AD&D - TSR 202X - The Lost Adventures - Volume I

(Continued from page 48) The other two doors in the magical area (leading to the magical laboratory and the alchemical laboratory) are not locked and will open freely. But if either one is opened before the corridor is cleared of smoke, the smoke will rush into the room in question and render the air inside unbreathable for at least five minutes. Magical library: If the library is still on fire when the characters arrive, they will have to use whatever means are at their disposal to put out the blaze. Spells such as create water, precipitation, cloudburst, ice storm, or combinations of these are likely to be at least partially effective. A decanter of endless water (from the water circulation system) will also be helpful, as will the fire extinguisher in the alchemical laboratory (if it is discovered in time). Regardless of how, or how soon, the blaze is extinguished, all of the texts in the magical library will have been reduced to ashes, as will the bookshelves, table, and chairs. Two objects will survive the fire. The first is the mirror on the east wall, just to the north of the section of wall composed of glassteel. This mirror is the other half of the teleportation device that allows travel back and forth from the magical library to the master bedroom; it is identical, and operated in identical fashion, to the mirror in the bedroom. (See the description of that room for details.) The second item will be discovered if the ashes in the vicinity of (what once was) the table are searched. It is a small iron chest, unlocked, containing more than fifty precious gems with a total value of more than 100,000 gold pieces. Magical laboratory: This room has not been affected by the fire. There are counters on all the walls, on which are placed various books and experiments. There is also a large cylindrical device in the center of the room. All of the experiments are in the preparatory stages; none of them have actually been begun. The four separate endeavors seem to involve, respectively, some kind of necklace; a heavy crossbow (which is present); something having to do with the elemental plane of fire; and a large, blue icosahedron. No other information is discernible, even with careful examination or the use of read magic. The cylindrical device in the center of the room is 10’ in diameter and three feet high, and is giving off a low, humming sound. It has a lid, upon which is inscribed the word “Whirligig.” The lid can be easily removed, but if someone takes it off without first speaking the word, the contents of the cylinder will fly out in all directions, covering the room and all its occupants with a green, sticky substance. This substance has no ill effect, and can be washed off with water. Alchemical laboratory: This area is free of fire damage. Counters cover all the walls; books, beakers, and liquids abound. A more than cursory look will reveal that this room has been slightly disturbed. Two potion bottles have been broken on the floor; one contained a white liquid and the other a yellow liquid. Where the two substances have flowed together on the floor, the resulting liquid is a dull crimson color. There is also a large spill of sparkling water on one of the south counters. One of the books has been opened and turned upside down, several of its pages being bent in the process. A small bottle of white pills is broken on the floor in the southeast corner. All of the alchemical products mentioned above will have no ill effects if they are ingested; however, the dull crimson mixture will cause severe hiccups for 1 - 10 rounds to anyone who tastes it. The small white pills can be used to treat a slight case of smoke inhalation or other respiratory damage. (One pill will not help Raleigh, and if more than one is put in his mouth, he will choke and spit the pills out. His condition will not improve.) The experiments here are all in preparatory stages. Most of them are undecipherable, but read magic will reveal that four of the experiments are concerned with the following subjects: color; strength; green slime (not present); and the eyes of umber hulks (not present). Also in the laboratory is a 1’ tall, spongy cylinder labeled “Fire.” If this cylinder is brought into an area with a temperature of 120 degrees F. or higher (such as the magical library, if it is on fire) and then dropped or struck with a sharp blow, it will explode, spraying an area of up to 10,000 sq. ft. with a white foam that will smother any blaze. The foam will gradually evaporate over one turn after the object explodes. Conjuration and summoning chamber: If this area is somehow reached, is will be found to be bereft of furniture, having only various signs and sigils on the floor. The edges of the walls are curved, so that there are no sharp-angled corners in the entire room. Outside the mansion The area around the main entrance is well-traveled. At the start of the adventure, only one carriage will be outside the mansion (the vehicle the characters arrived in). This carriage is 20 feet from the main entrance, with the horses loosely tethered to a tree. The trail from Andre LeMeurtrier’s window leads to the edge of the roof, then resumes on the ground immediately below the roof. It leads around the west side of the mansion and then around the north side to the servants’ entrance. At the entrance, the trail is obscured by other footprints. In the dirt just outside the conventional library there are six blue fletchings, probably from arrows or crossbow bolts. On the roof of the mansion, one can see into the astrological observatory through the dome. During the day, the observatory is always illuminated from above. THE SUSPECTS Sandar Fleatis 11th-level magic-user: STR 14, INT 17, WIS 16, DEX 13, CON 12, CHA 11, COM 11. Hit points 29, armor class 7, alignment neutral, age 30, height 5’ 11”) weight 165. Spells: magic missile, spider climb, detect magic, read magic, invisibility, detect invisibility, knock, levitate, dispel magic, fireball, clairvoyance, suggestion, wall of ice, dimension door, minor globe of invulnerability, passwall, extension II, wall of force. Possessions worn: brown cloak of protection + 3, brooch of shielding (40 charges) on gold chain, ring of free action, gray robe with gold embellishment, two gold rings, coral bracelet, belt pouch, high soft boots. Possessions carried: potion of polymorph, wand of negation (38 charges), spell components, 25 pp. Reactions to interrogation: Fleatis will be impatient with questions, and will answer curtly if at all. If the PCs detain him for too long, he will become disturbed and demand to know why the investigators don’t get on with the case at hand. Personal history: Sandar Fleatis runs the magic-users’ guild in Kelburn, and is outspoken against the policies of Orian Flaloch. He used to be Alexonus Romdril’s apprentice; he lived in the mansion and had access to all of its rooms and conveniences, until he and Romdril decided it would be better if Sandar left. Since his departure last April, Fleatis had not spoken at any length to Romdril until the previous night. Fleatis claims he has no political aspirations, but would like nothing better than to see his former tutor back in office. He says that he intended to use this invitation to the mansion as an occasion to persuade Romdril to re-enter the political arena, as well as to petition him for a geas spell. Answers to key questions: Did you kill Romdril? “Of course not.” Who killed Romdril? “I’m not yet certain, but I intend to find out.” What do you have against Orian Flaloch? “He is destroying everything Alex worked for.” What do you think of Alambar? “He’s gone senile. What a shame.” What do you know about LeMeurtrier? “I’ve got nothing on that cutthroat.” Did you kill LeMeurtrier? “He’s dead? It’s about time. Someone should have taken care of him long ago.” Why did you and Romdril part company? “He no longer wanted to remain in Kelburn. I did.” How did Liana die? “I don’t yet know.” Where have you been since 8:00? “In the library, reading about poisons.” Did you come back to your room from the library? “Straight from the library, yes.” Alkus Alambar 18th-level magic user: STR 4, INT 18, WIS 12, DEX 6, CON 7, CHA 7, COM 7. Hit points 20, armor class 4 (with bracers), D RAGON 57

alignment chaotic neutral, age 85, height 5’3”, weight 101. Spells: affect normal fires, light, erase, feather fall, detect invisibility, invisibility, darkness 15’ radius, fireball, phantasmal force, hold person, dimension door ( x 2), ice storm, cause fear, confusion, teleport (x2), cloudkill, extension II, disintegrate, repulsion, power word stun, power word blind, prismatic sphere. Possessions worn: black robe with gold sigils, girdle of many pouches, dagger + 3, amulet of life protection, bracers of defense (AC 4), low soft boots. Possessions carried: potions of fire resistance, speed, and extra healing, oil of acid resistance, scroll of protection from petrification, spell components, gold ring, 20 pp. Special characteristics: Alambar is protected by mind blank for the duration of this scenario. Because of his age, he suffers from many illnesses, including a very severe respiratory disorder. Any vigorous activity (combat, prolonged exertion, running more than a short distance) will cause this lung disease to incapacitate him. Reactions to interrogation: Alambar will not stand for any type of extended interrogation. He is in a temperamental mood and will lash out (verbally) at anyone he feels deserves such treatment. He will respond to any question with sarcasm or an insult, but may incidentally provide some relevant information in the context of his tirade. He will demand to be addressed by his full rightful title, Chief Alchemist of Jonholm. Personal history: The few scraps of information he may give out include only that he is Chief Alchemist of Jonholm, that he and Romdril were associates for many years, and that he came here only because he assumed Romdril had a good reason for inviting him. Answers to key questions: Did you kill Romdril? “That is sheer idiocy.” Who killed Romdril? “How in all demonfire would I know?” Did you kill LeMeurtrier? “Use your brain. I have never met the man before.” Did you recommend the servants to Romdril? “Yes, and they had the gall to get themselves killed for it.” Did you kill the servants? “That would certainly cast doubts on my recommendations, wouldn’t it?” What was your relationship with Romdril? “He and I knew each other. I know many other important people, and I’m sure he did, too.” What do you think of Sandar Fleatis? “That kid could use some maturity.” How about Orian Flaloch? “If that idiot wants to cut off diplomatic relations with my city, it isn’t my problem.” Orian Flaloch 0-level human; politician by trade: STR 14, INT 17, WIS 17, DEX 14, CON 16, CHA 18, COM 18. Hit points 6, armor class 10, alignment lawful evil, age 39, 58 JULY 1986 height 6’4”, weight 180. Andre LeMeurtrier Spells: none. Possessions worn: spotless brown suit and thin black jacket, amulet of proof against detection and location, high hard boots. Possessions carried: small vial of acid, 20 pp. Reactions to interrogation: Flaloch will be unhappy about any hesitation on the part of the PCs, condescendingly decrying the police force’s incompetence and uselessness. He will demand to know of any information the PCs have uncovered pertaining to Romdril’s murder, and will threaten them with dismissal from the force if they do not comply. If the PCS are properly deferential and quick in their questioning, and if Flaloch is convinced they are not using magic in the interrogation, he may respond eloquently and at length to questions. Personal history: Orian Flaloch will steadfastly maintain that he gained Kelburn’s highest office through his hard work and perseverance in a fair election. He harbored Romdril no ill will, regardless of his opponent’s alliance with the demons of magic. Indeed, Flaloch believes that Romdril finally outlived his usefulness to the hordes of Hades, and was taken by demonkind to the horrors of the underworld. Flaloch grieves for the loss of so worthy an opponent. He hoped that he could steer the arch-mage away from his likely fate, and agreed to come to the mansion with the intent of trying to convince Romdril of the error of his ways and to improve relations with him. Answers to key questions: Did you kill Romdril? “Certainly not.” Who killed Romdril? “His own personal demons, and those who preyed on him. Truly a shame.” Why did you want to make amends with Romdril? “The bad blood between us could not continue if his soul was to be saved.” What do you know about Liana Romdril’s death? “She was a lovely young lady; it was truly a tragedy that she died of natural causes at so young an age.” Did you kill LeMeurtrier? “Unfortunately, the laws of Kelburn forbid justifiable homicide.” Why did you hate LeMeurtrier? “His corruption and killing blighted the good works of my administration.” What do you have against magic? “It is demonwork used by the legions of the netherworld to corrput the minds of rightthinking persons.” What do you know about this ledger entry? “It . . . uh . . . must be a f-f-forgery. I’ve never seen it before.” Do you know that the amulet you’re wearing is magical? “Ridiculous. It is the official Kelburn amulet of state. If you suspect that it is magical, then you could only suppose that after the use of magic yourself. You are not fit to remain in the employ of the good city of Kelburn, and when I return to my offices later today I will recommend that you be dismissed from the police force.” 14th-level assassin: STR 17, INT 18, WIS 17, DEX 18, CON 14, CHA 15, COM 12. Hit points 47, armor class 6, alignment lawful evil, age 32, height 6’2”, weight 160. Spells: none. Thieving abilities: PP 110, OL 92, FT 80, MS 104, HS 87, HN 35, CW 99.2, RL 60; + 4 to hit and quintuple base damage on backstab. Possessions worn: Light brown jacket and traveling clothes, boots of elvenkind, ring of feather falling, ring of in visibility, medallion of ESP. Possessions carried: dagger of venom, gas grenade (produces 1” diameter gas cloud when set off; all within cloud take 3-18 points of damage, save vs. poison for half), tiny flask of poison (save vs. poison or die if imbibed), thieves’ tools, 10 gp in cottonfilled pouch. Reactions to interrogation: None. The PCs will not be able to question LeMeurtrier before his death. 0-level human, manservant by trade: STR 10, INT 16, WIS 16, DEX 10, CON 9, CHA 10, COM 10. Hit points 4, armor class 10, alignment lawful neutral, age 52, height 6’, weight 125. Spells: none. Possessions worn: suit and tie. Possessions carried: 15 gp in belt pouch. Reactions to interrogation: Raleigh will be unable to answer any questions except as outlined in the section above entitled “The mystery.” 7th-level fighter: STR 18/95, INT 10, WIS 10, DEX 18, CON 18, CHA 6, COM 9. Hit points 50, armor class 6, alignment neutral, height 6’ 11“, weight 220. Spells: none. Possessions worn: loose shirt and pants, bandolier. Possessions carried: crossbow of speed, 20 red-fletched bolts in quiver, large mace (2- 12 damage). Reactions to interrogation: Mok is mute and cannot read or write. He does not know a formal sign language, but does try to communicate with gestures and facial expressions. He knows of the existence of the magical area, and can enter that area by using the chime on the double doors, but does not know about the teleport device. THE SOLUTION The death of Liana Romdril was the turning point of the Kelburn mayoral election campaign of 1352. Her husband, Alexonus Romdril, sacrificed his bid for re-election and effectively forfeited the election to his challenger, Orian Flaloch, in his determination to discover the reason behind his wife’s sudden death. Romdril knew there was no sensible explanation for the young Liana’s heart attack — at least, no natural explanation. Raleigh Mok

For several months after the incident Romdril used all the means he could muster, legal and otherwise, to obtain information about Liana’s death. For the better part of a year, his quest was fruitless. He channeled much of his resources into the search while his personal life deteriorated. Sandar Fleatis, who had been staying at Romdril Mansion, left in April after a bitter argument with the arch-mage. Fleatis was distressed that Romdril had become obsessed with finding Liana’s killer, even though he had found no evidence that a killer existed. Fleatis pressed Romdril for an explanation of how this single-minded search was benefitting the people of Kelburn, who were suffering under the Flaloch administration. Romdril, who could not accept anything less than complete devotion to his investigation, refused to respond, and Fleatis left harboring much resentment. Romdril continued to pursue his goal. Finally, on October 13, the arch-mage’s efforts were rewarded. A bribe and a threat to one of Flaloch’s lackeys gained Romdril the mayor’s campaign ledger for November-December 1352. The entry for December 14 confirmed what some of his other information had hinted at: Orian Flaloch had paid the renowned Kelburn assassin Andre LeMeurtrier the princely sum of 35,000 gold pieces to murder someone — on the very day that Liana died. Romdril sent a communique to Flaloch, revealing to the mayor that he possessed definite proof of Flaloch’s corruption but not telling him exactly what he knew. The mayor panicked and sent back a request for what Romdril would demand in return for not exposing Flaloch. The arch-mage invited Flaloch to attend an overnight gathering at his mansion beginning on October 19, and suggested that the mayor bring what he considered an appropriate gift. Flaloch agreed enthusiastically, adding that he hoped to improve relations between the two men. Flaloch did not guess that the only gift Romdril wanted was his enemy’s dying breath. Accordingly, the mayor siphoned off as much of the taxpayers’ money as possble and quickly purchased as many precious stones as the money could buy, adding whatever he could spare from his personal treasury. He packaged these gems — more than 100,000 gold pieces worth — in an iron box and enclosed a note reading: “Romdril, these priceless gems are yours as payment. I don’t know what black arts you used, but I’ve seen you do worse wth your demonwork. I hope you rot in the Abyss for this. You’ve now got your redress for what happened, so leave me be!” Flaloch foolishly hoped the gems would appease Romdril; if not, he reasoned, then he would simply have to once more purchase the services of LeMeurtrier to rid himself of Romdril forever. To disguise his true intentions, Romdril invited two other dignitaries to his mansion along with Flaloch. After the mayor was disposed of — any one of a number of spells would do the trick, and it would be simple to make it look like self-defense — Romdril hoped to gain the renewed allegiance of both Alkus Alambar and Sandar Fleatis and join with them in an effort to again bring about good relations between Kelburn and Jonholm. Alambar accepted the invitation gladly, seeing it as an opportunity to further his own ends. He had spent many years trying to discover the secret to the much-coveted potion of longevity. Alambar could not succeed through his own efforts, and he became convinced that his former friend Romdril knew the secret but was withholding it from him. Alambar’s time was growing short; at his age and in his present condition, he was unlikely to live much longer. In desperation, Alambar reasoned that if Romdril would not allow him to live a longer life, the former mayor would die before he did. After hiring two cutthroats from the Jonholm assassins’ guild, Alambar armed them with a three-stage poison — the first two stages to be ingested with the food and drink of the evening meal and the last to be inhaled from the fumes of the candle in the arch-mage’s bedchamber. Alambar recommended these two assassins as the perfect servants for the gathering that Romdril was hosting on the 19th, and Romdril agreed out of deference to the old man, hiring them as the cook and maid for the occasion. Fleatis also accepted the invitation gladly, seeing it as an opportunity to make amends with Romdril and to pursue a couple of his personal goals. He intended to petition Romdril for knowledge about the geas spell, and also wanted to elicit his former master’s support for the campaign Fleatis was planning in an effort to unseat Flaloch in the next election. Alambar’s hiring of the two assassins became known to LeMeurtrier, the head of the Kelburn assassins’ guild, through spies that he had planted in the Jonholm guild. LeMeurtrier strongly suspected that the object of the assassination attempt would be Romdril himself, and he decided that a job of this magnitude would net the rival guild more money than he could countenance. The best solution, he reasoned, was to let the assassins do their work, then dispose of the killers and make off with the money they were to be paid — all of which would serve to further incite the conflict between the Kelburn and Jonholm assassins’ guilds. LeMeurtrier showed up at Romdril Mansion on the night of the gathering. After hiding his crossbow and poisoned bolts in the underbrush outside the mansion, he made himself part of the gathering. Romdril, anxious not to give away his true purpose, greeted the assassin hospitably, and LeMeurtrier responded in kind, even though each man knew the other would kill him at the slightest opportunity. Romdril was not terribly put off by LeMeurtrier’s appearance, since he had taken the precaution of having a small group of police officers present. He expected that a death (Flaloch’s) would occur at or before noon on the 20th, and he wanted the police on the premises as impartial witnesses to document what would happen. In the meantime, Romdril supposed, the presence of the officers would prevent the occurrence of any untoward events. The dinner on the evening of the 19th was intended as a hospitable prelude to the following day, when the principals would all engage in conversation and negotiation. The meal was served, complete with poison. No one present detected the poison (nor attempted to), but Alambar already knew of its existence and LeMeurtrier suspected that such was the case. The assassin’s expertise with poisons enabled him to deduce that it must be a multi-stage mixture, and that the final component would be administered in such a way that no one but the intended victim would be affected. As it happened, the third stage was never activated. The maid was able to slip away during dinner and sprinkle the black powder on the candle in Romdril’s bedroom, but the arch-mage did not use the candle. He entered his bedroom, picked up the box Flaloch had brought, and used the mirror to get to his magical library. LeMeurtrier was correct in his suspicion that Romdril was meant to be the victim of the poison. He was incorrect, however, in his assumption that the deed would be done shortly after about 11:00. Romdril retired to his room at Before LeMeurtrier went to his own bedroom, he slipped into the servants’ foyer and lifted the bar on the outside door. Then he proceeded upstairs, picked the lock on the door to Mok’s bedroom, and “borrowed” two bolts that he knew would not be missed. At midnight he sliced a panel out of his bedroom window and exited the house. He stopped briefly outside to pull the blue fletchings out of the poisoned bolts he had brought along and replace them with the red fletchings from Mok’s bolts. He then re-entered the house through the servants’ entrance. Using invisibility and stealth, he killed the maid and the cook where he found them, being careful in each case to leave clear evidence that they carried poison. He then disposed of his own crossbow and the two extra bolts in the fire pit before going back to his room, but forgot about re-lowering the bar on the door to the servants’ entrance. He repaired the window (although not perfectly) and got a few hours of sleep, secure in the knowledge that he had disposed of the Jonholm assassins and at the same time established Mok as the prime suspect. Alkus Alambar’s anxiety got the best of him at about 4:00 a.m. He left his room, went down the hall toward the master bedroom, and employed a clairvoyance spell to ascertain — much to his surprise and outrage — that Romdril was not lying dead inside his bedroom. He went to the servants’ quarters and found the maid dead and the cook Romdril was missing. He assumed somehow responsible that for their D RAGON 59

death and disappearance, which further strengthened his resolve to see the archmage dead. Through the use of an educated guess and another clairvoyance spell, he found Romdril in the magical library examining the contents of a small iron box. He cast a knock spell on the doors leading to the magical area and entered the alchemical laboratory after using invisibility on himself. Becoming more irrational by the second, he then decided to cast delayed blast fireball on the magical library, setting the “timer” on the blast to go off in two minutes. By means of a potion of clairaudience and a ventriloquism spell, he contacted Romdril and demanded to know everything about the potion of longevity. Romdril, startled by the intrusion on his concentration, closed the box of gems as he replied that he had no such knowledge. Alambar began to go on a rampage in the alchemical laboratory, haphazardly searching for the nonexistent potion. Romdril was in the process of trying to persuade Alambar to calm down when the fireball went off. Alambar had enough presence of mind to pull out the bottle of pills he used for his respiratory disorder and swallowed one to ward off the possible effects of smoke, but then he dropped the bottle, which shattered on the floor unbeknownst to him. He vacated the area shortly after the blast, exiting through the double doors and closing them before any appreciable amount of smoke could get through the opening. Romdril managed to crawl to the door of the library and push it open before he died, still reflexively clutching the remains of Flaloch’s note. Raleigh, on his earlymorning rounds intending to tidy up the library, discovered the smoke and Romdril’s body some three hours later. He panicked, and inhaled a lot of smoke while vainly trying to revive his master. Dazed and gasping, he bolted from the area, instinctively closed the doors behind him, and ran up the stairs to the breakfast hall at precisely 8:00. THE EVIDENCE The following is a list of all the relevant evidence to be found in the mansion. Romdril’s bedroom: scroll of geas supports Fleatis’s story; flecks of powder on candle point to attempt to murder Romdril; portrait of Liana reveals that Romdril suspects his wife was murdered; diary entries show that Alambar wants potion of longevity, that Alambar arranged the presence of the servants/assassins, that Flaloch committed some crime against Romdril and Liana (“her spirit”) which LeMeurtrier was involved in, and that Romdril anticipated an attempt on his life. Mok’s bedroom: Crossbow missing after 9:10 directs suspicion away from Mok. Fleatis’s bedroom: Blank spell book suggests that Fleatis is here to obtain a spell for the book. Alambar’s bedroom: Shards of glass outside room and in hem of robe point to Alambar’s visit to alchemical lab; torn robe 60 J ULY 1986 indicates he visited maid’s room; unused bed suggests that Alambar was awake (and probably occupied) for most or all of the night; bag of holding containing platinum pieces points to his hiring of assassins. LeMeurtrier’s bedroom: Damaged window suggests that LeMeurtrier left the mansion secretly. Upper gallery: Text of will removes motive from Fleatis; ledger points to Flaloch’s and LeMeurtrier’s involvement in Liana’s death. Raleigh’s bedroom: List of guests confirms that LeMeurtrier was not invited; also gives combination to safe (which Romdril had ordered Raleigh to change the day before). Maid’s bedroom: Dagger indicates she is an assassin; powder suggests that she worked for Alambar (who provided it to her). Servants’ entrance: Poison “recipe” on back of map indicates that servants from Jonholm were assassins, and their connection with Jonholm suggests that they were hired by Alambar. Kitchen: Powders and liquids point to Alambar’s hiring of assassins; cook’s shoulder wound points to LeMeurtrier’s murder of cook (obviously a poisoned bolt, since the wound itself would not be fatal); crossbow part in embers points to LeMeurtrier’s (not Mok’s) attack on cook. Magical corridor: Note in Romdril’s hand points to Flaloch’s involvement in Liana’s death. Magical library: Box of gems suggests Flaloch’s involvement in Liana’s death. Alchemical laboratory: State of disrepair and broken bottle of pills point to Alambar’s murder of Romdril. Outside: Trail leading from LeMeurtrier’s window indicates his murder of assassins, as do blue fletchings. THE END At noon the door chimes will sound, signaling the arrival of Flaloch’s and Alambar’s carriages. Raleigh will awaken and immediately seek out any PC(s) he can find to see if the police have solved the mystery. Flaloch and Alambar will go outside and prepare to leave with their carriage drivers. Fleatis (and Mok, if he is still alive) will join them outside and trade angry looks with them for a couple of minutes. Raleigh will suggest that the PCs go outside too (if they haven’t already done so), but if no officer attempts to detain them, Alambar and Flaloch will leave no later than 12:10. If, on the other hand, the PCs confront the NPCs, what happens thereafter will be solely dependent on the player characters’ actions. Flaloch will say that he has pressing business back in Kelburn, but may be persuaded to stay a while longer if the characters strongly suggest that they have a solution to the mystery. (The mayor, after all, has not committed any crimes in the last few hours and presumably has no reason to suspect that the PCs may have implicated him in Liana’s death.) But if it seems to Flaloch that the PCs are grasping at straws, he will make another of his comments about police incompetence, promising to instigate sweeping changes in the police department, and will attempt to leave. Alambar is also in a hurry to leave, claiming that he must return to Jonholm to monitor some ongoing experiments, but he may succumb to pressure from Flaloch if it seems to the mayor that the characters are going to present a legitimate solution. (Alambar is worried that he may appear to be the guilty party if he insists on leaving while Flaloch is willing to stay and listen.) Sandar Fleatis is not inclined to leave hastily; he wants to get to the bottom of this affair, and he will spout off angrily at anyone who attempts to leave before matters are resolved. If the PCs directly accuse Alambar of Romdril’s murder and present a case that is similar to what is outlined in “The solution,” the alchemist will panic and begin coughing and gasping. He will instinctively reach for his bottle of pills, which of course are not on his person. He will then attempt to cast a spell, but his coughing fit will prevent him from completing it. Then, if he is not physically restrained, he will pull out and drink what he thinks is a potion of extra healing, but which is in fact his vial of oil of acid resistance. This action will only increase his respiratory problems and render him virtually helpless. In this state, Alambar should be able to be easily apprehended, perhaps with the aid of Fleatis (and Mok) and possibly also with the help of Flaloch, if the mayor has not been accused of any crime. If the PCs have thought to pick up the white pills from the laboratory, and if Alambar is offered one of them to alleviate his coughing, he will regain all of his capabilities and will do everything in his power to escape. If the PCs directly accuse Flaloch of Romdril’s murder, the mayor will demand to see their evidence and, if it is lacking in substance (as it surely will be) he will leave the mansion. If the PCs charge him with participation in the murder of Liana Romdril, and if they have the ledger to prove this accusation, Flaloch will lose his rough demeanor and begin stammering in a futile attempt to cover his tracks. If he is skillfully confronted and interrogated at this point, he will volunteer a full confession. If instead the mayor is physically threatened, he will attempt to resist this kind of treatment, but Sandar, Mok, and Alambar (if the latter has not been accused of any crime) will assist the police in restraining him. If the PCs directly accuse Fleatis of any crime, he will go pale and quietly deny involvement in any wrongdoing in a manner that makes it almost seem as though he does not believe his own words. This feeling will pass within moments, however, and Fleatis will regain his composure and selfassurance. He will vocally and physically resist any attempt to arrest him. Flaloch and Alambar will support the PCs if they

persist in attempting to apprehend Fleatis, and then both will leave confidently. If the PCs directly accuse Mok of any crime, his eyes will widen and he will look to Raleigh for help. The manservant and Fleatis will both come to his defense, assuring the PCs that they have made a mistake. If the PCs persist, Flaloch and Alambar will leave. If the PCs directly accuse Raleigh of any crime, he will become visibly upset and begin to cough again. Fleatis and Mok will come to his aid, the former spewing insults at the PCs for their obvious error and assuring them that they will never hold a job in Kelburn again. Flaloch and Alambar will leave after “congratulating” the officers for their “obvious skill.” If the PCs are unable to legitimately charge anyone with a crime, Raleigh will again succumb to his respiratory damage and Mok, looking disappointed and hurt, will carry him inside. Fleatis will storm off into the woods muttering to himself, outraged that the police are letting Romdril’s murderer go free. Flaloch will board his carriage and return to Kelburn, where he will serve out only part of the remainder of his term before suffering a mysterious fatal heart attack. Alambar will abruptly vanish from his carriage before it returns to Jonholm, having teleported far across the continent, never to be seen again. Tournament scoring system If the Dungeon Master desires, rate the players characters according to the following point scale (all points are cumulative): + 100 for chagring Alambar with Romdril’s murder + 50 for charging Flaloch with ordering Liana’s assassination + 50 for charging Alambar with LeMeurtrier’s murder + 25 for attributing the servants’ deaths to LeMeurtrier 0 for letting all the NPCs go free - 25 for charging Alambar with the servants’ deaths - 25 for each major breach of Kelburn’s laws - 50 for charging Flaloch with the servants’ deaths he can - 60 for charging Flaloch with Romdril’s murder - 60 for charging Fleatis with LeMeurtrier’s murder - 75 for charging Fleatis with any murder except LeMeurtrier’s - 75 for attributing Romdril’s murder to LeMeurtrier - 80 for charging Mok with the servants’ deaths - 100 for charging Mok with Romdril’s murder - 100 for each murder attributed to Raleigh Bonus points may be awarded for finesse (or deducted for lack of same). This category includes, but is not limited to, observing standard mystery conventions, such as being exceptionally quick to search in the kitchen cupboard, promptly considering the existence of a wall safe, and revealing the murderer(s) in a “mystery style,” such as the way events are described in “The solution.” In a multi-group tournament situation, the DM should not award more than 10 points for finesse, nor subtract more than that amount for lack of same. DRAGON 61

THE CHASM BRIDGE BY DESMOND P. VARADY The toll may be higher than you can afford. l l l Artwork by Roger Raupp Cartography by Diesel After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Desmond Varady became an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and is currently stationed just outside of London. Although the army keeps him busy, he finds time to read fantasy and science fiction, and to write short stories and fantasy adventure modules. “The Chasm Bridge” is a small part of his underground campaign area — one in which the characters have yet to adventure on the legendary “surface world.” This is his first appearance in DUNGEON Adventures. This AD&D® game encounter for 3-6 characters of 4-6th level takes place in any part of an underground realm with natural caverns. The scenario can be dropped into a dungeon or used as part of an ongoing underground campaign. It should, however, be placed in an area that will be frequently traveled by the character party (see "Continuing the Adventure”). This area was originally designed to be used in the middle parts of the Deepearth, as presented in the Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide (the DSG). A copy of that book, and of the Unearthed Arcana tome, will be useful in running this adventure. Adventure Background Over a year ago, an evil magic-user named Mistle and his adventuring companions arrived at the edge of a vast underground gorge. The party found that there was no way to cross the chasm at this point, so with the help of a few spells and a wand of earth & stone, Mistle created the stone bridge still present here. Once Mistle’s party was across the chasm, an encounter with a slicer beetle crippled the magicuser — it bit off one of the mage’s legs. The party’s cleric did what she could, but regenerative spells were not available, and the party wanted to move onward. There were many edible lichens and molds in the area, plus a good source of water, so Mistle decided to stay near the newly made bridge until his associates could come back with magical aid. The adventurers never returned. After Mistle realized he might be staying in the area for a while, he decided to make his surroundings a bit more comfortable and built a series of secret caves in a rock formation near the bridge, using his spells and wand. Two balconies allowed him to look out over the bridge area to view passersby without being vulnerable, and also DUNGEON A

THE CHASM BRIDGE provided a defensible position for the crippled magic-user. In the past year or so, events have changed both the nature of the area and Mistle’s own life. About two months after Mistle had settled into his new home, a group of ogres and duergar happened upon the area. Wounded from a recent battle, they collapsed here, thinking it a safe place to rest. Mistle sprung upon them, hoping to kill them quickly and quietly. But the leader of the ogres, Graak by name, managed to talk his way out of certain death for both himself and his companions. Arrangements were made for the monsters to come into the employ of the evil magic-user as bridge guards and toll collectors. All agreed that it would be a most beneficial and rewarding relationship, especially after the group collaborated to destroy the only other nearby crossing of this chasm. Just two months ago, a group of enterprising svirfneblin opened a tunnel nearby. These gnomes also built a ropeand-wire bridge just a few hundred feet away from the toll crossing, in the same spot once occupied by the bridge that Mistle and his allies destroyed. The snirfneblin offered this free route to all the underground denizens who didn’t want to pay the toll (this underground area is well traveled by many underground races). The gnomes’ good intentions were ruined, however, when a group of margoyles, led by a particularly intelligent leader named Slissh-Ikil, moved into the area, seeing it as a good place to prey upon travelers. Slissh-Ikil had hoped to also take over the bridge controlled by Mistle, but after a fierce and devastating battle with the magic-user and his companions, the margoyle leader decided to be content with his single bridge. As it stands now, Mistle and SlisshIkil have a shaky agreement of sorts. Those who refuse to pay the toll on Mistle’s bridge are routinely offered the choice of traversing the margoyles’ “free” pathway. The recent addition of a derro named Haltik Wrath to the magician’s guards has increased intrigue and suspicion among the denizens of the chasm area. This chaotic dwarf is closely watched by both Mistle and his henchman Graak. The challenge for PCs is simply to cross the chasm, a relatively straightforward task were it not for the presence of the various denizens and guardians of the area. For the Dungeon Master The PCs can approach this encounter from any direction, but ideally should come from one of the southern passages. A party that moves quietly or sends a scout ahead can hear noise from the ogres’ guard post up to 120’ away, the ogres being very boisterous and loud. The chasm is roughly 200’ deep, with a large river flowing along its bottom. PCs can negotiate all parts of the encounter area without any risk of falling into the chasm. When moving on the ledges, however, the party is assumed to be traveling in single file. Rules for checking for falls during combat on ledges and bridges can be found on page 30 of the DSG. Anyone falling into the chasm must roll his dexterity or less on 1d20 to land in the deepest part of the river and sustain only 2d6 hp damage. Failure indicates the character lands in the shallows and sustains 20d6 hp damage. A PC in the water will be carried 1-4 miles downstream (west) before being deposited on the shore. Check the swimming rules in the DSG, page 12-14. B Special Edition

THE CHASM BRIDGE All walls in the chasm area are considered rough, with ledges, and are slightly slippery. Exceptions to this rule are the walls for 20’ surrounding all magically created features and caves in areas 3-6 and 8 (including the pathways, Mistle’s secret rooms, the sides of the cliffs, and the jutting rock formation in which the secret rooms are found) and the areas within 20’ of the stone bridge (area 9). These areas are very smooth and slightly slippery. For thief and nonthief climbing rates and adjustments for these wall conditions, see pages 14-16 of the DSG. Drafts and gusts of wind are frequent in this area of the chasm. Flying characters have a penalty of 3” to air speed and fly at one maneuverability class lower. The margoyles and Mistle have much experience with the winds and therefore receive no penalty. As travelers frequently come through this area, there is a 15% chance that some other party will be dealing with the toll collectors each time the PCs happen upon the bridge. Prior to playing this encounter, the Dungeon Master can determine whether other travelers are paying a toll and, if necessary, determine the exact composition of the encountered group. Encounter Key Monster statistics follow the numbered section in which their description or appearance is first noted. All monsters in these encounters speak some dialect of either “surface” Common or a sort of underworld trade tongue. 1. Guard Post. Light and sounds tell you that there is something or someone ahead. A cool, steady breeze laden with scents of spiced wine and burning coals brushes your face as you turn a bend in the natural passage. As you approach a cavern of some sort, the light is partially blocked by a huge figure. A rough, broken challenge comes from a grizzled voice: “Whose is its dat goes out dere?” One ogre watches each southern passage, awaiting travelers. These ogres are not alert and can be surprised on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6, if the surprising character moves quietly and swiftly. The figure is an ogre, although a rather neat and well-dressed one. Pieces of plate and chain armor are mixed with leather jacks and leggings, both studded and plain. The ogre holds a huge, well-polished halberd. The overwhelming smell of sweat mixed with spiced wine surrounds him like a second coat of armor, and when the huge ogre grins, his smile shows teeth stained yellow and black. As the ogre steps away from the entrance, you can see fully into the cavern. Straight ahead is a large table, ogre-sized and roughly hewn, with several more of the great humanoids sitting around it, eating and joking. They occasionally dip their bowls into something cooking in a small black cauldron over a large, rusty brazier. To one side of the cavern is a small lighted alcove in which shadows betray the occupants’ movements. Beyond the large table is a huge rock formation jutting out into and flanked by a huge chasm. Torches set in sconces reveal three more features of the rock formation: smooth walls leading up to some sort of natural balcony overlooking both the chasm and the ogre’s cavern; two narrow paths running west and north alongside the rock; and, far beyond, a lighted stone bridge crossing the chasm. Two ogres approach from the rock formation, where they were leaning and sharing a smoke from a huge, gnarled pipe. One of them is a giant humanoid, almost 10’ tall, in a shiny breastplate, leather and chain protection for his gigantic arms and legs, and a tremendous black leather belt clasped with a silver skull buckle. This monstrosity carries a 12’ blackand-silver trident. His companion is an ordinary ogre similar to the one who initially greeted you. The huge ogre speaks. “Name’s Graak. Youse p’pared to pays th’ toll?” These guardians are the toll collectors, the ogre band that Mistle encountered and eventually hired. After the initial challenge, Graak is the only one who deals with the PCs. Once any dealings have begun, all the ogres return to the table to drink wine, with the exception of the passage guards. Graak is not very intelligent, but his cunning and sense of self-preservation are much better than others of his species. He rules the guards with an iron fist, but is respected by the other ogres who have come to expect this in a leader. Graak’s constant dealings with travelers have made him somewhat courteous for an ogre, and have increased his ability to judge character. Graak thinks Mistle is a good employer, although the ogre occasionally protests the smallness of the cut that the guards receive from the toll money. Mistle has proven himself to be powerful and has saved the ogre band more than once with his magic, so Graak affords the magician much respect and even more distance. Graak’s increased judgment of character has made him wary of the new derro guard, Haltik Wrath (see area 7), and the information he has received from the two ogres at that guard point only feeds his suspicions. Graak is good at collecting tolls from passersby, and therefore has become rather cocky. He expects no less than 25 gp or its equivalent from each individual, but will not explicitly ask for that amount in hopes of getting more (it usually works with travelers new to the area). He tries to evaluate the gold piece value of items but usually defers to the duergar money collectors in the alcove (area 2) for an accurate appraisal. Blocking one entrance to the alcove are several wooden boxes filled with rocks. The cauldron on the brazier contains hot wine. The table holds a variety of large utensils, carcasses, bowls of food, and pots with remnants of old meals in them. If the PCs decide to pay the toll, Graak leads them to area 2 so the payment can be secured and safeguarded. He then orders (in ogrish) one of the other ogres to take the party to the beginning of the narrow ledge leading to area 7. If the PCs refuse to pay, Graak tries to avoid combat and offers the following alternative: As he takes a hesitant step backward, Graak grips his trident and begins again in his halting speech. “Wait jus’ a secon’. We guys don’t likes the fightin’ that much. I ain’t gonna argue ov’r a few bits. Jus’ take the utter way — bit longer, but I guess it’s wort the bits. The Master DUNGEON C

THE CHASM BRIDGE jus’ won’t likes it if you gone on his bridge without us collectin’ the toll.” The humanoid turns and starts to walk across the cavern toward the western ledge. He turns his head and looks over his shoulder, waving to you to follow him, keeping an eye out for threatening moves. If combat occurs, Graak runs toward Area 2 while the other ogres battle the PCs. One of the ogres throws the cauldron of hot wine to cover Graak’s retreat. The cauldron is +4 to hit and covers a 6’ diameter with a direct hit, causing 1-6 hp damage (save vs. breath weapon to avoid 2-8 rounds of blindness). When thrown by an ogre, the cauldron has a 30’ range. Then Graak or one of the moneycollecting duergar in the alcove blows a horn that hangs from the wall in area 2. This warns Mistle and the guards at area 7. All arrive on the scene two melee rounds later. If the PCs take the alternate route, they think they hear ogres laughing just before they stumble into area 11. Graak: AC 3; MV 9”; HD 7; hp 33; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type +3 (18/75 strength); AL CE; trident +2. Graak’s silver skull belt buckle is an actual dwarf skull dipped in silver. The whole item is worth 350 gp. Graak also has 14 pp, 31 gp, and 14 gems (worth 10 gp each) in a pouch that hangs from his belt. Graak can tell if someone is lying to him with 70% accuracy, and can make a reasonable guess at someone’s alignment after three rounds of conversation and visual examination with 80% accuracy. Ogres (7): AC 5; MV 9”; HD 4 +1; hp 27, 26, 22 (x2), 20, 19 (x 2); #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type +2; AL CE; halberds. The ogres have treasure among them amounting to 53 pp, 160 gp, and two gold chains (600 gp and 350 gp). 2. The Alcove. A small lighted alcove here is apparently used by the toll collectors to store their takings and make change. A 4’-high table nearly blocks one entrance to this cave, while the other entrance is blocked by wooden boxes filled with rocks, stacked 7’ high. On the table are an abacus, several sheets of parchment, a few quills, and an inkwell. Behind the table are a 3’-high bench and a large iron chest, closed and locked. Hanging on the wall above the chest is a brass horn flanked by two sconces holding lit torches. Two duergar act as the money changers and collectors. Each is dressed in brass chain armor and wears a sheathed hand axe attached to his belt. When conducting toll business, one duergar stays on the bench to make deals while the other stands by the chest in order to secure the monies or make change. The duergar by the chest has a large key hidden beneath his armor, attached to a chain around his neck. The chest is trapped; if opened without the key, it emits poison gas that does 3-36 hp damage to anyone within the alcove (save vs. poison for no damage). The chest contains 5-50 each of copper, silver, electrum, and gold coins; 1-10 platinum coins; and 1-6 each of 10-gp gems and 50-gp gems. There is a 30% chance that 1-4 items of jewelry worth 50-200 (1d4 x 50) gp are also present. Mistle comes down to collect the money every day. If a battle breaks out, one of the duergar immediately moves toward the horn and blows it if Graak has not come to the alcove. Both draw their hand axes and use psionic invisibility for as long as possible, but they will fight fiercely to defend their monies (Mistle might reward them if they survive). Duergar (2): AC 5; MV 6”; HD 1 + 2; hp 9, 8; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SA surprise on 3 in 6, psionics; SD save at +4 vs. magical attacks, special immunities (to paralysis, poison, and illusion/ phantasm spells), surprised on 1 in 10; see Monster Manual II, page 61; AL LE; chain mail, hand axes. 3. The South Balcony. This natural and magic-made balcony is 15’ above the floor of the ogres’ cavern and commands a view of most of area 1 and about 50’ north along the narrow ledge that runs toward the stone bridge. The stone of this rock formation is very smooth and slightly slippery, making it very difficult to climb (see “For the Dungeon Master”). The balcony itself has a 4’-high stone wall running along its outer edge. It is at this location that the PCs might see the Master, Mistle the crippled magic-user. There is a 45% chance that Mistle is watching the ogres below as they demand a toll from the party. Any PC has an 85% chance to notice him there. If this occurs, read the following: You notice a gaunt figure looking down from a balcony on the rock formation that juts out into the chasm. The figure is hooded, so it is hard to distinguish any facial details, but it does seem to be leaning on a crutch and wearing some sort of narrow quiver. If combat with the ogres breaks out while Mistle is watching, or if the magician is called to the balcony by the horn or sounds of battle, he assists the ogres by first casting defensive spells like transmute rock to mud and web. If the battle is definitely going against the ogres, Mistle uses his lightning bolt and magic missile spells. He also uses his wand of earth and stone (found in the quiver he carries) to block passage along the ledge to his bridge, if the characters try to run that way. The balcony wall provides 75% cover for Mistle; so long as he fights from the balcony, his effective armor class against missile fire is 0. If Mistle is badly injured (having lost half his hit points), he moves back into his abode, heals himself with his potions (see area 5), and uses his remaining magic to hide or escape. He then tries to annoy and injure the party, using magic and wile, in retribution for their ruining his profitable business. Mistle: AC 7; MV 3” (missing one leg); MU9; hp 28; #AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon type; S 13, I 16, W 9, D 16 (6 if moving or dodging), C 13, Ch 16; AL NE; dagger +2, bracers of defense AC 6, wand of earth and stone (36 charges), wand of paralyzation (9 charges). The wand of earth and stone is of the variety that has the “transmute” spells (see Unearthed Arcana, page 96). This particular wand has the spell stone shape in place of the move earth attribute. The charge cost of this new spell is the same as the one it replaced (two charges per use). The wand’s command words are (in order of its powers): “shovel,” “go,” “up and there,” “harden,” and “muck.” They can be found on a small silver charm (jewelry value 75 gp) that Mistle wears on a chain around his neck. The activating command for the wand of paralyzation is “Stop, thief!” This is not written D Special Edition

THE CHASM BRIDGE anywhere. Both wands are kept in a small quiver that Mistle wears at all times. Mistle’s dexterity for the purpose of combat is 6 because of his missing leg. His effective combat armor class with the bracers is therefore 7. His available spells are as follows: feather fall, comprehend languages, jump, magic missile (x 2), detect invisibility, invisibility, web, lightning bolt, slow, tongues, charm monster, dimension door, transmute rock to mud. His traveling spell books contain the following spells in addition to those listed above: detect magic, identify, knock, wizard lock, dispel magic, fly protection from normal missiles, cone of cold. Though vengeful, embittered, and having an uncomfortable interest in gaining power over evil creatures, Mistle also has a strong wit and is an engaging conversationalist. He has many stories about the underworld lands, and possesses a remarkable speaking voice and aura of authority. He finds talkative, good-aligned characters to be bores but tolerates anyone who does not dispute his personal domain in this area. 4. Laboratory and Living Area. The black-brown walls of this cave clearly show the telltale smoothness of magical digging. The darkness of the walls makes the place seem dim by absorbing much of the light coming from a small candelabrum and two torches. The room is well-furnished, and all of the pieces show signs of modest elegance. Along the western wall is a 12’-long stone table covered with various stone implements: jars, beakers, bottles with stoppers, dishes, and a mortar and pestle. Underneath this long table is a shelf running its full length. On it are five larger stone jars, all topped with stone lids. Along the eastern wall are a wooden table and chair, a stone shelf attached to the wall, and a smaller stone table about 3’ across. On the wooden table are various pieces of dirty stone flatware, plates, and cups. The shelf holds two large stone bowls and a single stoppered stone jar. On the stone table are a book, a glass bottle filled with liquid, a good amount of parchment, and a quill and ink bottle. A small, unlit, black brazier sits just to the south of the stone table. A bit of color comes to the room from a large, tattered rug on the floor and a small tapestry hanging from two stone pegs on the southeast wall. There are four exits from this room: a stairway leading down to the west, two narrow passages leading north and south, and a stone door leading southwest. The stone door has four doorknobs. All of the stone items were made by Mistle with the stone shape power of his wand. The containers on the large stone table contain various ordinary and extraordinary items for use in casting magical spells: black bird feathers, cave insect hind legs, soot, salt, talc, powdered silver, gum arabic, spider webs, animal fur, bits of turtle shell, molasses, soft black clay, and water. (These are the material components for most of Mistle’s available spells). Of the five larger jars under the table, two are empty, one contains water, and two contain blood (ogre and duergar). The bowls on the shelf in the eastern wall contain lichen and small cave mushrooms. The large jar on that same shelf holds water. The glass bottle on the stone table is a potion of sweet water (five doses) that Mistle uses to ensure a good supply of drinkable water. The parchments have general writings and some notes on the behavior of duergar, ogres, and margoyles, but one sheet is a magic-user scroll inscribed with a mending spell. The book is an empty magicuser’s traveling spell book. The tapestry and rug are worthless. The brazier is filled with soot and the remains of some burnt charcoal. This room and the one to the southwest (area 5) give good indication of Mistle’s taste for both austerity and comfort. The past year in his new home has not made Mistle unhappy. On the contrary, he has found his life underground lacking very little. Caravans and other underground merchants pass over the toll bridge often enough to keep the ogres’ stomachs full of wine and all of Mistle’s personal tastes well satisfied. The toll money is spent on items ranging from wooden furnishings (a luxury underground) to foodstuffs, spices, and coal. The door to the southwest was built by the duergar and contains some traps of their own making. The four doorknobs are set vertically into the center of the 7’-high door. The top knob is false but has a 30% chance to accidentally trigger one of the other two traps. The second knob down is the real one, opening the door through a system of weights and a counterbalance. The third knob releases a trap that drops large rocks onto a 10’ x 10’ area in front of the door. Anyone in that area takes 4-16 hp damage (save vs. petrification for half damage). The bottom knob releases the pins that hold the door in place, causing it to fall forward (70% chance) or backward (30% chance). If it falls forward, all those within 6’ of the door must save vs. petrification at +3 or be crushed for 5-50 hp damage. A combined score of 40 strength points is needed to lift the door off pinned PCs. 5. Bed Chamber. Smaller than the outer cave, this room is more sparsely furnished, having only four pieces of stone furniture: a bed with a mattress of lichen in burlap sacks, a simple block of stone for a nightstand, a table with shelves, and a high-backed chair softened by three threadbare pillows. The table and shelves hold a collection of knick-knacks. The 17 knick-knacks are various nonmagical figurines of humans, elves, and animals, as well as some stone jars and vases (worth 4-40 sp each). In the bottom of one of the vases, under 2” of murky water, is a ring of clumsiness that appears to be a ring of jumping. The vase must be turned upside-down for this item to be noticed. Underneath the bed is a loose stone set flush with the floor. A normal search of the room will reveal its presence. In a hole under the stone are Mistle’s revenues from the tolls: 455 sp in a burlap bag, 230 gp and 55 pp in another bag, and a small unlocked coffer containing 11 gems (50 gp (x 4), 200 gp (x 3), and 500 gp). The nightstand is another duergar work of genius. Inside is a secret compartment containing three potions of healing and a magic-user scroll of fly, wall of iron, and invisible stalker. The secret-compartment can be opened by sharply hitting the left side of the nightstand three times. If Mistle has been injured in combat with the PCs, he retreats to this room and uses the potions of healing from his DUNGEON E

THE CHASM BRIDGE nightstand. He hides here invisibly, waiting for the characters to get the full effects of his trapped door. The magicuser then sneaks out and uses the scroll spells to trap the PCs in his room with an invisible stalker. Finally, he flies away down the chasm, looking for better prospects, taking his spell books (from area 6) with him. 6. Stairway, Ledge, and Secret Entrance. This is Mistle’s front door and porch. Though he rarely leaves, when he does he enters and exits his abode through the use of a fly spell. The PCs can approach this area either from area 4 or by flying or climbing to the ledge. The walls on this rock formation are slightly slippery and very smooth. The ledge is roughly 6’ wide and is supported by the surrounding rock. This outcropping can hold up to 500 lbs. of weight. The wall behind the ledge appears to be smooth and featureless. The secret door can be found by a dwarf 20% of the time, by an elf 15% of the time, and by any other character 5% of the time. The secret door is opened by pressing a small knob of rock underneath the northeasternmost edge of the ledge. The door slides straight down, a lip on the inside catching the door from falling further. To replace the door, the lip must be pulled up past a catch on the inner right side of the doorway. Rapping hard on the second step from the top of the staircase reveals a secret compartment similar to that in the nightstand in area 5. Here can be found Mistle’s traveling spell books containing all the spells mentioned in area 3. These books are not here if Mistle has already left the area. 7. Approach to the Bridge. The description below assumes the party is approaching from the south. See area 10 for the northern approach perspective. As you make your way along the narrow pathway leading to the bridge, you hear a mixture of strange voices and languages but cannot yet see anyone ahead. Rounding the final bend in the ledge pathway brings you face to face with quite a motley crew of humanoids: two large ogres, dressed similarly to those previously encountered but unarmed, four duergar in plate armor, wielding short spears and war hammers; and F Special Edition personage in ragged studded leather a crazed-looking, hairy, dwarflike armor who holds a huge crossbow of some type. A roll for surprise should be made here, especially if the PCs gave Graak and his gang any trouble. The two ogres have no reservations about roughing up a few surprised humans or demihumans, especially since they are far enough away from the influence of Graak. The malicious manners of the duergar and derro only support such bullying and “fun.” The shorterstatured humanoids might encourage combat just to get some treasure, if the odds seem reasonable. The derro, a recent addition to Mistle’s guards, has been nothing but trouble for both Graak and the Master. Haltik Wrath has received the support of the duergar guards and, especially since finding out about the unfair cut the guards get from the toll revenues, he has been concentrating on subverting both leaders’ power bases. Recently, the derro sneaked away to negotiate with Slissh-Ikil, who presented Haltik with a potion as a pledge of his support. Details of combat plans or other cooperation have not as yet been worked out, though. Any combat in this area, however, is sure to draw Slissh-Ikil’s interest, if not the margoyles’ presence. A battle in this area might provide the opportunity that the derro and his supporters have been looking for. Haltik knows that one of the duergar has a magical spear, and he feels that the unknown potion he was given by SlisshIkil (a potion of fire breath) could turn the tide. The derro will not use the potion unless he feels it is the right time for rebellion. Ogres (2): AC 5; MV 9”; HD 4 + 1; hp 24, 23; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; AL CE. Duergar (4): AC 2; MV 6”; HD 2 + 2; hp 16, 15,12,11; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SA surprise on 3 in 6, psionics; SD save at +4 vs. magical attacks; special immunities (to paralysis, poison, and illusion/phantasm spells), surprise on 1 in 10; see Monster Manual II; AL LE; plate mail, shield, hammer, spear (16-hp duergar has a spear +1). Haltik Wrath, derro: AC 3; MV 9”; HD 3; hp 21; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg by weapon type; D 18; SD 30% magic resistance; AL CE; studded leather armor, derro repeating light crossbow (Dmg 1-3) with poison on the quarrels (2-12 hp damage), short sword, potion of fire breath. 8. North Balcony. This balcony is very similar to area 3. It commands a view of the stone bridge and about 90% of the chasm area to the north, west and east. The chances of seeing Mistle here are much less, however, unless some sort of battle has begun. There is only a 15% chance that he will be here to see normal passing of the character party. If, however, the alarm is sounded here, it takes Mistle two melee rounds to respond. His actions upon arriving are similar to those taken for a battle at area 1 — defensive spells first, switching to offensive spells if the battle gets heated, and using his wands only if his business or his life is in jeopardy. 9. The Bridge. The bridge, the main feature of this chasm area, is a unique magical formation. Apparently, two natural ledges were altered and extended from either side of the chasm to create this bridge from the living rock. The bridge is narrow, only about 7’ wide throughout its length. Two rough stone columns flank the entrance at either end of the bridge. On each stone column, a lit brand smokily burns in a torch sconce. Running along the sides of the bridge are stone railings about 4’ high. The stone of the bridge is relatively smooth, although the underside of the bridge appears to be very rough. If the PCs approach from the north and refuse the verbal challenge of the guards on the south side (see area 10), a physical challenge is made to the characters on the bridge. The ogres, duergar, and derro have experience fighting on the bridge and have a specific plan of attack for such occasions. First, a final offer is made (by the strongest duergar) to the PCs to pay the toll instead of fighting their way through. If the PCs refuse, the ogres charge across the bridge, attempting to push the adventurers back to the opposite side. Two duergar follow the ogres closely, while the other two run for help. The derro has found a way to safely climb along the rough underside of the bridge; he will try to get beneath the structure before the battle starts. He

THE CHASM BRIDGE has a 65% chance to do this without being noticed. He then attempts to surprise attackers either on the bridge or near its northern entrance. If his movements have been noticed, his chance to surprise is 1-3 on 1d6; otherwise, he surprises on 1-5. The derro can carry his weapons when he climbs under the bridge. Mistle and the ogres and duergar from area 1 arrive in two melee rounds if their help is summoned. 10. The Northern Ledge. The natural corridor you have been traveling through suddenly opens onto a ledge that provides a panoramic view. To the immediate south and west, the ledge overlooks a deep chasm. In front of you, seemingly formed from the ledge itself, a bridge rises over the chasm and descends to meet a similar ledge on the opposite side. On that opposite ledge stand several guards, their features obscured by the dimness that pervades the chasm. Two larger figures are flanked by four or five smaller ones, and all seem to be holding weapons of some sort. Above the figures is some sort of balcony, carved from the stone of a great outcropping of rock. Rushing water can be heard, far below in the chasm. One of the shorter guards moves forward and speaks: “This be the bridge of Mistle the Great. Stand where you are and prepare to pay the toll.” Characters who stand fast are met by the two ogres, who cross the bridge from area 7. These guards then escort the party to the narrow pathway leading from area 7 to area 1. The toll-collecting procedure described at area 1 proceeds normally once the party arrives. If the PCs make threatening actions or attempt to cross the bridge unescorted, the guards at area 7 start their combat procedure (see area 9). 11. The Margoyles’ Alternative. As you round a bend in the narrow ledge beside the chasm, a rush of air whips past your face. Suddenly, you are set upon by thrashing horns, fangs, and claws, all seemingly made of stone. Slissh-Ikil hears the PCs moving along the ledge and dispatches two of his cohorts to attack the travelers. Slissh-Ikil himself flies out and stays nearby to see how the youngsters do. If the margoyles take more than one-third of their hit points in damage, they retreat to their lair at area 12 (they lose the ability to fly if below half hit points). Under no circumstances will Slissh-Ikil assist the other margoyles here. Margoyles so badly wounded as to be unable to fly manage to glide down to a ledge far below, just above the river, where they rest until able to fly again. Slissh-Ikil: AC 2; MV 6”/12”; HD 6; hp 40; #AT 4; Dmg 1-6/1-6/2-8/2-8; SA 80% surprise near stone; SD +1 or better weapon to hit; AL CE. Margoyles (2): AC 2; MV 6”/12”; HD 6; hp 32, 26; #AT 4; Dmg 1-6/1-6/2-8/2-8; SA 80% surprise near stone; SD +1 or better weapon to hit; AL CE. 12. The Margoyles’ Lair. This large and smelly cave can be reached only by flying or climbing. It is 60’ above the ledge where the area 11 encounter takes place. When the margoyles are not attacking local travelers or foraging for food, they are found here 95% of the time. The bare cave contains a large amount of grit, gravel, and sand piled into three mounds. Sifting through the stuff in all the piles reveals some treasure. The two mounds in the southern end of the cave together contain six gems (100 gp (x4), 500 gp, 1,000 gp), 46 gp, 36 sp, and 54 cp. These two piles also contain a good number of shiny but useless baubles. The pile of sand and gravel in the north end of the cave contains a large gold pendant in the shape of a snake (worth 1,200 gp), 78 sp, and a silver short sword with scabbard (worth 60 gp total), as well as an assortment of other worthless shiny items. 13. Billygoats’ Gruff. Ahead, at the end of the ledge, you can see a strange bridge. Two smooth stone pillars are sunk into stone ledges on each side of the chasm. Tangles of thick wire and rope are pulled through holes in the pillars and secured by wrapping and tying. Three twisted lines of wire and rope DUNGEON G

THE CHASM BRIDGE are stretched across the chasm, each attached to the others by a series of small twists of rope and wire. It appears that the bridge is crossed by walking on the lower of the three ropes while using the other two for handholds. The sound of rushing water can be heard from far below. Unfortunately, it looks like you have other things to worry about right now. A large, winged, stone creature descends from the darkness of the chasm’s ceiling to settle on the nearer of the bridge’s foundation ledges. From this location, Slissh-Ikil makes himself known to the travelers who dare to traverse his pathway and bridge. He presents himself in a menacing manner, either prior to the characters’ crossing the bridge from the north or when the party is approximately 20’ from the bridge approaching from the south. He avoids combat by flying off the ledge just before the PCs reach him, and maneuvers around to harass characters as they try to cross the rope-andwire bridge. If they are alive, the other two margoyles join in the fight, using Slissh-Ikil’s tactics as described below. Slissh-Ikil attacks only those PCs who cross the bridge, and only those with little or no armor protection (AC 6 or higher). The margoyle has learned several things from dealing with travelers on a frequent-basis — particularly that the best fighters usually wear large pieces of shiny metal on their bodies. Slissh-Ikil attacks characters when they are approximately halfway across the bridge. He swoops down, slashing with his claws (two attacks for 1-6/1-6 hp damage). A successful attack by the margoyle requires a PC to make two successive dexterity checks on 1d20 to avoid falling off the rope bridge. If only one check fails, the PC hangs onto the bridge by 1-3 of his limbs and can continue to hold on for 1-3 rounds per limb. Failure of both checks indicates that the PC has fallen into the chasm (see “For the Dungeon Master”). Slissh-Ikil concentrates his attacks on characters hanging from the rope bridge, if any. The bridge, upon closer inspection, is a unique and fine piece of workmanship, completed by the svirfneblin only a few months ago. It is an elegantly simple three-rope suspension bridge. 14. The Western Passage. The natural stone passage you have been traveling in suddenly turns east, and a cool, misty draft blows into your face. A few feet beyond the turn, you break out of the passage onto a ledge overlooking a vast and deep chasm. Through the dimness, you see the faint outline of a bridge about 50’ south. The bridge spans the gap between the two ledges, and on the southernmost of these ledges you can see several shadowy figures. Your choice of movement is fairly limited, however. The rough stone ledge you stand on narrows as it bends south, hugging the western cavern wall. The air is damp, drafty, and cold. The sound of rushing water can be heard in the distance. As the PCs approach the bridge, they are challenged by Slissh-Ikil (see area 13) and the two younger margoyles. See area 11 for their statistics. There is a 50% chance that PCs entering the area from this point will walk out while one or more of the margoyles is clinging to the rocks nearby in a perfect position to attack the group from surprise. Continuing the Adventure This encounter can be used over and over again as the PCs pass through this area, perhaps on their way to and from the surface or an underground base of operations. The adventurers can easily become involved in the intrigue of the encounter area, taking whichever side they feel inclined to support. Any of the NPCs can become well known to the characters and can be a good source of rumors and information leading to other adventures. The PCs might even strike up a (dangerous) friendship with Mistle, as it has been a long time since the mage has spoken to other people from the surface. Though evil, he is still reasonably honest about his intentions and is fairly charismatic. He may offer the PCs lodging in his humble abode (which is safe, though uncomfortable), perhaps in trade for their tracking down some rare spell component or other required item. The mage might also express an interest in accompanying the party on an expedition to find the associates (or their remains!) who left him here a year ago. Anyone who manages to regenerate Mistle’s missing leg has won his support for the rest of his life, though he will remain in this area. The unfriendlier denizens of the area can be a source of further adventure as well. The margoyle, Slissh-Ikil, has contacts with other margoyles and many evil creatures up and down the length of the chasm. This evil monster also keeps many important personages in the underworld informed on the comings and goings of travelers through this area. The derro and duergar both have contacts with others of their ilk in the immediate area. The toll-collecting duergar could be skimming money off the top of the revenues, while Haltik Wrath’s agreement with the margoyles could become a major problem for Mistle and the chasm bridge guards. Finally, a coalition of underground merchants and citizens may become fed up with paying the toll and hire the PCs to do away with Mistle and his crew. If successful, the PCs will then have to contend with the margoyles in order to prevent the monsters from taking over the newly liberated bridge for their own purposes. H Special Edition

The Black Pegasus Trading Co. by David Montgomery and Jim Milner Artwork by Paul Jaquays Cartography by Steve Beck 48 NOVEMBER 1993

As DMs and players, we were tremendously excited about the SPELLJAMMER® campaign setting from the moment we discovered it. We bought all the books, compendiums, and accessories and loved it even more. The problem was that we did not want to give up our land-based adventures and start all over, and most methods of discovering Arcane Space made us choose one over the other. We needed integration. The Black Pegasus Trading Company is a secret society of spelljamming merchants living on an otherwise standard campaign world. Basically neutral in alignment, the characters of the company allow the DM the option to use them in any manner, as appropriate to circumstances and PC alignments. These characters serve equally well as nemeses, allies, or merely as catalysts for further adventures. Note: Because we love the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting, we set our version of the company on that world, Oerth. However, in the event that a DM prefers a different campaign world, the names can be changed with ease. For those using the GREYHAWK world, we provide links to the latest events occurring there. Overview At a glance, the concept of spelljamming seem's quite foreign to the typical dungeon delver, and rightly so. But, it can expand the campaign and the characters to their outer limits. Adding the SPELLJAMMER campaign to your own world is a natural progression for high-level characters. The problem lies in integrating the two disparate settings into a manageable campaign for the DM. By gradually introducing spelljamming vessels masquerading as typical merchantmen galleons, the DM can control the flow of information to the player characters, allowing them to “discover” what is going on in their campaign on their own. Setting If a person traveled three degrees North of East from the mouth of the Trask River (in what was the Great Kingdom) for a distance of 630 miles, she would discover an island. This island is completely ringed by imposing cliffs. Rising nearly vertical, these cliffs range in height from 450’- 1,375’ high. Seen from above, the shape of the island appears as two linked ovals of unequal size. This island was created by the merging of undersea volcanoes that underwent a period of extensive seismic activity ages ago. When seismic activity ended and the volcanoes collapsed, they left behind a ring of jagged peaks and two deep valleys. Time and weather served to fill the valleys with substantial quantities of rain, thereby creating two extremely deep lakes. Deep subterranean tunnels, left by the volcanoes, allowed water and sealife to enter the lakes, resulting in slightly brackish water. Although favored by generally mild and overcast weather, the island is in a region of treacherous currents and sudden hurricanes. This, combined with the sheer walls and low cloud-cover, makes the island quite difficult to locate, much less explore. This island on Oerth has been the home to occasional bands of spelljammers during the last few centuries. While it has no official name, its current denizens refer to the island as Balboa. The company forcibly took possession of the island four years ago by annihilating the Balboa Brothers Bazaar in a massive battle using aerial assaults, magical hurricanes, and treachery. They have held it ever since. Characters The Black Pegasus Trading Company is controlled by a close-knit group of four adventurers, known as “the board of directors.” These four individuals have been friends and business associates for several years. They occasionally adventured together prior to deciding to go into business as partners. Erthoron, an elven mage/thief, and Re’lumph “Lumpy” Garlock, a hairfoot halfling thief founded this organization with just two spelljamming galleons, and were quite successful. Rounding out the board are the Peldebrocks, a married human couple. Belthalion is a powerful wizardess, while her husband, Valgulman, is a dual-classed fighter/mage. The Peldebrocks managed to commandeer a squidship, and became buccaneers and mercenaries. When Lumpy and Erthoron heard what their old companions, the Peldebrocks, were doing, they decided to investigate. Soon, they got together for a few mutually successful joint missions. One stormy night in Rel Mord they decided to join forces. Between Re’lumph’s business sense and the military genius of the Peldebrocks, the company grew by leaps and boarding parties. No member of the board or any member of the crew is evil; most are true neutral or a variation. The board’s motivation stems from self-interest; they have a genuine desire to have it all. They are not simply greedy, but are driven to attain power and influence also. Not immoral, but simply amoral, they care for themselves, their crew, and little else. In a battle where sides must be chosen, they choose good; not because of altruism, but because good is more expedient and better for commerce in the long run. If taking sides can be avoided, they willingly serve all factions while never betraying any to the opposition. Honor is not unknown, but it is a code defined by each individual. In fact, the Peldebrocks honor to the death any commitment made by either of them. Lumpy and Erthoron are a little more flexible on that issue, but between them, they wring every copper piece from any deal, and ensure there are no loopholes, unless they are in the company’s favor. Seldom do any of the board appear in public undisguised. Only if the problem demands personal handling will they go in person, and never more than two members are together in an unsecured position. In the current suspicious environment in the Flanaess, such caution is not unwarranted. Re’lumph “Lumpy” Garlock (halfling): AC -1; MV 9; T15; hp 75; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; S 14, I 16, W 12, D 18, C 17, Ch 18; ML 17; AL N; leather armor +5, ring of elemental command-air; wand of secret door & trap location, 4 packets of dust of disappearance, dagger +2, Longtooth. Re’lumph looks quite the dandy, dressed in silks and other finery. His long, auburn hair is always in the latest style, and often topped by a colorful, plumed hat. His eyes are dark brown, yet they twinkle with mischief and merriment. Only 3’ 1” tall, he has the affectation of wearing heeled boots at formal occasions, lifting him to a lofty 3’ 4”. Lumpy grew up as the rebellious second son of wealthy merchants, and even though he hated his family’s business, he inherited the gift of good business sense. After achieving success as a thief, he went into Wildspace and wasted no time setting up a front operation as a merchant. Over the years, he and Erthoron pulled off a great number of heists and scams. He takes great pride in the inventory of rare and powerful magical items stored in the vault on the hammership. Lumpy is a business genius, and a master of turning a profit, illicit or legitimate. He plays a crucial role in the planning of both heists and trading missions. There are more of the latter, as they return a slightly lower profit but at a much reduced risk of loss. Generally, Re’lumph serves as the voice of the company and the chief negotiator when dealing with powerful contacts or business associates. If there were an actual head of the company it would be Re’lumph, but he declines that title, since he desires the full cooperation he receives from his colleagues. Erthoron Erskine (elf): AC 3; MV 12; M11/T12; hp 47; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; S 9, I 18, W 15, D 16, C 14, Ch 11; ML 17; AL N; Spells: 4/4/4/3/3; robe of the archmagi (gray), ring of spell storing, wand of lightning, hat of disguise, dagger +3. Erthoron is tall for an elf at 5’ 5”) with a very pale complexion, deep green eyes, and hair black as night. His taste in clothing runs to dark colors and the finest fabrics, and he always wears a voluminous black cloak. He was once mistaken for a vampire on a darkened street in the City of Greyhawk. Erthoron at one time held the rank of Ship’s Wizard First Class in the Elven Armada. He soon became disillusioned, however. One day as he searched Lumpy’s ship, he took a bribe and overlooked the contraband he found there. Shortly thereafter, he resigned and joined the halfling and his fledgling business. Rarely smiling or speaking, he is known for his refusal to drink alcohol and his keen intellect. Thanks to his military training, Erthoron has excellent piloting and combat skills with spelljamming vessels. DRAGON 49

Thievery remains his passion, though. Erthoron plays the most roles of any board member. He serves as chief astrogator and helmsman, and assists in the training of the company mages when necessary. Like Lumpy, he engineers many of the heists. Often the two perform both the planning and execution as a team. Belthalion Peldebrock (human): AC 1; MV 12; M 14; hp 52; THAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg 5-8; S 10; I 18, W 14, D 16, C 16, Ch 15; ML 17; AL LN; Spells: 6/6/6/5/5/3/2; staff of the magi, cloak of protection +5, ring of wizardry (doubles third-level spells), dagger of throwing +4. Belthalion is an Invoker specialist mage, and her bonus invocation/evocation spells are included in the list above. The extra spells she receives from ring of wizardry are not included. A very attractive woman, Belthalion stands 5’ 10” tall, with red hair and green eyes. However, she cares only for those close to her, and is indifferent to others. She has written a number of virulent variations to more common spells, and achieved fame by inventing new and interesting uses for spells. Specializing in all forms of fire-based spells, she especially enjoys ship-to-ship combat. One of her aliases is “Torch.” She is logical and calculating. Beltbalion’s role in the company includes control of all magical resources. She coordinates all magical battle plans and is a rigid taskmaster in the training of all her combat mages. For the business efforts, she provides legal counsel, since she knows most laws and statutes of the Flanaess, and her magical skills assist her in obtaining the truth from contacts. Valgulman Peldebrock(human): AC 0; MV 12; F7/M9; hp 85; THAC0 14; #AT 3/ 2; Dmg by weapon plus strength bonus; S 18/77 (+2/+4), I 17, W 11, D 16, C 17, Ch 16; ML 17; AL LN; Spells: 4/3/3/2/1; bracers AC 2, +5 defender bastard sword, axe of hurling +3, ring of human influence, decanter of endless water, wand of polymorphing. Valgulman is a great bear of a man standing 6’ 4” tall with a huge mane of blond hair and a long beard, both worn in braids. He appears to be a typical barbarian, and commonly takes advantage of that stereotype, since few guess he is a mage. He is known for his meticulous attention to detail. Valgulman is the military genius of the group, both when airborne and on the surface (land or sea). Valgulman makes complete battle plans for all scenarios the company undertakes. While he can’t personally control every unit, he uses rigorous training to mold the units into an effective force. Valgulman also makes use of the company’s many contacts around the Flanaess to gather information, military or mercantile, that the company can use to its advantage. The remainder of the company, known simply as “the crew,” is an assortment of humans, elves, and halflings. There are 50 NOVEMBER 1993 exceptions, such as a small company of giff warriors, a half-dozen advanced lizard men, and a spacesea giant serving as head construction engineer. One of the lizard men is a thief named Rhumbonihaz. He is worthy of mention, since he regularly accompanies one of the trading parties, posing as a “normal” lizard man fighter named Drooler. Many mistake him for a simple bodyguard. This enables him to be a superb spy, since people underestimate him. “Drooler” behaves impolitely, grunts and slurs when speaking, and has an annoying habit of mindlessly gazing at people who are talking, while drops of spittle dribble off his chin. Rhumbonihaz/Drooler (advanced lizard man): AC 5; MV 6; SW 12; T6; hp 38; THAC0 18, #AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-6 or by weapon (backstab × 3); S 17 ( +1/ +1), I 13, W 10, D 17, C 16, Ch 06; ML 15; AL LN; PP 35%, OL 65%, FT 45%, MS 75%, HS 50%, DN 30%, CW 95%; shadowcloak (additional 25% to HS%), long sword +2, helm of comprehending languages and reading magic. Rhumbonihaz is one of Valgulman’s henchmen and is unfailingly loyal to him. While not a leader yet, he is one of the most trusted individuals in the lower ranks of the company. Rhumbonihaz likely will achieve the rank of leader by the time he reaches 8th level. When assigned to especially important missions, Rhumbonihaz borrows powerful magical items from the company’s inventory, tailored to his needs. On occasion he has had in his possession a ring of elemental command-air, and a fates card (from a deck of many things). He is one of Valgulman’s most capable agents. Another notable company member is Feldspar Meldmud, the spacesea giant responsible for the design and construction of the company’s facilities on Balboa Island as well as general maintenance of the company’s spelljamming fleet. Feldspar Meldmud (spacesea giant): AC 0; MV 12; HD 14 + 1d4; hp 98; THAC0 7; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon (2-12 + 8); SA hurling rocks for 3-30, spells; SD spells; ML 17; AL N; MC 7; ring of elemental command-earth, stone club +3. As an elder giant with spell-casting ability, Feldspar has the following special abilities: stone shape, stone tell and transmute rock to mud all once per day at 5th level of ability, and has also spell-casting abilities of a 3rd-level wizard (2/1). His most common spell choices are phantasmal force, shocking grasp, and invisibility. The board-members’ personal henchmen, a loyal and capable lot, provide leadership for the crew. The numbers and details of the crew are left to each DM to determine. The company aims to establish a secure headquarters facility on Balboa. At this time, the shipyards and repair docks are completed, as are two large warehouses and assorted housing. A large area has Isle of Balboa been cleared to act as a landing field to the west of what will become a company town. Presently, this town consists of laidout roadways and building lots, except for those buildings already mentioned, and a public house, “The Silver Lining.” The giant, Feldspar Meldmud, faces the task of creating an underground stronghold. This stronghold will be large enough to hold the living quarters of the board, the company vaults, some council chambers, and the control center where all company operations can be monitored. It is being designed to survive an attack similar to the one that turned the island over to the company. Only a minimal amount of construction has occurred on the stronghold thus far. Feldspar is out on a special mission, recruiting miners and stonemasons from various communities to aid in this project. The plans include the possibility of a special chamber, extending into the depths of the landing lake, roofed with transparent crystal. The agricultural fields cultivated by the previous denizens now produce small amounts of food and trade crops (such as pipeweed). The company also plans a smoke-powder factory here. Among the minor holdings of the company, there exists various warehouses and trade offices in the free city of Greyhawk, Rel Mord in Nyrond, Bastro in the Hold of Stonefist, Zeif in the Sultanate of Zeif, Monmurg in the Hold of the Sea Princes, and in the free city of Rel Astra. The company also owns several smaller businesses of all types across the Flanaess. Each DM can add pre-existing enterprises from her own campaign to the company’s empire. Vessels The company owns a small armada of spelljamming craft. Currently its fleet consists of one hammership (in orbit), two viperships (docked at Balboa), five galleons (two docked, three deployed), three blades (in orbit), and two wreckboats (one docked and one in orbit). Two more viperships and a wreckboat are under construction, but are not yet near completion. The galleons bear minor helms, while all other ships sport major helms. All galleons deployed by the company carry various sets of registration documents and trade agreements, allowing them to operate legally in most waters and ports on Oerth. Each ship is equipped with a mirror of mental prowess somewhere in the officers’ quarters. These mirrors act as a means of transportation between ships, and the scrying function comes in handy too. The only ships without such a device will be those newly acquired or those considered disposable. In the event of a ship’s loss, destruction (or removal) of these mirrors is part of the scuttling routine. There is also a mirror on Balboa. The hammership serves as a mothership and a main battle platform. The company keeps it in stationary orbit above Balboa at an altitude of 15 miles. Viperships are the favored vessels in Wildspace and in com-

bat. The blades accompany the hammership, functioning as tugs or escorts. Finally, the wreckboats see use as small freighters or inland scouting vessels. The company sails into foreign ports to trade in their converted galleons, flying away when out of sight. Currently, the three deployed galleons reside in harbor in the Sultanate of Zeif, Glot of the Ice Barbarians, and in the Hold of the Sea Princes. The team in Zeif is trading a load of rare wood from the Olman Islands for gems. In Glot, the company carries on routine trading for cured meats to sell to the starving masses of the central Flanaess. The other crew covertly spies on the Scarlet Brotherhood’s organization in Monmurg, seeking a likely point of infiltration (more on the company’s relationship with the Brotherhood later). Rhumbonihaz accompanies the group in Monmurg. Operations The company’s primary objective is to maintain the company and see it grow. If necessary, however, they always choose to lose holdings before personnel, since they value trusted crew members far more than material possessions. Items can be replaced, but the loss of loyal and talented employees leaves gaps that are not so easily filled. Whenever possible, the company maintains maximum profit margins through the use of spelljamming, their competitive edge. The only drawback to this operation is the necessity for absolute secrecy, both of the spelljamming capabilities and of the location of their base, since any knowledge revealed is an advantage lost. This need for secrecy is linked not only to their profits, but to their general principles of neutrality, and the belief that if spelljammer technology were to fall into the wrong hands, balance would be lost. Taking advantage of the speed of spelljamming vessels, the company ships fly almost directly into the port, within no more than two days sailing distance, even less if weather conditions grant cover for their arrival. This allows them to get their goods to favorable markets well before their land-borne competition. By docking in Rel Mord and getting a steal on a common product, then five days later trading it for the finest silks in the Sultanate of Zeif, they profit heavily. During the recent wars in the Flanaess, the company responded to needs in Nyrond, Iuz, the Great Kingdom, and the Hold of the Sea Princes, all on the same day! In a few battles, members of the company actually provided supplies to all sides. The mirrors of mental prowess carried on each ship allow the company teams to relay critical information, such as pricing and demand. While the company avoided price gouging during the wars, they did make healthy profits, and the company earned a few favors from some of the most powerful leaders of the Flanaess. Occasionally, the company attacks unescorted merchant ships of the Scarlet Brotherhood, since this group’s tendency toward commercial espionage has impinged on the company’s profits more than once in the past. This raiding increases the company’s fleet while simultaneously reducing competition. This only occurs when there is virtually no chance of discovery. For more on this, see the “Scenarios” section below. While almost any profitable venture interests the company, they specifically target certain enterprises that promise stable, long-term returns. So far, their only ongoing trade missions are supplying weaponry to Sunndi, and importing Ullish war horses to Nyrond. Before the fall of Onnwal, the company also supplied the army there. Now, however, Sunndi takes the majority of all weapons and armor that the company handles, providing fine gems and the purest platinum in return. While the Peldebrocks maintain a dwarven-run smithy in Irongate, the company deems the situation there too risky to attempt any imports. A caravan line in Ull transports war horses and assorted exotic items to the harbor at Zeif, where galleons wait to ship them to Nyrond (and, occasionally, the City of Greyhawk). As outraDRAGON 51

geous as the prices for the horses are, the company easily comes out ahead by dealing with nobles and adventurers desperate to purchase superior mounts before hostilities begin anew. In addition to huge advantages when dealing with the planetary economy, there also are the off-planet and out-of-sphere markets where, for example, bat guano might command a king’s ransom. The number one rule of mercantilism is “one man’s garbage is another’s gold.” Asteroid strongholds in Greyspace provide great quantities of the high-quality weaponry and armor that is so scarce in the post-war central Flanaess. In the future, the company plans to funnel all weapons profits into smoke-powder production, which in turn will bring an excellent return from associates in Realmspace. Finally, for clients with extremely deep pockets, the company offers the services of off-world mercenaries. These troops could be an elite giff squad (although they would sorely miss their smoke powder), mind flayers with heavy weaponry, or even gnome cavalry mounted on carnivorous giant space hamsters. 52 NOVEMBER 1993 This section provides one dozen scenarios that DMs may use to develop adventures involving the company. Feel free to add, change, or ignore these ideas as appropriate to each campaign. Scenarios 1. Hijacked The characters took passage on a merchant ship from Rel Astra, bound for Ratik (or other suitable locales). On the second day of the journey, a sudden squall hits the ship. Lightning bolts strike all the masts, yet no one is seriously injured. The captain commands that all hands abandon ship and row for the coastline. The storm and the lightning were actually magical attacks against the ship by members of the company. They need another ship, and intend to salvage this one. If the characters insist on trying to save the ship, they will come into conflict with the company recovery team. Also, if they delay heading for land while in the lifeboat, the party may spot two viperships and a wreckboat descending from the clouds. 2. Murder The PCs witness a pair of thieves backstab a sailor and drag him into an alley to rob him. If the characters rush to his aid, they scare away the thieves, only to discover that the sailor is already dead and the thieves escaped with his purse. He was a crew member of the company. The party will find favor with the company if the PCs try to locate the slain sailor’s ship. If the PCs do not pursue the thieves or don’t attempt to find the sailor’s ship, other witnesses will place them at the scene of the crime. The party must now deal with the local law, and the rest of the ship’s crew, who could seek revenge. 3. Reconnaissance The characters catch Rhumbonihaz escaping down a rope from the roof of a nobleman’s house. He broke in to obtain some important trade papers for the company (including lists of prices, sources of “discount” merchandise, buyers of expensive specialty items, officials and guards that can be bought, and assorted blackmail information). Having found what he sought, he is returning to his ship. The characters may detain him, follow him, ignore him, or even attempt to slay him. If skillfully followed, Rhumbonihaz leads them to a company officer who may be willing to negotiate to maintain secrecy. If the party steals the papers, they either can use the information to further their own ends, or sell it to other merchants or to the company. The company will respond to their actions as appropriate. 4. Stowaways The characters need to get out of town fast and stow away on a galleon operated by the company. It completed its mission and is returning to Balboa with a cargo of

7. Discovery While adventuring high in the mountains, the characters sight a galleon in a small alpine lake. Closer inspection reveals a group of merchants accompanied by a giant, trading with a settlement of dwarves. The company may not take kindly to being discovered where no sailor has gone before. One Raliman Erleden approaches the party in a River Quarter inn in the City of Greyhawk and convinces them to infiltrate a rival merchant organization. He is actually Ulrik Nessarien, a prominent member of the Scarlet Brotherhood, and is trying to discover information about the company. Concerned because the company appears to be unduly successful, he intends to use any intelligence for the Brotherhood’s gain. Raliman arranges for the party to serve as mercenaries on a company galleon, so they can spy on the crew and their trading missions. Unknown to all, however, the ship is sailing on a daring raid deep into the domain of Iuz. The company expects hostilities, so the galleon carries many warriors and spell-casters, but few trade goods, The objective of the expedition is to meet with a small group of company “specialists” involved in a major heist, in order to transport the goods to a safe harbor. In the early stages, the mis8. Infiltration Aboard ship on a clear midnight watch, one of the characters spots what appears to be a sailing ship silhouetted against the moon. None believe his tale. The next day, a heavily loaded galleon that the party’s much faster caravel left behind days ago comes into view, stolidly plowing through the rough seas ahead. The galleon, of course, belongs to the company. 6. Phantom ship The company is on a recruiting drive. They are looking for a few hardy people to strengthen their caravans between Ull and Zeif, so PCs can sign up for mercenary duties. Company representatives require a few wizards and several fighter types. The company is developing a large market for Ullish war horses. Characters can expect to encounter harsh desert life and raids by nomadic bandits and rival trade organizations. Surviving members of a successful caravan troupe may have the opportunity to become full crew members. New members of the crew face intense scrutiny and testing before they learn the secrets of the company. Spellcasters go through even more examinations, but are in much higher demand, and can advance through the ranks quickly. 5. Recruited foodstuffs. The crew discovers the stowaways while the galleon is airborne. Resolving this scenario depends on the PCs’ actions and the players’ role-playing skill. (Imagine walking the plank at 30,000 feet.) 54 NOVEMBER 1993 sion seems a routine run on the Nyr Dyv, but days later the PCs awaken on a disguised ship heading up the Ritensa river. In the middle of the night, at a spot in the river close to Molag, they rendezvous with a wreckboat and relieve it of its extremely bulky and heavy cargo. The characters are there as hired muscle, both as cargo handlers and as combatants, and will not be learn any company secrets unless the mission faces imminent danger of failure. However, if the situation calls for extreme measures, the crew will fly the galleon to safety. If the characters gain any information, they must decide whether to report back to Raliman, ally with the company, or apply the intelligence for personal gain. Additionally, the company knows who employed the characters (as Raliman, not as Ulrik) and suspects possible ties to the Scarlet Brotherhood. The crew will act in accordance to the characters’ actions either by feeding misinformation or investigating the PCs for possible employment as crew members (and double agents to a suspected Scarlet Brotherhood agent). 9. Rescued The characters’ ship drifts into a whirlpool (or falls prey to sea serpents, etc.) far from shore. Suddenly, an amazing flying ship descends from the clouds and offers rescue. The price is the ship the PCs ride on for the lives of everyone aboard. If the ship’s crew and the PCs agree to this, the flying galleon frees their ship and tows it to a deserted island located along a major shipping lane. There, the company ship’s crew takes possession of the ship and makes each survivor swear secrecy on how they came to reach the island, leaving the party to await rescue. Deep in a dungeon, the characters discover a strange, shallow pool. Ten feet deep and 15’ across, the pool is fed by a gushing font a mere 20’ away, yet the pool never overflows. The pool hides a spatial warp at its bottom that leads to the floor of the landing lake on Balboa, approximately 150’ below the surface there. The company will not appreciate intruders popping up in the middle of their secret base. However, if this is handled diplomatically, the group may be allowed to join the company or make an alliance under a vow of secrecy. 10. Space warp 11. Recovery The company lost a team of 12 when Iuz took Admundfort. Valgulman’s informants tell him only five members of the team remain alive. The company approaches the PCs to undertake a mission to rescue the missing crew members. The company prefers to use outsiders for rescue attempts, knowing that if the attempt is unsuccessful, the company has not lost additional employees. A possibility exists for further adventures dealing with joinThis group provides many options for enterprising DMs. The Black Pegasus Trading Company can act as antagonist, protagonist, catalyst, or merely an evening’s adventurous diversion. There also are many other ways in which the addition of spelljamming vessels can spice up a campaign. For example, a spelljamming ship would be the perfect vessel for a group bent on purging the world of evil dragons; after all, why should dragons hold the upper hand due to an ability to fly? Imagine the havoc a mercenary company could wreak when capable of striking without warning at the very heart of an enemy stronghold. How about a small ship of thieves, heisting their way across the world in the best getaway vehicle ever designed? Even the scholarly could benefit from easy access to remote and seemingly inaccessible locales, where important discoveries await. Or, a madcap group of treasure-hunting characters could scour a planet for dungeons to delve and princesses to rescue. The possibilities are as limitless as the number of crystal spheres in the phlogiston. Good sailing! Conclusion The company crash-landed a ship full of treasure in a shallow lagoon. The PCs discover the wreckage and try to salvage it, but the company has no intention of letting them get away with it. They discover the characters before salvaging can begin, and attack with a vipership and a wreckboat. Characters can stand and fight, retreat, or attempt to negotiate. While combat likely won’t favor the party, a spirited defense could lead to a truce while the board of directors considers how to deal with their formidable opponents. After all, as businessmen they must consider their profit/loss ratio. Survivors of such a scenario might emerge with lucrative trade agreements. 12. Salvage ing the company or the vengeance of Iuz.

Great Stoney Build your own cardboard castle A grand tour by Arthur Collins The original name of this awesome structure was The High Keep of the Grand Chapter of the Order of St. Raphael. Since that was a little too elaborate for everyday use, the castle became known as Great Stoney. It is a fortified monastery, such as might be maintained by a band of ecclesiastical knights or an abbot who is also a temporal lord. While not a large castle in terms of area covered, it is quite tall and very well built, easily capable of housing a great number of folk of all degrees. The main chapel has a seating capacity of about 330, taking the balcony into consideration. Great Stoney was designed to provide maximum security for its inhabitants without having to depend upon any natural defenses of the terrain. It is assumed that Great Stoney sits upon open meadowlands, surrounded by the fields that feed the monastic community. The surrounding area has no hills, cliffs, lakes, or other outstanding features to enhance the defendability of the castle. Therefore, it was built as concentric rings of stone, each part’s defense easily supplemented by others, affording easy and rapid communication of forces within its perimeter. The castle as seen from the rear. The most prominent features in the foreground are the postern gate along the outer wall and the chapel with its sharply angled timber roof and stained-glass windows. This view of Great Stoney shows the main gate in profile, with the drawbridge lowered to an almost-horizontal position. The tall rectangular structure in the center is the great hall and cloister. The great central tower rises eight stories (from the basement through the seventh story), with a watchtower going three stories higher. Supporting the central tower are four more towers, each five stories tall, grouped about the center in cloverleaf fashion. Giving further support to this huge volume of outward-pressing stone are eight two-story walls radiating out to the outer wall towers. Various other structures complete the complex. Outer defenses: The outer walls of Great Stoney are very strong. They average about 10 feet in width, and rise two stories to the height of the walk-wall, with crenellated battlements. The outer wall towers are three stories high, crowned with conical timber roofs. The main entry to the castle is through a barbican. A barred double door and portcullis form the outer gate, and between them is a small space covered by a murder hole above. If intruders breach the outer gate and get into the barbican, they can be fired upon from the outer gate wall and the three towers surrounding the entry area. Exit from the barbican into the central bailey is by way of two normal-sized doors between the three gate towers. A wellguarded postern gate is at the other end of the complex. Foundation level: Supporting such a rockpile as Great Stoney requires massive foundations. Here in the bowels of the castle are the places where food and arms are stored, meat smoked, wine and ale made, and (yes, even here) criminals confined. In three of the towers, the foundation walls have been hollowed out to make extra storage hatches a few feet high. Down here is also the crypt and its chapel, behind a wrought-iron gate. Corridors leading away from the crypt chapel traverse the foundation. Dead brothers are buried here by prying stones out of the floors and walls, then sealing up the bodies behind cenotaphs. Basement level: Here on the main (first) level are the great public rooms of the complex — the kitchen, great hall, grand gallery, infirmary, sacristy, chapel, and chapter Complete instructions and floor plans inside D RAGON 41

house. There is also a lavabo, or bath area, where water from the cisterns can be run into a large pool for bathing. Garderobes (medieval toilets) and middens (cesspits) are everywhere throughout the complex. The middens have to be cleaned out every so often, and this is the single most obnoxious job of castle life. The chapter house is a small chamber where senior members of the order gather for business meetings. The main chapel is the great worship area for the whole community. The altar has a hidden safe built into its back. Great windows are set into the exterior walls of the chapel. Font, pulpit, and chairs for the presiding officers are in the front. Seating is augmented by a balcony in the rear of the chamber. Certain other conveniences are built into the complex, such as a dumbwaiter from the kitchen to the upper levels. Unlike many castles, this one has plenty of fireplaces. Altogether, it is a very comfortable place. First and second stories: These tower rooms and the wing containing the great hall serve to house the cloister for junior brothers, the better living quarters, classrooms, guestrooms for hospitality (a medieval duty), a laboratory, and a library. The main business of the community is carried on in these areas. Third and fourth stories: On these floors are the living and working quarters of the officers of the community, the treasury, the meditation chapel, and so forth. Large window seats set in the tower walls are found throughout. A great solar (sunroom) with balconies is a major feature, Upper levels: The open areas around the edges of the conical roofs atop the cloverleaf towers are used for various purposes: a carpenter’s shop, a greenhouse, a smithy, The closeup view at right shows the large central tower and two of the four towers that surround it. Atop flagpoles made from straight pins, pennants add a touch of color to the massive stone and wood structure. The detail photo below and to the right shows the drawbridge, made more realistic-looking by attaching it to the gate with short pieces of small chain. and an exercise area. The great central tower continues on up, giving further living and working space. On the very top of the central tower, beside its conical timber roof and close to the base of the watchtower, is a storage shed where astronomical equipment is kept. Conclusion: It is perhaps no coincidence that Great Stoney resembles something like a beehive, for it is a tightly organized, packed community of very busy people. Well designed for defense, it nevertheless has many features for recreation and worship that one would not find in a secular lord’s castle. From concept to cardboard The cardboard version of Great Stoney that you can construct from the parts in this magazine is not identical to the castle that’s depicted in the accompanying floor plans. Rather than being a disadvantage or a weakness, that fact is an indication of how the creation process differs depending on how many dimensions you’re working in. When Arthur Collins drew up his original floor plans for Great Stoney, he based the two-dimensional construction on his extensive knowledge of how a castle is laid out and built. When Arthur’s floor plans were rendered in pen and ink for publication, we adhered to the design in that form. But when Dennis Kauth turned Great Stoney into a cardboard sculpture, he deemed it necessary to change some design elements. Certain things that “work” in a drawing on graph paper weren’t feasible or even possible to translate into parts that would fit together properly and could be squeezed onto four sheets of cardboard. 42 J UNE 1984 For instance, the walls of the cylindrical towers are thick in the drawings, but in cardboard they’re only as thick as the cardboard itself. It would have been possible to construct thick-walled towers in cardboard by nesting one cylinder inside another, but that would have taken more space on the sheets than we had available — and it would have meant twice as many crenellations for you to cut out. Arthur’s design included flying buttresses that extended from the cloverleaf section down to the outer towers. In an actual stone construction, the buttresses would be essential to keep the massive center section from collapsing outward under its own weight. In cardboard, the parts would have been difficult to form and assemble; they would serve no structural purpose, since the center towers stand up quite well all by themselves; and again, there was the problem of space on the sheets. So . . . no flying buttresses (unless you make your own). The roofs of the four cloverleaf towers were designed as flat surfaces, but Dennis supplied conical timber roofs for them similar to the ones on the outer towers and the center tower. One of the main reasons for this was aesthetic — “to give it a little color,” in Dennis’s words. If you want those towers to have flat timber roofs, leave off the timber cones and use markers or brown paper to color in the center of each roof section so that it looks like a flat timber surface instead. Despite the minor differences between them, the floor plans and the cardboard structure can be used in conjunction with each other as a gaming aid, to help monitor the location of people and objects within the complex. In most cases where the floor plans and the sculpture are in conflict over a specific point, the floor plans should be considered the final authority — unless, of course, you have a reason for deciding in favor of the opposite viewpoint.

How it all goes together I. THE BASICS In addition to this copy of DRAGON® Magazine, you’ll need: A 12-inch ruler or straightedge, preferably metal. A pair of sharp, pointed scissors, not too big (so you can wield them easily). A modeling knife with a sharp blade. A tube or bottle of high-quality glue for paper. A ball-point pen (one without ink is okay) or some other object to be used as a stylus for scoring along fold lines. Paper clips, spring-type clothespins, or similar items that can be used to hold parts together while the glue dries. A few straight pins. 1. Separate the two large sheets of cardboard from the center of the magazine. The best way to do this without damaging the paper is to pry up the ends of the staples, lift out the sheets, and then push the staples back down to hold the rest of the pages together. 2. Cut the pages apart into smaller sections for easier handling. Cut out the base first; this is the part that will hold all of the others, except for the small outbuildings (which have their own small bases). 3. Cut out the individual parts of the castle, one at a time as needed; notice that parts and groups of parts are numbered in the order of assembly. If you have a steady hand, you can use scissors for most of the long and straight edges. To cut out small detailed areas, such as the crenellations on the tops of the walls, a modeling knife and a straightedge to guide it are the best tools for true and accurate cuts. 4. Using the stylus and straightedge, score each part along the black lines to make folding easier. (The black lines are only printed on the colored surface, but if you score the parts on that surface the colors might “break up.” It’s safest to do the scoring on the non-printed side, as long as you line up the straightedge carefully before scoring each line.) 5. Fold each part so that it forms the three-dimensional shape it’s supposed to, then apply glue to the surfaces that will touch (only one surface, or both, depending on the kind of glue you use) so the part will stay in that shape. Refer to the schematic drawings to see how certain types of parts are constructed. If you’re using a fastsetting glue, be sure the parts are aligned properly the first time you touch the connecting surfaces. If you’re using a slowsetting glue, you may find it handy to clamp surfaces together with paper clips or clothespins until the glue dries. 6. Attach each part in its proper place, either on the base or on another part. Put down the center tower first, then the “cloverleaf” towers around it, then the great hall (location #3), then the chapel (#4) and so on, working your way toward the perimeter of the castle. Attach small parts as you go along to avoid being hemmed in later by other parts; for instance, put the doors on the great hall before gluing down the two walls that run parallel to the hall. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Doors: Many of the doors of Great Stoney are designed to be shown in the opened position. Each of the open-door pieces is actually half of a door. As you cut each one out, fold it in half and glue it to make a piece that’s colored on both sides (see the amount diagram). Then, using a very small of glue, attach each half to the side of an open doorway. The door halves labeled 3 go at the and on the great base hall. of the central tower The door labeled 1 is for the doorway leading from the central tower to the roof of part #5. The doors labeled 9 go at the base of each of the outer wall towers. Outbuildings: Because a castle often had such things in its vicinity (and because we had a little extra room on the cardboard sheets), we’ve provided three outbuildings, each in one piece, that can be folded and attached to their own small bases and then displayed outside the castle walls in any location you choose. Balconies: The parts labeled B (on the sheet containing the base) are used to form the balconies that jut off the central tower along the tops of the cloverleaf towers. For added support and to be sure they’re aligned properly, it’s best to attach them after the cloverleaf towers are in place. Tower roofs: Most of the flat roof sections that fit inside the cylindrical tower pieces should be fixed to the insides of the cylinders so that each roof is about 1/16 inch below the battlement. Exceptions are the roofs on the cloverleaf towers, which fit somewhat lower inside the cylinders so they’ll be at the right height when the cloverleaf towers are fitted against and under the central tower. Whenever you’re not sure how two pieces are supposed to fit together, try them on for size before applying any glue. The conical timber roof on each tower is designed to fit over the uncolored area in the center of the flat roof piece — there is no need to cut out the uncolored sections, and the structure will be weakened if you do 44 JUNE 1984

so. Each of the timber roofs on the cloverleaf towers is marked with a small notch that must be cut out to make the roof fit snugly against the central tower. ADVANCED TIPS Anyone who’s experienced at scratchbuilding and detail work will think of several ways to make Great Stoney even more realistic-looking. Here are a few of the ideas we’ve thought of, including some things that were incorporated into the prototype model shown in the photographs. With a couple of pieces of small chain and four straight pins, you can build the drawbridge (door part #11) in a partly This photograph offers a good view of the main gate area. Three towers ring the main entrance, making it very difficult for hostile visitors to penetrate further into the castle grounds. opened position, as in the prototype. Cut the chain to fit, then “bolt” it to the door and the wall with straight pins, clipping off the shaft of the pin with pliers or scissors. Wherever straight pins are used in the construction, try to get the type with colored heads that will match the color of the part the pin is used with. The pennants fluttering from the higher towers are made by folding and gluing each paper pennant around a straight pin, then poking the pin through the black dot in each roof piece. To keep the pins at the proper heights, stick each one in the roof and fix it in place with a spot of glue before attaching the roof to the tower. For added realism and a custom touch, design your own pennants, and try cutting them out of cloth — but first, seal the cloth with liquid glue to keep the edges from fraying. By working very carefully, you can cut out any doors or windows you think should be opened; likewise for the portcullis gates along many of the walls. Simulate bars and latticework with thin wire attached to the inner surfaces of the wall or tower in question. As with many detailing projects, you should finish this work before proceeding with the construction of the part being detailed — for instance, it would be very tough to cut out the windows on the central tower after the central tower is attached to the base. The stable area offers several opportunities for detailing. You can build hitching posts from toothpicks, and feed troughs from cardboard or balsa. Use flocking material or fibers of twine, or check out the spice and herb rack in the kitchen, for something that looks like straw. Because the printed sheets are not colored on both sides, several uncolored areas will be visible on the finished product — particularly on the inside surfaces of walls and battlements. You can fix this by coloring those surfaces with a felt-tip marker in a shade of gray that will match the exterior. Markers will also be handy for covering up places on the exterior that get slightly damaged during construction. As suggested in the section on the stable area above, you can build new parts and accessories for anything you consider appropriate. For instance, the roof of the central tower could use a three-dimensional storage D RAGON 53

shed instead of the two-dimensional image shown on that surface. You could build sloping staircases from the walls to the tops of each of the outer towers. You may find good uses for small parts and bits of scenery from model railroad accessories. It is possible, but not recommended, to go so far as to cut out the arrow slits on the crenellations along the walls. Even if you can do this with precision, the hole that’s left behind will make a flimsy part even flimsier. With any extra cutting or detail work you attempt, be sure you aren’t losing more than you’re gaining because you’ve created a structural weakness in the process. When you’ve got Great Stoney looking the way you want it, spray the entire construction with a dull coat finish to give the castle an appropriate flat luster, add some strength, and cover up any glue spots that may have found their way onto the exterior surfaces. When you’re done, Great Stoney will be useful as a gaming accessory (if anyone in your campaign is lucky enough to encounter — or own — such a grand place) or a display piece, either as the focal point of a diorama or sitting on a shelf all by itself. Anyone with a fear of heights was probably not required to work a shift in the lookout tower, which extends three stories higher than the roof of the central tower and a dizzying 165 feet (at 15 feet per story) above ground level. Chapel construction; note piece that attaches to wall and roof 54 JUNE 1984 Typical wall piece; glue sides first, then top Where credit is due Original design and floor plans: Arthur Collins 3-D design and instructional drawings: Dennis Kauth Graphic rendering: Roger Raupp Everything Arthur didn’t write: Kim Mohan

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Scale: 1 square = 5 feet 56 JUNE 1984

CARDBOARD DRAGON (Draco Manipartus Temporaritus) FREQUENCY: Common, all of a sudden NO. APPEARING: One per magazine ARMOR CLASS: 15 (Be careful; it crunches easily) MOVE: Yes, in a slight breeze HIT DICE: 0 (for display, not combat) % IN LAIR: Depends on where you put it TREASURE TYPE: Nil (What do you want for free?) NO. OF ATTACKS: 0 (see Hit Dice) DAMAGE/ATTACK: You know... SPECIAL ATTACKS: Inspires envy in friends who don't have one SPECIAL DEFENSES: Must be cut and glued MAGIC RESISTANCE: Keep it away from fireballs INTELLIGENCE: It doesn't need any —you do ALIGNMENT: Fine, if you don't put the wings on upside down SIZE: What you see is what you get PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil (see Treasure Type) We’ve managed to subdue a cardboard dragon, and now we’d like you to have it. The only problem is that the poor thing seems to have gone all to pieces over the experience, so you’re going to have to put it back together. The three sheets of cardboard in the center of this magazine contain all the parts you need, and the instructions on this and the following three pages explain how everything fits together. We’ve also thrown in a few photographs of the assembled prototype that should help clear up any confusion that may remain after you’ve studied the sheets and the diagrams. Take it slowly, plan before you paste, and you should end up with a handsome piece of paper sculpture that you can display and even use for the playing out of an encounter. Cut the parts out of the sheets as you need them. A hobby knife and a straightedge will come in handy for making crisp, clean cuts on the straight lines (of which there aren’t too many). For the curved lines, a Design and artwork by Dennis Kauth sharp pair of scissors and a steady hand are the best tools. Use a type of glue, paste, or cement that works on paper without soaking through the paper, and be sure to apply it sparingly to all the surfaces that need to be joined to another surface. You may also use transparent tape for added strength on the inside of bonded surfaces that won’t be visible in the finished product. Included on the sheets are the parts for a base and a support post that you can use to make the dragon “fly.” You can also suspend it in mid-air by punching a couple of pinholes in the fins along its spine and stringing a couple of pieces of thread through the holes. Using the support post will enable you to easily adjust how high it’s flying, so that if you want to use the dragon as a “miniature” in conjunction with other figures during a game session you can raise or lower it to fit the circumstances of the encounter. Turn the page, read through all the instructions before starting, and enjoy! Photography by Keith Parkinson DRAGON 53

Recommended order of assembly: 1. Head (18) and tail (19) 2. Center body section (17) 3. Neck and tail sections (1-16) 4. Legs and claws (21-27) 5. Fins along spine (28-34), if desired 6. Wings (20) 7. Base and support post, if used Head and neck/tail segments Cut out the parts carefully, then score the dashed lines on the underside of each piece and fold along the dashed lines to form the headshape and the cylinders that make up the body. To keep the head together apply glue to the area containing the number and to the two small triangular areas on both sides of the snout. For the body segments, apply glue to the area containing the number and fasten that area to the underside of the opposite edge. Assemble the body parts one at a time as you need them, or come up with a way to organize them by number because they must be put together in the order they are numbered. Apply glue here Apply glue here Apply, glue here Apply glue here Center body section You must decide whether or not to use the support post before cutting out this piece. If you do not intend to use it, do not cut out the triangular areas on the sides, so that the part is shaped like a rectangle with two protrusions (which will form the ends of a closed cylinder when it is assembled). If you do intend to use it, cut out the piece along all of the solid lines and then also cut along the solid lines on the interior of the part. To form the closed cylinder, glue the tabs on the protrusions to the inside of the body one at a time, starting with the tabs nearest to the fold line. When this process is almost complete, apply glue to the flap along the edge of the body and tuck this in to finish off the cylinder. 54 SEPTEMBER 1986

Legs and claws The “legs” are not three-dimensional pieces, merely flat ovals that are glued together to form extensions off the body. See the “Neck and tail” diagram for where to place parts 21 and 24, which are the upperparts of the legs. Then attach other parts as shown in this diagram. The parts of each leg may be put together in any pose desired, and the legs can be finished off with either opened or closed claws (pick one section of part 27 as desired). Wings These are the largest and simplest parts to assemble. Score and fold along all the dashed lines, then bring the two opposite edges together to form a double-sided wing. Apply glue along the entire inside edge of one side and on the two end flaps, then press the wing together Neck and tail The dragon's neck and tail are made up of telescoping cylinders that will easily fit into each other — as long as parts 2 through 16 are assembled in the exact order shown in this diagram. The sections can be glued together in any pose desired; your dragon can be built with its head bent downward (instead of upward, as in our prototype) if you want to show him in a diving posture. The head and tail should be fastened to the body when all the sections have been put together. The fins along the dragon's spine (parts 28-34) can be used or left off, as desired. and put it under an object that will apply constant, even pressure to the edge until the glue dries. (Do not completely flatten the wing; the leading edge is supposed to have some thickness to it, and should not be flat like the trailing edge is.) When the body is completely assembled, glue the wings onto the two nonscaly areas on part 17. Apply glue here DRAGON 55

56 SEPTEMBER 1986 Base and support post Fold and glue both parts 36 to make a pair of long, thin square tubes. Construct part 37 in the same way, to make a shorter and slightly smaller tube, and then glue part 37 inside the ends of the other two parts to make one very long tube. Fold the flaps on the end of the long tube outward (as shown in the diagram) and fasten them to part 35 on the cross-shaped area. The support panels (part 38) are glued to parts 35 and 36 and to each other giving the entire assembly enough structural integrity to support the dragon. For extra strength and durability it would be a good idea to glue pieces of scrap cardboard to the underside of parts 35, 36, and 38 before assembling them. Be careful, though, that the extra thickness on part 36 doesn‘t prevent part 37 from sliding inside it when you form the long tube.

High Seas in 3-D. A special game accessory for your favorite role-playing game Design by Dennis Kauth When we were putting this issue of the magazine together, one of us recalled that Dennis Kauth, our special-effects man in the graphic arts department, had created a three-dimensional fold-up ship. Dennis quickly produced the ship, we took a look at it, and plans were immediately made to jam it into this issue along with the rest of our Maritime Adventures selections — yo, ho, ho. Then came the problem of putting it together. Now, the most experience that any of your editorial staff ever had with boating occurred when Robin Jenkins was fished out of the aquarium at Roy’s Bean-O-Rama in Riptide, IL. Roger Raupp claims to have once seen pictures of boats in a library book he dropped into a lawn mower, and Pat Price served on a pigboat when he was in the Milwaukee Navy, but his boat was lost when they drained the swamp. This left me — actually, Marilyn and myself; only Marilyn’s best with sheep imitations — and, with only four hours left until this issue went off to the printer, I took computer keyboard in hand and set about creating these instructions. Order of assembly Carefully cut out each piece of the ship as you need it. Cutting out the pieces too early often leads to confusion and misplacing needed parts (the parts themselves are not numbered). A hobby knife and a straightedge serve well for experienced hobbyists; otherwise, a sharp pair of scissors is suitable. White glue is best for attaching the parts together permanently; be careful not to overuse it. The arrows and dotted lines on the cut-out sheets indicate places which are folded, NOT cut. Carefully score along these lines with a knife without cutting through the paper. Step 1: The hull is assembled as shown, using parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Make sure that the colored part of 4 faces up, and those of parts 1-3 face out. Step 2: The stern assembly consists of parts 5 and 6. Note that the single door on 5 is in the hold when the model is assembled. Ensure that the tabs on 6 are attached to 5, the latter with colored side up, forming the quarter-deck floor. Step 3: The forecastle assembly consists of parts 8 and 9. As was done in step 2, ensure that 8 has its colored side up and forms a floor inside 9. Step 4 (not pictured): The rudder (7) is easily assembled. Test fit the finished rudder to the stern (along the white strip). Step 5: Fit the rudder (7), stern assembly (6), and forecastle (9) to the hull (1). A certain amount of “fudging” with the placement of these parts is allowed. It might be a good idea to set the stern assembly back far enough to make room for the main deck floor and superstructure, which will be attached later. Step 6: The superstructure/main deck assembly is a little difficult to manage, but a trial run is of great help (see the helpful hints below). Parts 15 and 16 essentially wrap around each other, with parts 13 and 14 forming cross-struts. Note that the notch in 13 was cut to allow part 17 (and the mast) to pass through it. Once the superstructure is finished, attach it to the BOTTOM of the main deck (12). If you’ve cut out the hole for the mast in 12 beforehand, fitting these parts together is much easier. Perform test fits (without glue) to section is properly done. The superstructure was made heavy on purpose, to hold up 25-mm lead miniatures. Step 7: The crow’s nest consists of parts 19 and 20. Make sure that the floor (19) has its colored side up, and that a hole is cut in it for the mast (I didn’t do this when I put my own ship together —talk about trouble). Step 8: Fold the mast (21) together and place the crow’s nest on it. You might want to consider fixing a yard arm to the mast at this point (see helpful hints, below). Step 9: The quarters (10), which fit on top of the quarter deck, are easily assembled (colored side out). Step 10: The stairs (11) are also easily assembled, unless you are like some of the game designers here who mistook this part for a nose warmer. Takes all kinds. Step 11: Fixing the stairs (11) to the quarters (10) is quite easy, too. Step 12 (not pictured): Glue the quarters (10) to the quarter deck. Also assemble the pilothouse (18) and fix it to the main deck (on the square drawn near the stern); keep the roof sloped forward so the doors in the back of the pilothouse face the stern. Step 13 (not pictured): Stop gluing things. The mast should be free to be removed from the ship (in case a dragon turtle takes a liking to it), and the main deck should also be freely removed. If using miniatures, action can be conducted simultaneously on main and hold decks. You are finished. So, what type of ship is this? Dennis said it was a carrack, but when I showed my finished ship to Roger, he said it was a caravel, which sounded like a candy bar, but I later looked it up and decided it was a cog. No matter. I’ve used ship models like this one for a number of AD&D® games, and they’ve performed beautifully. Nothing matches the thrill of watching your players’ faces when giant octopi mistake the ship for a huggable doll, or when the 172nd Sahuagin Marine Division climbs aboard in search of amusement. All you, as the Dungeon Master, need is a thinly veiled excuse to get everyone’s favorite character out for a short boating cruise, and — ZAMMO! It’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea time! Seriously, this does work well for adventures in many fantasy game systems. Enjoy. Helpful hints It is a good idea to photocopy the ship patterns and put a crude model of the ship together using tape before actually assembling the plans as they are. I did this and found that it cleared up a lot of misunderstandings about the assembly instructions, leading to a much-improved final model. When assembling your photocopied model, note which areas are not colored in (insides of the railings, railing around the main deck to port and starboard, etc.). These areas can then be colored in on the final ship pieces prior to assembly.

Parts list 1. Hull, starboard Hull, starboard side 8. Forecastle floor 15. Side/stern superstructure 2. Hull, port side 9. Forecastle railing 16. Side/how superstructure 3. Hull, stern 10. Quarters and poop deck 17. Mast foundation 4. Hold floor 11. Stairs to poop deck 18. Pilothouse 5. Hold cabin and quarter deck 12. Main deck 19. Crow’s nest floor 6. Stern railing 13. Bow bar, superstructure 20. Crow’s nest railing 7. Rudder 14. Stern bar, superstructure 21. Mast Dennis thoughtfully added a square grid sized for 25-mm figures over the upper and lower decks, as well as the quarter-deck, and poop deck. Each square is roughly 5’ across, sufficient for most movement and combat purposes. If you wish to add sails and rigging to the model, you would do well to consult the illustration of the cog on page 13 of this issue. The sail would be easy to add, requiring a yard arm of balsa wood or paper to hold it in place. String or thick thread will do as rigging. Be warned that the rigging may interfere with placement of miniature figures around the ship, but the sail should be out of the way. Note that the ship was steered by a man in the pilothouse, who had only small notches through which he could see. A man on the forecastle called out instructions to him. The pilothouse was obviously made secure to keep the pilot from being killed in combat. Dennis Kauth drew a few 25-mm shields, reproduced on the cut-out pages, for gamers who wish to hang them on the sides of the ship (as Vikings did with their shields on longships). Other shields and insignia, using decals, cut-out pictures, and the like, can be added to the ship as desired. With a little imagination and a steady pair of scissors, a Dungeon Master should be able to create an adventure than all of his players will remember for years to come. Instructions by Roger E. Moore