PFRPG - Book 09 - The Baalgor Wastelands - PAL463

Warning! Violence and the Supernatural

Tbe rantasy World or tbe Palladium Role-Playing Game is violent, deadly and filled with
magic and monsters. Other dimensional beings, demons, and sorcerers tonnent. stalk and enslave hu-
mans. Monsters, gods, magic, insanity, cannibalism, war and heroic adventure are all elements of
this book.

Some parents may find the violence and supernatural elements inappropriate for young read-
ers/players. We suggest parental discretion .

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A sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RP(J@, 2nd Edition.
Compatible with Rift~ and the entire PaUadium Books@ Megaverse@!

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Acknowledgements '.,

This book couldn't have been written without the generous help of a bunch of people.
First and foremost, I must thank Kevin Siembieda for giving me this chance to write about a world he has so painstakingly
created. The Palladium Fantasy world is, in my mind, his finest creation, and I am honored that he would lei me play with it
in the way that I have. This place has occupied a 101 of my creative energies for the last 12 years, so it's especially gratifying
that I can now give something back 10 it.

Next, I must thank Jason Pascale, Sieve Edwards. Mike Hawthorne and Richard Thomassen for volunteering to read my
first draft of this book. (Steve. Jay and Mike also reviewed my manuscript for the Western Empire, for which I am also grate-
ful.) Their insightful commems and altemion 10 delail had been fantastic. Thanks, guys. You're the best.

I also must thank Tim Warren, who helped me play-test this material, and for providing me with much-needed comic re-
lief on many a gaming night. Tim is the court jester of the Palladium Fantasy world, the funniest role-player I've ever met,
and a good friend.

And, I also must thank all of my good friends on-line with whom I have spent many, many hours discussing the various
aspects of this wonderful game. Really there are too many folks here 10 mention without accidentally leaving somebody out,
but you know who you are, especially you folks at the Tavern, Keep Ihe home fires burning, everyone, and leave a tankard
out for me!

And finally, I must thank my incredible wife Allison. Without her constant support and encouragement, this would never'
have gonen finished.

- Bill Coffin, /999

The cover depicts a Quorian Warrior banling a Tusker. The action takes place in the Rocky Desert.
Painted by John Zelemik.

First Printing - March, 1999

Copyright 1999 Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda
All rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention, World Wide. No part of this book may be reproduced in
part or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.
All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of char-
acters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental.
Palladium BooksOO, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts® and Megaverse® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by
Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.
Baalgor Wastelands, Western Empire, Mind Mage, Diabolist, Summoner, Tristine Chronicles, Dragonwright, Wolfen,
Deevil, Emperor 1I0mas, Rystrom Khejas. Riftlord, The Rifter, Baalizad, Dragonmen, Eandroth, Earthshaker, Gromek,
Gosia, Quorian, Lazretheg, Mogoloth, Quillback, Vrill, Nimro, Jotan, Gigantes, Algor, Rock Buzzer, Sloderi, The Tor,
Troker, Yin-Sloth Jungles, Old Ones, Adventures on the High Seas, Monsters & Animals, Dragons & Gods, Beyond the Su-
pernatural, Heroes Unlimited, and other names, titles and likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda
and Palladium Books Inc.

The B..lgor Wastelands for the Palladium Fantasy [email protected] Edition is published by Palladium Books Inc., 12455
Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180. Printed in the USA.

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Palladium Books® Presents:

The Baalgor Wastelands ™

A sourcebook for the PalladIum Fantasy RPG@. 2nd Edition

Written By: Bill Coffin

Additional Text & Concepts: Kevin Siembieda
Editors: James A. Osten

Alex Marciniszyn
Proof Reader: Julius Rosenstein
Cover Painting: John Zeleznik
Interior Artists: Ramon Perez Jr.

Kent Buries
Scott Johnson

Maps: Bill Comn

Kevin Siembieda
Art Direction & Keylining: Kevin Siembieda
Typography: Maryann Siembieda

Base on the RPG rules, magic, characters, worlds, concepts
and Megaversc® crealed by Kevin Siembieda.

Palladium Books On-Line: www.palladiumbooks.com

Special Thanks to Bill Coffin for another welcomed addition to the Palladium World. To Ramon
Perez Jr. and Kent Buries for their pulse pounding artwork; Maryann and her tremendous effort on every
level imaginable, and to AI, Jim, Jules, Wayne and all the Palladium Wastclanders who help keep us go-
ing in the right direction.

- Kevi" Siembieda, /998
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Contents Cove of Elemental Evil . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . 82

Now You're Playing with Power' . . . . . . • . . . . . 7 Cove Redlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • . . . . as

Part One: The Sulgor Wastelands' I) Tbe Free City of Troker' ........•••..... 17

A land steeped in history and legend . . . . . . . . . 9 King Kai, The Wanderer' • • • • • • • • . . . . 93

Rystrorn Khejas' Overview of the Wastelands 9 Troker City Key . . . . . . . • • • • . . . •. 94
10
History ofllle Bulgor Wastelands- . . The Arena District· . . . . . • • . • . • . • 9S

Prelude 10 War' . . . . . . . - . 12 The Magic District· . . . • • . . . . . . • 98
The Iron Age' 12
The Wall, . . . . . . . . • • • • • • . . 101
The Day After' 14
Map of the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

T-.e G"lrapby oftbe Sulgor Wastelands IS Notable Residents ofTroker' • . . . . . . . . . . 103
Wilderness Encounters: Rocky Coastline . . . . . I~
Noces for Desert Adventuring . . . . . . 15

Desert Climates . . . . . . . . . 16 The 5to.y Detert· . • . . . . . . . • . . • . . • . . • . 109....

Water Consumption' 17 Dragonmen Tribes· . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • 110
Finding Water . . . . . . • • • .. 17
The Broken Hom Tribe . . . . . . . . . . . • • . .,. 110
Heat Exhaustion . . . . • • . • • . . 18
The Desert Paradise Tribe, . . . • • • • • • .. III
Wearing Heavy Annar- . . . . . . 19
Map of the Stony Desert·· . . . . • • • • • .. III
Travelling Over Desert Tcmin ... , . , 19
The Scattered Stones Tribe . • • .. 112
Rocky Coastline . ....•. 19
Stony Desert . . . . . . . . •••••. 19 The Seven Sons Tribe· . . . . . . . . • I. 112
Sandy .Desert· . . . . . . . . .•.• - . 20
Rocky Desert & Mountains Eandroth Caravans' . . . . . . . . . • • . 113
. .. .•. . 20
The Ydrogin Caravan' . . . . . • • • • • • . . . 113

Notes Concerning Riding Animals ...••.... 20 The Zorigesh Caravan' . . . . • • . . . 114
The Saversee Caravan' .........••.•. liS
Travel by Wagon or Coach . . .. . .••• - .. 22
Quorian Wandercamps' . . . . . . . . • • • • • • . . II S
Bad We-Iber ................••..... 13
Kimona Wandercamp . . . . . • • • • • • • • • . . . lIS
Dust Storms . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . 23
Bobnsbi Wandercamp· . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . 117
Sand Stonn! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . .. 23
Tsckense Village' . .. . . . . . . . • • . . . 117
Blister Winds· ..........•••••••.... 24
Marauder Crews . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . 118
Detnon Storms' . . . • • • • • • • • • • • . . . 24
The Claw Law Crew' . . . . • • • • • • • • • • . 118
Nigh Freezes· . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . . 24
The Bloodstonn Crew . . . . . . . . • • • • . . . 119
Tornadoes 2S
Part Two: Tbe Ptople . . . . . . . •••.....•.. 26 The Damnation Crew • . . . • . . . . • • • . . . . . 121

Baalizad - . . . . . . . .. .••••...... .. 26 The Orcish Delight Warship' . . . . • • • • • • . • . 122

Cyclops Spider (monster) • • • . . . . . . . . . 29 Gromek War Camps' . . .••••••. 124
Rug Akettllcik· .. . ••••..
Dragonmen· . . . . . . • • • . . . . . .. . 30 124

Drayback (monster) . . . • . • • . . • • •. . 31 Raag Borguni' . . . . . •••. . 12S

Eandroth R.C.C. . . . . . 32 Raag Hhisw' . . ••••. . 12S
Raag Dyvetra· .
Euthshaker (monster) . . . 3S . . . . . . . • . . . . 126
Giants . . 36
Gosai· . . . . . . . . . 44 Raag Zetronenki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

.. .•. Wilderness Encounters: Stony Desert· 127

Gromek' . . . . . . . . • • . • • . . 46 Tbe Saady ~rt· • . • • . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . . 131

I....azretheg (monster) . .. . •. . 48 Map of the Sandy Desert· . . . • • . . . . 132
Minotaur' . . . . .
. . . . . . .. . 48 Eandroth Caravans' . .. . . . . . . . . . • • . . . 133

Mologoth (monster) . . . . • • . . . . SO Ab'a)'sCaravan . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . 133
. . . . . . . • . . . . S3
Qu;lIbo<:k· . . . . . The Phantom Caravan . . • , • • • • • • • . . 1J4

Quorian' . . . . . . . . . . .. .. S4 Gosai Tribes . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . 1)4

Rock Buzzer (monster)' . . . . • . . - . S7 Hygyu Tribe· . . • . . . . . . . • • . . . 13S

Sandwynn (dragon sub-species)·· . • • • • . . - . S9 GthDenen Tribe· . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . I3S

Thin Ones . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ..•• - . . . 63 Dwyops Tribe . . . . , • • • • • • • • • • . 136

VriU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . 66 Gromek War Camps . . . . . . • • • . . . . 137

NOles on Other Monsters & Races' . . . . • • . . . . 68 Raag Ruux . . . . . . . •••. . . 137
Other Monsters & Beings . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . 69
Part Tbree: The Placn' .........•.•..... 70 Raag Gesiiq . . . . . . .. . . . • • . . . . . . . 139

Rug Cojoda . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 139

Overview of the Baalgor Wastelands, . . • . . . . . 70 Minotaurs of the Sandy Desert· . • • • . . 140

WtsterD Empire Coloma' ••.•••.•••••••• 74 The Eirokan Tribe, . . . . . • • . . . . . • . 141

Thunder Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 74 The Adraodan Tribe· . . . . • • . • . . . • • 142

Greentree7 . . . .. . ....••••••...... 4 Adtaodan Minotaur R.C.C. . . . • • , • • • . • . . . 142

Savoria: Plague Town' . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . 7S The Kkairojan Tribe· . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 143
Pirate Cova •...••••.•••••••••.••.• 76
Kkairojan Minotaur R.C.C 144

Scarbone's Hollow' . . . . . . . • • • • . . . . . . . 76 Ruins of the Golden City of Baalgor· . 14S

Buccaneer's Junction' . . . • • • • . . . • . • . . . . 79 Wilderness Encounters: Sandy Desert· 14S

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4'Tile Rocky Daert . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . • • Gromek: General Jijjerinjn . . . . . • • • • • • . . . . . 177
Map of the Rocky Desert . . . • . . • • . . • . • . . (SO
. Gromek: MountainsIFrontline' . . . • • • • . . . . . 175

Eandroth Caravans' . . . . . . . • • • • . . . . . ISO }uggemautfLandsbip' . . . . . . . . . - • • . . . . . . . 122

The Me'kbecJ Caravan' .. - . • • • • • . . . . . lSI Minotaur R.C.C.· . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Table Top Caravan' . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 152 Minotaur Mutant: Adntodan R...C.C.· . . . • • • • . 142

Giant Strongholds . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 152 Minotaur Mutant; Kbirojan R...C.C.· . . 144

I.ogbur Stronghold' . . . . • • • • • • . . . . . I S2 Orcish Delight Warship· 122

Korguss Stronghold • • • • • • • . . . . . .. 154 Pirates: See Rocky Coastline . • . . . . . . . . . 73

Y'}'IDin Stronghold' .••••.. 154 Quillbock R.C.C. . . . . . . . • • • • . • • . . . . S3

Baalizad Burrows . . . •••. 156 Quorian R.C.C. . . . . . . .. . . 54

BurrowofGazad· . . • •• • . 156 Quarian Oneiromancer R.C.C. .. 57

Burrow ofOzoerod· ...... 158 Rystrom Khejas: Baalgor Wllsteland Overview' .. 9

Demons of the Deep . . ..... 159 Rystrom K.hejas: On Desert Adventuring· . .. . . . 15

Minotaur Cataeombs of the Rocky Desert· 160 Rystrom Khejas: On the Desert Regions . - . . • . . .. 70

The Loijurkan Tribe . . . . . - . . . . 160 Rystrom Khejas: On the destruction of Baalgor' 26

The Elrinan Tribe 161 Rystrom Khejas: On the Elf-Dwarf War 10
a:Travel Speed Modifiers' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Serelan Tribe 164

The Idrijian Tribe . . . . . . .. . 166 Tr1Ivel OIl Riding Animals· . . . •• ; . . . 20

QWllbocks of the Rocky Desert· . . . . . . • . 166 Travel on Honeback· . . . . . . - .. - • . . . . 19

Bimmid the Bold· . . . . ••••. 166 Tr1Ivel by Wagon or Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
167
Janihill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..••. Travel of Magic Travel .....•.... 22

Tchkiskisk . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . • • . 167 Drayback Description' . . . . . . . • • • • • .. . 35

Wilderness Encounters: Rocky Desert· . . . . • . 167 Drayback Travel· . . . . . . • . . . • • • . • . . 21
Tbt Eastern Bu1lor Mouatalas . . . . • . . • • . . . 171
Rock Buzzer Description' . . . . . . . • . . 57

Map of the Mountains . . . . . • • .. 172 Rock Buzzer Travel, . . . . . . . . . • • . . 21

Minotaur Mountain Tribes' . . . . . • • .. 173 Ruins: Remnants of the past· . . . • • • • • . . 72

The Zilduhwtn Tribe . . . . . . • • • _. 173 Silonar Travel, . . . . . • • • • • . . 21
The Venduhan Tribe· . . . • • • • • • . 174
Troker. City of· . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . 87

Gromek War Camps . . . ••••••••. . 175 Troker: King K.ai . . . . . . . • . • • • . . . • 93
. . . . .••. . . 176
Rag Vireo • . . . . . . . Troker: Map of the City· . . . • • • • • • . . . . . 102

Jijjerinjn the Magnificent _. . . . . . • • . . . 177 Mon.ten!AnImals

Rug Vice· . . . . . . . . . . - . • • • • . . . 178 Cy<:lops Sp;<!er .. - . . . . . • • • • • • • • • • . . - . 29

Map of Rug Vice . . . ••••••••.... 179 Dnlybock' . -. -.. . . . • • • • • . . . . 31

Rug Odgol' . . . •••. . 182 Earthshaker .. . • . . . . . . • • • . . . . . 35

Rug Kodigy· . . . . . . . . • • . . . .. 183 Lazretheg . .. . • • • .. . ... 48

Raag Hursing· . . . . . . . • • . . . . . 183 Mologoth· . . . . . . . . • • • • • • . . . . 50

Giant Strongholds' . . • • • • . • • • • . . . . . 187 Rock Buzzer' . . . . . . . . . • • • • . . . . . . 57

Gurthasi Algor· .. . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 188

Gurthasi Nimro' . . . . . .. .. • • . . . . 188 Sandwynn (dragon sub-species)' . • • • . . . . 59

Gurthasi Tor. City ofGianlS' . • • • . . . . . . . 188 Sioderi· . . . . . - . - . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . 61

Gwthasi Tor Description' . . • • • • . • . . . . 191 Maps

Overlord Orgath Nukessin . . • • . . . . . . . . 192

Gwthasi Tor. City Key· . • • . . . . . . . . . 194 Bulgor Mountains (complete range) 172
Nukessin Hall . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . 196
Baalgor Wasteland· . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . 71

Map ofthe City . . . . . . . • • • • • • . • • . -. 197 City ofGiants 188

Wydras the Dreamer' . . . . . . . 200 FreeCityofTroker . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . . . . 102

Tinytown· . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Giant: Gurthasi Tor' .. . . . . • • • . . . . . . . . . 188

Wilderness Encounters: Mountains . . . . . . . . . . 202 Gromek: Rug Vice . . . • • • • • • • • . . . . • . . . . 179
Part Four: Advealures' . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . 106
ExperitDct: T.bles ••.••••••.••.••.•••• 115 Rocky Coastline' . . • . • • • • . . . . • . . . . 73

Rocky Desert . ••••. . ISO

Sandy Desert· . . •••. 132

Quick Find Table Stony Desert . ,•••. ,. III

Baalizad R.C.C. . . . . . . . . ...... . 26

Baalizad: Demons from the Deep . .. . . . . 159 PaUadlum On Line: www.palladlumbooks.com
Dimensional Rift Table' . . . .. ...... . 129

Dwarven "Juggernaut" . . . . . . ••.••. - .. 122

Eandroth R.C.C.· . . . . . . • . • • • • . . . . . . . . . 32

Gosai R.C.C.· . . . . . . . . . . ••••. - - - . . . . . 44

Gosai Assassin· - . . • • • • . . . . . .. . 45

Gromek . . . . - . . • • • • • • • • • • • . . . . . . . . 46

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Now You're
Playing with Power

Long.time players of the r.U.dlum FaDluy Role-PlayiDg Well folks, the jury is still out, but I think we have found our
Cametl are going to notice that the "power level" of the man, Bill Coffin. Bill seems to understand and love the PaUa·
Baalgar Wastelands - tbe average level of the NPCs. the abili· dium Fantasy setting better than any writer I have ever worked
ties of the monsters and races here, the availability of unique with. As I read, edit and make minor changes and additions to
and powerful magic items - is higher than in most other Bill's manuscripts, I find myself smiling and muttering to my-
sourcebooks. Considering that some players oul there get justifi- self, "that's exactly right," and "wow, I couldn't have presented
ably worried when their favorite games begin upping the antc in that any better myselfl" Sometimes it seems as if he has read my
lenns, of game power, a little explanalion is in order. mind. It is a unique experience and pleasure for me to work with
a fellow writer who has such a similar appreciation and view of
A lot of the Palladium players I've talked wilh arc concerned "my" world, even as be takes it and defmes it in ways that leave
with how the role-playing industry seems 10 be caught up in an his own mark of quality upon it It's just cool to have somebody
epidemic of "power gaming." Thai is. rolling up the most in- take my baby and trut it with the same nurturina care. I've
sanely powerful characters you can just so they can blast every- worked with other writers over the years., and I've enjoyed RWly
thing in sight While that might be fun for some folks (hey, I've of the projects we worked on together, but I see a bit more in
done my share of it), it often doesn'l leave much room for char- Bill's wort and dreams. I see a synchronicity and passion that
acter development, genuine storytelling and imaginative prob- holds the promise of tremendous potential. and, with any luck. is
lem-solving - the real hallmarks of good role-playing. the harbinger of great things to come. Based on the reception of
Bill's first book, The Western Emplrel'W, it seenu most Palla·
Rest assured, Ihis sourcebook, and indeed, Palladium Fantasy dium Fantasy garners share my enthusiasm.
in general is NOT becoming a "munchkin" game or a "power
gamer" paradise. The reason why this sourcebook is of a higher Please do not interpret any of the above as my plan to tum
"power level" than other sourcebooks is because the Baalgor over the Palladium World to Mr. Coffm, or anybody else. You
Wastelands are one of the mosl dangerous and challenging envi· can rest assured that 1have plenty of ideas and plans for my first
ronments in the enlire Palladium world. You could argue that and favorite RPG creation. Furthennore, Bill and I consult about
the only places as inherently dangerous as the Wastelands are ideas and directions for future projects, and I read (and rework
The Land oflhe Damned, the hean of the Yin-Sloth Jungla, and as I see necessary) every word submitted by all my freelance au·
perhaps the heart of the Northern Wilderness in deepesl winter. thors.
To accurately renect the severe peril characters must face when
adventuring here, I thought that making this place's environ- If I seem to be gushing, it's just that I see a new era of un-
ments, monsters, races and NPCs a little more powerful than precedented fun and excitement for the Fantasy RPG series.
other parts of the world was not only appropriate and logical, You will be seeing a lot more from Bill Coffin, as well as other
bUI necessary. imaginative writers like Steve Edwards and Randi Cartier. Not
to mention a host of great artists, new and old alike. For the first
In short, this is a lough place. It chews people up and spits time ever, I feel that I have assembled a team of dynamic writers
out the bones fasler than it lakes them to draw their steel. The and talented artists to help me breathe life and adventure into the
Baalgor Wastelands are designed with medium-level (4th to 7th PaUadlum Furasy Role-Playtne Game«> and the entire Palla-
level) characters in mind. G.M.s, unless your player characters dium Megaverse(ll!
are from here, you might consider finding some other part of the
world to adventure in first before tackling this region. If you re- The Palladium World is a fantastic place of men, monsten..,
ally would like 10 bring lower·level players into the Wastelands, and heroes. A world that has been shaped by magic, perhaps
then you might wish to downplay the bad guys here. more than any other. A world born from darlcness and chaos. A
world crackling with magic energy and given birth to abomina-
There, that's enough disclaimer stuff. I hope you have as tions and heroes alike. A raw power that has been harnessed by
dark and deadly forces to destroy and enslave. Yet, time and
much fun playing in this part of the world as I did writing about time again, courageous individuals have dared to challenge the
dar1mess and call upon the same magical forces to bring hope
it. Good luck! and light. Titanic forces that continue to battle into the current
timeline. Forces or good and evil inexorably tied to magic and a
- Bilt Coffin. /999 place of wonder we know as the Palladium World

A few words from Siembieda I, Bill, and all the rest, plan on puning our prolific and fertile
imaginations together to define this mystical and turbulent
For some years now, the Palladium Staff and I have la- world. And while doing so, present adventures and settings that
mented, "if only there were a way to clone Kevin Siembieda." will challenge, intrigue, surprise and tantalize. So strap yow--
Or, failing that (and we have), to find a writer who has the same
insight, enthusiasm and vision ... the same love and passion not selves in and enjoy the ride. We will. 011. and bring a few
only for role-playing in general, but the Palladium Megaversc«l
in particular. friends along to enjoy the show.

- Ktvin Sitmbitdo, /999

7

Part One:
The Baalgor Wastelands

o

(- (..........

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A land steeped in their wits, and their coats of dl2gger·liu quills. I met with the
mighty Quorians, a warrior race brought here from another

history and legend World by the Dwarves in Ihe Great War. And the Gosai, I2nother
warrior race who are as slealthy as the Quorians are strong.

From the Joum." of Ry.trom Kbej•• Brought here by the Elves during tMt great conflict, thae pe0-
ple were marooned on OIU world when the Big Thunder (as 10-

"/ aTriwa on the sltores of the Baalgor Wastelands cursing CI2/.r liu to call that great cl2tac/ysm of the Circle ofAbsolute

1M day J ~ war born. No mon than len days after J had com- Element121 Power) wiped the Baalgor rain forests and great

pie," my tofU' olIM Western Empire. the 0'*, ofth Scroll, a elven cities from the face ofthe planet, leaving only a parched..

socuty of tllNrflhlrrr-scltolan to which I belong. sent mi! a crocking badlands.

MGgic Pigeon bearing iI/ news. It seemed that Hogun Allsbralh. "And then, just two days offthe ship. / met with Sir Bl2theled
famed scMJar of1M North. JuJd nm afoul ofa thieves' guild in
CMr 110m and woU up one morning with several knives be- 5.tyto, the great chronicler ofmonsten and animals. Sir s.tye hDd
t'Wft1t hu riM. AJ13brath had been organizing an exploration of
1M BatdgoT WGSleh",ds and with him gone. the Order needed a just returned from the Sandy Desert with I4les of enormmu
dragon-wonns lurking beneath the sand. ready to devolU who-
nploamt1ll. 11JD1 WQJ' when J. Rystrom Khejas. wandering ever walked above them! And of lethal, twur-liu predMon
scltoUu, came IlL A dl4biOtU ho1lOT, 10 be sure. who sprint at great speeds, leap and glide onto their fl«ing
prey. But there was something e/.re, something Sir s.lyto hDd seen

"Being 1M OIfly Order Member in good standing 011 this half which he could not tell me oj As he catalogued all of the odd
beasts he Juu/ seen, there ","'as something he witnessed owt there
of 1M world. / war ortkrwi to taU Allsbrath 's place. One mo- which defeated his ability to describe. He shook I2t his recollec-
tion of this mysterious thing. and tean fell from his eya lU his
IfW1II 1 WQJ' ttWf1aining 1M Im~rial Coun with my tofu of the voice squeaked silent. What cowld have rendered this great a-

Old KingdoM. 1M nat, J was on a leaking ship bound for the plorer so daft? And if it could reduce the great Batheleel Skye to

IftOSt bUg/liN pku ofdirt in ,he whole 'WOrld. emotional ruin. what would become of me. a mere swords-
man-scholar? Rumors persist of creatures so large that their
"biM from $ewral pirole attach and .1m Sf!TJN!t1t sigh/ings. very passage shakes the earth, but even / am supticol ofSllCh
lite \lOyagl! to Ihe Wastelands was Q ra1Jler quiet onl!. Less than things. Then again, stories of this sort persist only when they
twa Mdt owt ojIhe Channel/slands in Lower Barradld, we fi- contain some kernel oftruth.
rtally sighl«/ a liM oj bleak., rocky coaslline that jutted Jorth
"Shortly after my unseuling meeting with the famed Sir Skye.
from the nutlU if it were some kind ojJortress wa// designed to Trour fell under auack by a ravenous horde oforcs, ogres and
Itold back the sea. Ifthis was an omen to tum back, none ojthe trolls. allied by a crew of vicious, insane Gigantes who wuJred
to tear the city to its very foundation. The guardsmen of Troker
cnw were hading it, much to my dismay. repelled the auack (with some help from myself and other ad-
venturers, / don't mind admitting), but / soon learned that such
"We landed in Th Fru City of Trtlbr. a stark metropolis bloodshed was a common occurrence. In fact, many Trour na-
ojthines. pirotes, murdenn and ropes ofevery sort. Trour is tives commented that the giant brutes who auacud the city were
lterolded to be the jewel ofcivilization in the Wasteland, which not the most dangerous of adversaries they had ever faced. For
from it. It would have been for worse to have been auacked by
wuuJe me wonder, if this horrid place npresented the best in the on organized force ofGromeks or the more civilized and orga·
nized afthe giant races.
rrgion, then what nightmans and atrocities awaited me deep in

lhe wildemeu? I shuddered to think ofit.

"As I pnpDnd for my overland journey, I noticed how this
region stil/ bore the scars ofits ancient wounds. The Elf-Dwarf
War had ended here in a great magical apocalypse nearly 6,000
yean ago, but to many ofIhe inhabitants, it might as well have
been yesterday. Indeed, there are precious few elves and

dwarves here, but those who do make the Baalgor Wastelands The mere mention of these two folk brought to light yet an-

their home tnat each other with a degree ofloathing and hatred other danger of this threatening land - that for beyond the

I've never seen before. sandy wastes lie the great Baolgor Mountains, where towns and

"And then there are the exotic peoples of the Wastelands- camps of giants spy on the workings of us smaller folic. In the
the dour Eandroths, whose disposition is matched only by the shadow ofthe Mountains, it is said that these oversized enigmas
gather their strength, but for what purposes, and by whose com-
dryness ofthe desert. 17ae bloodthinty Gromek, whose physical mand? Do they really answer to some giant-king ruling Jrom
Mount Nimro, or have they simply gathered in this remote and
strength u matched only by their savagery. the sullen inhospitable place to get away from a world of humans who
Minotaun, doing their best not to gain notice, as if they stil/ would otherwise slaughter or enslave all members ofthe giant
races? Perhaps, then, these giants were not to befeared, but pit-
bear the gui/t of some terrible, ancient crime. Perhaps, some- ied.

day, they wil/ find Ihe forgiveness they so desperately crave,

though I doubt they'llfind it here.

"/king a man of/rtrIIel, of~ne / hDd seen SIIch beings be-

fore. Wltat tnJly astonished me were the bizalTf! people one does "Whether giants are to be pitied or reviled, I do nol .blow. I

not hear abow in scholarly nwnua/.r and bestiary catalogs. Just can tell you that giants are as fierce andfrightening aJoe as any

witltill Troker were Baolizad, hulking aliens whose black cara- I have ever faced. And from reports / overheard. there crist

pace aNi cnuhing pincers maU them most dangerous foes. The large settlements of the winged GromeJc. who themselves seem

mysterious Vri//. whose psionic fJOwus still cannot help them to be preparing for some great and terrible conflict. Long have
storytellers spun yarns ofthese creatures 'ferocity, strength, and
brNkfree oftheir collective I2mnesia. And there Me the curious

Quil/btJcks, sprightly little scamps who stay l2/ive by their speed, skill at arms. To think that they may be mobilizing for a single,

•

massed attack on anyone place or people is almost too terrible the Revolutionary War, but the Civil War. In just four years, ev-
a thought to bear. erything the country had achieved to that point was forever
changed, just as everything the country would ever do after that
"By the end of my third day, I had undergone a curious connict would be done, in some small way, as a result of the
transformation. No longer did I hate and loathe this place. I had bloodshed between the States. The Bulgor Wastelands are no
grown used to its customs and quirks far faster than I would different. Here, the pain of the ancient war is as fresh as it was
have given myselfcredit. Now, having spent sf!lleral days on the yesterday, and for many elves and dwarves, this land still
edge of the Wastelands, learning all I could of it, I was in- evokes such shame, anger and sadness that they will not set foot
trigued. I was tempted. I was aching to explore the vast Baalgor upon it. For it was here that two great civilizations fell prey to
wilderness. I knew that for every secret I had heard since myar- their own vanity and nearly drowned the world with their blood..
rival, there had to be ten more waiting to be discovered! That
under the sand and stone lay the ruins of what used to be the In its own weird ways, the Elf-Dwarf war is still being fought
greatest civilization in the world. And that here and there, ifone here by the alien races summoned by the Elves and Dwarves,
is of the mind to look and listen, one could sense the ghosts of and who now stnlggle to survive in a hostile alien environment.
ancient days, wandering the ruins of this place, lamenting the Indeed, many of these races have developed antagonisms of
destruction their folly had brought them. their own, making this blasted land just as much of a banle-
ground now as it was in the past.
"No, this was no mere wasteland. This was a paradise for
those stout of heart and strong of limb. A place of endless ad- Those who travel through this blistered and parched land
venture and countless danger. And I was one of the fortunate may be looking for treasure, adventure or glory, but ,the one
few who would explore this place and learn its secrets. Perhaps, thing they will find that won't be on any treasure map is the
as the years spin by, so shall others follow in my footsteps to sense of the mind-numbing insanity that drove the Elven and
learn what I will not, and to defeat the unknown menaces whose Dwarven peoples to destroy each other. Considering how great
f!lIil presence still stain these war-torn sands. " those ancient empires were, and seeing now what they have
been reduced to, one realizes that the Elf-Dwarf War must never
- Rystrom Khejas, repeat itself, regardless of the cost or sacrifice. Unfortunately,
very few have learned that lesson. And events brewing north of
Wandering Scholar and High Initiate of the Order ofthe Scroll the Bulgor Wastelands suggest that history is threatening to re-
peat itself.
The Palladium world is one of wonders. There are marvelous
and imposing civilizations like the Western Empire, the Timiro The Wastelands remain a place of tyranny and bloodshed
Kingdom, the Eastern Territory and the Wolfen Empire. There where life is cheap and death comes easily. It is where the
are also places of great mystery, like the Dragon's Gate, the strength of will is often (but not always) a greater thing than that
Devil's Mark, Mount Nimro, and the Land of the Damned, of steel. But for those champions willing to make the world a
among others. And there are places of great wilderness, like the bener place, the Bulgor Wastelands are a perfect place to start.
Yin-Sloth Jungles, Ophid's Grasslands and the Great Northern For here is where the future of the rest of the world tnlly lies.
Wilderness. Most places on the Palladium World fall into one of This place is a living reminder of the dark and twisted fate of
these categories but the Bulgor Wastelands fall into all three. empires gone by, and that unless the forces of goodness and jus-
tice prevail, such a fate may befall the empires of the modem
Here are a vast terrain of rocky lowlands, parched earth, sa- day.
vanna, 3eserts, and high mountains. During the cool rainy sea-
son, t~peratures range from 10 to 80 degrees during the day History of the
and down to freezing at night. During the spring and summer,
daytime temperatures soar from 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Baalgor Wastelands
and down to 50 to 60 degrees at night. It's hard to believe that
this was once a lush rainforest paradise similar to the Yin-Sloth
jungles.

The Wastelands are also the site of one of the greatest mortal From the Journals
civilizations in Palladium history - the Elven Empire - and
the Age of a Thousand Magick! which came before the rise of of Rystrom Khejas:
their Empire. But, as the Elf·DwarfWar laid waste to the entire
region, it became barren, unforgiving badlands. Now, only the "From the day lfirst learned to read, I have always beenfas-
hardiest souls can expect to survive the scorching temperatures, cinated by the Elf-Dwarf War. Surely, the Palladium world has
the lack of food and water, the many monsters prowling about, a rich history. and the epochs of the Age of Chaos, the Age of
and the legions of warlords and marauders who constantly patrol Pun'fication, the Time ofa Thousand Magiclcs. and all the times
for new victims and prey. And as time slowly moves on from since then are both fascinating and profound. But for some rea-
that terrible holocaust, the mystery of the Wastelands deepens. son, none of them ever grasped me with the same sense of ur-
Who exactly destroyed this jungle paradise? What great secrets gency and tragedy as the Elf-Dwarf War. Perhaps it is the sad,
were lost in the ftteStonn? And what remains to be found? desperate way in which it all ended that keeps up my interest (if
morbidly so). Or muybe it is the mystery behind why this conflict
Most importantly, the Bulgor Wastelands still dwell under really started. or why it ended in the way that it did. Or perhaps
it is because I see so many parallels between this war and the
the shadow of the Elf-Dwarf War. The cataclysmic end of the world today. Even now, Eastern and Wolfen armies threaten to
soaJc the earth in each other's blood. And far to the west waits
fabled War is the defming moment for this region, and the after- the so-called Empire of Sin, coiled Wee a serpent, ready to
shocks of that conflict will never truly go away. Numerous his-
torians argue that the defming moment of U.S. history wasn't

10

strike. These are dangerous times, and if we are not careful. if "As my quill runs dry on this particular topic, J can only say
that there is for, for, for more to be known about the Elf-Dwarf
we do not heed the lessons taught by the folly of the pas!. then War than anybody shall ever discover. Indeed, I am OM oftile
world's leading experu on the topic, and even J admit to blow-
we are doomed to repeat it. ing only a few scattered fragments of the whole story. To tJw.Je
who would seek tile truth, be warned that tllis is a subject whoJe
"For a scholar such as myself. studying the Elf-Dwaif War secrets are hitkkn for a reason. and thai the mare you blow, the
poses two serious problems. The first is a lack ofhistorical ma- less you may want to blow - and 1M less likely you an to li~
terial. particularly involving the legendary Circle of Absolute to shaNt it. The secreu of the Elf-Dwaif War are, 110 dovbt.
Elemental Power used to destroy the Golden City of Baalgor gnat and horrible. I think if the mortal mind were to know all
and the surrounding lands. In that Big Thunder. many of the that tronspired o~r the course ofthis conflict, it would certainly
Elven records kept during the war were destroyed in a single, in- induce madness and life-long melancholy.
stant. Likewise. during the Millennium of Purification that fol-
lowed the great war. the surviving elves and dwa1'Vt!S "Still, there will alwtry$ be tJw.Je who wish to seek oUl clues
voluntarily dutroyed whatever remaining evidence of the war and ~nufor themselves. I surely did. spending a great deal
ofmy younger days in the wild-lands ofthe world on various re-
they couldfind. Their official reason was to prevent future gen· search expeditiOllJ. lf)'Ou want to brow moNt about the

erations from making the same mistakes they did. But also. Elf-Dwtuf War, thor indud the Baalgar Wastelands an the
many believe that the surviving elves and dwarves. so ashamed
by their conduct during the war, also wanted to conceal their pNtmier place to search. True, the harsh orvirorament and
wrongdoings by dutroying all evidence ofthem. Thus. any com- swonru of marauden make it difficult to conduct d proper ar-
chaeological expedition. but there an WISt treOSlUes buried
preilensi~ SlUdy of this war is impossible. What little informa- here. Entire cities and outposts lie sleeping under the $hijling
sand.J, along with the ruins of wizard towen. ~n rune
tion that may ha~ survived, has been shattered like a china forgrs, el~n citadels. rune -..wapons them.JelW!S, and other mar-
bowl, iu piecu scattered by the wind. and co~red by the earth. Vf!1s forgotten by man and time. To the scholar or trea-
Piecing it all bock together is impossible. Still. scholars like mY"' sure-seeker. these are the things that dreams (and nightmQru!)
selfstare at the frogmenu of our past and try to piece together are made of Those who have the courage, ability and knowl-
enough of the puzzle to get a reasonable picture of events. The edge to seek these things out and brave the dangrrs that go
more of those lost tiny fragments we can uncover the more we along with the search, may find riches beyond all compare.
can glean. While I do not crave gold and glory. J do crave the truth. and
hope that somebody will, in my lifetime. find a few more tanta-
"Piecing together the past. I feor. is a daunting task under
the best ofcircumstances. and probing into the Great War is the lizing pieces to our troubled past. To those hardy souls. ! wish
most difficult of undertakings. The problem is that nobody par- them the very best ofluck.. They are going to need it. ..
ticularly wants you to know any more about the Elf-Dwarf War
than you already do. J would like to think that most scholars and The History
mages who study this time period do so to better our under·
standing of post mistakes to prevent them from being made of the Elf-Dwarf War
again. But there are those who lust after power and riches, and
believe that by searching out the secrets o/this bygone era. they The region known as the Baalgor Wastelands has a long,
will gain arcane knowledge that will, indeed, empower them. As rich, and tragic hislory. For millennia, it was a lush rainforest
a,result, those sages, scholars, libraries. monasteries and wiz- where !he Elves basked in their victory over the Old Ones, until
ards' guilds that do possess knowledge about the Great War are a greal conflict arose and desb'oyed it all. Today, the Baalgor
Wastelands arc a blasted basin of sand, rock and stone, popu·
very reluctant to share their secret with anybody else. After all. lated by those who either do not know the land's hislOry, or who
how can one be sure that the person you are sharing your infor. choose not to spread it. Through the various scraps of the
motion with can be trusted with it? Even if those you tell genu- Trisline Chronicles and a handful of surviving relics, legends
inely intend to we the information responsibly. it may still fall and stories, scholars and sages have managed to assemble only a
into the hands of those with black hearts and foul intentions. few glimpses into Ihc Baalgor Wastelands' past The history of-
And, you can never be sure that some power-mad villain might fered on the following pages is an incomplete history, at best,
not talee one's secrets by force, Or. having done so. decide that but it offers an inkling of what happened.
it would be best if all others who share this knowledge perish.
Dangerous work myfriends. dangerous work. For those who would leam more about the tragic history of
this place, the only option is either to travel to Ihc Baalger
"But that is not all. There are secret societies (and some not Wastelands and/or Old Kingdom themselves and comb through
so secret) who have sworn to obscure the history of the Great the crumbling roins, blowing sand and shattered rock for clues,
Elf-f>waif War as much as possible. Groups such os these be- or to travel back in time to witness the apocalypse of this place
lieve that no good can come from knowing too much ofthat ter- first-hand. Such means have never been open to adventurers, un·
rible conflict. and so they destroy historicoJ evidence wherever less you believe the rumors that once a century, a door to the
they find it. harau and murder those who seek such informa- past opens up so that the wrongs of foregone days may be made
tion. and spread misinformation and lies about what is known. right
to taint people from disco~ring what is not known.. I myself
Ultimately, the history of the Baalger Wastelands is a history
have run afoul of one such group. and I was lucky to escape of the Elf·DwarfWar, for that tcnible conflict is what made this

their clutches alive. But they succeeded in their mission. having
destroyed the priceless history book J had fought so long and
hard to obtain.

11

place what it is today. And every person, place and thing pres- After the Old Ones were put to sleep, the world entered a
ent, all exists in context of that event. Despite all of the time tlJat Golden Age where both the Elven and Dwarven Empires
has passed since the final days of the war, the Wastelands are an reachedfabulous levels ofwealth, power and majesty. The Elves
ongoing testament to the destnlCtive forces unleashed by the built towering. shimmering cities throughout the New Kingdom
elves and dwarves. Perhaps by coming to know the horrors of that were as much a testament to their mastery ofmagic as their
the Wastelands, one could better see how to prevent such things appreciation ofbeauty.
from occurring again elsewhere in the Palladium world. Indeed,
when one sees national powers like the Western Empire, the Likewise. the Dwarves constructed incredible underground
Wolfen Empire and the Eastern Territory agitating for war, or realms that were the greatest feats ofengineering the Palladium
sinister cults seeking to unlock uncontrollable powers from world has ever seen. The Dwarves. too, were masters of their
other worlds, it would seem that the Palladium world will expe- own forms of magic, and they used them to bring their empire
rience holocaust after holocaust until one destroys the world it- greater glory.
self.
For millennia, the Elven and Dwarven realms peacefully
Or not. There will always be those for whom history is a co-existed, exchanging gifts of magic and wealth. Where the
guide, a warning, a prophecy. And those who would heed the Elves ruled the surface ofthe New Kingdom, the Dwarves ruled
wisdom of the past can certainly affect their future. For the underground. and there did the two realms live almost as one.
power of history is not to reshape the past, but to educate the
present for the bettennent of the future. As long as there are But, as they say, familiarity breeds contempt, and slowly,
those who willieam, there will be hope for generations to come. gradually. the closeness of the Elves and Dwarves went rotten.
The Elves became haughty and superior, while the Dwarves
Prelude to War grew bitter and vengeful. The two realms drifted apar; cultur-
ally even as they grew closer and closer physically. And al-
Of the many accounts of what life was like before the though many great magic-wielders, clergy. scholars, sages and
Elf-Dwarf War, this particular excerpt from the Tristine Chroni- statesmen tried to heal the growing rifts belWeen these two great
cles bears an informative overview. Many dispute the authentic- peoples, the seeds ofschism had been sown, and a tree bean"ng
ity of this passage, since it lacks the cryptic prose found bitterfruit had begun to grow.
elsewhere in the Chronicles. In fact, the Tristine Chronicles
themselves pose an interesting mystery to scholars of this topic. The Iron Age
The Chronicles offer a sketchy, unclear history of the Palladium
world at best, with many gaps and spots where large portions of Here, the history of the region grows incredibly sketchy,
text are missing. The section describing the Elf-Dwarf War is since most records and documents were destroyed in the Great
one of those. This leads some to believe that for whatever rea- War. All that is known for sure is that the Dwarves hatched a
son, the history of this terrible conflict was either purposefully plot to utterly destroy the Golden City of Baalgor to avenge
not chronicled, or more likely, all chronicles pertaining to it some equally horrible atrocity the Elves had committed just a
were destroyed by someone who wanted this war not merely few months before.
forgotten, but erased from memory.
And 10, did the Elf and Dwarf draw unto arms against the
As a result, many of the text fragments used as sources on the other, causing the Golden Age ofPeace to disappear before the
Elf-Dwarf War are of questionable identity and origin, and Iron Age ofWar.
many 'of the most authoritative passages on the Elf-Dwarf War
are not from the Tristine Chronicles, but from private note- Who began the war one cannot say, for it was the work of
books, journals, battlefield chronicles, hearsay, legends, and both the Elves and Dwarves, yet not rightly the fault of either.
other documents somehow preserved over the passage of time. No, it was the many-headed beast of Pride that pushed these
great peoples into distrusting each other and wishing destruc-
Regardless if the following writing is a genuine Tristine frag- tion unto their neighbor.
ment, it is held by many to be the "official" description of life
before the Elf-Dwarf War. And it was Greed that gave the Elven and Dwarven generals
the dreams ofriches and spoils ofwar to be taken from their de-
feated enemy.

12

And it WIll Fear that a neighbor so great and strong and cons",me Dwarven champions as mere insects before a roging
powofid might one day rule tlte otlter. and in doing so, gojn tlte bonfire. The Elven press chased the Dwarves to the entrance of
world. their final stronghold. the great Undercity of Karin Gealead.
There did the Dwarves make their final stand, resolved ta perish
Togellter, tlrne formed a hydra ofdiscolllent that perhaps flO for naught but 'hefury of'he Fair Folk.

moT1Dl kingtkmrs could have withstood. For thil beast was so BUI the Stout Ones did not fall, as expected. Indeed, they ral-
lied their lorcu and beal back their invaders, routing them so
slow in 'he growing. so subtly worked into the underbellies of utterly that they chased the defeated Elven army across Ihe
both Elfand Dwarf, tJuJt even had 'hey recognized this monster
in their midJt. they wo",ld have been powerless to defeat it. wastes ofthe New Kingdom, and deep into lhat jungle paradise
that all Elves called home.
Another fragment offen a more concrete description of the
War's beginning, in what is now the Old Kingdom. The Dwarves summcned all the strength they had, including
forces best left to other 'ItVOrlds. and grim powen uncontrollable.
In lite New Kingdom did these grea' powen mee' for onefi- Thus assembled with thil despera'e and grim host, the Dwarves
set upon the Golden City of Baalgor, an earthly paradise that
NJ1lYCkmeing ofpeD£e before both were fllmg lteadlong into tlte had never known 'he stain of war or the blot of misery. There
abys3. As lite grrDt CU7Jlia glowered at each otlter. for across did the Dwarves besiege the place. laying waste to its towers,
tlte field tU IMir generalr met and traded 'ItVOrds edged with filling the streets with the blood olthe innocent, just as the Elves
stul. a grea' diltwbturce betwun tlte two hosts drew them into had done in Karin Gealead.
amu. TIte Elves thought they detected a DwaTW!n ambwh head-
ing for the conferent:e tent. while the Dwarves tho",ght to have But again, the Elves rallied, and Ihe DwaTW!n line fell free,
sun ,Ite Elves doing the same. Both nuhed to their generals' back into a ransacked host of lQCJLSU 10 be driven by the s'orm
aid. and met wi,h a 'errible clash ofamu.
wind of Elven voengeance. It wcu this thaI set the stage for the
nick into tlte press did both armies fly. and a day ofhideows
bloodsltetJ waUd tlte earth and split the air with the cries ofthe Final Apocalypse, the Last Reckoning, the Big Thunder. For so
dying. By lite .nut's retreat, tlte field was piled high with the
'0frantic and desperate had the Dwarves become in theirfailed ef-
fallen, and tlte fates oftltese two Empires were sealed.
lorts rid 'he 'ItVOrld of all folk Fair, that they resolved to de-
Actually, the Elf-Dwarf Wu was a series of wars lasting stroy the Elven land once and for all. Thus did they invoice the
many thousands of years. It seems that both sides would take
turns beating the other into retreating, only to have them return a '0Circle of Unmaking, that Ring of Elemental Fury which lurn.s
generation later to renew the fight. This is how the two civiliza-
tions were able to battle so long and SO hard, yet not manage to air to poison and earth to sand and life the void.
utterly ruin each other.

During most of this conflict, the main battleground was the
New Kingdom. DOW known as the Old Kingdom. When the
fiabtins fU'St began. the Elves held the western half of the re-
gioo. extending ail the way to the Bulgor Rainforest and the
Sea of Crystal Waters. The Dwarves held the Eastern half of the
at'eI.r extending aU the way to the New Kingdom Mountains. For
millennia, the waning powers pushed back and forth across this

area. both above and below ground, reducing it all to utter ruin.

Where once stood a field of magnificent Elven cities, now only
rubble littered the ground. The stunning underground chambers
and catacombs of the Dwarves were caved in and shattered.

This is how the war went until its fmal phase, the last wu, in
which both the Elven and Dwarven annies vowed either to de-
stroy the other or destroy themselves in the trying. Whoever
emerged victorious from this final conflict would rule the world.
With such high stakes, the ferocity of the war increased a thou-
sand-fold. with both sides committing unthinkable atrocities.
Genocide, allegiances with infernal powers, and dark treacheries
were all standard weapons to employ against each other, as this
next passage of the Tristine Chronicles explains:

After the last Quiet Time grew old, the War began anew, with
lUlJold savagery and foul in'ent. The Elves and Dwarves met
again in tile sJuJttered WlU'iU of their ancient heartland, now
strewn with tlte wrack and ruin ofcountless clashu. Again did
the two meet, and tire slaughter grew so thick and dolorous thaI
rivoef'S ofwas,ed life sooked 'he earth and ran to the wert, where
it stained the Sea ofCrystal Waters forever Searlet.

From this carnage did the Dwarves fall back. their ranks
pierced by the Elves, who marshaled their mightiest sorcerers to

13

The Dwarves wrought this magic upon the city. first destroy- worse, they would let another war like this reoccur. This is
ing a// that remained of the inner walls. None were spared. <Elf ironic, when one recognizes that many of these same scholars
were probably responsible for destroying the precise records
and Dwarf, innocent and damned. Not one soul did survive that that detailed the Great War and the various, lost magicks used
during it.
most terrible onslaught. and once they had been wrested from
this earth. so 100 did the city fall to sunder. its former glory Of even greater irony is that many of these post-war docu-
stripped away before the winds of ruin. its beauty foret>er de- ments are not considered reliable, and are dismissed by many
filed. scholars and military leaders. The reason for this is that many of
the recountings written during the period of Purification are
But the Blight only began as thw. for once evoked. it could clearly biased - obviously exaggerated and/or slanted one way
nol be controlled, and indeed the jungle paradise becQIM the or another to gel across the many authors' points of view. Many
stage ofreckoning for an entire war 'hat had scarred lhe world. are written as cautionary tales and warnings to future genera·
and made even the gods themselvu turn away from the affairs tions renccling the horror, shame and madness, rather than ac-
ofmortalfolk. The Circle expanded its borders again and again, tual (or reliable) historical details of fact. Equally disturbing,
so for beyond the control of those who has unleashed it. Wood confusing and misleading are the thousands upon thousands of
and field and stream did fall away to the Fury, leaving nOlhing legends, folk tales and lies thai have arisen over the last 6000
behind bul a shattered Desolation that never again would know years concerning everything in the Elf-Dwarf War, from who
the beauty of all things green. of the song of birth, or the bab- started it, alleged events and atrocities, villains and hc;roes, to
bling ofbrooks. For this place was nowandfort!W!r Wasteland. tales of legendary and forgotten magic, losl cilies, haunted ruins,
and a testament to the folly ofthe wicked would it be. alien monsters, dark secrets and the locations of lost treasures,
ancient tomes, ancienl (and presumably accurate) editions of the
lt is said that the Big Thunder wiped out the Golden City of Tris1ine Chronicles and other writings, and ancient artifacts of
Baalgor and gutted the Baalgor Rainforest in just a few, short, historical, religious and magical significance. This makes deter-
terrible hours. The massive damage done from that, according to mining an accurate history aboul the Great War nearly impossi-
ancient texts, seemed to strike a monal blow to both sides, and ble. However, there are a few choice passages attributed to
had long-reaching ramifications that ravaged both Dwarf and various editions of the Tristine Chronicles that are both informa-
Elf hundreds of miles away. Over the next century, what forest tive and trustworthy. One in particular captures the essence of
and people survived perished, as if some dread disease bad in- the horror felt by both sides of this connicl, once they saw the
fected the land. The Rainforest was no more and the great Elven utter destruction it had wrought:
city atomized, the Wastelands serve as a grim reminder of the
folly of war pushed past the line of reason. One must rt!member that both sides escalated the fighting,
just as both ignored the other's refNated pleas for fNace once
The Day After the war had gone too far.

After the great destruction, the world was said to have lived The blame falls on both for the devastation their pride hath
in quiet shame for what had been done. Although it was the wrought; a crime that shall be a long time in the paying. That is
Dwarves who invoked the Circle of Absolute Elemental Power why the gods do not allow the Elfand Dwarf to reign over their
that destroyed the Baalgor Rainforest, the Elves knew in their own kind, and has made them second to Men. Thus. they wander
hearts that they shared the blame for what they had done. They homeless and in shame over a -world that shall never again en-
knew that they had committed their share of atrocities, had treat their visions of greatness. They are the Fallen Ones. lhe
driven the Dwarves to the edge of madness, and, worse, had
they been in the Dwarves' place, they would have done the Broken Ones. and lheir folly must become the wisdom that the
same thing. Age ofMan has yet to learn.

Afterwards, the survivors from both of the shattered empires But this is not the concern ofthe Elfand Dwarf.for they must
vowed that never again would this kind of madness consume the contend with the dark handi-work of their forefathers until the
world, and so began the Millennium ofPurification, where Elves end of time. Fort!W!rmore, theirs is the legacy of a thousand
and Dwarves worked together to destroy all the weapons of the shattered cities, an infinitude ofshattered lives. the decimalion
Elf-Dwarf War, put this unforgettable atrocity behind them the of two great civilizations and the collapse of two races once
best they could, and begin the long, slow process of healing and called noble. For in hate. anger and petty jealowy, they did
rebuilding. Sadly, for both races, this would marie the beginning bring a blight upon this world the likes of which had not been
of a long decline. Decimated, neither would be able to hold onto seen or heard ofsince the time ofthe Drt!aded Old Ones. And so
what little they had, and both empires faded While Elf and the specters of chaos from the days ofold did turn their hearts
Dwarf strongholds remain in the Old Kingdom, most of these to cold stone and cloud their minds with dreams offt!W!red venA
people have joined the world of man and live as equals - work-
ers, warnors, teachers and advisors - among the human na- geance. Born from the womb of hatred, together Elfand Dwarf
tions.
spawned anly war and destruction.
Where there is little history covering the Elf-Dwarf War it-
self, there is an abundance of material describing its aftermath Only when Baalgor became the Wastelands did the remain-
and the beginning of the MiJJennium of Purification. Scholars ing Elves and Dwarves finally understand the horrors they had
believe that this is the result of an entire generation of horrified inflicted upon themselves. and in so doing, on all they toucMd.
and repentant people who felt that if they did not describe the Only then could they see how deeply the sharp and terrible the
horrors of their final war for the benefit of future generations, weapol1S they had forged lhrough hale had cut. Only when the
then surely, someone would believe it never happened, or red soaked earth choked with the blood ofuntold mil/iol1S lost in
but a heartbeat, did the Elfand Dwarfstop to survey lheir hand·

14

iwork. Only then did they recognize the spectral vultures of The Geography of
War, Famine and Pestilence circling overhead, waiting to claim the Baalgor
Wastelands
them. Only then did they weep over the millions ofyou~g and
..
sweet innocents who perished alongside the multitude of war-
riors. Only when everything the blood of the innocent touched .....-').
shrivelled and died, and seas turned red, did the progenitors of
their own destnlction weep and plead to the heavens forforgive- From tbe Journal. of Ry.trom Kbejas:

ness. But their only reply was a hot wind that stung their swol- "Hot, rocky and desolate! Everywhere / travel in these
len eyes. So great was their grief that f!'IIery man, woman and cursed lanth, it is always the same. /t has been anly a manlh,
child ofElfand Dwarf trembled and wept as one. The War was and my travels here hove only started, but already / have been
finally over and in its wah, tM loss ofinnocence and peace. Elf assailed by more bandits, marauders, monsters and animals
and Dv.tarf wouldfo~r bear the stain of their cn·me, just as than / core 10 recall. Yet that being said, by all held holy, it is
the damned heat that shal/ kill me!
the Baalgor Wastelands would stand the test of time as a scar
upon the very earth. A grim reminder of the horron a people "Nowhere else on this world have / seen such a place where
can bring upolt their eMmies, and in so doing. upon themselves. the weather alone is your worst enemy. Just a week ago did /
A SCtUTf!d and ~n land that is said will never heal nor ~r witness a tragedy that could hove been averted, had some sim-
bearfruit untillhe Elfand Dwarfcan find it po.ssible to forgive ple precautions been taun. /n The Free City of Troker / met a
themselves. band of hardy adventurers whose exploits included the slaying
ofthe foul drogon Gordiag and the destnlction ofthe Cornlpted
Cast down from nobility. the folk, both Fair and Strong. Church of/sis, deep within the Western Empire. Yet, thesefool-
thought to make amenth by erasing the horrors they had so hardy heroes laughed offthe dangers ofthe desert, so confident
in their battle seasoned skill and experience that they brought
wantonly unleashed. So it was that Elfand Dwarfwould spend a with Ihem only a meager supply offood and water. None ofthem
purchased native traveJling robes to reflect the sun's heat. Nor
millennium in a futile altempt to cover their sins. And in so d0- did any of them trade their fine Western war horses for desert
animals better mited for travelling over rocky and sandy
ing. wiping from the face of existence the weapons of destruc- ground.
tion, hell-spawn minions and the magicks most foul that had
undone them. And while Ihe Fair and Strong scrambled to pre- ../ left in the same direction as these heroes only three days
serve the future for those who might come to walk in their foot- after they deported Trour. After only a day and a half. / found
steps, their peoples and civilizations slipped farther into nlin, the first of them, the haughty pal/adin named Sir Fuiran. His
allowing Ihe barbarians and monstrow to invade their old king-
doms and tear the last vestiges ofcivilization asunder. skin was cooUd and blistered, and where it lie exposed. was
fused to the edges of his plate and moil, as if the entirety of it
And so the era ofthe Fair and Strong came to a sad end, and
the eyes offate would look upon others to carry the future. Still, had been heated red-hot. and he melted inside. /t seemed Sir
Elf and Dwarfsurvive and tread across the land, no longer the Fuiran hadfallen to one ofthe dreaded Blister Winds that scour
chosen ones, but porI of the masses. And though no longer the
exalted, they walk among men and monsters with wisdom andfi- the Wastelands. Ifonly he had left his heavy armor behind. But
ery convictfon to make this new era shine brighler than any be-
fore it. Afuture that will not make the mistaus ofthe past. in re.fwing to toU it off, it became his coffin.

Fulure Hlslory: The passage above is Iinle more than a
vague summary of the last days of the Great War and what tran-
spired in the thousands years that followed. Still, for many
scholars and sages everywhere, ils spirit and message is clear:
Man must learn from the mistakes of the past and avoid repeat-
ing them. A lesson many fear falls upon deaf ears. It also gives
vivid insight into the hearts and minds of the survivors of the
War, and the tremendous guilt the people of both races endure
to this day.

However, it sheds little factual light upon this legendary and
epic period of history. Since so much of factual history is lost
and can not be found. accurately portraying and quantifying the
Elf-Dwarf War poses a challenge of mind-boggling proportions.
Understanding how this War got so out of hand, the reasoning
behind it and uncovering the underlying ttuths and details haunt
most historians. Some are absolutely obsessed by it, and some
arc willing to risk everything in search of the ttuth. If the old
saying. "the truth shall set you free" is a ttuisrn, there are those
who believe the truth about the Elf-Dwarf War could set the Pal-
ladium World free from future war and self-destruction. It is a
romantic dream. to be sure, but it is one many consider worth
pursuing.

15

'The second body tllrned lip a day afterwards, along the () .'
r
same trai/. This was Sister MakeU, who had asSllred me days be-
,~)
fore that once their band discovered the ruins ofthe Golden City
ofBaalgor, she wollld relllrn to the Timiro Kingdom and be pro-
moted to High Priestess of her Church of Light. Alas, it aJr
peared Sister Makell had skipped the High Priestesshood, and
was promoted directly to celestial service. as they say. Her body
laid twisted and broken along one of the many riverbed chan-
nels crisscrossing the wastelands. Apparently, the party had
been walking in one ofthese to take advantage ofthe shade they
offer. when a sudden thunderstorm dumped several inches of
water on the baked earth. Unable to absorb the water. it allfun-
neled into the nearest erosion chonnel. catching the party un-
aware in a flash flood. Perhaps the other members mode it out.
Sister MaJceU certainly did not. It looked like she was caught by
the to"ent of rushing water. I suspect she was dashed against
the side of the channel or a bolllder, knocked unconscious and
drowned. Very sad. Rest in peace, holy one. I'm sllre your deity
has a special place set aside for you.

"I never found the bodies of the others, but as I entered the
stony desert region. I passed an Eandroth caravan that offered
to seU me what I believe were some oftheir belongings. It seems
the Eandroth found a party of advenlllrers dead at their camJr
site. It was unclear if they died ofthirst or perished in a sudden
night freeze. It would be hard to lay. since they probably were
not preparedfor either.

"I thanked the Eandroth traders for the opporlllnily to sam-
ple their wares. but I decided against buying any ofthe items of
fered me. /t seemed a shame for such valiant heroes to meet
such an inauspicious end, and wrong of me to profit from their
demise. Furthermore, being somewhat superstitious myself. /
feared that if/carried the faUen heroes' possessions with me, /
might meet a simi/ar end. Or worse, be haunted by their spirits.
Ghosts are said to be commonplace in the Wastelands. and /
saw no reason to bring their allention to me or to tempt fate.

"/t now being many years after thefoct. and having survived
my sojourn through the Wastelands. / wish / took the EandTOth
up on their offir. Some of the things they were selling were
rather nice. And after aU. it wasn't liu their previollS owners
needed them any longer. "

Desert Climates

The mosl dangerous thing about the Baalgor Wastelands is
the environment itself. Composed mainly of deserts and
parched, dusty grasslands, this is perhaps the hottest and driest
environment in the Palladium world.

When people think of deserts. they often think of the huge
sand dunes of the Sahara, but this is only one kind of desert.
Death Valley in the U.S. Is covered with scrub-brush in many
places. Likewise. much of the Middle East is covered with

plains of broken rock and stone. and nearly the entire surface of
Mars, a desert planet, is covered with a mix of sand, soil and
rock. Such terrains are generally referred to as "stony deserts."
Parched and cracked earth covered in stones of varying size,
from boulders to pebbles. Such desert may give way to buttes
and even rocky deserts where the topsoil has blown away and
the wind has eroded the bedrock into columns of stones, can-
yons and strange configurations. These stony and rocky deserts

are sprinkled with scraggly patches of drought resistant grass, quarts (one gallon) of water in desert conditions. And those over
thorny bushes and desert plants. 15 feet (4.6 m) tall will require quadrople the human amount (i.e
two gallons).
All deserts share one characteristic: a serious lack of water.
Water is the root of al1life, and without it, it is very hard for a Small humanoids, like gnomes and goblins, require only half
place to support a wide range of plant or animal life. Deserts the amount of water per day that normal-sized humanoids re-
usually have some kind of water supply, they just have very lit· quire. That means they only need to drink one quart of water a
tie of it. Desert animals and peoples find ways to adapt to this, day while in the Baalgor Wastelands.
but for visitors, this causes serious hardships, and a lack of un-
derstanding about the desert can be deadly. In addition, races and animals "native" or accustomed to the
Baalgor Wastelands, such as Eandroths, Gromeks and
What follows are some considerations regarding desert Minotaurs, also require only half the normal amount of water
travel. that "outsiders" not accustomed to desert conditions require.
This is because these races have, over time, acclimatized to the
Water Consumption extreme heat and dryness of the region, and their bodies natu·
rally conserve water much more efficiently than humans, elves
If one is going to survive in the desert, he is going 10 need and most other people.
water, and lots of it. Most humans can go for weeks without
food if they have to, but can only last three or four days, tops, Finding.water where
without water. And that's just sitting still. Somebody who is
particularly active (Le., running, walking, fighting, or perfonn· there appears to be none
ing heavy manual labor) can dehydrate him- or herself beyond
the point of no return within a day. Heat, wind and lack of shade Compounding the need for water is the fact that it is scarce in
also contribute to the problem of dehydration in a desert envi- this region. Travelers can go for days over the sand, parched,
ronment. dusty earth and rock without seeing so much as a puddle or
spring. Tiny amounts of water might condense on one's gear
In the Baalgor Wastelands, having adequate water supplies is overnight, but it is an insufficient amount to live on; scarcely
crilical to all adventurers. For game pwposes, normal-sized hu- more than a sip. Furthermore, even if one is laden with full wa·
manoids must consume a minimum of two quarts of water a day ter skins, he or she probably won't get much farther than a week
or become dehydrated, double if involved in strenuous activity to 10 days in the open desert on that alone. So, how does one
like combat, running or hard labor. survive in the middle of the Baalgor Wastelands? Many don't.
Those who do either rely on magic,the drinking of blood (often
Dehydrated characters have all combat bonuses and number humanoid blood) or the life~giving chsuba root.
of attacks per melee reduced by half. Sustained dehydration (for
more than 24 hours in desert conditions) results in the character Tbe cbsubl pllnt is a hardy, scraggly-looking weed indige-
losing 25% of his total hit points. Reduce Hit Points by an addi- nous to the Baalgor Wastelands. Although there are places
tional 20010 for each subsequent 24 hour period without at least where a small variety of cactus plants can be found, and water
one quart of water. After 12 hours, characters will have lost 65% extracted from them, the chsuba is the only plant found through-
of their total hit points, plus speed will be reduced by 90%, at- out the Wastelands. In the most desolate and arid areas (easily
tacks/actions per melee round are reduced to one per round, and representing 60% of the entire region), one can usually find
104+1 chsuba roots growing per square mile of territory (10·30
the suffering characters have no initiative and no combat b0- times that in some places). Thus, if player characters are skilled
at outdoor foraging, they can find enough water to live on indef-
nuses of any kind! After 96 hours, Hit Points are down by 85% initely. The trick is finding it. Chsuba roots have virtually no
and if the dehydrated characters do not each get at least two aboveground growth, other than a scraggly weave of what ap-
quarts of water within the next 1D6 hours, they each fall into a pears to be a small clump of dried out vine that blends in with
coma. After that, unless they get at least two quarts of water in their dusty surroundings; making them easy to miss. Further-
the next 24 hours, hit points drop to 306 points below zero and more, those without any knowledge of the plant would most cer-
they die. tainly assume it is nothing more than a bit of dead, dried out
scrub and walk right past it without a second thought.
These requirements are just for characters doing nonnal ac-
tivity, such as walking, talking, exploring, etc. If the characters Those who know about the root, and make a successful Wil-
spend more than four hours of the day perfonning rigorous ac- derness Survival skill roll at -20%, will be able to successfully
tivity such as fighting, running, heavy manual labor, elc., then locate a chsuba root. Once found, all one needs to do is dig up
their water requirements for that day will be doubled. the root and feast. The bulbous meat of the root contains
roughly two quarts of water (enough for a nonnal-sized human-
To fully recover from dehydration, players must drink two
extra quarts of water for each day they have gone without drink- oid to live on for a day), which is easily squeezed from it. Or,
ing any. They cannot drink all that extra water at once, though. the succulent root can be eaten raw. It has the consistency of a
They need to drink it over the course of the next 48 hours. With juicy, but fibrous grapefruit and a good taste, providing both
rest and proper hydration, a full recovery is made at roughly the water and nourishment. The knuckle joints of the dry vine por-
same rate as the dehydration; meaning if a character suffered de- tions contain the actual seeds, so discarding this inedible portion
hydration for three days, complete Hit Points, speed, bonuses allows the plant to regrow in the dry earth. As one might expect,
and abilities are restored in three days (basically reverse the de· this plant is a dietary staple of many Wastelanders.
hydration process).

Water requirements for giant-sized humanoids, such as ogres,
trolls and Wolfen, are double those of normal-sized humanoids.
So, your average giant·sized humanoid needs to drink four

17

Other sources of waler In the Waslelands. The cactus is Players and a.M.s alikc must remember the incredible heat

surprisingly rare in the Baalgor Wastelands. Only a small. vari· and dryness of the Baalgor deserts. Although not as far to the

ety of large and small cactus plants can be found from time to south as the Yin-Sloth jungles, the Wastelands are hot and dry,

time. These dense, thick plants can be cut open and a drinkable and, except for the occasional boulder or rock pillar juning from

liquid drained or squeezcd from its mcaty body. However, this the land, there is no shade. The heat and dryness is as much due

"water" has a bittcr and unpleasant taste, and the meat of the to the area's latitude as it is to the mountains that surround it,

plant is not usually cdiblc (cating it causes nausea and stomach keeping away clouds and rainfall. While open to the sea, most of

cramps; reduce anacks per melee round by one, and combat 00.. the stonns that come from the Sea of Scarlet Waters dissipate

nuses by one point). over the coastline, leaving the interior of the region high and,

Other plant life such as scrub (short bushes, vines and weeds) dry. And when stonns do make it to the interior, the blasted land
and drought resistant desen grass found in the stony desen r~· is so baked that the water just runs off and drains away, leaving

gions offer no means of extracting water or nourishment to hu· the arca ncarly as dry after a rain, as it was before. And finally,

mans. Even horses and animals that can eat such plants will gct the magical holocaust that created this region, the activation of

only a minimal and insufficient amount of water from them. an out-of-control Circle of Absolute Elemental Power, initially

The occasional and rare oasis of grass, flowering plants, depleted the region of all plant life and evaporated all surface
bushes andlor small cluster of short (often scraggly) trees offers water. Since then, the Baalgor Wastelands have remained an ex·
(comparatively) cool shade and soft grass, but rarely any appar· panse of dry, dusty, wind·swept flatlands and deserts, and they
ent source of water (i.e. rarely an obvious pond or spring; only will likely slay that way forever.
one in ten will have a small pond on the surface or well made by
nomads). What it does offer is a variety of game (mainly birds, In the spring and summer, the Wastelands range tram 85 to
lizards, rodents, snakes and insects) that is likely to live or hunt 100 degrees Fahrenheit (29·38 C)~uring the day, and down to
in this patch of green. If the time of year is right, and one's luck 50 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10-16 C) at night. These "hot
holds out, there may be a small amount of fruit (namely rasp- times," as locals call thc hours of daylight, tend to increase
berry and strawberry types). However, what such an oasis of life one's need for water, since just sitting still can cause one to
represents is some source of water, typically an underground sweat to the point of dehydration. Things aren't as bad in the fall
stream. Characters with the ability of dowsing and those with and winter when temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees
the Wilderness Survival skill (at -30%) may be able to dig into Fahrenheit (21·27 C) during the day and down to freezing at
the ground and get water to puddle up. While this water will be night. This is the time the locals jokingly refer to as the "rainy
season," because maybe five or ten inches of rain will fall on the

brown and gritty with din, it will taste like nectar to those dying region during a six·month period. Cunning desen survivors of-

ofthirsl. ten craft ways to catch this rain and store it for later, while inex·
Magic is one's only other hope for acquiring water in the perienced travelers may pass such opportunities by.

parched Baalgor Wastelands. The ability to Summon Rain, Cre· The heat ofthc Baalgor Wastelands makes il seem like one is
ate a Circle of Rain, Create Water or Ice, tum other Liquids to traveling and adventuring in a blast furnace. Just wearing c1olh-

Water (for examplc, wine and other alcohol causes dehydration, ing and a light load can become a difficult task or at least an an-
so drinking them hurts rather than helps. But if one could tum a noyance. Normal, non-strenuous activity, such as walking or
bottle or skin of wine into precious water ...), or the ability to light manual labor can only be continued for half an hour per
summon air or water clementals who can find or create such point of Physical Endurance (p.E.) above 8. Thus, an adventurer
things can mean the difference between life and death. Conse· with a P.E. of 14 can walk or work lightly for three hours
quently, the services of Water Warlocks are highly valued, and straight at a time before suffering from heat exhaustion or need·

to a much lesser degree, Air Warlocks and Summoners. ing to rest and rehydrate.

Note: As long as there is a spark of life, the Restoration spell Adventurers performing strenuous activity, such as a forced
will instantly heal and restore victims of dehydration. However, march, combat or heavy lifting or work (this includes wearing

Healing Touch, magic potions of healing, and similar healing any suit of armor or equipment weighing more than SO
magic and psionics have only the most minimal effect on people pounds/22.6 kg), can only go on for IS minutes per point ofP.E.
suffering from dehydration - one Hit Point per spell, potion or above 8. So, the same adventurer with a P.E. of 14 can only run,
touch. Enough, perhaps, to survive an extra day pro~ided one fight or perform otherwise strenuous activity for about an hour
has the benefit of eight or ten such supernatural healings. Of and a half at a time.

course, resistance to heat, thirst and exhaustion are also helpful Extremely strenuous activities, such as heavy or prolonged

in delaying the inevitable, but even these characters ultimately fighting or running at an all-tilt sprint, can only be done for one

still suffer from the accumulative effects of dehydration and minute per P.E. point.

heat exhaustion. Once the character has gone for such a period he will need to

Heat Exhaustion rest. The only way to avoid tiring out quickly is to take frequent
rest stops and drink plenty of non·alcoholic fluids. Water and

More than one "civilized" adventurer has perished from fruit juices are ideal. If a person rests for ten minutcs every

overexenion and strength sapping heat. Fools who attempt a hour, they can remain active for 8·10 hours before needing to

forced march in full armor under the noon sun quickly boil in stop and rest for al least 2-4 hours. Pushing oneself will eventu-

their own sweat. Included here are some guidelines for what ally cause the character to drop to the ground, physically ex·

precautions player characters will have to take to keep from ac- hausted (half speed, anacks per melee round, skill performance

cidentally cooking themselves to death. ,. and combat bonuses). Note: Only desen folk who have lived in

the Wastelands all their lives are better acclimated to the envi- Moreover, the type of terrain they are moving over also has a se-
ronment and can remain active for twice as long with half-the rious impact on how far and how fast one can move. Walking or
rest time. ridIng on a flat, smooth surface like a paved road or grassy plain
is one thing. Walking or riding on uneven, unstable, or vegeta-
Wearing Heavy Armor tion-covered terrain is something else entirely.

Besides forcing characters to drink lots of water and seek the In general, the Baalgor Wastelands doesn't have any terrain
shade, the hot, dry climate of the Baalgor Wastelands also that is good to walk or ride on, so going anywhere in this region
makes it rather uncomfortable for anybody to wear heavy annor probably will take longer than the characters are used to. Given
there. Anyone wearing non-magical annor weighing 50 pounds the ex.tra amounts of water one must carry to drink while travel·
(22.6 kg; add 20 pounds/9 kg for giant-sized annor) or more ing the Wastelands, as well as the greater likelihood of hostile
suffers the penalties listed on page 270 of the P.U.dium F.D- random encounters, and bad weather, any extra time spent out in
lay RPG under "annor restrictions." Men of Anns will have the wild puts the adventurers at added risk. G.M.s, try to keep
this in mind when your players are travelling great distances
their movement halved, and penalties of -2 to parry and dodge. across the Baalgor Wastelands. This isn't like a long stroll in the
park. This is traveling through a hostile environment, and you
Non-Men of Anns will have their penalties doubled! This means should consider making it so that any sensible player will think
that movement is only 25% regular and the character is -4 to twice before attempting a long overland journey within this re-
parry and dodge. In addition, the character will have to take fre· gion. 'Nuffsaid!
quent, short rests due to fatigue. (See the previous section for
notes on this.) Nole: Heavy annor in the desert also doubles the The following are some guidelines for travel rates and re-
rale at which one sinks into deep, soft sand. strictions for each of the main areas of Ihe Baalgor Wastelands;
The Rocky Coastline, the Stony Desert, the Sandy Desert, the
Rocky Desert and the Baalgor Mountains.

Rocky Coastline

Traveling on foot: The expanses of cracked, uneven, and
slippery rock hinder most overland travel along the coast. The
fastest rate of lravel here is about four miles (6.4 km) an hour.
Traveling at a leisurely pace will cover one and a half miles (2.4

Ian) per hour.
Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by 15% to 25%

for most humanoids, 40% for humanoids under four feet (1.2 m)
tall, and 5% for giants over 15 feet (4.6 m) tall.

Traveling Q!! horseback: The top speed here is about 20 miles
(32 Ian) an hour at full gallop, but there is a 30010 chance of
stumbling, throwing a shoe or other injury. 15 miles (24 \un) an
hour is a brisk bUI safe pace. A leisurely pace would be only 10
miles (16 km) an hour, or slower.

Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by 25% for
most horses and riding animals.

Traveling Q!! SHonar, camel. Q! olher desert animal: These
creatures are more suited for the dry desert regions, not the wet-
ter, grassy coastal area. The rales and restrictions of travel for
desert animals in this area are the same as for hoofed animals.
The Speed Modifiers are also the same.

Stony Desert

Travelling Over Desert Terrain Traveling on foot: This terrain is made difficult by the blan·
ket of small to medium-sized stones covering the surface every-
The Speed attribute of humanoid characters and animals typi- where. This gravel covering makes it difficult to get good
cally measures how fast they can run in a full-out sprint. Run- traction or to maintain one's balance. Characters can maintain a
ning full·tilt like this is very tiring and can only be perfonned maximum walking speed of 6 miles (9.6 Ian) per hour, but this
for a few minutes (generally, one minute for every point of P.E. is fairly dangerous. For each hour of travel al this speed, charac-
unless otherwise noted). When walking or riding an animal for ters have a 01-30% chance of slipping and falling (104 damage)
long distances, characters will move at much slower speeds. and/or twisting or spraining their ankle (204 damage and reduce
speed by 200/0). Approximately three, possibly four miles (4.8 to
19 6.4 km) per hour at a brisk pace, or one or two miles (1.6 to 3.2
Ian) at a leisurely pace and no risk of stumbling and hurting

oneself.

Speed Modifiers: Maltimum speed is reduced by 20%-30%
for most humanoids, 400/0·50% for humanoids under four feet
(1.2 m) tall, and 10%-20010 for giants over 15 feel (4.6 m)tall.

Traveling on horseback: The stony ground cover of this land the most part, travelers are forced to balance on the edges of
makes it especially hazardous for boofed or long-legged animals sharp stones or wedge their feet in uncomfortably narrow
of any kind. Riding at a full gallop on sucb terrain is impossible, crevices just to get a foothold, much less move around quickly
since the animal will certainly fall and break a leg or get seri- and comfortably. Furthennore, there are places where pillars of
ously injuredlkilled after only 1D6 minutes of moving at full granite rise up from the ground to create hiding places for preda-
speed. Maximum rate of sustained travel is 12 miles (19.3 km) tory animals and bandits waiting in ambush. Maximum rate of
per hour, but this is almost certain (7S%) to result in the animal travel here is just one or two miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) an hOUT, with
stumbling, falling and coming up lame, and/or throwing the rests required every two hours or so. At a more leisurely pace,
rider after an hour of riding at such a pace. The fastest safe pace characters might cover less than a mile per hour.
is 6 miles (9.6 km) an hour.
~ Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by SOO/O-6001O
Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by Soo/0-7oo4 for most humanoids, 60%-800/0 for humanoids under four feet
for most horses and riding animals. (1.2 m) tall, and 300/0·50% for giants over IS feet (4.6 m) tall.

Traveling on Silonar, camel. or other desert animal: Most Traveling on horseback: Horses and other such riding ani·
desert animals do not have the trouble navigating this land that mals will prefer to avoid the Rocky Desert and Bulgor Moun-
horses tend to have. Desert animals can run at 12 miles (19.3 tains due to the extremely unstable, rocky, andlor treacherous
km) per hour, and only have a 01-100/0 chance of falling or hurt- terrain. Riding through this area is slow and exhausting for
ing themselves for each hour of travel. The fastest speed without long-legged animals. S-7 miles (8-11.2 km) per hour is astound-
fear of stumbling is 9 miles (l4.S kin) per hour. A leisurely pace ing, but 1-3-miles (1.6-4.8 km) an hour is much mor;e realistic.
would be Smiles (8 km) per hour. Unless travelling a worn, relatively clear path (roughly equal to
traveling a stony desert), these arc dangerous places for an ani-
Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by 200/0 for mal so large and heavy, with a chance of the horse getting stuck
most desert animals. in a narrow rocky passageway, slipping and falling off a preci-
pice, or slipping on the steep, rocky ground and breaking a leg.
Sandy Desert The chance for such a calamity is 01-20%; roll for every
half-hour of travel; Ol-SO% chance every 10 minutes if a fast
Traveling on foot: The deep, relatively soft sand of this area pace is forced. Sometimes the rider must get off his mount and
makes it difficult for travelers to get any sort of traction; this is lead it by the reins, walking.
especially true of hoofed animals. The maximum walking speed
for humanoids is 3-S miles (4.8 Ian) an hour at a brisk pace, Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by 7S% for
with a S-IO minute rest necessary every hour. Travelers can most horses and riding arumals. Note: Some areas of the Rocky
cover two miles (3.2 kin) an hour at a more leisurely pace, and Desert and Bulgor Mountains are too steep, narrow or treacher-
only have to stop for a 5-10 minute rest break every four hours. ous for riding animals.

Speed Modifiers: Maximum running speed is reduced by Traveling 2n Silonar, camel, 2!: other desert animal: The
300/0 for most humanoids, SOO/o for humanoids under four feet
(1.2 m) tall, and 10% for giants over 15 feet (4.6 m) tall. travel rates and regulations for desert animals are the same as
for horses and other long-legged riding animals. These creatures
Traveling on horseback: Approximately 24 miles (38.4 km) are not used to this kind of environment, and they will be rather
an hOUT at full gallop but there's a 01·15% chance of the horse reluctant to enter it.
stumbling or falling without injuring itself (loses initiative, 1D4
melee actions getting up, and must start running again, plus the Speed Modifiers: The Silonar is -500/0, while gryphon5, the
animal is likely to throw its rider when falling). 18 miles (28.8 sphinx and other feline animals arc -20%.
km) an hour at a brisk but reasonable pace; 10 miles (16 Ian) an
hour at a leisurely pace. Some Notes Concerning

Speed Modifiers: Maximum speed is reduced by 20% for Riding Animals
most horses, mules and other hoofed riding animals.
Hones. The kind of food fed to a horse also makes a differ-
Traveling on Silonar, camel, or other desert animal: 36 miles ence in the rate of travel. Contrary to what many garners may
(S7.6 km) an hour at full run, but this pace is extremely punish- think, a horse is not a lawn mower with legs. A horse can eat
ing for the animals, and it will kill them after an hour. A brisk grass, weeds and other vegetation, but it takes a much longer
but reasonable pace is 24 miles (38.6 Ian) an hour. A leisurely time for it to digest such foods and therefore, the horse can not
pace is 16 miles (25.7 kin) and hour. function at full capacity. A horse on a varied diet of oats, grass
and hay will move 10% slower. A horse on a steady diet of
Speed Modifiers: None. These creatures are truly in their ele- grass andlor hay will run a full 2S% slower because such food
ment, here in the Sandy Desert. just is not as nutritional or filling. It would be like you or I liv-
ing just on bread and water; it would keep us alive, but with
Rocky Desert & tbe Boolgor Mountains very little energy. On the other hand, a diet of oats, barley and
other grains, though more expensive, will help keep the animal
Traveling on foot: The rate of travel for this area is very slow healthy and operating at top efficiency. Grooming and proper
in the Rocky Desert, because of the thick fields of sharp, jagged, watering are also important for the horse or pony's well-being.
uneven rocks covering the ground, and broken by giant boul- (Note: The tenn "pony" refers to an Appaloosa-type pony, not a
ders, bunes and rocky outcroppings. Shallow canyons, buttes child's miniature riding animal).
and narrow, winding passageways, hills, cliffs and ledges to are
commonplace as one nears the Bulgor Mountains. Navigating
the blU'T'Cn mountains is even more treacherous. Occasionally,
there is a spot where moving about is both easy and safe, but for

20

DraybackJ are the ultimate desert pack animal. Although

slow and dim-wined, a Drayback's ability to work tirelessly for

long hours with little to no food or water makes them ideal for

the rigorous demands of the Baalgor Wastelands. Draybacks

will eat almost anything, from scrubby grasses to small animals.

Native wastelanders often feed them a mixture of chsuba roots

and dried game animals. Draybacks also require little to no

grooming, and they only need to rest for 4-.5 hours a day. How-

ever, if a Drayback's rider subjects his steed to extended (sev-

eral weeks) periods of thirst, the animal will eventually seek out

water on it's own. Since Draybacks can smell water (including

chsuba roots) from a mile (1.6 kin) away, this can lead to the

creature deviating from the path desired by it riders, regardless

of prodding to the contrary, or to the animal wandering off on its

own to find water (most will return after getting their fill).

Given the slow speed at which a Drayback moves, this can

cause a considerable delay.

SUOIIan are the only conunonly used carnivorous steeds in
the Baalgor Wastelands, but their all-meat diet makes them

problematic. Whereas other animals might be able to graze (slim

pickings in this part of the world), SiloIW'S must eat at least one
quarter their body weight in meat every 3-.5 days. In the wild,

Silonars often prey on Draybacks, camels, lizards, snakes, rab-
bits, rodents and even horses, livestock. and lone humanoids. As

a riding animal, a Silonar's keeper must keep his animal

well-fed. Failure to do so will decrease the animal's perfor-

mance (it will run 2.5% slower and be at -3 to strike, parry and

dodge until it is fully fed). Worse, it makes them more irritable,

aggressive, and uncontrollable than usual.

After going three days without food, a Silonar's rider will re-

ceive a - I 0010 modifier, and will lose all bonuses to his Horse-

manship: Exotic abilities as they pertain to the Silonar at hand.

For each subsequent day the Silonar goes hungry, an additional

·10010 modifier applies to the rider's Horsemanship: Exotic skill.

After seven days of fasting, Silonars become extremely unpre- Rock Buzzers are like Silonars in that they eat mostly meat
dictable and uncontrollable, with a 01-75% chance of breaking
free to seek out any kind of food, sometimes starting with its and that they become uncontrollable if they aren't fed regularly.
rider! For each subsequent day beyond this point, the Silonar is Unlike a Silonar, which will continue to run and fight 8t reduced
likely to go into a "hunger frenzy." The likelihood increases efficiency for a while before it freaks out or dies of hunger,
10% with each passing day. After 14-17 days of hunger, the ani- Rock Buzzers will simply find their own food the moment they
mal is likely to attack just about anything, including an armed become hungry. This is not a good thing if one is on their back
camp, grabbing either the closest or most wlnerable looking at the time, especially if trying to flee an area. Rock buzzers
only require 15% of their body weight in meat every three days,
victim. A pack of hunger crazed wild animals (thankfully a rare and considering their low overall weight, it's not hard to keep

occurrence) will dare to invade a caravan or even a town in an these guys well fed. However, since they wil1literally fly ofT in
attempt to find food, and will fight till slain or until they can nee search of food the moment they feel hungry, many riders over-
with prey clutched between their teeth. Under such conditions, feed their mounts to play it safe. There is a risk to this, too, be-
the rest of the pack may resort to cannibalism, tearing apart slain cause Rock Buzzers are too stupid not to overeat, so they will
or seriously injured members of their own party. A horrific sight devour whatever is fed to them. If a Rock Buzzer eats more than
to be sure. 33% its body weight within a 24-hour period, it becomes slug-
gish and uncooperative and may fall ill. Sick Rock Buzzers Oy
Some Eandroth and members of the monster races feed their

dumb and vicious Silonar mounts enemies slain in combat; at .50010 their nonnal speed, lose all bonuses, and can only fly for
sometimes even killing captives and slaves to feed their animals. an hour or two before tiring and needing three to four hour's rest

While this can be an effective (and arguably inexpensive) food - they like to sleep and lay around for 36+206 hours after

source, Silonars fed humanoids on a regular basis will develop a gorging. Extend this period by 8+206 hours for every 10%
taste for them and can become "man-eaters" when let loose or abo~ 33% of their body weight. These gluttonous animals can
escape their master. Nok: A Silonar can survive without food, devour as much as their body weight at a single sining if al-
lowed to.
at a diminished capacity, for up to 4.5 days (Hit Points, speed, at-

tacks per melee, damage and combat bonuses are all reduced by

half; S.D.C. is completely gone as the creature is dying from

starvation).

21

Eagle. Magic Portal, Teleport and others. enable practitioners of
magic to travel from one place to the other via magic spells, cir-
cles. scrolls or other magic items. These modes of transportation
are comparatively uncommon and nol typically available to the
average person. Likewise, there are psionic powers that can help
one survive and overcome the Wastelands.

Travel by Wagon or Coach Flying: Riding on top of a flying animal, like a Pegasus.
Gryphon. or Rock Buzzer, or flying by means of a spell or mag-
Wagons and coaches are generally limited to smooth, flat ter- ical enchantment (flying carpet, etc.), can be one of the best'
rain, such as grasslands, lowlands, trails and roads. Speed is lim- ways 10 travel across the hmh environmenl Ihat is the Baalgor
ited by the weight and number of horses drawing the vehicle. As Wastelands. It is fasl, easy, and low-maintenance. but comes
a rule of thumb, it is safe to assume that a single animal pulling with its own set of problems and concerns. One is expense. Un-
a wagon will travel 50%·80010 slower than when carrying a sin- less a characler is a practitioner of magic himself, getting even
gle rider on its back. A team of animals pulling the same wagon
share the weight and can move faster, but will still be 10%-30% limited magical flight can be expensive. Even spell casters must
slower than travelling by horseback. Furthennore, the other be careful not to expend so much P.P.E. on flying as to be inef-
members of the team can only go as fast as the slowest horse on fective or helpless in case of trouble later. Another is the fact
the team, as well as being restrained by the weight of their load. that a large flying humanoid can be seen coming from a great
Pulling a wagon at full speed may also cause the wagon to tip distance (at least a mile or two) unless concealed by cloud cover
over and break (01-42% chance). (rare in the desert) or flying low to the ground. Reckless flying
can also claim many lives, especially those who are enjoying the
Cenain environments in the Baalgor Wastelands, such as the power of flight for the ftrst time and either can nOI control their
Baalgor Mountains, and the Sandy Desert (under certain condi- movement or can not control their urges 10 "hal rod. tt Mid-air
tions) are impassable to wagons and coaches. The wagon simply collisions and crash-landings can be fatal. So can a~ks by air-
can nol funclion in such an environment and will seriously borne predators, such as Perytons and dragons, among others
break or get stuck wilhin ID4 minutes of trying. The dried-out (nol to mention bandits and hostile nalives wielding spears,
riverbeds Ihat crisscross the Baalgor Wastelands actually pro-- bows and arrows or magic).
vide Ihe perfect terrain for wagons and coaches. very similar in
effect 10 paved roads. However, taking a wagon or coach into a Atmospheric conditions, like fog, smoke, dust stonns, and
river channel is 10 flirt with death, since a flash flood could cloudy or slonny weather, can impede flying and make it dan-
wash away any vehicles before their user could possibly hoist gerous (try staying aloft when you're getting hit by lightning
them up and out of danger from the surging walers (unless. of bolts from every direction, or to see where one is going while
course, the wagon driver was a mage or psionic who could levi- blinded by clouds of pelting sand). Likewise, flying low to the
tate objects). Likewise, riding along cracked and dry earth or ground may require the flier to slow down in order to weave in
slony desert is doable. bUI consists of constantly bouncing and and around canyons, rock fonnations, buttes and such, espe-
wobbling, making the ride incredibly uncomfortable. In addi- cially in the rocky desert and mountain regions. Coastal stonns,
tion, Ihe odds of breaking a wheel. getting stuck or having an sandslonns, tornados, strong winds and blistering heat can all
animal come up lame are greatly increased. The usual limits ap- ground fliers. Plus, the air over the Wastelands gets really hot,
ply when traversing such inhospitable terrain. so one can not escape the oppressive heat even when flying with
a breeze in his face. The wind may feel comforting, but the heat
Nole: In all cases, riding across the dry blistered earth of the and burning rays of the sun are still pounding down from on
Baalgor Wastelands will always create a cloud of dust, even high, causing dehydration, fatigue, and so on. In fact, flying
when traveling at relatively slow speeds. Anything more than a higher than 400 or 500 feet (122 to 152 m) becomes unbearable,
walking pace will raise dusl clouds. and ruMing even at half with temperatures as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 C)!
speed will send them billowing in Ihe air and visible for at least
two miles (3.2 Ian). Furthennore, flying over the Baalgor Wastelands does not
mean one avoids the perils of the inhabitants of this hoslile land.
Methods of Magic Travel Flying at any altitude makes the flyer vulnerable to sharp-eyed
aerial predators like hungry Rock Buzzers, Perytons, Vema, and
Of course, in a world of magic there are always alternatives even dragons. Flying low to the ground makes the flyer a target
to conventional means of travel. Magic spells such as Fly as the of monsters, humanoid bandits and hostile tribes of monster
races (goblins, orcs, ogres, trolls, etc.). Volleys of slung rocks,
arrows, javelins and spears fired from marauders on the ground
can easily injure or bring down fliers. Anybody who looks like
they're flying by magical means is always ajuicy target for ban-
dits and marauders.

Navigating from the air is more difficult than most people
imagine, too. Ground dwelling creatures like humans are not ac-
customed to an aerial perspective or fmding their bearings from
up high. As a result, they are easily disoriented when flying in
the air. One tends to loose their sense of time, speed of travel,
direction and distance, especially when flying high, up in the

22

clouds. This is even worse for underground beings like given area here can expect a serious sand stonn (lasting
Dwarves, Kobolds and Goblins who often get "air sick" (i.e. feel 3D6x I0 minutes, sometimes twice as long) at least once every
a bit frightened, nauseous and dizzy, and may need to stop peri-
odically to vomit) when flying. As a result, Land Navigation 10 days. Under most circumstances, sand storms blind whoever
and any other navigation skills, while flying, are -20-/, during walks through them, obscure paths, trails and landmarks and
the day and -30010 at night (-250/, and 30% for subterranean
folk). Reduce the penalty to only -10% if flying low to the even hann exposed flesh with the pelting sand. Penalties: Trav-
ground (SO feet/IS m or lower). elers caught in a sand stonn will have their visibility cut down
to a minuscule ID4 yards/meters, their movement is reduced by
One of the most common problems among flyers is that they 1001., the Land Navigation and Tracking skills are rendered ab-
often assume because they are "flying over" the WastelandS solutely useless, sense of direction is lost. sound is obscured by
they don't need to bring as many provisions with them. Hey, the wind and claner of the sand (shouting rMge is about 10
why load yourself with all that water when you can fly back to feet13 m), and the eyes, nose and mouth must be covered, other-
town and get some more tomorrow, right? Most do not realize wise the blowing sand and grit .will get in them and blind the
they suffer the effects of the heat (and wind) to the same degree
as those on the land and need water to keep cool and bydrated eyes (lakes 1D4 minutes to rinse them clear with water and re-
- there is no shade in the sky. Fwthennore. more than one ad-
venturer following sucb shallow wisdom bas perished when cover one's vision) and choke those breathing the stuff (causes
conditions did DOt permit him to fly back to wbere extra provi- coughing and gagging).
sions could be bad. Or wben heat exhaustion made it impossible
Furthermore, the pelting sand and debris stings, especially
to fly or, in some cases, even cast spells! against unprotected flesh, inflicting one point of S.D.C. damagt:
per 10 minutes until they reacb shelter - shelter can be a tent.
The wisdom behind all this is, just because flying is faster wagon. crate, boulder, or village hut to covering oneSelf with
extra clothing or a blanket. protecting one's head and face and
and seemingly more efficient. it doesn't make traveling in the hiding behind bis riding animal or curling up like a ball (moving
from time to time to avoid gening buried if the sand begins to
Baalgor Wastelands any less hazardous. blow and drift too deep).

Bad Weather In the sandy desert region, sand storms are especially lethal.
Here, the average stonn lasts for SD6x I 0 minutes. Anyone
Outdoor adventuring just isn't complete without bad weather. caught in one of these has their visibility reduced to zero (can
And in the Bulgor Wastelands, the weather is as harsh as the barely see their hand in front of their face), their movement is
coldest Northern winters or the wettest Yin-Sloth swnmers. slowed by 9s'Y" and they will take I D4 damage from the flying
Here. the murderous heat, dryness, lack of surface water and sand paI1icles and scathing winds per ten minutes until shelter is
shade, strong winds and stonn activity kill more adventurers
than the blade of a marauder's sword. Skills such as Wilderness o
Survival and Land Navigation are absolutely essential for play-
ers to survive travelling in the open. Without the laner, travelers ••
will easily become lost, travel in circles and/or head in the •
wrong (lirection.

Dust Storms occur in the stony and rocky deserts, and

throughout the region wherever parched earth is found. They are

typically the result of strong winds (20 mph/32 Ian or higher).
While they occur more frequently than Sand Storms (once every

104 days), they are much less hannful; more of a nuisance than

deadly.

Penalties: Travelers caught in a dust stonn will have their
visibility reduced to about a quaI1er ofa mile (1200 feetl610 m),
their movement/speed is reduced by 30-10, the land Navigation
skill is reduced by half, Tracking is impossible, sense of direc-
tion may be affected, sound is obscured by the wind and blow-
ing dust (shouting range is about 100 feetl30.S m), and the eyes,
nose and mouth must be shielded/covered, otherwise the blow-
ing dust and grit will get in them and blind the eyes (takes one
minute to rinse or rub them clear) and cause those who gulp a
handful of dust when trying to speak with an uncovered mouth,
to cough and gag (lose one melee action). The mouth can be
covered with a cloth or the hands, the eyes protected with the
hands or brimmed hat.

Sa.d Sionas. These are the classic desert maelstroms with

high, sustained winds that can move an incredible amount of
sand. or dust, pebbles and debris in a short period of time. Sand
storms happen eVCT)'Where in the Baalgor Wastelands; any

23

found or made. However, a "soft" shelter, like a tent, will sutTer But perhaps the most insidious etTect of a Blister Wind is the
double damage throughout the storm, which means that. most incredible dehydration it causes. Anyone hit by one immediately
tents and other light shelters will be ripped apart and destroyed sutTers from serious dehydration, equal to having been without
in long storms. Under such conditions, the only real refuge is water for 36 hours. Unless he or she consumes at least one or
among a rocky enclosure/outcropping, cave, wood or stone two quarts of water, any movement or fighting will be severely
structure or underground. Penalties: Same as above. curtailed. (See notes concerning heat exhaustion).

And if that weren't enough, sand storms in the sandy desert Blister Winds and Demon Storms are the two most feared
also move tremendous volumes of sand. Any given spot atTected weather aberrations in the Baalgor Wastelands, and even hardy
by a sand storm will gain or lose (SOO/oIS0% chance) 106 feet natives such as Eandroth and Gromek know that these things are'

(0.3 to 1.8 m) of sand every 10 minutes! This means that in the killers. Any given spot in the rocky, stony and sandy desert re-

course of a storm, an area can be entirely buried or completely gions will experience a Blister Wind on average of once a

uncovered. Characters caught in such storms must take this into month. The rocky coastline and Bulgor Mountain areas do not

account, or risk being buried alive by the storm's end! This also experience such storms.

means paths, trails, roads and prominent landmarks may be Demon Storms. This is another strange phenomenon be-

obliterated, covered by drifting sand, at least until the next lieved to occur only in the Bulgor Wastelands and perhaps the
storm. One more reason traveling through these parts of the Land of the Damned. This is an unnatural stonn signalled by
Wastelands is so difficult. It is bard to locate a place or even re- dark skies, often oca strange, ominous color (dark green, purple,

trace one's path when the landscape keeps changing every few red, etc.). While there may be wind and the occasio\lal flash of
weeks. heat lightning in the sky, they are not overtly threatening. How-

Blilin Wind•• This phenomenon is exclusive to the Bulgor ever, when it "rains" it is always something strange that falls

Wastelands. Coastal winds blow hot air across the region, where from the skies - typically pebbles, tiny mud balls, tiny fish,

the constant sun and aridity keeps the air from cooling down. frogs or toads (such animals die in a matter of minutes) or hail

The air currents hit the incredibly tall Baalgor Mountains and the size of marbles. The latter can be a godsend to those sutTer-

cycle back to the interior of the region where the same forces ing from thirst because the hail can be scooped up in pails,

that heated them up before continue to heat them up further. buckets, hats, water skins and hands and drunken as soon as it

This process conlinues recycling and recycling this air until it melts, which in the Bulgor heal is usually about five minutes.

forms an ultra-mild tornado of superheated air. These tornadoes, Unfonunalely, the hail will damage tents (206 S.D.C.) and

or "Blister Winds," do not have the swirling wind velocity to re- cause 104 damage to everything and everybody caught in the

ally move things around like a genuine tornado, and don't even storm. While the menacing dark skies may last as long as four

qualify as a violent sand slorm; fundamentally the same as a hours (roll 104), the actual "shower" only lasts 306 minutes.

dust stonn. However, they do contain blast furnace hot air thaI Demons: The slonn gets its name from the fact that demons
will seriously bum whoever comes into contact with it. also appear in the storm. Roll percentile: 01-6()o/i. means 1D6+1

A dust stonn characterized by hot wind blows around the lesser demons or sub-demons appear, 61-9S means 104 lesser

swirling core of the Blister Wind funnel and extends around in a Deevils, and 96-00 means one or two greater demons or Deevils

half to one mile (0.8 to 1.6 km) radius around it. The super- appear! These can be impish, mischievous beings or murderous

heated core of the average Blister Wind is 10 feet (3 m) in diam- cretins bent on inflicting pain and sutTering to mortals. Whether

eter,lravels across the ground at a Speed of 44 (30 mphl48 km), the fiends will attack, pester or threaten Wasteland travelers de·

and lasts for 304 minutes. Characters can often outrun or out- pends on their mood (Le. the G.M.).

maneuver them if they are fast enough, but Blister Winds are According to legend, the Demon Stonns are an after-etTect

notorious for traveling in erratic paths, and sudden changes of of the Elf·Dwarf War and one of the ways these foul monsters
direction, and can easily head otT fleeing travelers and cook gain entry into the Palladium World. Thankfully, a Demon
them anyway. Any character caught directly in the path of a Storm happens only 104 times a year; typically only once or
Blister Wind can try to dodge the oncoming tornado, but they twice.

must roll a natural 16 or higher. A successful dodge means the Nlabt Frtnel. With no cloud cover to contain the region's
character takes only one quarter the nonnal damage from the wannth from the day, the Bulgor Wastelands get very chilly af-
heated air, as described below. ter dark. The average temperature drops to 40 or SO degrees
Fahrenheit (4-10 C), whicb is uncomfortable, but not especially
Anyone caught in the path of a blister wind will immediately dangerous. Sporadic, unpredictable "night freezes" occur, how-
sutTer 208 points of damage directly to Hit Points! Moreover, ever, when the after-dark temperature plummets to as low as 10
any paper items on the character have a Ol-6S% chance ofignit- or 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 to -7 C) for the night. Water will
ing, and metal items on the character will become 100 hot to
touch for 106 minutes afterward. Touching a superheated metal freeze and exposed people and animals will sutTer from this
item will result in a bum for 104 points of damage. Characters kind of cold. Unless covered with appropriate clothing or blan-
in superheated metal armor will take 106 points of damage per kets, characters will take 106 points of damage per hour until

melee round (every IS seconds) until their armor is removed or they fmd a source of warmth or until the sun comes up.

is somehow cooled off. Dowsing superheated armor with water Tbunder Storm.. The last weather hazard most people think
will cool the armor otT, but the initial cloud of steam will still about in the Bulgor Wastelands is torrents of rain. However, in·

cause 106 points of damage to the character wearing it. like- tense rain storms can and do happen here, and because of this
wise, tbe metal components of riding gear (bridles, bits, etc.)
will cause animals to buck and run wildly in response to the region's hot and dry weather, these rainfalls are very dangerous
and damaging. Baalgor thunder storms fall into two basic cate-

metal burning into their hides. gories: coastal storms and interior storms.
24

Coastal Storms brew over the Sea of Scarlet Waters, like the Thankfully, this flooding happens often enough that "river chan-
intense maelstroms that affect the European North Atlantic,' or
fonn the Nor'easters that pound the northeastern U.S. coastline. nels" 306 feet deep have been eroded into the earth in many
These storms gather strength over the water, then head straight places, so the flooding is somewhat contained. However, during
inland. where the rocky coastline comes right up to the sea. a flash flood, these dry channels instantly fill with 306 feet of
Usually, these stonns crash head-on into the coastal areas, then fast-moving water (Speed of 25) that will likely drown or wash
roll either north or south until they blow themselves out, or until away anybody caught in the wave. Characters with the
they return back to the sea. The hurricane·force winds of these Swimming skill can !J'Y to stay and navigate the rush of water,
storms wreak havoc on most of the coastal settlements, none of but their skill rolls will be reduced by 25%. Those who faillhree
which are really built to withstand that kind of punishment. consecutive Swimming rolls when caught in a flash flood will
Moreover, the stonn surge (a 20 foot/6 m tidal wave) caused by drown. And those who do make their rolls, can only stay in the
these storms often dashes ships against the stone cliffs, which rushing water for a number of minutes equal to their P.E. before
accounts for the unusually high number of shipwrecks in the they tire and drown, too. Those who manage to survive in a
area. Baalgor Coastal storms happen about once a year, but ev- flash flood long enough to make it to the waterfalls of the rocky
ery 10 or 15 years, an unusually strong stonn season pops up, coastline will have a very long and painful fall to the ocean. The
and ID6+1 coastal stonns will lash the coastline over a period average plummet is 40 feet (12 m), inflicting a total of 606
of three months. During such times, one of those storms often damage (106 for every 10 feet, and an additional 206 damage
will hit the coast and roll away to the sea but not really lose any from the sharp rocks the characters will fall on). One would
power. These storms will double in size and strength and hit the think that as· dangerous as these channels are, nobody would
coast again as a super-storm. These fearsome maelstroms will travel in them. However, they often are the only places in the
destroy all but the hardiest communities and ships. Local legend desert where one can find a smooth path to travel, shade from
has it that every 100 years, a super·super storm brews, and actu- the walls of the channel, and sometimes puddles of water. 10-
ally will destroy part of the rocky cliffs as it breaks upon the deed, the Bulgor flood channels even serve as a kind of net-
coastline. So far, no scholar or historian has verified the occur- work of natural roadways for Wastelanders. but one should take
rence of such an incredible stonn. But with such severt weather caution when traveling in these; a flash flood will occur with
here, many believe such stonns could happen. only one melee round of warning (a roaring sound and rumbling
of the ground), so unless travelers have some other means of ad-
Interior Stonns are like "nonnal" thunderstorms throughout vance notice or instant means of exiting the trench, they will get
the rest of the Palladium world, except they tend to rain a little caught. That having been said, thunderstorms are so compara-
harder, last a linle longer, and have about double the amount of tively rare (1-4 annually) that these channels are in constant use,
lightning. Anybody hit by lightning in one of these stonns takes which also makes them the most trafficked places in the Waste-
806 damage, but there is only a 10010 chance of this happening, lands and anractive to bandits, raiders and brigands of all kind.
unless the character is wearing a full suit of metal annor, in
which case the chance of a lightning strike while out in the open Tornadoes: Baalgor Tornadoes are rarely accompanied by
increases to 25%. rain, other than a sprinkle or mist, and rarely darken the sky, so
these twisters can appear suddenly, without warning. A tornado
The real problem with interior storms is that they dump 206 kicks up a dust cloud and causes a dust stonn 104 minutes be-
inches of water upon the desert. While this might seem like a fore the devastating funnel cloud actually strikes. To make play-
good'thing, the earth here is too rocky, hard and baked dry to ing easy, consider the tornado to be the equivalent ofa 6+104
absorb any of this water, so flash floods usually occur as it level Tornado elemental spell.
rushes toward the rocky coastline and pitches over into the sea.

25

Part Two: the·People

Races & Monsters of the Baalgor Wastelands

From the Journals of Rystrom Khejas: "Now, if you will excuse me, I must book passage wit" a
wagon train that I understand is headingfor Quorian territory. I
"If I had to name one thing that truly separates the Baa/gor
Wastelands from the Test of the world. I would have to say il am simply dying to meet one ofthem. "
W4S' its people. Nowhere else will you find so many odd and
amazing folk as you will in this scorched land of rubble and Races, Monsters & Animals
nlln. the only other places in the ....,orld wi,h such a wide variety
of exotic and bizarre creatures, I think, ore the Yin-Sloth of the Baalgor Wastelands
Jungles and the Land oflhe Damned.
Baalizad (New!)
"Scholars such as myself have spent their careers speculat- Cyclops Spider (New!)
ing how and why the Boa/gor Wastelands have become such a Dragonmen
menagerie ofunique people, monsters and animals. Some blame Drayback (New!)
inter-dimensionaJ portals. Some blame the Elf Dwarf War. Eandroth
Some blame the exotic environment. I say it is all Ihree. Earthshaker (New!)
Giants
"Remember. the Bao/gor region was once a lush rainforest. Cyclops
fiUed with endless Wlrieties offlora and fauna. Although those Gigantes
magnificent forests are gone forever. J believe that at least a few
of tM forest animals adapted to desert life and survived. the JOlan
Drayback is a fine example. Clearly descended from some kind
ofmassive jungle lizard. its tough hide and ability to smell wa· Nimro
ter make it a nalUral survivor in the deepest deserts. Titan
Gosai (New!)
"During the Elf-Dwarf War. both sides resorted to recruiting Gromek
allies from other worlds and dimensions. While it is believed I...azretheg (New!)
that the Dwarves began this practice. the Elves readily follawed Minotaur
suit. Most ofthe alien races brought to this world perished dur· Mologoth (New!)
ing the war. but a few. such as the Gromek, the Quorians and Quillback (New!)
the Gosai live on. Indeed. the Gromek rule a considerable por- Quorian (New!)
tion of the Baalgor Mountains, challenging the giants there for Rockbuzzer (New!)
supremacy. the Gosai and Quorians both make the Wastelands Sandwynn (New!)
their home. Indeed, they would thrive there if only they could SIDderi (New!)
stop fighting each other. the thin Ones (New!)
Vrill (New!)
"the Baalgor Wastelands also experience randomly appear-
ing tears in reality. Dimension·spanning doorways to other Baalizad
worlds thought to be an after-effect of the Elf-Dwarf War.
Whether these are summoning devices gone awry. genuine rips Baalizad are one of the more recent additions to the Baalgor
in the fabric ofreality caused by the Big Thunder(and otherfoul Wastelands. A purely subterranean people until a few hundred
magicks used during the Great War), or naturally occurring years ago, these creatures built enonnous, ant-like warrens deep
pMnomena is unknown. What is known is that they appear sptr underground. Baalizad elden claim that their people have, for
radically throughout the Wastelands. Some times they 'are just the last 10,000 yean, been fleeing the advance of some menace
quiet pomls to another time or place. but other limes they ad· known only as the MDemons of the Deep." Long after the dust
mit demons or strange and incomprehensible beings into our from the Elf·Dwarf War senled, the first Baallzad broke through
world. the sinister thin Ones are one such race. as are the enig- to the surface. Since then, they have come to realize that they
matic "rill, whose lack ofmemory stymies even their own efforts have nowhere else to run from the "Demons of the Deep," and
to determine where they camefrom. that if they are to survive, they must fonn alliances with the
many surface.odwellers. Given the Baalizad's monstrous appear·
"Regardless ofthe reasons, the BQ41gor Wastelands are both ance and alien demeanor, making friends hasn't been easy. Most
a biologist's paradise, and a cataloger's nightmare. Just when humans (especially the pirates, slaven and ignorant colonists
living along the Baalgor coastline) will attack these creatures on
you think you have seen all the crealUres this land has to offer. sight Oul of fear alone. Evildoers, slaven, marauders and other
you find a new one. Granted, there is comparatively little life bad folk often target them for slaughter in order to get their car-
still in the Wastelands - the Elf-Dwarf War's devastation and apace segments to make super·efficient suits of annor; similar to
the hostile cltmate have seen to that - but the desert is alive,
onejust needs to know where to look. And the things that do live
there, rivals even the richest ofenvironments in uniqueness.

what Western slavers have begun to do with Fyr-Kree insectoids not eat tempered metals or alloys, since they consider them
spoiled and indigestible. thus, Baalizad do not go after swords,
in the Yin-Sloth jungles. In actuality, though, Baalizad carapace armor, and many other metal goods adventurers commonly own.
plates cannot be removed without cracking apart, making them It has been said, however, that certain Earth Warlocks have cur-
ried Baalizad favor by converting din and clay into rock,
useless as armor. this has caused many Baatizad to perish for thereby providing the under-dwellers with a magically created
banquet.
nothing, Others are hunted for sport or "monster killing" or en-
Little else is known about these creatures, except that a single
slaved and put to hard labor. Perhaps needless to say, the Baalizad will occasionally leave its warren to take up with
groups of non-Baalizad adventurers. Why these individuals do
Baalizad are becoming increasingly fearful, resentful and suspi- this is unknown, least of all to the departing Baalizad! Maybe
they wish to see the world, or maybe they feel that by travelling,
cious of most surface folk,
they can find the allies or magic their home warrens need for
Baalizad live in warrens, or large, extended family groups.
the typical warren is 2a-SO strong, with large warrens reaching defense themselves. Whatever their reason, adventuring
Baalizad tend to have very difficult times outside of the Baalgor
2S0 or 300 individuals. As Baalizad warrens travel through the
Wastelands, where they are regarded as monsters and treated
earth, they collapse the tunnels and chambers they leave behind, with fear and suspicion. Uneducated folk often think Baalizad
forever fearful that whoever (or whatever) might be chasing are demons, Deevils, or some other kind of bizarre monster and,
thus, an enemy of fair humanoids to be destroyed. these stories
them might use the tunnels to follow them. II should be noted are completely unfounded, but that's something the Baalizad

that nobody, not even modern Baalizad, have ever encountered must deal with on their own terms.
the mysterious "Demons of the Deep," and many now believe
them to be nothing more than a superstition or bizarre creation Intelligent Life Form
myth. Young Baalizad, having grown used to the surface world,
AUpmeat: Any, but tend to be good or selfish.
scoff at their elders who insist that an impending conflict with Attributes: I.Q. 306, M.E. 306, M.A. 206, P.S. S06, P.P.
206, P.E. S06, P.B. 204, Spd. 204 (106 digging).
their ancient demonic enemies is at hand. Whether or not these Hit Pola..: P.E. +106 per level.

old stories are true, Elders continue trying to make alliances S.D.C: 60 plus those acquired from a.C.c. and physical skills.
with surface folk when they can. the Baalgor Wastelands are a
dangerous enough place, they reckon. Trying to survive it with- N.tural A.R.: 14

out any friends is suicide.

One thing in the Baalizad's favor is that they require very lit-
tle water (only one gallon/4 quarts every 10 days or so) and they
can eat any mineral substance for nourishment. they especially
love precious stones and consider them a delicacy. But in a
pinch, ordirwy rock or even soil or sand will do. Baalizad do

27

Horror Factor: 12 In addition to claw attacks, Baalizad can breathe forth a
Avtralt P.P.E.: 306
O.C.C.. Available: None, per sc. Baalizad have no concept ofa stream of superheated plasma from their mouths once per

division of labor, so all of them work as laborers and sol· melee round that works like a primitive flame-thrower. this
diers. With the G.M.'s approval, players could play a
8aalizad as an R.C.C. Such characters would be the equiva- does 306 S.D.C. and has a range of 30 feet (9 m). Anything
lent ofa Vagabond/Peasant Farmer ONLY. Baalizad player
characters can never change O.C.C.s or be something other hit by this plasma will continue to bum, doing 306 S.D.C.
than a VagabondlPeasant Farmer. Players, this is just how
these creatures are, so do not give your G.M. a hard time per round for 104 melees or until extinguished, whichever
about this! Just think of it as a new role-playing opportunity.
Nalu.ral AblUtin: In addition to being able to see in total dark· comes first. Baalizad can only do this three times a diy, but
ness up to 200 feet (61 m), Baalizad arc excellent under-
ground engineers, on pat with Kobolds or Dwarves. the style when they do, it counts as an extra melee attack that round.
of Baalizad constructions, however, is alien and biZlUTC, dis-
tinclly differenl from other kinds of subterranean works. Boa.Ift: +1 to pull punch and +2 to save vs magic. '

Underground Tunneling: Baalizad can dig and build solid, Mack: None. Baalizad gencnlly have bad very little exposure
strong tunnels with no fear of a cave-in, with incredible
speed and dexterity. they can also excavate ruins and the sites to magic. so many of them don't even truly grasp the con-
of cave·ins with the same prowess. In addition, the character
can usually tell if an exisling tunnel or chamber is a natural cept. As a result, these bCings generally don't covet magic
formation or whether it was dug by Dwarves. Kobolds,
Gnomes, Troglodytes, humans, or other subterranean pe0- items or powers.
ples. the Baalizad can evCII tell if it is a new, old or ancient
structure. Base SkiD: 4Q-/e +S% per level of experience. P.loakl: Baalizad can only become minor psychics; roll as nor-

Underground Architecture: Baalizad arc excellent under- mal.
ground architects able to build small and large rooms, arch-
ways and staircases, as well as labyrinths of many tunnels, Anralt Ure Span: Baalizad live for about 100 years. although
passageways, mazes and underground traps (often pits and
cave-in traps). Likewise, the Baalizad can teCOgnize the one in every 1,000 lives to over 800 years old. these special
styles of other types of underground construction. Those who
travel slowly and cautiously, looking for underground traps. Baalizad are considered quasi-immonal by thei, peers, and
can locate, avoid and deactivate them. Bue SIdll: 30"/e +S%
per level of experience; detection and deactivation of traps often hold positions of great respect and prestige within the
has a success ratio of IS% +S% per level.
community.
Underground Sense of Direction: the character has an in·
• nate ability to tell direction when underground, even in total Slu: 7 feet (2.1 m). 400-500 pounds (180-230 kg).

darkness (not applicable on the surface). thus, a Baalizad can Habitat: Exclusive to the Baalgor Wastelands. Some believe
tell if il is travelling up, down or level, the approximate angle
of decline or ascent, depth beneath the surface, and the ap- these creatures live in the Yin·Sloth jungles as well, but such
proximate direction (north, south, cast or west). Bue Skill:
40"/e +S% per level of experience. folk arc confusing them with the Fyr·Krcc insectoids of the

This skill also enables the creature to judge the approxi- Great Fire Bog.
mate location to surface structures (natural and artificial), but
only if the Baalizad is familiar with the area. the character Lupaaes: A clicking, rumbling language unique to the
will also recognize traits and aspects of the underground tun-
nel or construct that serve as landmarks for him. Bue Skill: Baalizad.. Unless aided by magic, non-Baalizad can not speak
30% +S% per level of experience; -2S% if in an unfamiliar
this language, since they lack the necessary vocal appaJUlS.
&mo.
If so inclined, however, Baalizad can learn to speak just
AttackJ Per Melee Rou.nd: 2 or by O.C.C. and correspooding
skills. about any language after being exposed to it for just a few

Damale: Baalizad have (wo different kinds of arm configura- days (languages learned by a Baalizad have a beginning SIX:-
tions. One type is roughly proportionate with the rest of the
body, ending with a clawed, four-fingered hand. Claw attacks cess ratio equal to the base percentage of the Speak lan-
with this hand will do 108 (or 204) S.D.C. plus any P.S. b0-
nuses. The other Baalizad arm configuration is guages skill and improve at a rate of S% per day up to a
disproportionately large and ends in a big, heavy, crab-like
pincer. A swipe with this pincer does 206. Anything caught maximum of 90%). No matter what they speak, however,
in the crushing grip of the pincer takes 306 damage until
they will always have a distinct Baalizad sound to their
.they break free or are let go.
voice. Psychics can also use telepathy to communicate with

these alien beings.

Enemies: None, per se. Baalizad refer to mysterious entities

known only as the "Demons of the Deep," as their ancestral

CIIemy. However. no living Baalizad has ever encountered

these "demons," leading many to think that perhaps they do

not really exist.

Allies: None, per $C. Some humans, Eandroth, Gosai and

Quorians have reportedly established friendly contact with

Baalizad surface rovers, although overcoming the language

barrier with these aliCM is difficult at first. Baalizad are gen-

erally open and acccpIing of others, provided they are oot

savage and aggressive. M a result, Baalizad find most of the

monster races too war-lib and lawless for their taste, leaving

hwnans, Gnomes, Elves, Dwarves, Troglodytes and other

races as potential allies.

Physical Appnraace: Baalizad are lumbering, hulking human·

oids covered in a thick, anner-like, black carapace that

makes them look like bizarre knights from another world.

they usually have asymmetrical anns - one will be a hu-

manoid ann ending with a clawed, four-fingered hand that

can be used for fine manipulation, the other ann is oversized,

ending with a big pincer, used for heavy lifting, crushing, and

combat. Note: Fine manipulation, such as picking locks or

operating hand tools, is impossible with this pincer hand. It

can only be used for basic lifting and moving of objects, and night, when their color-changing shells make them especially
for combat. Most Baalizad have one c1aw·hand ann and One
pincer ann (reminiscent of Kappa. although the two species hard to see. It is rumored that these creatures can see the invisi-
are not related). However, 2S% of all Baalizad have two ble, but that is unconfinned. Cyclops spiders are popular guard
symmetrical anns. Of these, SOOIo have two claw-hand anns,
and SOOIo have two pincer arms. Although Baalizad society animals among giants, trolls, ogres and orcs, because of their in·
does not have a division of labor in general, those with pincer hereot viciousness. However, these spiders are just as uncontrol-
arms tend to specialize as soldiers while those with two lable as they are deadly, making them problematic pets or guard
claw-hand arms often are subterranean engineers who over- animals.
see construction efforts.
Animal
Cyclops Spider
AUpmeDt: Generally considered an anarchist or miscreant
These large, spider-like creatures change color to match their predatory monster.
surroundings, but most often appear as a monied gray. Cyclops Attributes: I.Q. 206 (high ani~I), M.E. 206, M.A. 106, P.S.
spiders are so named because they have a single, glassy eye in 206+12, P.P. 206+12, P.E. 206+12, P.O. 106, Spd. 206+12
the center of their head. their smallish bodies are supported by Hit Polab: P.E. +20
eight long, segmented legs. Each leg ends in a pointed,
hook-like appendage that is excellent for grasping footholds. S.D.C: 20
they also make excellent weapons, which the creatures often use Natural A.R.: 10
to kill their prey. Horror Factor: 13
Averaae P,P,.E.: 106
these frightening creatures are descended from Giant Cave
Spiders that were mutated by the ancient magicks used to de- a.c.c.• Avallable: None, considered an animal.
stroy this region at the end of the Elf-Dwarf War. When fight-
ing, they rear back on their four hind legs and attack with their Natural AbWdet: Nigbtvision 60 feet (18.3 m), see the invisi·
four front legs. snaring prey and rending it to pieces. Cyclops ble, prowl 7So/o, leap 10 feet (3 m) high or across. and scale

.Spiders are stealthy hunters that usually stalk prey during the walls 88% and can walk on walls, climb on ceilings and hang
upside down. Also, these creatures possess a natural camou-

flage ability equal to the flTSt level Earth Warlock spell, Cha-
meleon.
AttackJ Per Melee Rood: 4
namaae: Bite does 206 damage, while a leg-hook strike does
208+2.
Boaylet: +3 on initiative. +3 to strike and party, +4 to dodge

and to damage (in addition to any P.S. bonuses).
Mqlc: None.
Piloala: All Cyclops Spiders have the psychic ability of Sixth

Sense, at no I.S.P. cost.
Averaee Life Spaa: 10 years.

Size: 5-6 feet long (LS-t.8 m) and lOO-ISO pounds (4S-70 kg).
Habiu.: Found in any rocky place, but mostly in the Baalgor

Wastelands, the Old Kingdom Mountains, and the
Bruu·ga-Belimar Mountains of the Great Nonhero Wilder-
ness. It is reported that these creatures also infest certain
parts of the mountains bordering the Land of the Damned.
Laapaget: Cyclops Spiders communicate amongst themselves
by emitting specially scented pheromones. Humanoids with

acute senses of smell (such as Wolfen) may detect the smell

of these pheromones, providing them with advanced waming

that Cyclops Spiders are in the vicinity. Projected empathy

and telepathy will also work on these creatures, but only

crude communication will be possible, such as "Go," "Stay"

or "Stop," and so on. However, Cyclops Spiders can not talk
back, answer questions or communicate anything other than
emotions via empathy.
Eaemies: Anything that moves! Cyclops Spiders are absolutely
fearless regarding creatures roughly their own size. They do
not like attacking creatures larger than themselves, but will
do so if incredibly hungry. Cyclops Spiders genenally hunt
alone, and attack using surprise. They do not like to attack

multiple opponents. but will do so in order to kill one quickly
and drag it away for consumption. the giant spider's victims
often are stashed in a rocky crevice nearby where they can be
fed upon over a period of 3-4 days after the kill.
Allies: None; animal.
Physical Appearance: Giant, single-eyed spider.

Dragonmen are omnivorous like humans, but arc primarily

vl?getarians who forage and eat fruits, nuts, roots and bark. they
lead a primitive lifestyle with no use for technology or magic.

they are a nomadic people who tend to use simple clubs and

rocks as weapons and tools. However, they will keep any metal

items they find, especially tools and weapons. Despite their nat-

ural measures of protection, Le., horns, fangs, talons and flam-
ing breath, the Dragonmen are not aggressive creatures and are

extremely affectionate and loving among their own kind.

Sadly, very few Dragonmen still live in the Baalgor Waste-
lands; exact numbers unknown. they wander in small, close-knit

and loving family clans feeding on the sparse vegetation and

wildlife.

In the Baalgor Wastelands, Dragonmen have been decimated

by nearly constant anacks by Gromek, Giants, Trolls and West-

ern slavers. Many have left for the Yin-Sloth Jungles, but those

that still live in the Wastelands persevere as best they can. Many
have retreaied to the deepest sandy deserts, where very few of

their enemies will follow. In addition, many Dragonmen tribes,
too small to fend off attackers by themselves, have begun aban-

doning their "go-it-alone" ways and have forged loose treaties

with large Eandroth clans and caravans. In return for trade and

protection, Dragonmen provide manual labor and extra security

to the Eandroth. they also trade their services as expert scouts

and trackers. Such alliances are easy enough to forge, since the

Eandroth have endured many of the same persecution and hard·

ships that have almost destroyed the Dragonmen. In fact, some
clans accept the Dragonmen as "blood·brothers" and full mem-

bers of their tribe or clan.

Most orcs, goblins, and hob-goblins, as well as uneducated

humans, either fear these monstrous beings or revere them as re-

gional overlords and sometimes even worship them as gods.

Dragonmen Most Dragonmen tend to ignore such bumpkins, exploiting their
exalted stature only to avoid conflict and/or to get food and wa·
Dragonmen are a race of fierce-looking humanoids native to ter when in desperate need. Still, some Dragonmen have taken
the, Baalgor Wastelands. they are demonic in appearance, with advantage of this perception and have joined (often lead) small
numerous horns protruding from their spines, and have long tal- bands or tribes of Baalgor goblins, orcs and humans.
ons. the homs and talons are natural defenses that have evolved
for the Dragonmen to survive in their hostile homeland. Human- In time, perhaps the Baalgor Dragomnan population will
oid races widely believe these creatures to be brutal fiends be- grow enough to fonn small villages or towns, but for now, a
cause of their hideous countenance. According to popular scattering of tiny tribes, clans and individuals roam the Waste-
beliefs, the Dragonmen are the mutant children spawned by a lands, ever alert for danger.

human or an ogre and a Great Homed dragon. Of course, Ihis is Intelligent Humanoid
impossible, but the legend still persists, especially among the
unintelligent or Wleducated Dogres, goblins, orcs, peasant fann- Alignment: Any, but tend to be selfish.
ers and nomads. A"rlbules: I.Q. 206+2, M.E. 206, M.A. 106, P.S. 406, P.P.
306, P.E. 506, P.O. 204, Spd. 406
Dragonmen have been labeled deadly menaces and systemat- 811 Polau: P.E. +60, plus 106 per level of experience.
ically enslaved or destroyed for centuries. they are extremely S.D.C: 406, plus any garnered from skills.
rare and have become valuable commodities at slave markets.
More often than not, a captured Dragonman is destined for glad- Nalural A.R.: 12
iatorial combat. Based upon their fierce appearance these crea- Horror Fa<:lor: II
tures have become favorites in the arena. the lucky ones, who AveraceP.P.E.: 406
have proven their loyalty, are sometimes kept as bodyguards. If O.C.C•• Available: Mercenary, gladiator, soldier, thief, healer
cared for and well fed, the creatures grudgingly become loyal to
their slave masters. and shaman. Also. Dragonmen can opt for the Nomadic

Despite their monstrous appearance, Dragonmen arc peaceful Tribesman a.c.c. from the Yin-Sloth Juagles sourcebook.
and will try to avoid conflict. they have a high regard for life
and only want to be left alone. If necessary they will defend Nalur81 Abilities: Perfect nightvision (500 feetll52 m), poor
themselves, and when provoked, they can be incredibly ruthless day vision (100 feet./30.s m), see the invisible, resistant to
fIre and heat (half damage), impervious to disease, and

breathe flame!

Attacks Per Melee: three or by a.c.e. and combat skills.

and savage. 30

Damage: Talons inflict 306 damage, head butt with horns 2D6, Drayback
power head butt with horns 306, running charge/ram With
horns 506 (counts as two melee attacks), bite 106 or once Draybacks resemble big, slow komodo dragons or monitor
per melee fire breath (406 damage, 15 ft/4.6 m range). lizards, with a purplish tinge to their thick, scaly hides. They
have broad, flat heads, and large, glassy eyes with multiple sets
Boauses: +1 on initiative, +1 10 strike, +2 to parry and dodge, of transparenl eyelids to blink away sand and grit.
+6 to damage, +2 to save vs spell magic, and +3 to save vs
Horror Factor. All are in addition to attribute and skill b0- They are very popular in the Baalgor Wastelands as work an-
nuses. imals because they can pull heavy loads, have incredible endur-
ance, have no problem surviving in the desert, and are extremely
Maclc:: By a.c.e. only. easy to domesticate. Some even use them as riding animals, eas-
ily accommodating one lead driver and as many as four passen-
PsIoDla: None. gers or up to a ton of equipment; water or trade goods strapped
Averaae Life Span: 150 years. to its back! Moreover, they can smell water up to a mile (1.6
Size: 4 to 5 and a half feel (1.2 to 1.7 m) tall, 200-300 Ibs. Ian) away. They are suspected to be jungle lizards that were
forced to adapt to desert life after the smoke cleared from the
Habitat: Although DragonmC!l originated in the Baalgor Waste- Elf·DwarfWar.
lands, comparatively few still live there, since most of them
have been killed or driven away. Today, most Dragonmen Although slow and dim-witted, Draybacks are not aggressive
live in the Yin-Sloth jungles. and follow ori.1ers reasonably well - not unlike an old, slow
moving work horse. Their high strength and level of endurance
LaDau..": Most speak goblin, ogre, elf, western human and enables them to walk or work tirelessly for long hours and go
southern human dialects at 80'% proficiency. None read or with little to no food or waler for up to three days. This makes
write. them ideal for the rigors of the desert. Draybacks will eat almost
anything, from scrubby grasses and small animals to Sf'in, hay,
EDeml": None, per se. dinner scraps and garbage. Native wastelanders typically feed
Allies: None, per se. them a mixture of chsuba roots and dried game animal.
Pbyslcal AppearaDc:e: Dragonmen are short, bulky humanoids Draybacks also require little to no grooming, and they only need
to rest for 4-5 hours a day.
who are slightly simian in appearance. they are covered by
thick, scaly gray to gray-green colored skin thai feels like The only drawbacks, besides their ponderous speed, are that
cured leather. A ridge of dark gray horns starts above their these animals are not very good at defending themselves, and
eyes and ends halfway down their backs. their arms are
overly long, extending below their knees, and end in sharp,
long talons. the teeth are pointed but not as fang-like as
Dogres or Trolls.

(J

v

31

they will ignore commands and wander off to find water when are mostly used to make gigantic omelets rather than
they become truly thirsty. This can lead to the creature deviating cultivated as work animals.
from the path desired by it rider in its search for water. Actually, Habital: Mostly in the Bulgor Wastelands, but they thrive in
the lizard's ability to sense and locate water can be as much a almost any hot or tempcBte region. they cannQ( tolerate cold
godsend as an occasional nuisance. weather and would not be able to survive a Northern or even
Eastern Territory winter.
Animal Laapages: None.
£.emln: None.
AUp...t: GeneBlly considered an anarchist animal. Allin: None.
Attrib.ln: J.Q. 104, M.E. 106, M.A. 106, P.S. 206+30, P.P. Pbyslcal Appnru«: Big, slow reptiles that resemble the ko-
106+6, P.E. 206+24, P.B. lD6+4, Spd. 106+6; P.S. may be modo dragon or monitor lizards.
considered supernatural.
Hit PoiaQ: P.E. +I04xIO Eandroth
S.D.C: IO6x I0
Natunl A.R.: 13 The reptilian Eandroth race may have been the result of some
Horror Fador: 10 strange magical experiment, or they may be beings from another
Averale P.P.£.: 106 dimension brought here by a Summoner's circle or a dimen·
O.C.C•• Avallablc: Not applicable. sional portal
Nalural Abilities: Has the equivalent of Land Navigation 82%
Young Eandroth mature quickly, and for the first 24 years of
(i.e. can find its master or home base), good hearing and vi· their lives, they appear as short, thin, hairless, youthful,
sion, is tremendously strong, and needs minimal water (half smooth-skinned humanoids that resemble human-like theropod
that of man, even though it is 2·) times bigger). the animal dinosaurs. After this age they begin to bulk up and show more
can easily go three days without water, and if absolutely nec- muscular definition.
essary, up to three weeks, although speed will be reduced to
half after the first week. Dnl.ybacks can also go without food All Eandroth under the age of 25 are rather child-like and
and water for three weeks, but will instinctively go to search solitary characters. They arc good-natured, honest. caring and
out water after only three or four. Impervious to nonnal fire jovial, except during their violent mating period Tribes typi·
and heat; resistant to magical fire and heat (half damage). cally have fewer than 50 members.

Dowsing (special): Draybacks can smell water (such as During each mating season (twice yearly), Eandroth males go
chsuba roots or underground deposits) up to a mile (I.6 m) through ritual combat to gain the right to mate with a female
away.
(Eaodrotb males outnwnbcr females by about eight to ooc).
Carrying and pulling (special): Draybacks can cany SO These fierce, savage contests thin out the general population by
some 2~J'. over a period of roughly two weeks. Young arc born
times their P.S. attribute in pounds. thus, a drayback with a live after a three-month gestation period. Females reach sexual
P.S. of 32 can carry 1600 pounds (720 kg) on its back! the maturity at age 10. Males reach sexual maturity at six.
animal can pull 200 times its P.S. attribute in pounds, 3-4
tons! From childhood, the Eandroth arc taught to ride Silonar
Attxks Per Melee: Two (too slow for any more). (Horsemanship: exotic), two-legged dinosaur-like animals na·
tive to the Baalgor Wastelands. One seldom sees an Eandroth
D~D!alc: Bite does 406. Once a Dnl.yback bites, it will not let without his trusty steed, and many tribes will have two or three
Silonars for every one male. Eandroths are one of the few races
go, shaking its victim in its mouth. Each additional shaking who can semi-domesticate and ride these wild monsters. This
attack is an automatic hit and inflicts 206+6 damage! makes the Eandroth all the more dangerous, for they often use
Draybacks will let go only if their opponent dies or goes limp their Silonars as weapons during battle (slain enemies are typi·
(pretending to have died) or if the animal loses half or more cally fed to these animals).
of its S.D.C. and/or Hit Points in damage. Nole: If a
Dnl.yback is killed while somebody is in its mouth, the jaws All Eandroth possess a unique psionic talent called the heal
will lock, holding its victim tight. Only a combined strength poinl. While this ability primarily is used to start flJ'CS, it can
of 32 will can force the jaws open and the action causes 106 also reDder opponents unconscious used primarily to start flJ'CS,
damage to the individual held in the mouth. making any large group ofEandroths all the more dangerous.

BoIIusn: +I to save vs poison and disease, and +6 to save vs Eandrotb society is nomadic in nature. Their caBVans can be
Horror Factor, they are generally too stupid to be afraid or in seen wandering allover the Baalgor Wastelands, never staying
awe of anything. Bonuses are in addition to attribute bonuses. in one spot for too long. Eandroth caBvaIlS vary considerably in
size. 1bc smallest consist of pcrba.ps a dozen Eandroth, eacb
Mali<: None. carrying their belongings on the backs of their Silonars. The
PsJOIlks: None. largest caravans may have several hundred Eandroth (occasion-
Averaee Ufc Spaa: 40 years. ally over a thousand), a huge herd of Silonar and Drayback liz-
Siu: the body is 10-12 feet (3 to 3.6 m) long and 300 to 500 ards, and a convoy of large carts to carry extra supplies,
belongings, and the caravan matriarch. Large Eandroth caravans
pounds (135 to 225 kg), but the tail adds another 6-12 feet are usually powerful enough to hold their own against most at·
(1.8 to 3.6 m). tackers, and as a result, most desert marauders (including giants
Value: Dnl.ybacks are very dependable worle animals !hat re- and Gromek) give such groups a wide bertb. Non-Eandroth trav-
quire little supervision and minimal care. Wild Dnl.ybacks are
worth 250 gold each. Domesticated ones can sell for 500 to
1000 gold each. Dnl.yback eggs go for 50 to 100 gold, de-
pending on the market. the eggs are beginning to catch on as
an exotic commodity in the Western Empire; however, they

32

elers often find these large caravans to be excellent sources from
which vital food, supplies and weapons can be bought or bar·
tcred for.

Eandrotb males who survive 50 or so mating seasons (25
years) undergo a dramatic biological change into a "'rogue"
state. Their bodies become much more muscular, their height in-
creases a few inches, their skin becomes loose and wrinkled,

and certain attributes increase. Their previously gentle temper is
replaced by a far more agg.ressive and intolerant disposition due

to a change in body chcmisb)'. These rogues are much tougher,
meaner and smarter than the young Eandroth, and are feared

even by their own kind.

InteUigent Humanoid

OrlelDally coD«lved by Erkk Wujcik.
AUpm~Dt: Any, but usually anarchist or unprincipled.
A"rlbutn: I.Q. 206, M.E. 206, M.A. 206, P.S. 306. P.P.

406. P.E. 306. P.B. 206. Spd. 306
HII Poiats: P.E. +204 per level of experience.
S.D.C: I D4x 10 plus those gained from physical skills.
Natunl A.R.: 10
Horror Fador: 10
Av~nc~ P.P.E.: 206
O.C.C.s AvaUabl~: Until they become rogue, the Eandroth live

as simple huntCfS and wilderness people with basic combat
skills (see attacks per melee) and with the basic skills de-
scribed nexL Other than their basic desert and hunting skills,
below, they can not select an D.C.C. before reaching the age
of25. See the Rogues for D.C.C.s and enhanced abilities.
SIdUs Befor~ B«omJnC Rocu~: All Eandroth are trained in rid-
ing Silonan, which gives them the skill Horsemanship: Ex·
otic at +30%! All male Eandroth also automatically know the
skills Wilderness Survival (+2D-.4), Land Navigation (+15%),
Dowsing (+15%), and Track and Trap Animals (+15%). All
females know First Aid (+20010), Cook (+20'10), Sewing
(+10010), Sing (+10%), and Skin and Prepare Animal Hides

(+15%).
Natural AbUltJes: Able to survive for 104+2 weeks without

water and food, and can function at peak levels of efficiency
on a tiny amount of food and water (half gallon of water a
week and two pounds/one kilogram of food) for as long as
two months. They can also tolerate great heat with no ill ef·

fects, but hate the cold. Also see the psionic heal point

power.
Attacks Pe.r M~lft: Two or three as a simple hunter or by

D.C.C. At rogue stage, thret: melee attacks plus those gained

by hand to hand combat skills and experience.
Damace: By weapon or heat point power.
Boausn: None.
Magic: NODe.
Psloaks: Females possess great psionic power after they be·

come rogues. Prior to this, they possess 2D6x10 P.P.E., 406

I.S.P. and the psionic power to Sense Evil.
Psionic: Hut Polal: This is a natun\1 psionic power common to

all Eandroth. male and female. By concentrating for 106
minutes, an Eandroth can raise the temperature of a single
point to a name point. The character must stay motionless
and the heat point must be one target or tiny location. This
limited pyrokinetic power enables nomadic warnors and
huntsmen to create campfires and cause what appears to be
spontaneous combustion. The ability can be used to cause a

33

piece of paper, book or article of clothing to suddenly iJPite Eandroth, especially those who have not gone rogue, but tend to
into a small ftre (roughly a diameter of two inches.) be grumpy and hot-tempered towards males and may lash out

This tightly focused pyrokinetic energy can also be di- violently if any sexual advances are made upon them. Rogue fe·
rected at an antagonist's head. The heat point attack can ooly
be used on one stationary (oot moving uound) opponent males cannot bear children.
whose head is clearly visible and within a 90 foot (21.4 m)
range. The subtle attack will cause the victim to suddenly Male Eandrolb Rogues
feel feverish and groggy (-2 on initiative). If be moves away,
the heat point is broken and the Eandroth must refocus his at- Male rogues typically strike out on their own for many years,
tack, starting from the begiMing. However, if an individual wandering the world and learning about combal, science, magic,
stays in one spot, he can be rendered unconscious at the end technology, other people and places, and other things. Rogues
of 106 minutes of heat point concentration. The attack in- leam very quickly (start at ftrsl experience). After a hundred or
flicts no permanent damage, and unconsciousness lasts I D4 more years of exploration, the male usually returns to his desert
minutes, or as long as the Eandroth maintains his concentra· tribe where he will become the principal war leader andlor
tion and focus on that heat point Moving beyond the range teacher of the other Eandroth. Those who think of the Eandroth
of the psionic attack or moving out of sight or behind closed as being mild-mannered and minimally skilled in combat will
doors will prevent a beat point attack. G.M. Note: This at- fmd themselves in deep trouble with a powerful rogue. Aside
tack can be inflicted on ch.arxters inside body armor as long from their mental and physical prowess, only the fmest warriors
as the head area is accuntely located. Remember, the victim survive to the rogue phase.
of the attack will begin to feel feverish shortly before he falls
unconscious. This will tip ofT anybody who knows anythjng AUp. . .t: Any, but mostly good.
about Eandroth that they are under heat point attack and Attributes: The original attributes of the young Eandroth in-
should move. There is no I.S.P. cost to using the heat point
ability. crease as follows. The number of additional six-sided dice to be
Averaae Life Spaa: 2S-30 years; those who live past 30 years rolled and added to the existing attributes are as designated. I.Q.
become "rogues" and set off for decades of wandering. A
rogue can live for hundreds of years. 206, M.E. 206, M.A. 106, P.S. 206, P.P. 106, P.E. 206, P.B.
Slu: 4 Yl to 5 feet (1.4 to 1.5 m), 15-1351bs (34-61 kg) 0, Spd. 106
Habitat: Extreme desert and hot grasslands. They are most Hit Points: Add 10.
common to the Bulgor Wastelands and areas of the Old
Kingdom. In recent years, one tribe has migrated to the Land S,D.C.: Add 2D4xlO. WelRbt: Add 2D4xlO Ibs.
of the South-Winds (with Silonars in tow), where they seem
to be prospering. Natural A.R.: Increases 10 12, lougher skin.
Laacuaces: DragoneseJElven. Horror Fa~tor: Increases to 14.
Eaemles: None, per st, but they are a careful and cautious pe0- Annae P.P.E.: Add 206.
ple. O.C.C•• AvaUable: At age 2S the rogue selects an O.C.C. Any
AUltI: None, per se.
Pbyslcal AppearaDce: Reptilian or saurian type humanoids are available except Psychics. Most lean toward Men of
with ftne, scaly skin and tail. Arms, clergy and scholar. Note: The O.C.C. and experience

Eandroth Rogues starts at ftrst level as the rogue is now considered a ftnt level
chaIacter with his ne:w O.C.C. and new life. Use the appro-
Although Eandroth rogues have a reputation for being priate experience table for that O.C.C. seleclion. The
ill-tempered, the Eandroth. in general, have a great respect for youngling skills and bonuses are kept and only now increase
life and other races. Travelers who encounter Eaodroth caravans with true experience.
in the wild can expect a friendly reception, provided they treat Average Life Spaa: 350 years if the Eandroth survives to be-
them in a kind and generous manner. Indeed, especially large come a rogue.
caravans are often the only lawful force in a region, and if not HabUat: During their wanderlust yean, a lone rogue might be
for the protective influence of such groups, Gromek. giants. found almost anywhere, bUI rarely in cold regions.
ogres, orcs, goblins, and other barbaric people would have con·
quered the Baalgor Wastelands long ago. Note: Rogues almost never use armor unless they know they
are going into battle, at which time, they prefer scale and splint
Average Lire Spu: Males who reach rogue stage can live 10 annor. Knives and swords are their favorite weapons. Rogues
350 years of age, while many females live to reach 500. Ap- rarely associate with other Eandroth during their wanderlust
proximately 3Q-4001o of the males survive to become rogues, years and tend to be grumpy and hot·tempcred toward any of
compared to 40-55% of the females. their kind until they decide to settle down. The traditional
Eandroth double-bladed knife is their ultimate favorite weapon
Habitat: During their early rogue years, a lone female rogue (204 damage).
might be found almost anywhere, but rarely in cold regions.
Female Eandrolb Rogues
Note: Female Rogues often become 100 large to use any
body annor other than loose-fitting chain mail, leather, padded Female Eandroth also enter a rogue phase if they manage to
and similar types. Rogue females frequently usociate with other survive childbirth 2S to 40 ti'llCS. Female rogues are extremely
rare and are the true leaders of their community. While the fe-

males may wander the world for a few years, they are nol over-

whelmed with wanderlust like the males. Consequently, a
female will join one particular group or return to her tribe and
settle down at one: place. Also, unlike the males, they are Jess
cantankerous and aggressive, and incredibly protective of their
tribe members and friends. If. tribe member or loved one: is
slain, injured, or threatened, the female will launch a devastating

attack of bet own. Thcvengeance of a female rogue is horrible. Earthshaker
When a female becomes a rogue, she becomes obese 10 the
point of losing her mobility. While most of her physical attrib- These lords of the desert are the only creatures not threatened
utes do not change, the female's mental and psionic abililies
grow enormously. All female rogues are Mind Mages! by Sandwynns, mgons, or other great menaces. Highly intelli-

AUpmtnt: Any, but mostly good. gent and gifted with incredible psionic and magical abilities,
Earthshakers are some of the most fC8lSOme creatures in the
Attributes: The original anributes of the young female known world. A single monstrosity could probably destroy an
Eandroth increase at rogue stage. The number of addilional entire kingdom or empire, if it so desired, simply by walking
six-sided dice to be rolled and added 10 the existing attributes through it. Very few mortals could even hope 10 gain the anen- ,
are as designated I.Q. 206, M.E. 306, M.A. 306. P.S. 0, P.P. 0, tiOD of these beasts, much less persuade them 10 change their
P.E. 106, P.B. 0, Spd. 0
Hit Penll: Add 10. "'un<.

S.D.C.: Add 100xlO. Welgbt: Add 606xl0 Ibs. Th.ank.fuJly, the only thing that malches an Earthshaker's de-
structive capability is its capacity for sleep. Being creatures of
Nat.nJ A.R.: Increases 10 12, tougher skin. magic, Earthshakers do not require food per se, and they will of·
Horror Fac:tor: Increases to IS. ten slumber for up to 1,000 years at a time. They usually bury
themselves somewhat before going 10 sleep, and in the years
Annae P.P.E.: Add 100x10. that pass, layers of soil, rock and vegetation cover the backs of
Eandroth Mind Mage O.C.C. Onlyl At roughly the age of 30 their shells so that their resting place often looks like a hill with
weird, spiky projections juning forth from the ground (the tips
(and having given birth at least 2S times), the female of the creature's shell or hide). In fact, there have been many in·
Eandroth becomes a rogue and erupts with psychic powers to stances of people building villages or lowns on these sites, only
become a Mind Mage. Use the Mind Mage experience table. to re«ive a rude alarm decades or centuries laler when the levi·
Psio.ks: Mind mage, with all psionic calegories available to athan awakens and goes on the move.
her.
1.5.r.: Initial Inner strength points are an incredible When an Earthsbaker awakens, it proceeds to the nearest ley
206x10+140 and she gains an additional 10 I.S.P. per each
level of experience. line nexus, where it will tap into the magical energies and feed
ofTtbem. Earthshakers will feed in this manner for 2-3 days be-

fore they are fuJi. During this time, the ley lines feeding into that
nexus will fluctuale wildly in power for a 50 mile (80 kIn) ra·

dius from the nexus. Spell caslers will note thai fluctuating ley
lines will dip in power from 20010 to 70% normal. When the ley
lines are at SO-/. or less, floating along them will be impossible,
as will tapping their energies to assist spell casting. Oddly
enough. Earthshakers cannot simply sil on these nexuses for-
ever, or they will suffer the equivalent of death from overeating.
Once saled, the leviathan must move at least 100 miles (160 km)

from any nexus, where they will dig in and sleep for the 1,000
years or so it will take them to digesl their meal of pure magical
energy. It is rare for an Earthshaker 10 stay awake and on Ihe
move for more than a few days to a month. Although
Earthshakers do not have 10 dig in a certain distance from other

Earthshakers, they do nOI like close company, so they typically
find a place to sleep that is at least 100 miles (160 kIn) from the

nearest Earthshaker. This has led scholan to estimate that lhere
can be no more than 20 10 30 of these bizarre creatures in all of
the Palladium World, if that many (a half dozen to a dozen are
believed to inhabit the Baalgor Wastelands). While some scOOI·
IlJ'I believe that there are over two dozen, some suspect that
there may be as few as 4-8 Earthshakers left, just barely keeping
their race alive. Others speculate thai Ihere are more, but they
are slowly dwindling as the older ones die off. The truth of the
matter may never be known.

Once or twice in an Earthsbaker's life, it will male. although
the details of this ritual are oot fully documented. The few exist·
ing reports on this topic note that the behemoths mate during
their feeding periods, when males may seek out a female. If she
accepts, the two feed off a single nexus together, exchanging
their own magical energies wilh each other. Afterwards, the fe·
male will begin growing an egg inside of her thai will lake al
least 2,000 years 10 fully gestate. Once gestated, Ihe female bur·
ies the egg deep underground, where it will lie doonant until the

35

mother dies. Regardless of how far the mother is from her egg at layl If this is in deed the case, then the Earthshakers are seem·
her time of death, her passing will somehow trigger the egg to ingly doomed to extinction. Of course, since so little else is
hatch. The unborn Earthshaker begins growing at an extremely lcnown about these enonnously 10ng.1ived creatures, they might
fast rate doubling in size every hour until it finally breaches the have a way of getting around this circwnstance.
egg. During this growing phase, the young Earthshaker will un·
earth itself and head for the nearest ley line nexus, where it will Elven and Owarven scholars can both attest that Earthshakers
feed, u an adult would. Afterwards, it will dig in and slumber, did not playa part in the Elf·Owarfwar. Apparently, these great
assuming the nonnal Earthshaker life cycle, reaching full size
and maturity within tOO years. creatures were so disgusted by the insanity of that conflict that

What is interesting about this theory is that if it is true, then many of them refused 10 awaken during the length of the con·
the Earthshakers are slowly but surely dying OUL If they only flict, hoping to wake up to more sane conditions. Several
lay one egg (or even two) in a lifetime, and if those eggs hatch Earthshakers were in fact slain during the Big Thunder at the
only upon their mother's death, then the birth of each male ef· end of the war, but the majority survived almost unhurt (they
fectively reduces the number of eggs the next generation can were underground, after all), leading many to believe that any
day now, a large number of unknown Earthshakers will rise
from the ground and enter into a group feeding and mating

.

frenzy that would destroy what little life remains in the Baalgor Magic: Earthshakers can perfonn the following spells at 10th
level proficiency: Tongues, Ley Line Transmission, Energy
Wastelands. • Bolt, Energy Field, Energy Disruption, Extinguish Fire, Call
Lightning. Memory Bank, Oracle, Second Sight, Negate
Earthshakers do not amass magic items or wealth, as they Magic, Dispel Magic Barrier, Mystic Portal, Globe of Day-
consider themselves above such petty dislraCtions. Pieces of light, Blind, Calling, Summon Fog. Wink-<>Ut and a total of
Eanhshaker hide and shell are as valuable as dragon hide or 106+6 spells of choice selected from levels 1-5.
dragon bone, but cutting pieces off a moving Earthsbaker is ex-
tremely difficult - like chipping away at solid granite. hlODks: Eartbsbakers can perfonn the following psionic abili-
ties at IOIb level proficiency: Telepathy, C1airvoyance, Com.'
In recent millennia., many of the Quorians who have unved mune with Spirits, Dispel Spirits, Object Read. See the
Invisible. Sense Dimensional Anomaly, Sense Evil, Sense
on the Palladium world have entered into a strange symbiotic re- Magic, Sixth Sense, Total Recall, Detect Psionics, Hypnotic
Suggestion, Induce Nightmare, Insert Memory, Mind Bond,
lationship with the Earthshakers who are slumbering under the Mind Wipe, Invisible Haze, P.P.E. Shield, Mind Block
Baalgor Wastelands. For more infonnation on the nature of this Auto-Defense and twO Super·Psionic powers of choice.
relationship, refer to the Quor;on entry in this section.
AnnIe Life Span: Effectively immortal. Nobody has ever
Creature of Magic - fully chronicled the life span of one of these creatures, since
exact race and purpose unknown. they go donnant for so long. They are believed to live as long
as 5,000 years. Like dragons, they are creatures of magic, so
AlIgnment: Generally considered to he Anarchist. it is possible that Eanhshakers could live for much longer
AttrlbuCn: I.Q. 206+3, M.E. 506, M.A. 306, P.S. 406+50,
P.P. I (that's it- only one P.P. point), P.E. 206+50, P.B. 306, than anyone expects.
Spd. 30+106; supernatural P.S. and endurance Stu: Mammoth! 300 feet (92 m) tall, with a shell that's nearly
Hit Polncs: P.E.xIO
S.D.C: IO4x I00 1,500 feet (457 m) in diameter. Earthshakers weigh approxi-
Nacural A.R.: 19 mately 1,000 tons (455 kt). They are so massive that they of-
Horror Fador/Awr: Special. Earthshakers have a Horror Fac- ten make the ground tremble wherever they walk, hence their
name.
tor of 17. Anybody failing to save versus their H.F. roll will Habitat: So far, they have only been spotted in the Bulgor
be stunned with awmorror for 104 minutes - such folk fre- Wastelands, but they could survive in any climate.
quently get stepped on if they're in an Earthshaker's path. Earthsbakers also can breathe underwater, so they may dwell
Even those who do make their roll will be stunned with at the bottom of an ocean or an especially 1arge lake or river.
awelhorror for a full melee round as their minds are boggled It is suspected that there are no such creatures in the Timiro
by the incredible size and powerful presence of these jugger- Kingdom, the Western Empire, The Eastern Territory, the Is-
nauts. land Kingdom of Byzantium or the Floenry Islands. How-
Avenge P.P.E.: 1006+100 ever, it is possible that one or more of these creatures could
Average I.S.P.: 1006+100 be slumbering beneath the Old Kingdom, the Yin-Sloth
a.c.C.s Available: Eanhshakers are too lethargic to pursue any Jungles, the Land of the South-Winds, the Nonhern Wilder-
particular O.C.C. ness, Ophid's Grasslands, or the Land of the Damned.
NaCunl AblHdn: Bio-Regeneration (I04xIO per melee Languagn: Earthshakers aren't known for communicating verA
round), also see Magic and Psionics. bally, but if they were struck by that fancy, they would speak
Attacks Per Melee: One via magic, psionics or physical attack. in an ancient dialect of Elven. Earthshakers also can commu-
Damage: Any thing caught under the foot of a passing nicate telepathically, as per the psionic ability, at IOIh level
Earthshaker will take 100xl00 S.O.c. damage! Basically, proficiency and without I.S.P. COSt. However, just because
under an Earthsbaker's foot is the last place one wants to be, these creatures can communicate doesn't mean tbat they like
unless you fancy becoming a pancake. Also, even a giant hu- to communicate. "These behemoths consider most other living
manoid cannot parry and Earthshaker's foot- it's simply tOO creatures too shon·lived and trivial to bother themselves with
heavy to stop. The best one can do if caught underfoot is to (much like how humans regard ants). The only beings who
successfully dodge out of the way, or roll with impact. have had any success contacting Earthshakers have been the
Quorians, whose Dream Shamans often contaec sleeping
If an Eanhshaker so desires, it can stomp one of its legs Earthshakers telepathically in search of advice and wisdom.
against the ground with such force that a shockwave will rip- In this regard, Earthshakers often act as oracles, dispensing
ple out for 100 feet in all directions, inflicting 306 damage their vast insight and wisdom in vague and confusing tmos.
and knocking everyone affected off their feet unless they suc- However, Earthshakers will usually talk to a person this way
cessfully roll their P.P. or less on a 020. This shockwave no more than once or twice a month. It is unknown if
damage does not harm the Earthshaker itself, nor will it harm EaJ1hshakers simply find the same people 100 boring to speak
anybody riding on top of the beast. with more frequently than that, or if they are intentionally
Bonuses: +6 to save versus spell magic, +7 to save versus trying to reinforce their image as distant, impenetrable mys-
psionics. Completely immune to Horror Factor, all poisons, tics. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
disease, mind control (magic, psionic or otherwise) or any Enemics: Because so few things can seriously hurt them,
spell magic from levels 1·3!. Earthshakers consider very few creatures their enemies.
Other Combat Info: Due to their extreme size and lack of Adult dragons, demon/devil lords, major elementals and gods
physical prowess, Eanhshakers can not dodge or parry any
incoming attack. They depend entirely on their high A.R.,
S.O.C. and H.P. to soak up damage until the anackers are
driven off or lose interest.

37

are the only things that seem to elicit any sort of respect f!om bles and knights for thousands of years, especially among arro-
these otherwise supremely arrogant creatures. gant milksops who found that ambushing these huge humanoids
was a relatively easy way to have some cruel fun and boost their
Aside from that, the only serious enemies Earthshakers reputation as warriors.
have are other Earthshakers. Solitary by nature, they do not
enjoy each other's company, and if forced to dwell within While giants have endured a great deal of unjust persecution,
several miles of each other for more than a few days, vio- they also have brought a good deal of their current misfortune
lence will ensue until one of them leaves the vicinity. upon themselves. Jotan, Nimro and Gigantes are notorious for
terrorizing countrysides, towns and cities; leading hordes of
In addition, every few millennia, Earthshakers awake and trolls, ogres and orcs against iMocent folk; enslaving people of
unearth themselves to feed and to mate. During this time, all races; and forging alliances with evil dragons, demons and
other nefarious forces of darkne$s.
males become extremely territorial, and will attack any
Earthshaker detected within a SO mile (80 kIn) radius. This has come back to haunt all giants. As their reputation as
monstrous evildoers has spread, so have the borders of the hu-
Since Earthshakers treat most other beings as insignificant man kingdoms of this world. And where humans settle, giants
insects, they don'l care about whatever collateral damaRe are eventually pushed out, lest they be destroyed. As a result,
they cause. This has made enemies out of many humanoid giantkind has been exiled to the most remote and inhospitable
folk who have had their village destroyed by an Earthshaker
passing through, or from a pair fighting. parts of the .world, which makes them hate mankin,d all the
All'n: None, per se. Although the sheer size and power oflhese
creatures earns them respect from dragons, demons, Titans more.
and other creatures of incredible power. Supremely arroganl,
Earthshakers have no such respect for these creatures in re· One such bastion of giantkind is the Baalgor Wastelands
tum. they do not need anybody, not even other Earthshakers, where several thousand Nimro, Algor and Gigantes live, as well
and tend 10 lead mysterious and solitary lives. However, as a number of Cyclops and Jotan. the Baalgor Wastelands have
since the arrival of Quorians on the Palladium world, always been home to many giants, but just to the east, in the
Earthshakers have leamed to appreciate the quasi.worship Mount Nimro region, an entire giant kingdom is taking shape.
these people hold for them as they sleep. Here, all giants and inhuman misanthropes are welcome to
Pbyslc:a1 Appearance: Something like a cross between a mas· gather together for safety, and to forge a common destiny. Much
sive snapping turtle and a great homed dragon. Earthshakers of the world does not know about this nascent giant kingdom.
have a very thick, scaly hide punctuated with many hom-like the Western Empire has heard some rumors about it, and has
points jutting forth. their shells have a serrated edge, and also dispatched numerous scouts to investigate. Depending on what
have the peaked surface of a snapping turtle's shell. they find, the Westerners may send an anny to the region to de-
Earthshakers have hot orange eyes. their enonnous feet each stroy the kingdom, both to be safe and to test its own newly re·
have three clawed toes, which tend to leave footprints S-6 discovered military strength.
feet (2 m) deep and three times as wide.
The giants of the Baalgor Wastelands have flocked to the
Giants banner of the Ninvo Kingdom, which itself sees the Baalgor
Wastelands as a vast land of opportunity. After all, there are few
Qiants are massive humanoids who typically stand 16 to 20 bothersome humans there, plenty of large animals to hunt, and
feet tall (4.9 to 6 m), although lesser (smaller) "giants" such as there is even a route to the sea. Thus, most of the siants living in
Trolls, Ogres, Gromek and Wolfen are sometimes included in
the general category. These hulks are a dying breed because the Wastelands are part of a larger colonization under the aus-
their immense size places huge demands on them and their envi- pices of the fledgling Ninvo Kingdom of Giants. Of course
ment. For example, they cannot easily hide from enemies and, there are giants who are dissidents, independent settlers and Ion·
even though they are physically powerful, they have fallen vic- en who are not affiliated with any kingdom, but these are in the
tim to the assaults of a dozen different races who fear and anack minority (approximately 20-2S%).
them. In addition, they require three to six times more food than
a human and a much larger supply of resources to sustain their As with all great plans, there are obstacles to overcome. the
existence. However, it is the genetic make-up of the ''true'' gi· Gromek represent the most immediate and threatening. These
ants that has hurt them the most. True giants can live as long as tough, aggressive humanoids traditionally considered the Mount
an elf, but they do not reach child-bearing age until they are 30 Nimro Region and the Baalgor Mountains their adopted home·
to SO years old, and then, they can only bear one child every land. That is, until the Nimro Kingdom of Giants fonned, and a
three or four years. By comparison, human females can bear off- brief and bloody war forced them out. Pushed back to the
spring at a young age every 10 or 11 months. Giants just can not Baalgor Wastelands, Gromek have become the mortal enemies
successfully compete with the smaller, more productive, effi- of all giantkind, and they have vowed to resist the giant incur-
cient and resourceful races, sion into the Bulgor Wastelands with all their might. As a re-
sult, a stalemated war of attrition is going on in the Bulgor
Most humanoids fear giants because of their immense size, Mountains, where giant and Gromek outpOsts constantly launch
raw power, fearsome appearance and history of committing raids against each other. For giants, this is a major stumbling
many atrocities and crimes. As a result, nwnerous crusades and block, for until the Gromek are dealt with, there is no way the
campaigns have been launched by various races to exterminate giants can even think of conquering the rest of the Bulgor
giantkind. the Western Empire: i, particularly guilty of this. In Wastelands.
fact, giant-hunting haa been a popular sport among Western no-
For more information on the Nimro Kingdom of Giants, keep
your eyes peeled for the MOUDt Nlmro sourcebook, scheduled
for release in 1999.

38

,•

•• ..,J<il';l

'.;- -'.-i.:<.:;:.-~

I""~

;~'>f;
••

..

~ Combat Considerations and Bonuses: True giants. in~ Cyclops are the least numerous kind of Giant in the Waste-
flict more damage in physical combat, thanks to their extreme lands. Most Baalgor Cyclops were kicked off the Isle of the Cy~
size and strength. Unless stated otherwise, a restrained, clops for some reason, or they had delusions of grandeur and
open-handed slap does 106 damage, a restrained punch does felt they could gain greater power for themselves in the Waste~
204 damage, a full-strength punch does 206 damage +P.S. b0- lands. Cyclops generally act as military advisors and magical
nus, a power punch does 406 +P.S. damage bonus (counts as weapons·makers to the Nimro who lead the organized Giant
two anacks), or by weapons or magic (if versed in the mystic
arts). In addition to attribute and skill bonuses, most giants are tribes tJying to build .their kingdom of giants. A few Cyclops ad-
also +1 on initiative, +2 to pull punch, +1 to roll with impact or venturers and opportunists also operate as pirates, bandits, raid-
ers and/or lead their own crews of cutthroats and brigands. Most
fall, +3 to save vs Horror Factor, and +1 to save vs poison, of these mixed bands of warriors (typically including other gi-
drugs and disease. ants, ogres, orcs, goblins and the occasional Troll, Kobold,
Gosai and human) wander the' Wastelands and Old Kingdom
":" '.,: :":". looking for glory, wealth and power through acts of banditry
and/or as mercenaries, adventurers and ruthless explorers (the
laner searching the land in the hope of discovering an ancient
ruin where more magic weapons or magic-making secrets can
be found).

.i',..~., Giant Humanoid

:.,;'. AJlpmeDt: Any, but lean toward anarchist and evil.
Attribuln: I.Q. 306, M.E. 206, M.A. 406, P.S. 506+2, P.P.
:.:;::f.:'.... \/:·: .
406, P.E. 406, P.B. 206, Sp<!. 206
Cyclops """'''"''(...". ·::::;;<·*C' Hit PoIDt.: P.E. +106 per level of experience.
S.D.C: 50 plus those gained from O.C.C. and physical skills.
raceCyclops are an ancient and mysterious' of giants said to Natural A.R.: 5
Horror Factor: 12
have walked the world since the Age of Chaos, when the Old Average P.P.E.: I06x10 plus P.E. attribute number or by
Ones reigned. the Cyclops are the sole possessors of the
much-coveted lightning magic used to make a variety of power~ magic O.C.C.
ful weapons, including lightning javelins and mows. Such O.C.c.. AvaUable: Any, without restriction, although most
lightning weaponry is fashioned by means of a secret magical
art known only by the Cyclops. Scholars believe that the magic lean toward Men of Arms.
invoked to produce these lightning shafts actually calls upon lbe Skill Notes aDd BoDUsn: All Cyclops speak TrolV and Western
power of the Old Ones and only the Cyclops can cast it without
retribution. Indeed, should any creature other than the Cyclops Human. About 40% are literate in Elven and/or Western Hu~
learn and use the ancient magic, 206 greater demons will ap- man or another language (+10%).
Natural AbUltln: Superior physical strength and endunmce.
pear, seize the weapons, torture the creator to death, and disap- Nightvision 60 feet (18.3 m; can see in total darkness), good
pear. Transgressors sometimes are allowed to live, so that they overall vision and hearing, impervious to lightning/electricity
(including magic electricity) and resistant to all other fonns
mar serve as reminders to all olbers who would dare steal the of energy (taking only half damage) except for kinetic en-
secrets of lightning magic. These poor souls typically have their
hand and tongues removed, their faces tenibly disfigured (P.B. ...gy.
Down to 3) and suffer other partcularly cruel mutilations.
tbe Cyclop.' L1gbtniDg Shafts (Magic): Many Cyclops (33%)
Brokering their unique magicks, the Cyclops have amassed
incredible wealth, and with it, they have built a powerful, iso- can create four types of lightning javelins and two types of
lated kingdom on the Isle of the Cyclops, to the west of the arrows. the damage and average cost for each type is in~
Western Empire. Here, the Cyclops make deals with the Empire eluded.
of Sin to supply them with lightning weapons and other magical
llITIl$. Unknown to the Western Empire, the Cyclops are also Javelins: Light: 406 damage (cost 650~I,OOO gold), me-
making secret deals with the Nimro Kingdom to supply them dium: 706 (cost 1,000 to 1,500 gold), heavy: 106xl0 (cost
with lightning weaponry as well. How the Western Empire will 1,600 to 2,400 gold; rare), or super: 204xl0 (cost 2,000 to
react if this is ever discovered, is a topic of much speculation 5,000; super~rare). The magic javelins appear to be jagged
rods pointed at both ends and range from six to ten feet (1.8
among the Cyclops themselves. The Isle of the Cyclops and the
Western Empire have always been on friendly terms, but then, to 3 m) long. Effective range thrown (magically enhanced):
the Cyclops have never betrayed their human allies before, ei- 1,000 feet (305 m); only a cyclops can hurl the lightning jav~
ther. Currently, the cover story is that any such weapons in the elins 2,000 feet (610 m). Limitation: the javelin or arrow can
hands of Baalgor giants have been manufactured by unaffiliated only be used once because it turns into a real lightning bolt in
Cyclops ''rogues and dissidents." mid-air and disappears after it strikes. Roll to strike as usual,
but add a + I bonus to strike.
Cyclops tend to be surprisingly civilized though aggressive
toward smaller and weaker beings. They prefer their own light~ Arrows: Light: 306 damage (cost 300 to 500 gold).
ning weapons but love rune weapons, magic annor, and magic Heavy: 606 damage (cost 800 to 1,200 gold).
items of all kinds. Most tend to be self·serving, greedy and
covet vast wealth, prestige and power. Both light and heavy mows can be designed to fit short
bows, long bows or crossbows. Like the javelins, they appear
crooked. Effective range: 200 feet (61 m) farther than the
nonnal bow weapon, 600 feet (183 m) farther for a Cyclops.

40

Attacks Per Meltt: Two minimum or by O.C.C. and combat like, lashing out at any non·giant race they happen upon, espe-
skills. cially smaller or weaker folk. Jotan often become bandits or
marauders, commanding small annies of goblins, orcs, ogres
Damale: Typical giant damage, or by weapon or magic. and trolls. In fact, Jotan evildoers are largely responsible for the
Boaulft: +3 to save vs Horror Factor, +4 to pull punch, +2 to bad reputation giants have in general.

roll with impact. plus those gained from attributes, O.C.c. Jotan are the enforcen and blacksmiths for Baalgor giants in
and skill bonuses. general. There is plenty of metal and stone to make great wea~
ons and annor here; so the Jotan are plenty busy, with all of the
Map.: By O.C.C. work orden to fill (lots of giants mean lots of weapons and ar-,
mor is needed). The violent Jotan also relish the frequent oppor-
PaloDkI: Standard; the same as humans. tunities to do combat with Gromek, rogue Gigantes, and even
Annie Life SpaD: 600 years, but some have lived to I,OOO! the occasional foray into human settlements. This latter activity
Size: 14 feet plus ID4 additional feet (4.6 to 5.5 m). 600 to is deeply frowned upon by other giants who fear that provoking
the humans will only lead to the kind of trouble giants all over
1,000 pounds (270 to 450 kg). the world must deal with.
Habitat: Cyclops can be found anywhere, but are most common
Giont Humanoid
in the Wastelands, Old Kingdom, Great Northern Wilder-
ness, and occasionally in the Western Empire as free citizens. AUgDmeDt~ Any, but lean toward anarchist and evil.
thousands inhabit the Isle of the Cyclops, a small nation of
giants that has existed for centuries. (See the AdveDturts OD Attributes: I.Q. 206, M.E. 306, M.A. 206, P.S. 5I!>6+10 (su-

tbe tuab Seu sourcebook for complete details and maps). pernatural), P.P. 406+6, P.E. 406+6, P.B. 206, Sp<!. 306

Eaemlts: Traditionally, Changelings, Titans and Trolls. Gen- Hit Points: P.E. + I06 per level of experience.
erally indifferent to others, but most humans still fear them.
For reasons that are unclear, Cyclops and Gigantes hate each S.D.C: I04xl0+40
other and frequently engage in duels, feuds and skinnishes.
Cyclops try to avoid them and consider them to be savage, Natural A.R.: 5
mindless barbuians incapable of appreciating art or culture
(a reasonably correct assessment). Horror Factor: 12

AIUtI: Kobolds, , Nimro, Ogres and dragons. Indifferent toward Average P.P.E.: 100xl0
most others. May associate with the supernatural and crea-
tures of magic, as well as humans and other races. they are O.C.C.s Available: Any men ofanns, clergy, witch or warlock.
frequently worshipped by Kobolds.
Skill Notes: Speaks TrolVGiantese and GobbJely, and gets the
Pbyllcal Appunace: Olive·skinned giants with one large eye
in the center of the head and usually long dark hair. Cyclops additional skills of Recognize Weapon Quality and Field Ar-
prefer to wear Roman-style togas and clothing made of fine a.c.c.morer, both at +15% r~gardless of the
silk. they also love to wear gold and gem bracelets, necklaces selected.
andjeweiry.
Natural AbiUtltI: Supernatural physical strength and endur·
Favorite WeapoDI: Cyclops prefer to use their own lightning
weapons and all types of magic weapons, annor and items. ance. 40 feet (12.2 m), good overall vision and heuing, and
they also like ordinary javelins, spears, bows and large
swords. resistant to heat and fire (inflicts half-damage). Jotan have a

Jotan natural aptitude for mechanics and metal working.

Also known as Earth Giants, the Jotan are the most powerful Attacks Per Melee: three, or by a.c.c. and combat training +I.
giants of the Palladium world, as well as masterful metal work-
en and swordsmen. Jotan are not particularly smart, and they Damage: Typical giant damage or by weapon or magic.
actually prefer a life of labor, usually as men of anns, bandits,
miners, excavators of mountains, builders, and manufacturers of BonuleI: +1 on initiative, +1 to disano, +2 to pull punch, +2 to
weapons and annor. They are frequently employed to create
weapons and armor for the other giant races, particularly for Cy- roll with impact, +3 to save vs Horror Factor, plus those
clops and Nimro. The craftsmanship of the Jotan's work is sec-
ond only to that of the Dwarves, and easily equal to the Kobold. gained from attributes, O.C.C. and skill bonuses.

The Jotan tend to keep to themselves, largely because their Magic: By Witch, Warlock or Clergy O.C.C. only.
numbers are small, but they are extremely aggressive and war·
Pilonlei: Standard, the same as humans.

Average Ufe Span: 300 years, but some live to 500.

Size: 18 to 20 feet tall (5.4 to 6.1 m).

Habitat: Can be found anywhere, but are most common in the

Baalgor Wastelands, the Old Kingdom and the Land of the

South Winds.

Enemies: Traditionally, Rahu-Men, Titans, Elves, Dwarves and

humans. Generally indifferent toward othen.

AJlIes: Nimro, Cyclops and Gigantes, as well as trolls, ogres,

orcs and goblins. Indifferent toward most others. May associ·

ate with supernatural beings, creatures of magic and evil sor·

cerers. Jotan can be extremely hostile and frequently

command troops of orcs, goblins and other monster races.

Physical Appearance: Bronze-skiMed giants with powerful

builds, dark eyes and brown hair.

Favorite Weapons: Giant-sized large swords, battle axes, ball

and chain, and blunt weapons. They wear chain, scale and

plate annor.

.::.i/::"·'.:"'~ ~;it::;··:.....;:-:-:.>':::(;:;<~\;. Dlmage: By punch. kick or weapon; also, by mutation (5« be-
low).
'.:'
BoDuses: +4 to save vs Horror Factor, plus other bonuses from
anributes, O.C.C. skill bonuses and mutations.

Magk: Generally unavailable.
PsioDIc:s: Standard, about the same as humans.

Avenae Life SpaD: 150 yean; few live beyond 200.
Slu: 15 to 20 feet tall (4.6 to 6 m), 14 feet +106 additional feet.

1,000 to 2,000 pounds (450 to 900 kg).
HabUal: Can be found anywhere, but are most common in the

Gigantes Yin-Sloth Jungles, the Wastelands, the Old Kingdom Moun-
tains, and the Great Northern Wilderness (and perhaps the
Gigantes are the most feared and bizarre of all Palladium gi- Land of the Damned).
ants. 'They are mutants plagued by an unstable, ever-mutating LaDcuaces: All speak Giantese. Some also speak: troll and/or
genetic structure that gives them a host of defonnities, insanities Gobblely.
and weird powen. Giganles are ignorant, aggressive misan· EDemles: Traditionally, Titans, Rahu-men, Elves, Dwarves, Hu-
thrope:s with a lust for bloodletting. Although humans and elves mans, Wolfenlcanines, and most other non-giants. According
to humans, "Gigantes hate everyone'" In the Baalgor Waste-
are their primary victims, the other non-human races. and occa- lands, Gigantes are on particularly bad terms with afomek.
Allies: Fellow, Nimro, trolls, ogres, orcs and goblins. Generally
sionally the other giants, also fall prey to their aggression and indifferent to others. Frequently join other forces of evil, sor-
cerers, dragons, creatures of magic and the supernatural.
madness. Physical Appunnce: Varies dramatically. Most Gigantes have
a monstrous, horrifying appearance.
Gigantes are wild. daring and merciless fighters. They are ex-
tremely hostile, aggressive, cruel, and given to berserker I'1.ge
and wholesale slaughler. They are especially murderous toward
non-human races and eat the nesh of their enemies. Titans and

Rahu-Men are their arch-enemies, and the most villainous Glgantes Mutations &. Spe<'lal Abilities Table:
Gigantes will attack them on sight. Gigantes often associate Roll four times to detennine random abilities and features.
with other giants, trolls, ogres, powerful sorcerers, dragons,
creatures of magic and supernatural beings.

Gigantes are the wildest bunch among all the Baalgor giants. 01-05%: Nightvision of90 to 540 (306x30) feet (21.1 to 166.3
While their mutant structure makes them excellent fighters, their
insane natures also makes them uncontrollable and unpredict- m).
able; both bad chanlctenstics to have in an organized society. ~IO·I.: See the Invisible.
So, most Gigantes are either kicked out of giant villages or they 11-15·1.: Tum invisible at will.
leave willingly to roam the land in search of smaller folk. to vie-
timize. These foul monsters love to pick fights with anybody. 1.20·1.: Impervious to flIe, including magical fire. Add 20
Absolutely anybody. And in as hostile environment as the
Baalgo~ Wastelands, that gives them all sorts of opportunities to points to S.D.Co
fight to their hearts' content. 21-22Y.: Poisonous bite that does 306 S.D.C. damage.
23-24%: A second mouth or one on the end of a tentacle. Bite
Giant, Monstrous Humanoids
does 1D6 S.D.C. and adds one additional attack per melee
(mutants even by giant st8.ndards) round when an opponent is within range.
2~26·1.: Single large hom. Add 106 S.D.C. to ram attack and
head butt.
27-32%: Additional pair of anns, add one melee attack per

AUpmeDt: Any, but lean toward anarchist, miscreant and dia- round.
bolic.
Attributes: I.Q. 206, M.E. 106, M.A. 206, P.S. 406+g (super- 33-4«»-1.: Scaly skin, add 1D6x 10 S.D.C.
O8tunll), P.P. 306+6, P.E. 406+<i, P.B. 206, Spd. 406 41....5-;.: thick lumpy skin, add 606 additional S.D.C.
Hit PoiDts: P.E. + 106 per level of experience. 46-50-;.: Leather wings; 50-A chance the Gigante can ny at a
S.D.C: 1O6x 10 plus possible mutation variations that provide
'P"'dof206xIO.
bonus S.D.C as well as those acquired from physical skills. sl-54Y.: Additional eye (+2 initiative, 30 ftI9 m nightvision)
Horror Factor: 13 and higher depending on their appearance. s~59-;.: Large heavy tail; a tail slap does 206 S.D.C. damage.
Averaae P.P.E.: 2D4x 10
60-64·1.: Large fangs; bite does 306 S.D.C.
O,C.C.s AvaUable: Any men of anns, clergy, or witch; they 65--69·1.: Ape-like body covered in fur; add IS points to S.D.C.
generally are not smart enough or patient enough to proactice 7t)..1SY.: Feather wings; 50% can ny at a speed of306x10.
magic. Gigantes are best suited as villainous non-player char-
acters (NPCs). 1~·1.: Claws; do an additional 106 punch damage.
11-84·/.: Large, nat teeth; bite does 204 S.D.C.
Nllunl AbJUtia: Superior physical strength and endurance, 1~90·I.: Breathe fire; 20 foot range (6 m), 306 S.D.C. damage.
considered the equivalent of supernatural P.S. and P.E.; 40 91-95Y.: Spits acid; 20 foot range (6 m), does 406 S.D.C. dam-
feet (12 m), good overall vision and hearing, instinctive
"8'.
96-01:»-1.: Additional leg; adds 2o-A to balance, +I04XIO speed.

swimmers (60%).

Attadu: Per Meltt:: 2 or by O.C.C. and corresponding combat

skills. .2

Cllinte IDSlnity Tlble: enlire Wastelands region. This is a wild and savage land with
many fearsome and strong people living in it. The Nimro realize
Roll once initially. Roll additional insanities as a result of that to conquer this land, they may have to strike deals and alli-
ances with other Wastelandm sucb as the Eandroth. Gosai and
trauma, and for every 50 years the Gigante has been alive. NPC Quorians. To any other giant, this course of action would be un-
acceptable, but to the Nimro, it is all part of the complex wk of
Gigantes generally will have two insanities. building a nation.

01-10%: Psychosis. To that end, the Bwgor Nimro have forged an alliance with
11-3-4%: No insanity. the Isle of the Cyclops, and have even gotten some delegates
3~%: Dbsession. &om that kingdom to help advise them and supply them with '
.5-77%: Phobia. lightning weapons and military support.
71-91%: Neurosis.
91~·1e: Affective disorder.

Nimro GlaDI HumaDold

Nimro are greedy, arrogant, aggressive and cunning giants AlIpmeDt: Any, but lean towards anarchist and evil, particu-
made all the more dangerous because they know how get others larly miscreant and aberrant.
10 follow them, and they are good stralegists and planners capa-
ble of can conceiving large, sweeping plans. Such is the case of Attrlbut..: I.Q. 306, M.E. 406, M.A. 306, P.S. 306+6. P.P.
the Baalgor Nimro, most of whom are stationed here as part of
the Nimro Kingdom's ongoing effort to claim the Baalgor 306+6, P.E. 406+6. P.B.306, Spd. 206
Wastelands for its own. Hit Points: P.E. +106 per level of experience.
S.D.C: 50 points, plus those gained from D.C.C.s lU'ld physical
So far, their campaign bas gone well for the Nimro, who
have managed to establish numerous camps and villages skills.
throughout the region, bUI especially in the Baalgor Mountains Horror Fador: II
and the rocky desert. Nimro lead foraging parties thai travel all Average P.P.E.: 100xlO or by magic D.C.C.
over the region in search of food, prisoners and valuables, but O.C.C.. AvaIlablt: Any, except knight, palladin and long bow-
they tend 10 stay away from the Rocky Coastline where the hu·
mans settlements and sea traffick are. No need to pick a fight man.
with an enemy thai has caused gianlkind so much trouble al· Nafurll AbWdes: Superior physical strength and endurance,
ready, righl? But slill, those Western humans are so puny and
defenseless, and Ihose pirate communities are disorganized and considered supernatural. 40 foot (12 m) nightvision, good
flush with booty. Perhaps a little raiding here and there could be ovcf311 vision and hearing. Impervious to rue; all other fonns
in order. ofenergy do halfdamage!

There are also many Nimro renegades and independent oper- Breathe fire: Range is 40 feel (12 m), inflicts 406 damage
alives in this region who left Mount Nimro because of the ongo.- and counts as an extra melee attack when used. Fire breath
ing power struggles there. Many are powennongm themselves, can be used only once per melee round.
who wanted to be in charge but did not have the ability to take Attacks Per Mtl": 2 plus breath attack or by D.C.C. and cho.-
power for themselves. As a result,they decided to come to the sen combat skills.
Baalgor Wastelands where they could be larger fish in a smaller BoDUSCS: +2 to save vs Horror Factor, +1 to save vs illusions,
pond, so to speak. Such Nimro lend to become murderous cut· and +3 to save vs possession. All arc in addition to bonuses
throats, chieftains and warlords, commanding small armies of
evildoers. gained from anributes, O.C.C.s and skills.
Malle: By D.C.C. only.
Nimro are clever schemers, good stralegists, surprisingly or- Pslonlcs: Standard, about the same as humans.
ganized and socially aclive with other giants, including trolls
and ogres. The Nimro of the Baalgor Wastelands have their Average Lift Span: 300 years, with some living as long as 500
hands full maintaining the war wilh the Gromek as well as Iry-
ing 10 push forward their colonization of the Baalgor Wasle- years.
lands and the fonnal establishment of a Kingdom for Giants. Stu: 15 to 18 feel tall (4.6 to 5.8 m), 14 feet +104 addilional
Even if the Gromek are defeated, the Nimro realize that they
feet. 800 to 1,400 pounds (360 to 630 kg).
.have a massive task ahead of them if Ihey truly wish to rule the Habitat: Can be found anywhere, but are most common in the

Wastelands, Did Kingdom, and the Yin-Sloth Jungles. the
Nimro have buill a kingdom of giants in the Bulgor Waste-
lands, to which all Giantkind are welcomed.
Laapqes: Giantese, Troll, and Gobblely. Many Nimro also
speak Elven and other languages. Aboul 50-Ie of all Nimro
arc liteBte in Elven or Western Human.
Enemies: Traditionally, Titans. elves, dwarves, humans, and
non-giants. Genenlly indifferent to others.
Allies: Jotan, Gigantes, ogres. trolls, orcs, goblins and fire drag-
ons. Nimro occasionally ally themselves with Cyclops and
Algor, and they may associate with the supernatural, crea-
tures of magic, and anybody who can best serve them. Indif-
ferent to most Olbers.
Physical Appearance: Copper· or red-skinned giants with
black or red-brown hair and bright yellow eyes. Nimro often

wear light annor, half-plate and chain and plate.

Gosai

These quiet and lethal humanoids from another world were

brought to the Palladium World as assassins and spies during
the Elf-Dwarf War. The Gosai were originally a tree-dwelling
people, well-suited for the region's original jungle and forest en-
vironment. Since the Big Thunder, they have developed tough,
scaly skin 10 protect themselves from the scathing environment
of the Bulger Wastelands.

A few generations after the Elf-Dwarf War came to an end,
the Gosai sel aside their lingering resentment for Elves and
Dwarves. realizing thai the people of today are greatly different
than they were eons ago (They are considerably more humble,
for one thing). The few other races that were in the Haalgor re-
gion during the Elf-Dwarf War still consider the Gosai as dan-
gerous and spooky as ever. For the mosl part, humans and other
races see these desert wanderers as just another exotic race in an
exotic land.

Gosai are a nomadic people who travel in large groups con·
sisting of one or more extended families. The average tribe has
no fewer than 20 members, and the largest can reach over 200.
Such big groups tend to draw notice, however, so most clans are
kept under 100 and clan gatherings are often short-lived reo
unions before all the families go their separate ways.

The Gosai have an extended family structure in which broth-
ers, sisters, aunts and uncles and all their siblings and offspring
will stick together as a single unit. Periodically, they will leave
these family units to hone their combat abilities, seek adventw"e
or revenge, or to see more of the world, but 98% of the time,
they return home within a year or two, and return to their famil-
ial duties. Once Gosai mate, they do so for life, which also pre-
vents many adults from wandering ofT on their own. The female
gives birth to 2-4 children at a time, but only after a 36 month
pregnancy. Gosai females do not swell during pregnancy until
their final year.

The alien beings are level-headed and methodical, but once
moved·to violence, they become ruthless and vicious fighters
who rarely show mercy (even if it is begged of them), and can
hold a grudge or vendetta that spans decades. Even in the heat of
combat, however, Gosai remain relatively calm, cool and col-
lected. The average warnor does not raule easily, nor do they
show their emotions; professional assassins can seem absolutely
cold and hard as ice. While most view them as cold and unfeel-
ing, the truth is that they are a passionate people, but they inter-
nalize most of their feelings except when around their closest
friends or trusted family members.

The Gosai's greatest weakness is a contact allergy to metal of
any kind, inflicting ID4 points of damage each time any part of
their flesh touches any kind of metal. As a result, Gosai avoid

metal entirely, opting nor to use metal weapons even if their

grips are covered in cloth or another non-metallic substance.
Likewise, Gosai do not use much technology for the same rea-
son. Numerous scholars liken this to the iron intolerance shown
by some Faerie Folk, making them think that perhaps the Gosai
were originally of that ilk but mutated during the Elf-Dwarf
War. Such conclusions are wrong, but prevail anyway, espe-
cially among the more "learned" circles of the major nations.
Gosai can and do use stone and wood weapons, particularly
wooden staves and slings, but most prefer to rely on their re-

.tractable claws and remarkable kicking ability in combat.

ODe final DOte: Gosai refuse to use riding beasts or beasts of 5 Claw attacks increase to 306 damage, ''pop kick" increases to
burden, preferring to carry their meager possessions on their 506 damage.
bach wherever they go. According to the Gosai themselveS, one
should never own so many possessions that be or sbe requires a 6 Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 17, 18, 19 or 20.
beast of bwden to carry them an. To do otherwise is to display
7 Character may use his band and foot claws as paired weapons,
gluttonous materialism, something which all Gosai strive to
avoid. This aversion to using pack animals has expanded over as per the W.P. Paired Weapons skill. They can also be used
the years into a disdain for any kind of riding animal. This also to parry swords and other hand held weapons.
8 Leap Attack, +1 on initiative, +2 to pull punch.
means they have little use for gold, gems, and other valuables, 9 +1 attack per mel~ round.
preferring to live "life to its fullest" and enjoy the wealth one 10+2 to parry and dodge.
earns through reputation, glory and infamy - they love build- II Body throw/flip, + I to initiative.
ing notorious reputations for themselves and enjoying the celeb- 12 Death blow on an unmodified roll of20 (if desired).

rity (and/or fear and intimidation) it brings. 13 +2 to damage.
14 +1 attack per melee.
InleWeenl Humanoid 15 +210 strike and disann.

AUpIMllI: Any, but usually setrtsh or aberrant evil. Nalural Abilldes:
Attrib...., I.Q. 306, M.E. 306, M.A. 206, P.S. 306, P.P.
306+li, P.E. 306, P.B. 306, Spd. 306+li Prehensile feet (special): A Gosai is just as dexterous with his
Hli Pofah: P.E. +106 per level. feet as with his bands. Those with the Scale Walls skill get a
S.D.C: 306 plus O.C.C.JR.C.C. and physical skills. +10'1. bonus. Plus, Gosai can perfonn feats of flOe manual dex·
Natural A.R.: 10
Horror Factor: 10 Penatty.terity (such as picking locks) with their feet, with 00
Avera&e P.P.E.: 406
O.C.C.. Available: Any, except knight, palladin and long bow· Retractable claws (special): Gosai have retractable claws on

man. Favorite O.C.C.s are thief, assassin and gladiator. Or their feet as well as their hands. For this reason, they almost
the character may opt for the Gosai Assa.uin Racial Charac-
ter Class. GoIaI A.uula R.C.C.: In this case, the character never wear shoes or gauntlets.

has become a professional killer but refuses to employ hand ~ hinges (special): Gosai have a unique elastic material in
to hand weapons of any sort. The Gosai Assassin is identical their knee joints, allowing their legs to ''pop'' straight with in-
to the Assassin O.C.C. except in place of Hand to Hand: As· credible force. This allows them to leap 30 feet (9 m) in any di-
rection. Also, Gosai can use this ability to deliver
sassin. the character learns a unique unarmed combat style extra-powerful kicking attacks known as "pop kicks."

called ShuJasa that emphasizes a Gosai's natural fighting Attacks Per Melee: 2 or by O.C.C. or R.C.C. and combat skills.
abilities. Note that ONLY the Gosai Assassin R.C.C. is eligi· Damale: A swipe ofhand or foot claws does 206, a "pop kick"
ble to lake Hand to Hand: Skudasa. Also, in place of the four
weapon proficiencies available to the Assassin O.C.C., the does 406 but counts as two melee actions.
Gosai assassin gets one additional skill selection from each BoauleI: +1 melee attack (due to agility and prehensile feet),
of the following categories: Espionage, Military, Rogue and
Scholar (for a total of four skill selections). The Gosai Assas- +1 to strike, parry and dodge. +2 to save vs Horror Factor,
sin CAN NOT lake a W.P., Horsemanship skill or the Dis- and ·2 to save vs poison.
guise skill. Mqjc, By D.C.C. only.
Hud 10 Uaad: Sltudasa: This is a cross between Martial Arts Psioaks: Standard.
and Assassin combat training, with a special emphasis on Avenle Llfe Span: 60 years.
clawing and kicking anacks. Size, 5-6 ree' tall (1.7-2 m), 150-175 pounds (68-80 kg).
Level
I Starts with two attacks per melee round, +2 to strike. Habital: Gosai cannot stand cold or wet climates, so the
2 +3 to parry and dodge, +2 to pull punch and +2 to roll with
plmCblfall. Baalgor Wastelands is the only place where they tnJly feel
3 All kick attacks.
comfortable (they would also flOd The Land of the South
4 + I attack per melee round and +I on initiative.
Winds comfortable if they ever travelled to it). Some Gosai

Assassins have traveled abroad to sell their skills, mostly in

the Western Empire, the Timiro Kingdom, Old Kingdom and
certain parts of the Eastern Territory.
Languales: Besides their own native tongue, Gosai also speak
Elven fluently. They were taught it by the Elves who origi·
nal1y summoned them to this world during the Elf-Dwarf
War. Since then, Gosai elders have taught the language to
their young.
Eaemies: Giants, trolls, ogres and orcs. Gosai especially dislike
Quorians, whom they fought extensively during the
Elf-Dwarf War. In many ways, the war is not yet over be·

tween these two races. Oddly enough, Gosai are indifferent

to Dwarves, the race they were specifically recruited by the
Elves to fight during the Elf-Dwarf Wars. It is thought that
when the Dwarves recruited the Quorians to "level the play.
ing field," the Gosai and Quorians targeted each other exclu-
sively, almost forgetting about their Elf and Dwarf patrons.
In the years that followed, the Gosai gradually forgave both

45

the Elves and the Dwarves for getting them involved in their pose them. Their society is extremely strong and communal.
insane war in the first place, but the Quorians are still hatetJ. Their native level of technology is comparatively primitive,
Allifl: Humans. Elves, and Eandroth. Gosai are indifferent to roukhly equivalent to the Earth' Middle Ages, or that of the Pal·
all other races. ladium World, except magic is something new to them.
Pbysical Appt.r.nce: Slender. graceful humanoids who many
people think have a slightly reptilian appean.nce. Completely The Gromek's homeworld, like the Palladium World, has a
hairless. they are covered with fine, metallic red scales. Their history of dimensional disturbances which have enabled small
teeth are small and pointed, like a puppy dog's milk teeth. groups of explorers and warnors to investigate other worlds.
Gosai have light yellow eyes with an elongated, golden Unfortunately, few Gromek are adept in magic or dimensional
"goat's eye" pupil. Most prefer to dress in loose clothing, travel and they often become trapped in the alien dimension
usually a tunic, billowing leggings, and a flowing set of they've gone to explore. If trapped, the warriors find an isolated
desert Bedouin robes. location to build a base of operations and to establish a new
tribe (males and females share equal status in the Gromek soei-
Gromek ery and all scouting parties have equal numbers of both gen-
ders). As the tribe grows, the Gromek become increasingly
Gromek are a I'BCe of giant aliens who appear to be more de- aggressive and begin a campaign to conquer and control the
monic than man or bast. Their bead is animal-like with widely land around them. Eventually, they can grow to become a dan-
gerous force; this is certainly the case on the Palladium World.
spaced eyes, huge maw, fangs, homs, and a series ofbooy plates
that run from the nose to the top of the head. 11leir giant bat Quite intelligent, they are masterful weaponsmiths aDd crafts-
wings and size give them a further demonic appeannce. How- men. The Gromek's entire sociery is oriented to war and training
ever, the Gromek are not demons. they are a warrior race from for war, not unlike the Spartans of ancient Greece. Males are
another dimension with towering mountains. How or why they trained as warriors from early childhood. Females bear the re-
came to the Palladium world is unknown, but considering that sponsibiliry of raising children and serve as craftsmen and
they came to the Baalgor region, a place where many other weaponsmiths. All are deadly and merciless combatants, exhib-
aliens have also appeared, it is possible the Gromek were sum- iting compassion only for the benefit of their own kind. The fe-
moned during the Elf·DwarfWar. males are also taught the arts of being a warrior, but serve as
healers and military strategists.
On their homeworld, the Gromek are the masters of their
planet, having conquered or obliterated any who dared to op- Although most Gromek will unite against a common foe or
to engage in a major militaly campaign, they usually live in
small clans of about 80 members in a particular village. In lands

..

dominated by Gromek. there may be scores of these villages Attacks Per Melee: Two, plus those gained by combat slcills.
cluslered together, represenling thousands. The smaUest clan or Damaae: Bite inflicts 106+4 damage, clawed hands: 106+2
scouting group will contain 206 warriors, half are female. •
. damage plus P.S. bonus, clawed feet 2D6+2 damage plus
The Gromek's aggressive, predatory nature shows itself P.S. bonus, or by weapon.
through their disdain for all weaker fonns of intelligent life. The BoDUIn: +2 on initiative, +I to strike, +2 to parry and dodge,
Gromek's immediate inclination is to destroy or subjugate the +4 to dodge while in flight, +2 to pull punch. +2 to roll with
weak. They view mosl humanoids: as either inferiors or a threat
to their domination. This has brought all Gromek into a savage, impact. All are in addition to attribute and slcill bonuses.
ongoing war with giantkind in and around the BaaJgor Waste- Maale: By O.C.C. only, and a rare happenstance because most
lands: and the Mount Nimro region. The winged-warriors had
considered the Mount Nimro region as their home territory for Gromek flOd the pursuit of magic to be alien and unnatural.
many, many years, until the numerous giants settled their differ- They are born warriors, so some even regard magic as cow- '
ences, united, and drove the Gromek out. Stunned by their de- udly.
feal, the Gromek have united to resist the incursion of the giants, PdODia:: None.
who they have since sworn to destroy utterly. The Gromek's Avenp Ufe SpaD: 180 years:
war against the giants has moved to the Baalgor Mountains, Slu: 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3m) tall. 600 to gOO pounds: (270 to 360
where the two races have fought each other to a bloody stale- kg).
mate. Habitat: Gromek prefer mountains and tall hills in moderate to
bot climates. While they consider the Mount Nimro region to
ThAnkfully for the Gromek. they still virtually rule the be their adopted homeland, over the last generation, many

Baalgor Mountains. using their ability of flight to soar from have been forced out of that area by agents of Jhe Nimro

mountaintop to mountaintop. giving them far more mobility Kingdom. As a result, the largest concentrations of Gromek
than their giant, grounded foes. The Gromek clans bere use
blitzbieg and surprise tactics to harass their enemies. A few settlements in the world are among the Baalgor Mountains.
Gromek clans have grown especially powerful and collect trib- They are also occasiooally found in the Yin-Sloth jungles
ute from all creatures living in their vicinity. The most powerful and the untamed parts of the Land of the South Winds.
of these warlords have established small "kingdoms" along the Lup..n: Their own language, both spoken and wrinen. Most
inner edge of the Baalgor Mountains, stretching into the rocky also speak Giantese.
deserts. Eventually, one Gromek warlord will beat all of the oth- E.mJn: Humans and most indigenous intelligent life forms.
ers into submission, creating a united Gromek nation of sorts; Allin: Occasionally ally themselves with ogres, trolls or giants.
spelling trouble for everybody else living in the Wastelands.
However, with relations sowing between giants and Gromek
Intelligent Winged-Humanoid
in general, such alliances are less and less likely. Most have
Alignment: Any, but predominantly selfish or evil. never seen a Wolfen or other northerners.
Attributes: I.Q. 206+1, M.E. 306, M.A. 206, P.S. 406+2, P.P.
306, P.E. 406, P.B. 206, Spd. 206 nanning, 606+6 for flight. Pbyllcal AppearaD«: Tall, muscular and fearsome. Gromek
Hil Points: P.E. +106 per level of experience. have a demonic appearance, with homed heads, scaly skin,
S.D.C: 406 plus those acquired from physical skills. sharp, dragon-like teeth and great leather wings. Both male
Natunl A.R.: 12; tough, fine-scaled sk..in. and female look almost identical. The only distinguishing

Horror Factor: 14 features are that females rarely exceed eight feet (2.4 m) in

Avtnge P.P.E.: 206 height and possess female reproductive organs.

O.C.C.s Av.uable: All optional and Men of Arms O.C.C.s, es- Notet: Gromek generally mate for life and are extremely

pecially mercenary, soldier, ranger, knight and palladin. They protective of and loyal to family, friends and Bce. Females give
birth to one or two offspring after a gestation period of twelve
can also select clergy, but fmd few gods worthy of their wor- months. Males begin physical and combat training by age five,
ship. Men of Magic O.C.C.s are available. but Gromek rarely while females begin to learn holistic medicine, literacy and
strategy. Physical training for females begins at age seven.
pursue them. However, most clans have one or more Wizards Males reach full maturity by age sixteen, females by thirteen.
or Warlocks.
Natunt AblUties: Winged flight, keen hawk-like vision, resis- Treasure may consist of gold, gems, magic, grains, alcohol,
tant to fire (does half damage). Extremely aggressive.
and any other items deemed to be the spoils of conquest. How-
ever, to the Gromek, real treasure is quality weapons and armor.
Suspicious of magic, warriors rarely use magic of any kind un-
less it's a weapon. Magic items are nonna1ly given to wizards

and priests.

Tribe treasure is divided into half to three quarters, and usu-

aUy kept in a special place known only to the leader and his sec-

ond in command. The remaining amount is kept with the priest
(or wizard, if there is no priest). A typical treasure of gold and
valuables for a small- or medium-sized clan will be worth 500 to
2,000 gold with 204 common magic items and dozens of fine

weapons and annar.

47

O.C.C.s AnU_ble: None, considered an animal.
N_tunl Abilitits: None.
A«_cks Per Melee: 3, by whip or bite.
n_m_ge: Lazretheg whip lashes inflict 206+4 S.O.C. damage,

plus strength bonus. Whip constrictions inflict 106+4 per at-.
tack until the Lazretheg is killed. the whip is cut off, or the
victim is released. Its proboscis bite inflicts 306 S.D.C.
BoDUsn: +3 to initiative, + I to strike.
M_Cic: None.
Pslouics: None.
Avenge Life Spu: 3 years.

Slu: 3-4 feet long (0.9-1.2 m), 50-75 pounds (23-34 kg)
H_bl..t: Exclusive to the Baalgor Wastelands.
uucu_Ces: None.
Enemits: None.
ABies: None.
Pbysical Appe.nuce: These animal predators look like 3-4

foot long chiggers with long, whip-like tentacles with which
to grab their prey.

Lazretheg Minotaur

These predatory fiends are almost certainly alien abomina- MinotaW'S are an ancient race of beastmen known for being
tions from another world. A favorite tactic is for these creatures warriors with incredible strength, endurance, agility and fighting
prowess. They are estimated to number fewer than 8.000, just
useto Iheir book-like legs to latch onto a rock, grab prey with its teetering on the edge of extinction. Some scholars, however, ar-
gue that such population counts are unrealistic since nobody has
tentacles and reel it in. Once the prey is close enough, the any real inkling of how many of these beings are truly left. In·
deed. accounts from the last few hundred years suggest that the
Lazretheg leaps onto the target, sinking its spear-like proboscis total Minotaur population could be as much as 20 times higher
into the victim. The creature then drinks the victim's blood until than the more conservative estimates.

it either dies or the Lazretheg glulS itself. Since it takes nearly MinotaW'S are usually encountered alone, in pairs, or in small
all of the blood of a normal-sized humanoid 10 fill the tenible bands of 204+ I. Tribes tend to be small, with about 2D6x 10
beast, even giant-sized humanoids who initially survive such an members. The largest Minotaur tribes are believed to top 300 in-
attack will probably die later from blood loss. dividuals. but these are rare. They are subterranean creatures
and the majority live underground, inhabiting the most remote
Once glutted, a Lazretheg sleeps for a few days, then begins and hostile regions in the world. Minotaun are known to exist in
the Old Kingdom Mounlains, lhe Great Northern Mountains and
hunting for a new target Lazretbegs love to feed on huge ani- the Boalgor Wastelands, but no one knows how extensive these
communities may be. It is also believed that a large number of
mals, like Sandwyrms or Earthshakers. because then they can tribes and perhaps even a Minotaur city exists in the forbidden
hang on for weeks. drinking at their leisure. LAnd of the Damned, but nobody knows whether this is true or
simply another legend about this mysterious region.
Animal Predator
A secretive and aggressive people, Minotaurs shun contact
AllpmeDt: Anarchist or Miscreant. with other races and will mercilessly attack anyone who enters
their underground realm (in some cases the surface territory as
Attributes: I.Q. 106+1 (high animal intelligence), M.E. 206, well). It doesn't maner that the interloper may be friendly or

M.A. 106, P.S. 206+8, P.P. 206+6, P.E. 206+6, P.B. 106,

Spd.206+6

Hit PoiDtI: P.E. +20

S.D.C: 20

Nalural A.R.: 6

Horror Faclor: 10 .
Avenle P.P.E.: 106

---- -----

merely lost; the poor soul is anacked, enslaved or slain (and
sometimes eaten). Minotaurs seem specially hostile toward hu-
mans, elves, and dwarves, occasionally rising from their lairs
beneath the earth to cause trouble for these races. This elt-
tremely aggressive demeanor is one of many reasons why so
few people of the Palladiwn world have even seen a Minotaur
- and survived to tell the tale - much less heard of them.
Those who do knoY' of Minotaurs generally consider them a
myth or a race of monstrous giants on the verge of elttinction.

Despite their anti-social behavior, there are Minotaurs who
will work with others. Those who worship the dark gods (espe-
cially true of Death cults and t~ose who worship the Old Ones)
may associate or co-habitate with members of other races who
worship the same god. Some Minotaurs, good and evil, take to a
life of adventure, forsaking their underground brethren, and live
on the surface. These fellows are comparatively rare and en·
countered most often in the Eastern Territory, Old Kingdom,
Baalgor Wlll!telands and Yin-Sloth jungles.

Oddly enough, even the friendliest and most outsPoken Mi-
notaur knows linle about his own people or their history. Few
know about any other Minotaur communities in the world elt-
cept for their closest neighbors (typically 104 other small
tribes). Generally, all they know about their history is that some
great disaster befell their people thousands of years ago, causing
them to shun the world around them. What this disaster may
have been or who may have been responsible is unknown, but
many believe it had something to do with either the Minotaurs'
willing servitude to the Old Ones, or an anempt of theirs to
awaken those slumbering monstrosities.

This last theory is circumstantially substantiated by
Minotaurs who have established death cults that worship the Old
Ones and other dark gods. Over the millennia, at least half a
dozen such cults have been discovered and destroyed by one
race or another. Ancient Minotaurs were also known to practice
Necromancy and, according to legend. Minotaur Witches are
said to draw their powers from the Old Ones. Some legends
about the Time of a Thousand Magicks also suggest that the Mi-
notaur sorcerers engaged in dark magic. Several tribes and cults
of Minotaurs were destroyed by elves and dwarves during the
Millennium of Purification because they would not forsake for-
bidden and dangerous magic.

Before then, the elves who inhabited what once was the
Baalgor Rainforest discovered the ruins of an ancient Minotaur
city. Elven documents tell of eltcavating statues of Minotaurs
that appeared to be deliberately beheaded or smashed, with
bas-reliefs and carvings marred to erase the features of king and
peasant alike. The bits of uncovered architecture showed a city
with great archways, towers and citadels. Other evidence sug-
gests the city fell in a devastating war, and grisly mass graves
containing tens of thousands of Minotaurs have been reported in
these ancient documents. Indeed, even today Minotaur grave·
yards can be found throughout the Baalgor Wastelands as a si-
lent testimony to an age·old effort to eradicate these giants from
the face of the world. At the largest of these sites, the ancient
elves erected a huge statue of a Minotaur warrior, in homage to
the spirits who might linger at such a place of death. The where-
abouts of this statue, and the graveyard it marks, have since
been covered by the elements, but doubtlessly the psychic im·
pression of the place remains strong to those sensitive to such
things .
•9