level cleric).

Behind the altar, a gray ooze (HP 18) isresting. The slimy horror waits until thecharacters are preoccupied by the altarbefore attacking. Note that because it lookslike wet stone, the gray ooze is difficult forcharacters to detect before it attacks.

5. The floor of this large cavern is coveredwith a spongy loam-like material composedof decomposing organic matter (mostlyfungus). Mushrooms of all shapes and sizessprout throughout the cavern, somereaching close to six feet tall, although mostare normal sized. Seven shriekers (HP 12each) inhabit this room, three by the easternwall, and four clumped slightly west of thesouth-western exit; in fact, the movement ofbats and stirges at dusk and dawn triggerthe fungal shrieks which give the shriekinghollow its name. Amidst the western groupof shriekers is a violet fungus (HP 10) whichattempts to attack characters in theconfusion caused by the shrieking.

If characters search the westernmost end ofthe chamber they find a rusted shield par-tially buried in the loam. Characters diggingup the soil there for at least 1 full turn will finda silver ring set with a moonstone. The ringappears to be worth about 100 gp, but isactually much more valuable, being anenchanted ring of warmth.

6. The floor of this cavern is rough anduneven with lots of scree, fallen from theceiling, along the walls. The cavern is dryand dusty with only a few small tracks, like

those of giant rats, to show that it is evervisited at all. There is nothing of danger orvalue here.

7. This cavern is damp, with several pud-dle-sized pools on the lower floor, andstalactites hanging down overhead.Characters searching the ceiling might seefurtive movements. There are about twodozen largish bats (1 hp each) hanging fromthe ceiling during the day, each with a wingspan of about a foot. The bats arenon-aggressive, and will flee if threatened orattacked. They fly out of the cave eachevening at dusk, and return at dawn.Guano deposits can be found here andthere on the floor, and the upper ledge atthe back of the room (about 12 feet abovethe floor level and halfway up to the ceilingheight) is covered with guano. Buried in ashallow hole on the ledge, loosely coveredwith stones (and guano), is a two foot long,eighteen inch wide, foot high iron trunkwhich has rusted shut. It will take at least ahalf hour of searching to discover. Itcontains 200 gp, of a style that has not beenminted for about a century, and a silvernecklace set with small moonstones (worth300 gp).

8. The floor of this cavern slopes graduallydown toward the sink hole at thesouth-eastern end, though only a dwarf orgnome can determine this. Like the sink holethat leads into the shrieking hollow, the onein this room has stable edges. An iron spikehas been driven into a crevice in the wallnear the sink hole, and a hemp rope tied toit, but the rope only stretches to the edge ofthe hole before ending in a frayed brokenend. Passing through the sink hole will putcharacters into room 9 on the lower level;the drop from the top of the hole to thecavern floor below is about 30 feet.

Five rounds after characters enter the room,a group of twelve hungry giant rats (2hpeach) enter the room from the passagewaythat the characters did not enter through.These rats are very hungry, and attack atonce. There is nothing of value in this room.

THE SHRIEKING HOLLOW (Level Two Key)

9. There is a pile of broken stone beneaththe sinkhole in the ceiling of this roundishcavern, and about 45 feet of hemp rope liesloosely on top of it. One end of the rope isfrayed and broken; the other is tied aroundan iron spike. Two burnt out torch stubs canbe found to the right of the pile. There isnothing of danger or value in this chamber.


10. The southern wall of this cavern is cov-ered with gypsum flowers, causing the entirechamber to light up brightly if a light sourceis brought into it. Along the north wall, thebones of at least one hundred individuals,all human and demi-human in origin, arepiled and jumbled together, forming a long,low, ridge like pile at the base of the wall.Despite this macabre spectacle, there isnothing of danger, or value in this chamber.

11. This chamber has a ceiling height ofnearly forty feet, with small stalactiteshanging down, and small stalagmites on thefloor reaching up. The ledge just south of theentrance is about twenty five feet in height,and atop it is a nest-like construction ofsticks, bones, and loose stone (not visiblefrom the floor) which serves as the lair of twocave fishers (HP 15, 12). The cave fishers areold and experienced. They will not attackany party containing members dressed inplate mail or better armor, nor will they at-tack parties with over 6 members. If they dodecide to attack the party, each chooses arandom party member and fires its filamentat the character, attempting to ensnare thevictim and drag him or her back up to thenest for devouring. Note that because thebase of the ledge is so high, it is probablethat the characters will think it is simply partof the wall unless they specifically look upwhen enter the chamber. If the charactersdo not realize that there is a ledge there,the cave fishers automatically gain surprise(and even if the characters do realize thatthere is a ledge there, the fishers surprise atnormal chances).

The fishers' nest contains the remains ofseveral previous victims, including a goodlyamount of equipment, although time andthe cavern's damp environment havebrought ruination to much of it. 22 cp, 17 sp,14 ep, and 12 gp can be found, along withthree rusty but still serviceable broad swords,a long sword, two daggers, a horseman'smace, and two shields. Buried deep in thenest is a small belt pouch holding three smallmetal vials, their tops stopped with wax. Thevials are un-marked, and each containsliquid. These are magical potions: the firsttwo hold potions of healing, while the thirdholds a potion of fire resistance.

12. The ceiling in this chamber is fairly low,only about 12 feet up. The floor and ceilingof this chamber are free of stalagmites andstalactites, and there are no wall depositseither. Although the lower reaches of thewalls have lots of small cracks, the floor isremarkably smooth and level for a naturalcavern as well.

The cavern is bisected by an eight foot widechasm. The chasm is 20 feet deep, andanybody falling into it takes 2d6 points ofdamage. Some parts of the edge of thechasm are crumbling and unstable, so anycharacter approaching it must make asaving throw vs. Breath Weapon (modifiedby his or her dexterity reaction adjustment)or fall in as part of the floor gives way underthe character's feet. A dwarf (using theability to detect stonework traps) or agnome (using the ability to detect unsafefloors) can determine the spots where it issafe to approach the edge of the chasm,and warn other characters appropriately.

13. This cavern opens up, with a soaringceiling nearly forty feet high. The ceiling iscovered by small bristling stalactites, andthe floor has many small stalagmites as well.The entire floor slopes subtly down to thenorth east, and this can be detected bythose demi-humans capable of discerningsuch things.

In roughly the center of the room, althoughnot visible from the entrance because of thestalagmites, the characters can find thebloodless corpse of Reynard, the wizardHolcomb's treacherous apprentice. Thebody has been drained dry by the stirgesthat dwell up among the stalactites on theceiling. One round after the characters findReynard's body, 10 stirges (HP 5 each)attack. Because of the rustling of wings andthe rain of small pebbles dislodged as theylaunch themselves free from the stalactites,the characters cannot be surprised by theblood sucking beasts.

A search of Reynard's body will reveal thathe was carrying 18 gp and 2 smallish yellowcrystal gems (citrine gems, worth 50 gpeach) in his belt pouch. A second smallerpouch on his belt holds a small crystal prism,some dried rose petals, some split greenpeas, and some phosphorescent moss. Along tapered wooden stick, capped ateither end with brass, is stuck through hisbelt. This is a wand of magic missiles (12charges remaining); the command word toactivate the wand is etched in tiny magicalrunes around one end cap, and requires aread magic spell to decipher. Reynard�sback pack contains enough iron rations tofeed a single person for two days, a half fullwineskin, a couple of large burlap sacks,and a leather case containing a thick book,the Librum Arcanis.

14. The floor of this chamber has severalsmall puddles of water, the walls glisten withmica deposits, and the ceiling has dozens of


tiny stalactites scattered about it. Everyonce in a while, one of these stalactites willdrip water into one of the puddles below,making the sound of dripping water echothroughout the otherwise silent chamber.

In the north-eastern most part of thechamber, the characters can find whatappears to be a vein of gold running fromthe ceiling to the floor. It is obvious thatsomebody has used a pick to break someoff near chest level, but there are no suchtools around, nor are there any fragments ofthe vein lying on the floor. A dwarf orgnome can make an intelligence check torealize that the vein is really made up ofworthless pyrite.

If characters insist on mining the vein, asingle character can work it at a time (it istoo narrow for more than one, althoughclever characters could design and build ascaffold or something which would allowone character to work the ground levelarea of the vein while another worked upcloser to the ceiling). A single character withthe proper tools (such as a mining pick) cangather 1 pound of mineral from the vein inan hour, while a character working withsuitable, though improper tools (e.g. an ironspike for a chisel, and a hammer or amilitary pick), works at one half of this rate (Acharacter without suitable tools will not beable to gather any at all). The vein runs outof mineral after 350 pounds of it has beenexcavated, unless the characters want tofollow it into the floor or ceiling (and start afull scale mining excavation). For all of thiswork, characters will find that they can sellthe pyrite back in town for the meagre sumof 2 cp per pound.

15. This cavern is dusty. There are no stalac-tites and stalagmites here, and the walls aredull. A single set of human footprints, alongwith three sets of dog tracks, leads acrossthe dust toward the pile of rubble and darkopening in the west wall where a collapsehas revealed another passage. A rangerthat checks the tracks can tell that therewas something wrong with the dogs thatmade them. As soon as the charactersenter the room, the three war dogs comeout from behind the rubble pile andadvance in eerie silence toward the partyon stiff legs. The dogs have bald patches allover their bodies, and in places sinew andbone peak out through rotted skin. The wardogs have been turned into zombies (HP 15,10, 4). Kalaman left the dogs here to guardhis back while he went on to examine the"door unopenable". Their orders are to killeveryone, except Reynard or Kalaman, who

intrudes upon the chamber. There is nothingof value to be found here.

16. This passageway is obviously not natural:the walls have been hewn from the stone,and then covered with mortared masonry.Characters examining the mortar will noticethat it has a strange reddish tinge to it. Thewalls rise eight feet up from the floor andthen form an arch overhead, being about12 feet high at the crown. The floor iscovered with well-fitted bluish-gray flag-stones that are long and narrow. The hall isclear of dust and debris except at thesouthern end which ends in a wall of rubble,and at the place where part of the easternwall has collapsed, forming a hole about 7feet round between the natural caves andthis passage. Near the hole, some brokenmasonry lies scattered in the hall. In thecorner where the passage turns to the west,a black iron torch sconce (empty) has beenset into the wall.

Gnomes can use their ability to detect un-stable floors, walls and ceilings to know thatdigging through the rubble at the south endof the passage is a bad idea. If thecharacters attempt to dig through therubble anyway, they will find, after 6 turns ofdigging (one hour), the lip of a step.Evidently there were stairs leading up tohere at some point in the past. Any furtherdigging proves fruitless, however, as after 2more turns of digging the unstable ceilingcollapses, undoing all the work that thecharacters have accomplished to this pointand dealing 2d6 points of damage to anycharacters working on clearing the rubble; acharacter caught in the mini avalanche offist-sized stones can attempt a saving throwvs. breath weapon (modified by thecharacter's dexterity reaction adjustment)to sustain half damage.

Following the passage around the corner tothe west, shows it to end after ten feet or soat a pair of plain wooden double doors, thedoors are bound with bands of iron, andeach side has a brass handle. The door onthe left side is open about two inches, lightspills out into the hallway from the crack.

17. This long room is well lit by two continuallight spells, one centered in each half of theroom.

The floor is the same long, narrow, blue-grayflagstones, each fitted so well with itsneighbors that not even a sheet of papercould be inserted in between. A double rowof white marble Doric style columns runs thelength of the room, each rising to helpsupport the vaulted ceiling thirty feet over


head. The ceiling is painted with frescoes ofangels and demons battling over the soulsof men; close inspection shows that thedemons have the upper hand. The walls areof the same masonry-covered hewn stoneas the hall, with the same strange red tingedmortar between the blocks. The north andthe south walls each hold five, five footwide, seven foot high, five foot deepalcoves. The back wall of each alcove is notcovered with masonry, being bare stoneinto which a sculpture has been carved inhalf-relief. Each sculpture is of a humanskeleton wearing chain mail armor andarmed with a halberd.

Directly opposite the entrance doors is an-other set of double doors. These are madeof white marble and are ornately carvedwith the depiction of an angel on one doorand a demon on the other. The lintel abovethe door is carved to resemble a row ofhuman skulls looking down at any personstanding in front of the doors. These are the"doors unopenable", said to be one of theknown entrances into the famed Leich-egarten. An ornately carved lock, shapedlike a skull, with its mouth open to receive akey straddles the two doors. The lock is mag-ical, and will only accept the key createdby the unique spell Nyzimm's Key (see NewMagic). The doors and lock are immune toany other magic, and spells cast upon themalways fail. They are also immune to any sortof physical attack. Character who try toteleport or dimension door to the other sideof them are in for a horrible (and perhapsfatal) surprise as well, as the doors, whenopened, actually form a magical portal tothe Leichegarten. The dungeon is notactually on the other side of them; indeedthere is nothing there but solid rock!

Lying on the floor in front of the doors is theremains of a man: most of his face has beenblasted away, revealing a tangle of horriblyburned flesh and a blackened skull; his oncerich black robes are both burned andtattered, as if torn apart by a blast of greatforce, and most of his equipment has beensimilarly ruined. These are the remains of thefell sorcerer Kalaman. The wizard pene-trated this far, planning on waiting at theunopenable door for Reynard to bring himthe Librum Arcanis, so that he could use itssecrets to open the doors. He fought off theguardians, slaying all but one who fledinvisibly (see below), and then noticed thatsome previous explorer had stuck a rolledup piece of parchment into the skull-mouthkeyhole on the doors. Curiosity got the bet-ter of him, and Kalaman pulled the parch-

ment out, unrolled it and proceeded toread, not realizing until too late that thescroll was protected by an explosive runesspell which killed the evil wizard instantly. Asearch of the body will uncover 7 sp, 6 ep,and 12 gp, along with a solid steel daggerthat survived the blast unscathed. Thedagger's pommel is shaped like a skull, andtwo tiny onyx gems are in the eye sockets.This makes the dagger seem to be worthabout 75 gp, but in reality the dagger is amagical dagger +1. Two shattered vials areall that is left of the potions in the deadwizard's back pack, and the liquid theyonce contained has rendered two scrolls ina cracked wooden scroll case illegible. Theliquid has mostly ruined the travelling spellbook in the back pack as well; however, thefollowing spells have survived destructionand can be gleaned from it: detect un-dead, sleep, feather fall, protection from eviland web.

The sole remaining guardian of this room, asmoke mephit (13 hp) bound to protect the"doors unopenable" long ago, waits invisiblyin one of the alcoves (determine whichalcove randomly when the party enters).The smoke mephit is one of a group of fiveonce bound here, and the only one tosurvive Kalaman's onslaught. It tried to flee,but found that the magic that bound it tothe room was still as strong as ever. It wascoming back for a magically forced secondtry at Kalaman when the sorcerer managedto blow himself up. When the party arrives,the mephit will not want to attack, being acoward at heart, but will be magicallycompelled to by the terms of its enslave-ment. It will seek to stay out of melee asmuch as possible, flying around near theceiling, weaving in and out of the pillars,and attacking with its breath weapon (sinceit is invisible, its first attack will always be bysurprise unless the characters have someway of detecting invisible opponents). Afterits first attack, it will attempt to gate in moremephitis to aid it (only a 20% chance ofsuccess). If it is successful, then one moresmoke mephit (16 hp) will arrive. This secondmephit will automatically fail if it tries to gatein more reinforcements itself. If the mephitfails a morale check during the battle, it willflee for 1d4 rounds, only to be forced toreturn and renew the attack by the magicthat binds it here (note that the summonedmephit, should it actually show up, is not sobound and if it fails a morale check, it willflee the combat for good).


RESOLUTION

If the characters return the Librum Arcanis toHolcomb, he will give them the promisedpayment, and also agree to have hisremaining apprentice identify any magicalitems they might have found in the shriekinghollow for free. Additionally, providing thatthe player characters were courteous intheir dealings with him, Holcomb will look onthem favorably, and may have more workto throw their way in the future.

NEW MAGIC

The Librum Arcanis is a thick tome bound infaded black leather, with its title written ingold leaf upon its spine. It is mostly aworkbook, rather than a true spell book, thatbelonged to Sabrani Darkwatcher, a wizardof note in the last century. How Holcombcame into the possession of the book isunrecorded, but he has owned it for at leasttwenty years. Because some of the topicsand research recorded within are necro-mantic in nature, something that Holcombhimself has a great distaste for, he hasforbidden his apprentices to study the book.Why Holcomb keeps the book around whenhe finds much of it abhorrent is a questionopen to debate, but it likely hinges on thefact that it contains one of the only knownmeans of opening the "doors unopenable"and accessing the far famed Leichegarten.

Although not a normal spell book, theLibrum Arcanis does have the followingspells recorded within it: Detect Undead,(Evard's) Black Tentacles, Fear, Magic Mirror,magic jar, and the unique 3rd level wizardspell Nyzimm's Key (described hereafter).

Nyzimm's Key (alteration-necromancy)

Level: Magic user 3 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 Casting time: 3 segDuration: 1 rd/lvl Saving throw: NoneArea of effect: Special

Explanation/Description: When this spell iscast a large skeleton key made of boneappears in the caster's hand. The key'sprimary purpose is to open the "doorsunopenable" which lead to the dungeonknown as Leichgarten, and the key fits thelock perfectly, always opening the doors.The skeleton key created by this spell may fitother locks as well, and has a 20% basechance of being able to open any givenlock that the caster tries it on. For each levelof the caster over 5th level, the chance ofsuccess increases by 5% (for example a 9th

level caster has a 40% chance of opening alock with the key). The material componentof Nyzimm's Key is a finger bone taken froma human skeleton that had once beenanimated.

MONSTER STATISTICS

Cave Fisher: AC 4; MV 1; HD 3; Thac0 17;#AT 2; Dmg 2d4/2d4; SA adhesive trapline;SD special; SZ M (7' long); ML Steady (12); IntSemi (2-4); AL N; XP 85 +3/hp.

Fungus, Violet: AC 7; MV 1; HD 3; Thac0 17;#AT 1; Dmg -; SA rot; SD none; SZ M (6'); MLSteady (12); Int Non (0); AL N; XP 135 +4/hp.

Gray Ooze: AC 8; MV 1; HD 3+3; Thac0 17;#AT 1; Dmg 2d8; SA corrodes metal; SDimmune to spells (other than electric), fireand cold; SZ M (6'); ML Average (10); IntAnimal (1); AL N; XP 200 + 5/hp.

Leech, Giant: AC 9; MV 3, SW 3; HD 1; Thac019; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SA blood drain, disease;SD nil; SZ S (2' long); ML unsteady (7); INT Non(0); AL N;XP 26 +1/hp.

Leech, Giant (larger): AC 9; MV 3, SW 3; HD3; Thac0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SA blood drain,disease; SD nil; SZ M (4'); ML Elite (14); INT non(0); AL N;XP 95 +3/hp.

Mephit, Smoke: AC 4; MV 12 Fl 24 (B); HD 3;Thac0 17; #AT 2; Dmg 1d2/1d2; SA breathweapon; SD spell like abilities, dies in a flashof flame (1 point of damage to all within 10feet); SZ M (5'); ML Average (10); IntAverage (8-10); AL CE; XP 105 +3/hp.

Rat, Giant: AC 7; MV 12 SW 6; HD 1/2; Thac020; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA Disease; SD none; SZT (2'); ML Unsteady (7); Int Semi (2-4); AL N;XP 7 +1/hp.

Shrieker: AC 7; MV 1; HD 3; Thac0 17; #AT 0;Dmg 0; SA none; SD noise; SZ M (5'); MLSteady (12); Int Non (0); AL N; XP 5+1/hp.

Stirge: AC 8; MV 3 Fl 18 (C); HD 1+1; Thac017; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA Blood Drain; SDnone; SZ S (2' wingspan); ML Average (8); IntAnimal (1); AL N; XP 36 +2/hp.

Zombie War Dog: AC 8; MV 6; HD 2; Thac019; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8; SA immune to sleep,charm, hold, death magic, cold-basedspells, and poison; SD none; SZ M (5' long);ML never checks morale; Int non (0); AL N;XP 20 +2/hp (Note that other than beingdogs in form, these creatures are juststandard zombies).


Ecology of the Cave Blinderby Bryan Fazekas

Jake was sick and tired of Bisonbit. Theyoung priest had been quizzing him for morethan forty minutes about the reign of Hazzatthe First, a merchant autocrat who brieflyruled Kerr seventy years before in betweenthe Selkan and Wandsor monarchies. "Payattention Jake! You have an examtomorrow and you have not memorizedyour lessons!" At age 12 it was nearimpossible to care about someone who wasexecuted 60 years before he was born.

Jake sighed, but before he could retort ablack shadow fell across the boy and theteenager. Both spun to face the source ofthe shadow: a huge, bulky figure with amisshapen head that loomed over them.

Both recoiled in shock, but Jake quicklyrecognized the woman, an old friend of hisgrandparents. She was very tall and had ahumped back, and wore a large floppy hatand a long cloak, even in the warmth ofsummer. Jake immediately volunteered toescort her to his grandparents' home.Bisonbit started to protest, but gave it up."I'm going with you. We have more toprepare you for tomorrow's exam!" Jakesighed, but enjoyed the reprieve.

They chatted lightly as they walked the shortdistance, mostly the woman asking theyoungsters about their recent days. Bisonbitnoticed that she left no opening forquestioning her. Knowing that she wasn'thuman, the surprisingly perceptive youngman considered this was a normal tactic tokeep the attention off her.

They found Trajan in his garden, on his kneesweeding. A big smile creased his aged faceas he creakily straightened up. He led theway into the house where his wife wasmaking bread. The visitor immediatelydivested herself of the hat and cloak,displaying small horns on her forehead andbat-like wings on her back. She was on theslender side but the cloak that hid her wingsmade her look humped back. Neither of theyoungsters showed any surprise; they knewwhat she was. If it didn't bother Trajan or hiswife, it didn't bother them.

"What brings you through Kerr?" the old manasked.

"I'm on a commission to capture a caveblinder, and I know you", meaning bothTrajan and his wife, "have faced thembefore."

The old couple locked gazes, trading anunfathomable stare. Looking back at hisvisitor the old soldier replied, "Yes, a nastypiece of work they are."

* * *

Trajan looked around. The tunnels wererough, varying from 5' to 30' wide, with aceiling anything from 3' ranging up to morethan 40'. Mostly they could walk and hadroom to swing a sword, but both he and hisright-hand partner Etjar also carried a shortsword, really a long knife, handy for the tightplaces. Trajan favored a hand-and-a-halfbastard sword, but it required room toswing. Etjar's long sword was shorter andlighter, but it, too, was not a weapon fortight places Both kept their short swordsloose in their sheaths.

Something tracked them.

This area was rotten with tunnels, many fartoo small for the chain mail clad men toclimb through, although their charge, thesage Petteri could easily manage most ofthem. Even the dwarven brothers, wide andbulky as their shoulders were, could fitthrough amazingly small spaces. Marissa,the slight wizard, a foot shorter than Trajan;she could fit through a lot of the spaces,although she was more likely to get stuckthan the non-humans. Trajan visualized hertrapped in a tight tunnel. As much as hedisliked the bitch, that was nothing he'd wishon her or anyone.

Trajan led, watching up and down andside-to-side. Etjar followed ten feet behind,with the sage another ten feet behind him.Marissa and the dwarf brothers brought upthe rear. The soldier did not trust that theywatched the back well, but there were twoof them between Marissa and anything thathit from the rear. As much as they dislikedeach other, he'd never put the smallwoman in harm's way.

Trajan glanced back at Etjar. Both knewsomething was shadowing them. Too manyyears of adventuring in bad places for theirinstincts to be wrong. He looked fartherback at the wizard; from the way shescanned around her, she knew too. But thedwarves and the gnome? No clue.

The tunnel constricted ahead, certainlywide enough for his armored figure, buttight for swinging a sword. Sheathing thebastard sword, he drew the smallerweapon. Nothing appeared unusual, butold soldiers become old soldiers by nottaking unnecessary chances. After twentyfeet, the tunnel widened out again. Etjar


caught up with him and both looked backat the gnome and woman coming through.

Snick! That slight sound of claw on stonespun both men around in time to see a lithefigure drop off the wall almost in front ofthem. Trajan brought his sword up to fendoff a tentacle when the sun stabbedthrough his eyes into his brain. Somewhere inthe distance his mind registered a scream.

He covered his eyes and blinkedrepeatedly. The brightness faded and hecould see, sort of. The creature was nolonger in front of them. Spinning he tookcount. Etjar, gnome, dwarf, dwarf—some-thing was wrong.

His paralyzed mind took an extra beat, thenanother to realize Marissa was gone. Herstaff lay on the stone floor.

One of the dwarves picked himself off thestone floor. Both were farther back and hadnot been as badly blinded, recoveringfaster than the humans. "That thing grabbedthe woman and knocked me over. It ranthat way carrying her," he jabbered,pointing over his shoulder the way they hadcome.

Trajan's mind froze in horror but his bodymoved of its own volition, bowling thedwarves over again as he plowed throughthem in pursuit of Marissa. The thing wasobviously strong, but still a 120 lb womanwasn't easy to carry, especially if she wasstruggling. His mind avoided the possibilitythat she was already dead.

Having no place to go, but back down thetunnel, he charged, bouncing off the wallsonce or twice in the narrow area until hegot his stride. The thing was fleet, but hebarely caught sight of it in the light of theflickering torch he carried. Redoubling hispursuit he bellowed a hoarse, incoherentroar that caused the thing to slow and turnits head back, flaring its ears.

It looked sort of human, the way an orclooks sort of human, except this thing haddark green, rough looking skin, and had along tentacle protruding from the middle ofits upper back. The face was less human: ithad a normal looking nose and a widemouth filled with fangs, but there were noeyes, just skin where eye sockets shouldhave been. Bat-like ears framed the face.The tentacle pointed back at him and hecould see a clear bulb at the end. Instinctmade the soldier clamp his eyes shut, butthe bright light penetrated his eye lids,stabbing into his brain again.

The difference? This time he was prepared.He threw himself forward at the thing, swordhigh as he didn't trust himself to not stab thewoman in his blind rush.

The shock of crashing into the thing jarredhis short sword from his hand. He heard itskitter across the fairly smooth stone floor.Eyes still clamped shut he found its headwith his left hand, and slammed his mailedfist into whatever was between his handand opposing fist.

The thing squealed a high pitched scream,matched by his own screaming fit. As hedrew back for another strike a cablewrapped around his chest and flung himaway. Another squeal punctured hisdarkness and as he rolled to a stop herealized he had a piece of the thing's ear inhis left hand. "Bet that hurts," he thoughtmuzzily. Struggling to his feet he saw thething bolt into the darkness.

Marissa lay on the floor where it droppedher, her open, blank eyes staring upward.Moaning in horror Trajan scrambled acrossthe floor to her body. She had a ragged biteon one shoulder; it bled lightly but wasmostly a matched pair of puncture wounds.He ripped her blouse open and planted anear on her chest, listening for her heart.

The pounding in his ears made it hard tohear so he carefully swallowed and relaxed.Her strong heart beat pulsed in his ear. Hefelt, more than heard, the dwarves gothundering past him. He also felt Etjarapproach. Trajan looked up at his friend,and belatedly thought to cover Marissa'snaked chest with her ripped blouse. Hegently patted her face and chafed herhands, trying to rouse her.

Petteri spoke, "She will be ok. The bite ispoisonous, but it's a light paralytic. Inanother five or ten minutes she will rouse.The sightless cave blinder lives up to itsname, it blinds its foes with a burst of light,bites and paralyzes a victim small enough tocarry, and takes the prey back to a lair for itsmeal. If you had not given chase so quicklyshe would be dead already."

Squeals, shouts, and howls echoed downthe tunnel. The sounds continued for aminute or so, then tapered off. A draggingsound grew louder.

As the dwarves entered the torchlightMarissa blinked her eyes and focused. Amoment later Trajan helped her sit up.

The body was humanoid, but certainly nothuman. It looked far less deadly in a dead


heap than it did as a predator attackingfrom darkness. One of the dwarves strippedoff his surcoat, it was wet and shredded. Heswore in dwarven. Within knowing thelanguage all knew he was swearing.

The gnome explained, "Ahh, the caveblinder can spit a stream of its digestiveacid. Good that you were hit on the chest,rather than the eyes. If it was your eyes wewould be hard pressed to save your sight."The dwarf blinked and didn't reply, but hestopped swearing.

Etjar asked, "What is it?"

"As I said, it's a cave blinder, a normallysolitary beast that hunts Darkworld for prey.It usually attacks lone travelers, but willattack a group if it thinks it can take its preyand escape."

Marissa realized her blouse gaped openand rounded on Trajan. "You stupid fool! Justwaiting until I was down to put you grubbyhands on me!" Trajan looked aghast at theaccusation. The others all stared in shock.

She started to yell more but Petteri cut heroff, "Stupid human woman!" He spat on thestone, as strong an oath a gnome couldmake. "If he a step slower you would nowbe enjoying the pleasure of being eatenalive! These beasts do not kill their preybefore consuming them!"

"Not understanding the poison, he fearedfor your life." In lower tones, he continued,"Be thankful not angry, your life you owehim." Swallowing to make his point hefinished, "More than your life." With that heturned away.

Etjar hoped the pair would settle theirlong-running differences, but there was nohope of that. Scalded by her accusation,Trajan snarled something unintelligible at herand stalked off. She snarled back at himand weakly rummaged in her pack for anuntorn blouse.

* * *

"Petteri said cave blinders are normallysolitary, but they do mate every few years,producing a litter of usually 3 or 4 young.They parents stay together for about eightmonths, then the male wanders off. Thefemale drives the cubs away at about oneyear of age."

"And the young are dangerous?"

"According to the dwarves the young tendto be ravenous, so they may be moredangerous, killing more frequently. Growndwarves are too heavy for them to carry

easily, but they will kill lone travelers. Ofcourse, any place in Darkworld is not aplace to be by yourself."

Changing subjects, the alu-demon slyly said,"So, did you like what you found in Marissa'sblouse?"

Trajan turned red. Jake marveled. He hadnever seen his grandfather embarrassed byanything. The old man coughed, looked athis wife, and coughed again. "It wasn't likethat at all."

* * *

CAVE BLINDER

FREQUENCY: Very Rare NO ENCOUNTERED: 1 (1d6) SIZE: Man-sized MOVE: 150 ft ARMOR CLASS: 5 HIT DICE: 3 ATTACKS: 1 or 3 DAMAGE: 1d6 or 1d3, 1d3, 1d6 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Light, grab, acid,

paralyzation SPECIAL DEFENSES: Light MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard LAIR PROBABILITY: 15% INTELLIGENCE: Low ALIGNMENT: Neutral LEVEL/XP: IV / 225 + 4/hp

The cave blinder is very rarely encountered,and even more rarely seen. The carnivorousblinder feeds on any form of life other thanits own. It typically attacks lone travelers inthe Darkworld, although in somecircumstances one may single out what itperceives as the weakest member of aparty, using its special attacks to disableand distract the party while fleeing with itsdinner.

This terror of the dark can easily climb all butthe smoothest surfaces, even crawlingacross cave ceilings although at reducedspeed. Named for its primary attack mode,a blinder will often suspend itself on a caveor tunnel roof while waiting for victims topass beneath.

Protruding from its upper back is a 12'tentacle with suckers on it for grip, and aclear bulbous organ at the end. Three timesper day the blinder can produce a burst oflight similar in intensity to Continual Light. Indarkness this will blind sighted creatures for1d4 rounds, and in torch lit conditions willblind for 1 round. Being sightless the blinderis completely unaffected by its own attack,or any natural or magical effects that affectsight. Note: Illusions that have aural and/or


other sensory components may affect theblinder.

Using the tentacle, the blinder may grabsmaller creatures (under 150 lbs) that areweaker than it (18 strength). Pulling thevictim to itself, the blinder will bite with aparalyzing venom that causes loss ofvoluntary muscle control for 4d6 rounds(victim must save vs. Paralyzation). It will biteand claw unparalyzed victims automaticallyeach round after grabbing them unless thehold is broken, no roll for attack required. Ifattacking a group, the blinder will blindthem, paralyze its selected victim, then fleewith its dinner.

If forced to fight it will utilize two clawattacks in addition to its bite. In addition toits other abilities the blinder may spit a thinstream of acid at a single opponent atdistances up to 30', causing 1d6 points ofdamage on the first round and 1d3 damageon the second unless the acid is washed off.This requires a successful hit at +4 and maybe performed up to 3 times per day.

Normally encountered alone, on very rareoccasion a temporarily mated pair may beencountered. The males and female, whichare virtually impossible to distinguish apart,may have 1d4 young with them. The youngare 1 HD and have lesser attributes (1d6+11strength value, paralyzation saves at +4,acid can be spit 1/day) but are otherwiseequally deadly.

Description: Cave blinders are humanoid inshape, standing 5' tall. The head is overlylarge compared to a human, having awide, frog-like mouth filled with small sharpteeth. They have no eyes, using theirexceptionally good hearing and a feel forvibrations to navigate through Darkworld.Their rough skin is dark green in color andtheir powerful hands and feet have shortbut sharp claws. A 12' tentacle grows out ofthe upper back. The tentacle, equippedwith suckers on the underside near the tip,has great strength (18) and a bulbous organon the tip from which the blinder may emit aburst of light.

Cave blinders care nothing for treasure, butsome incidental treasure from victims maybe found in their lair.

Treasure: Lair 1d6x100 cp (50%), 1d6x100 sp(45%), 1d6x100 ep (40%), 1d6x100 gp (35%),1d4x10 pp (30%), 4d10 gems (50%), 3d10jewelry (50%), 3 magic items (20%)

Note on XP:

When calculating experience I counted thefollowing Special and Exceptional Abilities:Special Abilities (4): 3 or more attacks/round;special attacks (blindness); special attacks(acid); special attacks (grab). ExceptionalAbilities (1): paralysis/poison.

Using the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guidetable on page 85, the XP calculation is:

35 + (15 * 4) + (55 * 1) + 3/hp = 150 + 3/hp

However, I have been using LenardLakofka's 5% tables since they werepublished in The Dragon issue 80, in hisLeomund's Tiny Hut column subtitled "NewCharts, Using the '5%' Principle". Using thattable the calculation is:

60 + (25 * 4) + (65 * 1) + 4/hp = 225 + 4/hp


Thorks (8) Terrain: Swamp Total Party Levels: 20 (Average 4th) Total Magic XP: 950 Total gp XP: 2032 Monster XP: Kill: 1,645 Defeat: 1,234 Retreat: 411

SETUP

• An armor smith has heard rumors oflarge birds with copper feathersdwelling in a nearby marsh; he hiresthe adventurers to bring him back atleast 40 of these feathers so that hecan assess their value in making aspecial suit of scalemail armor.

• A local wizardess is getting ready tocreate some magical scrolls, whenshe discovers that only quills madefrom thork feathers will do for thisprocess. The wizardess knows of aswamp where some thorks live, but isfar too busy to go there personally,and instead hires the adventurers toretrieve a dozen or so feathers forher.

• Having heard tales of bizarre metalfeathered birds in a distant swamp, adecadent noble decides to hiresome adventurers to capture onealive for his menagerie. The noble iswilling to pay double if theadventurers can bring him someeggs as well.

THE LAIR

Getting to the swamp where the thorks aredwelling shouldn't be a problem, but oncethere finding them will be much moredifficult. The swamp covers about twentysquare miles of area, and is a dismal morassof shallow stagnant water, muddyhummocks, and tangled mangrovepatches. There are only a few tracks andtrails winding their way through the swamp,and these have a disturbing tendency tosimply lead to dead ends. The swamp teemswith wild life, but most of it is harmless toadventurers, and an overabundance ofmuskrats can lead any character withwilderness oriented skills to conclude thatthere is a general absence of largepredators in the swamp.

After about an hour of slogging through theswamp, the party will come across an oldman, sitting on a rocking chair in front of his

small log cabin on a dry hummock. Dressedin ragged furs, the old man watches thecharacters with interest, while puffing on hispipe, and occasionally scratching hisscraggly beard. If approached more closelythe man will identify himself as Ol' Ar-Cee,and tell the party that he is a trapper thatlives in the swamp, travelling to town everycouple of weeks to sell his muskrat hides. Ifasked specifically about the thorks, Ar-Ceetells the party that he knows where they canbe found, and will offer to guide them therefor the modest price of 20 gp. If the partyaccepts him as a guide he will want to beoff right away. If the party does not, he willgive them some general directions towardthe thork pond and send them on their way.At no point will he offer the group thehospitality of the cabin.

If Ar-Cee is followed he will lead thecharacters into a trap. If he just gives thecharacters directions instead, following hisdirections will lead the characters into thesame trap. In this case he will follow alongbehind the characters once they are out ofsight of the cabin, and come upon themfrom behind while they are dealing with it.There is a large patch of quicksand,beneath shallow water, crossing the pathbetween the cabin and the thork pond; afallen tree trunk, also hidden under thewater, provides a safe path across thequicksand. Ar-Cee knows where the log isand uses that to cross (having done thiscountless times in the past he doesn't evenbreak stride as he does so), giving thecharacters following him no warning of whatlies ahead.

Ar-Cee plans on letting the charactersdrown in the quicksand, and then comingback later to drag the bottom with a ropeand grapple to extract their bodies andequipment. Characters in the quicksandhave a 1 in 10 chance per round of findingthe submerged log, and if they do they caneasily use that as an aid to escape themorass (Rules for quicksand can be found inthe AD&D Wilderness Survival Guide. If thatsource is not available, treat the quicksandas deep water that characters can onlyswim or hold their breath half as long asnormal in). While the characters are in thequicksand, Ar-Cee will stand aroundlaughing at them and calling them fools. Ifany characters not stuck in the quicksandare on the same side as he is, or if he isattacked, Ar-Cee will attack, revealinghimself to be a wereboar as he does so, andcalling two "swamp razorbacks" (wild boars)to his aid.


Going back to search Ar-Cee's cabinreveals that the place is a mess. Garbageand spoiled food is strewn aroundeverywhere and the table is heaped withold rusted weapons and armor, much of itcovered it in gritty sand and none of itvaluable. Two 100 foot coils of rope, eachset with a large grappling hook hang fromone wall, and an assortment of rustedanimal traps and skinning knives hang fromanother. On the back of the door a map ofthe swamp is pinned up, this map marks outdangerous locations (such as the quicksandpit that Ar-Cee lured the characters too) aswell as a small lake deep in the swampmarked as the "steaming mere". A morecareful search of the one room cabin allowscharacters to find a loose floorboard underAr-Cee's sleeping cot; beneath the floor, thewereboar has hidden an iron box. The box isunlocked and holds 382 gp, 3 pale yellowcrystal gems (citrines worth 50 gp each), awrought gold necklace set with moonstones(worth 1300 gp), 2 glass potion bottles (apotion of heroism and a potion of fireresistance) and two broken copper (thork)feathers.

Characters following the map from Ar-Cee'scabin can reach the "steaming mere" afteran hours travel with no chance ofencountering any really dangerous terrain.Characters attempting to find it without themap will take from 2-5 (1d4+1) hours to doso, and have a 20% chance per hour ofstumbling upon another quicksand patch.

The "steaming mere" is a large roughly ovalarea of clear water with thick rushesgrowing along the edges. There are a totalof 8 thorks at the mere and 12 nests hiddenin the rushes around the water's edge. Thefour abandoned nests each hold 5d6 castoff thork feathers, and the thorks will ignorecharacters searching them. Inhabited nestswill have 5d6 loose feathers as well, plus 1d8platinum pieces (there are a total of 40 ppscattered among all of the occupied nests.Once 40 pp have been found thecharacters will find no more. If less than 40pp have been found by the time thecharacters search the final nest then thatnest will hold enough platinum pieces to get

the total found to 40), but there is a 30%chance that an inhabited nest has a thorkresting in it when discovered. A thork willalways fight to defend its nest, but generallyother thorks will ignore the commotion. Oneof the nests, however, always has a thorkresting in it, and she is sitting upon an egg. Ifcharacters come within 30 feet of the nestwith the egg, all of the thorks of the merewill converge on them within 1d4 roundsattacking viciously to drive the charactersfrom the mere. In addition to the feathersand platinum, the thork nest with the egghas been built on top of a large shieldpartially sunk into the mud; this shield isactually a magical large shield +1, +4 vsmissiles.

Monster Statistics:

Boar, Wild: AC 7; MV 15"; HD 3+3; hp 17;THAC0 16; #AT 1; D 3-12; SD Keep fighting at0 to -6 HP for 2-5 rounds; SZ M; Int Semi; AL N.

Lycanthrope, Wereboar: AC 4; MV 12"; HD5+2; hp 35; THAC0 15; #AT 1; D 2-12; SD +1 orsilver weapon to-hit; SZ L; Int Average; AL N.

Thork: AC 3; MV 6"//6"; HD 3; hp 14; THAC016; #AT 1; D 1-6; SA Boiling Water BreathWeapon (4-32); SZ L; Int Animal; AL N.

Notes:

This adventure involves a monster from theFiend Folio (the thorks) so that book isrecommended for playing this adventure.Quicksand is a danger in this adventure sothe Wilderness Survival Guide which hasrules for quicksand would come in handy,though it is not strictly necessary to run theadventure. Like most of the short adventuresin the Book of Lairs and Book of Lairs II, thisone has been designed so that a map is notreally necessary, though the DungeonMaster is encouraged to create a quicksketch map of the locations if he or shemight find it helpful. The monetary rewardamounts for the adventure hooks has beenleft unstated intentionally, so that aDungeon Master can assign values that aremore in line with the amount of money thathe or she wants the characters to possess atthe level they undertake the adventure at.


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3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the OpenGame Content You indicate Your acceptance ofthe terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration foragreeing to use this License, the Contributors grantYou a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free,non-exclusive license with the exact terms of thisLicense to Use, the Open Game Content.

5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If Youare contributing original material as Open GameContent, You represent that Your Contributions areYour original creation and/or You have sufficientrights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6. Notice of License Copyright: You must updatethe COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License toinclude the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE ofany Open Game Content You are copying,modifying or distributing, and You must add thetitle, the copyright date, and the copyright holder'sname to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any originalOpen Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use anyProduct Identity, including as an indication as tocompatibility, except as expressly licensed inanother, independent Agreement with the ownerof each element of that Product Identity. Youagree not to indicate compatibility orco-adaptability with any Trademark or RegisteredTrademark in conjunction with a work containingOpen Game Content except as expressly licensed

in another, independent Agreement with the ownerof such Trademark or Registered Trademark. Theuse of any Product Identity in Open Game Contentdoes not constitute a challenge to the ownership ofthat Product Identity. The owner of any ProductIdentity used in Open Game Content shall retain allrights, title and interest in and to that ProductIdentity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open GameContent You must clearly indicate which portions ofthe work that you are distributing are Open GameContent.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designatedAgents may publish updated versions of thisLicense. You may use any authorized version of thisLicense to copy, modify and distribute any OpenGame Content originally distributed under anyversion of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copyof this License with every copy of the Open GameContent You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not marketor advertise the Open Game Content using thename of any Contributor unless You have writtenpermission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You tocomply with any of the terms of this License withrespect to some or all of the Open Game Contentdue to statute, judicial order, or governmentalregulation then You may not Use any Open GameMaterial so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminateautomatically if You fail to comply with all termsherein and fail to cure such breach within 30 daysof becoming aware of the breach. All sublicensesshall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License isheld to be unenforceable, such provision shall bereformed only to the extent necessary to make itenforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. SystemReference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards ofthe Coast, Inc; Authors Jonathan Tweet, MonteCook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E.Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.


Issue Number 19 - friendorfoe.com Magazine/Footprints#19.pdf · Magic Items for Assassins and Other...

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Transcript of Issue Number 19 - friendorfoe.com Magazine/Footprints#19.pdf · Magic Items for Assassins and Other...