To Danger

From the pages of D U N G E O

Adventures
~ Magazine

Table of Contents
Grakhirt's Lair, b y John Nephew ......................2 T h e Matchmakers, by Patricia Nead Elrod. ............ .37
The norkers have been routed, but their Meddling in the affairs of love can lead to
leader is still on the loose. Catch the villain some dangerous liaisons.
in his own lair! Roanvater Caves, b y Willie Walsh. ................... .47
Trouble at Grog's, b y Grant & David Boucher. . . . . . . . . . .10 "I could kill two birds with one stone,"
Can't a halfogrefind a peace in a riverside the shaman thought, "ifonly I had some
townfull of adventurers, bigots, and thieves? gullible adventurers."
T h e Stolen Power, b y Robert Kelk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 The Inheritance, b y Paul Culotta. .................... .56
Follow the clues tofind a missing tome, and You've just inherited a castle! And now,the
unearth the secrets of an evil cult. badnews ...

Credits
Editor: Christopher Perkins
Project Leaders: Bill Slavicsek and Thomas Reid
P r o j e c t Coordinator: Keith Francis Strohm
Art Director: Dawn Murin
Cover Art: Clyde Caldwell
Interior Art: Dennis Cramer
C a r t o g r a p h y : Diesel
T y p e s e t t i n g : Angelika Lokotz

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 Grakhirt’s Lair were filled with rocks and set up as makeshift walls. Hunting bows
were brought out, old swords retrieved from attics, and hatchets,
meat-cleavers, and pitchforks were sharpened for use.
“Grakhi~t‘sLair” is an AD&W adventure designed for 4-8 characters The “great host” of norkers arrived 150 strong. Though great gen-
of levels 1-3 (about 12 total levels). At least one strong fighter (above erals might sneer at such a small farce, it was almost three times the
1st level) should be in the party to increase survival chances in diff- number of trained warriors in the town. The battle was desperate as
cult combat encounters. A balance of basic character classes (warrior, the town’s common folk valiantly fought for their homes and lives.
wizard, priest, and rogue) is helpful for success. The humanoids were driven back at a terrible price; nearly 250 de-
The reference to the alignment of flinds in the MONSTROUS fenders lay wounded or dead--a great loss far a population of little
MANUAL’”tome has been altered. The flinds encountered in this ad- more than 1,000 people. No one in the town avoided loss of family,
venture are chaotic evil, as are their gnoll cousins. friends, or property.
But Nolivari had weathered the attack. According to local trappers
Adventure Background
-
and rangers, there should be no more than 50 norkers alive within 30
miles. What perplexes everyone is how the norkers, chaotic by na-
In its scant fifteen years of existence, the t o m of Nolivari has had ture, could have been organized for battle on such a scale.
many hardships and trials, but it has always managed to pull The druidess Aldrelle, who reappeared after the battle, had some
through. It had to be carved out of a wilderness untamed by human- new information. There have been rumors among other humanoid
ity for a thousand years (or so says the Book of Dalayle, a local chroni- tribes that the norkers had a powerfd leader named Grakhirt. Little
cle), struggle for independence from the western city-state of is known about him except the unquestioning loyalty the norkers
Ivinvylliw, and mourn the loss of its leader. Even so, Nolivari has gave him; no other beings have even seen him. Before the battle, the
been prosperous, growing on the abundance of raw materials on the norkers were organized at the lair of the tribe whose chieftain is
edge of the wilderness. named Hragtam; perhaps this Grakhirt resides there. The ambition
Recently, the town suffered rrpeated raids of norkers from the and charisma of this person are apparent. If he could discipline the
foothills of a great mountain range to the south. The raids continued disorganized norkers, what could be done with the lawfully-aligned
over a period of eight weeks, at which point the druidess Aldrelle humanoid races such as the goblins and hobgoblins? To prevent fu-
came from her hermitage to warn the prince of a great host of the hu- ture invasions of Nolivari, Grakhirt must be eliminated.
manoids coming to surprise and burn the town. Prince Corin assem- This much the characters have learned since they arrived in town,
bled his small group of men-at-arms and militia and fortified the one day after the great battle. Prince Corin has posted amounce-
town as best he could, using all materials available. Empty crates ments asking for adventurers willing to capture or slay Grakhirt. A
reward of 250 g p is offered to each member of such a party-not a
great sum, but Nolivari is not a very rich town (especially now).
Prince Corin warns that Hragtam was not killed in the battle, and
there are likely to be a fair number of norkers alive in the lair.

For the Dungeon Master

The following information may be uncovered by player characters
once they reach Grakhirt’s chambers in this adventure, or by using
charm person, ESP, or similar questioning upon Grakhirt, if captured.
Certain other @Is, such a8 legend lore and commune, might provide
fragmentary information that eventually produces the whole story
Half a century ago, a stranger came to the city of Ivinvylliw. He
was the illusiouist Arham, exiled from his native city in the far south.
Powerful, cunning, and cruel, the wicked illusionist became associ-
ated with the city’s notorious Assassins’ Guild.
Though unable to gain an official position in the guild hierarchy
because of his class, and unable to become an assassin due to physi-
cal weakness, Arham achieved influence through deceit, threats,
manipulation, and magic, and he prospered in his evil ways. Any
man who apposed his plans, regardless of rank, would more often
than not be found stabbed, poisoned, or inexplicably dead-with an
expression of supernatural terror on his face. Sn time, even the
Guildmaster dared not oppose Arham for fear of arcane or mun-
dane retaliation, especially after the illusionist married the Guild-
master’s daughter and she gave birth to a son. The child was named
Grakhirt.
Arham had his son trained in the skills of stealth and murder, and
by himself in illusion. Grakhirt was intended to assume his father’s
power and influence, perhaps even with an official position-as
Guildmaster-but this scheme never had the chance to be carried
through. When the old Guildmaster died, the new one brought great
enmity toward the illusionist and his ofispring. After several failed

2
murder attempts and the loss of some of the Guild‘s most talented as- 4, spear +2, warhammer +2, boots of speed, numerous potions and
sassins, Arham was slain while studying his spells. scrolls.
Little thought was given to the 19-year-old son of Arham as the Spells (8/7/5/3/2/2): lst-animalfriendskip, cure light wounds,
Ivirwylliw Assassins’ Guild licked its wounds; indeed, the dual- detect mil, detect poison, detect snares &pits, entangle, invisibility to ani-
classed thief/illusionist was not seen in Ivirwylliw after the slaying of mals, shillelagh: 2nd--augu y, goodberry, messenger, obscurement, speak
his father. The few who noted his absence assumed that he had fled with animals, trip, warp mood; 3rd-call lightning, hold animal, plant
forever, and Arham’s missing journals and spellbooks were thought growth, summon insects, tree; 4 t h i a l l woodland beings, plant door, speak
to have been taken by opportunistic thieves. with plants; 5th--commune with nature, pass plnnt; 6th-wall githorns,
In truth, young Grakhirt had fled southeast to one of his father’s weather summoning.
wilderness sanctuaries, a small group of caves near Nolivari that Aldrelle is a powerful figure in the locale, but a solitary one. She
served as the lair of a tribe of norkers. Grakhirt withdrew here to lives to the southwest, in a hermitage deep in the forest, with three
meditate for a time and familiarize himself with his deceased father’s Initiates of the First Circle (3rd-level druids) named Aldren, Vellic,
abode, books, and magical devices ... and to plot vengeance. and Marar. Little is known about her motives, and she only comes
Grakhirt dreamed of raising an army of humanoids who would out in public to warn of great danger. In reality, she is not very con-
follow him in conquest across the lands. He would honor his father cerned with the problems of other humans, but she prefers not to
by being even greater and more terrible than had been planned. The have any humanoids ravaging the area and harming the things with
norkers, manipulated by the clever Grakhirt (with help from his illu- which she is concerned. Though well armed, she hates to fight and
sions and from pliable tribal authorities eager for territorial domi- has no desire to kill anything, even norkers, especially if someone
nance), were organized for a military campaign Raids were else can do it. If the DM considers the party too weak, Aldrelle might
organized on farms to raise provisions and build morale. Then the permit one of her Initiates to aid the party in this adventure. The mi-
great attack on Nolivari was set into motion, to attract the attention tiate should he fleshed out by the DM as desired, but he or she em-
and support of other humanoid groups in the region that sought to ploys no magical weapons and remains silent much of the time.
halt human civilization’s conquest of the wilderness. Such a move-
ment in the wild lands could hardly go unnoticed. The druidess Al-
drelle, informed by her friends in nature, warned Prince Corin.
The Wilderness
Anticipated and prepared for, the attack met with defeat. If this adventure is used in an ongoing campaign, the DM may fit it
Defeat at Nolivari might well have been the fatal step in in wherever it fits best on his maps, altering the names of places and
Grakhirt’s career. He has withdrawn to his lair to fume and plan his people if necessary. Otherwise, the map showing the mute to
next move. It is the task of the player characters to stop him from Grakhirt’s lair is not an absolute requirement; one may he generated
making any more such plans, through his capture or elimination and quickly and easily if desired.
the destruction of the norkers. When the characters are equipped and ready to go, they proceed
south along the trail obviously traveled by the norkers. (The food
Town Personalities scraps and tracks are tell-tale signs.) The lair is known to he 22 miles
south of Nolivari, and the trip can be made in one day (assuming
Below are some of the major non-player characters of Nolivari and its normal rest breaks are made) over normal terrain. Heavily equipped
vicinity Their personalities and statistics are presented for use in PC parties might require two days. The DM should check for wandering
interactions as well as for ongoing campaign use. monsters twice each day (morning and evening) and once at night
Prince Corin (7th-level human paladin): AC 2; MV 12; Pa7; hp 47; (near midnight); an encounter occurs on a roll of 1on d10. Roll IdS to
WAC0 14; #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type; S 12, D 14, C 10,110, W I?, determine what is encountered, using the following section:
Ch 17; SA h ~ m undead; SD cure disease twicelweek, immune to dis 1.Bandits (2-5 0-level humans): AC 7 (8 without shield); MV 12;
ease, heal 14 h p damage/day, protectionfrom evil a u a (10 radius), d e 0-level; hp 4 each; THACO 20; #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type; SZ M;
tect evil intent (60 range); SZ M; ML 15; AL LG; chain mail +3, long ML 10; AL NE; XP 15. Two of these bandits have leather annor,
sword of sharpness. shields, and short swords; the others (if any) have leather armor,
Corin is wise, compassionate, cautious, kind, and respected by short bows, and daggers. If at all possible, these men ambush the
everyone in town. He will not seek out the norker lair himself for a Party
couple of reasons. At age 62, he thinks himself too old to fight and re- 2. Huge centipedes (2-20): AC 9; MV 21; HD %; hp 1each; THACO
alizes what had shape the town would be in if he did not return. (He 20; #AT 1;Dmg 1;SA save vs. poison at +4 or he immobilized for 1-6
has no heir.) Above all, he desires to rebuild the town physically and hours; SW make all saving throws at -2; SZ T; ML 5; AL N; XP 35.
psychologically. 3. Rinds (5-6):AC 5; MV 12; HD 2+3; h p 12 each; THACO 17; #AT
Princess Teliva (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3; 1 or 2; Dmg 1-6 (club) or 14/14 (flindbar); SA person struck by
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 9, D 6, C 8, I 15, W 13, Ch flindbar requires victim to save vs. wands or he disarmed; SZ M; ML
14; SZ M; ML 12; AL LG; amulet of life protection, dagger + I . 12; AL CE; Xl’ 120. This group of flinds is hunting norkers, particu-
Teliva is Carin’s wife. She has an intelligence superior to that of larly those wounded in battle. The flinds have fought the local nork-
her husband, hut she sometimes lacks his caution and common sense. ers for years hut hate humans with equal passion.
Many times her cleverness has aided the town. Though she and 4. Leprechaun (1): AC 8; MV 15; HD 2-5 hp; hp 4; THACO 20; #AT
Corin have no children and she is beyond childbearing age, she is 0; Dmg nil; SApoiymorph inanimate objects, create illusions; SD be-
loved and respected by the townsfolk as much as her husband. come invisible, ventriloquism, pick pockets (75% chance of success);
Aldrelle (12th-level human druid): AC 4; MV 24; C12; hp 65; MR 80%; SZ T; ML 12; AL N; XP 270. This mischievous little being,
THACO 14; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 12, D 12, C 10, I 13, W 16, Larran by name, is loolang for opportunities to play jokes, steal, and
Ch I?; SD +2 to saves vs. fire and electricity, pass through overgrown generally be a nuisance. He has already annoyed a group of flinds,
areas, immune to charm spells cast by woodland creatures, shape- hut they aren‘t as much fun-r as wealthy-as a group of adventur-
chanxe oncelday; SZ M; ML 14; AL N; XP 6,000; bracers ofd$ense AC ers. Larran has his wasure hidden in a hollow tree nearby: 219 cp,

3
148 gp, four 10-gp gems (moss agates), and two Quad's feather tokens
(bird and *e).
5. Cave bear minimals (14):AC 8; MV 8; HD 2+2; hp 11 each;
THACO 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-3; SA hug for 2-5 hp damage, op-
ponents suffer -1 penalty to surprise rolls; SD save vs. poison and
death magic as 7-HD monsters, +2 to saves vs.spells; ML 15; AL N;
XP 175. The bears are frightened of fire and suffer a 4 morale penalty lcs aown trom the mountains. Next to the pond 1s a charred, dead
when attacked with open flames. tree with axe marks upon its trunk. Though there are a few
6. Norkers (14):AC 3; MV 9; HD 1+2; hp 6 each; WAC0 19; #AT scrubby bushes, thc landscape is mainly clothed with short, sun-
2; Dmg 1-3/1-6; SZ S; ML 11;AL CE; XI' 35. These are stragglers baked grass that is dead virlually everywhere except by the stream.
from the battle who managed to get away, but they are homeless and Seeing the rocky path and many limestone outcroppings on
lost in the wilderness. They attack anyone and anything they en- the hills, it would scmn that caves bmenth the enhance would
counter, fleeing when half their numbers are slain or captured. Each occur here naturally or could casilv be hewn from the rock, which
has a pouch with Id6 sp, Id4 ep,and a few miscellaneous and virtu-
ally worthless items.
7.Huge spiders (14):AC 6; MV 18; HD 2+2; hp 9 each; THACO
19; #AT 1; Dmg 1 4 ; SA leap (30 range), 4 penalty to opponents' SUI- Two norkers (hp 6 , 7 ) are posted as guards on the hill, directly
Frise rolls; Type A poison (save at +l); SZ M; ML 8; AL N; XP 270. over the entrance. They are only surprised on a roll of 1on a d10.
8. Worgs (1-2): AC 6; MV 18; HD 3+3; hp 17 each; THACO 17; #AT When the party comes within 200 yards of the cave mouth, the nork-
1; Dmg 2-8; SZ M; ML 11; AL NE; XP 120. These beasts avoid well- ers hide and move to get behind the party as the characters enter the
armed groups, preferring to attack lone stragglers. The eating has cave. If such happens, the characters suffer -2 penalties to their sur-
been good because of the number of wounded norkers who fled the prise rolls. If the characters inspect the whole hillside before entering,
battle, so the worgs do not put themselves out to attack healthy, dan- they have normal chances of being surprised.
gerous characters. On the bottom of the pond is the skeleton of an elf whose party
stumbled upon the cave at a time when there was a full lair of nork-
Grakhirt's Lair ers around. Most of the adventurers escaped, but the elf fell into the
pond after receiving his death blow. The norkers never bothered to
When the party reaches the lair, =ad or paraphrase the boxed section search the body, so there it lies with its treasure: 3 gp,7 sp (tar-
below to the players. nished), and a platinum brooch worth 45 gp. Because of the rotting
material in the stagnant pond, anyone who drinks the water must
make a saving throw vs. poison or contract a gasho-intestinal infec-
tion that takes full effectin 2d10 rounds; affected PCs suffer-2 penal-
ties to attack rolls, saving throws, proficiency checks, and ability
checks for 2d20 hours or until a cure disease spell is cast.
me cave goes forward into the hill about three feet, descends a
bit, and opens to a small S x C room with a wooden hap door in the
floor. Going through the trap door and climbing down the wooden
ladder under it leads to area 1 after a 9 descent.
Unless otherwise stated, all norkers found within this lair (includ-
ing the two sentinels watching the cave enhance) share the following
statistics:
Norker:AC 3; MV 9; HD 1+2; THACO 19; #AT 2 @ite/club); Dmg
1-3/1-6; SZ S; ML 11;INT average (9); AL CE; XP 35.
Hit points are offered for norkers encountered, as well as any vari-
ant inionnation on special individuals. Following their defeat, the
norkers here are very depressed and a n g q and they are brooding
over their immediate future as well as their leadership, whom they
blame for the disaster.

Upper Level
The ceiling height for this entire level (carved out by the norkers) is
no greater than 5%feet, requiring taller characters to stoop and be less
able to fight effectively unless using thrusting or stabbing weapons
such as short spears, daggers, and short swords. Any character be-
tween 5 6 6 feet in height has a -1 penalty to attack rolls, save for
those made with thrusting and stabbing weapons. Characters taller
than 6 feet have a -2 penalty on all attacks of any kind and cannot
use medium or large shields effectively (i.e., no armor class reduction
for their use). All dwarves, gnomes, halflings and characters with the
close-quarter combat nan-weapon proficiency are unaffected by the
ceiling height with regard to attacks they make.

1
1.Entrance Roam. The ladder goes down to
this room. R o u g h the room is empty of traps
and creatum, there are signs that it recently
held many beings. Discarded food scraps, an
occasional trail of blood, a couple broken
weapons, and some bloodied bandages are
scattered about. The door to the south was
crudely made, has rusty hinges, and requires
an Open Doors roll at +2 to push open.

2. Guard Alcoves. Each alcove is occupied by a

norker guard. The huo norkers (hp 8,7) both
bear minor wounds from the battle against No-
livari, each being down 1hit point. They attack
all intruders ferociously,especially humans, but
wait for the party to come up the passage so
that they have a better chance of gaining sur-
prise (-1 to opponents’ rolls). One norker wears
a rusty iron medallion (worthless) around his
neck on a slightly tarnished silver chain
(10 sp value).

3. Drunken Guard. Slumped against the wall

of this alcove is a highly inebriated, uncon-
scious norker (hp 5). He could easily be dis-
patched, and it takes quite a bit of stimulus to
wake him. He carries no items of value. Lying
beside him is an emptied wine amphora. As
much of its contents are on the floor as are in
the norker.

4. Salitaly Cell. This cell is particularly damp, having a trickle of well, the flind voices his thanks but takes advantage of any chance to
water coming in from its ceiling. Its occupant is a weak and starving get away. He has no true sense of gratitude to the characters. The
half-elf named Lorvien. He is quite helpless at the present and would flind has neither weapons nor armor.
be very grateful to the party if rescued, but he c m o t help the charac- Rreshat (flind): AC 10; MV 12; HD 2+3; hp 1 (9 at full); THACO 17;
ters in the ventures here because of his weakness. He asks for food so #AT 1 or 2; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 12; DJT average (9); AL
that he can survive and reach Nolivari. Nothing else of interest is CE; XP 120.
here. *:* A huge battle-scarred norker named Kargh, recently imprisoned
Lorvien Shadowleaf (2nd-level half-elf thieo: AC 10; MV 6 (12 at after protesting to the narker chieftain about the tribe’s domination
full strength); T2; h p 2 (9 at full); #AT 0 (weakened and unarmed); by Grakhirt. If released by the PCs and questioned, he tells them as
Dmg nil; S 4 (normally 9), D 7 (normally 12), C 5 (normally IO), I l l , much and offers to help them slay Hragtam. He also shows them the
W 8, Ch 11; SA/% thief abilities; SZ M; ML 7; AL NG; XP 120 (for way to the lower level. Kargh speaks a smattering of Common as
rescue only). well as Norker and Hobgoblin.
Kargh (norker): AC 3; MV 9; HD 1+2; hp 10; THACO 19; #AT 1or
5. Large Cell. Chained to the limestone wall here are five prisoners. 2; Dmg 1-3/by weapon type; SZ S; ML 11; INT average (9); AL CE;
This is where the majority of the norkers’ prisoners are put. Condi- XP 35.
tions are terrible, and the prisoners have been ignored since the battle Not one of the prisoners has any items of value. Other than their
with Nolivari chains, there is nothing else in the room.
Not counting a starved and dead goblin and the bones of an old
dwarf, three prisoners remain: 6. Feast Hall. The door to this mom is oiled and much used, so an
. :e Tamar Dosharin, a merchant whose entire caravan was am- Open Doors roll is unnecessary. This room is used for meals and cele-
bushed and destroyed by the norkers. The norkers now hold him here brations, as well as the torturing of prisoners-an activity that these
for a ransom that can never came, since he has nothing of value left in norkers consider an art. It was last used for a meal, so the four tables
the world. If rescued, the merchant has no way of paying the heroes and crude stools are set out rather than piled haphazardly along the
back in valuables or gold. He is very depressed, feeling he has nothing walls. Upon the roughly hewn dais is a large, intricately carved,
to live for-though killing a few norkers might appeal to him. thronelike chair obviously not of norker craftsmanship. If somehow
Tamar Dosharin (0-levelhuman): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 2 (4 at transported out and sold, the bulky, 750-lb. chair could command as
full); THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 8; INT very much as 2,000 gp on the open market. Behind the chair is a curtain of
(12);AL N; XP 120 (for rescue only). cheap red cloth dividing this room from the next.
+ A flind that has been tortured for the entertainment of the Seated a n the chair is Hragtam, the chieftain of the norker tribe.
norker chieftain and tribe. The flind, Rreshat won’t survive long This massive norker has a broad sward, in a sheath slung over his
without care. If the characters nurse him back to health and treat him shoulder, that he wields with hyo hands in combat. He is, at the time

5
that the party enters, in a heatcd argument with his two norkex floor and ceiling with the wall), and the cracks go all the way through
bodyguards (hp 9, Y), each of whom carries a footman’s mace. The the wall, making the door a separate stone. The stone door has a cen-
topic is the “traitor” Kargh (one of the prisoners in area 5). If Kargh is tral pivot, allowing it to rotate counterclockwise, Pushing on the door
with the party, he charges forward and engages Hragtam in melee. near its southernmost part (while pulling the wire, thereby releasing
The guards do not attack K q h (they openly sympathize with him), the lock) allows entrance to the passage beyond. The door is thicker
but they will attack the characters and Hragtam. Kargh and the body- and heavier on its southern part, causing the door to shut by gravity
guards do not fight each other, even if it means that Kargh has to turn unless held or spiked open. A minimum Strength of 9 is required to
on the party-which happens if the chieftain is slain before the push open the door from this side.
guards and Kargh is still alive. If the characters incidentally kill the The stone secret door has a lock on the side facing area 8, prrvent-
guards in the battle, Kargh still shows them the secret door in area 7, ing anyone from passing back through the door from the lower level
as his hatred of Grakhirt is very strong. without the key (which Grakhirt possesses). The only way to open
Each guard wears, as a symbol of his position, a jasper bracelet the door from area 8, besides slamming one’s body against it (chance
(red with green veins) worth 55 gp. The chieftain wears a gold ring of Success equal to a Bend Bars/Lift Gates roll) or using a knock spell,
set with a small, deep red spinel, worth 92 gp. The ring is not is to use Grakhirt’s key A thief‘s open locks ability does not work be-
magical. cause the catch is too heavy.
Hragtam also has an item of value strung around his neck a
small, finely crafted, silver statuette of a female warrior. Uniortu- 8. Wet Corridor. This area of the complex is particularly damp. The
nately, the norkers drilled a hole through its neck so that it could be slow trickle of water from above makes the wall glisten almost as if it
s m g on a copper wirr and worn by their chieftain. As a result, it is is sweating, as well as causing rippled lime deposits on the walls. he-
worth only 155 gp; if the hole is somehow fixed, its value could be cause of the slipperiness from the water, any PC running along the
brought up to 255 gp. passage or stairs must make a Dexterity check every 10 feet or fall,
Hragtam (norker chieftain): AC 3; MV 9; HD 3+2;hp 19; THACO suffering 1 hp damage, or 1 4 h p damage if falling down the stairs to
17; #AT 2; Dmg 1-3/24; SA 17 Strength (+1to attack rolls, +1to the next level, 30 feet below.
damage); SZ S; ML 11;lNT average (IO);AL CE; XP 120; broad sword.
9. Armory. This cave is used by the norkers to store weapons. Cuard-
7. Treasure Room. As well as being used far the storage of most of ing the room is a single norker (hp 8) armed with a sling and club.
the tribe’s treasure, this room is the sleeping quarters of the chieftain, He uses the sling for fighting intruders coming along the corridor
Hragtam. He has a crude bed, stolen from a human cottage several and the club for melee combat. On each wrist he wears a leather band
years ago, that is slightly rotted and has no mattress, but is instead 4 wide, each set with 16 silver studs and worth 19 sp.
filled with moldy, dirty straw. Stored in the room are five javelins, two light crossbows, a broken
Beneath the bed is an iron-banded oak chest. The chest is locked crate with 94 flight arrows (of which 63 are in usable condition), 12
and has a poisoned needle. Any PC shmg by the needle must save vs. clubs of the sort normally used by norkers, two warhammers, a single
poison or slip into a coma for 2-20 days. A cure disease or heal spell short sword with a rusty blade, an unopened crate with 120 rotting
brings a character out of the coma, but the comatose state is 50% light quarrels (eight are still usable), three horseman’s flails, and three
likely to be mistaken for death by everyone present. The chest con- short bows without bowstrings.
taim much of the tribal treasure: 430 cp,2,434 sp, 1,059 gp,25 pp, There is also a human-sired suit of plate mail (a war trophy) that,
three gold earrings set with small pearls (each worth 160 g p total), a though outwardly seeming to be of excellent quality, is corroded on
magical scroll with the spells unseen semani, polymorph other, and the inside and rusted together. It would cost 150 g p to hire a smith to
magic mouth within a jade map case (worth 435 gp), and a rusty flind- repair the armor enough to render it usable. At the DMs discretion, a
bar belonging to the flind prisoner in area 5. character with the armorer proficiency can repair the suit himself,
Scattered about the room are some other items of potential interest given sufficient time and the proper tools and facilities.
to the characters. On the southwest wall are hung a variety of
weapons: a composite long bow with a broken string, a short sword 10. Food Storage. The first thing one notices upon entering this mom
with a rusty hilt and notched blade, three S-long spears with bronze is that it is unusually chilly, especially close to the crates stacked on
heads in good condition, and a quiver of 20 arrows (four of which are the west side of the chamber. The crates contain enough standard ra-
silver-tipped). On the north wall, near the foot of the bed, is a S-long tions to supply a single person for 40 weeks, though the food tastes
spear that holds on its tip a mummified, severed flind head (a war awful (but the norkers like it). Although there is another food storage
trophy of Hragtam’s). On the southeast wall, just north of the secret chamber (area 13) on this level, this one is used to store perishable
door, is a large, human-made shield with a beautifully painted coat- items because of its “coaling system”--a small patch of brown mold
of-arms (three gold, rampant lions on a velvet field). Though the on the west wall. The crates are situated such that the norkers can put
front looks excellent, the shield is corroded on the hack and effec- them in and take them out unharmed by the mold.
tively useless for battle purposes. Beneath a section of the mold on the floor is the frozen body of a
If Kargh (see area 5) is alive and allied with the heroes, he shows careless norker. It has at its side a small pouch with 3 pp, 1 gp, 14 sp,
them the secret door on the southeast wall before he leaves. Under no and five agates (worth 10 g p apiece).
circumstances does he willingly enter the lower level, although he Brawn mold (1patch): AC 9; MV 0;HD n/a; THACO n/a; #AT 0;
can be charmed. After showing the PCs the secret door, Kargh leaves Dmg n/a; SA freezing for 4-32 h p damage if being approaches within
the lair (seeing little hope for the tribe) and seeks his fortune else- 5 feet; SD immune to magic save disintegrate, plant-affecting, and
w h e r e f o r the cause of evil, of course. cold-based spells; SZ S; ML n/a; INT non (0); AL nil; XP 15.
The secret door looks simply like two vertical cracks in the stone.
with a small, thick wire protruding from the wall by the southem- 11. Sub-chief’s Chamber. “his is the private room of the sub-chief,
most crack. In actuality, there are also cracks at the top and bottom of Krekal, third in command of the trihe. While the chieftain plans at-
the wall (where they are virtually invisible against intersections of tacks and is in charge of just about everything in general, the suh-

6
chief holds the real power in tlie lair: he has the keys to the second- Rot grubs (14): AC 9; MV 1; HD 1 hp; T H A W 20; #AT 0; Dmg nil;
ary food storage (area 13) and the wine cellar (area 14), as well as SA burrowing kills victim in 1-3 turns (cure disease required to slay
the friendship and trust of many of the warriors. There has been a burrowing grubs); SZ T; ML n/a; INT non (0); AL nil; XP 15.
long power struggle-sometimes open and physical-between
Krekal and Hragtam, but the witch doctor has managed to keep 14. Wine Cellar. Filled with barrels, jugs, amphoras, and casks, this
them in an uneasy truce. The defeat at Nolivari has worsened the room is used for the storage of alcoholic beverages. There are 50 pints
relationship. of ale, 150 pints of beer, 15 pints of mead, and 42 pints of watered
Krekal, always wary for treachery from Hragtam, has a warrior wine. Most of the mom's contents were stolen from merchant cara-
posted at each door to his mom 24 hours a day. The two norkers (hp vans, hapless travelers, and an occasional farmhouse.
8,s) carry two hand axes each for duty at this post. They raise the
alarm throughout the lair (calling to other guards, leaders, and regu- 15. Common Room. Housed in this room are the surviving females,
lar norkers) if any non-norkers appear OT if anyone tries to enter by young, and elderly warriors of the tribe. There are four female nark-
farce. Each guard has a pouch with Id6 pp and 2d4 gp. e n (hp 5,4,4,3) armed with crude hammers (Dmg ld4+1), 10 non-
When the characters enter, the sub-chief is sleeping. He is off his combative children (hp 1 each), and three "retired norker warriors
bed and ready to fight one round after an alarm has sounded, though (hp 5,4,3).
he lases initiative if immediately engaged in melee. Krekal is quite Yokma, the chieftain's mate, is also present. She wears the follow-
strong and agile, and he wields a footman's mace. He also keeps a ing jewelry: two earrings (gold, set with tiger eye gems) worth 11 gp
throwing axe at his side, which he u ~ e ifs an opportunity presents it- each, a foxskin sash (dyed red) ayound her waist (worth 25 gp), a
self. On his left arm he wears an ivory band (worth 15 gp), and he lapis lazuli bracelet on her left arm (worth 21 gp), two gold bracelets
wears a gold neck torc with a zircon gem on each end (worth 114 g p with platinum inlays (worth 15 g p each) on her right arm, and a large
total). Hanging from his belt are two small pouches. One is stuffed pouch at her side. The pouch contains the following items: 3 pp, 5 gp,
with poison ivy leaves, and the other has 7 pp, 3 gp, 5 ep, five garlic 15 sp, 35 cp, two small cat teeth, an ounce of pepper in a rolled-up
buds, a blue quartz (worth 10 gp), two human teeth, a dart, and a 2 wad of leaves (worth 1gp), six sling bullets, a red-brown spinel
splinter of obsidian (worth 3 gp). (worth 100 gp), and three marble-sized balls of hardened day. She
The sub-chief's crude bed is by the south wall, consisting of a wields a club in battle and also has a sling for situations when missile
wooden frame supporting several boards, upon which is a matted- fire is necessary
down pile of straw. Lost in the straw is a small, violet garnet (worth Distributed among the others are 17 ep, 96 sp, 214 cp,and Id10
250 gp); there is a 15% chance of finding it per turn of searching. (Roll banded agates (worth 10 g p each). The floor is covered with many
separately for each character searching.) Beneath the bed Krekal worthless animal pelts for comfort.
stores a small variety of weapons: a sling with 19 bullets, a horse-
man's flail, a club, a hand axe, and five darts.
Hung by nails a n the north wall, directly opposite Krekal's bed, is
a plush, C x 12' multicolored woven rug worth 160 gp. It is very
bulky, weighing 50 Ibs.
Krekal (norker sub-chief): AC 2; MV 9; HD 2+3; hp 15; THACO 17;
#AT 1 or 2; Dmg by weapon type (hurled) or 1-3/by weapon type;
SA 17 Strength (+I to attack rolls, +I to damage); SD 15 Dexterity (-1
bonus to AC); SZ S; ML 16; lNT average (9); AL CE; XP 120; foot-
man's mace, throwing axe.

12.Guard Post. One norker (hp 9) stands at this point, placed on

watch to report any intruders to the chieftain (area ti), the sub-chief
(area ll),or the witch doctor (area 18)as the situation deems appropfi-
ate. Intruders r a ~ l come,
y so there is a 50% chance that the guard is
asleep when encountered, unless the PCs have made a lot of noise, in
which case the norker raises an alarm in the lair. He carries 2 pp, 12 gp,
7 ep, a sling with 12 bullets, and a large rhodochrosite (worth 16 gp).

13. Secondary Food Storage. This mom is lacked, and the only key is
in the sub-chief's possession. The lock can be picked by a thief with
normal chances of success, or the door can be opened using a knock
spell.
Inside the room are many crates and barrels filled with preserved
food such as dried meat, iron rations, caw meat soaking in salt water,
and so forth. There is enough to keep the norker tribe going through
the winter when food isn't as readily available on the surface.
One of the crates, separate from the rest in the southwest niche of
the mom, has rotting contents and containers. Burrowing around in
the rotted food are 14 rot grubs. The DM should use common sense
with regard to any rat grub attacks. W l e they certainly try to burrow
into a hand probing the garbage, they cannot jump onto a passer-by.
There is nothing else of value or interest in the room.
 YokNa (norker chieftain’s wife): AC 3; MV 9; HD 1+2; hp 10; prior warning symptoms save for a warm, flushed feeling through
THACO 19; #AT 1or 2; Dmg by weapon type or 1-3/14; SZ S; ML 11; one’s skin. The highest shelf has writing materials: five sheets of good
INT average (8);AL CE; XP 35. parchment, a blank 35-page vellum book, three unopened jars of ink,
and an opened jar of ink that has spilled over (and mined) some pa-
16. Warriors’ Room. This room contains all the norker warriors left pers with unintellighle writings.
after the battle, besides those on guard. Many are wounded and not In the center of the room is a bronze brazier (worth 10 g p ) with a
fully healed. ( M y current hit points are given.) block of incense burning in it. Scattered around are 37 more incense
Eight norkers (hp 7,6 (x2), 5 (x3),4,3) are present, of whom five blocks.
are awake and ready for combat. The others are ready for combat on Shum-Valka (norker witch doctor): AC 3; MV 9; W2/C3; hp 15;
the second round of any fight. The warriors have the following items THACO 20; #AT 2; Dmg 1-3/14; SZ S; ML 12; INT high (14);AL CE;
in total: 5 pp, 11 gp, 21 sp, 17 cp, three moonstones (worth 55 g p XP 175; bone club, oil flask.
each), two hematites (worth 10 gp each), and a silver neck-chain Wizard spells (2):1st-fed normalfires, shield.
(worn by the 7-hp norker) worth 3 gp. Priest spells (2/1): lst--cure light wounds, protectionfrom good;
2nd-resist fire.
17.Witch Doctor’s Guards. In this mom are two elite guards assigned
to protect the tribe’s witch doctor. The norkers (AC 2; hp 10 each; +I 19. Shrine of Maglubiyet. This chamber is a shrine to the deity
damage due to 16 Strenpth) use footman’s maces and carry small Maglubiyet, overlord of goblinkind. (He is worshiped by norkers as
wooden shields. They aliow no one into the witch doctor’s room. well as goblins and hobgoblins.) Directly opposite the entrance is an
These quarters are otherwise barren, and the norkers c q no treasure. altar on which monthly sacrifices (every new moon) are made. The
altar is carved from limestone and rudely sculpted with the forms of
18.Witch Doctor‘s Room. The witch doctor, Shum-Valka, is present fighting narkers. Leering over the altar as if studying the figures is a
when the party arrives and is ready to fight the PCs if he hears a bat- large, stone Statue of Maglubiyet, with rubies as eyes. On either side
tle with his guards in area 17.Before the PCs enter his room, S h m - of the altar is a dull gray iron brazier with smoking incense.
Valka casts resistfire and protection from good on himself. He then The ruby eyes on the statue can be removed with little difficulty.
grabs a flask of oil (see below). lights it, and prepares to hurl it at They are cursed, however; any being possessing one or both of them
anyone coming through the door (THACO 20). Anyone struck by the behaves as if in possession of a cursed berswking sword. If the gems are
flaming flask suffers 1-6 hp damage per round until the flames are merely handled, the handler becomes uneasy and has a disturbing
doused. He uses his other spells as needed. Shum-Valka also weam a urge to become violent for any trivial reason. Anyone who actually
medallion of ESP (30’ range) that has made him one of the most power- claims possession of a gemstone is driven to hoard the gem and at-
ful norkers in the tribe. The witch doctor is very intelligent and tack other living creature^ he perceives as thieves trying to steal it.
should he cleverly played. This effect persists until a ~emovecurse or limited wish spell is cast. The
This room is rather messy and cluttered, filled with all sorts of gems have an apparent value of 2,500 gp each, although any NPC of
things, useful and not. that Shum-Valka loves to fiddle with. His bed semi- or better intelligence who touches them and experiences the
rests against the west wall and is of good human make. Under the uneasiness refuses to purchase them. In a superstitious axea, word
bed is a small open crate filled with seven blocks of wood, each cut might get around, and the PCs could find trouble or banishment for
with strange symbols and runes. The blocks have worn, smooth sur- trying to sell “devil stones.”
faces from the touch of fingers for over a century; they form the tradi- There is a secret compartment in the hack of the altar. It holds 32
tional ”spellbook” of the witch doctor, having carved upon them the sticks of incense (two of which are incense of meditation) and 110 gp.
spells affect normal fires, dancing lights, shield, ventriloquism, audible
glamer, invisibility, and scare. There is one spell on each block. A read
magic reveals the blocks for what they are, though one must under-
Lower Level
stand the Norker tongue to translate the runes. The blocks are worth Most of this lwei has walls, ceilings, and floors glistening with con-
up to 400 g p to interested spellcasters in the area. densation. The moisture drips down to form rivulets of water on the
Covering the floor are three NgS of predominantly gray and green floors. Most of this level slants slightly toward area 20, allowing the
designs (#l-gray-and-grem checkered, thread-bare, 5’ x 12, worth rivulets to drain into the subterranean stxeam. The dampness imposes
10 gp; #Z--gray-and-black striped, thick and plush, 3’ x 6 , 1 4 gp a -50% penalty on climbing checks.
value; #%did green, thin and worn, 4x’ x 9 , worth 9 gp). Despite The ceiling height on this level is 9 feet, although it varies slightly
different sizes, each rug weighs 10 Ibs. Scattered on, under, and room to mom. There are no combat penalties for averagesized char-
around the rugs are 23 gp, 2 ep, 64 sp, 44 cp, several goblin and OIC acters wielding weapons of normal size.
teeth, some crumpled pieces of parchment with illegible scrawls,
some broken feather pens, and any other useless m a i l items that the 20. Underground Stream. This stream travels off to a surface lake 17
DM can think of. miles away; anyone trying to swim this distance must be able to
On the north wall are three shelves. The lowest shelf contains a breathe underwater for hours on end or else drowns within minutes
variety of herbs and plants, both fresh and dry; though most are of starting. Several white, blind fish flit about in the current.
harmless or possibly useful, there is also some poison ivy and deadly Lying on the river bed is what appears to he a golden staff of
nightshade. (The effects of handling or imbibing these substances is supreme beauty, encrusted with gems and inlaid with platinum. In
left to the DM.) The middle shelf contains 31 vials and flasks of vari- actuality, it is a permanent illusion hiding the corpse of a witch doctor
ous sizes with liquid contents of many colors and texture. Most are who opposed Arham, Grakhirt’s father (see area 27). There is nothing
worthless (colored water, syrup, or sap), hut some are of interest: two of value on the body.
vials of unholy water, one of holy water, a potion of sweet water, two
flasks of poison (Type I), and five of ail. Anyone who drinks the poi- 21.Garbage Room. The walls of this damp room are covered with
son must save vs. poison at -2 or succumb to the effects,with no harmless fungus, and the floor is strewn with assorted trash dis-

8
carded by Grakhirt, Arham, and the norkers who inhabited this level Arham brought the mudmen here years ago, and Grakhirt sees no
before them. need to have them removed.
The garbage is infested with rot gNhs. See area 13 for details. Mudmen (6): AC 10; MV 3; HD 2; hp 11,9,8,6,4,3; THACO 19;
Rot grubs (9): AC 9; MV 1;HD 1hp; THACO 20; #AT 0; Dmg nil; #AT 1; Dmg special; SA hurl mud (opponents treated as AC 10, modi-
SA burrowing kills victim in 1-3 turns (cure disease required to slay fied by Dexterity), suffocation; SD immune to poison, impenriaus to
burrowing grubs); SZ T; ML n/a; INT nan (0); AL nil; XP 15. mind-affecting spells; SZ S; ML special; INT non (0); AL N; XP 175.

22. Torture Chamber. This currently unused room is strewn with an as- 26. Magical Fountain. This narrow room has smooth walls, and its
sortment of tools for inflicting pain upon captives. On the south wall is only feature is a fountain in the middle. Water wells up from deep
a rack, and next to it is a large stone table with an awxttent of huge below, filling a rock outcropping that was canred into a circular tub.
whips draped over it. Three of the nine whips are real; the other six are The enchanted water> overflow, forming a small stream into the
actually the tentacles of a kampfult. The main body of the kampfult is chamber with the mudmen (area 25). The fountain has the magical
hidden under the table, looking like an extra leg. The kampfult, fully power to act as a crystal hall if a drop of any sort of blood is placed in
described in the GREYHAWP MoNsrRous COMPENDIUMB Appmdir (MC5), it and the desired location is envisioned by the individual so doing.
resembles a decayed stump with six knobby appendages and stands From h e w Grakhirt watched the battle at Nolivari and has even seen
roughly 4 tall. If the characters fail to see the kampfult, they suffer a -3 the characters traveling through the dungeon. There is a flask of fish
penalty to their surprise rolls, as the kampfult can lash out at multiple blood hanging from a rusty iron spike in the wall. The fountain is
targets. Once hit by an appendage, a victim is entwined until either the mildly evil, as it always attempts to portray scenes that incite trouble.
kampfult is slain or the victim frees himseli. (Those with 16 Strength or The cystal hall power does not work outside of the tub, and the wa-
greater free themselves in one round; others must make a Strength ters lose their radiance of magic if taken more than 30 feet from it.
check each round to break free.)Each appendage causes 1point of con- The fountain rests atop a natural spring, but the enchantments
striction damage per round and requires 2 hp to sever; these points are were placed by Arham. It took a great deal of work to make it, and it
not subtracted from the creature's hit point total. is a major reason why Grakhirt chose this dungeon as his hideout.
It was common custom far any treasure found on torture victims
to be given to the chieftain. However, there is a secret compartment 27. Burial Chamber. Before Grakhirt came, this room was used by the
in the floor (the loose stone covering it is held down by a leg of the norkers as a burial place for their witch doctors. Each of the seven
stone table) in which a dishonest torturer hid some loot for himself. It niches in the walls contains a stone sarcophagus and a norker witch
contains a rotted pouch (holding 7 pp, 4 gp, a moonstone worth 50 doctor's body, often with a small amount of treasure. From left to
gp, and a ring ofsustenance) and a knife (gold-inlaid blade and pom- right an the map, the contents are as follows:
mel; worth 45 p). Niche #1: The body is quite rotten, but adorning the skull is a simple
Kampfult: AC 4; MV 3; HD 2; hp 12; THACO 19; #AT 6; Dmg copper crown (worth 2 gp), and at its side is a rusty homeman's mace.
l/tentacle; SA -3 penalty to opponents'sur-
prise rolls, constrict for 1hp damage/round;
SZ S; ML 12; INT low (6); AL NE; XP 175.
LOWER LEVEL
23. Auxiliary Cell. This mom was used to hold
prisoners for the torture chamber or if the
upper-level cells were filled. A flind skeleton is
chained to the wall, as it has been since Arham
first took over the lower level. There is nothing
of value here.

24. Torturer's Room. This chamber was the res-

idence of the tribal information-gatherer and
"entertainment specialist." The room has been
abandoned since the lower-level takeover by
Arham and is now empty.

25. Enchanted Mud. This chamber is filled

with mud, kept from drying by a leak in the
magical fountain in area 26. Lying dormant in
the muck are six mudmen. The DM should
know this monster well before refereeing this
encounter. The mudmen arise one round after
someone enters the mud, and they attack on
the second round. Clever characters can cross
the room without incurring the mudmen's
wrath, although they cannot destroy the mon-
sters without magical weapons. When all other
beings are out of the pool, the mudmen sink
back below the surface.
 Niche #2: All contents are little more than dust; if sifted through, The volumes on the book case are mostly the journals of Arham
Id4 pp might he found. and Grakhirt, i m p a r h g all the information in the ”For the Dungeon
Niche # 3 During the lifetime of this witch doctor, the process of Master” section at the b e p n i n g of this module. Also included are
embalming was learned from human merchants. The norker body is details on the structure, operation, signals, passwords, and key mem-
wrapped in strips of linen and mummified but is not undead. On its hers and contacts of the lvirwylliw Assassins’ Guild. R o u g h the ma-
fingers are six rings of pure gold, each set with a different gem and terial is from eight years ago, much of the information is still valid.
worth 20 gp: the first, obsidian; the second, blue quartz; the third, eye These journals would be safest in the hands of Prince Corin (see
agate; the fourth, azurite; the fifth, turquoise; and the last, hematite. ”Concluding the Adventure” below). One of the volumes deals en-
Niche # 4 In this sarcophagus lies a witch doctor who was less tirely with the customs, culture, and nature d the norkers and other
than devout in his service to Maglubiyet. His transgressions were not humanoids of the region. In some of the books are maps showing the
too serious, so he was only cursed to be a ghoul rather than sen- locations of Arham’s other wilderness hideouts.
tenced to eternal torture. He has been promised a place in the armies Also on the shelves are Arham’s first- and second-level spell-
of Magluhiyet in the afterlife if he performs a quota of evil acts. He books. (Grakhirt hid the others, which he doesn’t know how to use
has been somewhat inhibited, though, by the sarcophagus, in which yet, in other hideouts.) The first-level spells are audible glamer, chro-
he has been trapped for over half a century. Anyone coming within matic orb, color spray, dancing lights, darkness, detect magic, detect illusion,
10 feet of the sarcophagus hears scratching, thumping, and howling hypnotism, phantasmal force, spook, ventriloquism, and wall offog. ‘lbe
noises within it. second-level spells are alter s e b blindness, blur, improved phantasmal
Ghoul: AC 6; MV 9; HD 2; hp 12; THACO 19; #AT 3; Dmg force, invisibility, magic mouth, mirror image, and whispering wind.
1-3/1-3/14; SAparalyration (lasts 5-8 rounds); MR immune to sleep Grakhirt (dual-classed human 3rd-level thief/4th-level illusion-
and charm spells; SZ M; ML 12; INT low (7);AL CE; XP 175. ist): AC 5; MV 12; T3/W4; hp 14; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon
Niche # 5 This body is poorly adorned and rotting; the only valu- type; S 13, D 18, C 12,116, W 15, Ch 17; SA backstab, rogue abilities,
able item placed with it is a silver dagger (worth 35 gp). spells; SD rogue abilities, spells; SZ M; ML 12; AL CE; XF 650; ring of
Niche # 6 At first glance, this embalmed, mummified body would protection + I , daxxer +I, key to secret door in area 7.
seem to be without treasure or valuables, but inside the norker’s Rogue abili&: PP 35%, OL 45%, FRT 20%, MS 40%, HS 35%, DN
mouth is a tourmaline worth 100 gp. 25%, CW 70%, RL 20%.
Niche #7 This sarcophagus is empty except for a couple of Spells (4/3): 1st-chromatic orb. color spray, darkness (reverse of
mildewy shrouds. It used to hold the body of a witch doctor who op- light), phantasmal force; 2nd-blur, inuisibility, mirror image.
posed Arham. Arham permitted the norker’s ceremonial burial to
gain the humanoids’ good will (the norkers did not know that A r h m
killed the witch doctor) before taking the entire lower level as his
Concluding the Adventure
own. He then moved the body (see area 20) and veiled it with an illu- If the DM is willing to do a little more work, and the players are
sion. shrewd enough (and play characters of a non-good alignment), an
There are sconces and torches on the walls, hut none are lit. In- arrangement might he made with the Assassins’ Guild of Ivirwylliw;
scribed on the lid of each sarcophagus is a short phrase, in Norker, the document made by Grakhirt has information potentially fatal to
such as “Gone to seme Maglubiyet” or “In the Land of Eternal War.” the Guild. It goes without saying that such a deal would be extremely
dangerous if not lucrative. The assassins don’t tNSt the characters
28. Meeting Room. This room is unadorned and unfurnished, save and would just as well have them out of the way along with the doc-
for a rectangular oak table and four chairs, one side with one and the ument.
other with three. Arham and Grakhirt would meet here with the For a long-term campaign scenario (maybe once the characters
norker leaders (usually the chieftain, suh-chief, and witch doctor). Each higher levels), the PCs might be hired by Prince Corin or the
There is nothing else in the room. Grand Duke of Ivirwylliw to eliminate the Guild. This would require
some work on the D M s part and would be very dangerous for the
29. Grakhirt’s Inner Sanctum. Grakhirt himself lives in this mom, player character-ven more than the previous adventuring possihil-
which is comparatively well furnished. There is a nice feather bed, an ity. Of course, the Grand Duke would look favorably on the PCs
oak desk, a hook case, and a dresser with a large mirror. should they successfully eliminate the Guild, rewarding them accord.
Grakhirt wears a red silk hmic with sable trimming (worth 160 ingly
gp), a brown leather belt with gold wire decorative stitching and a Even after the document is in safe hands, there are still oppor&-
gold-inlaid silver buckle (worth 55 g p total), and a mink cape (worth ties opened by the adventure. Perhaps the party could learn from
1,700 gp). Arham’s journalsthe location of other wilderness hideouts-most of
Grakhirt is well prepared. As the heroes have progressed through which have since become the home of monsters. R
the dungeon, Grakhirt has watched them in the magical fountain, pay-
ing c a ~ f uattention
l to the strengths and weaknesses of each charac-
ter. Before the party enters his room, he casts invisibility and blur upon
himself. He tries to backstah the character who Seems the most power-
ful (i.e., the one who has performed the best so far) and then uses
Trouble at Grog’s
other spells and his dagger as appropriate. If he is seriously hurt (re- ”Trouble at Grog’s” is an AD&Ds adventure designed for 1st-level
duced to 5 h p or fewer), he casts darkness and attempts to escape. characters with little previous experience. No evil characters are rec-
In the dresser are other clothes, mostly of average quality On the ommended for use in this module. Half-orcs and half-ogres might he
desk is an inkwell, a feather pen, and several pieces of parchment de- particularly welcome here, and racially-tolerant PCs would help the
tailing the norker forces, the Nolivarian forces, and the outcome of play of the adventure greatly. Detective work is necessary for success-
the recent battle in a ”play-by-play” style-with many angry notes fully resolving the problem confronting the townspeople, and a good
and remarks. mix of races and classes is advised.
 ity food as well. Others have attributed the rccent rash of mbberies,
A dventure Background
-
muggings, and ill-fortune to Grog and his friends. Most people keep
their opinions to themselves, both others, like Jim Aremsee, are all too
Dae;ger Rock has always been a quiet, peaceful town-that is, until quick to speak up against the newcomers.
rece‘ntlySix months ago, a half-ogre named Grog decided to settle A week after the party meets at Grog’s, a town council meeting is
doum here and build his now-famous Happy Half-Ogre Innand Tav- called at Bearclaw Keep to discuss the matter. Unless the party man-
em. Grog’s is known for its food, hospitality, and-above all-its ex- ages to discover those responsible for the rash of criminal activities
treniely low prices. Grog’s doesn’t discriminate in the least and has, (and gain conclusive evidence), Grog and his friends will be ordered
the1efore, become a meeting place for half-breeds, adventurers, and to leave Dagger Rock in two weeks’ time.
atht:I seedy sorts. Most of the important townspeople are detailed within this mod-
At first, most people in the town appreciated the new business ule, but the DM should fill out Dagger Rock with normal farmers and
and welcomed Grog and his friends with open arms. However, a re- families. None of the NPCs within have been assigned non-weapon
cenit crime wave has struck Dagger Rock, and there is growing con- proficiencies. If necessary, the DM may add details to the towns-
cerrI that Grog or the company he keeps is responsible. Many wild people, including these proficiencies.
mIriors are floating around town, and opposition to the newcomers is The DM should remember that the town is a living, breathing
becc3ming greater by the day. A town council meeting has been called community of very active beings. Townspeople can be found shop-
for one week after the party arrives, to decide the fate of Grog’s es- ping, visiting, playing, and patrolling during the day At night or
tab1ishment. on days of rest, there are very few people out and about in the
town except for guards, thieves, and the occasional couple out for a
F(3r the Dungeon Master stroll.
The DM can always use idle chatter (such as two women gossip-
It is ideal that the party meet for the first time one evening in Grog’s ing at the general storv) or outright accusations (such as the rantings
tavt?m.This is, of course, not completely necessary. In any event, the of Jim, the town drunk) to spread rumors and drop clues, should the
adv enturers should possess little or no experience, no magical items, party be having difficulty in solving the mystery (see “Rumors”).
and very little gold on hand. The party should contain at least one The town of Dagger Rock can easily be placed anywhere in the
thie for ranger, and lawfully-aligned characters should be allowed DMs campaign world. Towns like this are everywhere, even if
sonE latitude when dealing with espionage, breaking and entering, they’re not always large enough to warrant a dot on the map. Any
and so forth. If necessary, Sidon Bearclaw, the captain of the guards of river in a temperate zone can be substituted for the Silverfish River.
Dag;ger Rock (and Grog’s closest friend and former adventuring com-
P” ion), can give the party permission to ”investigate” in his name,
witlhin reason.
If the party contains a half-ogre or half-orc, the DM should adjust
real:tion rolls within the town of Dagger Rock accordingly. For exam-
ple, any interviews with Grog’s half-breed help should go much
smc,other, while any of the ”unfriendly to the newcomers” townspeo-
Ple become very difficult to deal with.
R e party may split up to seek employment in the town to gain
infcrmation and clues, and the DM should allow reasonable plans a
gooId chance of success. Remember: The object of the adventure is to
hav‘e funwhile achieving the mission’s goal. With luck, the party
mi@ ;ht catch the thieves and uncover the plot in only one game day, or
the:y might still be looking even as Grog has begun to pack his bags.
T h e! DM should feel free to add to the town, characters, and atmos-
PhC!re with his or her own creative touch.

D,agger
_ _ Rock
The:town of Dagger Rock boasts a growing population now in excess
of; !OO inhabitants. It owes its name to a shange rock formation, in the
mi<Idle of the Silverfish River on the northeastern edge of town,
which markedly resembles a very large stone dagger stabbed straight
intcI the heart of the stream. Most of the townspeople make their liv-
“g s by selling and bartering their g o d s and services to others in the
tomm. Some sell their crops (mostly grains) to the cities in the south.
Sornetimes, a small barge or ship stops at the docks, and the n e w
SPends their time and money at the local inn and tavern, but this is a
ran2 occurrence.
Dagger Rock‘s reputation as a peaceful. friendly town has now
COTne into question, primarily due to the current influx of half-brreds
an<1 wandering adventurers who have been attracted by Grog’s r e
cenltly opened inn and tavern. Some citizens enjoy the new faces and
nebY customers, and they appreciate Grog’s low prices and fine-qual-

11

-__ ~ ~ ___--
 Observant characters see Shod (area 2) touch a frightened horse,
The Truth after which the horse immediately calms. Any other wounded crea-
tures or people atlract Shod’s attention, and he casts C U E light wounds
Grog and his friends are, for the most part, innocent. Although some spells on one of them. Father Veri1 (area 20) arrives shortly and aids
of his customers might get a bit rowdy and are sometimes caught any others who have been wounded. Captain Bearclaw is also there,
picking pockets or performing other antisocial acts, the real person as is the staff of Grog’s. There is a noticeable lack of townspeople
behind the recent crime wave is Yuri Kineron, owner and proprietor helping to put out the blare.
of the Dagger Rock Tavern. Yuri had just begun to tighten his hold on If the PCs are staying elsewhere, they still hear the alarms and, if
the town (using muscle and scare tactics) when Grog and his en- they act quickly, can help put out the fire as above. Should the char-
tourage arrived. The almost instantaneous popularity of Grog’s tav- acters successfully aid in putting out the fire, Grog is extremely grate-
em began to hurt Kineron’s chances of gaining control of the town. It ful and offersthem free lodging for the week, even if they are not
wasn’t helping his business any, either. already staying at his establishment.
Since force against such a powerful adversary was definitely out Rangers (like Captain Bearclaw) or characters with the tracking
of the question, Kineron‘s only chance to rid himself of Grog was to proficiency cannot find suspicious tracks because they‘ve been ob-
get the town to throw him out. The plan to increase the amount of scured by water, mud, ashes, and the footprints of the rescuers. How-
crime in the town, leaving clues that implicated Grog and his patrons, ever, it is obvious that the fire was deliberately set.
was by virtue of its simplicity, perfect. In fact, the job is almost com-
plete, for soon the town will take a vote on whether or not to let Grog Day 2. If the party stayed at Grog’s the night before and aided in put-
stay If not for a group of those self-same wandering adventurers (i.e., ting out the fire, Grog greets the PCs when they first wake up and in-
the PCs), all hope for Grog might be lost. vites them to breakfast. After breakiast, he asks to speak to them in
private, inviting them into his room (area 1E). At this meeting, Grog
About Half-Ogres asks for help in finding out who is behind the harassment of his
friends and business. He feels that, as strangers in town, the PCs
Half-ogres are fully detailed in the MONSTROUS MANUAL'^ tome, as would not arouse undue suspicion by asking a lot of questions. He
well as the Complete Book of Humanoids. Tne DM should review this offers them a reward of 250 gp each (a hefty sum for 1st-level charac-
information before running the scenario or allowing a player to create ters, but he can afford it) if they find the guilty parties. Also, the char-
a half-ogre character. acters can keep anything found along the way, except for crucial
The half-ogres in this adventure, except for Shod (the stableman), evidence.
were raised by their ogre parent. All except Grog have standard, hu- If the PCs agree to help Grog, he tells them that Captain Bearclaw
manlike eyes. Their hair color is black. Grog has brown skin, while is his closest friend and can provide them with any help they might
Matilda’s is gray and Fist’s is black as coal. Shods skin is a strange, need. He also tells the party of the upcoming town council meeting
brownish-yellow resembling a horse’s hide. (on Day 7) and his fears that he and his friends will be kicked out of
Grog and his friends are tolerant of all races, and Grog himself has town. The party must find the culprits before then.
many different friends in just as many places. For the sake of the ad- If the party is not yet staying at Grog’s or did not aid in putting
venture, the DM should not harass elves, humans, dwarves, and so out the fire, Grog sends Mary (area 14)to their rooms with an invita-
forth in the tavern. A good joke here and there or a few arm-wrestling tion for the newcomers to have dinner at his tavern. At this dinner,
contests, however, can add to the atmosphere. The party should be Grog asks for their help as above.
warned not to antagonize the half-breeds, since this would jeopardize
their employment opportunities. Half-ogres and half-orcs are very Day 3. If the party has been asking too many questions, or if Grunt
conscious of their appearances, and a ”puny” human or elf would be and Brock have informed Yuri of their mission (see area lY),the two
well advised to avoid a direct confrontation unless powerful enough half-orcs sneak into one of the party’s rooms and attack. If the party
to back up his boastful words with action. is all in the adventurers’ room (area l Z ) , they still attack but quickly
retreat. Their purpose is to rough up the party a bit and scare them
Events into leaving Dagger Rock for good. The DM should count as real only
25%of the damage done by Grunt and Brock to any characters, since
This section deals with the events that transpire during the week of they are merely trying to knock the adventurers out, not kill them.
the characters’ investigation. If the adventure proceeds too slowly or If the PCs kill Grunt and Brock, they are unable to gain any useful
too quickly, the DM should modify the date or details of these occur- information about them; if either or bath are captured, the two reveal
rences. The DM is encouraged to add to the clues the party finds and that they were hired to attack the PCs to drive them off, and that they
expand upon many areas of the town should he or she feel so are responsible for setting the fire. They do not, under any circum-
inclined. stances, reveal who hired them. If a cham person spell is used, their
fear of Yuri’s reprisal is great enough to negate the spell’s effect on
Day 1. It is assumed that the party enters Dagger Rock just before them, For the sake of the adventure, the party should learn little more
dark, arriving from the southeast. If so, then Grog’s tavern (area 1)is from these two. Captain Bearclaw takes the two to jail (area 11) and
the first building encountered, and the adventure commences quickly allows the party to keep Grunt and Brocks possessions (including
If not, the party can spend the night at the Dagger Rock Tavern (area magical items) as a rrward for their capture.
19)or the Hearthfire Inn (area 13).
After retiring that night, the party is awakened by screams and Day 4. Nothing unusual happens today The DM may insert an w e -
alarms. If the PCs leave their rooms to investigate, they find that the lated event of his own to the events of this module.
stables (area 1G)are on fire. The fire is put out quickly, with little
damage done if the party helps. If not, there is sufficient manpower Day 5. Late this evening, after midnight, Grog’s secret wine cellar is
to save the stables. robbed of 10 of Grog’s finest bottles of wine. The crime is accom-

12

~- .
'YHALF-OGRE

View down into

1 square = 5'
Cellar
13
plished by Caela (area la), who uses the secret tunneis beiow the on Grog’s hehdi, reminding the townspeople that he is ”innocent
tavern (area 31) to enter through the secret door in the well (area 17). until proven guilty” and preaching tolerance of others. Of course,
She uses her thieving skills to climb the walls of the well and steal Yuri has also planted his own people, like Jim and the elves, to stir up
the bottles without making any noise. She then places the bottles in anti-foreigner sentiments while he himself remains impartial. The
the cellar of The Green Grape (area IS) to dispose of the evidence town council members are Captain Bearclaw, Yuri Kineron, Mayor
and divert suspicion. Only an inventory reveals that the number of Winston Jacob (chairman), Berik Andovan, and Logen Ironhand.
bottles in this cellar is not correct, so it i s unlikely that the owner, Unless the party chooses to present its evidence at this time and
Gretchen, will realize until too late that the stolen merchandise is in expose Yuri and his companions, Captain Bearclaw and Logen are
her possession. unable to sway Berik (the swing vote in this debate), and Grog is
Sidon Bearclaw asks the party to search Grog’s ceUar for clues. asked to leave town in two weeks or face arrest. If this occurs, Cap-
(DMs option: If the characters are having difficulty with the mission, tain Bearclaw loses any chance of becoming the new mayor of Dagger
a ranger should be able to find some muddy footprints near the well.) Rock and is forced out of office in only a few months.
If the party has already exposed the villains or does so during the
Day 6. Nothing unusual happens today. The DM may insert an event meeting, there are many cheers, and Dagger Rock is henceforth a safe
of his own. There is, however, lots of talk about the town meeting to- haven for all. The aging mayor dies within six months, and Captain
morrow (Day 7). Some townspeople are taking one side of the debate, Bearclaw is quickly elected to the position. Grog pays the party in
while some aw on the other. full, and all of the conspirators’ magical items and mundane posses-
sions become theirs. Yuri’s holdings go to improve the town, and the
Day 7. Today at noon, the entire town meets at Bearclaw Keep (area villains themselves (if still alive) are either incarcerated for several
14D) to discuss the recent crime wave and what to do about it. The years or immediately exiled.
majority of the townspeople want Grog and the half-breeds to leave
town immediately. They believe that his inn and tavern attract “the
wrong kind of people” to Dagger Rock. If Grunt and Brock were cap-
Rumors
tured or killed by the party, this adds more ammunition to the t o m - Many citizens of Dagger Rock harbor secrets in their pasts, as do
oeo~le’s
1 .
argument. as the two were obviouslv half-arcs and both
Y
properly-rolled characters and their real-life personalities, hut certain
stayed at Grog’s. rumors abound in the town about some things that might interest the
Captain Bearclaw stands up for his friend, and Father Veri1 speaks party. Some juicy bits that might be overheard are:
 1. "Matilda, the cook at Grog's, murders humans in the night and
serves them to the customers. That's how Grog keeps the prices so
low." (False)
2. "Shod used to be a horse until Grog made a bargain with an
evil wizard and had him hxned into a half-ogre." (False)
3. "The maid at Grog's is a thief. She w a s fired irom Yuri's tav-
girl carrying a tray She immediately leads you to a large table
ern for stealing from him." (False; she was fired, but for other near the stage. where a comely elven minstrel iiplaying music on
reasons.) a small,stringed instrument. Aftpr you are seated, the wailiess
4. "Captain Bearclaw i s in on the crime wave and i s protecting identifies herself as Mary and asks you if there's anything you'd
those responsible in exchange for a piece of the action." (False) like to drink or eat. (Thc DM should actually take down the
5. "There are many ghosts out by the graveyard. You can see them characters' orders in a realistic maniw, to add flavor to thr ad-
creeping about on moonlit nights." (False; there are no ghosts there, venture.) She tells you that there will bc a short wait fur the hod,
but the motions of Yuri's accomplices are taken as such.) as they arc very busy tonight, then quickly leaves.
6. "The Dagger Rock was driven into the river by a giant who was
so stupid that, when he saw his reflection in the river, he immediately
tried to kill it with his dagger." (False) Read or paraphrase the iollowing description once the characters
7. "There's great treasure buried near the Dagger Rock." (True) a= comfortable and have a chance to take in their surroundings.
8. "Grog eats little children as midnight snacks." (False)

The DM can think of many more rumors using the NPCs in the
adventure, but they should rarely be hue. Also, some rumors fit only fronted by a massive, %tali humanoid with long yellow fangs
protruding from his upper jaw. He stares down at you with great
certain NPCs. For example, children always tell the story about the
black eyes and empty white pupils. After an empty silence, he
giant, and Grog's friends would never say bad things about him or
suddenly breaks into a wide grin and bcgins to chuckle deeply.
his business. Be logical, but have some fun with the party, too. "Hcllo, hello," he says. "Sorry about the nasty look. I always
do that to my new customers, especially obvious adventurers like
Encounter Key yourselres. I am Grog, owner and proprietor of thii humble es-
tablishment. Plcase come in and enjoy yourselvei. You'll find my
The following encounter key applies to the map of Dagger Rock. Un- entertainment
2ntermnmenr good,guoo, my food
moa even better,
oeiier, and of ale ana
plenty or
a n a pienry and
less otherwise noted, all NPCs are 0-level with the followvlg statis- spirits for all."
tics: AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp ld6; THAC0 20; #AT 1; h g by At this, the hali-ngrr gesturcs toward a very attractive young
weapon type; roll 2d41-4 for ability scores; SZ M; ML 8; AL any good. girl carrying a tray Shc immrdiately leads you to a large table
near the stage, where a comely dven minstrel is playing music on
near
1. Grog's Happy Half-Ogre Inn and Tavern. The PCs will probably aismall.strineed instrument. After vou are seated. the wraitress
first approach Grog's from the southeast along the main road, just be-
fore nightiall. If they arrive from a different direction or at a different
time of day, make the necessary changes in the following description. acters' orders in a realistic manner, to add flavor to the adven-
ture.) She tells you that there will be a short w-ait for the fmd, as
they are very busy tonight, then quickly 1eaves.A large, wooden
Ahead to your right, you see a very large woodm building, stage is built against the east wall. A high elf dressed in brightly
only recently constructed. A large oaken sign hangs over the colored clothing shums her lute, singing in Common to the drool-
road. It reads, "Grog's Happy Half-Ogre In11 and Tavern,'' and a ing male patrons whistling at her. As you listen morc closely, you
smaller sign beneath it reads, "Half-Breeds Welcome." Someone begin to make out some of the lyrics above the din and realize
has tried very hard to carve the letters " U N before the word that the beautiful song she's singing is nctuaily a raunchy sea-
"Welcome" in the lower sign, but there are indications of a vigor- farer's work hme.
ous attempt to remove the additional letters. A pair of very large Turning to the north, you sce an immense fireplace, burning
oaken doors stand open. The smells of fine iood and cold ale waft bright red and casting flickering orangc shadows on thc walls.
over the road. The sounds of boisterous men and women carry Mounted over the fircplace, a giant-sized double-bladed axe
through the night air irom within. flanked by two equally gigantic shields rfflects the lanterns set
about the room in a cool blue light.
Taking up most of the western wall is the bar, ably handled by
Ground Floor only one man. He darts to and fro along its length, with some-
times as many as 12 drinks in his large arms and hands. In the
1A. Tavern Area. Upon entering the establishment for the first time, south portion of thc west wall, a pair o i swhging doors leads to
the party is met by the owner and proprietor, Grog himsex. the latchen. Two attractive waitresses, Mary a n d another older
woman, pass regularly among thc pawing cummcrs and their ta-
bles with amazing agility.
As you enter thmugh the large doors, you are suddenly con- Suddenly, a loud scream comes from high abovp. Gazing up-
fronted by 5 massive, Wall humanoid with long yellow fangs ward, you see a young man dangling by his feet from a railed
protruding from his upper jaw. He stares down at you with great balcony 12' above. The balcony runs the length of the second
black r y c and empty white pupils. After an empty silence, he Icvel, except for thc area ovcr the stage, which has a clear view of
suddenly breaks into a wide grin and beg:ns to chuckle deeply the r o d some 30 feet above floor level. Another half-ogrc, with
"Hello, hello," he says. "Sorry about the nasty look. I always skin as black as coal, pushes his way through the crowd ahow
do that to my new customers, especially obvious adrcnturers like and foTceiully grabs the young man's leg with one hand. Afler

15
 around doing all the little things that make the kitchen work. There is
more to Caela, however, than first meets the eye. She is actually an as-
sassin hired by Yuri to watch over the events at Grog’s. If all of Yuri‘s
plans fail, she is prepared to poison Grog and some of the patrons to
stop his business. She lives in a room above The Green Grape (area 18).
The kitchen contains two preparation tables, a large sink, two f i r e
places, a stove, a spice rack, and all of the standard items. All of the
pots and pans are oversized and capable of feeding many people si-
multaneously A door to the west opens into the living area, and a
door to the north leads to a small pantry. Two small bells are attached
to strings that run into the ceiling, against the western wall and south
of the door. They lead to the suites (areas 1X and 1Y)and ring only
when someone above wants room service. The waitresses, Mary and
~IIWUC~Iine generous neipings arc matcnea oniv by the exou1- Julia, are responsible for seeing that the food gets to the rooms as
soon as possible.
L There is a trap door under a round rug in the north portion of the
room. A short flight of wooden stairs leads down to the cellar (area
Any characters who did not order earlier can now change their 1J).The trap door is treated as a concealed door for detection PUT-
minds if they so desire. Nothing else of significance occurs during poses.
their meal. Without Grog’s or Matilda’s permission, only the staff of Gmg’s
If anyone inspects the axe on the northern wall, runes can be seen may enter the kitchen area.
on the handle. The runes are written in frost giant script and, if trans-
lated, reveal the weapon’s name: Frostbite. The shields mounted be- 1C.Matilda’s Room. This room contains a half-agre-size bed, a
side the axe have received numerous dents. The items here are Grog‘s dresser, a small nightstand, and many shelves lined with various
personal possessions, and if he is asked about them, he tells the curi- cookbooks. In a small, locked chest in her top dresser drawer, Matilda
ous party members a long story detailing his encounter with a “rude keeps 50 pp, a flawed emerald worth 500 gp, and a lock of Grog’s
and overconfident” group of frost giants. He subsequently ”relieved hair that she removed from his head one time while hitting him over
them of their burdens” and took the now-dented shields as memen- the head with a pot. She’s long had a crush on Grog--a confirmed
tos. Neither the axe nor the shields are magical-just very large. bachelor-but her bossy, dominating attitude keeps him far away
Any character who walks up to the bar has a 10% chance of realiz- Matilda wears the key to the chest around her neck at all times. The
ing that the bartender, %vim Ronard, is actually a half-arc. Ronard is rest of her treasure is kept in the bank,
one of the few capable of passing for human, and he is actually quite Matilda is an excellent cook and could have worked in some of
attractive (see area 3). He is married to the other waitress, a human the finest restaurants, but nobody in the human world would hire her
named Julia. because of her appearance, and no one in the nonhuman world had
Mary is the daughter of Sidon Bearclaw, the captain of the guards the taste to appreciate her culinary skills. Grog found her carrying
of Dagger Rock, and Grog is her godfather. She carefully drops these crates in a warehouse and immediately hired her to run the kitchen in
warnings into the conversation if m y young male patron (including his soon-tc-be-built inn. She is paid very well indeed (it is rumored
one of the PCs) makes undue advances. For moE on Mary and her that she earns more than the town’s bank manager) and is completely
father, see area 14. loyal to Grog and his business. She has no idea that Caela is a spy,
Fist, the half-ogre bouncer (see area ID), usually stands near the and she has no clues to give the party However, if asked, she does
main entrance doors. He is presently hiding near the stairs in the know where Caela lives (area 18).
southwest corner of the room, well out of sight. Matilda (1st-level half-ogre fighter): AC 9 (leather apron); MV 12;
When the characters have finished their meal, Mary brings their F1; hp 15; THACO 20 (base); #AT 2 (pot and pan); Dmg 2-5/2-5; S 17,
bill. The DM should charge the PCs only half the usual rates for all D 10, C 15, I 12, W 9, Ch 4 (8 to half-ogres); SZ L; ML 12; AL CN;
goods purchased. Grog then asks them if they have a place to stay for XP 65.
the night. Far the sake of the adventure, there should always be a few
rooms available for the party. Grog recommends the adventurers’ 1D.Fist’s Room. Fist, Grog’s tavern bouncer, lives here. This room is
mom (area 1Z) as safe and usually quiet. Again, the rates are only similar to Matilda’s room (area 1C). Fist was rescued fmm slavery
ane-half those charged by other taverns in the DMs campaign, and when Grog stumbled across a group of evil humans who were using
the service and quality are always superior. Fist to mine gold in the mountains. Grog and his friends killed the
If the characters have little or no money at this point in their ad- slavers, rescued the slaves, and took the gold for themselves. They
venturing careers, Grog has a special ”flop house” (area 11) for those gave each of the slaves a fair share of the gold and used the remain-
persons who are a little ”tight of pocket.” ing funds to farm what is now a thriving mining company Grog, see-
The party is, of course, under no obligation to spend the night at ing a half-breed in trouble and knowing talent when he saw it,
Grog’s, but the DM should politely encourage them to do so ”because offered Fist a great job with steady pay and fringe benefits (i.e., free
it is too late to go out and search for another inn.” food, lodging, etc.). Fist immediately accepted and has been Grog’s
most faithful henchman ever since.
1B. Kitchen. This is the large kitchen where a female half-ogre named Over his bed, Fist still keeps his slave chains to remind himself of
Maiilda, chief cook for Grog‘s, prepares the food. Her philosophy of his past and of his recent good fortune. A secret compartment under
”nothing fancy,just as long as it tastes good,” has earned her high his bed contains a small, locked chest containing 12 gold nuggets
praise from m y patrons who actually know something about what worth 100 gp each, and a potion of human control (for elves, half-
they’re eating. Her assistant, Caela, spends most of her time running elves, and humans)-just in case. The chest is trapped with a sleep-
misoned needle (sleep lasts 6d6 turns and affects even elves; saving and his wages high because most of his money is now safe in the
hrow made at 4)The . key to the chest is made by hitching together town bank. The interest from this bankroll and the great volume of
he two earrings he wears in a special way The earrings themselves business he does allow him to just break even He is not in business
ure not valuable. Fist spends most of his pay as soon as he gets it and to make money although he does try to pmmote honesty and makes
masts of a huge wardrobe. all of his customers pay one way or another
In combat and as a bouncer, Fist prefers to use his superior size The imn chest in the southwest corner of the room contains Grog‘s
md weight advantage to pummel all unarmored troublemakers. Fist clothing, mundane personal effects, and a bejeweled hair comb (worth
Years leather armor +I. He is proficient with the blackjack (which he 265 gp). The chest tucked under his desk contains three large pouches
ilways carries) and specialized with the battle axe. holding 150 pp, 150 gp,and ten 50-gp gems respectively
Fist (3rd-level half-ogre fighter): AC 7; MV 12; F3; hp 44;THACO Grog is specialized with the bastard sword (which he is capable of
~8(base); #AT 1or 3/2 (with axe); Dmg by weapon type; S 18/67, D wielding in one hand while inflicting two-handed damage) and is
.O, C 17,18, W 11, Ch 7 (14 to half-ogres); SZ L; ML 17; AL LN; XP also proficient in the blackjack and spear. He has been known to wear
75; leather armor +I, blackjack, battle axe (in quarters), iron earrings chain mail under thhe brown leather tunic that reveals his very broad
key to locked chest; see above). biceps. He always uses a large shield when fighting, but there should
be no need for Grog to wield a weapon in this adventure.
IE.Grog’s Room. Behind the large, locked, iron-bound door lies Grog (6th-level half-ogre fighter): AC 1(4 without shield); MV 9;
h g ’ s private living chambers. Plushly decorated, this is obviously F6; hp 76; THACO 15 (base); #AT 1of 3/2 (bastard sword); Dmg by
he dwelling of a wealthy man. A gigantic, 15’ x 1 0 bed covered in weapon type; S 18/00, D 9, C 17, I l l , W 8, Ch 8 (16 to half-ogres);
wlar bear fur blankets fills the northern end of the room. Straight SZ L; ML 17; XP 975; chain mail +I, shield +2, bastard sword +I, ring of
(head. a large, screened-in fireplace heats the chamber nicely. Two warmth.
winter wolf hides lie side by side in front of the fireplace, their open
aws facing the door. Another iron-clad door is to the northwest, and IF. Outhouse. This is a standard outhouse in all respects, except that
in impressive, solid iron chest occupies most of the southwest corner everything inside is always kept very neat and clean. There is nothing
if the room. An oddly-shaped, oaken desk fills the southeast corner, of any real value in here.
rarious letters and papers scattered about its surface. A very large
:hest is neatly tucked under the desk. 1G. Stables. This building contains 16 stalls. The best stalls are near-
Grog always keeps the keys to his rwm, and to the rest of the tav- est the western entrance. The first two stalls are used to store some
:rn, in the heel of his left boot. The western door is barred and locked minor tack gear, while the rest of the supplies are stored in area 1H.
rom the inside. It is therefore unlikely that the party has somehow The chief stableman, Shod (see area Z),is a mute. Although ex-
m k e n in here. It is more likely that Grog has just invited the party tremely kind to the animals in his charge, he’s not particularly fond
nto his room to ask for their help. (See “Events” for details.) of humans or even humanoids. The only real exceptions to this policy
Any character who examines the outer door closely notices a long are Grog and the two stableboys, Raven Bearclaw (area 14) and Logen
atring with a 2”-diameter loop in the end of it tied to the door bar. Ironhand, Jr. (area 12). Raven is the son of Captain Bearclaw, and
\iter the rash of trouble began, Grog began tying this string from thhe young Logen is the son of the town blacksmith. Both boys work here
ioor to his toe, just in case anyone managed to come through the part-time, making good money and saving it up for a rainy day One
loor while he was sleeping. or bath can usually be found here in the afternoon and early evening.
Grog was born in the arctic wastes of the north, in the Valley of All horses stabled at Grog’s are fed, walked, washed, and brushed
k s t , to a human mother and an ogre father. His father was a lieu- at no charge.
‘enant in the clan, his mother a slave. Raised by his father in the
,Fish graces, he left home to find a better way and make some 1H.Tack Room. A large pile of hay usually hinders entry to this
noney on the side. He adventured for many years, doing different room. The room is always locked when Shod is not present, and only
hings. One of his companions included a ranger named Sidon he possesses the key It contains piles of feed, blankets, and assorted
3earclaw, currently Dagger Rack’s captain of the guard. Sidon had a horse gear. There are even two spare saddles for emergencies, and
hange of heart and decided to work for good and order in the world, Shod will sell some of the gear to friendly characters for half the
md leave the chaotic roaming to his friends. usual rates (see Player’s Handbook). There is nothing else of value here.
Grog’s one dream was to settle down to the quiet life, a wealthy
ialf-ogre with some good friends. After proving that he was better 11. Flophouse. This huge mom’s floor is carpeted with huge mat-
han the ogres in his father’s clan, he set about to amass his fortune tresses covered over by a thin layer of straw. This is the flophouse, a
io that he could eventually build his very own tavern. One day, luck famous institution at Grog’s, where all manner of drunks, miscreants,
vas with Grog. His party decided to take a ”permanent loan” from a and those who are just too poor to sleep elsewhere often spend their
own bank and stumbled onto a small fortune of gems and coins. nights. The straw is changed daily and the mattresses are checked
While the rest of the party members used up most of their weight al- weekly for bugs. Any intoxicated person at Grog‘s is likely to wake
owances carrying gold and platinum pieces, Grog’s superior strength up in here. Although valuables are not guaranteed, very few thieves
md size allowed him a greater share of the loot. His impressive bear- are bold enough to steal from any patron under Grog’s roof.
ng and quick thinking also provided him with the majority of the
iank’s gems and jewelry Most of the characters left with only around lJ,Cellar. Asmall flight of wooden steps leads down from the trap
!,000 gp; Grog cleaned up with more than 10 times that amount. door in area 18 to the main food storage cellar. Heie, most of the
His dreams realized, Grog retired to a life of luxury and thought kitchen’s supplies are stored until needed. It is considerably cooler
ibout finally settling down. He vaguely remembered the town of down here than in the rest of the tavern.
3agger Rack, where his old friend the ranger now lived in peace. In the center of the room is a large stone well, approximately 30
4fter only a week in town, Grog purchased Some land and set about deep to the water below. All of the fresh water at the inn comes from
xdding “the world’s greatest inn and tavern.” Grog‘s prices are low here. The walls of the well are slightly slippery, imposing a -25%

17
penalty to all climbing checks. It is impossible for a character to DM should feel free to use her. In any case, she won't attempt to steal
"belly flop" into the well. anything from the party members, as they are obviously friends of
Unknown to anyone at Grog's, a secret door exists deep down in Grog, and "he needs all the friends he can get." Salae knows nothing
the wall of this well. It can he detected only by a character within the about who's behind the recent crime wave, but the DM might use her
well, about 20 feet below the floor (I0 feet above water level). From to spread any rumors necessary, should the party have difficulty with
this position, it is relatively easy to spot the loose stones that outline the investigation.
the door (1-2 chance on a d 6 , 1 4 chance on a d6 for dwarves and Salae Silvermoon (2nd-level high elf thiefl: AC 10; MV 12; T2; hp
elves). This door enters the tunnel system made by Yuri and his co- 10; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon we; S 9, D 14, C 13, I 16, W
horts (area 311). The tunnel entrance is only large enough for single- 12, Ch 17; SA backstab; SD rogue abilities; 90"h resistant to sleep and
file crawling by creatures no larger than man-size. charm spells; SZ M; ML 11; AL CN; XP 35; cloak of eluenkind, two
The party is not likely to visit here until after the robbery (see thrnwinc daeeers. short sword.
~ "Y

"Events"), as the cellar is usually off-limitsto all by employees of Rogue abilities: PP 45%, OL E%,FRT 15%, MS 45%, HS 40%, DN
Grog's. However, after the theft of the wines from area l K , Grog is more 2070, CW 80%, RL 0%.
than happy to let the party search the area with Captain Bearclaw.
IU-IW. Double Rooms. The double rooms each contain two beds,
1K.Fine Wine Cellar. The secret door from the main food cellar leads two large wooden chests with no locks, a large table, and a night-
into Grog's private fine food and wine storage room. The best of stand with pitcher and howl. Only one of these moms is regularly oc-
Grog's vintages and supplies are kept here, and only Grog, Matilda, cupied during the week of the adventure. Room 1U is occupied by
and Fist are supposed to know of this mom's existence. Unknown to two half-orcs who have been planted by Yun to watch the tavern and
any of them, Caela discovered it during one of her frequent searches any newcomers.
of the tavern. If any party members stay in area 1Y or 12,Grunt uses his ability to
The DM should decide which of the campaign world's finest vin- detect noises to determine what, if anything, the characters are up to.
tages are in Grog's possession as well as their approximate values. The DM should make a new roll for every important hit of information
See the "Events" section and area 1J for details concernha the spoken aloud. Grunt is a thief, after all, and subject to the same mis-
robbery to he perpetrated here. takes as the PCs. If Brock and Grunt suspect anything, they immedi-
ately inform Yuri. See the "Events" section for possible repercussions.
Upper Level Grunt and Brock are posing as horse traders interested in purchas-
ing strong horses from nearby farms. Any subtle questioning by a
IL-1M. Linen Closets. These are nothing more that large linen clos- knowledgeable character has a 75%chance of revealing that neither
ets. They are always searched at night before closing, for possible un- knows the least hit about horses. Each of the half-ora should be al-
welcome guests. Other than extra sheets and pillows, there is nothing lowed an Intelligence check to determine whether he reaiizes that
of any value in either closet. The pieces that can he assembled into he's blown their cover. If the half-orc rolls above his Intelligence
extra tables and beds can also be found in these roams. score, the characters in question have successfully avoided suspicion,
for now.
1N. Balcony. An open balcony runs along all but the eastern wall. Both Grunt and Brock can usually he found in the tavern common
From here, almost all of the lower common mom (area 1A) can be room (area 1A) during the evening hours. They don't use any of the
seen, including the stage. The balcony is surrounded by a 3-high rail- secret tunnels to reach Yuri's secret chambers (see area 19). as their
ing that has a 1' ledge near the top of the h e r rail for drinks and so "regular business" allows them relative freedom of movement with-
forth. The railing is very sturdy, and it is virtually impossible to reach out athacting suspicion.
the lanterns (which are normally lit and suspended from the ceiling Grunt (1st-level half-orc thiefl: AC 8; MV 12; TI; hp 7; "HAC0 20;
with long, thin chains) from here. Grog and Fist always keep a watch #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type; S 13, D 14, C 15,19, W 10, Ch 12; SA
on the goings on here. No drink or food service is provided for those backstab; SD rogue abilities; SZ M; ML 9; AL CE; XI' 35; leather
on the balcony, but on special nights, chairs and tables are placed armor, dafxer +I, thieves' tools.
here for additional customers. Rogue abilities: PP 25%, OL 20%, FRT 15%, MS 20%, HS 20%, DN
25%, CW 60%, RL -5%.
10-1T. Single Rooms. These single moms contain one normal bed, a Brock (1st-levelhalf-orc fighter): AC 5; MV 9; F1; hp 11;THAC0
small nightstand with a filled pitcher of water, and a small wash 20; #AT 3 / 2 ; Dmg by weapon type; S 17, D 10, C 17,17, W 11, Ch 9;
basin. A small chest with no lock is provided for temporary storage of SA +2 to attack, +3 damage (Strength and specialization bonuses);SZ
personal belongings. M; ML 10; AL CE; XP 35; chain mail, long sword (specialized).
Currently, only one of these moms is occupied on a regular basis.
Room 10 is the current lodging place of the minstrel and is usually IX-1Y. Suites. These rooms each contain one 1V x 1U bed, an oaken
reserved for Grog's single entertainers. armoire, a large iron chest with lock and key, and a wooden table
Salae the high elf is very attractive and rather yomg. She's defi- with a water pitcher and bowl. These two rooms are the only ones for
nitely a flirt but plays stupid to get close enough to pick the pockets which all-hours room service is provided. If anything is required, a
of the obnoxious men who chase her. She travels under the guise of a small bell chord can be pulled. At night, Matilda provides the service,
minstrel to allay suspicion, make a little money on the side, and add while Mary and Julia split responsibilities during the early evenings.
a little excitement into her life. She's actually quite good with the lute Upon the party's arrival, only area 1Y is occupied.
and the flute, and not bad with a throwing dagger, either. She always "Father" Ikid is a con artist. He carries with him three blue vials
wears her cloak of elvexkind and never hesitates to use it should things that he tries to pass off as potions of healing. They are actually just
get sticky, Believing deeply that all creatures deserve to choose their colored alcohol. Selling them for only 50 gp each to his "friends," he's
own paths to follow in life, she is currently on Grog's side in the made quite a killing recently. Should anyone question the authentic-
nasty turn of events. Should the party he in dire need of a thief, the ity of his goods, he gives the doubter a money-hack guarantee in

18
,

vhich he agrees to refund the purchaser’s 50 g p if the potion does friends of Grog and have worked hard to raise the money to begin
cot heal any wound. He only gives this guarantee to already injured building their new house. Very worried about the recent turn of
dventurers, casting his cure light wounds spell on the purchaser after events, they help in any way possible. Both can always be found at
ielping him wipe his chin of the remaining potion. Ilrid then accepts the tavern in the evenings. They are usually together at home in the
srders for more potions (he carries only three with him) at 10 g p daytime, sleeping or working on the house.
,ach,with a two-day wait per potion to be manufactured. After re- Sevim Ronard (half-orc bartender): AC 6; MV 12; 0-level; hp 6;
eiving his fees, he promptly leaves t a m . llrid never reveals that he THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 16, D 16, C 13,114, W 12,
3 a cleric or what his last name is. The DM can, at his option, treat Ch 16; SZ M ; ML 10; AL CG; leather armor.
[ r i d s elixirs as potions of delusion. Julia Ronard (human waitress): AC 7; MV 12; 0-level; h p 4;
Ilrid Sidewinder (2nd-level human cleric): AC 5; MV 9; C2; h p 14; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmgby weapon type; S 12, D 17, C 13, I 14, W 12,
HAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 14, D 12, C 15, I 12, W 16, Ch 16; SZ M; ML 9; AL CG.
:h 17; SZ M; ML 11;AL CN; XP 65; bides a footman’s mace and chain
nail beneath his robes. 4. Empty House. This house was built by a man who disappeared
Spells (4): Ist--command, cure righi wounds, light, sanctuary. about two years ago. No one has the title, and the bank is now in the
process of trying to sell it.
2. Adventurers’ Suite. This is Grog’s famous adventurers’ room. It
ontake four beds (usually bunked for eight sleeping spaces), no 5. Mill. This small mill is run by a middle-aged man named Silas
hests (as adventurers are notorious for not leaving their valuables in whose major complaint these days is that someone is stealing his
heir rooms), and one large round table for conferences (and casting a grain. The truth of the matter is that a group of giant rats are eating
nass defect magic spell an recovered beasure).There’s even a large fire- the grain in his silo through a hole in the floor (see secret tunnels,
,lace shaft that indirectly heats the r w m whenever Grog is cold below. area 311).
:rag is also rumored to often visit those p u p s who stay here. No
ither adventuring p u p s arrive during the week of this adventure. 6.Hidden House. Secluded deep in the woods is the home of Tristan
Runilar, a half-elf bowyer and fletcher. Tristan fought many wars
:.Shod‘s Cottage. Grog’s chief stableman, Shod, lives in this against o m , ogres, and other evil humanoids and still has a deep ha-
mall, unadorned cottage with a view of the stables. Shod is a mute tred of them. He hides away undisturbed in his elven retreat. Upset
ialf-ogre who, after being abandoned as unfit by his ogre tribe, by the proximity of Grog’s and its customers, he guards his home
vas rescued and raised by a young female druid. The druid soon every night and shoots anyone who tries to enter without permission.
ealized that, although unable to speak, Shod had a unique em- He often pulls his punches, inflicting only 25% real damage and 75%
iathic ability to communicate with animals (not monsters). After s t u h g damage.
nany years, Shod even learned how to cast a few spells, without Tristan’s famed craftsmanship was learned from his mother, a
he need for prayer or spell components, much the same way some wood elf. It is rumored that, if given enough time and money, he can
nonsters do. actually fashion magical bows and arrows. In the ceiling of his work-
Grog offered Shod a safe place to live where he could accomplish shop there‘s a secret compartment that contains 100 pp and six dia-
omething and, best of all, constantly work with animals, especially monds worth 500 g p each.
iorses. Shod agreed and has proven to be one of the best animal Captain Bearclaw, although not the best of friends with Tristan,
miners around. can always count on him in times of trouble. The party can always
Shod has dull yellow-brawn skin, similar to the horses he cares find him at home, but he avoids helping others (unless there’s a
or. Unknown to Grog, he puts much of his salary back into special wood elf in the party) and knows nothing about the crime wave.
ood for the horses and gives it to the stableboys as bonuses and gifts. Tristan Runilar (3rd-level half-elf ranger): AC 6; MV 12; R3;hp 22;
he stablebays have a deep respect for Shod and would fight to the THAC0 18; #AT 1or 2; Dmg by weapon type; S 15, D 18, C 15, I 14, W
Leath to protect the kind half-ogre. Shod communicatees with his eyes 14, Ch 12; SA specialized with long bow (+1 to hit, +2 damage); SD
md hands, and he can perform limited reading and writing where hide in shadows 20%. move silently 275b; 30% resistant to sleep and
iecessq. The DM should play Shod without speaking, except when charm spells; SZ M; ML 13; AL NG; long bow +I, six rheaf arrows +I,
iecessary for clarification. He is most often found in the stables with long sword.
he horses.
Shod (1st-level half-ogre ”cleric”): AC 10; MV 12; C1; hp 16; 7. Maid‘s House. Ezmerelda Fipps, the old woman who works as a
HAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S IS, D 10, C 16,17, W 13, maid at Grog’s, lives in this small house. There are m o r s that
:h 4 (8 to half-ogres); SA has the punching and wrestling proficien- Ezmerelda was fired from her former job at Yuri’s tavern for stealing.
‘ies;SZ L; ML 12; AL N; XP 35. Actually, she was framed by Yuri so that he could bring his own
Spells (2): Ist--cure light wounds, remove fear. people into the tavern. Grog believes her story and has not had any
trouble from her. She keeps 100 g p in an account at the bank and has
I. Home of the Ronards. An attractive young couple lives here in very few other possessions. During the day, she can usually be found
heir newly built wood-frame home with a view of the river. Sevim working at Grog’s; in the evening, she knits at home.
utd Julia Ronard both work at Grog’s and have recently built this
louse with gold that they’ve saved over the past six months. %vim is 8. Farm. A farmer named Elmo Bristlewick just moved here and has
ictually a very rare example of a half-orc who is capable of passing begun to plow his fields. If the PCs arrive here during daylight
or human. hours, they find Elmo in big trouble. He is LUMing from a wave in
Swim and Julia have been married far just nine months and used the grass that appears to be following him,and he’s screaming for
o work at the Dagger Rock Tavern, before Grog arrived and offered help and definitely terrified of whatever it is that’s attacking him. If
hem better pay and no prejudice. They bear no enmity to Yuri but the characters help poor Elmo, they are quickly attacked by a wild
iaven’t really spoken with him far many months. They are very good boar. The pig is very dangerous and not stupid. Because the grass is

19
 proficiency should be capable of locating the
chest's hiding place.) Jim carries the key to the
GUARD STATION AND JAIL chest around his neck. Although the chest is
locked, it is not trapped.
Jim Aremsee (3rd-level human thief): AC 7;
MV 12; T3; hp 13; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg by
weapon type; S 12, D 17, C 14, I 14, W 12, Ch
15; SZ M; ML 9; AL CN; X P 65; thieves' tools,
dagger, key to chest (see above).
Rogue abilities: PP 50%, OL 35%, FRT 20%,
MS 35%, HS 30%, DN 55%, CW 70%, RL 0%.

10. Schoolhouse. "his small building is a single

room containing 10 small desks and chairs,
with one larger desk and chair at the front.
Every day, for three to four hours, Cristina An-
dovan (see area 16) teaches reading and writing
to children and adults, free of charge. (Her fam-
ily foots the bill.)

11. Guard Station and Jail. This stone guard

station was built under the direction of Captain
Bearclaw to provide a strong holding place for
those persons accused of crimes. All the SUI-
rounding towns use this jail to detain prisoners
until the" can be transferred to a maior citv for
I ,

trial. There is much controversy surrounding

the building, as many townspeople think it is a
waste of space and money, and they would
rather not have criminals kept within their
town borders. Currently, the jail is permanently
high, any missile weapons used to attack an essentially invisible tar- manned by the town's third full-time law enforcement officer, Leif
get suffer a 4 penalty to hit until the boar enters melee range. If the Delerin (see area 11C).All three o f f i c e r A a p t a i n Sidon Bearclaw,
characters reduce the boat to 5 hp or fewer, it pretends to run away Raymond Ironhand, and Leif-have keys to everything inside the jail.
into the field but circles around to attack the party from behind in All doors are locked and barred from the inside at night.
1-4 rounds.
Once the beast has been vanquished, Elmo thanks the PCs for 11A.Check Station. All visitors to the building must stop here and
their help and invites them in for a pig roast. After dinner, Elmo gives sign in. If the visitors have a good reason to be admitted, Leif (or
the party his only valuable possession, a rough iron dagger with a Sidon or Raymond) unlocks the south door and escorts them inside.
flawed 20-gp diamond imbedded in the hilt, He tells the party that he
found it in the field beside some long-buried bones when he was l l B . Records and Property Roam. This area is devoted to record and
plowing. The dagger is the special key to the treasure room of Dagger storage of prisoner property A cabinet is filled with documents, while
Rock (see area 30). If anyone in the party remarks on the resemblance, three chests are empty, awaiting prisoners' belongings.
Elmo agrees that the dagger does resemble the rock formation for
which the town was named. 11C. Leif's Roam. Leif is relatively new in town, arriving only four
Wild boar: AC 7; MV 15; HD 3+3; hp 19; THACO 17; #AT 1;h g months ago, and is currently living in this spare mom. It is sparsely
3-12; SD continues to attack until reduced to -7 ho; SZ M; ML 12; AL furnished, but quiet and free.
N; XP 175 Leif always thought he wanted to be an adventurer, but after a
few near-fatal experiences that ended up to be not worth the trouble,
9.Jim's House. Jim Aremsee pretends to be the town drunk but is ac- he decided to make a respectable living for a while, doing some good
tually Yuri's chief source of information. He often buys drinks for deeds where it really counted. He doesn't particularly like what he's
others and pumps them for information, or he just eavesdrops on heard about Grog or the company he keeps but has yet to actually
conversations by "collapsing" outside householder's windows late at meet the half-ogre. Knowing nothing about the recent crime wave, he
night. Before the elves (area 19) arrived, Jim was Yuri's chief thief, but spends most of his time in the jail. He reads a lot, and many books
now he has the sole task of spreading rumors to stir up trouble. can be found in a chest under his bed. Any payment he receives is
Jim usually uses the graveyard (area 20) when he has to meet with immediately deposited at the bank.
Yuri. His favorite ploy is to pretend to pass out in town and have one Leif Delerin (2nd-level human fighter): AC 2; MV 9; F2; hp 18;
of the town guards carry him home. He can then claim an alibi, with WAC0 19 (base); #AT 3/2; Dmg by weapon type; S 17, D 16, C 15, I
the guard as his witness, should he become suspect. Jim can be found 14, W 10, Ch 13; SA specialized with the short sword (elto hit, +2
anywhere in town at any time. damage); SZ M; ML 12; AL LG; chain mail, shield, short sword, long
His house is small and typical, but there's a secret chest with 176 bow (stored in room).
gp buried in his back yard. (A ranger or character with the tracking
I. This small kitchen was designed for preparing meais 16,113, W 9, Ch 12; SA specialized with the warhammer (+I to hit,
iers and snacks for the guards. t 2 damage); SZ M, MI. 13;AL LN; chain mail, iron warhammer +2.
Logen has descended from a long line of blacksmiths. He is capa-
6 Room. Asmall cache of weapons is stored here. (The ble of making any armor up to chain mail and can forge any non-
stockpile is currently stored at Bearclaw Keep, area 14.) magical weapon known in this world. Since Logen has only one
I long swords, three short swards, and three suits of apprentice, his son Tergen, and he i s the o d y blacksmith in town, it
chain mail. All were made by Logen Ironhand. often takes him quite a while to make anything an order. His quality
is well worth the wait, however. His attitude to the newcomers is
re are six cells in this m a . They are all standard and all neuaal at this time. Although Grog and his friends bring him a lot of
m e key None of the cells is currently occupied. new work, and he has never actually seen any of them commit any
wishes to make the adventure more difficult, a prisoner crimes, he’s very apprehensive about their effect on the town, which
!vi1 3rd-level fighter arrested far murder) can be incar- he wants to see remain as it always has been: quiet and peaceful. He
Then, on one of the uneventful days (see ”Events”), Yuri does not particularly approve of Lagen Jr.’sworking at the stables,
:ions for the elves (area 19) and Jim (area 9) to perpetrate but the money is good, and the stables are relatively safe. Logen can
M pretends to be d m k and, when brought to the jail to always be found hard at work at the forge, even into the late evening.
mpts to stab Leif in the back with a concealed dagger. In Gwen Ironhand (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3;
Nil1 have already unbarred the back door, allowing the THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 10, D 14, C 13, I 11, W 12,
the lock and enter unnoticed. Jim shouts in feigned Ch 13; SZ M; ML 8; AL LN.
to conceal their intrusion. The DM should determine Gwen grew up in Dagger Rock, and everyone always knew that
ul the criminals are and whether Leif manages to wound she and Logen would eventually marry They are quite happy to-
The imprisoned fighter is promised gold and his fw- gether, and she’s content to remain a housewife and take care of the
ees to help Yuri. He is given refuge in the secret tunnels ”kids.” They’re becoming more and more independent, however, and
can always be found there by the party. she’s beginning to look around for something else to do in her spare
time. Unknown to anyone, she has 20 pp stored away in a preserves
There are four heavy war horses and three light war jar in the cellar. She’s begun to take greater interest in Logen’s work
i here. The double doors are usually barred from the and spends much of her time at his side. She can usually be found in
the house, at the forge, or shopping in town.
Raymond Ironhand (1st-level human fighter): AC 2; MV 9; F1; hp
tom. An archway leads from the stables to a tack room 12; THACO 20; #AT 3/74 Dmg by weapon type;S 17, D 16, C 17, I l l ,
ddle blankets and other miscellaneous horse gear. W 10, Ch 14; SA specialized with long sword (+Ito hit, +2 damage);
SZ M; ML 13; AL LG; chain mail, shield, long sword.
th’s Shop and Home. This building serves as both the Although only 19 years old, Raymond is one of the three official
ome of the blacksmith, Logen Ironhand, and his family town guards. Along with Captain Bearclaw and k i f Delerin, he helps
the main road splits, with the west fork leading to the maintain order in the town. Raymond spends most of his time deal-
the house, and the east fork leading to a pair of double ing with domestic disputes, while Captain Bearclaw investigates the
en into the blacksmith’s forge area and storeroom for current crime wave and trouble at Grog’s. Raymond enjoys his work
d unfinished goods Logen is currently working on. Fin- but has begun to yearn for adventure, hearing tale after tale of
ire stored in a large, locked metal cabinet in the house’s wrongs to be righted and deeds to he done. The DM should consider
llar Raymond a paladin without the title or true abilities. He is purely
1 his wife, Gwen, are a middle-aged couple who have lawful good and completely incorruptible. He has a secret treasure
their lives. They have three sons-Raymond, Logen Jr., chest in the attic that contains two 100-gp diamonds and 20 pp. He
who are all very active in the town. plans to use this money to purchase a horse and supplies before he
oods are slightly better than average quality, but he sells leaves to adventure. He already owns a set of chain mail, a shield,
.age prices His stares are limited, however, and he cur- and a long sword. He can usually be found at various houses, settling
ly the following items for sale: arguments, or patrolling the streets. H e rarely visits Grog’s.
of human-sized chain mail Logen Ironhand, Jr. (0-level human): AC 7;MV 12; 0-level; h p 3;
s of human-sized ring mail THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon me;S 15, D 17, C 14, I 15, W 9,
ge shields Ch 12; SZ M; ML 12;AL LG.
of elf-sized scale mail Sixteen-year-oldLogen I . works part time at Grog’s as astable-
Iggers boy. His best friend is Shod (area Z), and he’ll almost always be found
tg swords at the stables with him. Although he’s a very bright lad and realizes
iort swords that blacksmithing is not for him, he’s yet to find anything else he’s
tard sword interested in enough to pursue a career, except perhaps for horses. He
)-handed sword oust completed) loves animals almost as much as Shad does and is one of the few
:en’s items bear his special insignia-two crossed ham- people who knows all of Shad‘s secret talents. As a gift, Logen is cur-
iron hand-stamped into an inconspicuous part of each rently teaching Shod how to read and write in Common.
01. Tergen Ironhand (0-level human): AC 9 (leather apron); MV 12; 0-
y treasure (200 pp and a 300xp emerald) is kept beneath level; hp 2; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S IO, D 15, C 13,
nain anvil, in a locked chest trapped with a poisoned I 11, W 14, Ch 9; SZ M; ML 10; AL LN.
vs. poison or fall asleep for 6-36 turns; affects even elves). Tergen works at the forge with his father, when he’s not busy with
mhand (4th-level human fighter): AC 3; MV 9; F4; hp 36; his chores or at school. He’s only 12 years old, but he knows he wants
ase); #AT 312; Dmg by weapon type; S 18/45, D 16, C to fallow in his father’s footsteps someday

21
 center. Sweet-scented smoke drifts lazily u p
ward through an open vent in the peaked
THE HEARTHFIRE INN ceiling.

13E. Innkeepers’ Room. This is the Whitam’s

private chamber. It is furnished with one very
large bed, two bureaus, and a small nightstand.
A secret door to the north leads to a corridor
which provides easy access to the panby and
the kitchen, for midnight snacks. As evidenced
by their rotund nature, the innkeepers use this
door frequently
Jack and Mable, although very friendly to
humans, are outright rude to any half-breeds,
going so far as to deny them service. They have
little to steal and have yet to be touched by the
Ncent crime wave. They h o w nothing about
the conspiracy, although their demeanor and
prejudices might make the party suspicious.
During business hours, Jack is always out
front, and Mable tends the kitchen. At night,
there is a 10% chance per turn that both (75%)
or one (25%, equal chances for bath) are in the
kitchen snacking.
Their remaining personal treasure of 100 gp
is stored in a secret compartment under the
nightstand.
Jack Whitam (0-level human): AC 10; MV
1 square = 5’ 12; 0-level; hp 5; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by
weapon type; S 15, D 12, C 10, I 13, W 9, Ch 12;
SZ M; ML 9; AL Pi.
13. The Hearthfire Inn. This inn, formerly the most popular inn in Mable Whitam (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3;
Dagger Rock, is owned and operated by Jack and Mable Whitam, a THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 9, D 12, C 10, I 13, W 9,
rather plump, middle-aged couple. Their business has dropped off Ch 12; SZ M; ML 8; AL N.
tremendously since Grog’s arrival, but they’ve yet to raise their
prices. They have a number of regular travelers who enjoy their fine 13F. Suite. This room is a very nice suite, and the Whitams hvnish it
services and hospitality enough to go out of their way to come here, as desired by the renter.
and yet they can still barely make ends meet. Their prices are stan-
dard campaign rates, and the service and atmosphem arr excellent. 13G-13L. Single Rooms. These rooms each contain one bed, a night-
Jack and Mable operate the inn by themselves, and there is currently stand, and a small chest with no lock.
no entertainment hired for the evenings.
13M-130. Double Rooms. Each of these rooms contains two beds, a
13A. Common Area. This very large common area is filled with nightstand, and a bureau with four drawers.
chairs and round tables. It is mostly outfitted for dining and small en-
tertainment, but there’s a bar just inside the main entrance. Jack is in 13P. Cellar. Perishable goods are stored here. There is nothing of
charge of taking and filling orders, tending bar, and seeing that his value nor anything remarkable about the cellar. A small set of
guests are seated and happy wooden stairs leads up to area 138.

138. Kitchen. Mable is in charge of the kitchen, and she does a fine 14. Bearclaw Keep. Sidon Bearclaw, former adventuring companion
job with anything she cooks. The kitchen is well appointed, al- of Grog and current captain of the guards of Dagger Rock, lives here
though the pantry (in the southwest corner) is getting rather bare. A with his son, Raven, and his daughter, Mary The house is one of the
secret door at the rear of the pantry leads to the Whitams’ room few in the area made mostly of stone and was built with wealth ac-
(area 13E). A trap door in the floor next to the pantry leads down to quired when Sidon adventured. Sidon’s wife, Alyssa, died in a tragic
the cellar. fire that burned down the old church (area 20) about six years ago.
Raven and Mary spend most of their time taking care of the house
13C. Alcove. This mom is mainly an alcove to the hearthmom (area and stables, and working at Grog’s.
13D). Doors to the south lead to the suite (area 13F) and a linen
closet. To the north is the Whitam’s private chamber (area 13E) and, 14A. Main Entrance Hall. Behind a large set of oaken double doors is
to the east through a red curtain, lie the hearth and guest m o m . the main entrance hall of the keep. Directly across the hall, another
set of similar doors opens into a long hallway There are normal
13D. Hearth Room. This large area, surrounded by doors leading to doors in the east and west walls. The room is decorated with various
the guest rooms, glows with the orange heat of an open hearth in its tapestries depicting forest scenes.

22
L4B. Weapon Storage Room. This is where the weapons used by the treasured gift from Shod, worth 20 gp) that Raven keeps on his desk.
:own militia (any male over 13 years of age) are stored. Most have He’s saved almost 160 gp in the local back (area 22).
lever been wielded, but Raven is in charge of making sure that all are Raven Bearclaw (0-level human): AC 7; MV 12; 0-level; hp 5;
sharp and in good condition. THACU 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 16, D 17, C 16, I 12, W 13,
On racks along the walls, there are a total of 60 long swords, 20 Ch16;SZM;ML12;ALLG.
;hot+swards, various pole-arms, 30 hand axes, and 40 wooden clubs.
Vone of the weapons is magical or worth anything more than the 14L. Ma@s Room. Mary, perhaps the most beautiful young woman
:oing rate. All were made by Logen Ironhand, the town blacksmith in town, is only 18 years of age but surprisingly wise. She’s very
,area 12), and bear his special insignia on the handle. good at keeping suitors at bay and has yet to fall in love. Not only
does her father’s presence discourage many suitors, but she’s also
14C. Storage Room. In this room, various rarely used items of local learned how to dodge just about every hustle in the book. Unknown
aw enforcement are stored. There are 30 shields, 10 wooden harri- to anyone, she has a weakness for attractive elves, partially due to all
:ades, sacks for use as sandbags, shovels, picks, and other imple- the romantic stories told about them by her father.
nents. None of the items is magical. Mary can usually be found at Grog’s or down near the mercantile
store (area 16). Her father always sees to it that she arrives home
14D. Great Meeting Hall. This large hall is filled with chairs. A long safely every night.
:ablervns east to west near the north wall. Large double doors lead Mary’s room is neatly arranged and tidy Lounging on the plush
a the dining hall (area 14E). Most of the t o m ’ s large formal meet- bed is her pet feline, Duke, who is very much a lazy house cat. Mary
ngs are held here. See the ”Events” section for details on the town keeps a locked jewelry box engraved with the initials of mother
:ouncil meeting to be held here at the end of the adventuring week. (“A.B.”)in a secret drawer of her desk. The tiny silver key needed to
there is nothing of value in this room. open the jewelry box is tucked inside the layers of Duke’s velvet col-
lar. Inside the jewelry box are seven pieces of jewelry worth 2 x 50 gp,
14E. Dining Room. This large, formal dining mom contains three .7 x 120 gp, 145 gp, 176 gp, and 250 g p respectively
ong tables with red upholstered chairs around each. During large
neeiings, the double doors to the east are often left open, and a huf- 14M. Closet. Besides the usual assorhnent of clothing, there is noth-
e t is set up in here with the tables against the walls. ing of interest in this closet.

L4F. Kitchen. This kitchen contains the usual accouterments. An iron-

mund door to the west leads to the outhouse. There is a small pantry BEARCLAW KEEP
3eyond a door to the north. The rest of the food is stored in the cellar
:area 14R). Mary is fully capable of cooking for the three of them, hut
iince most of the family is over a t Grog’s anyway, they often eat there
:free of charge, of course).

14G. Main Hall. At the top of a set of very wide stone stairs is the
nain hall of the upper level. Its w7alls are lined with tapestries similar
D those found in area 14A, but of higher quality. An archway opens
:o the east, two normal doors and one set of double doors open to the
mrth, and one door leads south.

14H. Meeting Room. This private meeting room has a balcony that
werlooks the Silverfish River to the north. Two fine-quality sofas and
bur upholstered chairs circle a large round rug in the center of the
mom.

141-14J. Guest Rooms. These two guest rooms each contain a 10 x S

led, a wooden bureau, a small end table, and an oil lantern with flint.
steel, and spare oil. Sidon‘s most honored guests, mostly travelers
md nobility who prefer not to stay with the mayor (area E ) ,stay
,ere. During the week of the adventure, no one is v i s i k g the keep.

l4K. Raven’s Room. This small bedroom is occupied by Raven

3earclaw, Sidon’s 15 year-old son. Raven works around the house
2nd part-time at Grog’s, as a stahlebay He plans to become a fighter
.&e his father but would rather not spend his time ”roaming about
h e woods, chasing rabbits.”
Soon, Raven will be almost as strong as his father, and he’s inher-
ted his good looks and dexterity, too. IIe can usually be found
r o u n d the house, dawn by the river, or a t the stables with Shod and
young Logen.
The only unique aspect of Raven’s morn is its lack of toys and Cellar 1 square = 5’
3ther trinkets. Its most striking adornment is a silver horseshoe (a

23
 14N.Sidon‘s Roam. This is thc master bedroom of the keep. Sidon’s 15. Mayor’s House. This house should be considered similar to
wife, Alyssa, died six years ago in a tragic fire that burned down the Bearclaw Keep (area 14), except that the building is made of wood in-
old church (area 20). Sidon’s since buried himself in his work and his stead of stone, and the orientation of the rooms is different.
children, actually becoming quite a good father in the bargain. He The town mayor, Winston Jacob, a crotchety old man, despises all
gained much experience traveling with Grog until he reached 4th newcomers (including the party) hut really has no power in the town.
level, changed from chaotic to lawful good, and decided to start a Captain Bearclaw has more real authority, but the recent crime wave
family and settle down. After a few more adventures, he came to Dag- has brought more and more residents over to the mayor’s point of
ger Rock and built a home. He soon became one of the town’s leading view. He has no relatives, having never married and outliving all oth-
figures and was elected Captain of the Guards of Dagger Rock. Law ers, and relies heavily on his servants for everything. Winston lives
and order have reigned since his arrival-t least, up until now, alone in the house, while the servants live in a small shack nearby
Sidon is completely baffled about the recent crime wave and has The DM should detail the servants, if necessary.
only suspicions about possible motives. He’s willing to try just about Winston spends most of his days sleeping, coming out occasion-
anything to help his dear friends at the tavern, and he might he able ally to shop, meet people, and preside over important town meetings.
to aid the characters in their investigations (see ”Events”). He feels that he‘s given Captain Bearclaw ample time to prove Grog
Sidon keeps most of his magical possessions (see below) in his se- and company innocent, and he favors their expulsion fmm Dagger
cret adventurer’s room (area 144)hut always wears his ring of the Rock at the upcoming town council meeting. His land is very valu-
good faeries, often appearing to see the impossible at night and disap- able, and he possesses near-infinite credit at ali town stores. The
pearing in seconds from one area to the next. He can be found any- makeup and alignment of the party are critical in determining Win-
where at any time, except the secret tmnels below the town. ston’s reaction and cooperation with them. Although old and physi-
Sidon loves elves and was given some of his best magical items as cally frail, he’s still very intelligent and wise, and he has excellent
a reward for taking care of a few thousand orcs for them. He often recall. He knows who owns what in the town and remembers the
tells stories of the elves and speaks Elvish very, very well. He’s not days when Yuri began to take control. He claims to he the only man
had at elvish poetry and songs, either, and his songs and stories are in town who claims to know what Yuri was up to but is now con-
often requested at Grog’s. vinced that Yuri has straightened up under Captain Bearclaw’s tight
Sidon Bearclaw (7th-level human ranger): AC -1; MV 12; R7; hp law-and-order stance.
69; THACO14 (base); #AT variable; Dmg by weapon type; S 18/24, D Winston Taeob (O-level human): AC 10; MV 6 (due to are): ”,. O-level:
~~,
i
~

16, C 17, I 13, W 15, Ch 15; SA +4 to hit orcs; SD hide in shadows hp 1; THACO 20: #AT nil; Dmg nil; S 6, D 9, C 12, 16, W 17, Ch 14;
43%, move silently 55%; SZ M; ML 16; AL LG; elven chain mail +2, SZ M; ML 11;AL LN.
shield +1, long sword +2, long bow + I , 12 sheaf arrows + I , ring ofthe good
faeries (wearer can cast blink, dancing lights. infravision, spook, and whis- 16. Andovan’s General Store. This general store, as most stores of its
pering wind each oncdday; affords +I bonus to all saving throws). kind, is doing the best business in town. The prices are a bit lower
than standard on food items, hut much higher on special imported
140. Library and Shldy. This room contains many glass-fronted goods. The Andovan family lives in the rear half of this large wooden
shelves, a large sofa, a chair, and a square wooden table with a read- building and keeps watch on the premises every night.
ing lamp on it. The books are a rare mix of giantkind/humanoid Berik Andovan (3rd-levelhuman fighter): AC 9; MV 12; F3; h p 22;
studies and elvish tomes hound in mithril silver. Many other hooks THACO 18 (base); #AT 3/2; Dmg by weapon type; S 18/56, D 15, C
on combat, siege warfare, and so forth can also he found here. An 15,112, W IO, Ch 14;SA specialized in long sword (+1 to hit, +2 dam-
archway to the west leads to the trophy room. age); SZ M; ML 14; AL LN; long sward.
Berik, the owner and proprietor, was once a mercenary, fighting
14P.Trophy Room. Afew ranger trophies line the walls of this room. wars for people he didn’t like and killing beings he couldn’t care less
They include: a matching axe and shield set similar to those found in about. Then he met Irma during a raid and single-handedly managed
Grog’s tavern (area 1A). an orc chieftain’s spear +I and shield with the to save her town from the depredations of invading polls. He
symbol of the Ghastly Tongue tribe on it (a split orc skull lies nearby), changed his attitude about law and chaos and decided to settle down
many old adventuring maps of the surrounding area, a broken chest far away from wars and cities. He is very happy here, hut a number
with an urn inside containing the ashes of a deceased thief friend, of recent burglaries of his store have prompted him to always wear
and the heads and skulls of various other creatures that got a little his long sword. He privately blames the newcomers for these crimes,
too hungry at the wrong time. There is a secret door to the west that but he is first a businessman, and he cannot deny that Grog and his
is opened when the O K shield is turned counter-clockwise. friends have put many gold pieces into his coffers since they arrived.
Therefore, he usually keeps his opinions to himself. He can always be
14Q.Secret Roam. This room is where Sidon stores most of his mapi- found near the store.
cal gear. In addition to those items listed in area 14N, there are 1 4 Irena Andovan (O-level human): AC 7; MV 12; O-level; hp 3;
random useful potions and two protection scrolls in here. The layer of
dust on the floor can be useful in determining whether or not anyone
-
THACO 20; #AT nil; Dmg nil; S 13, D 17, C 11. I 14. W 10. Ch 1 4 SZ
M; ML 9; AL LN.
has entered the room without Sidon’s permission. INna is the friendly,
. .people-oriented
. side of the business. She can
always be found at work in the store, and she’s been known to give
14R. Cellar. A door under the main staircase leads down into the cel- special prices to her friends, unbeknownst to her husband.
lar. There is nothing special about this room. Cristina Andovan (O-level human): AC 8; MV 12; O-level; hp 4;
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 12, D 16, C 14, I 16, W 13,
14s. Stables. Sidon’s prize war horse, Tracker, is kept here. He has Ch 16; SZ M; ML 9; AL LN.
the stables all to himself, and Sidon and Raven take very good care of Twenty-year-old Cristina has started a small school for the few
him. childrrn in the town (area 10)and is increasing the overall literacy of
the area. She’s very pretty, and she is actively searching for a suitor-
S O l lleone intelligent,attractive, honest, and willing to settle down scroll case. 'The leather pouchcontains a few pounds of what appears
(i.e. ,not likely an advenbuer). She can usually be found in the to be normal cured meat. It is, however, poisoned, and anyone or any-
sdumlhouse during the day and here a t night. thing that eats even a small piece must save vs. poison or fall asleep
IMerik Andavan (0-level human): AC 7; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3; for 2d6 turns. She uses this meat to get past the dogs in the cellar, in
TH,4CO 20; #AT nil; Gmg nil; S 9, D 17, C 12, I 13, W 10, Ch 14; SZ S; order to use the secret tunnels below. Unless the party possesses some
ML 9; AL CN. kind of appropriate magic, only by tasting the meat can the effects of
IMerik is 12 years old and already has the reputation of town the drug be determined. Caela always keeps a few ounces of this meat
do" m and general prankster. At first, most of the town's ills were in her possession along with her magical items. The scroll tube con-
blarned on him, but as the pranks became crimes, it was soon realized tains a piece of parchment with the following words:
that this was something much more serious. Merik resents the accu-
=ti<Jns and most of the townspeople now, spending a lot of his spare t o provide se!wices us needed: P a i d the SLIM of 200 Iplntinum
tim'I (without his parents' consent) at Grog's. He likes to listen to the coins and promised on equal owiount upon cowrplelian,
tales of high adventure and especially enjoys the types of mischief
plus expenses.
and deeds perpetrated regularly by thieves. As he has already
learned some of the finer points of picking pockets from some of the cl\n YK
besl:, he is likely to grow up to be a bit of a rogue himself someday.
He knows for a far3 that no one at Grog's is responsible for the crime
' Although this provides the party with conclusive evidence linking
wax'e and has even seen the half-orcs (area 1Y)sneaking around the Yuri Kineron and Caela Ma&, there is nothing inherently incriminat-
town at night, but prying this infomation from him is nearly impos- ing within the document. There are a number of things the payment
sibb2 because of his fear of what his father might say if he knew that could be for, including cooking, cleaning, or other legal services.
his Ison was hanging around with thieves. Caela can usually be found at Grog's during the evenings but can-
B e family keeps most of its money in the town bank, but there not be found in the mornings and afternoons. During these times, she
are numerous valuable rugs, tapestries, and knick-knacks scattered is under the Dagger Rock Tavern (area 19) in Yuri's secret moms, talk-
abo ut their home. A locked iron box, hidden in a secret compartment ing with his recent guests.
und'er Berik and Irena's bed, contains 400 pp (in assorted coinage) Caela "Faurfineers" Maelir (3rd-levelhuman thieD: AC 5; MV 12;
and Berik's suit of chain mail +l.

17. :Baker. The DM should create a typical bakery, baker, and his fam- 175; ring of protection +1, short sword + I , thieves' tools, vial ai poison
ily, if necessary.
~ (Type L; three applications).
Rogue abilities: PP 50%, OL 45%, FRT 30%, MS 50%, HS 40%, DN
18. l'he Green Grape Wine and Spirits Shop. This shop is owned by 25%, CW 80%. RL 0%.
YUI i Kineron but operated by Gretchen Marmin, a rather rotund
wornan in her late forties who has yet to find a man. Always looking,
she' s very friendly and a good businesswoman. She plans to buy the
The Cellar (area 18)
sho]p from Yuri someday During the day, Gretchen can be found in The wines are stored in the cellar below and are guarded by two
the shop; in the evening, Gmtchen retires to a cozy, four-room suite at large, ferocious war dogs that Gretchen has named Buttercup and
the back of the building, behind the main store. Creampuff. They try to bite anyone who enters the cellar except when
:retchen's out-of-town connections allow her to purchase stock at accompanied by Gretchen. They first growl and snap for two rounds,
suclI a low price that everyone in town orders their wines and ales then attack.
fronn her (even Grog). There's a considerable sum deposited in the Unknown to Gretchen, but known to Yuri and his cohorts, there is
bank i n her name. She charges 20% higher than the going rate foor a secret door behind the wine rack. Tne door leads to the secret tunnel
"forcigners" and 10% below to her regulars. network below the town. It was put here when Yuri built the shop,
IGretchen Marmin (0-level):AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 5; THACO and he has used it foor switching bootleg wine and ale with quality
20; 1$AT 1;Dmg by weapon we;S 13, D 11, C 9,110, W 10, Ch 14; SZ goods, stealing from Gretchen's supplies. It's now used primarily by
M; IVIL 8; AL N. Caela to go to and from Ywi's without arousing suspicion. Being a
very sound sleeper, Gretchen has no idea that Caela leaves every night
via the cellar Gretchen doesn't know about the secret tunnels below.
TIie Attic (area 18) Buttercup and Creampuff (war dogs): AC 6; MV 12; HD 2+2; h p
Caela, the assistant cook at Grog's, rents a mom here, under Yuri's in- 14,11; THACO 19; #AT 1;Dmg 2-8; SZ M; INT semi- (4); ML 10; AL
structions. Caela is an assassin hired by Yuri to spy on Grog and the N; XP 65.
eve1Its transpiring at his tavern. She has orders to only observe for now
but would prefer to slay the half-breeds ouhight. An observant charac- 19. The Dagger Rock Tavern. This establishment, owned and oper-
ter Inight notice that she possesses only four fingers on her left hand ated by Yuri Kineron, used to be the main attraction of Dagger Rock.
(she, is missing the ring finger).If asked, she tells the interested party The arrival of Grog and his friends have hurt both business and
mernber that she lost her finger in a cooking incident a few years ago.
I I I
Kinemn's reputation. He is responsible for the recent crime wave. The
4ct&ally,her finger was removed as punishment for stealing a ring two elves hired by Yuri to help him drive out Grog are acting as ser-
+onn a jewelry store when she was young. She is obviously quite dex- vants in the tavern and pretend to stay in the servants' quarters
LTOLIS in the kitchen, and a character who watches her cook might SUI- (areas 19B and 19C) while actually living below the tavern (area 191).
nisme that such an accident would be highly unlikely with her skills.
IIn her room, there's a small chest trapped with a poisoned needle 19A.Common Area. This is the large, comfortable, main tavern area.
m the lock (save vs. poison or suffer 1-10 hp damage). Inside the There are tables and chairs everywhere, with a large bar area and fire-
L . place to the west. A secret door in the fireplace leads to Yuri's private
,lest are 200 pp (payment from Yuri), a leather pouch, and a leather

25
 Yuri's grandparents helped found the town of Dagger Rock, but
DAGGER ROCK TAVERN his family moved away before he was born. He grew up in a distant
city, where he became quite a proficient thief. Stealing the money to
start in business, much the same as Grog did, he returned to become
a "respectable businessman" and take over the town for himself.
He had purchased much of the land already and was tightening
his hold on the position of town mayor when Sidon Bearclaw arrived.
Some of Kineron's illegal ventures were halted, and the town became
a hit more lawful. He has tried many timimes to get rid of Captain
Bearclaw and is responsible for setting the hagic church fire six years
ago that killed Bearclaw's wife and injured many of the townspeople.
\ After that, Yuri set out the undermine Bearclaw's authority and save
money for the hiring of an assassin powerful enough to rid him of
11IlIlILl "the troublemaker." He was almost ready when Grog appeared.
Upper Level Business dropped off, and now the captain had even more power-
ful allies in the town. Yuri plotted and planned, and eventually he got
an idea of how to rid himself of both of his problems in one simple
blow. By creating suspicion around Grog and his friends, and gather-
ing public support against their presence, not only would he remove
his competition from Dagger Rock, but he'd also cast doubt on Cap-
tain Bearclaw's =putation and effectiveness as a law-enforcement of-
ficer, while simultaneously promoting himself as a sincere civic
leader. Now, with only a week before the town council meeting, he is
sure that Grog and Captain Bearclaw will he kicked out and feels
rather confident that all is under his control.
Yuri has many contacts within the town: Jim Aremsee, the town
drunk and Yun's personal rumor spreader (area 9); Caela, assistant
cook at Grog's and an assassin hired by Yuri to spy for him (area la);
the recently hired elves who work in the tavern (area 19); and Max&
Stonethumb (area 23). a dwarf forced to help build the secret tunnels
(area 31).
If he is asked about the recent events, Yuri expresses his dismay at
the problems incurred by his rival but makes it obvious that he's not
completely disheartened by Grog's troubles. He'll warn the party
about Ezmerelda, now a maid at Grog's, telling the PCs that she was
fired from his establishment for stealing. He claims that his business
quarters (area 19E). The common room is average in all respects, and is still good because most people fear the strange half-breeds, but any
the prices have just been raised to 150% of the standard rate. surveillance of the tavern reveals that business is actually at a stand-
still. Yuri appears to be helpful, but the DM should provide the par*
19B-19C. Servants' Quarters. These two rooms appear to be occu- with more rumors and hearsay depending on circumstances.
pied, but a closer inspection reveals only the semblance of use. The Yuri Kineron (4th-level human thieD: AC 8; MV 12; T4; ho 21;
chests and closets are empty Yuri's guests, the elves (area 19I), claim
to live here.
shielding (67 charges), dagger of throwing +2, m g of feather falling,
19D. Meeting Room. This large meeting room used to be the site of a thieves' tools.
weekly card game among Yuri's patrons, but Captain Bearclaw ended Rogue abilities: PP 5% OL 3576, FRT 15%, MS 30%, HS 45%, DN
the illegal gambling, and now it is rarely used. A storeroom to the 25%, CW 60%, RL 10%
south contains extra tables, chairs, and packs of cards and dice. There
is a secret passage to the south behind a secret door. At the end of the 19F. Upper Level. This level contains the rooms for xnt-all empty at
corridor, a trap door leads down to the cellar (area 19G), and a nor- the moment. There are four double rooms, five single rooms, and a
mal door leads to Yuri's mom (area 19E). closet. Yuri now charges 150% the standard rate for the rooms, and
they are typical for the campaign.
19E. Yuri's Room. Secreted behind the fireplace and the meeting
room is Yuri Kineron's private chamber. It is plushly decorated, but 19G. Cellar. This cellar is apparently unremarkable, containing wines,
very few items of value remain, as he has pawned most of his wealth kegs of ale, and some meats. But there's a secret door in the east wall
to finance the recent assault on Dagger Rock. There is nothing incrim- that leads to the heart of the conspirators' base (areas 19H-19J).
inating in the room. Some of his remaining wealth and his magical
items (when not on his person) are kept in a secret vault behind the 19H. Secret Roam. This room always contains one large wooden
stone wall to the south of the fireplace. The treasures inside are two table surrounded by six wooden chairs, a large parchment map of the
400-gp rubies, a small gold dragon worth 150 gp, and 200 pp. His tunnels (which hangs on the northern wall and also shows the pro-
bank account is now empty and record show that he has recently posed expansion under the bank, area 31C), and a lit torch in each
sold some of his property in the town. corner a i the room. There are t w o enhances to this room that the

26
part y can find. The secret door to the west is equally difficult to de- Aeoli's spellbook contains the followjng spells: 1stAetect magic,
tect from either side. findJumiliar, magic missile, read magic, shockingpasp, ventriloquism; 2nd-
Edost likely, the PCs will locate the secret tunnels below the t o m detect invisibility,Leomund's trap, magic mouth, scare; 3rd-hold pmson.
and explore them until they arrived at the stone stairs leading up Xinlin and Aeoli are always found hard at work in the tavern dur-
(arez1s 19J and 31A). They might also gain entry to the tavern and lo- ing normal business hours. At night, they can be just about anywhere
cate the secret trap door leading to the cellar and its secret door. Their (see area 19H). Shadow, Aeoli's cat familiar, always stays near its mis-
charices of meeting or surprising the tavern's inhabitants here depend tress (by the fireplace during normal work hours, or patrolling ahead
on tii e time and situation of the encounter. when secret missions are being performed).
I f the tavern has closed up shop (usually a f t a midnight), Yuri and Rinlin Felanira (2nd-level/3rd-level high elf fighter/thiefj: AC 3;
his two elven h e l i n g s are seated at the table, discussing fuhlre plans MV 12; F2/T3; h p 16; THACO 19; #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type; S 17,
and gloating over their successes so far. Should the characters make a D 18, C 14, I 14, W 11, Ch 13; SA rogue abilities, surprise bonus, 6 0
lot o'f mise searching the cellar or talk while climbing the stairs, there infravision; MR 90% resistant to sleep and charm spells; SZ Ivl; ML 12;
is little chance for them to surprise the villains. If, however, the PCs AL CN; XP 175; leather armor +1, dagger +1, potion offire resistance,
take adequate precautions and make an effort to mter quickly, they thieves' tools.
have:better than average chances to defeat or capture the powerful Rogue abilities: PP 50%, OL 40%, FRT 30%, MS 45%, HS 45%,DN
conspirators without casualties to themselves. If heard by Yuri and 30%, CW 70%, RL 0%.
the c?lves,they are ambushed by fully armed foes. The elf Aeoli pre- Aeoli Felanira (3rd-level/3rd-level high elf wizard/thiefj: AC 3;
P a xs her spells, allowing the PCs little hope of escaping unscathed MV 12; W3/T3; hp 11; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 13,
frorI the encounter. D 19, C 13,117, W 12, Ch 14;SA spells, rogue abilities, surprise
1'his is likely to he a pivotal battle for the party. Should the villains bonus, 6 0 infravision; MR 90% resistant to deep and c h a m spells; SZ
be IC ,sing, they retreat. If the party entered through the cellar, Yuri M; ML 12; AL CN; XP 270; leather armor, cloak of protection +2, boots of
calls for the town guard and presses charges for breaking and enter- eluenkind, dagger, thieves' tools.
ing, assault, attempted murder, and so on. If the pmty entered Rogue ab%ies: PP 65%, OL 35%, FRT 25%, MS SO%, HS 60%, DN
thro ugh the tunnels, Yuri and his minions are smart enough to return 40%, CW 60%, RL 0%.
to the cellar, retrieve their possessions, and leave town as soon as Spells (2/1): 1st-magic missile, shocking grasp; 2 n d i c a r e .
poss ible. Shadow (male gray damestic cat): AC 6; MV 12; HD X; hp 4;
I'I the party manages to gain entrance to this mom during the day- THACO 20; #AT 2; Dmg 1-2/1; SA rear claws for 1-2 h p damage; SD
time, it is unoccupied, but there is a 10%chance per turn that Yuri excellent night vision, superior hearing; SZ T; 1NT semi- (4); ML 9;
(40%,) or the elves-Rinlin (25%) or Aeoli (35%)-show up in the cel- AL CN; XP 7.
lar. ih y loud noises made by the party below might alert those above
(DM.'s discretion), since the tavern is usually quiet these days. If the
Characters leave any signs of a search or remove any items from here,
Yuri and company gauge the success of the intrusion and decide
whe ther to leave, tell the town guard that there's been another rob-
bery, or attack the intruders quickly to illsure their silence. Yuri's con-
tacts in the town can determine which characters are responsible for
the tIreak-in and where they are currently staying.

191. :Hireling Quarters. In this secret u n d e r g r m d chamber, R i n l i

and Aeoli Felanira live during their stay in town. There are the elves
himiby Yuri to perpetrate the crime wave and cast the blame on
Grog;and h i s half-breed friends.
RWin and Aeoli are husband and wife. Neither has ever liked
half-ogres or half-ora, or the law for that matter, and they are more
than happy to cause trouble and get paid for it.
I5 i s mom contains two normal beds (now placed side by side), a
bureau, two large chests, and a large round table. The dresser can-
tain: , their spare clothes and hva spare sets of leather annor,
T"ne first chest is locked but not trapped, and it contains 10 as-
SOrtCId pieces of jewelry (worth 120 gp total) and five gems (worth 10
gp, 2! x 50 gp, 125 gp, and 200 gp). All of this treasxe was recently
stolen from the town and can be identified by the owners and Cap-
tain Bearclaw (who has a complete inventoly).It is likely that a smart
part:i' will ask Bearclaw for details on the missing items. Recognition
of the importance of this discovery should quickly wrap up the case.
The second chest is locked and has a Leomund's trap spell on it. In-
4de is Aeali's spellhook, any magical items that the elves are not cur-
rent1y wearing (DMs discretion), and a log book detailing some of
heir adventures together and the circumstances surrounding their
'Urn<?ntemployment by Yuri. The evidence within the chests is
,nottgh to convict the Felaniras and Yuri, but not the others involved
a the conspiracy.

27
 as possible, but he is usually quite busy with his rituals and town
crises. He can provide healing and shelter, if necessary.
Behind the church is the town's graveyard. Unknown to any of the
average townspeople or Father Veril, there's a secret tunnel exit in one
of the graves. In the southeast corner of the graveyard, among the nor-
mal ancestors of Dagger Rock's residents, stands a tombstone that
reads "Jack Kineron: He deserved better." If the town records (avail-
able at the mayor's house, area 15) are searched, it is discovered that
no one in Yuri's family was ever named Jack (or John, or anything re-
motely similar). This tombstone, if tilted backward, raises the secret
trap door, covered in earth, that leads down into the tunnels below
(area 31F). It can be detected as a secret door in the usual manner,
Father Hiram Veril (3rd-level human priest): AC 9; MV 12; C3; hp
19; THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 13, D 15, C 14, I 12, W
17, Ch 15; SA/SD spells; SZ M; ML 11; AL LG.
Spells (4/3): 1st-bless, command, cure light wounds, defectmil;
Znd-id, hold person, slow poison.

21.Horsetrader Farm and Stables. The horsetrader, Lareth Morton (a

friend of Yuri's), lives here. He hates the newcomers for taking away
some of his business, since he used to provide stable service for Yuri's
tavern (area 19) but is not involved in the conspiracy If asked, he tells
the party that the half-om (Grunt and Brock, area 1U) h o w absolutely
nothing about horses and "sure are stupid, like most of their kind."

22. Bank. This small stone building serves as the town's bank. The
DM can add as much detail as necessary if the characters decide to
make a deposit-r an unauthorized withdrawal.

23. Mason. Max& Stonethumb, a dwarven mason and architect, has

been forced to help the criminals build their underground network of
tunnels. He's been blackmailed by Yuri because he overcharged Captain
Bearclaw for the consbuction of the town jail (area 11).If there's a dwarf
in the party and he or she manages to gain his bust, Maxalo tells them
19J. Steps to Tunnels. These stone steps lead down from area 19H to to "check the cobbler's farm" (area 28) and volunteers to give himself
the secret tunnels (area 31A). Rinlin has strung a trip wire across the up to the guards and pay for his crime, after Yuri's gang is put in jail.
sixth step from the top. The first person walking down the steps who Maxalo Stonethumb (0-level dwarfl: AC 10; MV 6; 0-level; hp 7;
trips the wire must make a Dexterity check at 4 or fall down the re- THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 16, D 11, C 16,I9, W 9, Ch
maining flight of stairs, sustaining 1 4 hp damage. The wire snaps 11; SD +4 to saves vs. magical attacks and poison, 6 0 infravision; SZ
the first time the trap is triggered and must be restrung. The trap in- S; ML 7; AL LN; footman's pick.
flicts no damage to anyone who triggers it walking up the stairs.
Yuri, Rinlin, Aeoli, and Caela are aware of the trip wire. Observant 24. Carpenter. The carpenter, Mark Woodward, is friendly with the
PCs have a 25% chance of noticing the trip wire, while thieves may dwarven mason next door. He's seen Maxalo Stonethumb leave his
add +25% to their find/remove traps ability shop in the night, sometimes going north, sometimes headed south.
Mark moved here after his old business in another town burned
20. Church and Graveyard. This wooden building, surrounded by down. Business is good now that there are some new houses going
the burned remains of a once larger building, is Dagger Rock's house up. He knows little about the crime wave.
of worship. Father Hiram Veri1 is helpful to all characters of neutral
or good alignments. 25. Clothier. The clothier, Jessica Meriwether, is particularly fond of
Hiram is responsible for the entire town's spiritual well-being and Fist, who spends a lot of gold pieces here.
makes no distinctions between humans and others. He is sure that
Grog is not responsible for the town's ills but has been unable to con- 26. Warehouse. This is a large warehouse used by the NPCs of areas
vince anyone else. He longs for the day when he is powerful enough in 21,24,27, and 28. They all have keys. Most of the goods here are in
the eyes of his deity to receive spells capable of answering this mystery rough and unfinished form.
Hiram is convinced that the same forces responsible for the tragic
fire that burned down the old church six years ago are also behind 27. Leather Goods. Thomas Windgrove, the brother of the cobbler
the recent crime wave. In that fire, which broke out as he was begin- (area 28), is not involved in the conspiracy but shares his sibline's ha-
ning his studies, his father (the former head priest) and Alyssa tred of the newcomers.
Bearclaw (area 14N)died. There is no doubt that the fire was deliber-
ately set, but most of the town blamed it an a "mysterious drifter" 28. Cobbler Farm. Calvin Windgrove, the town cobbler, is an accam-
who passed through the town a few days before the tragedy, By now, plice of Yuri's. If the party thoroughly searches the farm, they find a
it has all hut been forgotten. Hiram tries to aid investigations as much wheelbarrow stained not with topsoil but with earth taken from deep

28
bc?low the ground. (A druid, dwarf, or gnome
cam best determine this.) The wheelbarrow
trix k s can be followed by anyone back to the
St,ables, where they lead inside. Inside the sta-
DAGGER ROCK
bles, on the floor of one of the unused stalls,
is a secret e a p door that leads dawn to the
se'cret tunnels (area 31D).Calvin has been
he:lping in the excavation of the tunnels in ex-
dlange for total ownership of his land and
biiildings. He is currently leasing the prop-
erty from Yuri.
Granite
291. Docks. These old wooden docks are usu- 1 "dagger"
aily covered in green moss and playing chil-
di'en. The river is about 100 yards across here I
artd is slow moving. Children usually swim
to and from Dagger Rock (area 30) during the Silverfish
diiytime. At night, there is nobody at the River
ri?rer.

3pI. Dagger Rock. In the center of the Silver-

fi:;h River is a granite shelf that lies 6-12
inches below the water level. In the center of
this shelf stands a 30'-tall granite dagger, ap-
Piirently driven into the rock below it. The
town is named for this odd stone structure,
arid there are many rumors about it, includ-
ing buried treasure, giants, and so forth. Near
the place where the giant dagger meets the
St,>ne shelf is a 2-long slit filled with slime. A
drNarf can quicklv recoenize that the slit was
. I "

camed and is not a natural occurrence. a wax-sealed scroll tube containing a scroll of protection from non-mag-
If the iron dagger from area 8 is forcefully driven into the slot, a ical edged weapons, and a small traveling spellbook, wrapped in oil-
section of the stone begins to sink down into the shelf. The stone dooi skin, containing the following wizard's spells: Ist-uudible glamer,
re veals an eerie, green, submerged chamber inside the shelf, below feather fal1,friends. spider climb; Znd--continuai light,paming sphere, pro-
the giant stone dagger. The DM should use the rules for swimming tectionfrom cantrips, shatter; 3rd-haste, phantom steed, tongues. The
anId holding one's breath in the DMG if the characters decide to ex- third chest contains nothing but 200 feet of decayed rope, two rusted
PIore the vault. lanterns, and four unbroken flasks of oil. The leather sack holds a
There is no light source in the chamber, but sunlight gives enough rusty iron necklace with a golden ring offree action attached. The iron
vi1sibility to see the vague outlines of the room. A fight spell can be box is locked but not trapped, and it can he forced open by a success.
Vf ' ~ effective
y here. ful Bend Bars roll. Inside are three glass vials: a potion of a t m healing,
The chamber is roughly 20' x 20' and has no exit except the one a philtre of beauty, and a potion of sweet mater.
leiading to the surface. It and the stone dagger above were created by a Hidden behind the chests and buried under the algae is a scimitar
druid (using a stone shape spell) as a secret storage place for certain tI, tZ us. regenerating creatures. The weapon is also cursed, temporar-
trr!asures and supplies. He died without ever retuming to claim his ily negating all magical protective devices worn by the wielder for as
gclads. Now, after many years, the party has discovered his secret. The long as the blade is drawn. Items negated include bracers of defense,
ch.amber has always been underwater, and the wails and items are cov- brooches of skidding, magical armor and shields (negating the pluses
en?d with strange underwater algae capable of existing without light. only), and rings and cloaks ofprotection. These protections are restored
ETTen though the algae contains no chlorophyll, it is still naturally col- the instant the blade is sheathed or put down.
9red geen, and the entire room is so colored, regardless of the light The DM should provide as much mystery to these items as possi-
3 0u n e used. A character with the herbalism proficiency can make a ble and should make the characters very nervous about exploring this
',I aficiency check at -6 to determine that the algae is harmless. Some of area. If the dagger is removed from the slot, the Secret door closes.
h,e items within are immune to the water's effect, but most were not.
The room contains three rotten wooden chests, a rotten leather 31. Secret Tunnels. Below the town of Dagger Rock, Yuri has connected
.ack, and a large, still-locked, rusty iron box. If the rotten containers a number of natural underground chambers with man-made tunnels to
-ne quickly or roughly handled, they fall apart completely, scattering c m t e a secret dungeon. %ugh this system of tunnels, he and the
11eir contents all over the bottom of the roam. Most such items are criminals he's hired have secret access to many areas of the town.
hen buried in dead algae, and the task of recovering them is made The western section is almost entirely man-made, while the rough
lifficult unless the adventurers possess an adequate light source and tunnels to the east were created by a group of giant rats (area 31J).
U.fficient time to search everywhere. The man-made tunnels are 10 x lo' in cross section are are supported
Inside the first wooden chest is a collection of 10 gems (worth 50 by wooden beams and braces at 10 intervals. The rat tunnels are 5
,
'1: each). The second chest contains the remains of four rotten baoks, feet in diameter and have no such bracing.

29
31A. Stairs to the Dagger Rock Tavern. The rough stone stairs lead ventures. The characters can either build their own house, reside at
up to Yuri’s cellar in the Dagger Rock Tavern. The sixth stair from the one of the local inns, or purchase the empty house behind Grog’s
top is rigged with a tripwire (see area 19J). (area 4 ) . The business interests in town are glad to have new snurces
of income and built-in protectors as welL If the characters succeed in
318. Ladder to the Green Grape. A wooden ladder climbs up to a se- exposing Yuri and his fellow conspirators, Grog is especially grateful
cret door in the cellar of the Green Grape Wme and Spirits Shop and offers them free room and lodging until they decide whether or
(areas 18). not they plan to sertle in Dagger Rock.
Since any captured conspirators must be taken to a nearby city for
31C. Side Tunnel Under the Bank. A small side tmnel has just re- trial, the characters may wish to make sure that they get there and face
cently been started here. Yuri plans to rob the bank (area 22) after justice. There might he friends elsewhere who will try to free the crim-
Grog and Captain Bearclaw have been dealt with. inals, 01they might attempt a jailbreak while still in the town jail. The
characters will probably need to testify for the case to he airtight. a
31D. Up to the Cobbler’s Barn. A heavy wooden ladder leads up into
an stall in the cobbler’s barn (area 28). There are five shovels here and
numerous torches, used and unused.

31E. Earth-filled Chamber. This large, natural chamber is choked

The Stolen Power
with piles of freshly dug earth. Most of the excavated earth has been ”The Stolen Power” is an A D & P adventure for 4 4 player characters
stored here. of levels 1-3 (about 10 total levels). Lawful good characters, espe-
cially paladins and good-aligned priests, are particularly well-suited
31F. Graveyard Exit. Leading up to the secret grave door (area 20) is a for this adventure.
small wooden ladder. Numerous human bones lie shewn upon the
floor. If the party is whining for some combat and experience points,
the DM can throw in a few of the town’s ancestorssix animated
Adventure Background
skeletons-who are irate over the disturbance of their eternal rest. The Read or paraphrase the following text to the players to begin the
skeletons rise to attack any living being who enters this small chamber adventue:

31G. Earthen Chamber. This large, natural chamber has also been
filled with excavated earth (see area 31E).If the DM has opted to use Your travels have brought you to Highland, a small city of 1,500
the jailbreak (see area 11F) and the party arrives after its occurrence, peoplc. Its only claim to fame is that it is the largest fishing town
on the shores of the body of water the locals call the Fresh Sea.
the escaped murderer is encountered here.
Highland‘s clerics have been plagued by a number of thefts
lately Since the thefts have mostly involved m o n q they have
31H. Wooden Blockages. At these two points, just into the smaller rat been quietly ignored. Last night, however, the local Glade of
tunnels, the way is blocked by man-made wooden grates. There are Raven (a small but politically powerful open-air temple) was
no signs to warn off the curious. They were built to keep the giant robbed of its most prized possession: a book ofinfinite spells. The
rats (area 311) out of the rest of the tunnels. clerics fear the effects of its use by their enemies and wwnt it hack
quickly.
311. Up to Grog’s Well. A very small tunnel slants upward to a secret The only clue to the identity of the thievcs is a small scrap of
door in the side of Grog’s well (see area 1J). paper, presumably dropped by one of the robbers. The name
”Hadonis” and part of a floorplan are scrawled on the paper.
31J. Rat Den. Underneath the mill silo (area 5 ) is a nest of six very There is a man named Hadonis who frequents the town, and
plump rats. The giant rats have a special underwater tunnel to the he just inay have the temperament and ability to steal fmm the
north (remember that rats are capable swimmers and fighters) that good. Hadonis is called a “dark cleric” by the locals, but nobody
they use should things go badly far them. The DM may also use this knows which devil, demon, or infernal deity hc worships.
tunnel to add more rats during the battle if six fail to pose much of a Moonwind, the Glade of Raven’s most powerful cleric, has
challenge. Scattered in the rats’ nests are a total of 167 sp and 203 cp. discowred hvo pieces of information about the theft. The first,
Giant rats (6):AC 7; MV 12, Swim 6; HD !4; hp 3 each; THACO 20; gained through the casting of au,qun~,is that the scrap of paper
#AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SA 5% chance to cause disease per wound inflicted; was left behind by accident and is not a fakc due. The second,
gained by bribing Highland‘s chief records keeper, is that FIado-
SZ T; INT animal (1); ML 6; XI’ 15.
n i s owns a small country reheat that has a floorplan matching
that on the scrap of paprr Unforhtnately, the location of thc re-
31K. Rat Exit. The rats enter and leave the tunnels through a grass- treat has been dclctcd from Highlands records, and the clerics
covered hole near the southern edge of town. It can be discovered cannot find anyone in town who knowi where the retreat is
with the same chances to find a concealed door. hidden.
Moonwind would lead a party of the faithful to look for the
Concluding the Adventure I
book, but none of the faithful still in Highland retain the skills
necessary to survive a long trek into thc wilderness. She is not so
If the heroes thwart Yuri Kinernn’s scheme and expose the conspiracy,
each character should receive 250 XP plus experience for the villains
they defeated or helped capture (uuri, Rinlin, Aeoli, Caela, Jim, and
the half-orcs Brock and Grunt).
Since the town is almost fully complete, the party can use Dagger
Rock as their base of operations and as a springhoard into further ad-

30
 Moonwind's proposal is this: lf you agree to hclp bring back
the book, unused, the temple will award you 150 gold pieces
each, 30 gp now and 120 gp %,hen you return with the tome. You
,
are, of course, allowed to keep a fair share of any loose treasure I
you find along the w a 3 although donations to thr temple arc
looked upon with favor. I

'or the Dungeon Master

hloonwind and her two assistants, Bearpaw and Deerhunter, are will-
ir1g to give the PCs some other considerations if they are successful,
but only if asked. They can provide one week's worth of iron rations
t no cost and will pay for the resurrection of any two PCs killed in
le line of duty Two items are not open to negotiation: Deerhunter
nlust be allowed to accompany the PCs, and the player characters
nlust not use the book.
Hadonis has indeed taken the clerics' book of infinite spells, with the
aid of the worshipers of Shami-Amourae whom he leads. Shami-
mourae, the queen of succubi, is described at the end of the module.
Iadonis knows that the Glade oi Raven "liberated the tome from an
vi1 wizards' cabal years ago and, having completed extensive re-
?arch into the book's purported contents, intends to use the book's
?ells to cc+ure intelligent beings ior use as sacrifices and slaves. He
as hidden the book in the dungeon beneath his cliifside reheat.
The rectangular floorplan left behind shows areas 2-5 and parts of
reas 1and 6 of Hadonis' retreat. The DM should pTepare a rough
lap for the players showing these areas in vague detail.

'he Glade of Raven

kloonwind (8th-level human priest): AC 10; MV 12; PS; h p 44; take such risks generally have short life expectancies.)
HAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon we; S 13, D 8, C 15, I I?, W IS, Luckily for the PCs, today is market day in Highland, and 50 mer-
h 14; SZ M; ML 12; AL CG; footman's mace. chants have come to town. Most are food, spice, or cloth dealers, but
Spells (5/4/3/2): Ist--cure light wounds (x3), protectionfrom evil, there are five weapons merchants in the throng. Each weapon dealcr
mctuay; 2nddetect charm, hold person, silence 15' radius, speak with specializes in one type of weapon; the five are a fletcher/bowyer, a
iimals; 3rd-ontinul light, dispel magic, remoue curse; 4thdetecl lie, swordsmith, a lance maker, a pole arm saleswoman, and a dagger-
wtralize poison. smith. If the PCs wkh to buy weapons, they should be made aware of
Moonwind is a soft-spoken woman who never seems to lose her the local law that requires a 10"h surtax on the sale of deadly
!mper or run out of patience. weapons other than knives.
Bearpaw (4th-level human priest): AC 10; MV 12; P4; hp 13; The swordsmith and 20% of the non-weapon dealers know that
HAC0 18; #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type;S 12, D 10,C 7,I8, W IS, Hadonis' retreat lies east of Highland. One of the iood dealers re-
'h 14; SZ M; ML 12; AL CG; footman's mace. members that the retreat stands on the site of an "elven burrow."
Spells ( 5 / 3 ) :1st-bless, cure light wounds ( S )light,
, protectionfrom Since elves usually don't live underground as dwarves do, this is un-
il; 2nd--aid, hold person, slow poison. usual in itself. The food dealer admits that he doesn't h o w exactly
Bearpaw is a ladies' man. He is from a far country and his exotic where the retreat is located but suggests that the PCs check with the
:cent is very attractive to members of the opposite sex. town record keeper. When presented with a bribe of at least 50 gp,
Deerhunter (2nd-levelhalf-elf ranger): AC 8; MV 12; R2;hp 10; the record keeper searches through his filesand, after much fussing
HAC0 19; #AT 1;Dmg by weapon type; S 14, D 14, C 11,I 14, W 14, Ch and complaining, manages to "discover'' a document listing the exact
SA +4 to hit norkers; SD 30% resistant to sleep and cham spells; SZ M; location of Hadonis' retreat.
lL 14; AL CG; leather armor, short sword, long bow, 12 flight arrows. Forest There is a large forest to the south and east of Highland.
Deerhunter, the only ranger in Highland, strives to gain enough The forest is home to one settlement of 200 sylvan elves, although
rperience to cast clerical spells so that he might better serve the only 170 are there at m y given time. The other 30 elves are organized
:lade of Raven. He generally keeps his thoughts to himself. into three hunting parties who patrol the woods for incursors. At the
time of this advent-, the elves have just repelled an invasion oi
itarting the Adventure goblins and hobgoblins and are alert for intruders. After careful ques-
tioning and skilled diplomacy, they welcome any peaceful party to
he PCs should search for information before setting out. Nobody their village, which is built in the boughs of several old hees. The
,ha lives in Highland has ever been near Hadonis' retNat (to their elven settlement has no name unless the DM decides otherwise. The
nowledge), so the PCs must either ask someone from out of town, DM may flesh out the village as required.
se magical means of finding the retreat, or set out blindly (PCs who Encounters in the forest occur on a roll of 1 a n ld12 and should be

31
che very four hours, If an encoui ' occurs, 11 36 i lsult
the "Random Forest Encounters" table.
Plains: The land 10 the north and cas: oi Highl'md 1s a hlph plan
Hadonis' Retreat
.Ahour 2 5 miles northeast of the ciw, the plain ends abniprly L? a 170 This country retreat, built partly into the cliff, is constructed of white
drdp down an a l m m perpendicular chfi Hadolur hw!t hls home 21 thz stone. A small plaque bolted beside the only door is engraved with
honom of the sreep <lope,parnallv enheddmg 11 in rhz ha+eof rhe clif! one word HAWNIS.The door is locked hut not happed, and there are
Hadonis rerreat is nor the snly > r m ~ m rto e he !ound In Ihl5 dsso- no guards outside the building.
lair area. Farther north and west, ar the very mp of the high cliff Lighting inside the retreat and the complex beneath comes from
stands a pile ui srones that uscd to he afi Inn T.?e inn w a s demol- continual light spells cast on the ceiling of each room and corridor.
(shed last year hy a roving hand o! norkers a d hohg~h!lns If rhr PCs
search through the nihhk for one hour :'lev fin3 a m a l l Lrsn box, 1.Hallway. The guard dog in this hall has been trained to attack in-
unlcked and m z n holding 2 J gp nnd d gem truders. PCs who toss good food at the dog (not iron rations) have a
t'ncounrerc on the plains o x u r on a roll of 1 an Id12 and rhould 50% chance of successfully distracting it for 1 4 rounds as it devours
he;hrckrd even. eiAhr Ihoun I f an encounter OCCUrS, ruli 116 and the goods. Rangers can attempt to use their natural animal affinity to
~ m . u l r the "I<and<,mPlain+ Fncountrrs'' rahle coax the dog into not attacking, provided the ranger makes a success-
 Above GIound

1 quare = 10'

s platinum from being stolen by any of the Disci-

)live and worship below the villa. Hadonis told
complex that one of the pieces of cutlery was
1 them which piece. So far, none of the Disciples
i take the chance.

iroom contains conveniences typical for a water

impaign world.

20' room is lined with book shelves. A table and

irs stand in the middle of the chamber. Many of
e topics of sensuality and attractiveness, although
nber of general interest work; as well.
i are of particular importance. One bears no title.
go as loot from a "meddlesome" wizard's body
t h e r e and forgotten, this book contains the fol-
ells: armor, comprehend languages, read magic,
tome could easily be mistaken for the book of in-
,hunter will know that it is not what the party is
)k, however, can be sold for as much as 1,500 g p
I wealthy) buyer. The second book, titled Invoca-
'ae, is a non-magical prayer book. There is, how-
rom the previously mentioned defeated wizard)
vithin the back cover. Hadonis intends to follow
L this map once his position among the Disciples
to see where the trail leads. The marked route
nd continues roughly south far a 1Cday journey
gh the forest and into a mountainous area. The
entified, and Hadonis does not know that the
t to the lair of a mated pair of spell-wielding red
 blood. One guard is on duty here--a human male
named Marno.
Marno hasn't quite recovered from a wild party
the night before and is asleep at his post a n a roll of 1
or 2 on ld12. On a roll of 3-12, he's awake but rather
slow and uncoordinated, suffering a -1 initiative
penalty and a -2 attack penalty If he is awake, marno
fights to the death to prevent the characters from get-
ting past him.
Marno (5th-level human fighter): AC 4; MV 9; F5;
hp 30; THACO 16 (base); #AT 1; Dmg by weapon
type; S 15, D 15, C 11. I 12, W 6, Ch 10; SZ M; ML 15;
AL CE; XP 175; chain mail, long sword.

10. Corridor. Unlike the rooms in the underground

complex, the corridors are not fully dressed stone. In
fact, they are little better than natural tunnels. The
Disciples of Delights just can't be bothered to do any-
thing moTe than necessary unless they find their ac-
tions to be pleasurable, and nearly everyone who
considers work pleasurable would not be seen in the
company of the Disciples of Delights.
The hall is patrolled by w wc guard dogs who at-
tack anyone they do not recognize. They are not
tempted by food, although a ranger using his animal
chance to find either of the two books depends on the amount affinity can attempt to tame one of them (but not both).
spent searching the shelves, since neither tome is marked in War dogs (2): AC 6; MV 12; HD 2+2; hp 15,12; THACO 19; #AT 1;
isual way Asingle character searching the library has a cu- Dmg 2-8; SZ M; INT semi (3);ML 10; AL N; XP 65.
'e 5% chance per turn of finding one of the books. The books
2 opened to reveal their secrets. 11. Chapel. The chapel walls are decorated with bas-=lief scenes be-
fitting the raunchiest houses of ill repute. If a PC with the religion
it Bedroom. This 2 0 x 30 room contains a chest and a bed proficiency examines the lewd scenes and makes a successful profi-
:eather mattress and pillow. The feather pillow conceals a ciency check at 4,he or she discovers that the chapel is dedicated to
letal vial filled with one dose of an elixir of health. The chest is the chaotic evil demigoddess Shami-Amourae, queen of succubi. Pal-
and empty, and its key hangs a n a blue satin ribbon from the adins need not examine the walls, as this room and area 12 exude an
post at the foot of the bed. aura of evil.
A jet-black metal altar rests at the far end of the chapel. Dried
er Bedroom. This 20 x 30 room is Hadonis' bedroom when he human, half-elven, and elven blood streaks the sides and cakes the
ipstairs. The room holds a fine bed, with feather pillow and legs of the altar. Characters who worship good-aligned deities feel a
S, as well as a writing table and a chest that is unlocked but certain compulsion to despoil the altar. Splattering holy water on the
I with a ZlVph of warding. Anyone who opens the chest without altar or casting a bless spell upon it causes it to instantly corrode, fen-
,ing "Beware!'' is struck blind unless he or she successhdly dering it useless; otherwise, the only way to despoil the altar is to de-
3. spells. Ablinded PC must be led about by the hand. If the stroy it with weapons (a loud and time-consuming process).
PC participates in combat, he or she suffersa 4 penalty on all Characters who destroy the altar should receive 200 XP apiece. More-
011s. The blindness lasts 2-5 days unless prematurely negated over, these characters receive a +2 saving throw bonus vs. spells cast
'e blindness or dispel magic spell. at them by the Disciples of Delights, but only for the duration of the
chest contains clothing, personal letters, a book of sketches of adventure.
uman figures, 20 gp in a pouch, and a potion offire breath. While the altar remains intact, this chapel serves as a stronghold
writing table holds quill pens, ink, and blank sheets of parch- of evil, so that evil clerics like Hadonis receive a +I bonus to their
he only non-utilitarian object on the table is a small ivory stat- chances to turn paladins in this area. If the altar is despoiled, the
' Shad-Amourae. fie bat-winged succubus statuette is fixed bonus to turn paladins is negated.
lesktop. If it is rotated 9V clockwise, a secret door in the Thee is a secret door in the southwest corner of the chapel. Press-
est corner of the mom opens, revealing a flight of stairs lead- ing on the surface of the door is enough to make it fold into the
vn to area 9. The secret door remains open for one round be- nearby wall. It closes automatically after one round and is easily open
sing on its own. It can be opened from the other side simply from the other side.
ing on a stone handle with a built-in latch.
12. Storeroom. This 10 x 20' storemom is empty save for a set of
RCloset. It takes one turn to search through the linen in this manacles and a blood-stained knife ( h g 1-3/1-2), both made of
Sther than the linen, there is nothing of value here. drow adamantite. These items rest on a wooden table against the
south wall.
.d Room. When the PCs reach the bottom of the stairs, they The manacles and knife are cursed so that anyone who touches
2Cl x 20 room. The floor is covered with sawdust to absorb them outside of the chapel or this storeroom becomes unable to ap-

34
roach another living creature without makmg his or her presence can be bought off with a new spell for his spellbook. If these hun a r e
n o m (i.e., surprise is always lost). If the curse is lifted-requiring a pressed to fight, they try to render the PCs unconscious rather than
‘mouecurse spell cast by a 10th-levelpriest or higher-the manacles kill them outright, so that they can capture sacrificial victims (male
?d knife crumble to dust. They also crumble to dust 1 4 rounds after PCs) or slaves (female PCs). Kine and Harmin change to killing at-
irect exposure to sunlight, though the curse persists until magically tacks as soon as they realize that they are losing the fight.
!moved. It is impossible to locate a buyer for these items. The table has a hinged top that, when opened, reveals Harmin’s
spellbook. It contains all of the wizard’s memorized spells plus the
3. Cold Room. This 4 0 x 30 room is noticeably cooler than the rest following: armor, comprehend languages, read magic, shield, deep, Toasha’s
f the dungeon, although it is not uncomfortably cold. It selves as the uncontrollable hideous laughter, and continual light.
.ir of two ice mephits who serve the Disciples of Delights as Kine (5th-level buman thief): AC 4; M T 12; T5; hp 18; THACO 18;
uardians and sentries. They were sent by Shami-Amourae herself, #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 10, D 18, C 14, I 13, W 10, Ch 10;
LOR to ensure Hadonis’ loyalty than to obey his commands. SA/SD rogue abilities; SZ M; ML 11;AL CE; XP 270; leather armor,
The mephits attack intruders first with their breath weapons, then long sword, dagger.
.ith their claws. If reduced to 5 hp or fewer, a mephit tries to gate in Rogue abilities: PP 35%, OL 35%, FRT 30%, MS 60%,HS 50%, DN
ne other ice mephit but only has a 25%chance to succeed. Each 40%, CW 80%, RL 20%.
iephit can attempt this once/day only It is suggested that the DM Harmin (6th-level human wizard): AC 9; MV 12; W6; hp 19;
ot allow the mephits to summon reinforcements unless the charac- THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon type; S 12, D 11, C 14, I
ITS are having an easy time with the two already stationed here. 16, W 15, Ch 13; SA/SD spells; SZ M; ML 10; AL CE; XP 420; dagger,
The mephits insult and poke fun at the characters while they at- ring of protection +I, pouch containing two 100-gp pearls.
ck.They have no treasure and usually perch atop a pair of stone Spells (3/3/2): 1st-idmtifi, shocking r a s p , spider ciimb; 2nd-
ielves, one positioned over each door. when slain, an ice mephit invisibility, stinking cloud, web; 3rd-fe;p death, slow.
ansforms into a puddle of ice water.
Ire mephits (2): AC 5; MV 12, Fly 24 (B); HD 3; bp 14,12; THACO 16. Hadanis’ Room. This 2 0 x 20 room is beautifully decorated and
7; #AT 2; Dmg I-2/1-2; SA breath weapon (volley of ice shards; 15’ contains a bed, table, chair, and writing desk. Hadonis, wearing black
mge; 1d6 hp damage or save for half); SD immune to cold-based at- clerical robes, is encountered herein. Deerhunter-if he is still with
cks; SZ M; INT average (8);AL N; XI’ 420. the party-recognizes Hadonis immediately. Since Hadonis i s the
spiritual leader of the Disciples of Delights, he occupied the mom
L. Corridor. Like area 10, this T-shaped corridor is a roughly-hem guarding the treasure vault. (Besides, it’s his house.) There is a 25%
assage. A guard, Sextus, is posted at the junction of the two hallways.
xtus is a gloryseeker who attempts to fight off m y number of in-
uders single-handedly He can be bought, but the bribe must be con-
derable (500 g p or more) to get his attention. Even then, his loyalty
!mains questionable, and he attacks with the slightest provocation.
Sextus might not be looking toward the characters when they
iter the corridor. The DM should roll Id10 to determine which di-
ction he is facing: 1, facing area 18; 2-5, facing area 21; 610, facing
pa 13. Sextus moves quickly toward the PCs to enter battle as soon
i he realizes they are in the corridor. Other than his magical sword,
I carries no treasure.
Sexhls (6th-level human fighter): AC 4; MV 9; F6; hp 29; THACO
j (base);#AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 15, D 13, C 10, I 11, W 9, Ch
5; SZ M; ML 16; AL CN; banded mail, broadsword +I (named
Ithfinder; AL N; 1NT 12; Ego 2; detects secret doors within 1’radius).

la. Escape Passage. This is the escape mute for the Disciples of De-
phts. A secret door near the east end of area 14 leads to a 40-long
innel. At the south end of the tunnel, sturdy hand- and foot-holds
ave been carved into the rock. They climb 115 feet up to a hollowed-
ut tree at the top of the cliff. Illumination comes from a continual
yht spell cast on a handhold 60 feet up the shaft.

5. Reception Room. This 10 x 2 0 room is soundproofed. It is corn-

xtably furnished with a plush couch, hexagonal table, and small
npty cabinet.
There are two men in this room, one wearing leather armor, the
her not visibly armored. These two are Hadonis’ chief aides, who
ften act in his name without his permission. The one in leather
rmor is named Kine, and the other is a wizard named Harmin.
Hadonis’ two lieutenants can be easily convinced to take a bribe
> ignore the PCs. In fact, Kine suggests a bribe if the characters do
ot (unless,of course, they are charging in to fight). Kine demands
,000 g p or its equivalent in gems, jewelry, or magical items. Harmin
chance that Hadonis is asleep when the PCs enter the room, assum-
ing he does not awaken to the sounds of combat in area 15.If asleep,
he awakens and automatically loses initiative that first round. When Shami-Amourae
he attacks, he does so with the intention of taking prisoners. He does
not engage in idle conversation and saves his sanctuary spell for when
"Th.e Lady of Delights,"
he needs to make a getaway 2ueen of Succubi
The writing desk holds several sheets of parchment, jars of ink, 'ortfolio: Debased ems, seduction, temptation
quill pens, padded manacles (showing signs of heavy use), and the iliases: Sharni, Jerebel
iron key to the treasure room (area 17).The secret door to the treasure 'lane: The Abyss
room is blocked by the chair, which is easily pushed aside. iuperior: Demogorgan
Hadonis (7th-level human priest): AC 10; MV 12; P7; hp 33; i l k s : Demogorgon, Pan, Tlazolteotl, Graz'zt
THACO 16; #AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon type; S 12, D 7, C 15,114, 'oes: Aphrodile, Hera, Hanali Celanil. lshtar
W 13, Ch 14; SA/SD spells; SZ M; ML 10; AL CE; XP 650; unarmed. iymbol: Blood-red lips with protruding fangs, or, image of a
Spells (4/3/2/1): l s t i a u s e light wounds (x3), sanctuary; 2nd-kold succubus
person (x3); 3rd-bestow curse (reverse of remove curse), cause disease; Worshipers' Alignment: CE
4th-cause serious wounds.
;hami-Amourae normally appears as a succubus with white skin,
17. Treasure Room. This 10 x 20 room holds the Disciples of De- ed lips, and golden hair. No mutter what her form, shr always
Las a Charismd score of 22 and never appears as a male. Shami-
lights' treasure hoard. The treasure, scattered loose about the room,
imourae has all the abilities of a succubus and saves against all
includes 4,217 cp, 1,051 sp, 523 ep, 96 gp, 11 pp, two gems (worth
ttacks on a roll of 2 or better on ld20. She can also use the follow
50 @ apiece), a ring of clumsiness with a secondary power offire resist- ng powers at will, at 22nd-level of ability: cltnrni niomft'i, clnirrm-
ance, and the keys to the cells in area 21.There are also a suit of nce, dnrknpss I,?' wdius, ener'Q dram, and frnp the soul. She can p t e
banded mail and a long sword, both of which belong to the paladin a her location her entire retinue nr any one other inhabitant of tht
in the cell block. ibyss except for deities, their proxies, and Abyssai planar rulers
such as Graz'zt, Lolth, or Demngoreoni. Her retinue is comorisw
IS. Sleeping Quartea. lhis chamber is guarded by the skeleton of a
female half-elf armed with a short sword. Hadonis animated it and or.
dered it to attack anyone with a drawn weapon. It d w s not leave the
mom unless the characten take something, at which point it will pursue.
Hadonis and his lieutenants and guards are the only permanent
residents of the retreat. All other worshipers arrive on the night of the ~gme ieaeis or ner opponents. if fnrcea to tlgnt a aemg Impen.1-
full moon for the monthly sacrifice,but they rarely stay overnight. us to energy drain, she rakes with her sharp fingernails.
Thus, there are only four beds in this 20 x 20 room, each with a shelf Shami-Arnourae was once an intelligent sorceress long before
mounted on the wall above it. One of the shelves holds a crude ob- he was consigned to the Abyss. Upon her dpath, she became a
sidian statuette of a horse (worth 20 @). While it resembles an obsid- mw., then a quasit, then a succubus. Her great skill and beauty
aused Demogorgon to elevate her tn a demigod, and she has
ian steed pgurine of wondrous power) and can be enchanted to become
sed that statui; to become quccn of all succubi. (This is, of
one, it is not magical. The room holds no other treasure.
ourse, a nominal title, since succubi are higlilv chaotic. However
Skeleton: AC 7; MV 12; HD 1; hp 4; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; . . . . .
SD suffers half damage from edged and piercing weapons; immune
to poison, paralysis, and death magic; MR immune to sleep, charm,
hold, and cold-based spells; SZ M; ML 20; INT non (0); AL N; X P 65

19. Anteroom. The door to area 20 is locked, and the key was taken
away by the elves who resided here 20 years ago, long before Hado-
nis arrived. Thieves have a +lo% modifier to their open lacks rolls
due to the simplicity of the locking mechanism, but they suffer a -5%
penalty to find the trap on the door. If the trap is unsuccessfully dis- nami-nmourile somenmes nestroys priests wno are roo aiiurlng
armed (no modifier on the chance to disarm the trap), or if the trap is )I their own good. A capricious demigoddess who docsn't like
not detected, a grinding noise is heard under the floor. Five seconds > feel rivaled, :;he succumbs to iQr7lOUSV rather easily.
later, the floor drops away, revealing a 10 deep pit. If a player says Shami-Amourae's worshipers sacrifice 'liman, half-elven, or
his character is moving out of the room during the five seconds he Iven males to her once a month, at midnight on the night of the
hears the grinding noise, the PC is entitled to a Dexterity check to 111 moon. Any worshiper who fails her in this regard is visited
leap into the hall before the trap opens. (Deerhunter always tries to y one of her IIiinions and "spirited away" to the Abyss. She is
jump back into the corridor.) uite unforgivi
Yo matter Y
Characters who fail their Dexterity check fall into the pit, suffering
1-6 hp damage. If the lock is successhlly picked, the door to area 20 IM can include, the demigoddess in his or her ongoing campaign.
can be easily opened. Shami-Amourae: AC -5; MV 24, Fly 36 (R); P19/F12/W22; hp
30; THACO -5; #AT 2 (rakes);Dmg 1-6/1-6; S 18/00, D 20, C 19,
20. Pool Roam. The only feature of this natural room is a pool of 18. W 20, Ch 2.2; SA energy drain, spells and spell-like abilities;
water that has magical qualities. Adefecf magic spell reveals equal jD +3 or better weapons (+I if iron) to hit, spells and spell-like
parts alteration, evocation, and necromantic magic. If an empty po- tbilities; MR 85%;SZ M; AL CE.
tion bottle is filled with water from the pool, the water changes to the

36
ion that previously filled the bottle. The same is hue for .~n thieves' tools, due to a sloppy oversight, giving the PCs a chance to
that once contained holy or unholy water. This happens free themselves once they're locked away with the other prisoners.
imes for any one person. Drinking the water straight from The book of infinite spells has 12 pages unturned. The contents of
res 1-8 hp damage, but it works only once per person. Re- the book, in order, are as follows:
how much time passes after the water is imbibed, a per- 4 teleport (fifth-levelwizard spell);
benefit a second time from the healing waters of the pool. 4 blank page;
iious elf inhabitants considered themselves keepers of the 4 control weather (sixth-level wizard spell);
left 20 years ago when a drought in the area threatened 4 Melf's minute meteors (third-level wizard spell);
I they have been prevented from returning by the presence 4 monster summoning V (seventh-level wizard spell);
and the followers of Shami-Amourae. 0 chant (second-level cleric spell);
4 blank page;
ck. These chambers have been converted into holding 4 domination (fifth-levelwizard spell);
ami-Amourae's sacrifices.The locks a n the barred doors 4 laritute (second-level wizard spell);
lent quality (-10% penalty to a thief's open lacks roll). The *:*flame strike (fifth-level cleric spell);
cells are kept in area 17. control weather (seventh-level cleric spell);
4 monster summoning IV (sixth-level wizard spell)
There is one prisoner in this cell, a paladin who was cap-
ys ago. Colar was drawn to the lair by strong emanations
vas quickly cornered by the guards and held by Hadonis' Concluding- the Adventure
3pell. Twice a day-each time he is fed-he has been told If the heroes successfully recover the book of infinite spells and =turn
ds that he is going to be sacrificed at midnight. As a re- in to the Glade of Raven in Highland, each character should receive
become highly melancholy Colar is reluctant to do any- 250 XP for completing the mission. This amount is added to any ex-
the party without being asked repeatedly His condition perience gained from defeating Hadonis and his henchmen, as well
3 by casting a bless, aid, or prayer spell upon him. as the experience awarded for rescuing the prisoners in area 21.
rmikal (2nd-level human paladin): AC 9; M V 12; Pa2; hp Moonwind is very appreciative of the characters' heroism and fulfills
19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 15, D 15, C 13, I 10, W her end of the bargain by paying the PCs in full and helping them
D immune to disease, cure disease once/week, heal 4 hp any other way she can.
y, protectionfrom evil aura (10 radius), detect evil intent If Hadonis and his disciples escape the lair, they seek sanctuary
SZ M; ML 14 (currently 7);AL LG; XP 420 (for rescue elsewhere until they can regroup and strike back against those who
ned. thwarted them before the eyes of Shami-Amourae. R

The prisoner in this cell is Quintus, a priest of Dionysus

rother of Sextus (the guard in area 14).He entered the
find his brother and take him away to be "depro-
but he was captured before he ever reached the lower
The Matchmakers
other intervened to keep him alive but refuses to leave "The Matchmakers" is an AD&D" adventure for 3 4 chaotic or neu-
eing a realist, Quintus is willing to leave without Sextus tral characters of levels 1-3 (about 10 total levels). It is not recom-
blame the PCs if they have already killed him. mended for those of lawful or evil alignments. Female PCs and a
(3rd-levelhuman priest): AC 10; MV 12; P3; hp 13; "HAC0 thief would be helpful but are not absolutely necessary.
' mgby spell or weapon W e ; S 9, D 11, C 10, I 13, W 14, Ch
m
,e&; SZ 'M; ML 11; AL CN; X P 270 (for rescue only).
/I): lst--command, cure light wounds (x2), protectionfrom Adventure Background
id. The city of Povem is a busy and pmsperous seaport. Its sheltered bay and
moderate dimate make it ideal for nearly year-round shipping--a red
In the middle of the cell stands a wooden lectern upon boon to merchants The governing body of Povero is a council of elders
the book of infinite spells. The lectern is trapped, of course. who work with the heads of the local guilds to order and to see
:bars of his cell, Quintus watched the trap being set, that business in the city is conduded in a pmfesiond m m e r .
reset, so he knows what it can do. The trap is triggered by The elders are appointed for lifetime terms by the landowners and
>lateunder the book. If the plate is not loaded with some- registered, taxpaying citizens. The city charter's many checks and
ly equivalent in mass to the book (10 Ibs.) to a maximum balances prevent any single individual from gaining too much power.
ie trap is sprung. Most of the time the system works smoothly and the citizens like it,
;that a trap is present and knowing how it works are very but there are always troublemakers who like to stir things up to their
a PC thief must still make a remove traps roll with a +25% own advantage.
21 she knows of the trap's existence. If the trap is s p m g , Of the merchant princes who command great influence in
eleases a cloud of sleep gas that instantly fills the cell black. Povero, there are three main families: the Savelles, the Holbins, and
L everyone to sleep for 2d6 turns (roll for each person; suc- the Folbres. The Savelles and Holbins have been rivals for several
vs. poison negates the effect).Holding one's breath allows generations and have engaged in much spirited competition.
'0the saving throw, while simply covered one's nose and Though their business dealings are kept in Strict line by the city
a cloth allows a +2 bonus. If the trap is triggered, Quintus charter, these two families often secretly indulge in minor vandal-
lust also save vs. poison or fall unconscious. ism and juvenile practical jokes, kept at a fairly harmless level for
the Disciples of Delights are left alive, they strip the PCs fear of serious reprisals from the council. If the Holbins discover
pons and annor in three turns. They won't take away any their house gates painted shocking pink on one day, they might

37
respond by decorating the Savelle chimneys with chamberpats the prey and try to escape. If they stay and fight, the PCs must face NPC
next. Such antics provide plenty of entertainment and gossip at the thugs equal in number to the size of the PCs’ part, plus an extra
local public houses, and each family has its share of supporters 1 4 thugs.
among the common people. The gentleman, Aldron Folbre, looks upon the PCs as his rescuers
The Folbres, headed by the young and very handsome Aldron and is certainly grateful for their aid, whether it was active or not.
Folbre, have been in Povero for a mere 20 years and are still consid- He is a hit breathless at first and rueful at being caught out away
ered newcomers in some quarters, hut they are very rich Aldron is a from his usual bodyguards, promising he will not make the same
serious and ambitious businessman, a combination that has brought mistake twice. At the very least, he must invite them to be his guests
him considerable profits since he took over the family business an his at the nearest public house for a fortifying drink and a bite to eat.
father’s death. Though some say his wealth is coming too easily, he is Folbre has been slightly injured in the fight, and some nasty bruises
a very likeable person and is on friendly terms with members of both on his legs and arms from the ruffians’ clubs are making themselves
the Savelle and Holbin families. One of his best friends is the young felt.
heir, Richard Savelle, and the two are often seen together hunting, Limping a hit, he leads them to the Admiral’s Arms, a public
hawking, or engaging in any of the other activities that amuse rich house where he is greeted with friendship by the innkeeper and
fops. shown to a private room where he and the PCs are well served. Dur-
ing the ensuing introductions and conversation, Folbre determines
A Call For Help whether the PCs are new in town and in need of employment. He is
taking their measure, deciding if they are right for a special job he has
The player characters may arrive in town by whatever means is con- in mind. He might be reluctant to ask them to do it. They helped him
venient to the campaign. During their explorations, they eventually once for nothing; would they be willing to help him again, this time
pass a dark, dank alley where they hear the unmistakable sounds of a for a suitable financial return? He warns that they might not like
fight. Like any city, Povera has its share of thieves and ruffians look- what he has in mind, because technically it calls for some breaking of
ing to fatten their pockets or simply to cause trouble. the law-though he maintains that, in this case, they’d only be bend-
If the PCs investigate, they find a well-dressed gentleman in a vi- ing it a little. If the PCs are interested, he outlines the problem and his
cious battle with some ruffians (see below). The PCs should want to plan to solve it.
join in the fight, for the gentleman is outnumbered; as soon as he Aldron Folbre (2nd-level human fighter): AC 6; MV 12 (currently
glimpses the newcomers, he urgently cries for aid. 9); F2; hp 16 (currently 12); THACO 19 (base); #AT 3/2; Dmg by
When the ruffians are aware of the party’s arrival, they require a weapon type; S 16, D 14, C 13, I 16, W 11,Ch 16; SA specialized with
morale check. Should they fail, they stop fighting their lone and easy long sword (+Ito hit, +2 damage); SZ M; ML 13; AL LE; XP 120;
leather armor, ring of protection +2, long sword (specialized).
Ruffians (1st-level human fighters): AC 8; MV 12; F1; hp 6 each;
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 to determine
ability scores; SZ M; ML 10; AL CN; XP 15; club, dagger.

The Course of True Love ...

If the PCs are intrigued and urge Folbre on, he tells them about the ri-
valry between the Savelles and the Holbins, and how much they hate
each other. That is hut a complication to the greater problem, though.
His best friend, Richard Savelle, has fallen hopelessly in love with
Master Holbin’s beautiful and only daughter, Elissa, and she with
him. Their families, of course, absolutely refuse to allow them to
marry and, in fact, Master Holhin has arranged a more advantageous
and profitable match for Elissa. Her loathing for the fat old merchant
they’ve chosen for her means nothing; after all, business is business.
Richard is too emotionally involved to think straight and has
come to his friend Aldron for help in rescuing his beloved. Folbre
was at a loss for a solution until his meeting with the PCs. Since they
are strangers in town, they have no business interests that would be
affected by the rivalry, and if they helped him in a fight, they are not
put off by a little risk. His plan is to have them “kidnap’’ Elissa Hol-
bin so she and Richard can be married.
Elissa is well guarded, so it won’t he easy, hut Folbre is willing to
offer the characters 1,000 gp each for one day’s work, plus another
500 g p if they can do it with a minimum of violence. Should they ask
how he will profit by the union, he explains that once the two are
legally married and present themselves as such hefore the town eld-
ers, the two families will have to stop their feud, which is adversely
affecting trade. When the feud ends, profits will soar and everyone,
including himself, will benefit.
If the PCs agree and ask how he plans to kidnap Elissa, he replies
that he has no plan; he is a businessman, not a tactician. However, in
 his intentions once the PCs bring Elissa to the city park. PCs with ESP
Daily Schedule of Elissa Holbin might learn he has something to hide, but at the moment his surface
700 A . M Rises, bathes, dresses (area 13). thoughts are entirely concerned with the immediate job. See the sec-
8:00 A.M. Breakfasts with family (area 7). tion on “The Dancing Maidens” for more information.
Y:O0 A . M Walks about grounds accompanied by one maid PCs casting divinatory spells in Folbre’s presence receive a cold
and sin loyal men-at-arms. glare. He considers such a move to be poor manners indeed and re-
1000 A.M. Spends time in parlor (area 5) or atrium (area acts accordingly, withdrawing his offerof employment and himself as
11) with other women, sewing or reading. well, getting out of range of the spell. He is, after all, a gentleman; a
1 l : O O A.M. Helps supervise lunch preparation in kitchen finds such open distrust from the party quite insulting. If such a s i b -
(area 8). ation arises, the DM must keep Folbre’s reaction understandably rea-
Noon Eats lunch with family (area 7). sonable, enough to possibly cause the spell to be miscast, hut not so
1:00 P.M. Takes short nap in her room (area 13). much as to make the party suspicious. He behaves much the same as
200 I’.M. Rises, takes the carriage to market area for they would if their positions were reversed.
shopping, usually accompanied by her mother, If the characters discover that Folbre is evil and want nothing
two maids, and the six men-at-arms. (Gate- more to do with him,the meeting dissolves, and he leaves. Folbre im-
house guards admit no one hut family mediately begins searching for a group of ruffians willing to complete
members onto the Holbin House grounds the job. (The first group of ruffians whom he confronted took offense
during this time.) to his “aristocratic attitude.”) At this point, the adventure is not nec-
6:00 P.M. Returns from city, changes clothes in mom
essarily over. The characters have the option of hailing Folbre, spying
(area 13).
on him until they learn what he’s really up to.
700 I’.~.I. Eats dinner with family (area 7).
8:00 PA<. Family goes to parlor (area 5) for evening wine
gossip, music, and games.
1000 P.M. Has evening bath in room (area 13), then
... Never Did Run Smooth
retires for the night. The party should learn that Elissa lives a highly insulated and con-
trolled life. Strangers approaching her and asking her to quietly come
along with them would alarm and frighten her. Folbre warns that she
anticipation of some solution, he has written out a description of the is maware they are trying to help her, and it is important that she be
girl (curly blond hair, blue eyes, S 4 tall, prefers to wear blue gowns) kept quiet, at least until they have a chance to explain the situation to
and assembled interior diagrams of Holbin House and various placer her. Once she understands she will soon he reunited with Richard,
in the city where it might be possible to get close to Elissa. One of his Elissa will he fully cooperative. Folbre asks the characters not to men-
servants is a cousin to the maid at Holbin House, and through her he tion his name to Elissa. Since the kidnapping is illegal, he naturally
has obtained a schedule of Elissa’s daily routine. He places this infor- wants to keep a low profile. If she asks who sent them, the PCs may
mation at the party’s disposal and, within reason, finances their ven- say they are from Richard. Folbre is of the opinion that, though very
ture, over and above the reward he has promised. He is willing to pretty and charming, Elissa is not overly smart, and it would be best
purchase any supplies the PCs requirerope, horses, a wagon, not to burden her with information she does not need.
forged documents, uniforms, and so forth-r he can tell them where If the PCs pull of the kidnapping successfully, they might en-
to purchase these supplies, but they’ll have to present a receipt to be counter one major problem that neither they nor Folbre could have
reimbursed. He might seem an eccentric romantic, but where money anticipated-they may have snatched the wrong girl! Elissa’s cousin
is concerned, Aldron is no fool. Trea is visiting Povero. The two girls are the same age and are the
Using the maps and schedule, the PCs can figure out for them- daughters of twin sisters, so Folbre’s description of Elissa also fits
selves where and when to kidnap Elissa. They can sneak into the Trea. Trea is in the wrong place at the right time (on a 50% chance,
house to snatch her, wait outside and follow her when she goes to the wherever the PCs decide to perform the kidnapping) and might be
market, or devise some plan of their own. Folbre, however, wants the kidnapped in place of her cousin unless circumstances dictate other-
girl kidnapped before midnight tomorrow, for that is when she is to wise. Since Falbre declines to actively help the PCs because of his in-
be lawfully betrothed to the old merchant. juries, he isn’t around to tell them they goofed.
According to local custom, because of the contracts signed and the Trea assumes she’s being kidnapped for ransom and is very fright-
money involved, a betrothal is as legally binding as a marriage. ened, just as Elissa would be. She screams for help (unless silenced)
Should the kidnapping o c c u after the betrothal, Elissa‘s wedding to and tries to escape. If the party bothers to tell her why she’s being car-
Richard could (and would) be easily m u l l e d . Folbre asks the PCs to ried off, she is smart enough to keep her mouth shut until she feels
bring Elissa to The Dancing Maidens, a secluded park within the city, she can trust the PCs with the truth of her identity. When and if she
one hour before midnight, where they will be met by Richard Savelle finds out who hired the PCs for the job, she loses no time informing
and a holy man to perfom the marriage ceremony them of Folbre’s true character. Trea pays more attention to business
Folbre can answer the PCs’ general questions about Povero, but it matters than her cousin does and knows that an alliance between the
is up to them to come up with a successful plan. If it works, the DM Savelles and the Holbins is the last thing that Folbre wants; it would
can award experience paints for solving the kidnap problem and give be financial suicide for him. She correctly guesses he has something
a bonus for using a minimum of violence or no violence at all. Folbre more sinister in mind, but she cannot confirm her suspicions. Trea has
stresses the importance of avoiding violence, as it will be for their met Folbre on several social occasions and does not trust him.
own good should they get caught. He promises to help them in any Depending on their alignments and brains, the PCs must do some
way he can if they are so unlucky, but they will have a much harder serious thinking to get themselves out of trouble. They have no real
time with the law if they kill or maim anyone, especially Elissa. proof of Folbre’s involvement with the kidnapping. They are
While Folbre has been partially truthful with the PCs and cor- strangers in the city, and he is an established and respected citizen. If
rected outlined Elissa’s and Richard’s predicament, he has lied about they opt to run, Trea asks them to stay and help, matching Folbre’s

39
 THE CITY AND BAY OF POVERO The City of Povero
Povero is described in general here. It resem-
bles an early Renaissance Italian port city. S p c
cific encounters in the city may be devised by
the DM as required. Refer to the map of the
city of Povero to locate the areas described
below.

1.Fishtown. This is a suburb of Pavero and the

harbor for the city's great fishing fleet. The
many boats here leave at dawn and return b e
fore dark with their catch. The fish are either
salted and dried in the processing sheds for in-
land shipment or hawked h s h in the city mar-
kets. Boats may be hired here at almost any
time of the day or night.

2. Warehouse District. This is the heart of all

major shipping for the area. It is a busy place,
with ships constantly arriving and departing,
,-.._. N
f 8
loading and unloading their cargoes. The
sailors of these ships enjoy their free time to the
fullest in the warren of inn, grog shops, and
gambling and tattoo parlors that line the
crooked and smelly streets. The city guards do
what they can to keep the peace. They maintain
several small holding jails where sailors can
sleep it off if they have had too much of a good

payment offer since she is rich in her own right. She fears that even if
-
time. Any sailor taking an unscheduled nan in
the street is likely to be "recruited for a long and sobering sea voy-
he is thwarted this time, he might try to stir up more mischief later age by one of the roving press gangs that frequent the area. PCs who
on. But her primary wish is to see her cousin happily married to become separated from the party might become the target of these
Richard. press gangs. Parties that stick together and put up a bold front are
Whatever their course, the PCs are in a very hot spot for Trea's ab- usually ignored.
duction if they anger her and she chooses to press charges. The hon-
est citizens of Povera take a dim view of kidnappers, duped or not. 3. Market Area. This area is linked to the warehouse district but is far
Folbre might also be after them for bungling the job, to keep them more respectable. This district supports more merchants per square
from talking. If they attempt to go to the law to set things straight, yard than any other place in the city. Almost all the trade and ship-
they find the guard house thick with Folbre's men, all of them pre- ping business is conducted here by striking deals in the street or in
pared to draw their swords now and ask questions later, the many taverns, inns, and coffee houses that abound here. Most of
Once the news of Elissa's (or Trea's) kidnapping gets out, the the city's shops are located here as well, along with a massive open-
city's reaction will be one of shock and outrag-specially if anyone air market.
is harmed. Patrols will be everywhere, checking out suspicious char-
acters and all newcomers ta the town. If the DM wishes, the Holbins 4. Municipal District. The city elders meet here to do the work of
might even go so far as to enlist the services of yet another party of running the local government. The city guard and watch headquar-
adventurers, perhaps close friends of the family, to recover the miss- ters, the main jail, and the public courts are located here as well.
ing girl. The DM should arbitrate this as necessary, though close en-
counters with the city guards need not be played out in detail if the 5. Shore Street. This 50-wide avenue is paved with brick all the way
PCs are careful. Note that one guard in six is either secretly in Fal- from Fishtown (area 1) to The Dancing Maidens (area 8). It is the
bre's pay or so favorably inclined toward him as to actively support main thoroughfare through Povero and almost always clogged with
any of his plans that are not obviously evil. carts, wagons, horses, and pedestrians.
Elissa Holhin (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; h p 4;
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 8, D 13, C 8, I 11,W 11, Ch 6. Bay Road. This avenue is paved from its intersection with the
16; SZ M; ML 7; AL LG; unarmed. Great East-West Road (area 7) to its terminus in the warehouse dis-
Trea Devasro (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; h p 4; trict. It, too, is usually clogged with traffic.
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 9, D 12, C 9, I 15, W 16,
Ch 16; SZ M; ML 9; AL CG; unarmed. 7. The Great East-West Road. This wide avenue is unpaved, but it is
City guards: AC 5; MV 9; F2; h p 12 each; THACO variable; #AT 1; an important overland route, running roughly parallel to Shore Street
h g by weapon type; all ability scores are 12; SZ M; ML 13; AL (area 5 ) for about 10 miles, then swinging away from the coastline to-
varies; X P 35; chain mail, long sword, club, dagger. ward the mountains to the north.
 ther is away on business for the day, and the other servants have
been given time off prior to the betrothal.
The DM must remember the 50% chance that Trea is present at
Holbin House. It might be assumed that Trea and Elissa are having a
ilbin House tiff over last night's chess game, which Trea won, and are thus not
seen in each other's presence during the day until nightfall, when the
:ed on a hill to the east and slightly north of the city, Halbin quarrel is resolved.
e is a twestory study in local luxury The grounds and the Miranda Holbin (0-level human): AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3;
:itself are detailed below. THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 8, D 9, C 9, I 11, W 12, Ch
15; SZ M; ML 8; AL LG; unarmed.
:Grounds Miranda is 40 years old and quite lovely. She is every bit an aristo-
crat, but unlike many of her peers she is gentle and good-natured.
a1 acres of grounds surround the house, all walled in and given She loathes the conniving and scheming that occurs routinely within
:o a small herd of goats whose job it is to keep the grass short her circle of "friends."
9 provide milk. Two male goats are present, and they are known Attending servants: AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 3 each; THACO 20;
ack strangers within 30 yards (40% chance/round). #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 to determine ability scores;
large pond 300 yards south of the house is home to a flock of SZ M; ML 9; AL LG; unarmed.
that make a terrific honking and hissing fuss whenever anyone Men-at-arms (6):AC 8; MV 12; F1; hp 9,8 (x2),7,6,5; THACO 20;
,aches. The noise of their calls has a 20% chance per round of #AT 3/2; Dmg by weapon type; all ability scores are 12; SA special-
ing the attention of people at Holbin House, who may fear a ized with short sword (+1 to attack, +2 damage); SZ M; ML 15; AL
,as gotten onto the grounds. LG; leather armor, short sword, club.
Le brick wall surrounding the grounds is 10 tall and 1' thick, with
nought iron gates, one at the main enhance off Bay Road and the
at the postern off the Great East-West Road. Both gates are locked
Lower Level
ht, and a gatekeeper resides in each gatehouse at all times. 1.Heating Plant. During the few months of the year that are cold,
le grounds are well kept, full of fruit trees and berry bushes. this heating plant keeps the house toasty warm. A series of pipes run
is a garden near the kitchen (see the Halbin House map, area 8 ) under the house and between the floors from this point. Hot water is
barn, stable, and smithy just off the heating plant (area 1).The pumped through, keeping the house comfortable without the con-
smith does not live on the estate but spends his days here, shoe- stant feeding of fireplaces. Only part of the plant is in use at this time
~ s e and
s maintaining Mrs. Holbin's carriage. His son acts as of year, to provide hot water for the kitchen and baths and to circu-
nand driver to the horses whenever the carriage goes out. One late water in the fountain (area 11). A great deal of coal is kept here,
at-arms rides up front with him; the rest trot behind. Treat both as well as many tools, but little else of value.
acksmith and his son as typical 0-level hirelings.
acksrnith and Driver: AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; hp 5 each; THACO 2. Porch. The north and east sides of the porch are furnished with a
\'I 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 to determine ability number of chairs and tables, along with several large tubs of plants
i;SZ M; ML 9; AL LG; unarmed. and a set of wind chimes.
mts (16): AC 7; MV 15; HD 1+2; h p 8 (e), 7 (x3), 6 (XS), 5 (x3). 4,
;THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SA male goats charge for +2 "to 3. Formal Dining Room. The eight tables in this room are designed to
JI an additional 1-2 hp damage; SZ S; lNT animal (1); ML 10; fit together in various arrangements, depending on the number of
;XP 35. dinner guests. At this time of year, there is no real social season, so
eese (2-16): AC 7; MV 3, Fly 18 (D); HD 1-1; hp 3 each; THACO the tables are covered with long dustsheets, and the 48 dining chairs
\T 1; Dmg 1-2; SD surprised only a n a 1 on ld10; SZ T; INT ani- are lined up against the walls. The family members take their meals
I); ML 7; AL N; XP 15. in the long gallery (area 7). The dining mom is not closed offthrough,
for servants often use it as a shortcut to other rooms Two cabinets in
3 House this mom each display 12 rare and valuable antique vases and
glasses, each worth about 50-500 g p but being extremely fragile (save
ouse is surrounded by a 30-wide, squareshaped porch paved as glass). No silverware is usually kept here.
rtone. The roof extends out on lofty pillars to cover the porch.
, is always shade available somewhere on the porch-a very im- 4. The Grand Hall. This very large room lined with paintings and
nt consideration in a warm and humid climate. Specific contents tapestries is where parties and receptions are held. Four stout pillars
.h room of the house are left for the DM to decide; the Holbins help support the second floor, and two staircases leading up form a
lite wealthy, and their possessions are of the finest quality, hut frame to the atrium doors. Numerous portraits line the walls, each
ire not ostentatious, and thieves will find the fast-grab pickings picture being worth 100400 g p to a collector.
; good as they might hope. Very few weapons are left around
u s e , though some items (letter openers, table knives, walking 5. Parlor. This is the most comfortable room in the house. The family
,and so forth) might double as weapons in a pinch. spends a lot of time here, as evidenced by the comfortable padded
!cause of the many possible plans that PCs could develop to kid- chairs, game tables, musical instruments, and sewing projects. When
Zlissa from her home, specific locations for the inhabitants are the ladies are not in the courtyard (area 111, they are usually found
only in general detail. On the day the PCs arrive at the house here. The contents of this room may be improvised by the DM; the
deed, they do sa), only Elissa (and possibly her cousin Trea), her most valuable portable items here are the musical instruments, partic-
er Miranda, four maids, the blacksmith and son (detailed ularly the three silver flutes (worth 300 g p each) and the platinm-
?),the gatekeepers, and six men-at-arms are present. Elissa's fa- stringed lap harp (worth 750 gp). Several lutes, carved jade chess

41
 smaller desk for his secretary/scribe, and
plenty of shelves full of bound paper records.
As noted earlier, at the time the PCs arrive,
Master Holbin and his male secretary are away
on business.

10. Library. The books that fill this mom are

mostly about business and economics, though
a few express the ladies’ tastes. There are sev-
eral comfortable chairs and tables and strategi-
cally placed oil lamps. The library doubles as a
display room for Mrs. Holbin’s hck-knacks
and other dust collectors. The DM should NS-
tom-design a variety of unusual items that
could be found here; few of them should be
magical unless they area only of curiosity or
display value. Same of the trinkets could be
fairly expensive (worth as much as 1,000 gp),
but none is especially gaudy

11.Courtyard. Sometimes called the atrium, this

open court is the showpiece of the house. The
courtyard extends upward to the open sky
above the second floor. Four wide windows,
usually open, overlook the court from the up-
stairs halls. The courtyard also makes a good
shortcut to other rooms, so some members of
the household can almost always be found
passing through. In the w a r n months, the
sound of water fmm the large central fountain
is soothing and cooling. The place is green with
pieces, and small wall hangings may also be found. The knitting nee- many kinds of ornamental plants growing in pots and hanging from
dles could be used as weapons (Dmg 1-2). baskets. In each comer stands a low marble bench. The fountain edge
is 1’high and 1’across.
6. Conservatory. A year-round hothouse for Mrs. Holbin’s prize flow- Mrs. Holbin’s two pet parrots live here in the warn months. Both
ers, this room is warm and humid even in winter. The hot water talk and love to show off for visitors, whether invited to or not. Any
pipes that run above floor level along the lines of tables keep her deli- strangers entering this area after the household has gone to asleep
cate plants in good health. No valuables are here, though some items awaken the birds, who greet them loudly and try to perform for a re
(like small trowels and clippers) could sewe as minor weapons. ward. Anyone trying to attack the birds causes them to emit alarmed
squawks and fly up to the second floor for safety
7. The Long Gallery. Running the back length of the house, this is an- Parrots ( 2 ) :AC 7; MV 1, Fly 24 (C);HD 1-1; h p 3 each; THACO 20;
other leisure area and contains the back stairs and an informal dining #AT 1; Dmg 1; SD never surprised; SZ T; INT semi- (4); ML 6; AL N;
table and chairs. When the family is not here, the servants use it to XP 15.
enjoy their free time.

8. Kitchen. This room has all the modem conveniences: running

Upper Level
water, a large stove, and long preparation tables. The head house- 12. Roof of the Heating Plant. Made of baked red tiles and slanting
keeper and cook have keys to the pantry and keep a strict watch on slightly away from the house, the roof of the heating Dlant is a 10
it. Only Master Halbin has the key to the small wine cellar, the trap jump below the roof of the main house.
door to which is located in the pantry floor. Servants on duty spend
their time here, polishing silver, repairing household linens, taking 13. Elissa’s Bedroom. This chamber is furnished with a large bed,
their meals, and so forth, so the house’s bell system is located here. A two large wardrobes, and several chests to hold Elissa’s clothes. A
row of bells is attached to the east wall on either side of the pantry formal gown-her betrothal d r e s s h a n g s from a wardrobe door. Nu-
door-ne bell for each mom inside the house. Anyone pulling on a merous pieces of jewehy may be found in the jewelry box under the
room’s bell mpe summons a servant in one round if in a downstairs bed (up to 15,000 gp worth, as determined by the DM).
room, 1-3 rounds if upstairs. The contents of this room, as well as the other bedrooms, may be
Valuable items here include the silverware, good china, wine elaborated upon by the DM as desired, within the boundaries of what
glasses, rare food and spices, and other obvious possessions. The one might reasonably find within a wealthy merchant family’s home.
knives here are perfectly serviceable as weapons.
14. Trea’s Bedroom. This mom is held for Trea’s frequent visits to
9. The Master’s Office. Holbin keeps long hours and often brings his Povero. It contains one wardrobe on the east wall and a large chest at
work home. This mom is furnished with a large desk and chair, a the foot of the bed, which is against the north wall. The room shows
;igns of current occupation (shoes dropped on
he floor, an open wardrobe door, and so
‘orth).A small portrait painting in a frame
; h o w the two cousins side by side-the only
HOLBIN HOUSE Upper
risible clue that there might be more than one
1 sauare = 10’
Level
’Elissa.” A jewelry box tucked in the chest
22
d d s up to 4,000 g p of jewelry, as determined
iy the DM. Hidden in the bottom of the jew-
:lry box is a silver dagger in an ornate
iheath-a gift fmm a warrior-merchant friend
If Trea’s.

15. Master Bedroom. Elissa’s parents, Frederic

md Miranda Holbin, sleep here together. In
iddition to the large bed, wardrobes, and
:hests, this room contains Mrs. Holbin’s small
writing desk, set between the hvo windows.
Jarious pieces of jewelry are scattered
hroughaut the bottom of one chest (up to
15,000 g p worth), as Mrs. Holbin is not very
rganired. Several interesting mementos are
risible in the room, all of which may be de.
iigned by the DM.

16. Spare Bedroom. Although they must va-

:ate the room for special guests, the butler
i d his wife (the head housekeeper) usually
;deephere. Aside from a 500-gp necklace in a
mrdmhe, there is little of immediate value
iere. m e butler and maids have invested the
najority of their earnings in merchant inter-
ists and local banks.) A belt purse in one chest holds 22 g p 20. Guest Bedrooms. Four guest rooms line the south wall, each fur-
nished with a bath, wardrobe, chest, and bed. None of the rooms is
17. Conservatory Roof. This slightly peaked roof is similar to the currently occupied, as the house party season is over.
ieating plant roof, except for its two large glass windows that catch
21. Storage. This large walk-in closet holds all the upstairs linens. The
he sun’s rays. The windows set into the roof are not designed to sup-
floor in this mom squeaks very loudly when walked upon, alerting
mrt the weight of a human being; any medium-sized PC who stands
everyone at this end of the house (on upper and lower floors) to the
11 walks across a window has a 75% chance per round of falling
presence of someone in the closet. Unless there is good reason to sus-
hrough and crashing onto Mrs. Holbin’s plants, suffering 1-10 hp
pect something is amiss (e.g., the floor suddenly squeaks at 300 A.M.),
iamage from the fall and shattered glass.
the noise is ignored.
Thanks to the windows in the roof, anyone standing at the win-
iows of area 15 or 16 can easily see down inside area 6 . 22. Roof. Twenty feet above the porch, the baked red tiles slant
downward to direct rainfall away from the house. Scaling the tiled
18. Maids’ Bedroom. Four of the junior maids share this room. It is roof requires either the proper equipment or a successful Dexterity
:rowded with beds and chests. Though cramped, it has a fine view check. Any PC without climbing gear who fails his Dexterity check
If the grounds. The contents of the chests are so varied and jum- falls to the ground, sustaining 2-12 hp damage.
,led that anyone searching through them soon realizes that little
if value can he found here. One valuable random item turns up
,er turn of searching, but each such item is worth no more than 30
Povero’s Market Area
;p (e.g., a purse with 12 sp and 2 cp, an ornate copper ring with 5 Elissa regularly visits a number of shops in Povero, since she and her
zp, a paste-jewelry broach worth 2 sp, a rare gold coin worth 5 gp, mother are very serious shoppers. Listed below are the stores she is
L brand-new and rather risque set of undergarments worth 6 sp, most likely to patronize, in the order she usually visits them. Remem-
md so forth). The total value of the small, portable items herein is ber that Trea might also be shopping in the area (50%chance) and fre-
150 gp. quents many of the same establishments, although they will never be
in one shop at the Same time.
19. Senior Maids’ Bedroom. Two maids share this room and must If encountered in the market, Elissa seems to be in a downcast
;hare the adjoining bath with the other four maids. The same note re- mood. Her mother is picking out things for the upcoming betrothal
prding valuables in area 18 also applies here, though discovered val- and wedding, and Elissa is generally depressed about the whole
ies are worth 50 g p or less. A total value of 750 g p applies to the affair and is thinking wistfully of Richard. Trea, on the other hand, is
;mall, portable contents of this room. No weapons (save for a bronze in a fairly good mood, though saddened by her cousin‘s predicament.
etter opener) may he found here. Trea, like Elissa, has sin male bodyguards (in her own employ) but
has no other companions.

43
 All NPCs encountered below, unless otherwise noted, are 0-level 3. Bizarre World. This is a large, high-shelaed, narrow aisled store
umans with the following general statistics: AC 10; MV 12; 0-level; specializing in highly priced imparted items: spices, perfumes, bolts
p 2-5; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 for ability of rare cloth, and other luxury goods. Because of the value of the
:ores; SZ M; ML 8; AL variable; unarmed. merchandise and the rarity of many items, the staff here are always
on the lookout for customers who behave suspiciously-especially
Mistress Bobbin’s Dress Shop. This exclusive and very expensive strangers-for fear they might be thieves. The store employs two
ressmaker is open to ladies only Male PCs are refused entry by the guards to watch the front doors; their job is to refuse entry to suspi-
ery formidable receptionist, Miss Dremonk. The Holbin men-at- cious characters, capturing and holding those who try to sneak into
rms refer to her as Miss Dreadful, but only behind her back, Fifty the stor& If a thief tries to escape with some of the store’s goods, the
?am old and utterly fearless, she has all the endearing qualities of a guards give chase while shouting for assistance from the city guard.
impaging brachiosaurus and a powerful voice to boot. Female PCs The 10-wide rear door is usually open for the receiving of goods
‘e made welcome with varying degrees of politeness depending on and for ventilation. A number of full and empty crates are piled up
Le richness of their attire. The inner room contains several racks of here, and at least five husky workers spend the day hauling goads in
!ady-made clothing to browse through, but most of the business is and out of the doors. They are likely to notice someone who doesn’t
L custom-made garments. A shop helper hovers near any shoppers belong there, though a PC disguised as a merchant will probably go
) bring fabric samples or take measurements. When Elissa stops unquestioned. Any uproar here brings the front-door guards within
:re, her bodyguards must remain outside. If they hear any sort of one round.
iolent commotion within, they’ll come rushing to the rescue in spite Guards (2): AC 8; MV 12; F1; hp 8,5; THACO 20; #AT 1; h g by
f Miss Dremonk. weapon type; S 17, D 11,C 12,19, W 8, Ch 10; SZ M; ML 14; AL LN;
XP 15; leather armor, club.
The Gray Whale Pub. Elissa herself would not think of entering
common tavern, but the pub is located just down the street from 4. Esmerelda’s Lacy Unmentionables Shop. This is yet another ex-
liss Bobbin’s Dress Shop and is something of a temptation to her pensive establishment wherr men are strictly forbidden. In mticipa-
Len-at-arms, who will have had a long a thirsty trot through the tion of her upcoming betrothal and marriage (whether she likes the
ty. They often take turns, two at a time, to get refreshment. The groom or not), Elissa is building up her trousseau. Her party might
ub might also make a good observation post for PCs staking out not spend a lot of time here as she picks and chooses flu% finery and
Le dress shop. The rear door opens onto an alley that winds is measured and fitted for delicate garments. The bodyguards, of
:hind a row of shops to join the street just opposite the dress- course, must remain outside. The back door opens onto a short alley
laker’s shop. just offthe east-west road north of Shore Street.

5. The Teeny Tiny Tea Shoppe. Elissa’s party often stops here far a
POVERO: MARKET AREA light snack of Sweet cakes and tea-and a lengthy gossip session
should they meet sameane they h o w . Men are not excluded here,
but few ever venture inside. Far some reason, they find the small
building and its frilly, feminine decor oppressive. Elissa’s bodyguards
remain outside. One of the men-at-arms is involved with the shop‘s
serving girl. She often slips out to bring them leftover cakes, and a
female PC could possibly take her place in the shop at this time.

6. The Reader’s Rest. Pavero is renowned as a center of learning be-

cause the majority of its citizens can read. (Printing presses are old
news in this rather advanced town.) This is the largest book store in
town, selling a variety of popular books at low cost. Many of these
are not true books, but thick, cheaply bound pamphlets covering
many subjects, from romantic tales fit for young ladies of quality to
spicy adventure yams for young men. Rare tomes and heavy books
of lore are not to be found here. Most books sell for 5 sp to 1 gp each.

7. The Open Market. These two blocks are crammed with hundreds
of small booths, tradesmen, and peddlers, all hawking every kind of
item and service from shoe repair to tooth extraction. Elissa’s party
might browse here, searching for bargains. Their bodyguards are es-
pecially alert in the market because of the pressing crowds and the
risk of thieves and cutpurses. Violent crime, while h o r n to occur, is
rare enough that it is rarely anticipated; theft is the crime of most
people’s concern here. The open market should be played as a place
great confusion, with dozens of competing colors, actions, noises, and
smells, and constant contact with people who accidentally brush
against each other as they walk through the marketplace. Encounters

\\ =
with young rakes could lead to a scuffle and a subsequent encounter

_?I I I with the guards md constables.

If Trea’s company is also about, the characters could find them-

44
 llowing t w o entirely different groups as Elissa's company especially when the sea mists close in and the silent stones loom out
's company weave and wend through the crowds while of the black and gray light like accusing ghosts.
tually coming into contact with one another. Richard Savelle appears to be waiting for the party with a holy
's(1-6): AC 8; MV 12; TI; hp 4 each; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg man and two witnesses for Elissa's wedding. In truth, the four men
on type; S 12, D 16, C 12, I 11, W, 11, Ch 12; SZ M; ML 9; AL are Aldron Folbre himself and three disguised members of his own
35; dagger. loyal bodyguard. Also present, but hiding among the stones, are sev-
.e abilities: PP 40%, OL 25%, FRT 5%, MS 30%, HS 30%, DN eral more of Folbre's guards, their numbers equal to the number of
17070,RL 0%. PCs present, plus 1 4 more for good measure. These hidden guards
guards: AC 5; MV 9; F2; hp 12 each; THACO variable; #AT 1; are armed with light crossbows as well as swords.
weapon type; all ability scores are 12; SZ M; ML 13; AL Folbre's plan is to cut down the party as quickly as possible, then
P 35; chain mail, long sword, club, dagger. murder EIissa with a dagger belonging to Richard Savelle, whose
name and coat-of-arms decorate the hilt and blade, so that her
Dancing Maidens -
beloved is blamed for her death. Folbre, despite his considerable
charm and civilized bearing, is quite sociopathic and bears no guilt
ous landmark is easy to find. Any native of Povero, and for anything he does to further his own business career. (His own
:he tourists, can direct the PCs here. The ancient stone circle's men secretly refer to him as "the Serpent.") He gently helped his own
id purpose have been long forgotten in the passing centuries, father along to the next plane of existence to take over the family
racts many curious visitors. Quick to take advantage of the trade, and he quickly established himself as a figure of respect in the
iy of tourist income, the city elders set aside the area around area. Gaining the friendship of Richard Savelle was one af his crown-
I as a recreation spot. It is honeycombed with gravelled ing achievements. Folbre invited young Savelle to supper and slipped
istic stone tables for outdoor eating, and a wandering herd of a sleeping powder into Richard's after-dinner wine. He then bor-
at keep the grass short. rowed Richard's distinctive dagger and cloak and is now wearing the
e center of the park stands the circle itself. The four long colors of the House of Savelle. In the dark, with his hat titled slightly
nounds that roughly surround the stones are covered with down over his face, he strongly resembles the prospective bride-
3s and stand 10 feet higher than the rest of the ground. groom.
; stones are scattered inside and outside the ring of barrier If the murder occurs and anyone later attempts a speak with dead
The large stones are 2 0 tall, while the smaller stones stand spell on Elissa, she mistakenly implicates Richard in the crime. (Trea,
'allen stones are S high. All are massive and roughly hewn; a if slain, would still know the truth.) The unconscious Richard was
rld have little trouble climbing the tallest if so inclined. brought to the park by cart. He will be conveniently found next to
+20%bonus to all climbing checks.) Elissa's body, again wearing his cloak, the bloody dagger in his hand,
le last hundred years, this monument has been the favored with no memory of haw he got there and no alibi.
young ladies of Povero to have their
,s. The locals love a good party and,
invited or not, usually drop by to
ch or poor, a bride can be sure of a fes-
ding. Following an ancient custom, the
THE DANCING MAIDENS
?d ladies of the city, young and old,
is and are led by the bride in a dance
mbles a lively game of follow-the
L time to music, singing, and laughter,
> in and around the stones in a random
hat must circle each stone at least once.
ce is supposed to bring good luck and
the happy couple and to insure that
her girls find husbands, hence the
the circle: the Dancing Maidens. Since
the young men of the city turn out to
e dance, it creates a fine oppormnity
nmarried of both sexes to obseriie each
perhaps there is some validity to the
tion after all.
' is no treasure buried in the mounds
5 the stones, though town gossip
nt otherwise. No one has actually dug
xeasure, as such an action would be
?d vandalism of a public monument.
is an eerie spot at night, after it offi-
ses at dusk. With the uneven bleating
eep in the distance and the moaning of
as it weaves among the stones, the
I be very lonely, indeed. Treasure
night find the place to be very creepy,

45
 The DM should remember the possibility that the PCs arrive with Folbre’s henchmen (2nd-level human fighters): AC 8; MV 12; F2;
rea, not Elissa. If this occurs, and Folbre recognizes the girl, he tries hp 9 each; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 to de-
> have all the PCs and Trea murdered, then goes ahead with his termine ability scores; SZ M; ML 10; AL NE; XP 35; leather armor,
Ian-making the appropriate adjustments, of course. The murder of long sword, dagger, light crossbow (see above).
ne Holbin girl is just as good as that of another, he thinks. In fact,
,hen his devious mind has a chance to mull over the implications, he
d i r e s that framing Richard for Trea’s murder has the added
Concluding the Adventure
onuses of forever alienating Elissa from her lover while splitting the The only cleric in Povero capable of casting a raise dead spell is of
lolbin clan with accusations and recriminations. chaotic neutral alignment and has not been on speaking terms with
Folhre plans to say that Richard got very drunk at dimer and the Holbins for years. No amount of pleading persuades him to raise
egan to rave about the injustice of forcing a beautiful young girl to the dead girl. The cleric might consider a bribe, but his fee would be
tarry a decrepit old man. ”’If I can’t have her, I’d rather see her exorbitant as his purpose is to beggar the entire Holbin family to set-
ead,’ were his last words to me before he stormed out of my house,” tle the grudge against them. If popular opinion turns against him, he
dbre will report, “but I shrugged it off as frustration over Elissa’s slips out of town in the dark of night and cannot be traced.
strathal. I never dreamed that my poor friend would go to such a If the Holbins send to other towns far a high-level cleric, Folbre’s
orrifying extreme!” minions waylay the messengers to buy time for his scheme. As travel
Folbre hopes that the shocking a brutal crime sparks a terrific is slow and uncertain in the wilderness outside of Povero, it could be
vi1 disturbance between the Savelles and the Holbins, perhaps months before a cleric is found-too late to save the girl. By then, Fol-
yen a small civil war. He knows both sides well and is certain of bre plans to be in charge of the city.
wir volatile reactions. By carefully remaining neutral in the con- If they have managed to avoid being implicated in the kidnap
ict, he plans to emerge as the leading merchant prince of the city. plat, the PCs might want to run the cordon of Folbre’s thugs to bring
tdeed, if he works things right, he might even have the power to hack a cleric and atone for their part in this sad tale. If the adventur-
write the city charter, thereby placing himself in charge of all ers attempt to denounce Folbre to the city magistrates, it is possible
overo! that, as strangers, they would not be believed unless Trea can testify
Aldron Folbre (2nd-level human fighter): AC 6; MV 12; F2; hp 16; on their behalf. If the PCs are instrumental in preventing the murder
HAC0 19 ease); #AT 3/2; Dmg by weapon we;S 16, D 14, C 13, I or finding a cleric to raise the dead girl, the Holbin family provides a
5, W 11, Ch 16; SA specialized with long sword (+I to hit, +2 dam- reward equal to the amount promised by Aldron Folbre. The PCs
re); SZ M; ML 13;AL LE; XP 120; leather armor, ring of protecfion +2, should be awarded 500 XP each for their success in addition to any
n g sword (specialized), dagger, potion of healing. exwrience awarded for defeating Folbre and his men. n
 Roarwater Caves Zimik and a few who haven't actively turned to the side of the bug-
bears. Zimik explains that, with only a handful of xvarts and the
slovenly bugbears to defend the caves, it should prove an easy task
"Roarwater Caves" is an AD&DBadventure for P I 0 adventurers of for the adventurers to defeat the overlords and seize the magical
levels 1 3 (about 15 total levels), including both a cleric and a wiz- ring.
ard. Secondary importance is placed on the presence of a thief. Be- Actually, Zimik wants the ring for himself. To help with the latter
cause this adventure revolves around giving "assistance" to warts, part of his plan-the elimination of the k o b o l d s h e has allowed the
though only for monetary benefit, neutral PCs might work well kobolds to acquire false information that the w a r t tribe is at an all-
where goad or evil ones would not; rangers and paladins would cer- time low and could easily be destroyed by a quick raid. Several w a r t
tainly object to the scheme proposed to them (though they could be scouts harass the kobolds to ensure that a kobold raiding party ar-
involved in the adventure in other ways). The adventure should fit rives rapidly, finding only the party of adventurers with whatever re-
most campaigns with only minor adjustments. The use of dungeon mains of the bugbears and their marts. After a reasonable amount of
floor plans and miniatures would he extremely helpful, especially at time, Zimik plans to lead the main body of marts back into the caves
the conclusion of the scenario. The DM should he prepared to keep to attack the kobolds while they are occupied with the adventurers.
careful track of time spent inside Roanvater Caves (see "Timetable Then, from a position of strength, Zimik can take the bugbear's ring
and Tactics"). and regain control of the Roarwater xvarts. If the PCs still appear to
be strong, Zimik politely lets them leave (with a reasonable, though
For the Dungeon
- Master small, amount of treasure). If the PCs appear very weak, Zimik sends
them away all the poorer-if he lets them leave at all. (See "Timetable
Roanvater Caves is a feature of the southern coastline several miles and Tactics" and "Concluding the Adventure.")
west of the town of Carbay, Far many seasons, this quiet area has The PCs, of course, are the adventurers whom Zimik hopes to at-
been the home of a tribe of warts who have laired in the hollows of tract to the caves to eliminate the b u g b e a r s a n d perhaps be el--
the cliffs. Little is known about the creatures other than that a domi- nated themselves by the kobolds. The DM should make the prospect
neering group of bugbears has lately assumed control over the tribe, of raiding Roarwater Caves as attractive as possible to ensure that the
much to the chagrin of the marts, who value their personal freedom. party takes the bait. Delbar tries to encourage the PCs in this, assur-
The marts now fish the seas close to the shore near the caves, and ing them that the shaman's cooperation limits the amount of guards
some kade with isolated communities such as Corbay, exchanging at the caves.
fish for coppers or small trinkets. At first sight, it appears that the PCs are being sent on a suicide
Within the tribe, however (unknown to the townspeople), feeling mission with the only beneficiaries being Zimik and his xvarts. There
is running high on the issue of the bugbears' supremacy and the in- are a number of ways in which the PCs can escape, however, most
tolerable strain that this places on the xvarts. Before the arrival of the notably by releasing the trapped stirges from area 12 and using the
bugbears, the marts enjoyed something of a local reputation as confusion generated as cover. They may also find the hidden treasury
kobold hashers. Now, the hugbears refuse to allow warts to raid the (area 13) of Zimik's predecessor, about which the xvarts know noth-
local kobolds' lair. Instead, the bugbears keep the marts occupied ing. It contains a wand of magic missiles-very useful in blasting one's
gathering food and tribute, a matter of grave concern to the warts' way out of a sticky situation. Other solutions, such as surrendering to
head shaman, Zimik, who sees the regrowth of the kobolds as a dan- the kobolds while hoping for rescue by the marts, may be discovered
gerous threat. Soon the kobolds will he strong enough to do some in the course of the adventure.
raiding of their own against the preoccupied xvarts, who are too tied
up with feeding their bugbear overlords to repel any concentrated Main Antagonists
attack.
Zimik has thus far been unable to act against the bugbears and the The main types of monsters encountered in this adventure are marts,
number of marts who have willingly gone over to their side in the bugbears, and kobolds. To avoid a detailed description of each group
tribal stmggl-t least, he c m o t act without considerable personal encountered, their general statistics are given here. Other monsters
risk. The strength of the bugbears is concentrated in their leader, are listed as they are encountered.
Kraglut, who through some chance of fate possesses a ring of wafer Delbar (0-level human fisherman):AC 10; MV 12; 0-level human;
walking, which he has used to convince a sizable number of the wart hp 6; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; roll 2d4+4 to determine ability
tribe that he has great magical powers. scores; SZ M; ML 9; AL CN; XP 15; dagger.
The shaman has hit on a novel plan to restore himself to chieftain Delbar seeks only to make a profit at everyone's expense hut his
status in the tribe and to eliminate both the bugbears and the kobold own. He is shrewd and gives no thought to the morality of his deal-
threat at the same time. The shaman's sole human acquaintance, a ins with evil w a r t s . His self-assuredness should be a source of irrita-
Y

fisherman from Corbay named Delbar (who buys most of the marts' tion to the PCs.
fish and resells them at a profit in the town) has agreed to approach Zimik h a r t shaman): AC 7: MV 6: HD 2 (eauivalent to 4th-level
local adventurers with the proposition of liberating the warts. It i s in
Delbar's interest to preserve the marts, of course, as without them he
would have to actually do the hard work of fishing instead of just
being a middle-man. Zimik figures that information about the
Kraglut's magical ring will he more than a little tempting to a group
of adventurers, and he has promised to allow their liberators to keep
it as long as they can eliminate the bugbears.
Zimik knows that humans and their kin are not to be trusted, so
he arranged for most of the tribe to he out fishing when the party
attacks the caves. This absent group includes those warts loyal to

47
 lead an uprising against them. Although he appears to be stupid,
Zimik possesses a cunning which can be dangerous to those around
him. Zimik first appears near Roarwater Caves when the PCs arrive.
(See “Delbar and Zimik Set the Bait.”)
X v a r b AC 7; MV 6; HD 1-1; h p 4 (males), 3 (females);#AT 1;
Dmg by weapon type; SZ S; ML 9; INT average (8); AL CE; XP 15;
leather armor, small wooden shield, males use small swords (Dmg
2-5) and slings (with 3-10 stones), while females use daggers and 1-3
darts (unless otherwise noted). All young noncombatant warts in this
module have these statistics: AC 9; MV 3; HD X; hp 2; THACO 20;
#AT nil; Dmg nil; SZ S; lNT low (7); ML 5; AL CE.
Kraglut (bugbear leader): AC 4; MV 9; HD 4; hp 23; THACO 17;
#AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SA-3 to opponents’ surprise rolls, +3 to
damage; SZ L; INT average (9); ML 13;AL CE; XP 175; ring ofwater
walking, morning star +I.
Kraglut’s main concern is his own personal comfort. Kraglut dom-
inates the w a r 6 and allows the other bugbears to do as they please
in Roarwater Caves. A cowardly, uncommunicative figure, Kraglut is
the epitome of the bugbear sword-fodder typically encountered in a
dungeon environment.
Bugbears: AC 5; MV 9; HD 3 + 1; hp 15 each; THACO 17; #AT 1;
Dmg 2-8 or by weapon type; SA -3 to opponents’ surprise rolls, +2 to
damage; SZ L; INT low (7); ML 12; AL CE; XP 120; morning star,
spear.
Shtaka (kobold leader): AC 6; MV 6; HD 1-1; hp 4; THACO 20;
#AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ S; INT average (10); ML 10; AL LE;
XP 15; spear.
Shtaka is a born kobold leader, meaning he fights from the rear of
his force but has a loud, squealing command voice. His kobold com-
mando force has been trained to considerable efficiency and can split
into smaller forces at a moment’s notice, each squad moving and
fighting at full speed. Shtaka’s two guards share all of his statistics
but are armed with hand axes. Shtaka and his guards have heavier
armor than usual and do not use shields or throwing daggers.
Kobalds:AC 7; MV 6; HD K; hp 3 each; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg
by weapon type; SZ S; INT average (9); ML 9; AL LE; XP 7; wooden
shield, wooden club or short sword, two throwing daggers.
The kabolds are not encountered until the final stages of this sce-
nario. They a x used as a means to keep the PCs within the caves and
are part of Zimik‘s plan to coerce the PCs into handing over Kraglut’s
ring of water walking.

For the Player Characters

The PCs are contacted in Carbay by Delbar on behalf of Zimik. The
hshould not give the PCs too much information prior to their re-
connaissance of the caves. Rumors may be gleaned from the towns-
people concerning the current situation.
Read or paraphrase the following information to the players sev-
eral days after the PCs arrive in Corbay

48
 5. It is dangerous to be out of doors at night, as horrible, blood-
losing some if its attraction. More often than not, you find yaur- sucking bats are sometimes encountered and have even killed some
selves seated alone in the corner while the locals talk about
locals. (This is almost true. The bats are really stirges that live in an
boring subjects such as the weather or the price of fish. If some-
almost inaccessible section of Roarwater Caves. An encounter with
thing doesn't happen soon, dying of boredom in Corhay might
end your days of adventuring forever. 1-2 stirges at night might even be arranged by the DM.)
6. Several fishing boats have disappeared from the harbor over a
period of time. Suspicions about the identity of the thieves are wide-
Naturally, if the PCs choose to sit around indefinitely, that is ex- spread and varied, but there is no unanimous decision as to whom tc
actly what's going to happen to them! It might prove useful for them accuse. (Delbar is the thief. He has stolen the rowboats to trade to the
to ask some questions of the regulars in the tavern, especially if they xvarts.)
ask about monsters in or near the town. To determine what rumors 7. Ward has it that the kobolds are planning some kind of mis-
the PCs hear, roll Id10 and consult the following list, or assign ru- chief. It has been quiet in that quarter for too long, (This is true, al-
mors as appropriate. though a well-informed observer might conclude that lack of raiding
1. Carbay is suffering a recession in trade due to Delhar's monop- activity on the part of the mart tribe is the reason for the growing
oly on cheap fish sales. (This is true, as he buys cheaply from Zimik boldness of the kobolds.)
and sells at a profit in Corhay, undercutting his competitors.) 8. Something is amiss in the wart tribe. Despite their evil nature,
2. Monsters are often seen traveling in large bands in the wilder- they have long kept the peace in Corbay by acting as a buffer be-
ness nearby, Sometimes they raid outlying homesteads, but usually tween the town and the kobolds. Lately, though, no clashes between
they are too busy killing each other to threaten humankind. (True. the tribes have been reported. (True.The bugbears have not consid-
This refers to the kobold-xvart war.) ered the consequences of preventing the marts from raiding just so
3. The Corbay fishermen use a strangely woven type of net that they can reap the short-term benefits of wart servants.)
they obtain from the xvarts of Roarwater Caves. (True. The xvarts 9. Rumors among the fishing folk say a thieves' guild has begun
have specialized in creating such nets far combat and fishing. Some of operations in Corbay, and that it is connected to the drop in trade an<i
these nets are encountered as a defense in the caves later in the sce- Delbar's w e n t financial success. (False. The local thieves' guild may
nario.) not be large, but neither is it new. Delbar is not a member, so the
4. Roarwater Caves are underwater at high tide, which proves the guild might be interested to know that he stole the boats without
locally held theory that xvarts breathe both air and water. (Not com- their "permission.")
pletely true. The front entrances of the caves are sealed off by water 10. Delbar buys fish from the xvarts rather than catching them
at high tide, but the living quarters are well above the high-water himself. His profits have made him moderately rich. (True.)
mark. Xvarts can drown in water just as humans can.)

N
P

Roarwater Caves

-
0
Miles
1 2

49
 To ensure the safety of his plan, Zimik has brought the FCs to the
Delbar and Zimik Set the Bait beach only 10 minutes before the tide i s about to turn. Those who
enter the caves and remain within for one hour will be surprised to
The PCs should eventually hear about the townspeople’s interest in the discover that the entrance has filled to the ceiling with water. This
xvarh and the fisherman Delbar. The party might then want to seek chamber (area 2) remains filled for four more hours, draining in the
out Delbar for further investigation or travel to Roarwater Caves to next hour. This cycle repeats itself every day, with low tide beginning
find some adventures on their own. In either case, Delbar approaches six hours after high tide ends. If the PCs are clever and ask Zimik
them with a proposition for assisting the warts against the bugbears. about the tides, the shaman tells them about the back door to the
He explains the rationale behind this aid in the following ways: colony but avoids saying exactly where it is.
+The xvarts, if allowed to be subjugated by the bugbears, will The PCs each have a 20%chance of noticing the arms and armor
cease to be a buffer between Corbay and the kobolds. of the marts who went back into the cave. (All were males with small
0 The xvarts play an important part in the trade of Corbay, p r e swords and slings, and with shields and thin leather annor.) If asked
ducing nets and catching fish. The bugbears have reduced trade by about their armament, Zimik (truthfully) mentions the threat of the
forbidding the xvarts to trade with the t o m . Delbar claims that this kobolds, which bothers the xvarb even if the bugbears could not
is the real reason why trade has fallen off. (Of course, it has nothing care less.
to do with him.]
0 The xvarts, through their tribal and religious leader, Zimik,
want to be rescued from their overlords and will gladly pay the ad-
Roarwater Caves
venturers with their only magical item, a ring of water walking, stolen Roarwater Caves have no internal lighting, except for a number of
by the bugbear leader, Kraglut. patches of faintly luminescent dried seaweed gathered by the marts
+ To minimize the amount of effort involved in destroying the at low tide and slapped on the walls at various points. Any adventur-
bugbears, Zimik has agreed to withdraw all his loyal xvarts, leaving ers using normal light sources never see this faint luminescence; how-
behind only those few who have joined the bugbears. In addition, the ever, infravision-using characters in total darkness can see quite
shaman promises safe conduct for the adventurrrs across xvart terri- clearly, as the light from the seaweed adds another 30 feet to infravi-
tory to and from the caves. sion sighting ranges. The bugbears, like others of their kind, have 6V
Delbar does not bargain with the PCs for any greater reward. He infravision, as do the kobolds who appear later in the adventure.
points out that the warts are not rich and cannot be expected to pay While marts do not normally possess infravision, the Roarwater
any more handsomely than what they have already offered. He adds Caves xvarts (laving a bit of goblin blood in them) have 3U infravi-
that the xvarts might have a chance to fight off the bugbears by them- sion without daylight penalties for odds to hit opponents.
selves, but the battle would be too costly for them--especially if the All combat and missile fire from w a t t s or bugbears conducted in
kobolds plan to attack someday soon. the caves is at noma1 “to hit” odds; the attacking kobolds also have
If the PCs agree to aid the marts, Delbar leads them out of town an easy time unless the PCs use a continual lixht spell, which gives
to Roamrater Caves, following a path along the coast. Zimik appears them a -1 penalty to hit. Remember to increase sighting ranges by 30
at the border of the xvart territory to lead the PCs to a high cliff over- feet for all humanoids within the caves, as noted above. The xvarts
looking Roarwater Bay, while Delbar returns to town. The enhance to and bugbears will not blunder into traps or dangerous areas, as they
Roarwater Caves can be seen clearly in the cliff‘s base. Zimik does know the caves well; PCs and kobolds might not be so forhmate.
not initially mention the caves back door (area 17) to the PCs. Those warts fighting from behind the driftwood stockades built
When the shaman and the PCs approach the entrances to Roarwa- within the caves have 50”/0 cover, giving them a 4 A C bonus against
ter Caves, read the following to the PCs: enemy missile fire. Bugbears have only 25% cover, or a -2 AC bonus
to missile fire. Stockades are elevated 2 feet from the cave floor by
rocks and dirt; they are obviously of more use axainst kobold in-
You figure that you must have traveled across rougher coun- vaders than human or bugbear foes.
hy at some point in your lives, but right now you don’t remem-
ber when. The mart leader has stopped a t the crest of a stony
1.Beach, Enhance. and Underground Stream.
path leading down the craggy cliff face to a wide beach below.
Down below you can see a flurry of activiv. Xvarts are coming The wide beach stretches 30 feet from the base of the 1W-high
out of the two big cave mouths into the sunlight carrying little cliff tn the sea. It is cut into hvo irrrpular
~ ~~~~~~~~
cj
nieces bv a stre.- of water
I
hide-covered boats shaped like cockleshells.About 75-100 of d-ich emerges fiom the cliffface about 70 feet wkt ofthe farthn
them paddle determinedly out ta sea. Soon they are lost from
view, and the beach i s left deserted cxcept for a handful of marts
I:lave entrance. The most distant entrance is about 1 0 wide and 1Y
tall and is preceded by another of about the same size, nearer to you
who quickly vanish back inside their caves. >ysome 50 feet. A ragged collcction of nets hangs over each en-
irancc. Clogged with damp seaweed, the nets don’t seem to serve
my useful purpose. AI1 appears quiet inside the caves
Zimik explains that the marts who have gone out to sea are se-
cretly armed for war as well as carrying fishing gear. They intend to
put on a show of fishing (allegedly to prepare a feast for their bug- The cleft made by the emerging freshwater stream is too narrow
bear overlords] until the adventurers are inside the caves. Then the for anyone to negotiate. The stream comes out here from a long un-
boating warts will return to mop up any disloyal marts and derground journey on which it takes a meandering course through
wounded bugbears. some of the caverns inside Roarwater Caves. The stream itself is sub-
The shaman estimates that there are a dozen disloyal marts left merged at high tides.
inside as well as about eight bugbears. Their exact locations are un- The two enhances open into one great cave. The nets, while seem-
known. As Zimik must take command of his own group, he rushes ingly placed here for no apparent reason, are actually a defensive
offto board his o m cockleshellboat and head out to sea. measure on the part of the xvaIts. They are ammged in a complicated
 1 square = 10’

pattern in which one must take three steps to the front, hop from left The sea-slimed palisades are mostly driftwood and seem, on
to right three times, turn and ... oh, well! The marts know how to closer examination, to be planking from a ship of some kind; in fact,
rush through them at normal speed without becoming entangled. that is exactly what they are. The two enclosures are usually occupied
However, anyone else has a 10% chance of becoming entangled per 1 by mart guards, but Zimik sent these off to “fish for the bugbears,”
point of movement rate the character normally possesses. Only by true to his word to make life easier for the adventurers.
taking two full melee rounds to cross each section of netting does a Seaweed-hung nets that appear to be like those at the main en-
character avoid entanglement. Of course, this gives attackers exha trances shroud the opening to the rest of the complex. The nets here
time to fire missiles at the attacking or fleeing PCs. The nets do not are submerged at high tide and have become rotten. They are only
hamper missile fire into the nets or through them, though they pre- meant to discourage the movement of the stirges who lair in parts of
vent clear sighting into area 2 from the outside. the cave system. Anyone may push through these nets with little ef-
Unlike nets elsewhere in Roarwater Caves, these nets are solidly fort; because of their poor condition, these nets may be ripped down
placed and cannot be pulled down easily They are also replaced at by anyone with a Strength of 3 or greater in two rounds (no Strength
regular intervals when they begin to rot. Four separate Open Doors rolls required).
rolls are required to tear down all the netting in either entranceway to However, nets placed elsewhere w i t h these caves are harder to
allow free passage. remove, as they are above the tide line and are not affected by the
The seaweed coating on the nets comes fmm plants left behind as water that submerges those at the entrance. Walking through these
the tide recedes; this might give the PCs a clue to the periodic sub- nets requires one round per PC (and only one character at a time) to
mergence of the tunels. Inside each opening, an array of wooden avoid a 30% chance of entanglement for 2-5 rounds. Two separate
stakes MIIOWS the entrance, making a charge even more difficult. Open Doors rolls are required to tear down a 10-wide section of net-
The party must travel in single file to get into Roarwater Caves. Any- ting. These nets may also be cut or burned (the latter with spells, per-
one falling upon the stakes suffers 1-6 hp damage. (This only occurs haps), hut smoke alerts the bugbears and remaining warts to
if a character is pushed, falls, trips, or otherwise loses control of his intruders. Cutting down a piece of net 1 0 square takes a full five
movements.) minutesusually longer than tearing it down by h a n d 4 u e to the
strength of the vines used in their construction. (Te-g down the
2. First Cavern, nets unhooks them from various spikes and nails, and it doesn’t in-
volve actually breaking the tough fibers.) If the PCs become so irri-
The entrance is narrowed by large planks forming a palisade tated by the nets that they tear down all that they come across, it
to reduce the number of those permitted direct access. At the might regret their actions later should they release the stirges in area
hack of the cavern are two palisaded enclosures and more hoards 12 or encounter the carrion crawlers in area 8.
framing a tunnel leading deeper into the cliffs.
In any case, there is little of interest in the first cavern. Some cam-
 As noted earlier, the stakes can be avoided so long as the PCs are
in full control of their movements and (as the DM determines) have
not fallen upon or run into them. Otherwise each victim suffers 1-6
hp damage.
If the PCs have been quiet, four female marts have their backs to
the entrance and are watching a fight between two male xvarts wear-
ing simple copper bangles from wrist to elbow on each arm. The
males are fighting over who weam the most jewelry (being unable to
settle the matter by counting), in an effort to impress their all-female
audience.
If these xvarts have been alerted to the advenhlrers' arrival, they
defend the cave diligently (See the "Main Antagonists" Section for
their statistics). The sounds of combat also alert the occupants of
areas 5 and 6 to trouble, but neither the xvarts nor the bugbears there
consider the fight to be anything more than the conflict of two blue
macho xvarts.
The only treasure here is in the possession of the male xvarts and
consists of 200 cp worth of copper bangles and 5 s p i n coinage apiece.

5. Underground Stream.
I

See the previous notes on stakes (areas 1and 4). The marts here,
as mentioned in the description of area 4, do not intervene in any ac-
tion taken against their blue brethren with the copper bangles. If the
fully chosen sling-shot pebbles are all that can be discovered in either PCs have bypassed the xvarts at area 4, any noise of combat from
of the two semicircular enclosures. areas 5 or 6 causes the ignored xvarts to flee, alerting other members
of the tribe.
3. First Xvart Boat Room. Of the 10 xvarts stuffed into the small space at the other side of
the stream, six are female and four are noncombatant young. Missile
The left-hand steps from the crossroads lead up to a hol- fire from the top of the palisade is directed at the first person to show
lowed-out chamber in which a large number of m a i t boats are
himself on the other side of the bridge. Female xvarts are each armed
stored. It is apparent that most of the mart fishing gear has been
with a dagger and three darts.
left behind here. Nets, similar in all hut size to those used by the
fishermen of Corbay, are carefully placed next to the boats. Some The mart females and their young were evicted from more com-
of the boats appear to be in need of repair, with holes and gashes fortable areas of the caves by the bugbears. Overcrowded and new-
in their sides. The boats overflow into the corridor beyond, where ous, the females are quite bad tempered and pepper intruders with
the sounds of activity ran be heard. missile fire in defense of their children until completely wiped aut.
Their treasure includes 12 cp, 1sp, and 2 g p

If the PCs decide to burn or otherwise damage the boats, the noise
alerts the xvarts (in areas 4 and 5) and the bugbears (in area 6 ) that
there is trouble afoot. Burning the tarred hides creates a great deal of
choking, blinding smoke. All attacks made within this spreading
black cloud suffer at -2 penalty "to hit." The cloud fills a 1 0 x 10 sec-
tion of cave every round, burning for 2-12 rounds per boat.
The sounds of activity are coming from area 4, where a number of
xvarts are having a fistfight over who owns the most copper bangles.

4. Xvart Loggerheads. The five figures are bugbears who conform to the statistics given
I I in the "Main Antagonists" section. Each is armed with a large spear
The corridor leading into this chamber has been narrowed by for missile fire and a morning Star for melee. Confident in their as-
stakcs piaccd at angles from the floor The line of stakes is com- sumption that the warts will rescue them from any trouble, the bug.
pleted by a short stockade over which the sounds of a loud argu-
bears do not hesitate to fight the adventums. Noise of combat here
ment and the clinking of many pieces of metal can be heard.
has the same effect as at area 5.
 The bugbears possess treasure totalling 3 g p . Their shelter is COI1- inflicts temporary chilling damage of 1 hp if even a limb is immersed
structed largely from driftwood. On examination, one section bears a in it. This damage heals in 30 minutes. The stream is impassable to
single, faded word MAELSTROM. It is a piece from a ship which ran the northeast and too dangerous to swim through to the south. It con-
aground in the cove of Roarwater Caves 100 years ago (see "Conclu,d- tains nothing of interest unless the adventurers wish to test the the-
ing the Adventure"). ory that warts can breathe water.

7. Stolen Rowboats. 10. Blank Wall and Dead End.

1 1
The steps lead upward until they come out into an almost After climbing gradually from the crossroads and traveling
rectangular cavern. h;\:ets hang over an opening to the north west for 40 feet, the corridor abruptly rnds at a blank wall. There
from which a heavy smell emanates. Around the corner to the are no visible doors or exits.
south ii the stem of a large rowboat sticking out from beneath a
sheet of canvas L I
If the party approaches from the north, change this description ac-
cordingly The blank wall is actually a stunjelly that waits here for an
There are four of the human-made boats here, all stolen from the unsuspecting meal to pass nearby The marts know all about this
harbor at Corbay None have name plates, as these were removed monster, and they also know it has become immobilized by age even
prior to the boats' delivery to the bugbears. As with the wart boats, if it still has the power to catch victims. Seeing it as a useful defensive
burning the rowboats releases a cloud of noxious black smoke, as de item, the xvarts throw fish and other sea life into the stunjelly to keep
scribed in area 3. it alive in case kobolds invade the caves. (Zimik was unable to talk
The nets hung over the north opening cordon off the carrion any bugbears into this part of the caves, to his disgust.) Inside the
crawlers at area 8 from the rest of the cave complex. These nets are i1s monster are the indigestible bits of its last few meals and coins to-
hard to remove as the nets at area 1. talling 34 sp from drunken xvarts who got too close for their own
good many years ago.
8. Refuse Hear, With Inhabitants. Stunjelly: AC 8; MV 1; HD 4;hp 25; THACO 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8;

1
SA paralysis; SD immune to electrical attacks, mind-affecting spells,
The strong, heavy smell is caused by the filthy rubbish heap paralyzation, and polymorph spells; SZ L; INT animal (1);ML 9; AL N;
in this alcove. Vegetable and animal waste fills the area to a depth XP 420.
of about 3 feet, making for an unhappy sight and a very undesir-
able smcll.
11.Blacked Passageway

If the PCs give more than a passing glance to the refuse heap, thc'Y Netting across the tunnel here hides a blockage in the pas-
notice a human skeleton sticking out of the top-the remains of a sageway. Dry stones have been laid on? on top of another in a
failed adventurer, complete with backpack and equipment. A battle .
....... .
.
r" ..c...
tinhi-fiitinn nittorn rinht
. . . . .
"r
17"
~.
+n
.ll.... ....,.,
thn h- 'An..
,.~ilinn rlrink i n
.,,,,,,,
_1 /// . I ~ ., "
tha l "l ,~,T11l

axe, in mint condition, lies not far from the bones. It is a battle axe +I
and may be useful against the two carrion crawlers lurking in the
shadows.
If the PCs removed the hanging nets to the south or north, the
monsters pursue them until one side or the other is completely de- Many years ago, a colony of Stirges invaded the warts' caves
stroyed. However, because of their many tentacles, the carrion from outside. They took over most of the living area until they
crawlers have an 80% chance each to become entangled in any net- were driven back by fire-wielding marts to the space now en-
ting for 2-8 rounds. closed behind this wall. A natural chimney in the rock within their
Carrion crawlers (2): AC 3/7; MV 12; HD 3+1; hp 23,19; THACO cave allows the stirges access to the outside world. For their own
17; #AT 1or 8; Dmg 1-2 or special; SAparalysis, multiple attacks; Si protection, the xvarts hung nets at intervals in the tunnels to pre-
L; INT non (0); ML 20; AL N; XP 420. vent any new invasion by the stirges through some other unsus-
pected crack.
9. Water Room. The PCs may imagine all kinds of things to be hidden behind the

1
wall from treasuries to tombs, or perhaps both. They're not far wrong
This chamber is obviously of a more natural origin than the as will be seen later.
carved corridor and steps which lead down into it. Stalagmites Six character-hours of digging creates a crawl space into area 12.If
and stalactites fill the mom except for a path cleared to the bank
the adventurers take time to accomplish this, they are trapped in the
of the onrushing stream
caves by the incoming tide, making escape by the front doors an im-
possibility There is a chance, of course, that the PCs might discover
Because this chamber is the uppermost section of the under- the back exit at area 17.
ground stream that emerges into Roarwater Caves, the xvarts While the PCs are working on the wall, roll ld6 at the beginning
have restricted its use to supplying clean water for drinking. of each hour. Groups of wandering monsters appear on a roll of 1-2.
The tribe is forbidden by the chief shaman to make any further These consist of 3 4 male xvarts (60% chance) or 1 3bugbears (40%
changes to the cavern, and no one may make a home here far fear of chance). Conduct combat normally and don't worry if this throws off
fouling the water and making life miserable far those living down- Zimik's estimate of how few warts or bugbears there are in the
stream. caves; count these as extras.
The stalagmites and stalactites are harmless; a dwarf or gnome
character can estimate their age as between 20,000 and 80.000 years.
Anyone deciding to swim in the stream find the water is icy cold and

53
12. Lair of the Stirges. marts. A male sentry atop the tall dividing wall sits with his legs
dangling over the edge. Unless PCs scouting this area can hide in
Removing the last of the stones allows a torchlight examina- shadows or are invisible, the sentry sees them and raises the rest of
tion of what lies beyond the blockage. A short corridor extends to
the group to arms.
the limit of vision, opening into a larger cave. The floor is littered
with bat guano, and the bats themselves hang upside down fmm The chamber holds nine mart males (who, if alerted, are prepar-
crevices in the ceiling. A single shaft of sunlight [if the PCs are en- ing to fire sling stones at the intruders) and nine mart females (who
pluring the caves in the daytime] illuminates a pile of humanoid pass the ammunition for further volleys). All have standard arms and
bones half buried in guano and dust. The bats appear disturbed armor. The females fight only to protect the lives of their p u g ,
at the sound of racks being moved. which number one per female. Use the statistics in the ”Main Antago-
nists” section to conduct this combat. Their treasure totals 35 sp.

The creatures that appear from a distance to be bats are, in realit 15. Yet More Hark and Slay The marts here number 16 fighting indi-
stirges. There are 50 in all, who gain access to the cave via the namo viduals (nine males and seven females) and nine noncombatant
rock shaft above. Play this encounter carefully, as the stirges were al young. The procedures involved in bringing about their demise
asleep when the PCs began their excavation and are now beginning should be well practiced by the DM and PCs by now. Their treasure
to wake up. If the PCs make any further noise, there is a 75% chancs totals 32 sp.
that the stirges come fully awake and attack, especially if someone
does something really stupid, like throwing a rock at the ’%bats.”In 16.Second Carrion Heap.
this event, 5-10 stirges per round fly through the hole in the wall at
the PCS!
The bones on the floor are those of half a dozen mart heroes wh
fell in defense of Roarwater Caves while the passageways to this an
x
were being blocked off. The bones show no signs of treasures of an)
kind. The only worthwhile find in this very dangerous area is the sc If the adventurers have already encountered the carrion crawlers
cret door to area 13 at the northern end of the cavern. at area 8, they might well be wary of a second rubbish heap. How-
Stirges (50):AC 8; M v 3, Fly 18 (C); HD 1+1;h p 5 each; THACO ever, this area is quiet because no belligerent organisms abide here. A
17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3;SA drain blood for 1 4 hp/mund, attacks as 41 faint smell of wood smoke may be detected rising from the stairs to
HD monster; SZ S; INT animal (1); ML 8; AL N; XP 175. area 22.

13. Secret Treasurv. 17.Back Door to the Colonv.

The secret door opens with some difficulty into a 1 0 x 10 area Gruff voices can be heard along this corridor which leads into
filled with dust motes and cobwebs. Moth-eaten remnants of ani- a small cavern. A draft blows down the slope, making your
mal skins and a few ceramic jars and bottles laid out in a ritual torches flicker.
pattern indicate that this is some old, forgotten shrine. There are
no idols or icons evident, though, making the nature of the deity
a matter for conjecture. Beads, chains, and masks hang from the Four bugbears guard the back door to Roarwater Caves. A pillar,
walls and the door. fonned by the merging of a stalagmite with the stalactite directly
above, has been used as the core of a spiral staircase. The stairs lead
to a trap door that emerges in bushes at the top of the cliff. Every
PCs investigating these items might see a resemblance to the reli round, up to 20 smaller-than-man-sized beings or 10 man-sized or
giOUS items worn by Zimik, the chief wart shaman. This secret mor larger beings may use the staircase. Keep this value in mind when
was used by Zimik’s predecessor before his departure for the afterli reading ”Timetable and Tactics.”
following an ill-timed raid on the kobolds. The contents of the roo= If half the bugbears here are lalled, the remainder hotfoot it
have mainly religious significance and are of little use except to the through the trap door, not bothering to shut it b e h d them as they
current shaman, who is unaware of their existence. It might prove become mere dots on the horizon as quickly as possible. Just to be
useful to take some of these items along, as the PCs need as much nasty, if the PCs attempt to do the same, the DM can arrange for them
bargaining power as they can get later. to encounter such a show of force from the conveniently arriving
A chain, made of alternating iron links and shrunken kobold kobolds that they are obliged to retllrn to the ”safety” of the caves.
heads, hangs on display against the north wall. A ceremonial staff (See area 22 and “Timetable and Tactics” for details on the final
wrapped in hide is, unfortunately, non-magical and worth only 10 contlict).
One of the ceramic jars holds a 5-lb. quantity of gold nuggets to the
value of 500 gp.Hidden under another hide is a wand of magic missi 18. More Trouble: Another Shaman. Although there are only half a
(eight charges), unusual in the fact that it has its command word dozen marts in this room, one of them is Zimik‘s traitorous assis-
written along its length in magical script. A read magic spell deciphe tant, Brizol. If Brizol is killed, the remainder of the marts try a
the command ”nuxol.” The rest of the items in the various jars and navel approach to the situation-they surrender. If the fight is ob-
bottles are unique and unusual spell components, ranging from ”re viously hopeless for the marts, Brizol attempts to surrender him-
gmund sand, extra fine” to a container of pitch, somehow dyed yel- self rather than be killed, offering whatever aid the PCs might
low (which explains the old mart adage ”as yellow as pitch”). need. He knows, for instance, that Kraglut and the remainder of his
group are holed up in the common room (area 22). He also knows
14. More Sword Fodder. The corridor is once again narrowed by the location of the back door, and if he has not already used them
sharpened stakes protruding from the walls and floors.The chamhf on himself, he offers his spells to help the adventurers. Brizol has
beyond is quiet, though small noises betray the presence of more been trying to manipulate the bugbears for his own purposes,
though this has proven difficult to do. Being preoccupied with
other matters, he has not guessed that Zimik might be planning to
eliminate him.
Brizol (xvati shaman): AC 6; MV 6; HD 1 (equivalent to 2nd-leve
priest); hp 8; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon type; SW
10% chance of spell failure due to poor Wisdom score (11); SZ S; INT
average (IO); ML 9; AL CE; XP 35; studded leather armor, small
wooden shield, horseman's mace.
Spells (2):I s t 4 a u s e light wounds, cure light wounds

19. More Xvart Boats.

I
Contained within each of the twin caverns off this corridor are
a number nf cockleshell boats similar to those used by the marts
who vacated the caves earlier. Some appear to be seldom used,
but most are fairly sound and seaworthy

Burning the boats produces the usual noxious smoke, but hackin1
them up doesn't alert the warts and the bugbears, due to an unusua
quirk in the acoustics of this area. Of course, the PCs won't be aware
of this. In all, there are 40 boats remaining in this area.

20. The Brine Pools. The temperature drops with the slope toward
these pools. Looking southward, the PCs can see a large cave filled
with a deep pool of seawater. Although this area is unaffected by the
tides (its salinity comes from the rock of the caves), it might prompt
PCs to rehlrn to the cave's front entrance-possibly to discover that i
is now underwater.
There is little of interest here other than the reflected torchlight il-
luminating the southeast wall of the cave. This liRht comes from the
common room (area 22).

21. Deserted Defensive Position.

The corridor opens out into a cavern containing another of
the now-familiar stockades. It looks deserted, but wood smoke
Arcs of fire and individual ranges are determined by the DM with
drifts u p from an opening in the rock wall just visible behind the
fencing. reference to the map. Note the AC bonuses against missile fire under
"Roarwater Caves."
Kraglut is no hero and doesn't allow any sallying forth by his
troops in case he should be suddenly left alone with adventurers who
might turn out to he as powerful as his imagination has already made
them. All bugbears here stay as close to Kraglut as they can.
For their part, the PCs might not like the idea of attacking nine
apparently well-garrisoned stockades, even if only a handful of the
tribe is still active. However, more is about to KCUT ...

Timetable and Tactics

The DM should keep careful hack of the time once the PCs arrive at
Roarwater Caves. First, the movements of the tides are critical in de-
termining if anyone can leave by the front door. For what it's worth,
no one else enters the complex from the seaside entrance during this
adventure (unless the PCs left an ally or two on the cliffs).
Second, the arrival of a kobold commando force is imminent.
Xvart scouts have successfully led a small army directly to the Roar-
water Caves, though this action unfortunately cost the two scouts
their lives. FoIty normal male kobolds, armed and armored as noted
in the "Main Antagonists" section, discover the surface trap door
leading to area 17.This force is led by one leader kobold, Shtaka, and
his hyo bodyguards, who orders the 40 troops in his command to
enter the caves and slay every living being within (with the leader
and guards coming at the rear to properly direct the action).

55
 protection, of course, while he locates the names of their next-of-kin. If
the PCs are strong, Zimik might let them go (without the magical ring,
of course), or they may have to fight their way out (DM’s option). The
final ”act’’ of this scenario should be as chaotic and fast-moving as the
DM can manage. There is even a possibility that Kraglut might escape
through the brine cave (area 20) using his ring of wafer walking, in
which case Zlmik could blame the PCs for the loss of his prize.

Concluding the Adventure

If Zimik‘s plan was successful, he ransoms the lives of the PCs for
the magical ring (if Kraglut hasn’t escaped with it) and all the magi-
cal items they possess. As he is really a generous creature at heart
I (for a xvart), Zimik allows the PCs to keep any monetary treasure. If
I
\ Kraglut has escaped with the ring, though, Zimik demands the
\
\ party’s money as well, as compensation far all the damage done to
the caves.
The adventurers might well have managed to come up with
something that gives them a better chance of defeating their foes. Any
genuinely original ideas that might work should be looked upon by
the DM in a favorable light. If Zimik appears to be losing face in front
of his tribe, he might be more open to negotiation. If the PCs are in
possession of the religious artifacts from area 13 and use them as bar-
gaining material, their position is strengthened even further.
A few further adventures may suggest themselves, depending on
how well the PCs came out of the main adventure.
+ If the PCs return to recover any items stolen from them when
Zimik reneged a n his agreement, they discover the clever marts have
invented a new defensive measure: a wooden water wheel that
pumps jets of water into the faces of attackers, doing little damage
but hocking them down. How will the PCs get around this one?
0 The discovery of the stolen rowboats in Roarwater Caves points
The DM may wait until either the PCs arrive at area 22 and have an accusing finger at the fisherman, Delbar. Can the PCs come up
fought for 5-10 rounds, or else have the kobolds arrive one hour after with further proof of Delbar’s guilt in numerous shady deals?
the PCs enter the caves, no matter where they are at that time. Once . :e ”Torture while the iron is hat” is another old xvartish saying. If,

they pour into the caves, the kobolds attack everyone in area 17,then by some chance, the PCs have come to an amicable agreement with
split into two groups and head both left and right as they leave the Zimik, he suggests that they cooperate to eradicate the kobolds while
area. One guard accompanies the left-hand group; Shtaka and the they are still reeling from their botched raid a n Roarwater Caves. But
other guard lead the second group to the right toward area 22 (at the are Zimik and the warts to be trusted?
rear, as always). + An especially low tide reveals the masts of an old, wrecked
The kobolds bypass all nets by crawling under them at full speed. merchant ship, the Maelstrom. Perhaps some form of treasue and
One group might become involved in melee with marts in areas 14, danger await the adventurers in their exploration of Roarwater Bay-
15, and 18 (unless the PCs eliminated the warts there, in which case and perhaps the xvarts want the ship’s treasures as well. R
the kobolds head for area 22). The other kobald group heads directly
for the eastern entrances of area 22, splitting again into two roughly-
equal teams.
Having watched the messy demise of his two scouts at the top of
the cliffs, Zimik orders the return of his seaborne force to Roarwater
The Inheritance
Caves at full speed. Twenty minutes (rounds) after the last kobolds “The Inheritance” is an AD&W adventure for 6-8 characters of levels
enter the caves, the marts hit the beach and head for the (unguarded) 1-3 (about 13 total levels). The well-balanced adventuring party
e a p door. Zimik leads 40 males, 36 females, and 19 young (who stay should contain at least two fighters (one preferably a ranger) and one
outside as guards) to the caves, with orders to slay every kobold and priest. O n e of the characters should have no other relatives except a
bugbear in sigh-but killing no warts except Brizol, whose slayer long-lost uncle (or other relative who has been missing for a while).
will be elevated to a hero’s position in the tribe, and no adventurers The advenhm can be adapted to any game world but it written
(if this can be avoided). Xvarts in the caves willingly rejoin Zimik’s for the FORGOTTEN REAMP fantasy setting. If another setting is de-
faction if Brizol and the bugbears are slain. sired, the DM can choose any large city within a week‘s ride of a
Weakened by their advenbre in the caves, the row with the bug- mysterious forest.
bears, and the unexpected kobold attack, the PCs should welcome the The stakes involved in this module are high for a low-level party;
arrival of the xvarts from the beach. Unfortunately, if the PCs are espe- the character who has no other living relatives has inherited a small
cially weakened (onethird or more unconscious or low on hit points), keep from a long-lost uncle. To realize the inheritance, however, the
the shaman holds them for ransom rather than allowing them to leave keep must be seized fmm an unfriendly band of hobgoblins. More-
an their own-laiming that they are being held for their own medical over, the uncle specialized in illusionist magic, and the keep itself has
its share of challenging traps and obstacles. (Note: Hereafter the de-
ceased is referred to in the text simply as "Uncle." Prior to beginning I leave all ny ppy,bath real a d personnf, to ani, Living heir who
the adventure, the DM should assign an appropriate name consistenl avenges me by ridding my wodqkl home o j t h t x j d creatures M her
with the Pc's background.) h/
than 3 0 d y s $er ~y death. It is my direction that thk 6e &ne nty
heir without helpfront my but his or her closest companions, so that my
heir ma). prmw worthy afthe t i m u r e 1knvc behind adwhich I tmt the
Adventure Background A v e y e nw!
The adventure starts in the city of Waterdeep, with the PCs looking
for adventure. At a suitable time, one of the PCs notices a guard past "I haven't been able to find out much about your uncle. He
ing an official proclamation in some public place:
a year, he would go into Red Larch for supplies. He married a
woman from that tnwn, but that is all that is known about him.
- noricc - Apparently, he was in good standing with the Lords of Wuter-
€cgal noticc is hcrcbi! giocn that, unlcss thc last knomn hcirs of [DM in- deep, because the archives hold a rccordrd dpcd from the Lords
to the deceased, dated some five years ago. The deed granted him
serts n a m e recognizable by one of the PCs as Uncle] romc
a tract of land 10 miles wide by 10 miles long, centered on the
forth. his kccp and all posscss~onsshall tsrhcat to thc f o r d s of Watcrdccp sauthernmoit point of Kryptgarden For& T ~ kcep P was built by
forcocr mithout anu fiirthrr tlaims bu said hcirs. Claims must bc hlcd no latrr a band of dwarves lrom the liorth and is somewhere in that area,
thaii tmo olccks from thc datc of this notirc, and thc provisions of tlie mill iul.
hllcd oiithin i o d a y . Bmsons claiming to bc licirs should apiilu to tlic lionor.
ablc Coiirt of thc imdcrsigncd
Bated this ~ dau o i
liargrooc 5ccdius. iT7aqistm of matcrdrq For the Dungeon
-
Master
As the magister has implied, Uncle was an illusionist. Some years
A magister is one of the judges who administer the laws of the ago, he saved the life of one of the Lords of Waterdeep and was re-
City (there are no lawyers). Accordingly, Seedius's court should notmb warded with a grant of land, money, and the commissioning of a
difficult to find; the DM should place it somewhere within the Castle modest keep. The deceased eventually found a wife in Red Larch and
Ward of Waterdeep. Likewise, it should not be difficult for the PC hei took her to the keep, but he otherwise kept to himself. The wife died
to prove his relationship to the deceased. (The magister might sugges two years ago in childbirth, and the baby with her.
that the PC secure official birth and death records maintained by one Two months ago, a raiding patrol of the Lostafinga hobgoblin
of the temples, for example.) The DM should make this part of the ad tribe (see sidebar) discovered the keep and mounted a surprise as-
venhlre a goad roleplaying opportunity for the players. sault at night. Moving quietly, they negotiated the moat obstacles
After lineage has been established, Magister Seedius related the and, with the help of their pet (a giant carnivorous ape), they quickly
following: climbed over the walls and overcame the watch. Uncle barely man-
aged to escape through a secret door just after a hobgoblin armw
caught him in the back.
"Your uncle's body was brought into town by a group of mer- For several days Uncle wandered toward Red Larch in search of
chants from the Yorth who discovered it along the road just aid, but the arrow wound took its toll. Just before he died, he wrote
south of lied Larch. He apparently died from an arrow' wound. out his last will. After the body was found and brought into Water-
The only possessions on his person wcrc a dagger, a pouch with
deep, it was cremated.
20 gold pieces, a quill pen, an empty ink pot, and a n old bill of
The main hobgoblin tribe has not moved into the keep but uses it
sale.
"The merchants found his body sitting against a large rock, as an outpost from which to mount raids against any caravans or
where hc apparently wrote out his will on the back of the bill of merchants that wander by. The keep is currently held by a contingent
sale. When he ran out of ink, he finished it with his own blood. of 21 hobgoblins and one ape. The tribe's chieftain, safely laired in
-4s it was written entirdy in the handwriting of the deceased, the Kryptgarden Forest, rotates a new troop of hobgoblins to the keep
will is legally acceptable even though it is unwitnessed. every 40 days to patrol the southern part of the forest. Since the
"The will's conditions are somewhat unusual, but they are troops are rotated, there are no hobgoblin females or children in the
legally binding on the heirs of the estate. 1 the conditions are keep. Also, the monsters have not discovered the main treasure that
not fulfilled, the kccp and all its possessions become forfeit to the deceased left behind.
thc Lords of Waterdeep. You have only 30 days brfore I must The DM should allow the PCs to make any necessary preparations
make my final judgment on the estate. I will now read the will. hut should enforce the terms of the will strictly The heir and his
Please listen carefully to ensure you understand what must be party have only 30 days to get to the keep, get it cleaned out with no
done." outside assistance, and get hack to file proof of their conquest. Proof
can take a number of forms (bring back the hobgoblin standard, mak-
LaSt Wiilf ing sworn statements before the magister and a priest with a detect lie
I, [DM insert Uncle's full name], fk rningfrom afoul avow. spell, and so forth).
invaders came in the night, acsadtedmy 6 9 h/ surf"se, a d siov alirnJ8
retainers. T h e mansteri were s i r n i b t o orcc hutfought m r c f e r c e ~and
had in dieir swice a hgc, rd-qed b u t that threw my men-at-am The Keep
dolit Lib q s . I barely g o t out T, secret &or, but not bejare one of the Travel to the keep should not be much of a problem until the adven-
C T & ~ shot mc in the bark. turers turn of the main road and head toward Kryptgarden Forest.
(See "Waterdeep and the North" map.) From then on, the DM should

57
 do well. He suspects that the keep’s owner must have had more
treasure than was found and believes that it must be somewhere in
the living room or study (areas 21 and 22).Thus, he has put those
moms off limits to everyone else in the troop. Julla knows that if he
can find the treasure, he will win great honor with his suh-chief. Julla
is vain, arrogant, and unrelenting in battle. He wears a necklace with
15 fingers on it (taken from 10 humans, one half-elf, and four orcs).
Julla is assisted by his two sergeants, Smuk and Cheff (hp 15
each). They carry out his orders grudgingly because they believe that
the lieutenant is an inexperienced greenhorn who could get lost with
a map and a lodestone. They also resent Julla‘s order that puts part of
the keep off limits, and they suspect that he wants to find the missing
treasure himself. Both sergeants are ambitious and, in time of battle, it
would not be surprising if Lieutenant Julla died at their hands (50%
chance if the battle is going the hobgoblins’ way). Neither sergeant
will betray the troop, however. Smuk has a necklace with 25 fingers
(12 human and 13 om), and Cheff has a necklace with 22 fingers (14
human, one elf, two half-elf, and five orc).
The rank-and-file troops are bored with manning the keep. They
are suspicious of Lieutenant Julla’s orders, and they wonder why
they haven’t been out on more patrols to find loot (as well as fin-
gers!). This morale problem works against the adventurers, however,
because the hobgoblins consider a fight a welcome change of pace.
They plow right into melee and loathe to surrender-it’s the
Lostafinga way, after all.
Veterans of the troop use nicknames (assigned by the sergeants)
for each other. These nicknames are based on some habit, appearance,
or deed. Real names are used for the rookes until the sergeants come
up with a fitting appellation. Sergeants and officers are always re-
ferred to by rank and real name.
One trooper with no nickname is Grinkle (hp 4), a poor excuse of
a wimpy hobgoblin who was made a wanior only due to his father’s
influence with the chief. Julla uses Grinkle as an aide to fetch his food
and drink and to clean up after him. More information about Grinkle
check four times a day far a random encounter (twice during day- is found in the description of area 18.Grinkle has a necklace with one
light and twice at night). There is a base I-in-10 chance on each check finger on it (from a halfling), and most of the troop believe that he got
of a random encounter occurring. The DM can use the ”Temperate it as a gift from his father. Grinkle speaks Common and carries his
Rough or Hilly” encounter table found in the MONSTROUS COM- family’s third-hest long sword.
PENDIUMD Annual, Volume Two (page 1191, or substitute encounters of Rat-Nose, Chowhound, and Snurt (hp 7 each), the troop’s three
his or her o m . archers, are tough soldiers who take their job seriously They are well
The keep itself is about a half mile inside Kryptgarden Forest in disciplined and are the most likely to object to criticism of their supe-
the middle of a clearing atop a small hill. The clearing is about 250 riors. Mast of the other troopers resent this attitude and think that the
feet in diameter, and the keep is square with walls about 100 long archers are trying to get extra favors. Rat-Nose gets his name from his
and surrounded by a moat. No main building or wall towers can he particularly long and sensitive nose. He has a necklace with eight fin-
seen, hut there is a gatehouse in the middle of the southem wall. At gers (seven human and one o x ) . Chowhound‘s name is the result of
the gatehause is a drawbridge that is currently raised. his habit of looting food before treasure. His necklace contains four
From the forest, the PCs can see the walls and gatehouse as well human, one gnome, and three OK fingers. Snurt, the rookie, is still
as a pair of humanoid figures patrolling along the walls. If the PCs known by his real name. He does not have a necklace hut is anxious
view the northwest comer, they can see three spears planted, tips out, to earn his first finger.
in the keep side of the moat ditch. PCs who climb trees to get a better The archers can attack twice per round with their long bows (Dmg
look can see the standard in the courtyard and can also see that the 14/1-6) or close to attack once per round with their long swords
moat appears empty They may also view any additional activity the (Dmg 1-8). They don’t carry treasure about with them.
DM wishes to improvise (e.g., a changing of the guard, a small hoh- The infantry troopers are Boar-Breath, Strong-Thrust, Scratchy,
goblin fetching water, and so forth). Deathstar, Smasher, Lucky, Furnhlefoot (hp 7 each), Bear-Killer,
Ringo, Backtalk, Junnane, Slyfund, and Gar-Nuuk-Ko (hp 6 each).
The Hobgoblin Troop These are Julla’s shock troops-the bad guys who wade in after the
archers have warmed up the opposition with a few arrows. For all
The particular group of hobgoblins currently assigned here is the sec- the sergeants’ faults, they have trained these infantry hobgoblins into
ond group of Lostafingas to occupy the keep. (The ones who con- very good fighters and have even started training them in fundamen-
quered it were rotated to other duties.) It is under the command of tal archery. These troopers carry halberds and morning stars.
Lieutenant Julla (hp 19),who was recently commissioned by his sub- The infantry traops are fairly well disciplined (except for Back-
chief. This is Julla‘s first assignment as a lieutenant, and he wants to talk), although they have some suspicions about Lieutenant Julla.
They pride thirmselves on brawry and being ”spug” (the hobgoblin dwarf, and three half-elf). He carries a wFIl-used morning star.
equivalent of Imacho). As a result, fights break out now and then. Al- The huge ape, Redeye, got his name not from his appearance (al-
though great iit fighting and looting, they are not the best housekeep- though his eyes are red), but from the time that Chowhound slipped
ers. Except for’ the rookes, each has a necklace with 2-8 fingers of him a hm of n’he from a looted caravan. (Monkey-Love had been
various types. (One of Bear-killer’s is a finger from a black bear paw.) knocked unconscious in the battle.) The troop took great glee at the
Monkey-L, o w (hp a), the ape handler, earned his nickname ape’s antics until Monkey-Love came to, and then it took both Smuk
from the grewt care he gives Redeye, his carnivorous ape. Any hob- and Cheff to pull him off Chowhound. Both Redeye and Chowhound
goblin w h o m akes a crack about Monkey-Love’s pet runs the risk needed two days to recover, the ape from his drink and Chowhound
of becoming the object of a spontaneous game of “toss the hobgob- irom his lumps.
lin.” No one e‘xcept a naive rookie would ever tease Monkey-Love. Redeye (carnivorous ape): AC 6; MV 12 (9 in tree); HD 5; hp 36;
The infantry tcoops agree that, if Monkey-Love had to make the THACO 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1 4 / 1 4 / 1 - 8 ; SA throw victim into pit (see
choice of feeding Redeye and the rest of the troop, he would feed area 13); SD +2 bonus to surprise; SZ L; INT low (5); ML 11;AL N;
the ape. Monkcey-Love has a necklace of nine fingers (six human XP 175.
and three OIC) , and he also wears a belt of SO fingers from enemies The DM should note that, in addition to the hobgoblins’ listed
that Redeye has slain in battle (33 human, 12 OK, one elf, one weapons, each carries the ritual hand axe (Dmg 14/14).

ostafinga Hobgoblin Tribe ~

doing so transports the soul of the dead one to Maglubiyet for serv-
ice as a slave for etcrnity Because of this practice, all Lostafinga war-
There are mi1ny fell creatures in the savage frontier of the Forgotten riors carry a small hand axe in addition to their normal weapons.
Realms, m d not the least among them are the hobgoblins of the Female hobgoblins learn to mummify these severed fingers and
Lostafinga tribe. For many years they have disrupted the land n ~ a r make necklaces of them. I k s e are wmn openly, hecause the more
the northern and central parts of KryFtgarden Forest by ambushing fingers a warrior has on his necklace, the higher esteem (called
trade caravains, driving off settlers and woodsmen, and attacking a n y ”spug”by the hobgoblins) he has from his peers. Unusually large
0°F unforturlate enough to encounter them. The tribe, rulcd by a fingers (such as from giants, ogres, and such) arc not worn but are
huge hobgot,lin chieftain n a m d Shar-Kee, numbers around SO0 pickled and displayed proudly in hobgoblin lairs. There are few of
males, 4110females, and 600 children. Highly disciplined and well- these curios fur obvious reasons.
organized, ti- Lostahgas are ruthless in battle and do not surrender. Legends are based largely on truth, and there i s some evidence to
Thc Lost,afingas arc distinctivc in dress, appearance, and tac- the Lostafinga legend. There have been occasional reports of gveen
tics. The fen7 survivors of ambushed caravans report that these dragons seen around Kryptgnrden Forest. The Lostafingas have
hobgoblins :whieve complete surprise because they paint their never demanded ransom for any captives. Heavily armed contin-
skin and arrnor with colorcd pigments that blend with thc natural gents have gone into the woods, but only one lone survivor has
terrain. Thui3, a peaceful woodland might iuddcnly crupt with a come out. He was insane and incoherently raved about the jaws of
frenzied SUIprise attack of snarling hobgoblins and well-trained, the ”big, green warm.”
rampaging c‘arnivorous apes. (The tribe has 20 of these creatures.) Adventurers who brave the depths of Kryptgarden Forest are
The only hirit of such an ambush is the dead silence that sur- likely to find out how much of the legend is true and how much is
rounds the kmbgoblins’ position. (Th? birds and other animals not. One thing is certain: the Lostafingas and their ailies will provide
have fled thie area.) stiff opposition.
The namt:“Lostafinga” comes from the exploits of one Gar-Nu- Lostafinga hobgoblins differ slightly from those listed in the
Kee, a distan t ancestor of the current chief. According to tribal leg- hr%.VsrnousM.4YLlAL~”tome. They are organized into troops o f 22
cnd, Gar-Nu-Keeled the tribe on its trek from the mountains of the warriors, cach of which includes a lieutenant and hvo sergeants. A
far north to iL promised land revealrd to him by Maglubiyet, god of troop on an independent misiion usually also includes a carnivorous
the hobgobli ns. Upon arrival in Kryptgardm, the tribe was accosted ape and its handler. Five troops (a company) are commanded by a
by a huge, aircient green dragon and her three children. The dragons sub-chici. They are ruled over by Shar-Kee, the chief of the tribe.
demanded ri?gular hobgoblin sacniices to satisfy their hunger in Hobgoblin trooper: AC 5; MV 9; HD 1+1;THACO 19; #AT 1;
exchange for the tribe’s right to live in the forest. Drng by weapon type; SZ M; INT average (R); MI- 12; AL LE; XP 35
Even tho,:tgh refusal meant certain annihilation, Gar-Nu-Kee (65 for archers); chain mail, long sword (Sflo%)or pole-arm (SO’%),
bravely step]x d forward and told the dragon that its demand was long bow (archers only).
foolish since hobgoblins were tough, stringy, and tasted awful. Hobgoblin sergeant: AC 5; MV 9; HD 1+1; hp 9; THACO 19; #AT
Furious, the dragon knocked down the insulting hobgoblin, told 1;Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; INT average (8); ML 12; AL LF; XP
him that she would be the judge of that, and then took a nibhl- 65; chain mail, long sword.
Gar-Nu-Kee’s left . pinky Hobgoblin lieutenant: AC 4; MV 9; HD 2; hp 11; THACO 19; #AT
. finzer.
.. It tasted as had as he had predicted,
1; Drng by weapon type il (due to 17 Strength); SZ M; INT arcrage
and the drag,on spat it out and released him. Gar-Nu-Kee then nego-
tiatfd an a i r ,rngement with the dragon whereby they would live in (9); ML 12; AL LE; XP 6.5; chain mail, shield, long sword, whip.
iarmony by providing mutual security, with the hobgoblins prorid- Hobgoblin sub-chief AC 3; MV 9; HD 3; hp 16; THACO 17; #AT
ng ”tasty” (Le., non-hobgoblin) sacrifices to the dragons from time 1; Dmg by weapon type +2 (due to 18 Strength); SZ M; INT average
t o time. (9); ML 12; A 1 LE; Xl‘12O; banded mail, shield, morning Star + I
Based on this legend, the hobgoblins took the name “Lostafinga” Shar-Kee (hobgoblin Chief):AC 2; MV 9; HD 4; h p 22; THACO
~f or their tribe in honor of Gar-Nu-Keds courage, cunning, and sacri- 17; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type +2 (due to 18 Strength); SZ M; I N
‘ice.They also startcd the ritual of severing the left small finger from average (IO);ML 12; AL LE; XP 270; banded mail +I, shield, long
I dead foe in the belief (encouraged by the tribal shamans) that su,ord +2.

59
Hobgoblin Defense Plan and the drawbridge lowered. Julia leads most of the hobgoblins and
the ape out of the keep to destroy the party.
Since hobgoblins have infravision and can fight without penalty in Round 7 The two sergeants from area 21 arrive. If Julla has not
daylight, they go on alert and attack at any bold approach by the ad- yet arrived from area 19, Smuk leads the hobgoblin troops outside the
venturers. There is very little cover or concealment for a hidden ap- keep to confront the party
proach. Presumably, the PCs will remember Uncle’s words in the will
about his secret door and look for it instead of entering through the
main gate.
Upper Level
Only a very strong party of adventurers will succeed in a direct 1.Perimeter Wall. Rat-Nose and Chowhaund patrol the 20-high
assault because the hobgoblins have a good defense procedure. In the walls. They are quite alert, and nothing less than invisible characters
event that the PCs try to assault the keep, a gong alarm sounds in the can approach the wall without detection. The wall is block masonry,
gatehouse. Use the descriptions of the ground level and the upper built up 4 feet above the level of the walkway Set into the northern
level of the keep, and rouse the hobgoblins in the sequence indicated wall is a 1s-tali smokestack that emits smoke from area 6 and the
below. (Monsters from the lower level all emerge from area 7.) lower level fireplaces. If they are attacked while behind the walls, the
hobgoblins gain the benefit of 50% cover (4bonus to AC).
Round 1:’hee armored hobgoblins in area 6 awaken the other Characters looking out over the east wall toward the forest can
nine that are sleeping. Lieutenant Julla, in area 19, receives a saving make an Intelligence check at 4.Any PC who succeeds spots a 20 x
throw vs. spell. If the roll is successful, he comes out of his trance. If 30 building about 500 feet into the eastern forest. It’s impossible to
not, he receives another roll each round until he saves or the fight on tell what the building might be, but it’s clearly made of stone. (This is
the upper level quiets d a w n If he comes to, he arrives two rounds the mausoleum, area IO).
after he is freed from the mirror’s curse (see area 19 for details).
Round 2: The three armored hobgoblins from area 6 emerge and 2. Gatehouse. This 20 x 40 room above the entry to the keep is
go to the walls. manned by Snmt, who observes the approach to the drawbridge at
Round 3 No hobgoblins arrive this round. all times. During the day, adventurers can see smoke coming from the
Round 4 Grinkle (area 18)arrives. Gnnkle hides in shadows or small chimney of this struchlre; at night, faint light shines through
darkness and throws his lot in with the side that gains the upper the window slits.
hand. The nine other hobgoblins from area 6, having donned their Like the two sentries on the wall, the hobgoblin here is alert If in-
armor, emerge. truders are detected, Snurt clangs a metal gong inside the gatehouse
Round 5 Monkey-Love and Redeye (area 13) arrive along with to alert the rest of the troop. He also keeps
. a.pot of oil simmerine and
Backtalk (area 15). ready to pour down the murder holes located directly above the-
Round 6 If the PCs are not on the walls, the portcullis is raised drawbridge, inflichng 3-12 hp damage to those in the 1 0 x 2 0 area

UNCLE’S KEEP UNCLE’S KEEP

Upper Level! N Ground Level
1 square = 10’ 1

N
t

h....
1 square = 10’

60
below (save vs. breath weapon for half dam-
age). If attacked by someone outside the gate-
house, Snurt gains the benefit of 90% cover
UNCLE’S KEEP
(-10 bonus to AC).
Lower Level
Ground Level
3. Moat. The moat is 1il deep and appears
empty. However, Uncle has implanted numer- N
ous heavy spears in the embankment, their 1
tips pointed aut, and rendered them invisible.
Three of these spears are visible in the north-
west corner of the moat where the hobgoblins
first tried to sneak in.
Any PC moving up the far side of the
moat embankment toward the wall has a 1-in-
4 chance of being impaled by a spear (1-in-2
chance if w i n g ) , suffering 1-6 hp damage.
Anyone knocked or pushed off the wall has a
1-in-3 chance of hitting a spear in addition to
the 2-12 h p damage from the fall.

4. Drawbridge and Portcullis. The draw-

bridge is presently raised, and the portcullis is
down. The drawbridge is solidly built of
wood and can be raised or lowered by a
wheel and chains at location 4A.The
portcullis is made of iron bars and can be
raised or lowered by the wheel and chains at
1 square - 10’

location 4B.

5. Stable. This once held Uncle’s livestock, but now all that’s left is 8. Midden. In the southern part of this 2 5 x 30 mom is a stone ledge
one sorry-looking pony on the verge of starvation. An animalfriend- with three apertures for dumping waste. The smell here is very bad.
ship spell automatically works with her, and she is easily befriended.
The one cart remaining in the stable is in good operating condition. 9. Courtyard. The courtyard is paved with grass growing between the
cracks. One paving stone at the center of the yard has been torn out,
6. Guard Barracks. Successful listening at the door reveals muttered and an ugly standard has been planted in the ground. The standard is
talking and snoring. Adozen hobgoblin troopers share this mom fur- a dirty, mustard-yellow cloth banner emblazoned with a picture of a
nished with bunk beds, a table and chairs, and a fireplace. The room grisly, hairy hand that is missing its pinky finger. This is the troop
is in disarray. All of the beds are m a d e , the floor hasn’t been swept standard of the Lostafinga tribe. Taking it back to Waterdeep and
in a long time, and weapons, shields, and other junk are strewn showing it to Magister Seedius selves as proof that the conditions of
about. Uncle’s have been fulfilled
Nine of the hobgoblins are sleeping, and three (Deathstar, Lucky,
and Jurmane) are sitting at the table playing some sort of game with
sticks, banes, and stones. These t h e e are fully armored and awaiting
Mausoleum and Lower Level
their shift on the wall. The others have removed their a m o r and are 10. The Mausoleum. East of the keep and about 500 feet into the for-
sleeping soundly est is another, smaller clearing that contains a small stone mausoleum
If the advenhlrers burst in, the hobgoblins are automatically sur- with no windows and one door. Just south of this building are a small
prised. The sleeping ones wake up after the initial round and grab the shrine to the goddess Mystra (see area 11)and two graves. The door
closest weapons at hand. All the hobgoblins fight fiercely, refusing to of the mausoleum is made of heavy wood and bound with silver
surrender. Unarmored hobgoblins have AC 10. bands and hinges, and someone has written on the door in Hobgob-
If alerted by the guard in the gatehouse, the three armored hobgob- lin, “Keep out! Danger! This means you, stupid!” The heavy padlock
lins spend one round waking the other nine, then go outside to man the that once sealed the door lies in pieces on the ground nearby
walls. The nine remaining hobgoblins take three additional munds don- Inspection of the tombstones on the graves reveals the names of
ning their amor and grabbing weapons before emerging to assist. Uncle’s wife from Red Larch and that of a child. The dates of death
Searching through the hobgoblins’ belongings yields a total of 30 are the same.
gp and 121 sp. The mausoleum door is unlocked but squeals horrendously when
opened. (Oil may be applied to the hinges to dull the noise.) In the
7. Well Room. Stairs going down to the lower level (area 14) take up northeast corner of the mausoleum is a massive stone coffin that at
the western part of this 25’ x 30 room. In the southeast comer is a 4‘- one time was apparently bound by silver bands; they are now broken
diameter well with a bucket and rope nearby The well shaft goes open. The lid of the crypt is propped against the crypt itself. In the
down 60 feet to a pure underground spring. northwest corner are some pieces of chain mail armor, a broken

61
 12. Tunnel. At the bottom of the shaft is a tunncl that goes due west.
,- The tunnel walls, floor, and ceiling a x shored up with timbers every
10 feet. The passage is S wide and 8' high. After 650 feet, the tunnel
I
0 . stops abruptly at a masonry wall. There is a secret door here (auto-
d matically found due to the many clues and evidence) that leads to
area 13. The door pulls open on this side. Successful listening at the
secret door (-5% chance due to the thickness of the wall) reveals in-
distinguishable talking and grunting.

13. Pet Room. This is a 30 x 3 0 room separated into two halves by a

10-wide pit. Two boards lie across the pit like a bridge, joining the
two sides. On the west side of the pit, a hobgoblin is petting the head
of a large ape that is contentedly munching on a piece of meat.
The hobgoblin, Monkey-Love, is surprised automatically The PCs
and Redeye, the ape, should roll for surprise normally, (Theparty is
not surprised if one of the PCs successfully detected noises, and the
ape receives a +2 bonus to its surprise roll.) The PCs might try knock-
ing the hobgoblin or the ape into the pit in the center of the room,
doing so on a successful to-hit roll vs. AC 10 plus a successful o p e n
Doors roll (hobgoblin) or Bend Bars roll (ape). The ape can escape the
pit in 1 4 rounds by scaling the pit walls.
. If Redeye hits with both hands, he does not bite the victim or in-
flict rending damage. Instead, he automatically throws the PC into
the pit. Being hocked or thrown into the 20-deep pit inflicts 2-12 h p
damage. The monsters fight to the death; they h o w they are too far
away from their comrades to get help. Neither Monkey-Love nor
Redeye has any treasure.
On the west side of the room is an unlocked door. The pit can be
crossed safely using the boards laid across it, as they are quite strong
and thick.
Uncle built this mom so that he could cross, knock the boards
into the pit, and then escape through the secret door while any in-
vaders were delayed. This worked well except that, as he was open-
ing the secret door in the eastern wall, he was shot in the back with
halberd, and some hones. Hiding behind the coffin is a ghoul an arrow. He managed to escape, of course, with his attackers
If the mausoleum is entered after sunset, the ghoul inside immedi- stranded on the west side of the room. Once the keep was secure, the
ately emerges and attacks, fighting until destroyed. If before sunset, it hobgoblins used Redeye to help recover the hoards and lay them
waits until someone in the party comes up to the coffin before attack- across the pit.
ing. The ghoul does not leave the mausoleurn during daylight hours. Redeye can jump the pit with a 60% chance of success (80%
The ghoul was a particularly evil lord of Red Larch who was chance if so ordered by Monkey-Love).
buried alive by the town's citizens hundreds of years ago.
After takng the keep, the hobgoblins found the mausoleum and in- 14. Intersection Corridor. This 30 x 20 corridor has an open archway
vestigated. When they broke the silver hands holding the stone coffin in the south wall. Beyond the archway, a staircase leads up to the
lid in place, the ghoul burst out and the hobgoblins fled in terror. O n e ground floor of the keep (area 7).Wooden doors in the west, north,
of the hobgoblins was paralyzed, and it is his remains that decorate the and east wall are unlocked. There are sconces in the walls for holding
northwest corner. Luckily, the silver hands and hinges were enough to torches, but they are empty Listening successfully at the northern
keep the ghoul behind the door, as the hobgoblins had no way to lock door reveals muttered hobgoblin cursing from area 15.
the door behind them. (They had smashed the lock to get inside.)
The coffin's silver bands are worth 15 g p each, and the hinges and 15. Dining Roam. This is a large feasting hall with six torch holders
hands on the door are worth 20 gp ea&. The ghoul has no treasure, mounted to the walls (three on the north wall, three on the south).
and its crypt is empty Each holder contains a lit torch. Piled on the 30-long table and
Ghoul: AC 6; MV 9; HD 2; h p 16; "HAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg stacked on the floor arr heaps of dirty dishes, cups, spoons, leftovers,
1-3/1-3/14; SA paralysis; SD immune to sleep and cham spells; SZ and the aftermath of a frenzied food fight. A lone cursing hobgoblin
M; TNT low (7);ML 12; AL CE; XP 175. is busy collecting dishes in a pile. He turns at the sound of the door
and tosses the dishes aside. Pulling out a morning star, the creature
11. Secret Entrance. Just south of the mausoleum is a small shrine to shouts something in Hobgoblin as he attacks Those who understand
the goddess of magic, Mystra, on a stone pedestal. Close inspection of the hobgoblin language hear him say, "Oh, good, I didn't want to do
the 4-diameter pedestal reveals a few drops of dried blood. The the dishes anyway!"
pedestal can be moved aside easily to reveal a shaft going straight This hobgoblin is Backtalk. True to his name, he angered Sergeant
down; built into the side of the shaft is a wooden ladder. Tbis is Smuk and was given the job of cleaning the dishes. He welcomes the
Uncle's secret escape, and the blood stains are his. The ladder is opportunity to vent his frustration on the adventurers. He has no
sturdy and descends 50 feet to area 12. treasure.
 A1though Uncle was a reciuse to the outside world, he did live in less a save vs. spell is successful. Julla is tremendously vain, and he
style, and he always remembered his servants’ birthdays with parties missed his save miserably. He stands totally oblivious to anyone com-
in thisi room. The floor of the fireplace is covered with a thick layer of ing into the room as he smoothes his eyebrows, adjusts his hair,
paper ashes. The door in the northeast comer is unlocked, and no wipes crumbs from his lips, and occasionally flexes his muscles.
noise can be heard from the other side. There is also a secret door in Uncle would leave the mirror uncovered whenever he was out of the
the nctrthwest comer that swings open into area 20. The door is room as a trap for would-be thieves. The mirror can entrance only
opene d by turning the nearest torch holder 90’ clockwise. one individual at a time.
Any attack brings Julla out of his trance, and he fights hard and to
16.Ki tchen. Tbis room contains the usual fixtures and implements. the death, bellowing for Grinkle’s assistance (no luck there!). An ini-
Like t’he dining mom, it is a mess. Other than the hobgoblins’ garbage tial back attack by the PCs automatically succeeds, as will any reason-
and d irty pots and pans, there is nothing of interest in here. An obser- able method used to slay Julla.
vant I’C might see that there is a considerable amount of ash from The lieutenant carries a pouch with 25 gp and two keys. O n e key
paper in the fireplace, since the hobgoblins use books from the study used to open the lock to the mausoleum (ama 10). The other opened
(area :22) for kindling. There is an iron door in the west wall that is the chest in this room.
very c,old to the touch. There is nothing of interest in or around the bed, chair, hassock, or
chest of drawers. The minor cannot be removed from the wall with-
17.Fneezer. The temperature in here is below freezing. Hangmg from out breaking it. The locked chest contains two gems (each worth 150
hooks are the carcasses of various creatures. Uncle once befriended a gp). At the D M s option, there might also be a letter, written in Hob-
wand,ering druid and persuaded him to cast a control temperature spell goblin, from Julla’s commander (a sub-chie0 giving Julla orders and
to briiig this room below freezing. He then used a permanency spell instructions:
fmm i1 scroll to create a permanent freezer to preserve foodstuffs.
I
18. ccinnecting Conidor. This long corridor is lit by torches in
sconcc2%. It has doors to the west, east, and north. A hobgoblin is
SWWF’ing up the hallway. When he sees the adventurers, he drops the
broonI, raises his hands, and cries out in Common, ”I give up! Don’t
li
shoot! Don’t hurt me! I surrender!”
Th is hobgoblin is Grinkle. His father disowned him and, through i 1
comections with the chief, placed him in the troop ”to make a real This letter might lead to interesting follow-up adventures and also
hobgcBblin out of him.” Grinkle believes that brains can accomplish hints at the arrival of another troop to replace the hobgoblins cur-
more than brawn and hangs back in any fight, joining the side that rently stationed at the keep. See ”Concluding the Adventure” for
hapPC!m to be winning. Hence, when confronted by the PCs, he is not details.
about the fight them except in self-defense.
GI,inkle’s surrender is genuine. If he isn’t treated roughly, he can 20. Illusionary Trap Room. This is an oddly configured room, as
tell the PCs about Lieutenant Julla in area 19 and the two sergeants there is a T-shaped pit diving it into three parts. The southwest and
snoopsing around farther north. He does not know about the trap in southeast comers are 10 square; the northern section measures 10 x
area 2,Oor what lies in areas 21 and 22, since these rooms were put off 30. These three floor sections are connected by stout-looking boards
limits. (He knows there were a lot of books somewhere in that area bolted into the floor. Iron angle braces bolted to the sides of the pit
and tl,at the books were used to kindle fires in the dining room and and the bottom of the boards make the boards very stable. On the far
kitche,n.) If promised an opporkmity to join the party (and he will north wall is a closed wooden door. Resting against the wall are two
sugge‘stthis), Grinkle reveals the number of hobgoblins upstairs. additional boards.
Since the troop arrived at the keep, Grinkle has been waiting on Julla If a PC looks down into the pit, he can see that it is about 2 0 deep.
hand and foot and has been the butt of jokes from the other troopers. There is a brownish-red stain on the pit floor under the boards, al-
He th erefore feels no loyalty to his fellow troopers. though this can only be seen with a proper light source.
l-tE DM might allow Grinkle to stay with the party indefinitely as The middle 3 feet of each board is a permanent illusion created by
an NI’C. If so, it should become apparent that Grinkle’s talents are in Uncle to prevent intruders from reaching his inner sanctum. The
thieving, sneaking, talking, and (surprisingly) cooking, but not fight- outer ends of the board test just fine, but when someone reaches the
ing. Ekspite these skills, no amount of effort short of magic can dis- middle, there is nothing but empty space and the pit below. The
guise him to look like anything but a hobgoblin. Grinkle can serve as brownish-red stain on the floor is from the first hobgoblin who tried
an apprentice to a thief. to cross the pit via the boards. After this incident, Lieutenant Julla
NI3 noise is heard from the northern door. A successful listener at put all areas north of this mom off limits to the rest of the troop, as
the westem door hears a guttural humming. Neither door is locked. it is obvious that this trap must be guarding something valuable.
The two boards leaning against the wall on the other side of the
19. Master Bedroom. This room is furnished with a large, comfort- pit are quite sturdy and were used by Smuk and Cheff, the two hob-
able ted, a chest of drawers, a chest, and an easy chair with hassock. goblin sergeants, to reach area 21. The door to area 21 is not locked.
The bed linens are dirty and stained, and dirty cups and dishes are Successful listening at the door reveals the muffled sounds of an ar-
scattered about. Standing before a mirror mounted on the south wall gument.
is a la rge hobgoblin holding a piece of cloth. The hobgoblin is staring A single, empty torch holder is mounted to the wall near the
at his reflection and humming contentedly southeast comer of the mom. The secret door in the south wall (lead-
l-tlis is Julla, the hobgoblin lieutenant in charge of the troop. Afew ing to area 15) is opened by turning the brass torch holder 90’ clock-
hoursi ago he pulled off the cloth covering Uncle’s enchanted mirror. wise. The door swings open into the mom but has no chance of
The nerror causes the viewer to become enamored with himself un- knocking anyone into the pit.

63
ving Room.

1
ne hobgoblin is saying to the other, in Hobgoblin, ”I’m telling
something’s here, Smuk!” The other replies, ”And I’m telling
here’s nothing here!”
le two hobgoblin sergeants, Smuk and Cheff, are both ambi-
and have figured that Lieutenant Julla put this part of the keep
nits so that he can find all the treasure (and get all the credit)
?If. They are holding an involved discussion in which Cheff
nds loudly that has has found something that looks like a secret
artment. Smuk, on the other hand, is having second thoughts
disobeying orders and is anxious to get back before they are
it. Thus, if the PCs take reasonable precautions to enter quietly,
night hear further details of this argument and surprise these
lobgoblins automatically. When the hobgoblins notice the ad-
.rem, they throw down their torches, pull out their swords, and
:. The sergeants each have 5 gp.They fight to the death.
1of the furniture, tapestries, and other items in the mom have
ruined in the search for Uncle’s treasure. There is a secret door
northeast corner (Cheff spotted it) that leads to area 23. The se-
oor can be pulled open by anyone with a Strength of 9 or better.

udy. This is another ransacked room, with ruined pictures and

items scattered about. There is also a desk that has been re-
I to splinters. The built-in bookcases that line the walls are
i; Uncle’s library has been used to start fires in the kitchen and
3 hall. A successful check for secret doors, however, reveals a
sliding wall panel. The recess behind the panel holds a scroll
iring the spells wall of fog, misdirection, and wraithfom (all cast at
vel) and a wand of paralyzation with six charges. The command deep, who demands fealty and explains to the PC that there is a con-
for the wand, “cyllibrym,” is inscribed in Elvish an the wand’s dition to the deed the land‘s new occupant must keep the area clear
?I shaft. of monsters.
If the DM feels that giving low-level PCs a keep of their own is
easure Roam. This small room appears totally empty except for too grand a gesture, then the Lords of Waterdeep might opt to put the
of metal gauntlets lying in the middle of the floor. There is also keep in trust, stationing armed soldiers there until the inheritor has
iisible unlocked chest in the northeast comer. The chest is cov- gained sufficientpersonal power to warrant giving the keep back (if
vitb contact poison that has weakened over time (save vs. poi- the Lords of Waterdeep are so inclined).
: +4 or suffer 5-20 hp damage). The poison can be avoided by Avenues for additional adventures and roleplaying are endless.
me wearing gloves, the metal gauntlets, or similar protection. Some ideas are as follows:
nest becomes visible when touched. Thirty days after this adventure, the chief of the Lostafinga tribe
;ide the chest are the following treasures: a short sword +1, three sends another troop of hobgoblins to relieve the one that was a n duty
irrozus +3, five darts +5 (usable only by a wizard-class character), The adventurers might find the keep reoccupied when they get back,
on of extra-healing, a ring of shocking grasp, 500 pp, 850 gp, and or they might have to defend the keep against a hobgoblin siege.
ems (worth 2,500 gp, 2 x 1,000gp, 500 gp,and 250 g p respec- . :e Thieves or other NPCs in Waterdeep hear of the PCs’ success

1. and try to secure the keep for themselves.

+ The Tree Ghost barbarian tribe decides that their ancestral
Including
- the Adventure
totem is hidden in Kryptgarden Forest, and they want to use the keep
as a base of operations for their search.
adventurers are unsuccessful in driving the hobgoblins out in 0 The PCs decide to further fortify and inhabit the keep; settlers
the keep and its belongings escheat to the Lords of Waterdeep. and the means to provision them must be found.
ords send a full company of men-at-arms and cavalry with 0 The annual real estate tax bill arrives, and money must be
engines to retake it, and they succeed. The PCs will have to find raised to pay it.
and glory elsewhere. Whatever course the campaign takes, the adventurers will find the
the PCs are successful, Uncle’s nephew or niece receives the title taking and securing of Uncle‘s keep a great platform for taking off
re of South Kryptgarden” along with a deed to the keep and into more adventures in the savage northern frontier of the Forgotten
This relative is summoned before one of the Lords of Water- Realms. n