Tuesday 31 July 2012

Diablo Day: A Day Just Wasn't Enough

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alchemy Bytes #6: Location, Location, Location

 
If you like this video why not check out more excellent gaming humor over at Dorkly.

Diablo Day: A Ground Breaking D&D Release... That You've Probably Never Heard Of

Fast-Play Goodness
Diablo II is arguably one of the greatest PC titles ever to be coded and, Dungeons and Dragons the best know roleplaying game ever to be written. So what do you get when you cross these two leviathans of their respective fields and give it away for free?

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)

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...

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
Well it's day seven, the sky is growing heavy and, it's just about time to draw a close to the week of the troll.

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!

Like a bull in a china shop or a Spartan at your gates we've now smashed the goal of 300 page views and, are well on the way towards 400!

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


If ever there was a phrase that I didn't think I would be using it's "Talisman-Space Hulk Hybrid".

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

Wahey! Getting very close to 300 page views. Not bad considering this blog has been online for less than a month.

A big thank you to everyone that has dropped by and...

THIS. IS. SPARTA BLOGGING!

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.

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.

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.

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.  


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…
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.