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   THE ORIGINAL DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FANZINE 
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  OD&DITIES
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  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
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  Editorial
  My regular rant …  R. E. B. Tongue
  2
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  Letters to the Editor
  The readers' comments.
  3
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  Getting Started
  Part eight of our popular series for OD&D beginners.  R. E. B. Tongue
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  Starting a D&D campaign - in 1973
  A look at a D&D Campaign that might have been …  Scott Gasper
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  The Perils of Lakeside
  An OD&D Adventure for 3-5 adventurers of levels 4-6. Geoff Gander
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  The Cleric
  Latest in our series looking at the basic character classes.  R. E. B. Tongue
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  D&D Supplement One: Greyhawk
  A review of one of the books that started it all.  Scott Gasper
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  Compendium of Characters
  One of our old regulars returns!  R. E. B. Tongue
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  Magical Spells and the Flame of Life
  The start of a new series on new forms of magic.  Derrick Landwehr
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  Tomb of the Mage
  An OD&D Adventure for 2-4 adventurers of levels 2-3.  R. E. B. Tongue
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  The Amazon Warrior
  A new character class, featuring ferocious female fighters!  Dirk Collins
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  Street of a Thousand Adventures
  Sample the brew at Shevedik’s House of Elixirs.  R. E. B. Tongue
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  Al-Xaim
  An OD&D Adventure for 3-5 PC's of levels 4-8.  James John Gregoire
  Dungeons and Dragons is owned by Wizards of the Coast and it’s use here is not intended as a challenge to their owner-ship of that copyright. 
  All materials are used here without their permission.
  All other material copyright© R.E.B. Tongue unless credited to another author.
  OD�DITIES
  THE ORIGINAL DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FANZINE 
   
  Editor
  Richard Tongue
  Layout
  Jesse Walker
  Contributors
  Richard Tongue
  Scott Gasper
  Geoff Gander
  Derrick Landwehr
  Dirk Collins
  James John Gregoire
  Cover Art
  Jesse Walker
  Interior Art
  Dirk Collins 
  Jesse Walker
  Online
  www.tongue.fsnet.co.uk
  Issue 8
  September 2002
   THE ORIGINAL DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FANZINE 
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  Greetings!
        This is just a quick note of appreciation
  for your fine e-zine OD&DITIES. While I do
  mostly AD&D 1E, I'm trying to get my group
  to give OD&D a try again (most are
  old-schoolers like myself). The biggest
  resistance I seem to get is not so much
  due to AD&D's system but the perception
  that OD&D doesn't give the choices that
  AD&D does. This is, in my opinion an
  erroneous perception and OD&DITIES is
  helping a great deal to change that.  The
  various expanded classes are a great help,
  and the adventures and settings are
  magnificent!  Put simply, your zine is far
  more useful to me than Dragon magazine!
  Thanks again for your efforts, and I'm
  thinking about trying to submit an article for
  the next issue (#8) if you're still accepting
  them...
  Thanks again,
  Mike Stewart
  We certainly accept submissions at any
  time, and are always grateful to receive
  them. I am extremely glad that you find
  OD&DITIES useful – we try and make it
  relevant, with information that any player
  can use, and it seems we are succeeding.
  In my view, although OD&D does not have
  the rules to allow for so many choices,
  such choices should not be about the rules
  anyway, but about the personality and
  background of a character. A bitter
  mercenary and a knight of virtue do not
  need different statistics in order to make
  them distinct, it should the way they are
  played that makes them so.
  Richard,
        My name is Erin D. Smale, and I
  wanted to drop a note to you so that I could
  cover a few items that have been on my
  mind since initially finding OD&DITIES.
  First off, I've played OD&D since the red,
  Erol Otis boxed set was given to me as a
  Christmas gift in the early '80s. Since
  playing Basic D&D, moving to Expert D&D,
  etc., I've played Advanced D&D in both 1st
  and 2nd edition incarnations, as well as an
  abundance of other FRPGs – Earthdawn,
  Stormbringer, MERP, and many others. But
  I've always returned to OD&D. By way of
  explanation, I could blithely attribute such
  loyalty to nostalgia – after all, OD&D was
  my first RPG, and for a wide-eyed
  neophyte like me, the possibilities offered
  were wondrous and without end. 
  Continued on page 23
  Editorial
  2
  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  Editorial
        Well, last issue we mostly featured 'rules' articles. This issue, we swing to another extreme, with no less than three adventures
  in this issue. Mine them for ideas, or run them straight. And please, please, let us know your experiences. What brand of havoc
  did your group create during one of the adventures published in OD&DITIES? Of course, we still have a few rules features. The
  Amazons make their appearance to OD&D, and we provide rules for Armour Damage. Our two standard columns remain: Street of
  a Thousand Adventures and 'Getting Started'. In addition, we have two new columns – one old friend, Compendium of Characters,
  returns after a four-issue absence, and something new – what should be the first in a series of articles on new forms of magic. As
  always, we welcome your input on the contents of this issue, and we always welcome new submissions. Send everything into me
  at: Methuslah@tongue.fsnet.co.uk
        So, what is going on in the wider world of OD&D? Well, I am very pleased to announce that the 'Guild of OD&D' is going better
  than could have been hoped, with thirty-eight members at the time of writing. This makes it the most successful OD&D mailing list
  ever, certainly since OD&D ceased being published. Come and join in our debates! All details are on the homepage.
        When OD&DITIES began, two years ago (has it really been that long?) there were hardly any sites with OD&D information on
  the Internet. Discussions on online mailing lists were extremely limited, and the only webzine dealing with OD&D was closing
  down. Now, two years on, things are changing – we have an extremely active mailing list, this webzine, and a growing number of
  OD&D sites out there. As a community, we are getting healthier by the week. We still need to continue to promote OD&D. Make it
  your personal mission to introduce new people to the game. Find a copy of the Basic Set, and give it to your little brother or your
  children for their birthday, or for Christmas. Whenever you start a new campaign, try and recruit one new person. Let us continue
  to improve the demographic! (Well, it's not much of a 'battle chant', but better than nothing!)
        Another project that I want to begin is to greatly expand the links page for OD&DITIES, to include every site with information
  on OD&D, and every online shop selling OD&D books. So, if you have or know of a site with any OD&D information, please send
  me the link! I will be updating the links page to include all of these sites at the start of November. I think it is vital to have some
  sort of 'central clearing house', where people can come to find OD&D sites. Something of the sort already exists for Mystara, and
  something specific for OD&D can only be an asset.
        We've done well with letters this issue, but we always have room for more! Give your opinions of OD&D; tell us some funny
  stories from your campaigns; give us your input on OD&DITIES. Anything at all is welcome, we all love to read these letters, so
  keep them coming! Well, see you next issue, in December! In the meantime, may you continue to make your saving throw!
                       ��������������
              Richard Tongue, Editor
  Letters to the Editor
  As usual, we present a collection of the letters we have received over the last 
  few months, related to OD&DITIES Seven. Keep those letters coming in, as usual
  to Methuslah@tongue.fsnet.co.uk!
  
  R. E. B. Tongue
        This issue, we are going to deal with
  the final phase of initial campaign
  development: tying in adventure hooks to
  your campaign world. This is perhaps the
  most important factor, as without
  adventures, there is little point in creating
  any campaign world. These can be of any
  form, from 'one-shot' adventures, to
  massive epic campaigns, or minor
  subplots. 
        You need to work out first just what sort
  of campaign you want. Do you want an
  epic campaign, with every week revealing
  more of the plot, or a series of one-shot
  adventures? Do you want to confine your
  players to a narrow area, or a wider
  environment? The options are almost
  infinite – but for a beginning player, there is
  one structure that perhaps allows the most 
  room for manoeuvre.
        This is to have an overarching plot line
  that occasionally makes itself known to the
  players, founded on a series of one-shot
  adventures. A good rule of thumb would be
  that one in every four adventures, on
  average, should advance the main plotline.
  It will also be possible to have short strings
  of other adventures, tailored to other goals
  unrelated, or only loosely connected, to the
  main plot line. As before, we will return to
  the Province of Tauron to provide the
  examples of such a campaign structure.  
        When planning the campaign, one of
  the first things you should do is to look at
  the most interesting features of your
  setting. There are three obvious ones in
  the Province of Tauron – the Sinkhole
  (Dwarven Mine), the Dark Mire (Swamp),
  and Tenochtitlan (Step Pyramid). Two of
  these are dungeons; one of these is an
  area. You will want to work these into your
  campaign as often as you can.
        The next thing is to work out just how
  far you want to take the campaign. A great
  deal will depend on this factor. For this
  instance, we will say that we wish to
  proceed to Level 14, the limit of the Expert
  box set. You might wish to set it as low as
  Level 3 if you only have access to the
  Basic set, or all the way to Immortality if
  you have that option. 
        Next, you need to determine the overall
  goal of the campaign. In a paragraph, what
  is going on, and what will the PC's need to
  do to prevent it. At this stage, all you are
  doing is determining the main plot line.
  Later on, once you actually begin the
  campaign, you will add in the one-shots as
  appropriate, and most of the new campaign
  threads will be added later also. More on
  this later. For now, here is the basic plot
  line.
        "The Lizard Men, an emerging
  civilization, seek to expand their territory by
  flooding a vast area. This is made possible
  by the existence of a vast ocean, half a
  mile underneath the ground, which they
  hope to tap. They are being aided by a
  secret Chaotic Cult of Death worshippers,
  led by a necromancer. The PC's must
  prevent the release of the Underocean, to
  save the land from submergence."
       This plot has a good deal of mystery
  behind it, and obviously has a lot of work
  still to do. It must be stressed again that, at
  this point, all you are doing is beginning the
  campaign. As you progress, then you will
  add more to the adventure. All you want to
  begin with is a rough guide to the whole
  storyline, and the first few adventures
  prepared. It is actually valuable not to go
  into too much detail on later adventures.
  You will want to mould them to the abilities
  of the PC's, and the personalities of the
  players – do they prefer solving puzzles, or
  fighting Dragons? 
        The next good step is to divide the plot
  into stages. OD&D provides natural points
  at which this can be done, so we will use
  these. Basic (Levels 1-3), Lower Expert
  (Levels 4-9), and Higher Expert (Levels
  10-14). At each stage, the PC's abilities will
  change, their range of action will increase,
  and the will have more resources under
  their command. Why, by Level 10 they
  could be ruling the Province of Tauron!
  Once you have determined these stages,
  look back at that original paragraph, and
  expand upon it. Write a paragraph for each
  of these stages, like so:
        Basic: The Basic boxed set is best for
  dungeon adventures anyway, so we will
  work with that. The PC's will be exploring
  the maze of catacombs underneath the
  populated levels of the Sinkhole, following
  tales of ancient civilizations and hidden
  treasure. On the surface, the Chaos Cult
  will be monitoring their activities, and will
  be beginning to take steps against them. At
  the end of this phase, the PC's will reach
  the Underocean, the vast expanse of water
  underneath the earth.
        Lower Expert: The Chaos Cult will be
  moving against the players more strongly
  now. Early on, the PC's will deal with the
  infestation in the Sinkhole, and eliminate it.
  The necromancer escapes to a secret lair,
  and by the end of this section, the PC's will
  find and eliminate him – and the secret
  lizard 'advisors' present with him, leading
  the PC's to know that there is more going
  on. Also, they will go all around the
  Province on various adventures, and also
  beyond, probably to the city of Feldspar.
        Higher Expert: The PC's will have
  learned that the flooding is due at the next
  lunar eclipse, in a few months time. Initial
  forays into the swamp will prove ineffective
  – there are too many lizard men. They will
  have to find out what they can about their
  enemy, which means explorations into the
  wilderness. Then, they will raise an army
  and overwhelm Tenochtitlan – but too late. 
  There will be a dramatic chase down the
  pyramid, into its dungeons, and then 
  across the Underocean, as they race to
  stop the Lizard priests from completing
  their task. At this stage, almost all of their
  adventures will be concerned with stopping
  the Lizard Men.
        Now, your plot has been divided into
  three convenient pieces. Of course, more
  subdivision is possible. If using all five
  boxed sets, you might wish to simply use
  those for division. If only using the Basic
  set, it might be better to divide into three
  story elements instead: introduction (Level
  1), preparation (Level 2), conclusion (Level
  3). Don't write off campaigns using only the
  Basic Set. If you only have limited time, say
  once a week during a school holiday, or
  every day for a long weekend, it can be an
  excellent change of pace. If you have a
  very long running campaign, use all five
  boxed sets – but be prepared to be running
  the same campaign for at least three or
  four years. This is certainly not
  recommended for the beginner. Remember
  that you will make mistakes – we all do,
  especially the first time. You will want to
  learn from them and move on to greater
  things, and a series of shorter campaigns
  makes this easier.
        Enough negativity! Now, what do you
  need to begin the campaign? Put aside
  your notes on Lower and Higher Expert for
  the moment, and concentrate on Basic. As
  a good rule of thumb, you should always
  have the first stage of the campaign
  planned out fairly well before you begin the
  campaign. Do not ignore your notes for the
  later sections though. It is always a good
  idea to foreshadow events that are to take
  place later on in the campaign. Perhaps 
  �
  Getting Started
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  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
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  the PC's can meet a small group of lizard
  men snooping around in the lower levels,
  for example.
        To plan, you will have to work out what
  you need. Basically, you will need the
  thirteen levels of the Sinkhole. The first,
  remember, is inhabited, and resembles a
  large village. So, include chambers for a
  tavern, general store, guardhouse, some
  sort of habitation for the PC's, a well
  (possibly, for later reference, feeding from
  the Underocean), blacksmiths, and all the
  other vital features that make a village tick.
  You will also need to create a collection of
  interesting NPCs, which showcase the
  campaign. Remember, the village is a
  Dwarf/human mix, so include examples of
  both races, as well as a few more unusual
  ones (look at the Compendium of
  Characters from this issue for examples). A
  later issue will go into more detail on
  creating a fully rounded village, but at this
  point, include the above facilities as a good
  basis.
        Now design the lower levels. An
  excellent guide to creating dungeons is
  given in the Basic Set, so we will not
  rehash old territory. I will say, however, that
  all the levels should be about the same
  size, that they should contain some empty
  rooms, and that they should have some
  logical basis to them. Don't put a Blue
  Dragon in a 10 x 10 room. A good idea is
  to make sure a chamber is at least twice as
  big as the creature inhabiting it. When
  running the campaign, try to encourage the
  PC's to return to the higher level fairly
  often, to restock. However, also put in
  some 'safe areas' where they can rest. For
  example, include a party of Dwarven
  miners on Level 4, or a protected holy
  temple on Level 9. You should also try and
  provide for some continuity to the dungeon.
  Make the layout logical – although there is
  not need to go overboard, ask yourself
  questions such as 'What do the Goblins
  eat?', and place Rat Pens, or Mushroom
  Farms appropriately. Smart players may
  think to use this as another form of warfare
  – encourage such behaviour.
        There will, of course, be more to the
  early campaign that simply throwing PC's
  into the dungeons. They will also spend
  considerable time on the first level of the
  Sinkhole, and this can be where some of
  their most interesting adventures can take
  place. Have them framed for a murder, and
  forced to prove their innocence. The Chaos
  Cult can attempt to assassinate them,
  especially later in the campaign. Early in
  the campaign, the village can be invaded
  by Goblins from a lower level, with the PC's
  helping to fight them off – in fact this could
  be what sends them exploring in the first
  place! The idea should be to make life in
  the village as interesting as life in the
  dungeon depths, but not unrealistically so.
  Always remember that the Sinkhole will
  likely be the home base for the PC's for a
  long time. The campaign will work better if
  the PC's connect with its inhabitants. Try
  and work some of your major NPCs into
  the plot in a more direct way. Early on,
  have one or two travel with the PC's –
  serving as mentors, and to help them when
  you have, for example, set a riddle which
  has turned out more misleading than you
  expected.
        Well, that's it for this issue, I'm afraid.
  As a bonus, though, we include an OD&D
  style hex map of the Province of Tauron
  with this issue – hopefully you will find it
  useful. Next time, we look at creating
  sub-plots and one-off adventures for a
  campaign setting, and adapting those from
  other areas. May your sword still swing
  true, until then!  
           
  �
  Getting Started
  4
  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
          Map of the Province of Tauron
  Grass
  Forest
  Deep
  Forest
  Village
  Rocky hills
  River
  Swamp
  Castle
  �
  
  This is the first in what will
  hopefully be a series of
  short articles examining 
  the history of D&D by
  constructing a fictional
  campaign setting that
  (hypothetically) started in
  1973, and tracing its
  progress through the years.
  The simulation of such a
  campaign will, hopefully,
  illuminate the development
  of D&D, as well as
  introduce a new campaign
  setting developed "from 
  the ground up." 
         Starting a D&D campaign in 1973
  certainly wouldn't be easy, since no books
  with the name Dungeons & Dragons had
  been published yet at that time. But it
  wouldn't be impossible. There were 
  several resources a potential DM of the
  time could have used. The most obvious
  resource would be the original Chainmail
  rules, which had been available since
  1969.  
        Using the fantasy supplement (added
  to Chainmail in 1972), one could have
  created wargaming scenarios somewhat
  close to what D&D would become. Dave
  Arneson had been running his Blackmoor
  campaign since 1971, and the rules he was
  using were closer to what D&D became
  than Chainmail. By 1973, there were
  multiple Blackmoor campaigns being run in
  Minnesota. (1) A copy of Arneson's home
  rules could have been obtained from any
  one of them.
        Lastly, the Dungeons & Dragons 
  rules WERE being used in 1973,
  "beta-tested" in Gary Gygax's Greyhawk
  campaign. The basics rules of D&D – level
  advancement, the original three character
  classes (cleric, fighter, magic-user), and
  the Jack Vance-swiped spell system – had
  existed since 1972. (2) The D&D rules
  were being play 
  tested elsewhere too, for Gygax had mailed
  out about 75 copies of the rules to other
  gamers he knew, and many photocopied
  manuscripts were soon in circulation. (3) 
        Any one of those copies could have 
  fallen into our hypothetical DM's hands.
  Many players came and went in Gygax's
  campaign, including such recognizable
  figures in the industry as Len Lakofka and
  James Ward. It is certainly conceivable
  that one could have wormed their way into
  an invitation to Gygax's game table long
  enough to get a good look at the D&D rules
  from the source itself! 
      What would a 1973 campaign have
  been like? Let's assume that, like Arneson
  and Gygax, our fictional DM would base his
  campaign on recent fantasy literature.
  There was little precedent outside of
  literature, after all, to model a fantasy/
  medieval campaign on at that time. Lin
  Carter was still reaming out swords &
  sorcery anthologies at that time. Watership
  Down was still a huge hit. (4) Robert
  Zelazny had just introduced Jack of Shad-
  ows in 1971 – a book that later made it
  onto the AD&D inspirational reading list. (5)
        Jack of Shadow's world – on which
  magic works on one hemisphere and
  technology works on the other – is
  tempting, and has even been adapted into
  D&D-compatible scenarios before. (6) The
  world's cosmology has certain
  complications for level-based campaigning,
  however, in that low-level PCs are unlikely
  to have the resources or abilities to travel 
  between hemispheres easily. Besides, the 
  campaign would seem more original if 
  changes were made to Zelazny's
  premise. Thus, our DM changes the details
  so that technology works on the whole
  world during the day, and magic works at 
  night. Here now is an unusual setting 
  where warfare is fought with gunpowder by 
  day, while magic spells are used by spies 
  and saboteurs at night. 
        Little alteration would need to be made
  to the D&D rules (one could argue that
  magic-users would need strengthening to
  offset their limited spell-casting time, but
  that is a subject for another day). The
  Chainmail rules could easily be
  incorporated to cover the use of gun-
  powder weapons by day. Little world detail
  needed to be worked out before play
  began – like Blackmoor and Greyhawk, we
  will assume the Shadoworld campaign
  started out with the exploration of a
  dungeon. The campaign would gradually
  spread out from there, of course, but that is
  the subject of future speculation...
  Notes
  Mayfair Games' Wizards
  supplement, c 1983.                     
  �
  6.
  Found at the back of the Dungeon
  Masters Guide, c.1979.
  5.
  Leading to the publication of the
  game Bunnies & Burrows in 1976.
  4.
  From Gary Gygax's opening article
  in The Story of TSR (Renton, WA.:
  Wizards of the Coast, 1999).  
  3. 
  Confirmed via email with Gary
  Gygax in 2001.
  2.
  As mentioned by Dave Arneson in
  The First Fantasy Campaign
  supplement, published by Judges
  World c.1980.
  1. 
  Starting a D&D Campaign - in 1973
  5
  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
   Starting a D�D              
         campaign - in 1973 
  Scott Gasper
    
  
        The encounters in this adventure have
  been structured such that they will be
  challenging for a party of 3-5 adventurers
  of levels 4-6, or a total party level of 20.
  Dungeon Master’s
  Background
        For most people who live around
  Darokin's Lake Amsorak, Razak's Rock,
  like neighbouring Greenleaf Island, is an
  uninhabited island, home only to a handful
  of sea birds, and therefore not worth
  visiting for any reason. Fishermen for ages
  have used the two islands as markers to
  help them gauge their location in the lake
  once they lose sight of the shoreline, and
  more recently to warn them that they are
  drawing near the dreaded Itheldown Island,
  which lies to the west of the two smaller
  islands. Few people sail near Razak's
  Rock, fewer still ever set foot on it, and so
  the small island has remained for as long
  as people can remember – a place on a
  map, and nothing more.
        As with many things, the true story of
  Razak's Rock is far greater than what the
  coastal villagers could ever imagine.
  Decades ago, before the rise of the current
  republic and the relative stability that it
  created, the borderlands of Darokin were a
  far more chaotic place than they are now.
  Orcs, goblins, brigands, and other
  unsavoury individuals plagued the
  north-western frontier, fighting with each
  other almost as often as they fought the
  Darokinian armies that marched steadily
  northwards. One such group was a large
  band of raiders who terrorised the eastern
  shore of Lake Amsorak, and based
  themselves out of Razak's Rock. For years
  they looted and burned the villages and
  towns along the shoreline, amassing
  themselves a substantial cache of treasure.
  The raiders' good fortune did not go
  unnoticed, and before long a young black
  dragon attacked their lair, named
  Kralthragg, who sought to amass a large
  amount of treasure with a minimum amount
  of effort. In this he succeeded, and so the
  raiders were wiped out. The dragon seem-
  ed content with his find, and so remained
  dormant for decades.
        More recently, a group of bandits
  moved into the area, and, seeking a conv-
  enient location from which to launch raids,
  settled on Razak's Rock. They soon
  encountered the dragon, who, in exchange
  for sparing them, offered his protection for
  a majority share of any loot obtained during
  any raids. The bandits assented, and now
  they operate out of the island with relative
  impunity. Once again, a shadow is cast
  over the lands surrounding Lake Amsorak.
  Starting the Adventure
        The PCs should be somewhere along
  the eastern shore of Lake Amsorak, such
  as in the city of Akorros (which this
  adventure assumes to be the starting
  location), when they begin this adventure,
  although DMs are free to move it to any
  region of their campaign world where there
  is a large lake, or a small sea, containing a
  few islands. Regardless, there are a
  number of adventure hooks that can be
  used to bring the PCs into the adventure.
  Some suggestions are below:
  �
  They could overhear talk of banditry in
  the region surrounding the village of
  Lakeside, which has done great harm
  to the locals.
  �
  At the Adventurer's Guild in Akorros,
  the PCs could see a recently posted
  notice, on behalf of the villagers of
  Lakeside, asking for help in dealing
  with bandits.
  �
  A distraught merchant could approach
  the PCs (if they are known to be
  adventurers) and plead for their help in
  locating their son or daughter, who
  went missing shortly after heading to
  Lakeside to sell some goods. In this
  case, a substantial reward might be
  offered, but the DM should decide
  whether or not the missing youth is still
  alive, and whether the PCs could reach
  him or her in time.
  �
  While travelling through the country-
  side, the PCs could be accosted by a
  group of bandits, some of whom
  manage to escape. Provided the PCs
  try to follow them, they could be led to
  Lakeside.
        Whatever method is used, the PCs
  should make their way to Lakeside as soon
  as possible. The village can be reached by
  a number of ways – the two best ones are
  by boat (a couple of hours from Akorros) or
  by travelling along the northern trail out of
  the city (four to six hours).  
  A village in distress
        In less unsettled times, Lakeside was a
  quiet fishing village of just over 120 people,
  roughly 20 miles north of Akorros. Some of
  the villagers went to Akorros occasionally
  to sell their catches, while others sailed
  further north to Bronsdale to trade. Most
  Lakesiders, however, stayed in their
  village, rarely venturing farther than ten
  miles from their homes. For as long as
  most people there could remember, the
  greatest danger in the region was the odd
  orc or goblin that wandered down from the
  Silver Sierra Mountains, not far to the
  north.
        The bandit raid changed all that.
  Sweeping without warning out of the north,
  the bandits rode in on horseback, setting
  fire to homes and cutting down anyone who
  stood in their way. The villagers mustered 
  what resistance they could, but only a
  couple of bandits were killed, and the
  remainder left only when they had taken as
  much loot as they could carry. Just as
  suddenly as they arrived, the bandits
  departed, but they had wreaked enough   
  �
  The Peril of Lakeside
  6
  OD&DITIES 
  �  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  ���������������������
  An OD&D Adventure for 3-5 adventurers of levels 4-6
  Geoff Gander
  This adventure was first written in 
  1990 for the Mystara™ campaign
  setting (under the title of “Journey to
  Razak's Rock”), and takes place on
  Razak's Rock, an otherwise
  unprepossessing island in Darokin's
  Lake Amsorak. This revised version
  largely preserves the original text of
  the module, but adds some
  background (including the village of
  Lakeside) to make it easier for DMs to
  insert it into their campaigns, and to
  make the adventure more than a
  simple dungeon crawl.
  
  havoc that no organised pursuit could be
  mounted.
        This is the situation that presents itself
  to the PCs when they arrive:
  After a relatively short journey, you
  arrive at what must be the village of
  Lakeside, but clearly, something ill has
  befallen it. Almost half of the buildings
  here are burnt ruins, while most others
  show signs of having been attacked.
  Even some of the docks have been set
  afire.
        The people here seem to have fared
  little better. A few lost souls wander
  amidst the still faintly smoking ruins,
  while a line of freshly dug graves
  stretches along the tree line at the
  eastern edge of the village. You do not
  have much time to take in what you see,
  before an older man, his right arm
  bandaged, approaches you.
        At this point the current headman of the
  village, Hamish (the old one died during the
  raid), calls to the PCs, and asks what their
  business in Lakeside happens to be. The
  way the PCs answer will determine what
  sort of reception they get – if they come
  across as haughty or uncaring, the
  villagers will provide them with enough
  hospitality as local customs demand, but
  little more. The villagers might even try to
  run hostile PCs out of Lakeside, since by
  this time they feel they have little left to
  lose. If the PCs are polite, show concern
  for what has happened, or try to help,
  Hamish and the other Lakesiders will not
  be so wary of the newcomers. Efforts to
  help clear debris, retrieve lost items from
  the ruins, and tend to the injured will be
  much appreciated (the PCs will always be
  welcome in Lakeside afterwards). In any
  case, Hamish will offer friendly PCs a place
  to stay at his house (his is the largest home
  in the village) during their time in Lakeside.
        There is not all that much to do in
  Lakeside, a normally quiet fishing village.
  The PCs may hunt in the nearby forests if
  they wish, go fishing, or help the villagers
  rebuild. Talking with any of the locals in the
  process will reveal the following information
  (roll 1d8 once for each PC asking quest-
  ions or interacting with the locals – it is
  possible for different PCs to hear the same
  rumour, and false rumours are denoted
  with an “F”):
  Old tales say that Greenleaf Island was
  once the secret refuge of a pirate who
  terrorised Lake Amsorak (F).
  �
  The area around Lakeside is quite
  peaceful; there has been no trouble with
  humanoids or raiders in many years.
  �
  Late at night, lights can occasionally be
  seen on Razak's Rock.
  �
  Fishermen over the years have reported
  strange noises coming from Razak's
  Rock, much like a great beast roaring.
  �
  Long ago, the people living around Lake
  Amsorak were subjected to periodic
  raiding by bandits, but those troubles
  ended for some unknown reason. The
  recent raid might mean the return of the
  old troubles once more.
  �
  A lesser merchant family in Akorros
  hired the bandits, in order to prevent
  Lakeside's famous fishermen from
  cutting into their profits (F).
  �
  Years ago, a crazy adventurer tried to
  establish a dominion on Razak's Rock;
  no one has heard from him since then.
  �
  North of the village there is a large
  stone head jutting out of the ground,
  facing westwards. No one knows who
  built it.
  �
        If the PCs indicate that they will offer to
  hunt down the bandits who raided Lake-
  side, the villagers will be extremely grateful,
  and will try to aid them as best they can in
  the way of providing supplies as well as a
  guide who knows the surrounding lands,
  should that be requested. In addition, on of
  the younger men of Lakeside, an eager
  16-year old named Cavan, will offer to join
  the PCs while they are in the area. Cavan
  is a competent sailor and fisherman, and
  he knows how to use his old short sword
  (he found it in the woods a couple of years
  ago). His combat statistics are as follows:
  Cavan: AC 8 (DEX bonus); HD 1; hp 5;
  MV 120' (40'); # Att 1; Dmg 1d6+1 (short
  sword + STR bonus); SV F1; ML 10; AL N.
  Cavan is wearing regular clothing and is
  armed with a slightly rusted short sword.
  He has nothing of value on his person.
        Eventually, the PCs should figure out
  that something strange is happening on
  Lake Amsorak, either on Razak's Rock or
  Greenleaf Island. Also, they will learn from
  the villagers that the bandits fled to the
  north once they had finished their looting.
        If one of the PCs makes a Tracking 
  check (provided they have the skill – 
  otherwise, Cavan can find the tracks, they 
  will be able to locate the bandits' trail, and
  follow it north of the village. Within a couple
  of hours (the DM may roll for wilderness
  encounters if he or she wishes), the PCs
  will arrive at a location on the shore of Lake
  Amsorak, just south of a line of low,
  shrub-covered hills. It will be apparent to
  everyone present that a large number of
  people were here, dragging something
  heavy through the sand. A successful
  Tracking check will reveal that roughly ten
  people were pushing a small, beached
  barge into the lake.
        The other interesting feature in this
  area is located near the westernmost hill.
  There is a large, weathered stone statue,
  half-buried in the sand. If the PCs search
  the statue, they will find nothing of interest,
  although if they dig in the sand, they will
  find that much of the statue has been
  buried. The monument itself depicts a
  kingly, bearded figure, wearing a crown of
  laurels. This statue is actually a relic of an
  ancient city-state that existed here over a
  thousand years previously; most of the
  ruins are now underwater, roughly 100 feet
  into the lake. The DM may determine
  whether or not the ruins can be explored
  afterwards, and whether there are
  treasures hidden there. Once the PCs
  know that the bandits cast off from this
  location, it should be pretty clear that they
  either went to Greenleaf Island or Razak's
  Rock.
  Journeying to the
  Island
        The PCs should have no trouble
  securing a boat, if they inform the villagers
  that the bandits have headed offshore.
  Some of the villagers will even be willing to
  crew it, should the PCs request it, though
  they will only fight in self-defence if
  attacked by any bandits or monsters (treat
  the villagers as being 1st-level fighters,
  with combat statistics similar to Cavan's).
  Cavan, if asked, will also accompany the
  PCs, as he is still eager to exact revenge.
  The largest vessel that the villagers can
  provide the PCs is a small sailing ship
  (actually Lakeside's largest fishing boat,
  which normally goes far from shore),
  crewed by five men. The journey to the
  islands can be as eventful as the DM
  wishes.
        It should not be long before the ship
  reaches the islands, and it should be
  readily apparent, should the PCs go to 
  Greenleaf Island first, that it is uninhabited.
  Should the PCs look towards Razak's 
  Rock, however, they will notice a faint
  plume of smoke rising from it. This is a 
  remnant of a great cooking fire lit by the
  bandits, who have feasted on some of the
  food they looted from Lakeside. The PCs
  should then realise that their true
  destination is Razak's Rock.
        Depending on the strength of the party,
  the DM may wish to dispense with
  encounters on the island itself, and allow
  the PCs to discover the entrance to the 
  
  The Peril of Lakeside
  7
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  bandits' lair. If he or she feels the PCs
  would be up to the added challenge, the
  DM may place a couple of bandit patrols on
  Razak's Rock. These foes are encountered
  in addition to those in the lair itself; going
  this route means that the PCs will
  encounter more enemies – and receive
  more treasure and experience points –
  overall. If this is done, the typical bandit
  patrol has combat statistics as follows:
  Bandits (4): AC 6 (DEX bonus); HD 3; hp
  15,11,9,10; MV 120' (40'); # Att 1; Dmg
  1d6+2 (skilled in short sword) or 1d6
  (crossbow); SV T3; ML 10; AL C; XP 35
  each. In addition to their weapons and 20
  crossbow bolts, each bandit wears leather
  armour and carries 2d4 gp and 2d6 sp.
        Once the PCs are close enough to
  Razak's Rock to see it clearly, any patrols
  on the island have a 50% chance per hour
  of noticing the boat. If they notice the PCs,
  they will try to anticipate where they will
  land, and take up positions where they can
  fire a few volleys of crossbow bolts at them.
  If this does not force the PCs to retreat,
  they will continue to shoot, while one of
  them runs to the lair to inform the others –
  an act taking two turns. If the PCs do not
  manage to overcome the bandits and 
  prevent the message from being delivered,
  their enemies will be waiting for them.
        If the PCs are not sighted, they will
  have a 1 in 3 chance each turn of running
  into a patrol – this should be treated as a
  regular random encounter, except that, if
  the battle goes against the bandits, one of
  them will try to flee and warn the others in
  the lair, as above. In either case, the crew
  from Lakeside will remain on the ship; only
  Cavan is willing to go with the PCs, if he is
  there. Once the DM feels that the PCs
  have encountered enough patrols (one or
  two would be reasonable), the PCs should
  discover the entrance to the bandits' lair. It
  is rather hard to miss, being a large cave
  entrance (in fact, the only one on the
  island) in the tallest hill.
        A quick search of the island will also
  reveal the bandits' boat, a custom-built
  sailing barge, beached not far from the 
  entrance to the bandits' lair. The barge
  measures roughly 30 feet long and ten feet
  wide, and is capable of carrying up to 60,
  000 cn. In the middle of the island are the
  bandits' horses, seven in number, tethered
  to the ground and eating grass heaped in
  opened crates. Piled under a staked tarp
  nearby are the horses' saddles and bridles.
  The horses' statistics are as follows:
  Riding Horses (7):  AC 7; HD 2: hp 12
  each; MV 240' (80'); # Att 2; Dmg 1d4/1d4;
  SV F1; ML 7; AL N; XP 20 each.
          The horses are skittish around strang-
  ers, and if the PCs approach them, a mora-
  le check should be rolled. If the roll fails,
  the horses will rear up and neigh, drawing
  the attention of any bandits on patrol. 
  The Bandit Lair
        The bandits are based in a natural cave
  system in the tallest hill of Razak's Rock.
  Since they feel secure in their island
  location, and they believe Kralthragg the
  dragon (see area 11) will protect them if
  necessary, the bandits have not felt the
  need to conceal their lair. Indeed, several
  piles of garbage are heaped outside the
  entry cavern (1).
  1. Main Entry Cavern
  A rank odour of filth and decay assails
  your nostrils as you approach the
  entrance to this cave. The immediate
  area is faintly lit by sunlight coming from
  the entrance to the west. Half hidden
  behind two tall, spindly stalagmites is a
  narrow tunnel heading deeper into the
  hill, to the southeast.
      There is nothing of interest here. The
  smell comes partly from the garbage
  outside, but also from the rock fall (7).
  2. Fork
  The natural tunnel you have entered
  continues for a short way to the south-
  east, until it splits. Before you are three
  paths – east, southeast, and southwest.
  You note that the eastern branch is
  considerably wider than the other two.
  The odour of decay that you smelled at
  the entrance is noticeably stronger here.
        The smell of garbage is gone; the od-
  our, of mouldering bones and flesh, comes
  from (7), to the east. If the PCs have made
  any loud noises around the cave entrance
  or in (1), the bandits in (3) will have doused
  their fire and be lying in wait to ambush
  them should they enter that room. If the
  PCs have avoided detection thus far, inclu-
  de the following in the room description:
  From the south-western tunnel come the
  sounds of muted conversation, as well
  as the faint glow of a fire.
        A search of this area will reveal scraps
  of leather and bone (remnants of some
  long-dead adventurer who challenged 
  
  The Peril of Lakeside
  8
  OD&DITIES 
  
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  the raiders who once owned the island), as
  well as four tarnished silver pieces.
  3. Secret Hideout
        If the PCs alerted the bandits to their
  presence, read the following room
  description:
  The foul odour that permeates this cave-
  rn is gone now, but has been replaced
  by the smell of cheap liquor. You've
  stumbled on a lair of some sort, as there
  are several pallets lying around this
  room. You don't have time to take too
  much more in, however; the occupants
  seem intent on having a word with you…
        Four bandits and their leader, a rogue
  elf named Melindyl, occupy this room.
  Melindyl will immediately order his
  henchmen to attack the intruders, while he
  uses his magic missile and web spells to
  kill or otherwise incapacitate any PCs who
  are obviously fighters during the first
  couple of rounds, after which he will
  engage in melee combat. If things start to
  go badly for the bandits, or if he loses more
  than 50% of his hit points, Melindyl will use
  his amulet of teleportation to escape to his
  private, invisible boat, moored on the far
  side of the island, and sail away. His
  Spellbook is located on the boat; it
  contains all of his memorised spells, plus
  read magic and sleep. The statistics for
  Melindyl and his bandits are as follows:
  Bandits (4): AC 6 (DEX bonus); HD 3; hp
  15,12,18,11; MV 120' (40'); # Att 1; Dmg
  1d6+2 (skilled in short sword); SV T3; ML
  10; AL C; XP 35 each. In addition to their
  weapons, each bandit wears leather
  armour and carries 8 gp and 12 sp.
  Melindyl: AC 2 (DEX bonus); HD 4*; hp
  23; MV 90' (30'); # Att 1; Dmg 1d12
  (skilled in normal sword) or by spell; SV
  E4; ML 10; AL C; XP 125. Melindyl is
  wearing a suit of chain mail +2 and 
  carries his sword, and an amulet of
  teleportation (one charge left – it works in
  a manner identical to the magic-user 
  spell of the same name). His belt pouch
  contains 20 pp.
        Melindyl has the following spells
  memorised:
   1st level: magic missile, 
                   protection from good.
    2nd level: invisibility, web.
        If the fighting persists for more than
  three rounds, the bandit in (4) will run down
  the stairs to aid his companions, firing with
  his crossbow until a PC gets too close,
  after which he will draw his short sword and
  fight.
        If the PCs manage to enter the room
  without alerting the bandits, read the
  following description instead:
  The foul odour that permeates this
  cavern is gone now, but has been
  replaced by the smell of cheap liquor. In
  this cramped, round chamber are
  several pallets nestled amongst the
  stalagmites, some of which are occupied
  by sleeping figures. In the middle of the
  chamber is a small fire, which provides
  flickering illumination. A couple of
  figures are seated around the fire,
  engaged in quiet conversation. On the
  other side of the room is a narrow
  tunnel, leading to what appears to be a
  set of stairs leading upwards.
        The DM should roll for surprise. If the
  bandits are surprised, the PCs will have
  one free round to act before the bandits
  and Melindyl can get their bearings. The
  bandits will not be interested in speaking to
  the PCs (should they try talking to the
  ruffians), and Melindyl will gaze contemp-
  tuously at the intruders, and order his men
  to attack. Play out the battle as above.
        Regardless of whether or not the
  room's ccupants are surprised, if Melindyl
  manages to teleport away, the remaining
  bandits' morale will fall to 7. If the PCs are
  victorious, they may interrogate any
  surviving bandits, but the only useful
  information they will get from them is the
  general layout of the cave system, and the
  fact that a dragon lives in (11) and has an
  understanding with the bandits.
        Melindyl will try to teleport away if corn-
  ered. If the PCs manage to capture him, he
  will reveal little more than the bandits, but
  will try to gain their trust by promising to
  reveal the dragon's weaknesses (he will
  volunteer this information if necessary).
  This is all a ploy to draw the PCs into the
  dragon's lair (11), and then to teleport away
  if possible, leaving them to face
  Kralthragg's wrath. Aside from what
  Melindyl and the bandits are carrying, there
  is nothing of value in this room.
  4. Lookout Post
        A long natural staircase winds its way
  up through the rocks to this tiny chamber,
  measuring less than ten feet wide. Natural
  light enters this chamber by way of a
  narrow crack in one of the walls.
        This room serves as an observation
  post, from which one of the bandits can
  watch the area outside the cave without
  being seen. The bandit signals his
  companions the moment he sees or hears
  anything strange. There is always one
  bandit posted here, but if there is fighting in
  (3) for more than three rounds, he will rush
  down the stairs to help his companions,
  using his crossbow to shoot at the
  intruders, and drawing his short sword if
  necessary. If any PCs make it to this room
  while the bandit is still here, he shoots the
  closest intruder, and then draws his sword
  the next round to fight to the death. The
  bandit's statistics are as follows:
  Bandit (1): AC 6 (DEX bonus); HD 3; hp
  14; MV 120' (40'); # Att 1; Dmg 1d6+2
  (skilled in short sword) or 1d6 (crossbow);
  SV T3; ML 10; AL C; XP 35. In addition to
  his weapons, the bandit is wearing leather
  armour and carries 6 gp and 19 sp.
        There is nothing else of value in this
  room.
  5. River Room
  The rank odour that seems to fill this
  cavern is absent here. A small
  underground stream runs through this
  roughly oval-shaped chamber, flowing
  northeast to southwest.
        The stream is knee-deep, and is not
  fast flowing, and its water is drinkable. If
  the PCs enter the stream, they can follow it
  to its source (8) or to its destination (6),
  although the tunnel carved out by the
  stream is not very high (four feet high at
  most). If any of the PCs has the Tracking
  skill, a successful check will reveal several
  sets of footprints leading to the stream
  (these were made by Melindyl and his
  bandits as they hauled their loot to the dra-
  gon's lair). There is nothing of value here.
  6. Waterfall Chamber
  The stream ends in this relatively large,
  roughly circular chamber, cascading
  over a ten foot high ledge and then
  flowing for another 15 feet or so until it
  falls once more into a pit. To the
  immediate left of the ledge, a ramp has
  been carved into the rock wall, allowing
  you to make your way to the cave floor.
  Aside from a few stalagmites, there does
  not appear to be anything here.
        There is nothing of value here. A
  successful Tracking skill will reveal several
  pairs of footprints leading down the ramp
  (which was carved into the rock by the
  bandits to make it easier to carry their loot),
  but the trail vanishes on the cave floor (the
  bandits managed to destroy most of the
  tracks in this room). If the PCs search the
  room, a successful find secret doors roll
  will uncover a slightly discoloured patch of
  rock which, if pressed, will reveal a secret
  door leading to (9), marked with an “s”  
  
  The Peril of Lakeside
  9
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  on the map. The pit leads straight down for
  roughly 400', before opening into a larger
  cavern containing an underground,
  monster-infested lake, from which rivers
  lead into tunnels and caverns unknown to
  surface dwellers. The DM should
  discourage PCs from entering the pit.
  7. Rock Fall
  The noxious odour is stronger than ever
  here; it is almost enough to make you
  feel ill. It appears that there has been a
  cave-in – several tons of rock block
  further passage to the east.
        Should the PCs wish to clear a path
  through the debris (which will lead them to
  (8), it will take them 24 turns (4 hours) to
  do so. There is nothing of value buried in
  the debris. If they choose to do this, the
  bandits in (3), if they have not yet been
  encountered, will hear the noise and come
  to investigate after two turns. After six turns
  (one hour) of continuous excavation, read
  the following:
  As you continue to clear a path through
  the debris, a sudden noise, like
  something sharp scraping against stone,
  catches your attention. Within seconds,
  you hear more such noises elsewhere in
  the rock pile, seeming to come from all
  aro- und you! Very close by, a skeletal
  hand punches out of the rubble, followed
  by a skeletal warrior, clothed in
  mouldering scraps of leather armour and
  wielding a rusted axe. The reek of death
  wafts strongly about you, as more of the
  dead warriors claw their way out of their
  tombs.
        The skeletons were raiders who lived in
  these caves decades ago, before the
  arrival of Kralthragg. They were killed in a
  rock fall not long before the dragon's
  arrival, and have lain here ever since. The
  PCs' digging awakened them, and now
  they will not rest until they or the PCs are
  dead. Their statistics are below:
   Skeletons (12):  AC 7; HD 1; hp 7 each;    
   MV 60' (20'); #Att 1; Dmg 1d6 (hand axe or
   short sword); SV F1; ML 12; AL C; XP 10    
   each. The skeletons have nothing of value.
  8. Natural Spring
  This roughly circular room measures
  about 20' across. In the centre lies a
  small pool of water, fed by a spring that
  also spouts a fine mist into the air. From
  the pool, a shallow stream meanders its
  way southwards into a natural tunnel
  roughly five feet high.
        The spring is the source of the stream
  which runs through (5) and (6). There is
  nothing of value here.
  9. Secret Tunnel
  This long winding tunnel winds its way
  eastwards, although there is a set of
  stairs carved into the rock leading
  upwards and to the north.
        Dwarves, or PCs with a Mining or
  Caving skill, will notice that this tunnel was
  carved out of the rock. A dwarf will also
  know it was done long ago; anyone else
  must make a successful skill check to learn
  that. There is nothing of value here,
  although at the DM's discretion each PC
  has a 1 in 6 chance of smelling a faint
  sulphurous scent, coming from the other
  end of the tunnel (11).
  10. Alcove
  A small, natural cave, measuring roughly
  15' on a side, lies at the top of a stone
  staircase. In the southeast corner of this
  chamber there is a six-foot wide hole in
  the floor. Through it, you can see a large
  cavern about 20' below, the floor of whi-
  ch seems to be littered with skeletons.
        The ancient raiders carved the
  staircase to access this chamber, to allow
  a guard to watch over what was then the
  entry chamber (11), which lay below the
  hole (a natural formation). There is nothing
  of value here.
  11. Dragon's Lair
  The air in this large cavern reeks of
  sulphur and other, less savoury, odours.
  You find yourselves at the western end
  of a round chamber, measuring
  approximately 60 feet on a side, and 20
  feet high. In the stalactite-laden ceiling
  of this cave, you see a man-sized dark
  hole, while along the eastern wall there
  is what appears to be a large pile of
  boulders. Scattered in blackened heaps
  about the floor are mouldering skeletons
  – no doubt of the previous occupants of
  this portion of the cave system. Your
  attention, however, is drawn to the
  sparkling mound of treasure, heaped in
  the north-eastern corner of this room, as
  well as the large, black scaled, winged
  lizard who stands in your way. In a deep
  rumbling voice, it says in Thyatian, “Ah,
  more visitors to my domain. State your
  business.”
        This chamber was once the main meet-
  ing hall of the raiders who ruled 
  Razak's Rock. It used to be accessible
  from the outside via a wide, 50-foot long
  tunnel, which is now blocked by boulders
  piled by the dragon (he clears a small path
  through them whenever he wishes to go
  outside). When Kralthragg arrived here
  roughly 100 years ago, he slaughtered the
  men who lived here, and took their loot,
  and lair, for himself. He has been content
  to use the bandits living here now as an
  easy way of amassing treasure, and in
  exchange for his “protection” he pretty
  much leaves them alone. Being a selfish
  creature, he cares nothing about the
  welfare of the bandits, and if they expend
  themselves in fighting the PCs, so much
  the better; he will not aid any surviving
  bandits.
        Kralthragg, upon meeting the PCs, will
  not attack them immediately, as he is
  curious about them. He will be content to
  engage them in idle conversation for up to
  six turns, after which he will tire of their
  company, and seek to kill them for their
  treasure. If the PCs ask him about the
  history of the area, Kralthragg will give
  them the information found in the DM's
  background, and tell them about the fate of
  the raiders who once lived here.
  Kralthragg's combat statistics are as
  follows:
  Kralthragg, small black dragon:  AC 2;
  HD 7**; hp 56; MV 90' (30'); #Att 3; Dmg
  2d10 (bite) or 1d4+1/1d4+1 (2 claws) or
  by spell; SV F7; ML 8; AL C; XP 1,650.
  Instead of a clawing attack, Kralthragg
  may opt to kick or lash out with his tail, in
  which case the damage is still 1d4+1, but
  the victim must save vs. Paralysis or be
  knocked over (the penalty to the saving
  throw is the same as the damage
  inflicted), and if this happens he or she
  loses initiative during the next round.
  Kralthragg may also cast the following
  spells:
  1st level: magic missile x 2, charm, 
      protection from good.
        In terms of tactics, the dragon will cast
  magic missile at the strongest-looking PC,
  and then bite and claw once. During
  subsequent rounds, roll 1d6. On a roll of 
  1-3, Kralthragg will breathe, on a 4-6, he
  will claw and bite.
        If the battle goes badly against
  Kralthragg (i.e., he loses 50% or more of
  his hit points), he may be open to
  negotiation, should the PCs make the offer
  – roll for a monster reaction against the PC
  making the offer, at a –2 penalty. If the
  result is non-hostile, Kralthragg will be
  receptive to the PC's overtures; otherwise
  he will fight to the death. Kralthragg, being
  an intelligent, selfish creature, wishes to 
  
  The Peril of Lakeside
  10
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  preserve his life at all costs, and  would be
  willing to surrender his treasure to the PCs
  in exchange for a guarantee that they will
  let him leave unmolested. If the PCs agree 
  to this, he will demand they lower their
  weapons to allow him to leave, after which
  (assuming they are willing to trust the
  dragon) he will clear away the pile of bould-
  ers, and dash down the large tunnel behind
  it. Once outside, he will take wing and fly
  away, although 
  he will bear a 
  grudge against
  the PCs, and
  could very well
  become a re-
  curring villain in
  the campaign.
        In either 
  case, if the PCs
  have defeated
  Kralthragg, the 
  treasure is theirs 
  Kralthragg's hoard contains the following
  treasure: 1,800 gp, 2,500 ep, 8,500 sp,
  9,000 cp. There is also an alabaster
  statuette of a woman, armed with a shield
  and spear, dressed in a crested helmet and
  odd-looking armour, weighing 60 cn and
  worth 600 gp. The statuette is, in fact, of a
  woman dressed in Nithian armour,
  although no sage will be able to identify the
  item's origin or significance, due to the
  Immortal banning of any knowledge of that
  forgotten kingdom.
  Concluding the
  Adventure
        Provided the PCs succeed, they will
  have eliminated the bandit threat in this
  region of Darokin once and for all, and they
  will have obtained a fair amount of
  treasure. The people of Lakeside will treat
  the PCs as heroes, throwing a feast in their
  honour, as well as other celebrations
  lasting a couple of days. Hamish also tells
  them gladly that they will always be
  welcome in the village, and may stay as
  long as they wish. If Cavan accompanied
  the PCs, and survived, he will be hailed as
  a hero as well, although his experiences in
  the bandit lair have convinced him that the
  adventuring life might not be for him – he is
  a rather young lad, after all. If he died,
  Cavan will be revered as a fallen warrior of
  the village.
        If the PCs were not completely
  successful, the villagers will still thank them
  profusely for all their help, and help tend
  any wounded party members. Word will
  then be sent to Akorros, and an army 
  detachment will set out for Razak's Rock a
  few days later to clear out the lair – the 
  PCs may join this expedition if they wish; 
  their knowledge of the island will be helpful 
  at the very least. That endeavour should
  prove to be successful. 
       Finally, when assigning experience
  point rewards, award each PC a bonus of 
  100 XP if they managed to keep Cavan 
  alive during the adventure (provided he
  went along with them), and an additional 1 
  XP for every gold piece worth of treasure
  they donate to the villagers, to help them 
  rebuild. They should also receive the XP
  reward for defeating Kralthragg if they
  offered to spare his life, and he accepted.
  The Peril of Lakeside
  11
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    The Original D&D Fanzine
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        There are a number of opportunities
  for the PCs to have further adventures in
  the area around Lakeside. Some of
  these are presented below:
  Humanoids:  Although there have been
  no humanoid troubles for many years,
  this was in part due to the presence of
  the bandits, and, more importantly, the
  dragon (whose existence was known to
  many humanoid tribes in the region).
  When word spreads of the defeat of the
  bandits and the dragon, some tribal
  leaders may become bold, and begin
  attacking outlying villages and
  homesteads.
  The Stone Head: The PCs found some
  visual evidence of ancient inhabitants in
  this part of Darokin. No one in Lakeside
  knows who built the statue – it has been
  there as long as anyone can remember
  – but a sage might be able to provide a
  useful clue. This could lead to the
  discovery of relics from a lost civilisation,
  perhaps in the ruins located just off-
  shore. The PCs may discover a secret
  entrance to some catacombs beneath
  the ruins, which may contain air pockets,
  and various sorts of odd inhabitants.
  Such an adventure would likely focus
  heavily on exploration, solving puzzles,
  and uncovering lost lore.
  The Statuette: Although the PCs will
  have a tough task ahead of them if they
  wish to identify the statuette in
  Kralthragg's treasure hoard, the DM may
  wish to throw in a few hints and
  mysteries that could point to some form 
  of Nithian presence in the area, long
  ago. The mysterious stone head and the
  ruins, for example, might be Nithian in
  origin – perhaps the remnant of a small
  fort and trading post, or a failed colony.
  Regardless of the connection, there may
  be enough clues in the area for the PCs
  to have a reason to explore the
  surrounding hills and forests, and
  perhaps Lake Amsorak, in more detail.
  Melindyl:  Melindyl's plans for personal
  greatness will suffer a severe setback as
  a result of the PCs' actions, but being an
  elf, he has a long time to recoup his
  losses. If he escapes the battle, he will
  sail away, invisibly, to another hideout,
  and plan his next move. He could
  become an implacable foe of the PCs,
  following them covertly, and seeking
  ways to eliminate them. DMs may also
  wish to come up with a reason why
  Melindyl is a rogue elf – he may have
  committed a great crime against his
  clan, and escaped justice. If this is so,
  there may be a reward for the PCs if they
  track him down, and bring him back
  home to receive punishment.
  Kralthragg: If he survived his encounter
  with the PCs, Kralthragg will establish a
  new lair somewhere else, but he will not
  forget his defeat. Dragons are known for
  their long memories, and Kralthragg
  could very well make himself known,
  years later, when the PCs least expect it.
  Mercantile Interests: Perhaps the rum-
  ours are true after all – a minor merchant
  house did provide some form of support
  to the bandits to secure a fishing
  monopoly in this part of Lake Amsorak.
  If this is true, then that family will not be
  happy to learn about the PCs' success.
  They may decide to take matters into
  their own hands, and teach the PCs not
  to interfere in matters that do not
  concern them. This could take the form
  of attempted assassinations, framing the
  PCs for crimes they did not commit, and
  any other shady means of forcing to PCs
  to leave the area, or just killing them.    
  
      Further
       Adventures ...
  
  Scott Casper
        Hot on the heels of the world-changing
  release of the Dungeons & Dragons game
  in 1974 was the publication of its first
  supplement in 1975. (The copy actually
  reviewed is a 12th printing, from 1z979.) Its
  subtitle, Greyhawk, is only tenuously
  connected to the campaign setting of the
  same name. The Foreword ends with "find
  out what the devious minds behind
  'Greyhawk Castle' have been dreaming up
  for the amusement of the participants of
  that campaigning..." (p. 3). That will be the
  only obvious reference in the whole text to
  the original Greyhawk campaign, though
  this is hardly unusual for a D&D product
  from the 1970's. TSR's pre-1980
  publications included no campaign source
  material aside from the Empire of the Petal
  Throne boxed set, and the main body of
  TSR publications seemed to indicate that 
  DMs were expected to invent their own
  hodgepodge campaign setting based on
  mythology (Norse, Finnish, etc.) and
  popular fiction (Burroughs, Howard,
  Leiber). 
        One may wonder, then, what value the
  Greyhawk Supplement has for today's
  gamers, or those sages who study the
  World of Greyhawk setting (and tend to
  gravitate to the Greytalk list). Today's
  gamers will most likely be woefully
  disappointed. Almost every scrap of
  information in the supplement would later
  find its way into the AD&D Monster Manual
  of 1977, the AD&D Players Handbook of
  1978, and the AD&D Dungeon Master's
  Guide of 1979. Much of this has, in turn,
  been adapted to every edition of Dungeons
  & Dragons published since. The only
  glaring exception is The Underworld &
  Wilderness Adventures section (which is,
  itself, an addition to the Tricks and Traps
  section of the original Underworld &
  Wilderness Adventures booklet). There are
  52 suggestions for traps and monster
  combinations -- some of which have never
  been used in another source. 
        For those interested in studying the 
  Continued on page 19
  The Cleric
  12
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  R. E. B. Tongue
  Well, this issue we are really taking things
  easy. The Cleric is perhaps the easiest
  character class to individualize, even
  though the archetypes are perhaps not
  quite as common in fantasy literature as
  with the other major character classes. You
  still have characters like Friar Tuck, or
  Brother Cadfael, or numerous references
  from the East.
        The first step that you must take when
  building the character of a Cleric is to work
  out what type of character you want. Will
  you be a young monk, a warrior-priest, or a
  crusading zealot? Your background details
  will need to be tailored to suit. The most
  important background detail is, of course,
  your religion. This can be detailed to
  whatever extent you wish. You can always
  use a religion that already exists in the
  campaign world – from one of the
  Gazetteers, or the Judges Guild
  supplement 'Unknown Gods', for example.
  Even these will probably need some
  additional detailing. There is always the
  option of creating a new religion from
  scratch.
        There are a number of details that must
  be worked out. What is the organization of
  your religion? Does it have monasteries in
  the wilderness, cathedrals and churches in
  cities and towns, or just the occasional
  shrine scattered around. How large is your
  religion – is it the dominant faith of the
  game world, or just a small sect in a single
  village or town? It is at the height of its
  power, or in a state of decline? Does it
  have a long history, reaching back to the
  Dawn of Man, or was it only created last
  year. A short paragraph will serve to outline
  all of these facts. You should work with the
  Dm closely in preparing this information, for
  you are essentially adding a new element
  to the game world.
        Another important piece of information
  is opposition to your faith. At one extreme,
  you serve a monotheistic deity. At the
  other, your faith is an underground cult,
  hunted at every turn (this could serve as an
  interesting campaign). What form does the
  opposition take? This is critical, not only for
  yourself but for the DM. It will serve to add
  many interesting twists to the campaign.
        Finally, for you own use, you must
  detail, at least in outline, some of the
  beliefs of your faith. Does it have an after-
  life? What are its views on other religions,
  on birth, death, marriage, and the creation
  of the world? You can take this as far as
  you wish – it should help to flesh out your
  character's personality.
        Of course, religion is not all there is to a
  cleric. His background and personality
  must also be determined. Was he born a
  peasant, or a noble, or something in
  between? Does he totally believe in his
  religion, or is he just playing lip service? All
  Continued on page 23
  The Cler�c
  D�D Supplement 1: Greyhawk
  
  Compendium of Characters
  13
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  The Sea Dragon
  Thanks to Dirk Collins for contributing this image of The Sea Dragon
        Hello! This issue brings the return of an
  old series, the Compendium of Characters.
  Each issue this section will detail NPC's
  that can be dropped directly into your
  campaign, either as part of a plan, or at a
  moment's notice if required. This issue, two
  unusual characters: a goblin scout, and a
  centaur renegade. Skills are not given, and
  languages should be provided to suit your
  campaign. As for equipment, only the
  signature equipment is given, that which
  the NPC is most likely to use. They may
  well have more – but that is for the DM to
  decide, as needed. These characters have
  been generated using 'Orcs of Thar', and
  'Tall Tales of the Wee Folk', but other
  information about the races can be found
  in the Basic or Expert rulebooks.
  Akkarakk, 4th Level Neutral Goblin
  Str: 7, Int: 12, Wis: 13, Dex: 17, Con: 9,
  Cha: 7, HP: 27, AC: 5, THAC0: 15,
  Saving Throws: As Fighter 4. 
        Akkarakk is an outlaw from his tribe. He
  ran away during a battle with an Elven
  outpost, and as punishment was expelled.
  In revenge, he offered his services to a
  gang of human brigands who would collect
  a long-posted reward for driving off
  Akkarakk's tribe. Since then, he has made
  a good living by guiding small parties of
  troops and adventures across the wilder-
  ness, taking advantage of his excellent
  knowledge. He never ventures into civilized
  areas, fearing that he would be killed.
  Generally, his services are only purchased
  by the lawless, but he is ambivalent to the
  morals of his employers, as long as their
  coin is good. Often, he will lead brigands to
  a 'safe haven' in a forest, then lead a group
  of bounty hunters to follow them. He is an
  abject coward, especially afraid of Elves
  and their sorcery, and will refuse to enter
  any combat unless his life is threatened.
  He typically wears leather armour, and
  wields a Short Sword +1. His typical fees 
  are 50 gold per week, and he keeps most
  of his treasure buried in a cave, hidden
  somewhere in the mountains.
  Sironne, 5th Level Lawful Centaur
  Str: 17, Int: 10, Wis: 7, Dex: 14, Con: 18,
  Cha: 12, HP: 45, AC: 3, THAC0: 14,
  Saving Throws: As Fighter 5
        Sironne is the last survivor of his tribe,
  a tribe wiped out by a band of dwarven
  renegades. He was lame at the time, and
  could only watch from a hill as his people
  were killed. He has sworn revenge on all
  Dwarves, and seeks them out wherever he
  can. He cannot be persuaded to stop his
  vendetta. Elves and Halflings he treats with
  respect, Humans he will acknowledge. He
  adheres to a strict moral code, which he
  will never break, a code of honour and
  discipline. For years, he has sought other
  Centaurs, but has never found any – they
  are rare in this region. He may be
  encountered carrying out his quest, or just
  in the wilderness. He never enters any
  settlements, even to fulfil his quest. It is
  unlikely he will join a group of PC's, unless
  they are like-minded; it is more likely that
  he will serve as a foe to the PC's,
  especially if there are dwarves in the party.
  He wears leather barding and armour, and
  carries five lances, (one a Lance +1,
  though he is unaware of this), and a Short
  Sword. What little treasure he has he
  keeps in a saddlebag by his side, along
  with three Potions of Healing.
              
  
  Compendium 
            of Characters
  R. E. B. Tongue
  
  housands of years ago, an ancient
  civilization of magic-users who wor-
  shipped flame and life prospered.
  However, some time ago an unknown
  calamity befell upon these magical
  peoples. Throughout the ages, the secrets
  of their powerful magic have only been
  known by a few who have discovered and
  researched the arts of the Flame of Life.
        Not much remains of the ancients who
  worked their spells. From time to time, a
  rumour is overheard or a document is
  uncovered, telling the tales of peoples who
  worshipped flame like it was a living,
  breathing immortal. What is certain is that
  these nameless users of magic believed
  that inside every being was a Flame of Life.
  It was this mythical flame that drove their
  people to create and destroy, much as true
  fires can do.
        Generation after generation move on
  and the secrets are passed to Sons and
  Daughters of the Flame. The few people
  who posses this knowledge now guard it
  jealously and with the zeal of an obsessed
  cult. One thing is for sure to the Sons and
  Daughters of the Flame, fire is life and
  without life there is no magic. This may be
  the reason that a little bit of the “Flame of
  Life” is consumed each time a practitioner
  of this magic casts an incantation.
        Some researchers strive to discover
  more of the magic and wisdom of these
  lost peoples, however not much else is
  known to exist. From time to time ruins are
  unearthed but usually provide little
  information as to the history or magic of 
  these people. Some researchers tell stories
  of them retreating to a world of eternal sun,
  and therefore endless life where every man
  and woman is immortal. If these tales are
  true, no one has ever lived to speak of it or
  returned… to share in the Flame of Life.
        What follows is a brief list of some
  spells that the ancients of the Flame of Life
  possessed and used regularly. Realize that
  the spells listed below have the potential of
  being very powerful and are therefore
  extremely rare. Not every M-U running 
  around in the world is going to have access
  to these spells or have ever even heard of
  them! These stories and spells were
  designed to spur the DMs (and players!)
  imagination and make for epic quests.
        A few additional spells and artefacts
  have been recovered over the ages from
  the people of the Flame of Life, but those
  tales are for a different time…
  Flame Light
  1st Level Magical Spell
  Range: 0 (Magic-user's open palm) 
  Duration: Permanent, or until caster
  closes his hand.
  Effect: Creates a globe of light with a
  20-foot diameter.
        This spell creates a flame in the centre
  of the magic-user's palm. The flame is
  roughly as bright as a common torch. This
  magical flame does not harm the magic 
  
  Magical Spells & the Flame of Life
  14
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
   Magical Spells � the�
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  -user in any way, his clothes cannot catch
  fire and his skin will not burn from this
  spell. The magic-user is also not blinded by
  the light created. The Flame Light spell has
  all the common attributes of a standard
  torch; when immersed in water the flame
  will go out, strong winds will make the
  flame flicker and possibly disappear. The
  magical flame may ignite other combustible
  materials however, such as clothing and
  oils not on the spell- caster's person. When
  cast, the Flame Light spell temporarily
  drains the caster of 1 hit point. The spell
  lasts for 3 turns (30 minutes). At the end of
  the spell's duration, the magic-user can
  expend a further 1 hit point to continue the
  spells effects for another 3 turns. The exp-
  enditure of this further hit point does not
  mean the caster has to cast another spell,
  the additional hit point is considered the
  “cost” to maintain the spell's effects. The
  magic-user can continue to expend hit
  points to continue the spells effects or sim-
  ply close his palm to end the spell until it is
  cast again. If at any time the magic-user
  closes his palm for any reason (voluntarily
  or otherwise) the Flame Light spell will end.
  The loss of hit points used when casting
  this spell is temporary and can be healed
  by any means, magical or otherwise.
  Finger of Flame
  1st Level Magical Spell
  Range: Up to 20 feet.
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Effect: A bolt of flame up to 20 feet long
  jumps from the caster's hand.
        This spell creates a bolt of flame that
  shoots out from the caster's open palm.
  The flame lasts for only a mere second, but
  extends out from the caster's hand up to 20
  feet (but never less then 3 feet). The caster
  can choose to strike any one opponent or
  object within the spell's range.  The
  opponent may make a save versus Death
  Ray or be struck for 1d8+1 points of
  damage.  If the save is successful, the
  intended target suffers NO damage what-
  soever – he has dodged the blast!  Every
  time the magic-user casts this spell, his life
  force is temporarily drained of 1 hit point.
  The loss of this hit point can be healed by
  any means, magical or non-magical.
  Shield of Flame
  2nd Level Magical Spell
  Range: 0 (Self; magic-user only)
  Duration: 1 turn
  Effect: Creates a magical barrier of flame 
  around magic-user.
        This spell creates a magical barrier of
  flickering, flame that completely 
  surrounds the spell caster (about 1 foot
  away). While the duration lasts, the barrier
  moves with the spell caster. The heat of
  the flame has no effect on the caster
  whatsoever. The Shield of Flame improves
  the AC of the castor by 1 against missile
  weapons and by 4 against all melee
  attacks. Anybody making a melee attack or
  touching the caster while the spell is in
  effect suffers 1d4 points of damage for
  every 4 levels of experience, up to a
  maximum of 5d4 damage (20th level).
  Alternatively, for the duration of this spell
  the caster only takes 1-quarter damage
  from normal fires (rounded down) and
  gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws
  against magical fire (dragon's breath,
  fireball, etc.). Every time that the
  magic-user casts this spell his life force is
  temporarily drained of 2 hit points. The loss
  of hit points used when casting this spell is
  temporary and can be healed by any
  means, magical or otherwise.
  Flame Burst
  3rd Level Magical Spell
  Range: 15-foot by 15-foot area in front of
  caster.
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Effect: Creates a torrent of flame in front of
  magic-user.
        This spell creates a torrent of flame that
  leaps from the caster's hands and affects
  an area of 15 foot by 15-foot square
  directly in front of the magic user. All
  creatures within the area of effect immed-
  iately take 5d4 points of damage. Each
  victim in the area of effect is entitled to a
  saving throw versus spells, but with a –1
  modifier; if successful the spell will only do
  half damage (rounded down).  Every time
  that the magic-user casts this spell his life
  force is temporarily drained of 3 hit points.
  The loss of hit points used when casting
  this spell is temporary and can be healed
  by any means, magical or non-magical.
  Flicker of Life's Flame
  4th Level Magical Spell
  Range: 0 (Touch).
  Duration: Permanent
  Effect: The magic-user transfers some of
  his life force to another.
        This spell when cast produces a small
  cool, blue flame of pure life force in the
  palm of the caster. The magic-user aside,
  the next person the blue flame touches 
  instantly transfers up to 5 of the caster's hit
  points directly to the recipient. The amount
  of hit points that are transferred is chosen 
  solely by the magic-user himself. The
  transferred hit points are considered
  magical healing and will not raise the
  recipient above their total maximum hit
  points. The transferred hit points are
  immediately lowered from the caster's total,
  however not permanently. Every time that
  the magic-user casts this spell his life force
  is temporarily drained of 4 hit points. The
  loss of hit points used when casting this
  spell is temporary and can be healed by
  any means, magical or otherwise.  This
  “cost” to cast the spell is in addition to the
  transferred hit point total. For example, if
  the magic-user wanted to transfer 5 hit
  points to a hurt comrade, he would lower
  his hit points by 9 (5 for the transfer and 4
  for the “cost” of casting the spell).
        Alternatively, by means of this spell, the
  magic-user can transfer 1 hit point
  permanently to any dead human, elf, dwarf
  or halfling. The loss of the 1 hit point is
  permanent to the caster and does not
  guarantee success. Also the recipient of
  the spell must not have been dead for
  more then 2 hours. Beyond this time limit,
  the magic-user has no hope of restoring
  the deceased. When the spell is cast in
  this manner, the magic-user loses 4 hit
  points for the “cost” of the spell plus one
  more hit point permanently! If the recipient
  was a human magic-user, then there is a
  50% chance that the spell will be
  successful. If the recipient was anything
  other then a magic-user, the chance of
  success is reduced to 30%. If the casting
  of the spell is successful, the recipient is
  restored to 1 hit point and loses a point of
  constitution permanently. (Note: The
  recipient of the successful spell does NOT
  permanently gain the hit point donated by
  the caster! That hit point is burned up in
  the casting of the spell itself. It simply
  raises the recipient to 1 hit point.) However
  he cannot fight, cast spells, use abilities,
  carry heavy loads or move at better then
  half speed. These penalties will disappear
  after two full weeks of bed rest.  Further
  magical healing will restore lost hit points to
  the recipient accordingly, but the penalties
  will not be reduced until the whole
  two-week rest period has elapsed.If the
  casting of the Flicker of Life spell was
  unsuccessful then this magic-user may not
  attempt to cast this spell on the same
  recipient again. Casting of this spell will not
  restore lost limbs or improve bodily scarr-
  ing. This spell will also not be successful if
  the body is badly dismembered (head
  being severed for example), or has been
  destroyed (reduced to ashes, etc.)
  
  Magical Spells & the Flame of Life
  15
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  Players' Introduction   
  DM's Introduction        
        This adventure was designed using
  only the Basic Rules boxed set. No other
  items are required for use. It is
  recommended that the PC's have already
  reached at least Level 2 on average,
  possibly Level 3 – there are many
  examples of adventures in earlier issues of
  OD&DITIES to take them that far. It is
  important that, in the previous adventure,
  they receive two items: the page of strange
  writing described in the player's
  introduction, and a Scroll of Speak with
  Dead, that will allow them to talk with the
  dead Charrel Fane.
        This is the first of a two-part adventure
  (the second, the Tower of the Mage, will
  appear in Issue 9 of OD&DITIES), and it is
  highly recommended that you use both
  parts together. Major modifications will be
  required to make this adventure
  stand-alone. 
         This adventure is set in the County of
  Cerwyn, part of the Pelinore campaign
  world. If, as is highly likely, you are playing
  in a different world, then a few minor
  adjustments will be required to the Introd-
  uction. (Replace County of Cerwyn with
  Grand Duchy of Karameikos, or wherever
  you are playing at the moment.) You might
  wish to foreshadow the adventure earlier in
  the campaign, perhaps with a bard telling
  the PC's of 'the Legend of Charrel Fane'.
  General Notes              
        The scale on the dungeon map provid-
  ed is five feet per square. This should be
  enough for the PC's to march down the
  dungeons in double rank. Make sure you
  check on marching order before the PC's
  enter. Unless otherwise mentioned, the
  ceiling is six and a half feet high. The tomb
  has been well built, and the corridors have
  stone walls and ceilings, well supported.
  There is a space for a torch every twenty
  feet along the wall, but none of them are lit.
  The inhabitants of the dungeon do not
  require light, although some of the rooms
  are lit. If the PC's linger too long in one
  section, have a patrol from the guardroom
  investigate, but remember to deduct the
  monsters when the PC's enter that room.
  Room 1
  “You enter the room through a circular
  hole in the roof, and descend into
  pitch-blackness. All around you is dust
  and decay, although the walls seem
  sound enough. Animal droppings litter
  the floor, and the clutter of you dropping
  into the room sends a family of rats
  scurrying into small holes in the wall.
  There is a door in the West Wall.”
        This room is exactly as it seems – an
  entry room. It is kept in this state of decay
  deliberately by the Orcs to discourage
  intruders, believing that if the Tomb already
  looks ransacked, they might go away.
  Anyone checking for recent activity should
  roll a D6 – on the roll of a 1 or 2 they will
  notice a trace of footprints on the ground,
  heading from the hold to the door. The DM
  should modify this roll if the PC's have
  been milling about beforehand, as these
  footprints can easily be destroyed. The
  Door is not locked, but is securely shut,
  and must be forced open. (No dice roll
  necessary, but describe the difficulty.)
  Room 2
        This room has a concealed door. PC's
  who are looking for such things will find it,
  but otherwise will only notice on a roll of
  1-3 on a D6.
  “This room appears to be some sort of
  shrine, to a long dead god. A plinth is in
  the middle of the room, and the image of
  a tall, well-built man is carved on the
  wall. There is no sign of decay in the
  room, other than a pile of purple rags
  beneath some hangers next to the door.
  The rags fall apart in your hands.”
        This room was where Charrel Fane's
  body was consecrated for his rest. The
  figure on the wall is actually an image of
  the god Grismal*, guardian of the
  Underworld. The God was popular in
  Cerwyn nearly three centuries ago for a
  while, but is hardly worshipped now. Any
  PC attempting to identify him should roll on
  or under the Intelligence on a D20 to do so,
  with a +5 modifier if he is a Cleric. A careful
  examination of the plinth will reveal archaic
  writing carved onto it, in the same
  language as the original document that led
  them here. The purple rags are in fact
  priest's robes, long since decayed. A PC
  investigating them carefully will fin a small
  pouch, in a similar state of decay, contain-
  ing 5 Electrum Pieces of unusual design.
  Room 3
        This room has a clumsily concealed 
  
  The Tomb of the Mage
  16
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  The Tomb of the Mage
  An OD&D Adventure for 2-4 Players of Levels 2-3
  R.E.B. Tongue
  You have long heard whispered
  stories of the legendary Magic-User –
  Charrel Fane. Long ago, it is
  rumoured, he saved the County of
  Cerwyn from an evil invader, giving
  his own life in the process. His
  faithful retainer, Unitante, had a small
  tomb constructed on the Plains, in
  the side of a low hill, where his body
  could rest for eternity. Unitante died
  in poverty, although he spent many
  years searching for his dead master's
  home, the Tower of Charrel Fane. 
        This is a tale you have long heard,
  in your youth, and again in Taverns
  all around the kingdom. Now,
  however, you might have a chance to
  solve the mystery. In your last
  treasure haul, you found an ancient
  document in a mysterious language.
  It took some doing, but you managed
  to have it translated. It gives
  directions to the Tomb of Charrel
  Fane. The Tomb, and the Tower,
  could both contain treasures that are
  almost beyond imagination. You have
  healed from your last adventure,
  bought your supplies, and are ready
  to set off to solve a puzzle that bards
  have sung of for centuries, and to
  write your own name into… the
  legend of Charrel Fane.
  
  door. PC's who are looking for such things
  will find it, but otherwise will only notice on
  a roll of 1-4 on a D6.
  “As you enter this room, you surprise a
  group of four Orcs, crouched on the
  floor. On the south wall are racks
  containing weapons of various types,
  and there are two chests against the
  north wall. Against the east wall are
  several sacks, one of which has ripped,
  spilling grain across the floor.” 
        The PC should roll for the reactions of
  the Orcs, with a –4 modifier to the roll. The
  PC's might be able to placate them if they
  wish, but as soon as they leave, two of the
  Orcs will run off to alert the rest of the
  settlement. If attacked, the Orcs will use
  their first round grabbing weapons from the
  wall – two will take short swords, the other
  two hand axes.
        They will then move to the attack.
    ORCS (4): AC 6, HD 1, Hp 5, 6, 3, 5, MV   
    120', AT 1 Weapon, Dmg By Weapon, SV
    F1, ML 6, AL C, XP 10
        Other than the weapons the Orcs were
  using, the room contains the following
  weapons:
  � 3 hand axes
  � 4 short swords
  � 1 normal sword
  � 1 mace
  � 2 spears
  � 25 arrows
        The bodies of the orcs, if searched, will
  reveal 34 CP, 13 SP, and 4 GP in total.
  The first Orc has a pair of dice, one of
  which is loaded (to always roll '2'.) The
  fourth Orc has a lucky charm, a rabbit's
  skull. The sacks are all filled with grain.
  The first chest is empty, but the second
  contains 150 GP, a Dagger +1 (discarded
  by the Orc leader as a weakling's weapon),
  a wooden box containing three Potions of
  Healing, and a scroll case containing a
  map of the local area.
  Room 4
  “Entering this room, you see a group of
  eight Orcs lying asleep on the floor,
  crude rags covering their bodies. Two
  more Orcs are on the other side of the
  room, tending to a fire that casts eerie
  shadows across the room.  With the
  crackle of the fire, and the snores of
  their comrades, they do not appear to
  have noticed you yet.”
        This room is one of the two Orc
  barracks. PC's have the option of sneaking 
  away, but they must do it within three
  rounds or be noticed by one of the fire
  tenders. They could use missile weapons
  to attack the Orcs, but if so there is a 4 in 6
  chance that the death screams will awaken
  the others. The two Orcs at the fire have
  each got short swords; the others are
  unarmed. If they awaken, one per PC will
  attack the PC's, while the others run towar-
  ds Room 3 to arm themselves. The Orcs
  have very little that the PC's might want –
  each has wooden bowls, bundle of rags for
  clothes, and the like. All told, there is 23
  CP, 51 SP and 10 GP in the room. A care-
  ful search of the bedding will reveal a small
  lump under one of the rags. This is in fact a
  gemstone, a small sapphire worth 45 GP.
    ORCS (10): AC 6, HD 1, Hp 4, 6, 3, 5, 8,   
    5, 6, 4, 7, 4, MV 120', AT 1 Weapon, Dmg
    By Weapon, SV F1, ML 6, AL C, XP 10
  Room 5
  “This room contains six Orcs, who are
  sitting at a table playing cards. You
  notice that each has a weapon on his
  belt. There is a fairly large pile of copper
  and silver pieces in the centre of the
  table, and five smaller piles near five of
  the Orcs – the sixth appears to be
  having much more luck, and has a large
  stock. There is a fireplace in the corner
  that is sputtering away; you can see and
  smell something foul cooking over it.
  Suddenly, one of the unlucky Orcs
  shouts something out, and they all begin
  to attack the sixth Orc.”
        The PC's should realise that this is an
  excellent chance to either attack or depart
  quietly. This is, in fact, the Orc guardroom,
  where the warriors of the tribe live. The
  room has nothing of note other than the
  Orcs – the beast that is being cooked is
  actually a Giant Weasel, which is just
  about edible by humans, if they insist. The
  money on the table amounts to 109 CP
  and 58 SP, and the Orcs have no other
  money in their pockets. In a small bag
  under the table are three weeks worth of
  Iron Rations, rather stale. The Orcs are all
  armed with short sword, and all wear
  leather armour. 
    ORCS (6): AC 4, HD 1, Hp 6, 7, 5, 7, 8, 6,
    MV 120', AT 1 Weapon, Dmg By                
    Weapon, SV F1, ML 6, AL C, XP 20
  Room 6
        The door to this room is locked, requir-
  ing a Brass Key to open. It can be knocked
  down however, with a roll equal to or under
  Strength.
  “This tiny room has obviously been used
  as a cell. The smell convinces you of
  how little the Orcs regard prisoners, as
  does the skeleton on the floor. The arms
  of the skeleton are loosely tied to the
  wall by rope, attached to iron loops.” 
        This cell was originally used for storage
  during construction, and has now been
  adapted. A careful search will reveal two
  messages scrawled on the wall. The first,
  in Elvish, reads 'Save Me.', and the
  second, in Dwarvish, says 'Kazgrim
  Axecleaver died here. Avenge his death,
  and tell his family he tried to die with
  honour.'
        There is nothing else of value in the
  room.
  Room 7
  “This room has a central fire; around
  which are several fur beds, all
  unoccupied. The fire looks as if it is
  about to die down. The walls are
  covered with various Orcish obscenities,
  but you can just about make out
  beautiful pictures on the wall, of
  landscapes far away and beautiful. Only
  the barest details still survive, however.”
        This barracks is empty at the moment –
  the Orcs that usually inhabit it are all out on
  a raiding party on the surface. The PC's will
  meet them later. There is nothing of value
  in the room, other than the mundane items,
  as in Room 4. 
  The Tomb of the Mage
  17
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  JW
  
  The Tomb of the Mage
  18
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  Tomb of the Mage
  
  D&D Supplement 1:
  Greyhawk
  ... continued from page 12
  history of the World of Greyhawk, the
  supplement is of greater interest. Much, if
  not all, of the material in the supplement
  was first playtested in the original
  Greyhawk campaign, run by Gary Gygax
  from 1972 to 1975. There are no better
  sources of information on what game
  mechanics are "canon" for Greyhawk than
  this supplement. By "canon," I mainly refer
  to spells available, monsters likely to be
  encountered, and magic items that exist. 
  These are major components of the 
  supplement. 
        The value of the Greyhawk Supple-
  ment as an historical document is also in
  the glimpse it gives of the originally
  intended "modular" nature of the D&D
  rules. Instead of reprinting all the rules
  each time a new edition was needed,
  supplements would only add to the
  features already present in the core books.
  This format was discarded in a few years
  for both AD&D books and even the further
  editions of D&D. Still, it would be an
  interesting mental exercise to think of what
  the 2nd ed. AD&D books might have 
  looked like as supplements to 1st Ed. The 
  last oddity of note is a single illustration, 
  found on page 30, entitled "The Great 
  Stone Face: Enigma of Greyhawk." Gary
  Gygax has confessed to having drawn the
  image himself, and relates the tale of the
  Enigma in Dragon #288 (and other sources
  earlier). The drawing itself has been
  scanned and made available online before
  on fan sites, so the supplement is definitely
  not worth purchasing for this lone sketch. 
        For its historical value, I rate the
  Greyhawk Supplement 4 out of 5 stars.
  Sadly, Joe Gamer running a 3E campaign
  will have little or no use for it, dropping its
  value to 1 out of 5 stars for general use.
  
  The Tomb of the Mage
  19
  OD&DITIES 
    The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  Room 8
  “As you approach this door, you are filled
  with a feeling of goodness that you have
  not felt anywhere else in this tomb. This
  feeling remains even after you see a
  ghastly sight upon the floor, a recently
  dead Orc, his hand outreached. The
  door itself is not like anything else you
  have seen – it appears to be solid iron.
  There is some writing on it, above a
  handprint of a human.”
        The writing, in Common, reads 'Only a
  pure hand may open this door.' If a Lawful
  PC that the DM believes acts in a good
  manner places his hand upon the print, the
  door will open. If a Neutral or Chaotic of
  similar manner tries, nothing happens. If a
  PC the DM judges to be evil makes the
  attempt, he suffers 1d6 damage. The text
  below assumes that the door opens. The
  door slides back, and you see a stone tomb
  in front of you, a solid block with a name
  carved upon it – Charrel Fane. The room is
  otherwise bare, but you can almost feel the
  presence of a powerful force in this room.
  This is a cue for a PC to take out the Scroll
  of Speak with Dead and read it out. The
  scroll allows the PC's to ask the spirit one
  question only. The spirit must answer
  truthfully. It is advised that you warn the
  PC's in advance of this restriction, but do
  not allow them to take back any thought-
  less questions. Charrel Fane's answer to
  the question is as follows:
  'The Tower in which I spent my life does
  not reach to the sky, but rather to the
  ground. You may seek it in the Forests
  to the West, forty miles from here.'
       There is nothing of value in the room.
  Leaving the Dungeon
        The PC's can make their way out in the
  same way they came, or they may choose
  to explore new sections of the Tomb.
  Eventually, they will make their way back to
  Room 1. Upon their return to the surface,
  read the following to the PC's.
   “You rub your eyes as you reach the
  surface. The sun is bright in the sky, and
  your eyes require a few seconds to
  readjust. As your eyes adapt, you make
  out a group of brutish humanoids
  approaching you. You can hear the war
  chants – you have stumbled across a
  group of Orcs, returning to their lair! As
  they see you, and see where you have
  come from, they begin to charge at you,
  dropping the spoils of their hunt onto the
  ground in their run.”
        These Orcs are from the barracks in
  Room 7, led by the absentee Orc leader.
  The PC's can attempt to run for it, but will
  be in for a long chase across the plains. If
  they choose to fight, the Orc leader will
  advance to meet the strongest opponent,
  whilst the other Orcs take on the rest. If the
  Orc leader is killed, the others will
  automatically flee back into the Tomb.
    ORCS (7): AC 6, HD 1, Hp 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 6,  
    2, MV 120', AT 1 Weapon, Dmg By            
    Weapon, SV F1, ML 6, AL C, XP 10
    ORC LEADER (1): AC 4, HD 2, Hp 10,       
    MV 120', AT 1 Weapon, Dmg By                
    Weapon, SV F2, ML 8, AL C, XP 50
        The Orc Leader is armed with a Normal
  Sword +1, and wears Leather armour.
  Three of the other Orcs have hand axes,
  the others spears. 
        The Orc Leader's weapons may be
  taken, but the Sword might prove to be
  something of a liability. In the hands of a
  Lawful person, it acts as a Sword –1, in the
  hands of a Neutral person, it acts as a
  Normal Sword with no magic, in the hands
  of a Chaotic person, it is a Sword +1. The
  weapon is not cursed in the usual sense, in
  that a character is not required to use it at
  any point if he does not wish to.
        The booty that the Orcs were carrying
  consists of two wild boar on poles, and
  some more tangible property: a small
  wooden chest. Inside the chest is a sack
  containing 100 GP, a set of poetry books,
  and a flute. On the top of the chest is an
  inscription 'Property of Heironomous
  Lancealan, Bard.' He lives in the City
  League, and will give the sack of coins to
  the PC's as a reward for returning the
  chest, as well as owing them a favour.
  (Substitute a nearby city for 'City League' if
  you are not playing in Pelinore.)
  Conclusion
        The PC's now know where to find the
  Tower of Charrel Fane. They should rest up
  from this adventure before setting out on
  the next, but the Tower adventure has been
  designed to be played directly after this
  adventure, so no major adventure should
  be inserted. Two points to follow on: Kazg-
  rim Axecleaver lived in a small Dwarven
  hamlet twenty miles north. The PC's should
  know of the hamlet's existence. If they
  return to his family and inform them of his
  fate, give the PC's 100 XP each. Returning
  the chest to Heironomous Lancealan
  should also provide 100 XP.
        Otherwise, as a 'story award', give each
  player between 150 – 500 XP for complet-
  ing the dungeon, depending on the quality
  of their play.
                
  
  
  Adventure
       Most amazons are clan or tribe oriented
  in nature, and as a rule, shun the company
  of men. Others see men as inferior or
  untrustworthy for good reasons known only
  to them. In any event, Amazon clans,
  female fighting orders, and lone females
  develop unique skills and traits to survive in
  harsh societies, or in the wilderness, and
  so the Amazon warrior class came to be.
  Characteristics
       Amazon warriors are familiar with most
  standard weapons and armour. The clan or
  tribe based amazons in primitive society
  most often use leather, and perhaps
  banded armour, and tend to prefer spears
  (both throwing and thrusting), and short
  bows, because of the relative ease in
  obtaining materials to craft these weapons
  and armour with. Because they are the
  primary defence for other women in their
  society, and because they are the leaders
  in their hunter/gatherer groups Amazon
  warriors get many chances to develop their
  fighting skills.
  Alignment
       An Amazon warrior may be of any
  alignment.
  HD type: D8
  Religion
       An Amazon may be of any religion.
  Worship of the sun, moons, stars, the earth
  (paganism), animals, and fertility are
  common. Amazons occasionally worship
  the Goddess of War, or the Goddess of the
  night as well. Amazon elders and
  ancestors are revered. Amazons prefer to
  worship female incarnations of deities, and
  will gravitate towards that preference.
  Background
       From an early age, an Amazon warriors
  from the clans or tribes learn to fight and
  hunt. They develop group hunting and
  tracking skills essential to wilderness
  survival as well as primitive culture trade
  and crafting skills. Often they mount
  aggressive and daring raids on
  neighbouring clans, fiefdoms, or kingdoms,
  especially if there exists some
  long-standing grudge or disagreement.
  Amazons hunt for hostile monster lairs, and
  almost as often they will defend their
  territory or society from attack or invasion.
  They prefer to fight in groups and often
  employ deception, and subterfuge, in
  organizing an attack to disorient their 
  enemies. Amazon warriors are well known 
  for their exceptional communications skills,
  and for their cat-like reflexes that enable
  them to avoid a direct attack. Overall,
  Amazon warriors have adapted speed,
  aggressiveness, agility, and teamwork to
  overpower enemies that are superior in
  strength or numbers. When alone, and
  overpowered an Amazon will quickly
  surrender or submit, and seek to escape
  thereafter, at any opportunity. It is
  rumoured that some clans or tribes keep
  men as slaves for menial labour tasks.
  Races
       Humans make up the vast majority of
  Amazon Warriors. There are some
  well-known elven female fighting orders
  though, and in sylvan societies elven
  females often accompany males into battle,
  or on the hunt. Dwarves, gnomes, and
  halflings rarely, if ever, train females for
  battle, nonetheless, some dwarven,
  gnome, or halfling females either find
  Amazon clans, or are rescued. It is not
  unheard of for these demi-human females
  to spend time in the clan, and adopt, or
  learn the ways of the Amazon. Amongst
  the orcs, hobgoblins, and kobolds, females
  are viewed as property. Some females are
  trained specifically for fighting as slave
  gladiators, and some of the smarter
  females escape their society, and learn the
  arts of war to defend themselves.
  Abilities 
       Intelligence, and Wisdom are important
  for amazons as it improves their ability 
  !
  The Amazon Warrior
  20
  OD&DITIES 
  "  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  The
  Amazon
  Warrior
  Dirk Collins
  The mythical, mysterious, savage, cunning female warriors of clans and tribes make up the bulk of Amazon
  warriors. Lone female gladiators, exclusive female fighting orders, and the odd tomboy that bucks local custom
  and secretly enlists in some army or guard unit are other examples of Amazon Warriors.
                                                                   JW
  
  to plan and execute attacks. Constitution is
  important for giving amazons hit points to
  sustain wounds in fighting. Dexterity is also
  important to quick reflexes, multiple
  attacks, in dodging attacks, and in crafting.
  Armor & Weapons Proficiency
        A warrior is proficient with all simple
  and martial weapons and all armour, and
  all shields as well. 
  Spells
        An Amazon warrior has only one spell
  casting ability, granted as bonus, upon
  reaching the sixth level. This is a crafting
  enchantment craft-charm token. This is an
  item creation ability that is unique to
  Amazon Warriors that allows them to
  create an enchanted object that will charm
  the recipient of such object. The token can
  be a weapon, armour, a gift, jewellery,
  tools, utensils, just about anything that 
  can be crafted. It takes 2 weeks to craft 
  a token. To craft a token the Amazon
  warrior must expend: 100 GP x her level x
  weeks required in gold, and use up
  additional raw materials costing half of the
  total finished price. The charm token is a
  use-activated item. As long as the
  craft-token is in the possession of the
  recipient, it will work. The item will only
  work if the giver and receiver are on
  friendly terms when the item is given. The
  token is embedded with a powerful charm
  spell at three levels (3) below what the
  crafters level is. For example, If a sixth
  level (6th) Amazon warrior creates a charm
  token, whoever she gives the token to
  saves versus charm as if a 3rd level wizard
  cast the spell. Note that there are no
  negative effects if the recipient makes
  his/her/its saving throw or if the charm spell
  wears off. If the receiver of the charm token
  removes, puts away, discards, loses, or
  has the token stolen, there are no
  magically effects except that the charm
  spell will wear off, or end. Often charm
  tokens are given as gifts during trade, to
  trusted friends or lovers, and to faithful
  servants to further strengthen the
  emotional bonds between an Amazon
  warrior, and the people around her. At
  reaching the 5th level, the Amazon warrior
  gains another ability unique to their class.
       Charm Mythical Creature: The
  Amazon warrior will be able to quest for,
  and locate a mythical creature such as a
  unicorn, Pegasus, or dragon, further the
  mythical creature will agree to serve as the
  amazons' steed for the lifetime of the
  Amazon warrior. The Amazon Warrior must
  proceed into uninhabited wilderness for a 
  time of not less than (20 weeks – Wisdom)
  to locate the creature. Since mythical
  creatures have a long lifespan, they are
  attracted to mortals, especially to females
  of pure heart and mind. They share an
  uncommon bond that lasts for the lifetime
  of the Amazon warrior, sometimes longer.
  Note, that this is a one time ability, a
  sacred experience for the Amazon, that the
  Amazon is destined never to repeat. If the
  mythical creature dies, the Amazon warrior
  loses the heart, or will, to quest for another.
        At 10th level the Amazon warrior gains
  the ability to enchant arms and armour.
  Note that only a magic user or Amazon
  Priestess can add spells to the enchanted
  arms and armour, nonetheless the Amazon
  can create +1 or better weapons and also
  imbue the weapon with a special purpose.
  A tranquil time for research and reflection
  equal to (8 weeks – D20 days – 1 day for
  every intelligence point of the Amazon) is
  required before the work on the item is
  begun.  Weapon forging costs are 2,000 
  GP per +1 of the weapon. Shield creation
  costs are 1,400 GP per +1 of the shield,
  and armour creation costs are 3,200 GP 
  per +1 of the armour. In addition, the
  Amazon must sacrifice 1,000 experience
  points for each +1 imbued into enchanted 
  arms and armour. Forging times are listed 
  on the page below… The Amazon working
  on enchanting arms or armour may not
  leave the weapon or armour unworked for
  more than a day or the process must begin
  anew, from the beginning.
  Enchanted Arms and Armor 
  Creation/Forging Time
       At the 12th level the Amazon gains
  skills in leadership. This is reflected with 
  an automatic +2 bonus for all reaction die
  rolls from friends, allies, hirelings, and
  henchmen. In addition, all friends, allies,
  henchmen, or hirelings may receive a +2
  bonus to their morale check in combat or
  stress situation so long as they remain in
  sight of their leader.
  Amazon Warrior (D8 Hit Dice)
  Amazon Warrior Starting Package
  Background Skills
       When generating new character roll
  percentile dice to determine the number of
  skills. For each level beyond 1st level add
  15% per level to the roll. Then roll
  percentile dice to determine each skills.
  Repeated roll in the same skill indicates
  added proficiency in that skill.
          
  #
  The Amazon Warrior
  21
  OD&DITIES 
  $  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  Amor: Leather or studded leather
  Weapons: Short thrusting spear (1d6),
  Javelins (1d6), or Shortbow (1d6),
  Dagger (1d4)
   
  Equipment: Backpack with water skin,
  One days' trail rations, Bedroll, 2 small
  bags or sacks, flint + steel, 3 torches,
  spear & 3x javelin, or spear &
  shortbow with quarrel of 20 arrows, 3
  spare arrow-heads, 1 spare spear
  point, 10 feet of twine or small rope,
  dagger or hunting knife (Bone or
  stone, sometimes metal) soft leather
  boots, Base armor, leather or studded
  leather, 1 spare change of clothes.
  Gold: 1d10 Gp+15% chance of having
  1d4 small gems or jewels as well.
  +10,000 Experience
  Points must be
  sacrificed by creator
  99
  Special
  Purpose
  Creator –5,000 exp
  72
  5
  Creator –4,000 exp
  45
  4
  Creator –3,000 exp
  28
  3
  Creator –2,000 exp
  15
  2
  Creator –1,000 exp
  4
  1
  Notes
  Weeks
  Required
  Item
  9+24
  20
  9+22
  19
  9+20
  18
  9+18
  17
  9+16
  16
  9+14
  15
  9+12
  14
  9+10
  13
  Leadership
  9+8
  12
  9+6
  11
  Bonus Craft: Craft
  Magic Arms & Armor
  9+4
  10
  9+2
  9
  8+2
  8
  7+1
  7
  Special Bonus: Craft
  Charm Token
  6+1
  6
  Special Bonus: Charm
  Mythical Creature
  5+1
  5
  4+1
  4
  3+1
  3
  2
  2
  1
  1
  Special
  HD+Hp
  Level
  
  Street of a Thousand Adventures
  22
  OD&DITIES 
  %  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  R. E. B. Tongue
        Shevedik's House of Elixirs has been a
  mainstay of the city for as long as anybody
  can remember. From the outside, it is an
  ungainly structure, a two-storey wooden
  building with all its windows on the upper
  floor covered by wood, instead of glass.
  The building is covered in scorch marks,
  as are the buildings on both sides, and the
  road itself. A sign, hanging on one peg
  only, reads 'Shevedik's House of Elixirs'.
       The inside of the shop looks worse than
  the outside, a gloomy place with every wall
  covered in burn marks. The shop is divided
  in two by a counter, behind which stands
  Shevedik's latest assistant, usually an
  apprentice Magic-User. He will take an
  order for any potion the PC's care to name,
  charging an exorbitant fee (usually at least
  500 GP). For the common potions (those
  in the Basic book), delivery is immediate.
  The potions are always perfect. For 
  anything more exotic, Shevedik will come 
  out to talk to the PC's. There will always be
  (1d3) components required for such 
  potions, which he makes only to order. If
  the PC's can provide them, Shevedik will
  cut the price in half (use the XP value at
  the price, in GPs). Any potion can be
  provided, but will take 1d4 weeks, with a
  (d10xd10) chance of working correctly.
        Shevedik himself looks like his shop,
  long white hair and flowing white beard,
  streaked with burn marks. He is an
  eighth-level Magic-User, about thirty years
  old, who has run his shop for over a
  decade. He is a friendly person, always
  interested in the PC's travels, and
  especially interested in any magical or
  exotic components the PC's might have on
  them – he will usually buy them at a fair
  price. Shevedik has an interesting past,
  tutored by a sea mage until he was
  fourteen, then escaping from his ship with
  a casket of treasure. He was tutored by a
  mage in the city, but chose to settle down
  rather than adventure.
  Adventure Ideas
  � One of the PC's has been stricken with
  a rare disease, and requires an exotic
  antidote. Shevedik knows the formula,
  but requires a black lotus leaf to
  �
  complete it. The PC's must seek it out,
  and race to bring it back in time.
  � While the PC's are walking past, the
  shop front explodes. The PC's must
  rescue Shevedik, who will reward them
  with a free Basic potion each. He will
  also offer to take any Magic-User or Elf
  of low levels on as his assistant, to
  teach them some Alchemy.
  � One of the members of his old crew,
  which has now turned pirate, spots
  Shevedik in the marketplace. He mana-
  ges to defend himself, but Shevedik
  hires the PC's to protect him and his
  shop from the inevitable retribution.
  � For years, Shevedik has been experi-
  menting to find a long-lost brew – a
  Potion of Immortality. He offers the PC's
  a swig each if they will assemble, from
  all over the world, the components
  required. He will travel with them on this
  epic quest. In reality, the potion is impo-
  ssible in itself, but for Shevedik (althou-
  gh he does not know this), it is the first
  step on his road to true Immortality. The
  potion does provide longevity however
  (treat as 50 years of agelessness).      
  &
           
  Street of a Thousand Adventures
  Shevedik's House of Elixirs
  Read – Can read common tongue writings
  2
  54-59
  Search +1 on all search rolls
  2
  50-54
  Heal – may attempt to heal 1d4 points of damage
  using natural herbs and methods 1x per day per
  skill proficiency
  1
  44-49
  Hide in Wilderness – As hide in shadows for
  thieves. The amazon needs to be outdoors though
  to use the hide in wilderness skill
  1
  40-44
  Climb - as thief of same level
  1
  35-39
  WeaponCraft- Bowyer, Fletcher, or Spear maker.
  Can create weapons from materials in the
  environment with only a dagger as a tool.
  1
  30-34
  Hunter/Gatherer- Skilled in Hunting, Fishing &
  Foraging. +1 Bonus
  1
  25-29
  Knowledge Amazon Religion, Knows ceremonies,
  holidays and rituals. Can bless as a cleric.
  1
  21-24
  Knowledge Wilderness Lore – Knows true north
  90% of the time, can survive outdoors, +1 to all
  wilderness survival rolls
  0
  16-20
  Knowledge Magic & Enchantments – recognizes
  when spells are cast, type of spell, and probable
  effect. +1 to all saving throws.
  0
  11-15
  Train / Handle Animal- Skilled in handling &
  training animals +1 bonus
  0
  01-10
  Skill Description
  Number
  of Skills
  1d100
  Roll
  Prospecting – Skilled in locating gems, natural
  gold, natural silver, and natural copper deposits +2
  or +10% bonus in picking a good area to search for
  such items.                                                            
  '
  9
  0
  Unarmed Combat – May attack as a monk of the
  same level.
  8
  99
  Leadership - +2 on all reaction & morale rolls for
  friends, allies, hirelings & henchmen
  7
  98
  Read Magic- As a magic-user, may read scrolls,
  tomes, books, anything inscribed with magic
  runes…
  6
  97
  Enchant Magic Arms and Armor- As the special
  Amazon Warrior ability
  5
  95-96
  Haggle +1 in all negotiations involving money or
  trades.
  4
  90-94
  Negotiate / Parley +1 Reaction Adjustment in all
  encounters when this skill is used…
  4
  85-89
  Swim +1 for all swimming & diving checks
  4
  80-84
  Mount Care – Skilled in caring for mounts and pack
  animals, has additional tools such as hobbles, etc.
  3
  75-79
  Riding – Skilled in riding a mount i.e. Horse, Mule,
  Deer, Dragon, Pegasus, Unicorn, Tigers etc. Must
  pick one type of mount only…
  3
  70-74
  Can speak and comprehend one additional
  language
  3
  65-69
  Write – Can write in the common tongue 
  2
  60-64
  
  Letters to the Editor
  ... contiued from page 3
        But, abandoning those romantic
  notions for a few moments, I am sure that
  the real reason I am so drawn to OD&D is
  its playability and flexibility. OD&D is a
  "play-intensive" RPG, not a "rules-" or
  "realism-intensive" RPG. OD&D is first and
  foremost about gathering round with your
  mates for a good, old-fashioned FRPG
  romp. Flexibility comes into play when the
  rules are found to be lacking: OD&D's
  modular nature makes it very easy for DMs
  and players to come up with a workable
  and balanced solution that's uniquely
  suited to their campaign. A significant
  portion of my enjoyment of the RPG hobby
  is derived from tinkering with system
  guidelines and introducing new elements.
  OD&D provides an excellent foundation for
  such, and I have been pleased consistently
  with the results. For example, the indistinct-
  ion between character class and race
  always has been somewhat of a sticky
  point. But with some imagination, a good
  deal of careful consideration, and a larger
  amount of attention to game balance, it
  was easy to generate a system by which
  elves could be druids, halflings could be
  thieves, or avengers could begin their
  careers at 1st-level. My players are happy,
  my campaign is broadened, and I'm still
  using a set of rules with which I'm familiar.
  (I read with interest Scott W. Ludwig's
  "Custom Class Templates" because the
  information presented was not entirely
  dissimilar to the home-brew system I've
  been using since 1993. The methodologies
  between the two are very different, but the
  overall goals are identical. If nothing else,
  the fact that two authors might muddle
  about with OD&D class templates,
  completely independent of one another,
  proves the system's flexibility.) But I realise
  that I'm likely preaching to the converted. 
        My second item regards material
  submissions. I am in the process of
  transferring the bulk of my OD&D material
  to a new Web site (whose URL I will gladly
  reveal once the site goes live). It occurs to
  me that some of my rule modifications or
  new material may be of interest to
  OD&DITIES. For example, I could send
  along copies of my class templates; if you
  feel they're suitable for publication, you
  could include one segment in each of four
  issues (one for cleric, fighter, magic-user,
  and thief). If nothing else, you could say
  that OD&DITIES reviews the same material
  as DRAGON Magazine--they turned down
  my proposal for same back in 1993! My
  third and final item regards your fanzine
  itself: Well done, Richard. I love to see that
  people are not only enjoying OD&D, but
  also actively seeing to its care and feeding.
  I was deeply disappointed that TSR had
  dropped support for Mystara and all things
  OD&D, especially on the heels of Bruce
  Heard's excellent "Princess Ark" run in
  DRAGON. However, I understand TSR is
  about business and ledgers, not
  necessarily the support of a limited
  marketshare's favourite product. 
        No matter, though--we've OD&DITIES
  to read and contribute to and share and
  enjoy. I like your selection of articles,
  topics, and content areas. Reviews (which
  helped me save the $24 I was *planning* to
  spend on GAZ 14, thank you), short
  stories, new rules, DM advice, player
  advice, online resources, adventure
  scenarios, et al provide a really vibrant mix.
  I particularly like the "Street of a Thousand
  Adventures" column (nice concept,
  Richard) and your "Getting Started" series.
  I would like to see "The Compendium of
  Characters" return, however. Also, in
  issues #1 and #2, you included articles on
  bows and magic daggers, respectively; I
  think featuring some aspect of a single
  weapon or weapon type each issue might
  be a worthy addition to OD&DITIES (that
  said, my mother taught me never to
  complain if I didn't offer a solution--so I
  hereby volunteer to flesh out a more
  detailed proposal on weapon articles if
  you're interested). All told, I'm impressed
  with the quality of OD&DITIES' content. I'm
  relieved that OD&D enjoys some
  well-deserved support, long after being
  orphaned by TSR/WotC. I'm encouraged to
  be a part of keeping OD&DITIES healthy
  and persistent. OD&DITIES is a fine public-
  ation, and I'll look forward to the issues to
  follow. I hope to hear from you soon.
  Cheers,
  -- Erin
  Thank you greatly for your letter. Compen-
  dium of Characters makes a return in this
  very issue, with an interesting little twist. I
  started OD&DITIES to fill the gap in OD&D
  coverage I noticed on the net. In the two
  years (two years!!!) since it began, it has
  changed greatly, and the amount of
  material available on the net has expanded
  greatly – I have to hope that OD&DITIES
  has contributed to this. I have myself made
  changes to the OD&D rules in the past. I
  had a player once who always ran
  'non-standard' characters – a Paladin,
  Druid, then a Centaur! It is a simple proc-
  ess to bolt new rules on – game balance is
  much easier to maintain than in the later
  editions. I'm glad I was able to save you
  from Gazetteer 14: who was trying to
  charge $24 for it? I snagged my copy for
  £5! I will say, as I probably should have in
  the review, that more use would be got
  from the supplement if you were planning
  to enter the Hollow World at any point.
      Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  Over
  the past couple of months I have been
  perusing the web site and each issue of
  OD&Dities and hands down OD&Dities is
  one of the best e-zines on the net!  Not
  only have I been playing OD&D for about
  14 years, I have been wishing that a
  resource such as this would eventually one
  day come along - and now it has.  Great
  work gentlemen. Issue #7 is absolutely
  fantastic! Many congrats go out to R.E.B.
  Tongue for his diligence and definitely to
  Jesse Walker for a professional look and
  feel with the latest issue. I have recently
  pointed out your web site to the rest of my
  OD&D players, and we're all hooked. I also
  printed out several copies of issue #7, and
  got them spiral bound to present to players
  of my campaign as well as a few shoppers
  at my local gaming store.  Everyone wants
  to know where they can get a hold of more
  issues of this mag, so I pointed them
  here. Together, with a copy of OD&Dities in
  hand, we will bring back the TRUE D&D to
  the dice-chuckers of the world. Game On!
  Derrick A. Landwehr
  Thanks for your kind words, Derrick! We try
  to maintain OD&DITIES to a high profess-
  onal standard, and thanks to both the
  quality of the writing and the efforts of our
  web designer / PDF converter, Jesse
  Walker, it is an easy job. I am very glad
  that you are getting such use out of
  OD&DITIES. I hope you manage to get
  equal use out of this one, and from the
  issues to come. It's good to know that you
  are introducing others to OD&DITIES –
  everyone please feel free to distribute the
  zine as far as you can!
            
  (
  Letters to the Editor
  23
  OD&DITIES 
  )  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  The Cleric
  ... continued from page 12
  the elements that must be done for any
  character must be done for the Cleric.
  Finally, he must be equipped according
  to the views of his Order. This might
  mean limited equipment only, or stand-
  ard equipment. Remember also that
  following a Church means that you can
  call on others for occasional support –
  but also that it is not unlikely that you
  will be called upon to complete missions
  for your faith, at one time or another.  
  (
  
  Description and
  Background
        The fortress palace of Al-Xaim is
  located on the southern edge of the Great
  Salt Basin in Alasya, one of the Emirates of
  Ylaruam. It is an ancient fortification that
  has withstood centuries of drought, war,
  famine, and siege. The main defence of the
  palace is the 70-foot high and 40-foot wide
  solid granite wall that has no gates or
  entrances. The only way into the enclosure
  is to take the winched platform-elevator to
  the top of the southern wall and walk the
  40 feet to the other side. A person wanting
  access is then lowered to the interior by
  another elevated platform. The elevators
  are well guarded. The elevator platforms
  and winches broken down and stored
  safely inside at any sign of danger or
  invasion. The immense walls of Al-Xaim
  provide complete protection and a sense of
  security for the inhabitants that live here in
  the middle of the harsh Ylaruam desert. In
  ancient times, the men who guarded the
  walls carved caves in the top for shelter
  from sandstorms. The present day guards
  make use these old caves, but have also
  set up small tent camps atop the walls,
  especially near the elevators. Due to the
  walls, only a small garrison of men-at-arms
  is staffed, more than enough to fend off a
  large army from the walls.
         The most important feature of the
  palace of Al-Xaim is the beautiful oasis that
  is inside the walls. This natural surface
  spring has been guarded for centuries by 
  the impregnable walls. The oasis provides
  men and animals with an endless supply of
  water in times of siege. Date and palm
  trees, goats, camels, wild desert waterfowl,
  and manicured vegetable gardens provide
  a renewable source of food. This makes
  the palace completely self sufficient and
  independent of other communities. During
  times of war Al-Xaim has been shut off
  from reinforcements and supplies for years,
  with the inhabitants living their daily lives
  without worry. 
        Al-Xaim is located almost midway on
  the Coast to Ylaruam desert caravan
  route. For protection and convenience a
  small entrepreneurial trading community
  settled outside of the south wall.  These
  merchants happily sell camels, camel
  meat, dates, coconuts, sugar cane, lizard
  meat, fuel, and other miscellaneous
  equipment and supplies. They also trade
  their most important and valuable
  commodity: Water. Al-Xaim is an important
  stop for people who are going to make a
  trip from the coast to the Great Salt Basin
  and onward to the capital of Ylaruam. All
  who are travelling the caravan route stop at
  Al-Xaim to resupply and rest. The capital is
  more than 140 miles away through the
  harsh Ylaruam desert.  
   
  Current Events
        The last caravan to arrive at the capital
  from Al-Xaim reported strange and dire
  conditions at the fortress. The caravan was
  unable to resupply at Al-Xaim and were
  close to death from starvation and thirst
  when they reached Ylaruam. They reported
  as their caravan approached the palace,
  they saw no one atop the walls or manning
  the elevator platforms. They also noticed
  that the trader settlement also appeared
  deserted, with no evidence of where the
  merchants went. Low on water and food
  but too frightened to approach, the caravan
  circled the area and continued towards the
  capital. When the caravan was almost out
  of view of the fortress, they found a crudely
  written sign on a post beside the beaten
  track. It read "PLAGUE! QUARANTINE!"
  For the Dungeon
  Master
        There is no plague at Al-Xaim. A small
  group of powerful NPC's from a far away
  land invaded the palace about a fortnight
  ago. The party originally planned an
  assault by flying over the walls magically.    
  While drawing up their plans at their near-
  by hideout cave, the group was attack ed
  by a wandering purple worm. Seeing an
  opportunity the wizard and avenger of the
  group quickly charmed the worm with
  Persuasion (see avenger abilities below)
  and a Charm Monster spell. The groups
  spell casters then commanded the purple
  worm to dig a tunnel beneath the massive
  walls. The purple worm broke the surface
  of the interior courtyard and crawled
  inside. The rest of the group followed along
  in the excavated tunnel. While the palace
  men at arms fought the purple worm, the
  NPCs stormed the Sheik's palace. They
  surprised the Sheik's experienced body-
  guards and killed them in a short fight.
  After dispelling many of the magical traps
  and wards in the interior, the NPC's seized
  control of the palace treasury. They locked
  the Sheik and his family in the dungeon.    
  The group then returned to the courtyard to
  finish off the worm and guards. The purple
  worm was killed with a lightning bolt and
  the rest of the guards were quickly slain by
  the avenger. Hearing the loud noises of
  fighting and spells, the desert nomad
  traders outside the south wall fled in terror
  or were killed a moment later by a Death
  Spell from the wizard. The ones who did
  escape fled without any supplies and faced
  death in the desert from dehydration. The
  fortress of Al-Xaim was conquered, the first
  time in four centuries. 
         The NPC's know that as soon as the
  attack is discovered the Sultan of Ylaruam
  will send an army or group of powerful
  adventurers to investigate and deal with
  any take over of the palace fortress. They
  also know they will all be executed (or
  worse) for the attack. The Sheik of Al-Xaim,
  now hostage in his own dungeon, is a
  member of the royal family, 3rd cousin to
  the Sultan. The palace treasury at Al-Xaim
  is filled with centuries of gold, gems, arte-
  facts, and jewels earned from the water
  rights of the oasis, plus the personal wealth
  of the Sheik. The loss of this wealth would
  be a financial blow to the Emirates. Un-
  known to the Sultan, this money is already
  being transported by teleportation 
  *
   
  Al-Xaim
  24
  OD&DITIES 
  +  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  �l-�aim
  An OD&D Adventure for 3-5 PC's of levels 4-8 
  James John Gregoire
  "Al-Xaim" is an OD&D expert
  adventure designed for 3-5 PCs of
  levels 4-8 (about 24 levels). Since the
  adventure takes place in the Emirates
  of Ylaruam, the identity of any
  magic-users or elves should be
  concealed or they face trail and
  execution. Clerics are venerated and
  accepted in the Emirates. All other
  classes and races are tolerated.
  
  to the NPC's base, a castle hideout
  somewhere on the Peninsula of
  Vulcania. Many magic items from the
  treasury and slain body-guards are also in
  the process of being teleported out of
  Ylaruam. The NPC party needs time to
  teleport all of this wealth and magic to their
  far away castle. The group has decided to
  feign a plague outbreak in order to acquire
  more time in which to loot the palace.
  Adventure Setup
        The characters need to start some-
  where in or near the capital of Ylaruam.
  The characters are contacted by one of the
  Sultan of Ylaruam's royal messengers to
  assemble at the one of the fortified palaces
  in the city. They are escorted into a
  meeting antechamber where two important
  looking men sit waiting. One looks to be a
  general in the army, and the other is a
  cleric with the local military order.
  "We need the use of your services,”
  states the cleric. "We have not heard
  from one of our outlying fortresses,
  Al-Xaim, south of the Great Salt Basin.   
  The last persons to travel near it talked
  of plague and evacuation. The Sultan
  orders you to first investigate these new
  conditions at the fortress in a fact-
  finding expedition. Secondly, upon
  detection of an unseen force or forces
  inside the palace or any suspicious
  activity, you are to take immediate
  action to rescue the Emir and family
  and to disable any threats. Divination
  spells have led us to believe that time is
  critical here and that plague is
  questionable. The Sultan has
  authorized the use of one of his flying
  carpets for emergency travel to the
  palace.   However anyone using a
  magic carpet from his highness must
  leave a sizeable sum in deposit, either a
  magic item or treasure. You can use
  alternate transport if you decline the
  magic carpet option, camels being the
  best. After you have investigated the
  palace, rescued the Emir and family,
  and/or eliminated any threats you will be
  paid the sum of 10,000 gp each. Just a
  friendly reminder, refusing an order of
  the Sultan or trying to shirk duty by
  fleeing, would result in you being
  eviscerated for high treason. Any
  questions?"
        The Sultans representatives do not
  have much more information and will not
  increase the reward, but will remind the
  characters what evisceration means....   
  The NPC's
  Leuet Toreiasa (leader)
  11th level male chaotic magic-user
  Str: 8 Int: 18 Wis: 15 
  Dex: 14 Con: 12 Cha: 18
  Hit points: 23
  Armor Class: 5 (buckle and ring)
  Equipment & Magic:  large pouch, black
  wizard robes, returning dagger +2 (+5 vs.
  regenerating monsters), whip +1, ring of
  protection +2, belt buckle +1, boots of
  cloudwalking (see below), wand of cold (15
  charges), spell scroll (read languages,
  anti-magic shell, conjure elemental), crystal
  ball, and 4 exquisite stolen gems worth
  60,000 gp's total (in pouch).
  Spells currently memorized: charm
  person, sleep x2, read magic, detect
  invisible, knock, web, hold person, lightning
  bolt, dispel magic, charm monster,
  hallucinatory terrain, polymorph self,
  teleport x2 (1 cast already), death spell.   
   
        Leuet Toreiasa is a mage from the
  distant peninsula of Vulcania. He is small
  in stature and has a very sunken
  appearance. However he is very cunning
  and greedy, never passing up an
  opportunity to relieve an unsuspecting
  owner's treasury of its gold and jewels. He
  always wears his black wizards garb and
  his boots of cloudwalking.
        Boots of Cloudwalking: This footwear
  allows the user to fly at the rate of 300
  feet/turn. If a storm or other dense cloud
  cover is available, the wearer can walk on
  the top of the clouds and may run across
  them at 480 feet/turn for up to three hours.
         Leuet has been teleporting a low level
  henchman back to their remote castle each
  day. The men are carefully loaded with the
  choicest gems and jewels of the Sheik's
  treasure chambers. A fully loaded
  henchman is then teleported back to the
  castle in Vulcania. The castle's telepor-
  tation chamber is a unique construction of
  Leuet's design. Above and below the
  teleportation room are 100-foot shafts.
  These are for the 'too high' and 'too low'
  results from a teleportation spell. A
  henchman fell 70 feet earlier in the week,
  landing on a soft bed of feathers with his
  precious cargo. Other members of the NPC
  party are at the far away castle, anxiously
  awaiting each day's teleportation. Leuet
  confirms the teleportation and conducts
  other communication with his home base
  through his crystal ball. To completely
  clean out the treasury and artwork at
  Al-Xaim will take exactly 15 more days.
  Leuet always leaves an extra teleport spell
  memorized for emergencies.
  Daeg Rayth (second in command)
  10th level male chaotic travelling fighter
  (Avenger)
  Str: 18 Int: 14 Wis: 13 
  Dex: 12 Con: 16 Cha: 11
  Hit Points: 72
  Armor Class: -4 (plate, shield, and ring)
  Special Abilities: Detect Evil (range 120'),
  clerical spells as 3rd level cleric, turn
  undead as 3rd level cleric (can control
  instead of turn, skeletons and zombies
  only), persuasion of chaotic monsters as
  hirelings, sanctuary, smash/parry/disarm
  combat options.
  Spells: purify food and water, cure light
  wounds 
  Equipment & Magic:  loop of chain /w
  Continual Light, backpack, large pouch,
  Plate Mail +3 of Flight (360'/round, 12
  turns), Shield +3, Scimitar of speed +5
  (stolen from the Sheik's top bodyguard,
  treat as normal sword for damage), Sword
  +2 (flames on command), 2 potions
  super-healing (3d6+3 cured), Light
  Crossbow +1, 60 quarrels +1, Ring of
  protection +1, Bag of holding: 20 weeks
  iron rations & water, 7,500 pp (stolen). 
   
        Daeg Rayth is a 6 foot 5 inch tall plate
  mailed force of nature. He has laid waste to
  entire groups of men, laughing maniacally
  while slicing off heads. He made an
  alliance of avenger status with a fanatical
  evil clerical order of the Peninsula of
  Vulcania. He still adventures with his NPC
  group, capitalizing on the masses of stolen
  wealth they recover. He lives at the castle
  in Vulcania while not off killing something.   
  He will use the stolen scimitar of speed +5
  while in combat in this adventure (use as
  haste effect for attacks only, 2 attacks at
  +8 to hit/ 1d8 +8 damage per hit).
  Sema Hollow (sniper) 
  8th level female chaotic halfling 
  (attack rank: B) 
  Str: 11 Int: 17 Wis: 12 
  Dex: 18 Con: 14 Cha: 16
  Hit Points: 31
  Armor Class: -3, -5 for larger
  Special Abilities: -2 AC larger than man
  sized, +1 missile to hit, +1 initiative, 1/2
  damage from damage-causing spells or
  spell effect (if effect allows save, success
  means 1/4 damage), hide outside 90%/
  indoors 33%.
  Equipment and Magic: Halfling Chain Mail
  +3, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of
  regeneration (stolen from the Sheik), Light
  Crossbow +3 (double range modifier
  ,
  Al-Xaim
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  -  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  120/240/360), 5 quarrels +2 of flying
  (ranges: 1500/3000/4500!), 10 quarrels +1
  of charming, 10 quarrels +1 of seeking, 10
  silver quarrels, 10 quarrels +2 of
  penetration, 10 quarrels (normal), large
  pouch, small signalling whistle, Sheik's
  family jewels worth 220,000 gp's total.
   
        Sema Hollow is a native from the south
  continents. She joined the NPC group 2
  years ago, more for the adventure and
  excitement rather than for monetary
  gain. An expert shot with a crossbow, she
  always is finding a place to snipe from. She
  will always take out magic users and elves
  first, then clerics.  Her 5 quarrels of flight
  allow shots at up to 4500 yards away (2 1/2
  miles). If she can see it she can hit it, and
  she is always scanning the skies for any
  flying reconnaissance.
  15 Henchmen 
  1st level neutral (10) chaotic (5) fighters
  Str: +1 to hit/dam 
  Morale: 10 
  Hit Points: 6 each
  Armor Class: 3 
  Equipment: Banded mail, shield, normal
  sword, dagger, pack/food/water, large
  pouch, various stolen items of value from
  Al-Xaim palace (minimum 1,000 gp value).
   
        These loyal men are under the
  command of Leuet. They were hired in the
  city of Thyatis. The NPC's used Thyatis as
  a staging area before their trip into the Ylari
  desert. They are unaware of the NPC's
  nationality or motives. They follow Leuet's
  orders and will not abandon their posts or
  loot alone. Each one is to be teleported
  back to Vulcania loaded with gold, jewels,
  and magic. 
   
  Descriptions of the
  Fortress Palace of
  Al-Xaim
  1. Men At Arms Barracks: This 40' wide,
  50' long, 25' high sandstone building is the
  designated living area for the guards
  stationed at the palace. The interior is lit by
  large round open skylights in the ceilings,
  which can be covered in times of storm or
  war. There is much sand on the floors here
  as the entrances and skylights are left
  open for ventilation. Various hammocks
  and bedrolls are spread about the place. A
  large 10'x15' communal bathing station is
  located in the northern floor of the building.
  The bathing area is complete with stone  
  benches, hooks, stools, and basins. The
  Sheik had 50 regular guards on duty at the
  palace before the attack. Not a single man
  survived the assault, they all perished in
  the fight with the purple worm or the
  NPC's. After the attack, Leuet's henchmen
  moved in the barracks and pocketed
  everything of value here. During the day
  and night the henchmen take lookout shifts
  on the walls. Nothing of value is left in the
  barracks, except a few scattered silver and
  some broken armour.
   
  2. Sheik's Palace: Built at the same time
  the walls were this is the oldest structure of
  the compound. It is constructed of baked
  brick with spaced buttresses around the
  base. The spacious main palace is 2
  levels, each at 20 feet in height. There are
  four towers, one each corner of the
  palace. The most impressive of the four
  towers is the SE pinnacle tower. Tapering
  upward, the tower reaches 110 feet soaring
  over the walls with a fantastic view of the
  surrounding sands. On a clear day some-
  one in the pinnacle tower can see 50 miles
  in almost all directions, the view is some-
  what blocked by large dune hills to the
  east. The other towers and the top of the
  palace itself are decorated with white
  crenellations and intricately carved arch
  windows and doors. Like the other
  buildings of the compound the crenelled
  palace roof is flat, allowing a person to sit
  on a carpet, sip tea, and enjoy the high
  cool desert breezes. Also atop the roof are
  the hanging gardens of the Sheiks of
  Al-Xaim. Another feature of construction
  that is unique to the palace are the
  semicircular windows, inlaid with bright-
  coloured glass, that are placed above the
  low open arch windows. These coloured
  lenses are cut with designs of desert life
  millennia ago. They produce a lovely
  interior light for the palace. Decorative blue
  tiles, painted panels of long dead Sheiks,
  marble inlays of oases, and frescoes of
  pearl and jewels fill the walls of the 30
  rooms of the palace.
   
  3. Oasis of Al-Xaim: The oasis is a natural
  pool of clear water with a sandy bottom. It
  is a natural oasis where the water table
  reaches the surface of the desert. Before
  the fortress was built, the oasis was a
  central hub of caravan routes in this part of
  the desert. Its cool waters now generate an
  income for the Sheik of Al-Xaim while
  supplying the coastal caravan route with
  life giving water. Date palm trees grow
  around the pool. Also, with a little irrigation
  effort, the palace keeps vegetable gardens,
  17 trees, alfalfa plots, the hanging gardens,
  and everyone living here well hydrated. A
  series of pillars lead from the palace grand
  entrance to the north stone banked edge of
  the oasis.
   4. Hospital Pavilion: Located on a small
  grassy hill this building is home to the
  resident clerical order. The scimitar sign of
  Al-Kahim, warrior philosopher of the Ylari
  people, is atop this low structure. The
  NPC's locked the three low level clerics in
  the dungeon with the Sheik and proceeded
  to thieve the temple artefacts. A small
  empty altar, prayer rooms, and the clerics
  modest apartments complete this low
  building.  
   
  5. The Stables of Al-Xaim: This is a
  relatively new building that can keep up to
  30 camels with ease. Currently there are
  10 camels here with enough feed for 8
  weeks. There are 5 outdoor corrals here
  each with a water trough. In a locked room
  are the Sheik's gold embroidered camel
  packsaddles, blankets, and other ornate
  tack and riding gear. The combined value
  of this gear is 5,000 gp. Also stabled here
  is the Sheik's Ylaruam stallion, a gift from
  the Sultan: 
   
  Sheik of Al-Xaim's Stallion: AC 7, HD
  2+2, hp 18, Move 270'(90'), At 2 hooves,
  Dam 1-4+1/1-4+1, save F1, morale 9, Al N
  10 Camels: AC 7, HD 2, hp 9 each, 
  Move 150'(50'), At 1 bite/1 hoof, Dam
  1/1d4, save F1, morale 7, Al N 
   
  6. The Kitchens of Al-Xaim: Leuet
  charmed the palace chef and his assistant,
  and they are busily working to feed the
  NPCs. Large baking tables, 2 great ovens,
  a wine cellar, and storage pantry complete
  this building. There is enough food stored
  for 100 people to eat well for 8 weeks.     
  Three large grain silos (20 foot high) are on
  the western outer wall. They are easily
  refilled by standing on the wall and pouring
  in the grains by a metal tube. 
   
  7. Crop storage and Smokehouse: These
  two buildings are surrounded by the palace
  gardens and vegetable patches. The "L"
  shaped building is the smokehouse, which
  contains hanging meats, dried fruit and
  nuts, a sausage grinder, and 2 smoking
  boxes. The crop storage is used to store
  and sort grains and other various crop
  grown at the stronghold. The servants that
  worked here were slain during the takeover
  of the fortress, and the palace gardener
  was locked in the dungeon. The gardens
  have small trenches to irrigate them, but no
  one has bothered in almost 2 weeks.
   
  8. Wall encampment and elevators: This
  area of the wall is bloodstained but
  deserted.  Small caves are dug into the
  actual wall some as deep as 10 feet. There
  are makeshift huts and lean-tos here 
  .
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  OD&DITIES 
  /  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  also. All were searched and ransacked by
  the henchmen after the raid. A large
  painted sign is leaning over the south
  edge, "PLAGUE! TURN BACK!" The
  elevators are in good working order.  Two
  long 10-inch ropes are attached to each
  20-foot platform. A manual pulley and
  counterweight system is used to lower or
  raise them. This can be accomplished by 2
  camels or 10 men, more if there is a heavy
  load. The south elevator will always be in
  the up position.
         The merchant camp south of the wall
  is a semi permanent settlement with
  reinforced tents with wooden shop fronts
  that can be folded down at night. It is
  completely deserted and the sand is
  coloured black from the Death Spell that
  was used to clear out the inhabitants.
   
  9. Purple Worm carcass and burning
  pit: A 100 foot long slime covered rotting
  purple worm is located in this area. It is
  long dead and its decomposing stench fills
  the entire compound and surrounding
  desert. The NPC's intend to try and use 
  this stench to convince anyone coming to
  investigate that there is a plague outbreak.
  The dead men at arms, servants, and
  bodyguards were thrown into the
  excavated tunnel and burned with oil from
  the palace. The half burned bodies were
  then covered with sand. The smoke from
  this makeshift pyre was seen by the
  caravan who first attempted to approach
  the palace after the takeover.
   
  NPC Strategies and
  Actions
        The beginning this adventure is very
  time intensive. Al-Xaim is 144 miles from
  the capital, and some of the caravan route
  covers broken ground. Caravans usually
  take about 14 days to make the trip. It has
  been exactly 11 days since the takeover
  when the caravan reaches Ylaruam,
  therefore 11 henchmen have been sent to
  Vulcania with the choicest and most
  valuable pieces of the treasury. The
  leaders of the NPC's are very greedy and 
  confident, and they plan to steal every bit
  of treasure they can teleport away. This
  means the group will be at the palace for
  15 more days as the last henchmen are
  sent, each loaded down completely. As
  stated above in the Adventure Setup, the
  characters can use one the Sultans flying
  carpets on loan to reach the palace.  Flying
  carpets can move 120 miles a day. If the
  characters use camels it will take 5 days of
  hard riding to reach Al-Xaim. Attempting
  the route on foot takes at least 10 days
  unencumbered and 18 days if lightly
  encumbered. Horses need too much
  carried water to be a feasible transportation
  option in the desert. Any other transport
  must be handled by the DM, with desert
  travel rates and chances of getting lost.
         Below are the locations of the NPCs
  during the morning watch (5 am - 1pm)
  afternoon and sunset watches (1pm - 9pm)
  and night watch (9pm - 5am).
   
  Morning
        Leuet will memorize his spells and then
  he will be busy in the treasury loading 
  0
     
  Al-Xaim
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  OD&DITIES 
  1  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
  and teleporting a henchman-shipment.     
  Daeg the Avenger will be on watch in the
  pinnacle tower. If he sees anything
  approach by land (within a mile) he will
  investigate at high altitude by using his
  armour's fly ability. If he is unimpressed
  with the look of the party, use the below
  plague peech. He can only fly for 12 turns
  (2 hours), and will return to the palace
  without engaging powerful looking groups.
  If the party approaches by air he will not
  approach but will immediately will sound an
  alert. Sema the halfling will be at the elev-
  ator platforms, hiding in a cave overlooking
  the south approaches. If she sees anyone
  she will signal Daeg in the tower with a
  whistle. 5 of the henchmen will be walking
  along the walls and keeping a sharp eye
  out. They will hurry to get to the barracks
  when an alarm is raised and may be seen.
  They are wearing palace guard white unif-
  orms but some are blood stained and torn.
   
  Afternoon
        Daeg the Avenger will retire to the
  Sheiks bedchamber. Leuet will take over
  the watch in the pinnacle tower. If he sees
  a party approach by foot, he may cast a
  hallucin- atory terrain spell on the palace
  and make it disappear! This will only work if
  no intelligent being touches the illusion, so
  everyone must be in the dungeon for this to
  work. Otherwise he will wake Daeg in the
  Sheiks bedchamber below and further
  action will be as morning. Sema rests dur-
  ing the hottest time of day as well, curling
  up in a cool cave on the walls somewhere.
  5 henchmen will be on guard atop the wall
  watching for invisible approaches in the
  sand or sneak attacks.
   
  Night
        Leuet will retire to a palace bed-
  chamber to rest in order to regain his spells
  the next day. The NPC's will only wake him
  in an emergency. Daeg will watch for lights
  in the pinnacle tower (50%), be lurking
  around the wall tops (30%), or flying on
  patrol (20% of the time). 
  If an alarm is raised (Morning or
  Afternoon).  
        The NPC's will not immediately
  attack. They will try to use the ruse of the
  plague outbreak to deter any investigation
  by the characters. The henchmen will hide
  in the barracks armed and ready for attack.
  Leuet will ready his spells from the 2nd
  floor window at the palace.  Daeg dressed
  as a palace bodyguard will attempt to
  discourage the party from entering or
  looking around (see below). Sema dressed
  as a short wall guard will keep any spell-
  casters covered with her crossbow from a
  hidden position. Read the following:
   
  "As you approach the palace you notice
  the definite smell of death like a rotting
  animal or corpse. It is almost over-
  powering. A man dressed in the white
  flowing garb of the Sheik's bodyguard
  magically hovers 10 feet above the
  ground ahead of you. You can seal the
  official blue sash of the personal guard
  of the Sheik across his chest. He shouts
  with a strange accent, "The palace is
  quarantined due to plague! We cannot
  allow you to enter! Please turn around
  and go back!" 
        If asked probing questions or about the
  dead purple worm, he replies, "The plague
  is very deadly and we have lost many
  men. The Sheik has ordered that no one
  be allowed anyone to enter until the plague
  has run its course. (If asked about the
  worm, "We were attacked by this horrible
  monster, but managed to kill it even though
  the plague has weakened us."). Please
  turn around and report that we will send
  word when the quarantine is lifted by our
  clerics!" He then turns and flies magically
  into the palace front entrance, slams the
  doors, and locks them.
        The NPC's now wait for the characters
  to leave. If they approach the palace or
  start snooping around, Leuet (from the pal-
  ace 2nd floor or walls depending where the
  characters are) and Sema (from the walls)
  will attempt to surprise with missile fire and
  spells. The henchmen will then rush
  forward to melee. Daeg will immediately
  attack by flying forward and striking at two
  attacks per round. If the fight goes badly
  Leuet will teleport back home to ulcania.      
  Daeg will not surrender, but will fly away if
  given a chance. Sema will attempt to get to
  Leuet in order to jump into his arms to be
  teleported back; otherwise she will risk it in
  the desert or surrender. If the henchmen
  fail morale (10 if Leuet is there, 7 if not)
  they will surrender. These men are not
  aware of the NPC's home country or
  background as they were hired in Thyatis.   
  They are completely disposable and their
  capture cannot lead back to Vulcania.
   
  If an alarm is raised (Night)
        Daeg will meet an approaching
  airborne or land party. He will carry his
  continual light chain and will give the above
  speech. At night he will reinforce the
  speech with a leering scowl and by flying in
  circles around a party. If attacked or
  cornered with questions, he will fly off to
  the palace to alert the others and the
  above attack will occur.
        The main objective of the NPC's is to
  loot the treasury and escape. They do not
  want a direct confrontation with a
  dangerous and well-armed party. If given a
  days notice the three NPC's will teleport
  away and be gone, with only the henchmen
  to be found inside. The NPC's will try to
  postpone any attack or stall an investig-
  ation. They will use any story that sounds
  plausible: claiming that the Emir is to ill to
  talk but is expected to recover tomorrow,
  the Emir is too grief stricken from the death
  of his wife to talk to anyone right now,
  today is a holy day where the palace is
  closed to visitors for 24 hours, etc.             
  2
  Al-Xaim
  28
  OD&DITIES 
  3  The Original D&D Fanzine
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  OD�DITIES
  THE ORIGINAL DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FANZINE 
  Issue 8 - September 2002
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/Original D&D/OD&Dities/ODDITIES 08.pdf