That has to be the understatement of the day!
When I set out typing all of this up, I figured that I would have it all covered long before the day was out. Boy was I ever wrong. Diablo by name, Diablo by nature.
This has turned into a beast of a project. There's still a load of monsters to convert, weapons, spells, skill trees... The list goes on. But it can be done and, I am far from beat.
It's just a battle for another day. So, it looks like Talisman Thursday is being put on-hold for a week or two. Fluxx Friday too. Instead I will be focusing on the Diablo Fast Play game this week and seeing just how much we can milk it for.
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Diablo Day: More Monsters - Balrog
BALROG
Slayer
To Hit: 4
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 24
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+2 Damage / 2D6+2 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Slayer is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Slayer is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 8,000.
Guardian
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 26
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+4 Damage / 2D6+4 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Guardian is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Guardian is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 10,000.
Vortex Lord
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 28
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+6 Damage / 2D6+6 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Vortex Lord is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Vortex Lord is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 11,000.
Balrog
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 34
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (3D6+6 Damage / 3D6+6 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Balrog is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Balrog is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 14,000.
Slayer
To Hit: 4
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 24
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+2 Damage / 2D6+2 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Slayer is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Slayer is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 8,000.
Guardian
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 26
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+4 Damage / 2D6+4 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Guardian is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Guardian is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 10,000.
Vortex Lord
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 28
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (2D6+6 Damage / 2D6+6 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Vortex Lord is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Vortex Lord is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 11,000.
Balrog
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 2
HP: 34
Primary Attack: Claws and Horns (3D6+6 Damage / 3D6+6 Damage)
Secondary Attack: Inferno (6D6 Fire Damage)
Special Rules: Inferno is as per the spell of the same name. This is a ranged attack, effecting all targets within a 20 by 5 foot cone.
If the Balrog is not attacking, "to hit" rolls against it suffer a -3 penalty.
If the Balrog is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 14,000.
Diablo Day: More Monsters - Acid Beast
Throughout the day I will be posting up more and more monsters for
your Diablo II Fast Play game, as I convert them. Unfortunately the
Internet is being pretty stingy when it comes to pictures of these
critters, offering little of any use.
So if you're reading this and you have a great piece of Diablo fan art that you'd like to share, now would be a great time to pitch in.
ACID BEAST
Acid Beast
To Hit: 10
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 10
Primary Attack: Acid (2D6-1 Acid Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Acid (2D6-2 Acid Damage)
Special Rules: If the Acid beast successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Acid Beast's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
Immune to Acid.
XP Value: 270.
Pit Beast
To Hit: 8
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 14
Primary Attack: Acid (3D6+1 Acid Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Acid (2D6+2 Acid Damage)
Special Rules: If the Pit beast successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Pit Beast's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
If the Pit Beast is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1 or 2 the spell fails.
Immune to Acid.
XP Value: 1,400.
Lava Maw
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 24
Primary Attack: Lava (3D6+4 Lava Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Lava (2D6+4 Lava Damage)
Special Rules: If the Lava Maw successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Lava Maw's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
If the Lava Maw is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 7,000.
So if you're reading this and you have a great piece of Diablo fan art that you'd like to share, now would be a great time to pitch in.
ACID BEAST
Acid Beast
To Hit: 10
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 10
Primary Attack: Acid (2D6-1 Acid Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Acid (2D6-2 Acid Damage)
Special Rules: If the Acid beast successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Acid Beast's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
Immune to Acid.
XP Value: 270.
Poison Spitter
To Hit: 10
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 12
Primary Attack: Poison (3D6-2 Poison Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Poison (2D6 Poison Damage)
Special Rules: If the Poison Spitter successfully hits a target with its spit, they must
make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Poison Spitter's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
Immune to Poison.
XP Value: 420.
Pit Beast
To Hit: 8
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 14
Primary Attack: Acid (3D6+1 Acid Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Acid (2D6+2 Acid Damage)
Special Rules: If the Pit beast successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Pit Beast's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
If the Pit Beast is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1 or 2 the spell fails.
Immune to Acid.
XP Value: 1,400.
Lava Maw
To Hit: Only misses on a result of 1,1,1.
# of Attacks: 1
HP: 24
Primary Attack: Lava (3D6+4 Lava Damage)
Secondary Attack: Spit Lava (2D6+4 Lava Damage)
Special Rules: If the Lava Maw successfully hits a target with its spit, they must make a Saving Throw on DEX or, roll for its damage again on the Lava Maw's next round. This is a ranged attack, with a range of 25 feet.
If the Lava Maw is the target of a Mind Control spell, roll 1D6. On a 1,2 or, 3 the spell fails.
Immune to Fire.
XP Value: 7,000.
Alchemy Bytes #7: One Mans Trash Is Another Mans Plans For World Domination
Another awesome video from Dorkly. This one is a little more bloody though so if you're at all squeamish, you may want to give it a miss.
Diablo Day: A Ground Breaking D&D Release... That You've Probably Never Heard Of
 |
| Fast-Play Goodness |
Yet another gem doomed to relative obscurity it would seem.
This is probably in no small part due to the sheer volume of roleplaying products now available freely on the Internet. It's very easy for such a small release, even of such a major brand, to get lost in the crowd and, Wizards did very little to prevent this.
It's a shame really as this is not only a nice little standalone product but, also a bit of a Pandora's Box...
Despite being clearly advertised as a "Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Game" product on the front cover, there's not a funny shaped dice in sight. Now a Dungeons and Dragons product running purely on D6 is nothing short of an oddity in itself (especially in this D20 day and age) but, a little further investigation uncovers something that can only be described as epic!
When compared to the other Diablo / Dungeons and Dragons crossover products available, it becomes clear quite quickly that the fast play rules have been cut from the same pattern as the small Diablo II boxed set, which in turn was based upon AD&D 2nd edition.
So what you have here is more than just a freebie. It's a completely new take on the D&D system from Wizards themselves! In my opinion this is nothing short of ground breaking and, certainly deserving of more attention than it has received, Diablo or no Diablo.
What makes this discovery so important however has to be the timing.
This whole system uses AD&D 2nd edition as a foundation and, AD&D has just been re-released! In real terms this means that there is likely to be a massive nostalgic surge in the number of AD&D players out there. One that Wizards is unlikely to miss cashing in on.
So we should certainly expect more products in the range and, probable re-releases of many of the classics. All of which can be easily converted for play with the "Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Game"... Which really needs re-branding, renaming and, knocking into production.
Stay tuned into Diablo Day as we continue our exploration of this forgotten system and I answer what seems to be the most popular forum request surrounding it.
More monsters!
Links
Download your free copy of the Diablo II Fast Play RPG
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Re-designing the Logo... Again
Well, I'm at it again.
This time I am going for a logo that resembles something more along the lines of steam punk but, that'll still hold the stylized Alchemy A.
It's all only sketches on paper at the moment but it's already looking good. Who knows, I may actually settle on a design eventually. ;0)
This time I am going for a logo that resembles something more along the lines of steam punk but, that'll still hold the stylized Alchemy A.
It's all only sketches on paper at the moment but it's already looking good. Who knows, I may actually settle on a design eventually. ;0)
On The Cards: Sunday 29th July
Well, the week of the troll was a resounding success and, I feel that this blog is going from strength to strength.
Not only are we getting more views but, I'm also getting more organized. Work may still interfere (doesn't it always) with what I have planned for posting next week but, here's what I have in store for you all so far...
I have seen a great deal of call for this in various forums, so I will be sharing my conversion notes in brief.
As a teaser however, I will say that given that the Diablo II fast play game was based upon the AD&D 2nd Edition release of the rules, the conversion notes make it perfectly possible to play the latter with only D6. Yup, that's right, D&D with nothing more than D6!
Also throughout the day I will be throwing in a few Diablo related Alchemy Bytes.
I'll be taking a look at the revised 4th Edition characters in the base game to see just how well they fare, exploring sources for new potential characters and, taking a gander at the rumors surrounding Relic.
As a result I will be posting up a short quickstart guide, along with a short post about customizing your game. I might even post up the "Plain English is Ambiguous" variant that the folks I ran into seemed to like to play with.
Not only are we getting more views but, I'm also getting more organized. Work may still interfere (doesn't it always) with what I have planned for posting next week but, here's what I have in store for you all so far...
Tuesday: Diablo Day
A first look at the pencil and paper Diablo II roleplaying game freely available from Wizards of the Coast, comparing it to the other "pay to play" versions out there and, some of my own observations that will allow you to take it further without spending a dime.I have seen a great deal of call for this in various forums, so I will be sharing my conversion notes in brief.
As a teaser however, I will say that given that the Diablo II fast play game was based upon the AD&D 2nd Edition release of the rules, the conversion notes make it perfectly possible to play the latter with only D6. Yup, that's right, D&D with nothing more than D6!
Also throughout the day I will be throwing in a few Diablo related Alchemy Bytes.
Thursday: Talisman Thursday
I've been finding myself more and more drawn towards Talisman of late, so Talisman Thursday will be more about my exploration of the game, than the game itself.I'll be taking a look at the revised 4th Edition characters in the base game to see just how well they fare, exploring sources for new potential characters and, taking a gander at the rumors surrounding Relic.
Friday: Fluxx Friday
Amazingly the other night I actually met not one but, two people that were unable to wrap their heads around the concept of Fluxx, arguably one of the easiest games to learn (well beyond Tic-Tac-Toe) in the world!As a result I will be posting up a short quickstart guide, along with a short post about customizing your game. I might even post up the "Plain English is Ambiguous" variant that the folks I ran into seemed to like to play with.
Week Of The Troll: Wrapping Up
 |
| Tunnels and Trolls 1st Edition |
So as an extra special treat, settle yourselves into your bed and let me tell you a story. Through an act of fortunate serendipity the Trollgod himself, Ken St Andre only hours ago posted up his recollection of how it all began.
Although the information in the post itself would seem to date back as far as 1997, it's still well worth a read and, makes for an insightful end to a fun week.
Enjoy!
Links
The Origins of Tunnels and Trolls
300... Smashed!
In fact, we've come close to tripling our page views in just the space of two days!
So again, a big thank you to all of you that have popped by to show your support. Huge thank yous to those folks that have decided to follow the blog and add it to their own and, an EXTRA special thank you to the great guys over at Peryton Publishing for the great publicity that they have given us.
Next goal: 500 views. Let's see how quickly we can make it happen.
Friday, 27 July 2012
Alchemy Bytes #5: Bizarre Talisman Crossovers
The two games really couldn't be much more different. Sure they both use D6 and involve pretty miniatures on a game board but, to all intents and purposes, that's where the similarity ends.
Still, the Internet is a weird and wonderful place and, gamers creative folk. So I present to you for your gaming pleasure, Talisman Space Hulk.As if that wasn't enough, the site that I first learned of this on also has a number of other interesting Talisman expansions, including Talisman Bloodbowl.
Probably not a good idea to combine the two though. ;0).
300
A big thank you to everyone that has dropped by and...
THIS. IS.
Week Of The Troll: Elder Tunnels - Winter / Spring 2010
It couldn't be the week of the troll without giving an honorable mention to the excellent folks over at Peryton Publishing. Not only are they great guys but, when it comes to their products you sure do get plenty of bang for your buck.Starting way back in the cold winds of Winter 2010, Peryton Publishing now has 6 issues of the Elder Tunnels zine under its belt and, in my opinion, they just keep getting better and better.
Right now however, let me take you back to issue one, as we take a journey and begin our exploration of the Elder Tunnels.
It has to be said that for my money the first issue was a little hit and miss from my point of view. I absolutely loved the "Wuthering Depths" adventure written by Tom K. Loney. It had depth and an atmosphere that really drew you in as the GM reading over his notes. Stephen Butka's effort, "The Sorcerers Chimney" however left a lot to be desired.
This is not to say that however that the adventure was poorly conceived but, rather that in comparison to Tom's work it seemed incomplete and sketchy. Monsters are presented in a bizarre fashion and, encounters and locations lack any great detail. That said however, I can see that this may appeal to the old school GM's out there who see loosely described rooms and blank locations as a great chance to show off their own creative flair.
That's not me though. I like nicely fleshed out adventures that are ready to run straight out of the book. This is what I feel that you get with the Wuthering Depths. More than that I would say that the Wuthering Depths isn't just an adventure, it's a setting. A setting that is well worth the price tag on the cover, even without the other adventure included.
In conclusion, buy it. It's well worth it.
Links
Check out Elder Tunnels
Take a look around Peryton Publishing
Pick up the PDF here ($4.99)
Pick up a dead tree copy here ($7.99)
Alchemy Bytes #4: Journey Quest
It's a journey. It's a quest. It's Journey Quest.
Not really a lot more to say as the title pretty much covers it all. I could be deep and say stuff like "the journey is really yours as you follow several brave heroes, each representing an aspect of human nature on a quest of discovery in a land that is clearly an allegory for the psyche".. I could. I could but I would probably be way off the mark.
What Journey Quest is, is gaming humor pure and simple. What it also is, is it is well done and well worth a watch.
Not really a lot more to say as the title pretty much covers it all. I could be deep and say stuff like "the journey is really yours as you follow several brave heroes, each representing an aspect of human nature on a quest of discovery in a land that is clearly an allegory for the psyche".. I could. I could but I would probably be way off the mark.
What Journey Quest is, is gaming humor pure and simple. What it also is, is it is well done and well worth a watch.
Week Of The Troll: TrollsZine
The week of the troll may be drawing to a close but I couldn't call an end to the event without taking the opportunity to give a mention to TrollsZine, Elder Tunnels and, Pocket Troll.Whilst there is another zine out there *cough* Hobbit Hole *cough*, these three are the only ones worth their salt and your buck, with TrollsZine being free free free... Did I mention it was free?
Stating the same fact four times within one sentence may seem a bit like overkill but given that certain unscrupulous parties have in the past tried to sell TrollsZine as their own for as much as $13, being clear on the fact that it is free seems important. So if you see someone out there trying to sell you a dead tree version of any of the issues or, worse yet, charge you for the PDF, feel free to report them to your local law enforcement. It is a scam, they are scam artists and, as a contributor to the first two issues I don't see why you should have to pay for something that has been given to be shared freely.
The scummy dealings of Jim Shipman aren't news however and, I don't want to get too tied up in them in this post. Instead I want to focus more on the great work and tireless contributions of the Tunnels and Trolls community to furthering the hobby.
TrollsZine is a prime example of this, being the product of material and time freely donated by people who really care about the game and, really enjoy sharing their passion. So why not download a copy... It's free after all. ;0).
Alchemy Bytes #3: Board James
Better known as the Angry Video Game Nerd to most of us, It was actually James Rolfe's work as Board James that first caught my eye a few years back and, ever since I have been hooked.
Suffice to say that I highly recommend giving his unique mix of humor, gaming and, reviewing a look but, I would caution you to expect strong language. Lots of strong language and, F-bombs by the bucket load. So, if you're easily offended you may want to give this one a miss.
Links
Cinemassacre: The home of the Angry Video Game Nerd, Board James, James Rolfe's other creations, as well as other excellent content presented by Mike Matei.
Board James: Weapons and Warriors
Board James: Crossfire
Board James: Dragonstrike
Board James: Mousetrap
Board James: Tornado Rex
Board James: Mr Bucket
Board James: Heroquest
Board James: Deadly Danger Dungeon
Board James: Fireball Island
Board James: Doggie Doo
Board James: SPLAT!
Board James: Battle Masters
Board James: Monster Madness
Board James: Loupin' Louie
Board James: Donut Disaster
Board James: Key to the Kingdom
Board James: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Week Of The Troll: More Free Stuff!!
From the outset of the week of the troll I promised freebies and boy do I ever plan to deliver.
So far we've had a free copy of the rules, a couple of free solo adventures and, a bunch of new playable character types. A good showing admittedly but, hardly the treasure trove that I painted the picture of in my earlier posts..
So here comes the cavalcade!
A gaming explosion is about to go off. So brace yourself, sit tight, read on and, enjoy the show.
Barony of Sanris by Patrick Witmer.
Buffalo Castle by Rick Loomis.
Dargon's Dungeon by Bill Hart. Rewritten by Liz Danforth, Pat Mueller, Paul O'Conner and, Michael Stackpole.
Dark Side of the Desert by Patrick Witmer.
Hela's House of Dark Delights by Peter Lewerin.
Khost by Ken St Andre.
Labyrinth by Lee Russell.
Old Dwarf Mine by Roy Cram and Ken St Andre.
No Rest for the Weary at War by Patrick Witmer.
Queen Scorpions and Lady Nymphs by Tori Berquist.
Sorcerer Solitaire by Walker Vaning.
The Eye of the Serpent by A.R. Holmes.
The Sunk of Tarsus by Tori Berquist.
Gristlegrim: The ever changing fortress in the sky, home of the Trollgod himself and, the graveyard for countless adventurers.
Hog Tunnels: An excellent site that contains a lot interesting items as well as being the home of Tunnel Quest, a lite gaming system built around Tunnels & Trolls.
JongJungBu's Tunnels and Trolls 5th Edition Gathering and Paraphernalia (JJB's TnT 5e GAP): A site housing three downloadable solo adventures as well as some excellent house rules.
The Dark Isles: A complete campaign setting ready prepared for use with Tunnels & Trolls.
The Lone Delver: An excellent gaming blog looking at many interesting facets of Tunnels & Trolls. Highly recomended and well worth a look.
The Tunnels and Trolls Archive: A site offering three solo adventures and a number of other articles relating to the roleplaying game.
The Vital Spot: A collection of nicely presented Tunnels & Trolls articles as well as some aditional magic items and, GM adventures.
Trollgod's Trollhalla: A free to join membership only club created by Ken St Andre, author of the Tunnels & Trolls roleplaying game. Now with an added blog. Well worth checking out.
Tunnels and Trolls.com: An excellent website that showcases a number of great products and is constantly updated with new information. A must see.
Tunnels of the Trollamancer: My own website. It's not been updated for sometime but remains the home for a wealth of Tunnels and Trolls materials, including another site archived within it!
Vin Ahr Vin's Trollbridge: An active forum that discusses all elements of the game as well as hosting several play-by-post games.
TrollsZine #2
TrollsZine #3
TrollsZine #4
TrollsZine #5
So far we've had a free copy of the rules, a couple of free solo adventures and, a bunch of new playable character types. A good showing admittedly but, hardly the treasure trove that I painted the picture of in my earlier posts..
So here comes the cavalcade!
A gaming explosion is about to go off. So brace yourself, sit tight, read on and, enjoy the show.
Free Solos
Barony of Sanris by Patrick Witmer.
Buffalo Castle by Rick Loomis.
Dargon's Dungeon by Bill Hart. Rewritten by Liz Danforth, Pat Mueller, Paul O'Conner and, Michael Stackpole.
Dark Side of the Desert by Patrick Witmer.
Hela's House of Dark Delights by Peter Lewerin.
Khost by Ken St Andre.
Labyrinth by Lee Russell.
Old Dwarf Mine by Roy Cram and Ken St Andre.
No Rest for the Weary at War by Patrick Witmer.
Queen Scorpions and Lady Nymphs by Tori Berquist.
Sorcerer Solitaire by Walker Vaning.
The Eye of the Serpent by A.R. Holmes.
The Sunk of Tarsus by Tori Berquist.
Sites Well Worth Checking Out
Gristlegrim: The ever changing fortress in the sky, home of the Trollgod himself and, the graveyard for countless adventurers.
Hog Tunnels: An excellent site that contains a lot interesting items as well as being the home of Tunnel Quest, a lite gaming system built around Tunnels & Trolls.
JongJungBu's Tunnels and Trolls 5th Edition Gathering and Paraphernalia (JJB's TnT 5e GAP): A site housing three downloadable solo adventures as well as some excellent house rules.
The Dark Isles: A complete campaign setting ready prepared for use with Tunnels & Trolls.
The Lone Delver: An excellent gaming blog looking at many interesting facets of Tunnels & Trolls. Highly recomended and well worth a look.
The Tunnels and Trolls Archive: A site offering three solo adventures and a number of other articles relating to the roleplaying game.
The Vital Spot: A collection of nicely presented Tunnels & Trolls articles as well as some aditional magic items and, GM adventures.
Trollgod's Trollhalla: A free to join membership only club created by Ken St Andre, author of the Tunnels & Trolls roleplaying game. Now with an added blog. Well worth checking out.
Tunnels and Trolls.com: An excellent website that showcases a number of great products and is constantly updated with new information. A must see.
Tunnels of the Trollamancer: My own website. It's not been updated for sometime but remains the home for a wealth of Tunnels and Trolls materials, including another site archived within it!
Vin Ahr Vin's Trollbridge: An active forum that discusses all elements of the game as well as hosting several play-by-post games.
Free Zines
TrollsZine #1
TrollsZine #2
TrollsZine #3
TrollsZine #4
TrollsZine #5
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Appologies For Any Technical Difficulties You May Have Been Experiencing
Sorry folks but the great blogging beast went a bit bat crap crazy today.
My apologies to any of you that came over to check out the week of the troll and instead found a page full of mumbo jumbo. For some reason beyond my fathoming (and beyond my control) blogger thought it would be fun to create over 30 copies of a draft post, show only the HTML for it and, post it up just for kicks.
Still, all sorted now. Business as usual and back to the trolly goodness.
My apologies to any of you that came over to check out the week of the troll and instead found a page full of mumbo jumbo. For some reason beyond my fathoming (and beyond my control) blogger thought it would be fun to create over 30 copies of a draft post, show only the HTML for it and, post it up just for kicks.
Still, all sorted now. Business as usual and back to the trolly goodness.
Week Of The Troll: Dark Rising
Dark Rising was my third attempt at writing
a solo for Tunnels and Trolls. Despite the fact that this adventure was
written as a continuation of the Blood War Of Saxon, I greatly changed
the tone, to be what I considered more in keeping with the setting that I
had created for the series and, the overall story I wanted to tell.
In Reflection now, I would like to go back and re-write these two short adventures into one larger solo, maybe adding a little more doom and foreboding to my earlier week to bring it up to par with what I have here. I would also probably change the flow of event somewhat too.
As well as this I would also like to complete the third installment of "The Secrets of Saxon" that is until further notice, on-hold.
As with my previous posting, feel free to copy, paste and, print this adventure out for your own personal use and, of course feel free to pass it on if you wish. All I would ask is that you don't charge. I wrote this adventure as a freebie and, that's how I would like to keep it.
In Reflection now, I would like to go back and re-write these two short adventures into one larger solo, maybe adding a little more doom and foreboding to my earlier week to bring it up to par with what I have here. I would also probably change the flow of event somewhat too.
As well as this I would also like to complete the third installment of "The Secrets of Saxon" that is until further notice, on-hold.
As with my previous posting, feel free to copy, paste and, print this adventure out for your own personal use and, of course feel free to pass it on if you wish. All I would ask is that you don't charge. I wrote this adventure as a freebie and, that's how I would like to keep it.
Rules of Play
This short solo adventure for Tunnels and Trolls is suitable for a character of levels 2-4 with no more than 50 adds, set in the World of Kaball (i.e. Trollworld). There is no magic matrix, so spell-casters will have to adjudicate the effects of their spells for themselves.
Introduction
Several hundred years ago, the houses of Furrier and Slavin were united as the house of Saxon. This ancestral house was rich and bountiful and its masters were lords of the land they now farm as mere peasants. Stories tell of a great darkness that fell upon the Saxons, unseating its lords from their positions of power and laying ruin to all that they once held dear. Although this evil was finally defeated, the cost was heavy for the Saxon bloodline which was split into two warring factions. A recent settling of old feuds between the estranged bloodlines has been marred by rumors of an old foe reawakened…
Several hundred years ago, the houses of Furrier and Slavin were united as the house of Saxon. This ancestral house was rich and bountiful and its masters were lords of the land they now farm as mere peasants. Stories tell of a great darkness that fell upon the Saxons, unseating its lords from their positions of power and laying ruin to all that they once held dear. Although this evil was finally defeated, the cost was heavy for the Saxon bloodline which was split into two warring factions. A recent settling of old feuds between the estranged bloodlines has been marred by rumors of an old foe reawakened…
Once
again the
villagers
of Saxon
are seeking
a savior
and they
have called
upon you
for aid.
They are
concerned
by strange
lights,
seen
hovering in
the night
sky, above
the ruins
of the
old Saxon
manor.
Knowing
that any
search will
only be
successful
after dark,
the
villagers
arrange for
a farm
hand to
escort you
to the
base of
the hill
upon which
the ruined
building
lies.
You
arrive at
dusk and
your guide
is only
too eager
to leave
for fear
of what
you may
find. As
consolation
for his
cowardice
he offers
you his
lantern and
enough food
to last
you a
day. As
he leaves,
you look
up at
the steep
climb that
awaits you.
The bank
of the
hill is
heavily
wooded for
as far
as you
can see
and you
will have
to work
hard to
make the
summit
before
dark.
Making out
a hack
path
through the
undergrowth
you begin
your climb,
go to
12.
1
You arrive
at a
junction in
the
corridor.
The water
is still
waist-high
here. Exits
lead off
in three
directions.
If
you wish to travel north, go to 49.
If
you wish to travel, southwest, go to 17.
If
you wish to travel, southeast, go to 30.
2
You are
in a
corridor
that slopes
upwards, on
a shallow
incline,
with exits
to both
the north
and south.
If
you wish to travel north, go to 53.
If
you wish to travel south, go to 44.
3
Small rats
scuttle
around this
cave but
they run
for cover
as you
enter,
crawling
into small
holes that
they have
worked into
the stone
walls.
Piercing
red eyes
glare at
you from
these
refuges, as
they wait
for you
to pass.
Looking
around you,
large
stones hang
from the
roof and
jut from
the ground
but a
quick
search of
the area
turns up
nothing.
The only
exits from
this cave
are to
the north
and south.
If
you wish to travel north, go to 21.
If
you wish to travel south, go to 10.
4
Traveling
west, the
corridor
takes a
gentle turn
to the
left after
20 feet,
and evens
out into
a corridor
that has
been shaped
with some
care. There
are
intricate
carvings
depicting a
great
battle
between men
and some
otherworldly
creatures
that are
vaguely
disquieting.
The finish
is flawless
and clearly
the work
of a
master
craftsman.
The
corridor it
ends in
a fork
and to
the south
west you
can hear
the sounds
of low
moans; to
the south
east you
can hear
rhythmic
chanting.
Your light
will not
penetrate
far enough
to see
the source
of the
sounds that
echo
through the
empty
corridor.
If
you wish to investigate the south-western corridor, go to 51.
If
you wish to investigate the south-eastern corridor, go to 55.
5
Cautiously
you root
through the
remains but
find
nothing of
any value.
You decide
not to
desecrate
this place
any
further.
You leave
the cavern
and return
to the
junction;
go to
47.
6
The path
carries on
for a
short
distance
before
becoming
much
rockier.
Eventually
you find
that you
are walking
along worn
cobblestones
that have
been
smoothed
and
polished to
a fine
finish.
Within
minutes you
can see
the ruins
at the
summit of
the hill
along the
horizon
and,
spurred on
by this,
you pick
up the
pace. After
10 minutes
of travel
you find
yourself at
the remains
of a
great stone
bridge that
traverses a
fast
flowing
stream.
Heavy
rubble from
the bridge
has settled
on the
bed of
the stream,
forming
makeshift
stepping-stones.
The water
crashes
against
these
stones
before
lapping
over the
edge of
a steep
stone cliff
in the
hillside.
You
will have
to hop
across the
stones to
reach the
other side
of the
water and
reach the
summit.
Make a
L2-SR on
DEX. If
you make
the SR,
go to
22. If
you miss
the SR,
go to
28.
7
Choosing to
leave the
cave before
anything
else
happens to
hamper your
progress,
you return
to the
junction;
go to
1.
8
The
corridor is
bare and
rough-cut.
Your foot
occasionally
catches a
pile of
loose
stones and
sends them
forward
through the
air. The
sound seems
to resonate
forever.
After 30
feet the
corridor
takes a
sharp turn
to your
left before
tapering
slightly
back to
the right
again and
ending in
a large
cavern.
Your
lantern
catches a
stir in
the
darkness
that is
too large
to be
a rat
or bug.
Ever
vigilant
you ready
your weapon
as you
cast your
light upon
the source.
Two
humanoid
creatures
are
shambling
toward you
with arms
outstretched
and empty
expressions
upon their
faces.
If
you would like to attack the creatures, go to 15.
If
you would rather return to the entrance and choose another tunnel, go
to 53.
9
Make a
L2-SR on
LK. If
you make
the SR,
go to
25. If
you miss
the SR,
go to
14.
10
You are
at a
curve in
the
corridor.
To the
north you
can hear
the sounds
of movement
along the
stone floor
but without
further
investigation,
you cannot
determine
the source.
If
you wish to travel north, go to 40.
If
you would rather travel east, go to 44.
11
Turning to
face you,
the figure
pulls back
his cowl,
revealing
the face
of a
bald man
of
considerable
age. “So,
you have
finally
arrived.
The
villagers
are as
predictable
as ever;
sending a
savior to
absolve
them of
their
fears…
Still, you
shall offer
me some
entertainment
and that
is a
rare
pleasure
these
days.”
The man
then
produces a
dagger from
his belt
and lunges
at you.
Cultist:
MR 25,
1/1 Spite
damage.
If
you defeat
the
cultist, go
to 54.
12
After a
short walk
up the
steep
incline you
notice a
small
clearing in
the wooded
area to
your right.
A rough
dirt trail
leads
onward and
then turns
off to
your left.
If you
wish to
investigate
the
clearing,
go to
23.
If
you would rather carry on along the path, go to 29.
13
Make a
L2-SR on
LK. If
you make
the SR,
go to
5. If
you miss
the SR,
go to
18.
14
As you
emerge from
the pond
you
discover
several
leeches
have
latched on
to you
in the
dirty water
and are
happily
gorging
themselves
on your
flesh.
Already
exhausted
from the
trudge
through the
bog, you
sense that
you can
ill-afford
to lose
the blood
to these
parasites.
You resolve
to remove
them
immediately,
even though
detaching a
feeding
leech is
always
painful.
Gritting
your teeth
you let
out a
low growl
as you
tear them
off, one
by one.
Take 1d6
spite
damage for
the blood
loss and
pain and
then go
to 25.
15
Weapon in
hand you
lunge at
the zombies
and engage
them in
combat.
2
Zombies:
MR 18
each
2/Zombie
Plague:
Make a
L1-SR on
CON or
you become
infected.
You lose
1 CON
with each
new
paragraph
you enter
whilst
infected
(or each
combat
round
fought)
until
magically
cured. If
you die
of the
plague you
become a
zombie with
a MR
equal to
your STR.
Make
a note
on an
index card
of this
creature
and the
paragraph
you were
defeated
at. The
next player
to enter
that
paragraph
will
encounter
this
zombie.
If
you defeat the zombies, go to 24.
16
Wiping the
thick, foul
smelling
blood of
the beast
away off
your weapon
and onto
a clump
of grass,
you take
a look
over at
your fallen
enemy. A
strange
sight
confronts
you. It
troubles
you that
even
without the
wounds you
inflicted,
the
creature
looks as
if it
has been
dead for
many
months.
Deciding
that you
don’t
want to
wait to
see what
other
horrors are
lurking in
the trees,
you carry
on along
the dirt
path. You
are happy
to find
yourself
back in
the warming
dusk light
at the
other side
of the
small wood,
go to
6.
17
You are
in a
corridor
that curves
in a
u-shape
around a
loose bend.
If
you wish to take the north-western exit, go to 44.
If
you wish to take the north-eastern exit, go to 1.
18
As you
search
through the
bodies,
several
carrion
flies rest
upon your
skin and
begin to
feed. Tiny,
needle-like
mouthparts
pierce into
your skin
as they
suckle at
your blood
causing you
to yelp
as you
swat them
away. Make
a L2-SR
on CON.
If you
miss the
SR you
have been
infected
with
carrion
rot.
Carrion
Rot:
Make a
L2-SR on
CON each
day. If
you miss
the SR
reduce your
CHR
permanently
by one
for wounds
that weep
thick white
pus. If
you make
the SR
three days
in a
row you
have
overcome
the
illness.
This
illness can
also be
magically
cured. If
your CHR
reaches
zero you
will be
considered
an outcast
from
society and
may only
socially
interact
with those
that have
similar
illnesses.
Either
way, return along the corridor to the junction, go to 47.
19
As you
enter the
cave some
figures
begin to
lurch
toward you
from the
shadows.
Readying
your
weapon, you
wait for
them to
enter your
lantern
light. As
shamble in
closer you
catch sight
of two
gaunt and
rotted
faces.
Their teeth
are
yellowed
with age
and the
clothes
they wear
are ill
fitting and
torn,
hanging off
them like
the loose
flesh on
their
bones. You
must fight
them.
2
Zombies:
MR 18
each
2/Zombie
Plague:
Make a
L1-SR on
CON or
you become
infected.
You lose
1 CON
with each
new
paragraph
you enter
whilst
infected
(or each
combat
round
fought)
until
magically
cured. If
you die
of the
plague you
become a
zombie with
a MR
equal to
your STR.
Make a
note on
an index
card of
this
creature
and the
paragraph
you were
defeated
at. The
next player
to enter
that
paragraph
will
encounter
this
zombie.
If
you defeat
the zombies
you may
leave the
cavern
either
through the
exit in
the north,
go to
21 or,
you may
leave
through the
southern
corridor,
go to
10.
20
Deciding to
try your
luck with
the other
path, you
pull back
the
undergrowth
and reeds
and make
your way
carefully
along the
unbeaten
path. It
is not
long before
you realize
why people
choose not
to travel
along this
route when
you find
yourself
wading
through
bog-land
that slows
your
progress to
a crawl.
You are
just about
to turn
back when
you see
a small
patch of
solid earth
ahead of
you. It
is by
the bank
of the
pond that
must have
flooded
this part
of the
hill. After
a few
minutes of
struggling
you find
the earth
become firm
at your
feet and
not long
after, you
are back
on solid
ground
beside the
pond, go
to 9.
21
You are
in a
corridor
that runs
both north
and south.
To the
south you
can hear
footsteps.
If
you wish to go north, go to 47.
If
you wish to go south, go to 40.
22
With three
great leaps
you cross
the stones
with little
difficulty
and land
gracefully
on the
bank at
the other
side of
the stream.
The cobbled
path
continues
on into
the
distance,
leading
toward the
ruined
building
that you
were sent
here to
investigate.
The last
of the
daylight
seeps below
the
horizon.
Sensing
that
nightfall
cannot be
far away,
you
continue on
your
journey and
after only
a short
time you
find
yourself
before the
remains of
the great
house of
Saxon. A
river flows
to the
west toward
the broken
bridge that
you crossed
earlier. It
drives a
waterwheel
that has
seen better
days,
squeaking
loudly with
every
rotation.
The house
itself is
little more
than a
pile of
large
stones
around
smashed
pillars.
These
pillars
must once
have stood
over 25
feet tall,
but nature
has
reclaimed
them with
green
tangle of
moss and
vine.
Approaching
the
splintered
and rotted
timber that
was once
the door,
you pause
at the
sound of
a heavy
metal
clunk. The
sound
becomes
louder and
from inside
the ruins
you see
two armored
figures
approach.
They wear
tabards
that look
knightly
but are
from no
order you
recognize,
and their
cloaks, of
a rich
purple hue,
are
tattered
and torn.
The
night’s-breeze
sends their
cloaks
billowing
up into
the air
as they
stalk
wordlessly
toward you;
their heavy
plating
crashing on
the stone
path.
Drawing
closer,
they
unsheathe
their large
swords and
you answer
by baring
your own
blade.
Battle is
joined!
2
Undead
Knights:
CON 25
each.
Each
Knight
fights with
a Hand
and a
Half Sword
doing 5
dice and
has 13
adds. Their
armor
protects
them from
7 hits
each round.
Concentrate
your attack
and any
damage on
one of
them until
he falls.
They both
attack you
each round
until they
are
destroyed.
If
you defeat
the
Knights,
award
yourself
200 AP
and go
to 34.
23
Upon
entering
the
clearing,
you notice
that it
is eerily
quiet.
There is
no bird
song and
the air
is still,
but a
foul smell
catches
your
nostrils
and makes
you retch.
It is
then that
you set
eyes upon
the remains
of what
you guess
is a
deer. It
is hard
to be
certain
however, as
the remains
have been
so badly
mutilated.
Suddenly a
sound
breaks the
calm. It
is the
hoarse caw
of a
crow,
closely
followed by
another,
and
another,
until the
air is
alive with
squawks
resounding
across the
glade. A
serenade of
flapping
wings soon
follows as
a murder
of crows
come
crashing
from the
trees
towards
you. You
must defend
yourself.
Crows:
MR 35.
Special
Rules:
The crows
are swift
and hard
to hit.
For every
combat
round you
win you
must make
a L1-SR
on DEX
or they
receive no
damage.
When
you have reduced the crows MR to 15 or less, go to 33.
24
Wiping the
blood and
pus away
from your
weapon, you
make a
search of
the cave.
There are
no exits
other than
the way
you entered
but among
the debris
you find
a small
copper ring
in a
rough wool
pouch. The
ring is
inscribed
with the
image of
a skull
inlaid with
black ink
and has
been highly
polished.
This ring
is a
‘Ward
against
Undead’.
Whilst
worn, the
MR of
any undead
creature
you face
is halved.
The ring
weighs 1WU
and has
a value
of 750
G.P. With
your lucky
find in
hand you
return to
the
entrance to
choose
another
path, go
to 53.
25
Shaking off
the muck
from the
bog, you
take stock
of your
new
surroundings.
Water
cascades
down a
rock face
to the
north, and
into a
good sized
pond. The
water
shimmers
with gold
as the
last of
the
daylight
spangles
its
surface.
The grass
here is
much
greener
than that
further
down the
hill and
you suspect
that this
place is
not often
visited.
If
you would like to rest here before carrying on, go to 43.
If
you would rather carry on without resting, go to 31.
26
Movement in
the water
is
difficult
and slow,
and chills
you to
the bone.
Pushing on
you raise
your
lantern
above the
water and
discover an
exit in
the south
wall of
the large
flooded
cavern. The
water flows
through
this
opening and
shows no
sign of
relenting.
Dry land
beckons to
you from
the north.
If
you wish to continue along in the water to southern cavern, go to 49.
If
you would rather head north toward dry land, go to 53.
27
After
traveling
for 20
feet you
hear a
rustling in
the leaves
above, that
catches you
off-guard
and
startles
you. Up
until this
point, the
wood had
been
unnaturally
calm, and
so you
drag your
sword
hurriedly
from its
sheath and
stand
waiting to
see what
will happen
next.
Aberrations
bound from
the trees
around you,
confirming
that the
noise you
heard was
anything
but the
wind. In
a blur,
oddly
warped
creatures
crash
through the
underbrush.
One
misshapen
creature
leaps to
within an
inch of
your face,
and you
spring back
violently
as it
swings a
paw through
empty air
occupied by
your throat
a split
second ago.
The thing
is unlike
anything
you have
ever seen;
loose
stitching
holds the
arms of
a bear
and the
legs of
a deer
on to
what was
once a
man’s
body. The
fur is
matted with
blood and
the smell
of rot
is heavy
in the
air. As
the
creature
crouches to
pounce once
again, you
seize the
opportunity
to
counter-attack.
Mutant
Man-bear:
MR 40
3/Bear
Hug:
The
creature
grasps you
in its
powerful
arms and
bites down
upon your
neck as
it claws
at your
back. Make
a L2-SR
on STR
to break
free or
take 2
points of
spite
damage. You
may not
attack the
creature
again until
you break
free.
Special
Rules:
The
Mutant
Man-bear
leaps and
bounds with
great
speed. For
every
combat
round you
win you
must make
a L2-SR
on DEX
or it
dodges your
blow and
receives no
damage.
If
you defeat the Mutant Man-bear, award yourself an additional 100 AP
and, go to 16.
28
If you
have been
sent to
this
paragraph
before, go
to 38.
If not
please read
on.
Mustering
all of
your
agility,
you nimbly
leap to
the first
stone with
no
difficulty,
but as
you lurch
for the
second, you
misjudge
the
distance
and land
badly.
Teetering
on the
edge of
a fall,
you fight
to keep
your
balance. A
second
later you
plunge into
the icy
water and
are carried
down-stream
and over
the cliff
edge, at
great
speed.
As
you slam
against the
stony
rock-face,
you gash
a deep
cut into
the flesh
of your
arm. Take
3 points
of damage.
Luckily
however,
your fall
is broken
by the
plunge-pool
at the
base of
the rock
face and,
bleeding
profusely,
you begin
your swim
to shore.
Just feet
from the
bank you
feel a
tug at
your leg,
as
something
wraps
around your
limb. This
is soon
followed by
some sort
of cord,
snaking
around your
other leg.
Trying to
pull
yourself
free, you
turn to
find that
you are
caught in
the
tentacles
of a
small but
menacing
looking
squid that
is slowly
pulling you
toward its
beak-like
maw.
Drawing
your
weapon, you
prepare to
fight for
your life.
Squid:
MR 30
1/Tentacle:
The squid
has wrapped
another of
its
tentacles
around you.
Halve your
personal
adds for
the rest
of this
fight. The
squid may
do this
up to
four times
and the
effect is
cumulative.
Special
Rules:
Unless you
are
fighting
with a
dagger or
spear, the
resistance
of the
water
reduces
your hit
point total
by half
each combat
round.
If
you defeat
the Squid,
award
yourself an
additional
75 AP
and, go
to 46.
29
A little
further
along the
path, you
catch sight
of an
overgrown
trail to
your right.
Reeds and
underbrush
grow
thickly
here in
the shadow
of the
trees but
the trail
appears to
lead
directly up
the spine
of the
hill.
If
you would like to carry on along the path you are on, go to 42.
If
you would like to take the other path to your right, go to 20.
30
The short
corridor
bends to
the left
and after
a few
feet, ends
in a
small
chamber
with no
exits other
than the
one through
which you
entered.
Looking
around with
the aid
of your
lantern,
you can
see nothing
striking or
special
about this
dusty room.
If
you wish to search the cave, go to 41.
If
you would rather return to the junction, go to 1.
31
North of
clearing
you find
another
trail that
winds up
and around
the hill
offering a
gentle and
easy climb:
go to
6.
32
With your
only source
of light
gone, it
is not
long before
you are
lost in
the complex
cave system
beneath the
hill.
Accepting
the
inevitable,
you draw
your weapon
and ready
to sell
your life
dearly. It
is not
long before
grasping
hands drag
you off
your perch,
knocking
your blade
from your
hands
bringing
your
adventure
to a
premature
and sticky
end.
The
End.
33
Just as
quickly as
they had
arrived,
the
remaining
crows
disperse
into the
air
noisily,
leaving you
to take
stock of
the scene
around you.
You are
surprised
and
sickened to
see that
the bodies
of the
dead birds
are already
writhing
with
maggots, as
if they
had been
dead for
days and
not
minutes.
Finding
nothing of
interest in
the
clearing,
you decide
to move
on up
the hill,
go to
29.
34
The knights
fight well
until the
bitter end,
but one
by one
they fall
to your
superior
martial
skills,
bursting
with a
cloud of
dust as
they hit
the ground.
After the
battle you
regain your
composure
and are
surprised
by what
you find
when you
inspect
your fallen
enemies.
The weapons
that had
been keen
and deadly
throughout
your battle
are now
no more
than rusted
pieces of
old iron.
Upon
lifting the
visors on
their
equally
worn helms,
you find
nothing
more inside
than dust
and ash,
just like
that which
filled the
air when
you slew
them.
Finding
nothing of
value
amongst the
remains,
you
continue on
your way
and enter
the ruins.
After a
quick
search you
uncover a
hole that
has been
freshly
burrowed,
leading
into a
cave below.
Strange
sounds
emanate
from the
depths, and
so you
lower
yourself
down the
makeshift
wooden
ladder
lashed to
the side
of the
pit,
reasoning
that the
source of
the lights
must be
somewhere
in the
darkness at
your feet;
go to
53.
35
You are
able to
scale the
hillside
with no
difficulty,
using the
rocks as
both hand
and foot
holds to
aid your
climb. When
you reach
the top,
you pull
yourself up
over the
edge of
the cliff
and find
that the
trail
continues
on, into
a densely
wooded
area. The
canopy of
the trees
offers very
poor
visibility.
The shadows
beneath the
branches
are broken
up by
rare beams
of sunlight
illuminating
patches of
moist earth
glistening
with dew.
If
you wish to continue into the wooded area, go to 27.
If
you wish to return back to the other path and take that one instead,
go to 20.
36
Your fight
to break
free
disturbs
more of
the rocks
that formed
a makeshift
seal over
the
sinkhole
and in
the panic
you drop
your
lantern,
which is
promptly
swept away.
Pulling
away, you
throw
yourself to
the cave
wall.
If
you have another source of light, go to 7.
If
not, go to 32.
37
The further
you travel
along the
corridor,
the
stronger
the smell
of decay
becomes,
until it
is almost
choking
you.
Holding a
hand over
your nose
and mouth,
you
continue on
to the
end of
the
corridor
that opens
out into
a small
cave.
There, a
grisly
sight
greets your
eyes. A
mix of
limbs and
carcasses
litter the
floor
nestling
amongst a
scattering
of old
bones. Some
of the
remains
look
decidedly
humanoid
and carrion
flies swarm
this place.
If
you wish to search the cavern, go to 13.
If
not you may return to the junction, go to 47.
38
Slipping
upon the
same stone
again you
go crashing
into the
stream and
are swept
over the
edge of
the cliff
toward the
plunge-pool
below.
Pushing
yourself
clear of
the rock
face you
manage to
avoid any
further
injury from
the jagged
surface and
land with
a degree
of grace
in the
water
before
swimming
back to
the bank
Guessing
that the
only way
forward is
over those
stones, you
drain the
excess
water from
your
clothes and
return to
the broken
bridge to
try again,
go to
6.
39
After a
few feet
the tunnel
winds
around to
the left
and begins
to dip
until you
are making
your way
carefully
down a
steep
slope.
Footing is
difficult
but you
manage to
maintain
your
balance as
you
accidentally
kick the
occasional
stone,
sending it
hurtling
into the
gloom below
at great
speed,
ending in
a dull
plop. After
30 feet
the slope
ends in
a pool
of water
and beyond
that a
flooded
corridor.
Wading in,
you find
that the
water is
only waist
high and
there is
a cavern
ahead of
you.
If
you wish to return to the entrance and choose another direction, go
to 53.
If
you wish to carry on into the flooded cavern, go to 26.
40
Roll 1d6.
If
you roll a 1, go to 3.
If
you roll a 2 or 3, go to 19.
If
you roll a 4, 5 or, 6 go to 45.
41
Your search
of the
cave turns
up nothing
of interest
and so
you decide
to return
to the
junction to
continue
with your
quest. As
you are
exiting you
feel a
tug beneath
the water
followed by
a powerful
suction
that
threatens
to pull
you under.
By a
freak
accident
you have
kicked
aside a
rock that
was keeping
a sinkhole
stable.
Make
a L1-SR
on LK.
If you
make the
SR, go
to 7.
If you
miss the
SR, go
to 36.
42
Continuing
along the
path, you
soon find
yourself at
a rocky
incline
that you
cannot see
beyond. The
rocks that
jut from
the
hillside
have been
worn to
a smooth
surface and
are firmly
rooted into
the solid
earth.
If
you would like to continue along the path and climb the hill face, go
to 35.
If
you would rather turn back and carry on along the other path you
found, go to 20.
43
Settling
down on
the grass
you take
the weight
off your
feet and
break out
the food
that your
guide had
given you
earlier in
the day.
Feasting
upon the
bread and
cheese you
feel
rested.
Recover up
to 4
lost points
of CON.
After half
an hour
you decide
that you
had better
carry on
with your
journey if
you are
to make
the summit
in good
time, go
to 31.
44
The cavern
you have
entered
boasts a
shallow
depression
in the
center and
a small
pool of
water has
collected
here.
Around the
pool small
lizards
lounge
uninterested
in your
presence.
Vines hang
limply from
tree roots
that have
pierced
through the
stone roof
and moist
earth
covers the
floor.
There are
three exits
leading
from this
chamber.
If
you wish to take the northern exit, go to 2.
If
you take the southern exit, go to 17.
If
you take the exit to the west, go to 10.
45
As you
enter this
cavern,
there is
an ominous
rattle,
followed by
a hollow
thud, that
reveals the
flickering
shadow of
something
man-like
cast by
your
lantern on
to the
cave wall.
As the
shape
moves, a
tell-tale
scraping
rasps
through the
dust-laden
air and
the shadow
draws a
weapon. You
ready yours
in answer
and a
fleshless
skeleton
lurches
into your
lantern0light,
its bony
feet
scraping on
the cold
stone
floor. You
must fight
the
skeleton.
Skeleton:
MR 18
Special
Rules:
Bladed and
pointed
weapons
other than
axes cause
only half
damage to
skeletons.
The
skeleton
fights with
a gladius
instead of
its claws,
always
rolling 3
dice and
giving it
an
additional
2 adds.
If
you win
the battle
award
yourself an
additional
20 AP
and, you
may leave
either to
the north,
go to
21 or,
to the
south, go
to 10.
46
Head
reeling
from the
stink of
the squid,
you pull
yourself up
out of
the dank
pond.
Behind you,
you leave
a cloud
of green
blood
spreads
across the
surface of
the water;
all that
remains of
your
monstrous
foe.
Resting for
a moment
to catch
your breath
you realize
that the
only way
that you
are going
to reach
the summit
and the
ruins are
if you
manage to
cross the
stream.
Ringing
water from
your
clothing
you head
north
toward the
broken
bridge
again, go
to 6.
47
You walk
down a
passage
that turns
gently to
the right,
before
ending in
a junction.
From here
you can
see three
separate
passages
leading in
various
directions,
though the
smell of
rot hangs
in the
air,
stealing
your
breath.
Steeling
yourself,
you listen
carefully
and hear
the faint
sound of
movements
from the
southern
passage
and,
sniffing
the air
you
determine
that the
foul smell
is
emanating
from the
south-eastern
tunnel.
Footprints
in the
dust lead
west-wards
revealing
some recent
activity
but it
is hard
to say
when the
tracks were
made, or
by whom.
If
you wish to return north, go to 1.
If
you wish to travel west, go to 4.
If
you wish to travel south, go to 21.
If
you wish to travel down the south eastern corridor, go to 37.
48
With your
enemies
slain, you
eagerly
search
through the
piles of
coins,
jewels and
items to
determine
what you
would like
take with
you, for
there is
far too
much to
carry it
all. In
the cave
you find
the
following:
639
Gold coins
520
Silver coins
1002
Copper coins
1
Mithril
Ingot (1000
G.P., 10
WU)
A
Pouch of
Small
Jewels (100
G.P., 5
WU)
125
Gold Rings
(5 G.P.,
2 WU
each)
57
Silver
Rings (2
G.P., 2
WU each)
Herbal
Elixir (500
G.P., 5
WU,
Restores
all lost
CON and
removes any
effects
from
illness)
Ring
of Strength
(100 G.P.,
2WU, +1
STR whilst
worn)
Once
you have
chosen what
you would
like to
take, you
decide to
investigate
the other
fork in
an attempt
to resolve
the mystery
of the
chanting
and
hopefully
uncover the
source of
the lights
that have
been
sighted
over the
ruins, go
to 55.
49
A small
thermal
vent at
the edge
of this
cavern
lends some
warmth to
the water,
but the
smell of
sulphur
nauseates
you. The
cave itself
is
otherwise
unremarkable
and there
is an
exit in
both the
north and
south
walls.
Suddenly
something
darts past
your legs
faster than
your eyes
can follow,
and it
is not
alone. The
movements
gather in
pace and
frequency
until they
are
swarming
you.
Beneath the
surface you
catch sight
of several
small fish
with golden
scales. One
of them
nips at
you but
does not
draw blood.
It is
then you
realize
that you
have
wandered
into a
pool of
snapping
piranhas!
You must
fight them
or be
eaten
alive.
Piranhas:
MR 1d6*5
Special
Rules:
Unless you
are
fighting
with a
dagger or
spear the
resistance
of the
water
reduces
your hit
point total
by half
each combat
round. The
swarm is
also hard
to hit,
for every
combat
round you
win you
must make
a L1-SR
on DEX
or they
receive no
damage.
If
you win
the fight
award
yourself an
additional
10 AP
for each
5 MR
the
piranhas
had at
the start
of combat
and then
choose
either, to
go north,
go to
26 or,
south, go
to 1.
50
Your last
blow
thunders
down on
the skull
of the
foul
creature,
cracking it
open. As
it falls
to the
ground, it
is quite
clear that
it is
truly
defeated.
To be
sure you
prod it
but its
lifeless
body stirs
no more.
You then
set your
sights on
the altar
and search
carefully
through the
various
ritual
implements.
It is
the work
of a
moment to
find a
piece of
parchment
with a
broken wax
seal.
Reading it
reveals
that this
man was
instructed
to set
the lights
at night,
though by
whom and
for what
purpose
cannot be
divined
from this
scrap of
parchment.
You thrust
the letter
into a
pocket and
trudge back
toward the
village to
tell them
of your
findings.
Reward
yourself
250 AP
for
completing
your
adventure
and an
additional
100 AP
for
defeating
the
necrolite.
The
End.
51
The
craftsmanship
of the
corridor is
far worse
than the
one that
lead you
here. It
is rough
and
supported
poorly by
timber
beams that
show signs
of damp
and decay.
Pushing at
them to
test their
strength
you are
satisfied
that they
are not
completely
rotten and
you
continue on
till you
arrive at
the
entrance to
a small
cavern.
Your eyes
light up
as you
cast your
lantern
beam
inside. The
small cave
is loaded
from wall
to wall
with riches
and
treasures
beyond the
dreams of
avarice.
You are
so
surprised
by your
find that
you do
not
immediately
notice the
four
corpses
that stir
amongst the
gold.
Pulling
themselves
up to
their feet
they
approach
you,
already
salivating
at the
thought of
your flesh.
If you
want the
loot, you
will have
to fight
off these
undead
guards.
4
Zombies:
MR 18
each.
2/Zombie
Plague:
Make a
L1-SR on
CON or
you become
infected.
You lose
1 CON
with each
new
paragraph
you enter
whilst
infected
(or each
combat
round
fought)
until
magically
cured. If
you die
of the
plague you
become a
zombie with
a MR
equal to
your STR.
Make
a note
on an
index card
of this
creature
and the
paragraph
you were
defeated
at. The
next player
to enter
that
paragraph
will
encounter
this
zombie.
If
you defeat the zombies, go to 48 and collect your reward.
52
The next
adventurer
to reach
the cultist
will
instead
have to
fight your
zombie
before
fighting
the
necrolite.
The zombie
will have
a MR
equal to
your
strength.
If this
is zero
due to
your battle
with the
necrolite
there will
be no
zombie and
they should
fight the
necrolite
immediately.
If more
than one
adventurer
has fallen
here the
number of
zombies
encountered
is
cumulative.
All zombies
also have
the
following
special
ability:
2/Zombie
Plague:
Make a
L1-SR on
CON or
you become
infected.
You lose
1 CON
with each
new
paragraph
you enter
whilst
infected
(or each
combat
round
fought)
until
magically
cured. If
you die
of the
plague you
become a
zombie with
a MR
equal to
your STR.
Make a
note on
an index
card of
this
creature
and the
paragraph
you were
defeated
at. The
next player
to enter
that
paragraph
will
encounter
this
zombie.
The
End.
53
As your
feet meet
the ground,
you waste
no time
in lighting
your
lantern to
examine
what is
at the
heart of
the pit
you have
entered. As
you cast
the light
around it
catches
upon small
beetles,
causing
them to
scuttle
back into
the
shadows.
More
disturbing
still, are
the
cobwebbed
bones and
rotten
remains
among the
rubble and
dust of
the cold
stone
floor. Four
tunnels
lead away
from this
chamber but
there seems
nothing to
guide your
choice, as
they all
look
equally
unwelcoming.
If
you take the corridor to the west, go to 8.
If
you take the corridor to the southwest, go to 39.
If
you take the corridor to the southeast, go to 47.
If
you take the corridor to the east, go to 2.
54
Coughing up
blood the
man keels
over on
to the
floor.
“Thank
you my
friend, you
were the
last piece
in the
masters’
puzzle and,
now… You
have
served…
Your…
Purpose…”
With a
last gasp
of breath
the man
falls
silent and
the room
begins to
shake. The
flesh on
his limp
bones
begins to
bulge and
ripple,
expanding
till it
is ripping
through his
clothing in
great
undulations.
Laughing
with the
pain the
man pulls
himself to
his feet
and once
again as
his skin
grays and
his eyes
become
hollow and
black. His
hands
lengthen
into razor
sharp claws
and he
sets once
more
towards you
as wings
sprout from
his back
and slick
black oil
sheens from
his open
wounds.
Necrolite:
MR 60.
Special
Attacks:
2/TTYF!
The
necrolite
casts a
Take
That
You
Fiend!
spell
causing 15
damage and
reducing
its MR
by the
same
amount. It
attacks
with a
WIZ of
half its
MR.
3/Necrosis:
The
necrolite’s
dark powers
feed off
of your
soul to
replenish
its own
life force.
Reduce all
attributes
by 1
permanently
and restore
up to
that much
lost MR
from the
necrolite.
If
you defeat the necrolite, go to 50.
If
you are defeated by the necrolite, go to 52.
55
As you
get closer
the words
of the
chant
becomes
audible,
although
you are
unsure of
the
language.
Stepping
carefully
along the
loose
stones, so
as to
not to
alert those
ahead, you
sneak along
the
corridor.
As you
reach the
entrance to
a large
well
chamber you
are amazed
to see
a small
sanctum in
all its
grandeur.
Embers glow
with a
low light
at either
side of
a polished
altar space
that has
been
covered
with fine
red silk
embroidered
with gold
braiding.
Kneeling
before the
altar, a
lone figure
in a
cowl
chants,
raising its
hands in
the air
as it
swings back
and forth
in the
throes of
a ritual
trance.
Seizing the
opportunity
you draw
your weapon
and
approach
but before
you can
close, you
are
spotted, go
to 11.
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