TEXT: For characters of levels 7-9 
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  Introduction ....................................... 
  1 
  Adventure Background ........................ 
  2 
  Running the Encounters ..................... 
  6 
  A. Living Trees ................................. 
  8 
  C. Favorable Fog ............................. 
  .10 
  D. Hunting Party ............................. 
  .12 
  E. Deadly Darters ............................. 
  .13 
  F. False Heroes ................................ 
  .14 
  G. Temple Ruins.. .............................. 
  .15 
  H. Village of the Lizard Men .............. .18 
  I. Swamplight ................................... 
  .27 
  J. Headed for Danger ....................... 
  .28 
  K. Double Danger ............................. 
  .29 
  L. Lair of the Rajah .......................... 
  .30 
  Resolution ......................................... 
  .32 
  B. Evil Fog.. ....................................... 
  .9 
  Credits 
  Design: Jean Rabe 
  Editing: Lance Kandler 
  Cover Illustration: Paul Jaquays 
  Interior Illustrations: Terry Dykstra 
  Cartography: John Knecht 
  Typography: Angelika Lokotz 
  ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and AD&D are registered 
  trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. 
  MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM and the TSR logo are trademarks 
  owned by TSR, Inc. 
  01993 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 
  Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribu- 
  tion rights in the book trade for English language products. Distrib- 
  uted to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. 
  Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. 
  This product is protected under the copyright laws of the United States 
  of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the mater- 
  ial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express writ- 
  ten permission of TSR, Inc. 
  ISBN 0-56076-588-7 
  9424xxx1501 
  Swamplight is an adventure designed for 
  experienced characters. This module requires 
  that the PCs have more than strong sword 
  arms and flashy spells. They must think and 
  make careful decisions, as their actions will 
  determine whether good is aided or whether 
  they unknowingly assist the villains in their 
  ultimate, evil goal. 
  The adventure is suited for player charac- 
  ters of 7th through 9th level. If using this 
  adventure with lower level player characters 
  with little magic, the DM might have to cut 
  back on the number of creatures encountered. 
  For example, if the PCs encounter the algoids 
  and the animated trees, use fewer trees. Do 
  not lower the number of lizard men in the vil- 
  lage of Fen, as the PCs’ true goal does not lie 
  in defeating peaceful, neutral creatures. 
  This adventure easily can accommodate 
  higher level PCs or PCs who have a wealth of 
  magic at their command; simply add to the 
  number of creatures encountered and boost 
  their hit points. The rakshasa rajah could be 
  changed into a maharajah, which is more 
  powerful and has more spells. 
  Although there is plenty of fighting, Swamp- 
  light stresses problem solving and role play- 
  ing. The adventure presented to the players is 
  much more involved below the surface, and 
  in reality things are not the way they seem. 
  Creatures that look like something are indeed 
  something else, and jumping to conclusions 
  could get the PCs in trouble and prevent them 
  from achieving their aim. 
  Experience points are listed with each crea- 
  ture encountered, so killing monsters will 
  gain the PCs the amount specified. However, 
  the PCs should get additional experience 
  points if they find the real menace in the 
  adventure and defeat it. The amount of expe- 
  rience awarded is left up to the DM. 
  1 
  
  For many decades, the city of Chala, nestled 
  on the banks of the Leal River, boasted a pros- 
  perous fishing business. The community's life 
  revolved around the wide, slowly rolling 
  river that meandered miles northward into 
  the Blackweed Swamp. 
  Men trained their sons and daughters to be 
  fishermen and taught them how to trap the 
  large lizards that lived on the banks of the 
  river and in the swamp. The strongest youths 
  were schooled in building flat, maneuverable 
  boats that could easily navigate the shallows 
  and avoid becoming hung up on the massive 
  willow tree roots that edged far into the water. 
  Craftsmen created wondrous lures to catch 
  the biggest of fish that hugged the bottom, 
  and artisans fashioned fine jewelry from pol- 
  ished stones pulled from the riverbed and 
  made boots and other garments from lizard 
  skins. 
  The city enjoyed lucrative trading contracts 
  with merchants from communities inland and 
  to the south. As the city grew, young men 
  traveled to Chala to seek adventure in the 
  swamp to the north, or to marry and establish 
  gainful river-related careers. 
  Officials from southern inland cities ad- 
  mired Chala, and many secretly dreamed of 
  running a community as affluent and inde- 
  pendent. Some made trips to Chala to study 
  the city's government to learn if there was 
  something other than the river contributing to 
  its fortune. 
  The people of Chala quickly welcomed 
  these officials, treating them like royal visitors 
  and regaling them with stories of the river 
  and the city's past. The Chalans explained 
  they did indeed owe their happiness to the 
  great Leal, but the river, their good fortune, 
  the prosperous fishing industry, and their fine 
  crafts were all gifts of their god, Tefnut. In- 
  deed, the largest structure in Chala was a tem- 
  ple that honored the god, and inside it rested 
  the community's most valuable treasure-a 
  1- 
  foot tall gold and platinum statue of the deity, 
  a beautiful woman with the head of a lion. 
  To the people of Chala, Tefnut represents the 
  moisture in the atmosphere and is responsible 
  for the rains that keep the river wide and full 
  of life. The interior of her temple smells like 
  the earth after a steady shower. The statue in 
  her image, which was crafted by one of the vil- 
  lage elders more than 40 years ago, is worth 
  thousands of gold pieces. The statue's eyes are 
  flawless blue sapphires which nearly match 
  the color of the Leal, and the statue is admired 
  by all those who enter the temple and gaze 
  upon the religious work of art. 
  Unfortunately for Chala, someone did more 
  than look. Four weeks ago, an acolyte of Tef- 
  nut discovered that the statue was missing. 
  Immediately the council of elders was con- 
  vened and the village was searched. No sign 
  of the statue was found. The elders feared 
  that the increasing presence of visiting city 
  officials, many of whom had seen the statue, 
  were responsible. While the visiting officials 
  were quickly proven innocent with detect Zie 
  spells cast by the Tefnut clerics, the elders 
  believed that the officials had related informa- 
  tion about the temple and the statue to others 
  in their home communities, tempting listen- 
  ing thieves. 
  The visiting officials lent their support to 
  finding the statue, not wanting trade between 
  Chala and their home communities soured by 
  the theft. The officials called upon skilled 
  trackers to aid in the search, and they were at 
  last partially rewarded. 
  The trackers discovered bits of moss in the 
  temple, moss that could have only come from 
  the Blackweed Swamp to the north. Further- 
  more, outside the temple and at spots along the 
  riverbank, they noticed humanoid, webbed 
  tracks-the 
  footprints of lizard men. 
  Immediately, a band of adventurers was 
  sent into the swamp to find the lizard men 
  and regain the statue of Tefnut. That was 
  2 
  
  nearly four weeks ago and those adventurers, 
  and four other parties who followed them, 
  have not returned. 
  As the next few weeks passed, fishermen 
  began disappearing, leaving only their empty 
  boats floating on the Leal. The few young 
  men who ventured up the banks of the river 
  and into the swamp in search of their missing 
  fathers also disappeared. Trappers were dis- 
  covered clawed to death near their traps, yet 
  no animal tracks were seen anywhere within 
  several feet the bodies. 
  The once-prosperous city was thrown into 
  panic, and the Tefnut clerics began preaching 
  that disaster was at hand because the people 
  allowed the god's statue to be stolen. They 
  warned that if the statue was not recovered, 
  and the lizard men punished, Chala would 
  fall into ruin and the population would die at 
  the hands of the lizard men. 
  The Real Story 
  There is much more to the theft of the 
  statue, of course, and Tefnut is not bringing 
  tragedy upon the city. Unbeknownst to the 
  people of Chala, lizard men had nothing to do 
  with the theft. 
  A small group of rakshasa, lead by an exiled, 
  over-ambitious rajah, has settled in the swamp. 
  They have been feasting off the occasional 
  band of adventurers who traveled through the 
  quagmire in search of excitement and riches, 
  and small hunting parties of lizard men. 
  The rakshasas sought isolation so they 
  could scheme to regain control of the rakshasa 
  community from which they were banished. 
  However, when they discovered the teeming 
  city of Chala and the lizard men village, they 
  decided the lizard men and the humans 
  would have to leave. To this end, the raksha- 
  
  sas studied both communities and decided to 
  start a war between the two. 
  The statue of Tefnut was taken by a rak- 
  shasa, in the guise of a lizard man, in an at- 
  tempt to precipitate the conflict. Using spells 
  to hide his presence, the rakshasa sneaked into 
  the lizard men village and placed the statue on 
  top of the village’s totem; this would incrimi- 
  nate the lizard men. 
  If everything works according to the rak- 
  shasas’ plans, at least one and possibly both 
  communities will be wiped out, and the rak- 
  shasas will have their solitude-and 
  plenty of 
  bodies to feast on. 
  It is into this dangerous and deadly situa- 
  tion the player characters are plunged. 
  All of the rakshasas in the Blackweed Swamp 
  have adopted the guise of lizard men. This will 
  make it difficult for the PCs to realize what 
  they face until it is possibly too late. 
  Getting the PCs Involved 
  There are several avenues to get a group of 
  player characters involved in this adventure, 
  fitting the action nicely into an active cam- 
  paign. 
  The PCs could have simply heard about 
  Chala’s misfortune and their own opportu- 
  nity to make a handsome profit if they 
  recover the missing statue. 
  Perhaps the PCs are traveling through the 
  area and come upon the beleaguered river 
  community. 
  If the PCs are inland, a government leader 
  sympathetic to Chala’s problems could hire 
  them to recover the statue. The leader does 
  not want to lose trade with the river town 
  and will reward the PCs for saving Chala’s 
  fishing industry. 
  If one of the PCs is a druid, he or she could 
  hear of marauding bands of lizard men 
  who are killing humans and denizens of the 
  swamp. 
  If one of the PCs is a cleric to a god from the 
  Egyptian mythos, he or she could have 
  learned of the statue’s theft and be asked to 
  lend aid. 
  One of the player character’s relatives, or 
  perhaps an NPC acquaintance, is living in 
  Chala. The individual contacts the PC and 
  explains the town’s woes and need for 
  assistance. 
  No matter what avenue the DM selects, the 
  adventure should begin with the players’ 
  introduction below. It will serve to provide the 
  PCs with a little background information. 
  Chala is not detailed, as the adventure does 
  not involve moving about the community. It is 
  a sizable river community, with buildings and 
  docks all along the riverside and extending as 
  much as a half-mile away from the river. 
  Players’ Introduction 
  A grim-faced man approaches and intro- 
  duces himself as Vant, chief village elder. 
  Behind him are other elders and many citi- 
  zens of Chala. 
  ”Our city teeters on the brink of disaster,” 
  Vant mutters gravely. ”Our lives are in jeop- 
  ardy because the statue of our goddess was 
  spirited from our temple. Trackers say 
  lizard men took the statue, but I believe it 
  was our own complacency that caused it to 
  be ripped from our midst. We did not guard 
  the golden and platinum image of Tefnut.” 
  The chief elder explains about the glories 
  of Tefnut and how the goddess is responsi- 
  ble for the success of their fishing industry. 
  He pauses and glumly adds that since the 
  disappearance of the statue, the goddess 
  has been seeking vengeance-fishermen 
  have not returned, trappers have been 
  killed by unknown causes. 
  The elder begs you to aid their cause. 
  
  It is up to the PCs whether they agree to aid 
  Chala. If they appear indecisive, Vant sug- 
  gests that Chala is only the beginning-other 
  cities in the area will be visited by disaster as 
  Tefnut’s rage grows. He says even adventur- 
  ers such as themselves will not be safe. It is 
  better to right the situation now. 
  Chalans come forth and plead with the PCs 
  to help their cause, promising the player char- 
  acters what wealth they have stored away in 
  their homes. 
  Eventually, the PCs should agree. In the 
  event they do not, the rakshasas may disguise 
  themselves as lizard men and attack or kid- 
  nap the PCs. 
  If the PCs tell Vant they will help Chala, he 
  provides more information: 
  ”We know our statue lies in the Blackweed 
  Swamp. Our clerics tell us this. But those 
  who tried to find it have not returned. All 
  we can see in the swamp’s murky depths 
  are twinkling lights that dance amid the 
  trees-doubtless 
  the lights carried by the 
  thieving lizard men. You are our last hope,” 
  Vant states. ”You must recover the statue of 
  Tefnut. Surely a band such as yours will 
  have little difficulty dealing with lizard 
  men. Once the statue is back, we will be 
  redeemed in the eyes of our goddess, and 
  Chala will be saved. We will reward you 
  greatlv. We will give you one-fourth of the 
  income from our fishing industry for the 
  next year if you can bring the statue back to 
  the temple.” 
  The chief elder presents you with a map de- 
  tailing the Blackweed Swamp and the area 
  where the fishermen and the trappers disap- 
  peared. He wishes you well and bids you 
  return quickly with the statue. If the PCs ask 
  for assistance, Vant presents them with two 
  potions of extra healing and three vials of 
  sweetwater-all 
  the magic remaining from the 
  temple. 
  The map Vant presents is the one on the 
  inside front cover. To keep the players from 
  seeing the DM’s map on the inside back cover, 
  photocopy the players’ map and let them 
  keep it for reference, or bend the cover back to 
  keep your map hidden. 
  The PCs are encouraged to start the quest 
  right away. However, if they want to ask the 
  elders or citizens questions, the chief elder 
  will not object. Careful questioning will reveal 
  the following information: 
  No one saw the thief or thieves. The theft 
  occurred late at night when nearly every- 
  one was asleep. A young man getting his 
  fishing equipment ready for a dawn trip 
  reported seeing twinkling lights floating at 
  the edge of the city. They drifted north into 
  the swamp. 
  A patch of moss was found inside the tem- 
  ple. The moss must have come from the 
  Blackweed Swamp. The PCs are welcome 
  to take the moss with them. 
  Lizard men tracks were found outside the 
  temple and along the riverbank. Never 
  before had lizard men tracks-or 
  any other 
  humanoid tracks-been 
  noted near Chala. 
  Chala residents did not know there were 
  any lizard men living nearby. However, the 
  presence of lizard men does not surprise 
  them. There are a variety oiC lizard-creatures 
  in the swamp, some of which the citizens 
  trap for food and to fashion boots and other 
  apparel. 
  Shortly after the statue disappeared, fisher- 
  men were found missing. Their boats were 
  recovered and there was no evidence of a 
  struggle. The bodies of trappers were found 
  mangled, but there were no tracks within 
  several feet of the bodies. 
  5 
  
  Consult the DMs maps as the PCs travel in 
  the swamp. If the characters come near a let- 
  tered area, they discover the clues specified 
  by the corresponding letter in the text or 
  encounter the various creatures. Their pres- 
  ence at some of these locations will alert the 
  rakshasas. This is noted in the text. 
  Sightings of various snakes and lizards 
  from the Monstrous CompendiumsTM can be 
  sprinkled throughout the trip for variety. 
  The Rakshasas’ Tactics 
  Once the rakshasas know the PCs are in the 
  swamp, they will attempt to lead the PCs to 
  the lizard men, hoping the PCs or the lizard 
  men will be killed. If the PCs discover the 
  lizard men are not to blame, the rakshasas try 
  to lure them to the hydras in the swamp in an 
  effort to destroy the PCs. The rakshasas know 
  the PCs cannot return to Chala with word that 
  the lizard men are innocent. If necessary, the 
  rakshasas will attempt to destroy the PCs 
  themselves. 
  Encounters with and the further tactics of 
  the rakshasas are detailed toward the end of 
  this adventure. 
  Tefnut’s Fury 
  It is possible the PCs will fall for the raksha- 
  sas’ plans and attempt to kill all the lizard 
  men in the Blackweed Swamp. Indeed, it is 
  also possible the PCs will defeat the lizard 
  men and the rakshasas, thereby wiping out 
  both good and evil in the swamp. 
  However, the lizard men are not to blame 
  for Chala’s woes, and therefore the PCs will 
  6 
  
  be penalized for attacking the innocent swamp 
  dwellers. 
  Tefnut has taken notice of the situation in 
  the Blackweed Swamp and is watching what 
  transpires with some interest. The good- 
  aligned goddess has no plan to interfere di- 
  rectly with what is going on in the swamp. 
  However, she has decided to favor the lizard 
  men of Blackweed, who are now holding her 
  statue in esteem (see the lizard men village 
  section for more information.) 
  Because of Tefnut’s favor, PCs who kill any 
  of Blackweed’s lizard men will suffer penal- 
  ties that likely will not be noticed initially. The 
  penalties begin with saving throws. For every 
  lizard man killed, the offending character suf- 
  fers a -1 penalty on all saving throws. This 
  penalty is cumulative. 
  When PCs’ saving throws have been re- 
  duced to nil, they begin to lose one point from 
  their prime attributes. This penalty is also 
  cumulative. 
  All attribute scores and saving throws will 
  be returned to full if the PCs realize they are 
  doing wrong and take steps to defeat the true 
  evil in Blackweed Swamp. 
  PC clerics casting divination or augury spells 
  can determine that saving throw penalties 
  and attribute losses are caused by the PCs 
  doing wrong deeds. 
  The DM must keep track of the PCs’ actions 
  and the number of lizard men killed to cor- 
  rectly apply any penalties. 
  Blackweed Swamp 
  Consult the DM’s map when running this 
  scenario to determine where the PCs are trav- 
  eling. PCs wandering into bogs and quick- 
  sand pools could quickly find themselves in 
  trouble. 
  Quicksand: The ”quicksand” in the swamp 
  is more mud than sand. Characters who fall in 
  quicksand immediately find themselves im- 
  mersed up to their waist and must roll an 
  Intelligence check on ld20 (rangers pass this 
  check automatically). Failure means the char- 
  acter has panicked, is beginning to sink, and 
  needs help to escape. Success means the char- 
  acter has kept his wits about him and can 
  work to free himself. If this character is unar- 
  mored, he can “tread” or carefully swim to 
  firm ground. 
  Panicked characters can be rescued by 
  being lassoed, by having a branch or pole 
  extended to them, or by having a swimmer 
  enter the quicksand and pull them to safety. 
  Other possibilities can work depending on 
  the cleverness of the players. Panicked PCs 
  sink at a rate of one foot per round. A sub- 
  merged character remains alive under the 
  quicksand for rounds equal to one-half his 
  Constitution score rounded up. After that 
  time, the character has suffocated. 
  Bogs: In Blackweed Swamp, these are more 
  deadly than quicksand. The bogs are filled 
  with mud, sand, and tangles of plants and 
  tree roots. 
  Bogs in the swamp range from 4 to nine 9 
  feet deep (ld6+3). Characters who fall in a 
  bog might or might not be submerged based 
  on the depth of the bog. They must roll an 
  Intelligence check at -3 on ld20 (rangers pass 
  this check automatically). Failure means the 
  character has panicked and must be rescued. 
  Characters who are successful with the saving 
  throw can attempt to swim to safety at a -3 
  proficiency penalty because of the weeds and 
  roots. Characters can be rescued with the 
  methods suggested under “quicksand.” Char- 
  acters who are submerged or who cannot 
  swim can hold their breaths for one-half their 
  Constitution score rounded up before they are 
  considered drowned. Characters in heavy 
  armor or who are heavily loaded down can- 
  not swim in a bog. 
  
  Tracking In the Swamp 
  PCs with the Tracking proficiency are prob- 
  ably going to try to locate lizard men tracks or 
  other prints in the swamp. Tracking in the 
  swamp is difficult because of the soggy 
  ground, bogs, and quicksand. 
  However, tracking is impossible. Assign -2 
  to -4 penalties to Tracking proficiency checks, 
  depending on where the PCs are. Tracks they 
  can find include: lizard men, large lizards, 
  jaguar, basilisk, bear, giants, boars and wolves. 
  The swamp is not a likely home for all of 
  these creatures. However, some of the tracks 
  were left by the rakshasas with the boots ofzlar- 
  ied tracks. 
  There is no way the PCs follow tracks di- 
  rectly to the rakshasas. Rakshasas are spirits 
  and do not leave any tracks they don’t want to. 
  A. Living Trees 
  colony. These algoids have decided to kill the 
  men before any more harm comes to them- 
  selves. 
  The algoids begin their assault by animat- 
  ing willow, cypress and oak trees, and using 
  the plants to kill the humans. When eight or 
  more of the trees have been killed, the algoids 
  join the fray. They fight to the death. 
  The algoids attack by pounding with their 
  fists. On a roll of 19 or 20, algoids inflict their 
  maximum of 10 points of damage per attack 
  and stun their victim for 1-4 rounds. 
  Blunt weapons inflict normal damage on 
  algoids. However, edged weapons have no 
  effect unless they are +2 or better. Further, 
  these magical edged weapons inflict only half 
  damage on the algoids. 
  The spells lower water, part water and destroy 
  water inflict 1-6 points of damage per level of 
  the spell caster (maximum 10d6). Other spells, 
  except fire-based and electrical-based ones, 
  work normally. 
  The leafy canopy is so thick here that little 
  light filters through. What light does, 
  streams down between black branches 
  draped with moss and vines. Small lizards 
  dart about massive roots that sink into 
  ponds of unknown depths. 
  The scene is at once beautiful and fright- 
  ening, and the air is still. Not even the 
  sounds of birds or insects are present to 
  keep you company. 
  As you survey the scene, movement 
  catches your eye. You had to look twice to 
  be sure what you saw. A tree is moving. 
  No, several trees. They seem to be closing 
  in on you. 
  The trees have been animated by a small 
  group of algoids who are distressed at the 
  increasing presence of men in the swamp (the 
  adventurers looking for the statue). The last 
  band through this area killed half of the algoid 
  Algoids (6): AL CN; AC 5; MV 6; HD 5; hp 25, 
  27,28,36,37,40; THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1- 
  l O / l - l O ;  SA Stun; SD Immune to edged 
  weapons less than +2, immune to fire and 
  electrical attacks; Sz M (5’-7’); ML 11; XP 
  420 each. 
  Animated willow trees (4): AL Nil; AC 8; MV 
  3; HD 6; hp 30,35,36,42; THACO 15; #AT 2; 
  Dmg 1-10/1-10; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz H (18’- 
  22’ tall); ML 11; XP 270 each. 
  Animated cypress trees (2): AL Nil; AC 6; MV 
  3; HD 7; hp 54,47; THACO 14; #AT 2; Dmg 
  1-10/110; AL Nil; SD Nil; Sz G (30’-40’ tall); 
  ML 11; XP 270 each. 
  Animated water oaks (6): AL Nil; AC 7; MV 3; 
  HD 6; hp 29,30,36,37,40,41; THACO 15; 
  #AT 2; Dmg 1-10/1-10; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz H 
  (18’-25’ tall); ML X; XP 270 each. 
  8 
  
  After the battle, if the PCs search the bases 
  of trees in the area, they discover a huge cy- 
  press tree with a hollowed-out trunk. Inside 
  the wet trunk are the possessions of the other 
  adventurers the algoids defeated: bones 
  enough for three skeletons (although the 
  adventurers died a little less than a week ago, 
  the denizens of the swamp stripped them), 
  two suits of studded leather armor (in poor 
  condition because of the water and moss), a 
  long sword, a two-handed sword, a small 
  shield, a ruined leather pouch containing sil- 
  ver-plated thieves tools), a ruined canvas sack 
  with 21 coppers, 12 silvers and a 150 gp pearl, 
  and a damaged leather backpack containing 
  30 feet of rope, a full wineskin and a book. 
  Although most of the pages have been ruined 
  because of the water, a few are still partially 
  legible. The book appears to be a diary, and 
  the following passages can be read. Each para- 
  graph represents a separate entry. 
  ”Hosky, Stile and myself have been wan- 
  dering in this gods-forsaken swamp for 
  three days now. We have caught a few 
  glimpses of lizard men-hunting 
  parties I 
  believe. When we tried to track them, we 
  only managed to get ourselves lost. I know 
  between the three of us we could take on a 
  dozen lizard men. We just have to be able 
  to catch up with them. They move so quickly 
  through the swamp.” 
  ”The fourth night out we saw a pair of 
  ghostlv lights flickering between a pair of 
  cypress trees. Lanterns maybe. They were 
  too uneven to be the eyes of something. 
  Good thing for us. Would have followed 
  them, except Hosky twisted his ankle after 
  falling into a bog. He can’t move too well 
  now.” 
  “We’re tired and low on food. In the dis- 
  tance, probably about a mile to the north- 
  east, we can see a stream of smoke rising 
  through the trees. Must be ,a campfire or a 
  cooking fire. Maybe the home of the lizard 
  men, maybe something else. We’re going to 
  investigate. Hopefully the smoke will lead 
  us to the lizard men. If not, we’ll have to 
  turn back and get more supplies.” 
  ~~~ 
  ~ 
  “We‘re sopping wet and about a quarter- 
  mile from what looks like a village. 
  Thatched houses, movement. Stile says he 
  sees lizard men tracks. Well, this must be 
  it.” 
  ”Tefnut be praised. The village elders will 
  be so happy!” 
  If the characters cast speak with dead on the 
  skeletons, they learn that the trio discovered a 
  lizard men village (but can’t 1;ive good direc- 
  tions because they got lost again before they 
  died). In the center of the village, they saw a 
  totem pole with the gold and platinum statue 
  of Tefnut on top. There seemed to be a couple 
  dozen lizard men-too 
  many for them to 
  tackle. They decided to turn back and get help. 
  They were killed by moving trees and patches 
  of moss (the algoids). 
  B. Evll Fog 
  Wisps of fog curl about the bases of willow 
  trees, seemingly caressing the damp bark. 
  The fog nearly covers the ground, evidence 
  that the earth is warmer here than the air. 
  Moss grows up the sides of: the trees and 
  stretches outward on the bottom branches. 
  
  Black birds perch high in the branches, 
  squawking in high-pitched tones. The 
  scene is eerie and dismal. 
  The moss on the trees is the same type that 
  was found in the temple of Tefnut in Chala. 
  PCs with the Herbalism proficiency who 
  make a successful proficiency check notice the 
  moss. PCs with the Agriculture proficiency 
  have a -4 penalty to notice the moss. Druid 
  PCs who roll less than their Wisdom on ld20 
  also note that the moss is the same type found 
  in the Chala temple. 
  After the PCs have been in this area for sev- 
  eral minutes, the fog becomes thicker to the 
  north, reducing visibility and setting the 
  mood for the next encounter. This is a result of 
  a fog cloud. 
  A quartet of fog giants, working for the 
  “lizard king,” patrol this section of the swamp 
  to make sure that nobody trespasses further 
  north. The giants, one of whom placed thefog 
  cloud, are allowed to keep all valuables col- 
  lected from the bodies of slain trespassers. In 
  exchange, the ”lizard king” and his followers 
  have promised to leave the giants alone. The 
  ”lizard king” killed one of the giants’ brethren 
  earlier as a demonstration of his power to 
  guarantee their cooperation. Further use of a 
  potion of giant control on the largest of the fog 
  giants cemented the relationship. 
  The giants fight until only one remains, 
  then he attempts to escape. 
  The giants’ tactics are simple: surround the 
  PCs, using the fog for cover. Three of the 
  giants begin their assault by throwing rocks. 
  The third giant, using his pinky ring ofspell 
  storing, casts web, anchoring the strands to the 
  tree. He follows that attack with slow and tele- 
  kinesis. He saves solid fog to help cover an es- 
  cape. The giant has no qualms about using all 
  the spells in the ring, as he assumes he can get 
  other such treasures from dead adventurers. 
  Fog giants (4): AL NE; AC 1; MV 15; HD 14; 
  hp 80,84,86,100; THACO 7; #AT 1; Dmg 1- 
  10 or by weapon (3-18 +ll); SA Rock hurl- 
  ing (2-20 points of damage); SD 45% chance 
  to catch large weapons hurled at them; Sz 
  H (24’ tall); ML 14; XI’ 7,000 each. 
  These giants have an 80% chance to blend 
  into the fog, giving their foes a -5 penalty to 
  surprise rolls. The giants’ keen senses make it 
  difficult to surprise them: they gain a +2 on 
  their surprise rolls. 
  Each giant has a sack strapped to his waist 
  with four rocks for hurling. In addition, the 
  largest giant also has a ring of water walking on 
  one little finger and the ring ofspell storing on 
  the other with the spells wall of fog, solid fog, 
  web, telekinesis and hold person mentioned 
  above. 
  If the characters defeat the giants and 
  search the bodies, they find a total of 450 gp 
  and 240 sp on the bodies of the three smaller 
  giants. Searching the body of the larger giant 
  reveals the two rings as well as 100 gp, 25 sp 
  and three emeralds worth 1,000 gp each. 
  Questioning any captured giants reveals 
  that they are currently working for the ”lizard 
  king,’’ a very powerful lizard man who wan- 
  ders the swamp alone or with two attendants. 
  The giants have been directed to kill all tres- 
  passers. The giants know nothing about a 
  gold and platinum statue. 
  If the PCs fight the giants at all, even if they 
  kelly them all, the rakshasas will be alerted to 
  the PCs’ presence. See the rakshasa section at 
  the end of this module for more information. 
  C. Favorable Fog 
  Fog blankets the ground, covering the 
  pools of stagnant water and hiding the 
  hundreds of insects that flit all about. In 
  I 
  I 
  10 
  
  I 
  -
  1
   
  . . . - 
  ,, 
  places, tendrils of fog curl about the trunks 
  of cypress and willow trees, like a snake 
  coiling. Little light filters down here, as the 
  canopy is so dense. 
  The air feels heavy, oppressive, and the 
  humidity is uncomfortable. 
  As you move on, a booming voice cuts 
  across the tableau. 
  ”Little men. What do you want in our 
  swamp, little men? If you are not careful, 
  you will die here. Many dangers hide in the 
  swamp.” A large head pokes out from be- 
  hind a thick cyprus tree. It is a giant! Behind 
  him, you see the forms of four more. 
  The voice belongs to the leader of a fog 
  giant band. These five giants, of good align- 
  ment, do not associate with the giants at 
  point B on the map. The quintet is aware 
  of increased activity in the swamp and are 
  bothered by the deaths of lizard men and 
  humans. 
  The leader has a terrible sense of forebod- 
  ing and believes something dreadful will hap- 
  pen in Blackweed Swamp. The giants want to 
  talk to the PCs. Of course, depending the PCs’ 
  actions, the giants may not get a chance. 
  If the PCs attack the fog giants, they fight 
  back, hurling rocks until the PCs close to 
  melee. These giants fight to the death in de- 
  fense of the swamp. 
  Fog giants (5): AL NG; AC 1; MV 15; HD 14; 
  hp 73,84,88,90,94; THACO 7; #AT 1; Dmg 
  1-10 or by weapon (3-18 +ll); SA Rock hurl- 
  ing (2-20 points of damage); SD 45% chance 
  to catch large weapons hurled at them; Sz 
  H (24’ tall); ML 14; XP 7,000 each. 
  11 
  
  These giants have an 80% chance to blend 
  into the fog, giving their foes a -5 penalty to 
  surprise rolls. The giants’ keen senses make it 
  difficult to surprise them: they gain a +2 on 
  their surprise rolls. 
  If the PCs do not attack the giants, the quin- 
  tet comes forward to talk. The giants want to 
  know where the PCs are from and why so 
  many humans have been entering Blackweed 
  Swamp. They don’t object to the presence of 
  humans, but they don’t like the humans kill- 
  ing the peaceful lizard men. Of course, one of 
  the giants will admit that he witnessed a trio 
  of lizard men killing a group of trappers, but it 
  is possible the lizarjd men were provoked. The 
  lizard men have never bothered the fog giants. 
  If the PCs question the giants, they can 
  learn the following. 
  The village of lizard men is to the northeast, 
  where the river forks. The lizard men are 
  fishermen and trappers. 
  The lizard men have a new top for their 
  totem-a 
  shiny piece of gold and silver 
  (these fog giants have not seen platinum 
  and did not get close enough to see that the 
  piece was a woman with a lion’s head). The 
  ornament was added sometime within the 
  past month. 
  The giants occasionally trade with the 
  lizard men village, especially when hunting 
  is poor for them. The fog giants have be- 
  come very fond of the giant catfish that the 
  lizard men catch and they pay for them 
  with coins and other valuables. 
  One of the lizard men that wanders the 
  swamp, usually alone, is a lizard king. He 
  wears ornate clothes and commands magic. 
  The giants are certain he is formidable and 
  have stayed away from him. 
  In addition to the lizard men, Blackweed 
  Swamp is filled with evil fog giants, large 
  lizards, very, very large lizards, snakes of 
  various sizes, and blinking lights. The fog 
  giants have never gotten close enough to 
  the lights, which they believe are faeries- 
  or lanterns. When the giants have reached 
  the area where the lights were, they found 
  only the tracks of lizard men. 
  The giants encourage the PCs to leave the 
  lizard men alone, as the lizard men belong in 
  the swamp and the PCs do not. The giants will 
  not help the PCs find the lizard men, nor will 
  they guide them anywhere in the swamp. 
  However, if the PCs have acted kindly to the 
  giants, one of them offers to heal an injured 
  character. The giant places a periapt of wound 
  closure on a PC, saying the magical item was 
  really too small to be used by a giant. This offer 
  is not made if none of the PCs (appear hurt. 
  If the PCs fought and killed the giants, they 
  recover a total of 200 gp, 140 sp, a gold, cop- 
  per and amethyst bracelet worth 3,400 gp. 
  and the periapt of wound closure. 
  D. Hunting Party 
  There are several ”Ds” on the DM’s map. In 
  each one of these sections a lizard men hunt- 
  ing party is searching for food, and there are 
  plenty of lizard men tracks all around. The 
  lizard men are ignoring small birds and 
  lizards in preference to finding such things as 
  giant constrictors, giant owls, giant lizards, 
  fire lizards, and jaguars. 
  The lizard men are being quiet, so they do 
  not scare their prey. Because of their stealth, 
  and because they know the swamp so well, 
  the PCs can only discover these hunting par- 
  ties by successfully following the lizard men 
  tracks or by using the following nonweapon 
  proficiencies: Alertness, Hunting, or Trailing. 
  Of course, PCs who can cast spedc with animals 
  or speak with plants can also locate the lizard 
  men. 
  If the PCs find the hunting party, describe 
  the band, their weapons and their actions. It 
  appears that the lizard men are tracking some- 
  thing (game). The lizard men will not attack 
  
  the PCs unless the PCs attack or threaten 
  them. These lizard men are tolerant of other 
  creatures so long as they do not scare away the 
  game in the swamp. 
  The FCs must be able to speak lizard man 
  or use spells to converse. The hunting bands 
  do not know other languages. If the PCs suc- 
  cessfully talk to the lizard men, they can learn 
  the following. If the PCs capture and question 
  the lizard men, they also learn the following 
  information, but in bits and pieces that are 
  laced with threats. 
  Lizard men do not like humans, but they 
  tolerate them. They would prefer if the hu- 
  mans would stay out of Blackweed Swamp, 
  as the human trappers who come into the 
  swamp cut down the available game. 
  The lizard men rarely leave the swamp, 
  although occasionally scouts are sent to 
  observe the city on the river to make sure 
  the humans there are not planning any- 
  thing harmful to the lizard men. 
  The lizard men community has acquired a 
  new ornament for the village totem. The 
  glittering statue of gold and silver (they 
  don’t understand the difference between 
  silver and platinum) was a gift of the lizard 
  men’s god. 
  The PCs cannot have the statue. It belongs 
  to the lizard men now. Taking it would 
  bring doom upon the village. 
  There is only one community of lizard men 
  in Blackweed Swamp, although this hunt- 
  ing band knows that small groups of lizard 
  men live scattered here and there in the 
  swamp; these lizard men are not civilized 
  and prefer the wilds to village life. 
  The hunting band has been out for two 
  days now, and have not caught much more 
  than giant snakes. Hunting has not been too 
  good lately. Perhaps, if the PCs went away, 
  the hunting would improve. 
  These lizard men will not take the PCs to 
  their village, nor will they give the PCs direc- 
  tions. Humans are not welcorr 
  and the PCs would be mucl 
  stayed far away. If the PCs ma 
  are going to the lizard men vi. 
  ing party orders them from 
  offers to escort them to the so 
  the swamp. If the PCs refus 
  lizard men follow them, attac 
  attempt to enter the village. 
  It is possible for the PCs to c( 
  ing party that they need to spe 
  lage leader. Use some judgml 
  PCs make a unified, convincii 
  the hunting party will escort 
  village and the other half w 
  search for game. Refer to the v 
  the lizard men take the PCs t h  
  These lizard men each carry 
  waterskin, a sack of dried f 
  knife, and several empty sac1 
  leather sacks contain three d 
  strictors. The lizard men carrv 
  Lizard men hunting party (14 
  MV 6, Sw 12; HD 2+1; hp 1( 
  19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (spear) ( 
  SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall 
  each. 
  E. Deadly Darters 
  Looking about, you see the 
  lizard men. They have not be 
  probably not more than a day 
  If the PCs examine the bodit 
  trace of wounds made by e 
  weapons. However, there are I 
  much of the bodies and it is c 
  thing has been eating them. PC 
  weapon proficiencies of Huni 
  Lore realize that most of the 
  
  recent. Careful searching reveals that each 
  body has small fangs embedded in the legs. 
  The party of lizard men was killed while 
  tracking a pair of fire lizards through a darter 
  lair. The darters were quick to kill the lizard 
  men. 
  If the PCs spend more than a few rounds in 
  this area, the darters attack. 
  Darters prefer to attack from a distance, fir- 
  ing a poison-covered fang. Victims struck by a 
  fang must save vs. poison or become para- 
  lyzed for 4-16 rounds. Darters can fire 16 fangs 
  per day, one fang per round, for an effective 
  distance of 10'. 
  The darters feast on immobilized victims, 
  sucking their blood and causing 1-6 points of 
  damage. These darters will take no more than 
  three drinks from any downed PC victims, 
  becoming full and wandering away. 
  There is nothing of value in the darter lair. 
  Darters (24): AL N; AC 8; MV 3; HD 1; hp 4 
  each; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-2; SA Para- 
  lyzation; SD Nil; Sz T (1'-2' long); ML 16; 
  XP 120 each. 
  F. False Heroes 
  The shrill cry of a crow cuts through the 
  damp air, sending smaller birds flying and 
  tiny lizards scampering into the water. 
  "Who's there?" A hoarse voice demands. 
  "Identify yourself!" another one shouts. 
  You do not see the speakers, but you can 
  tell they are nearby. 
  The speakers are a pair of rakshasas, using 
  their ESP abilities to pull familiar images from 
  the PCs' minds. The rakshasas will adopt the 
  forms of NPCs the characters have associated 
  with, and will use a plausible excuse for being 
  in the swamp-looking for the statue in the 
  hope of claiming a reward or trying to save 
  Chala from the lizard men threat. 
  The two "adventurers" explain that they 
  have been in the swamp for nearly a week 
  and have seen several bands of lizard men 
  hunting parties. They fought one such party 
  that contained more than two dozen lizard 
  men. The battle was fierce, and in the end the 
  adventurers won-but 
  not before two of their 
  number died. The pair states they buried their 
  friends to the west in the swamp. 
  The adventurers have decided they want 
  nothing else to do with the lizard men, even 
  though they know the Tefnut statue is in the 
  lizard men village. The pair is simply too tired 
  and too shocked over the death of their friends. 
  However, they will offer to draw a map show- 
  ing the location of the lizard men village and 
  will describe the layout of the buildings. 
  Further, the pair reports on the number of 
  lizard men in the village to give the PCs an 
  idea what they are up against. Of course, the 
  rakshasa "adventurers" underestimate the 
  population so the PCs will not be scared off. 
  The pair intends to leave the swamp now, 
  and will not act as guides to the village. In 
  truth, they intend to discreetly follow the PCs 
  to make sure they go to the lizard men village. 
  If the PCs become suspicious of the "adven- 
  turers," the pair drop their guise, revealing 
  lizard men forms. They use entangle and invis- 
  ibility to cover their escape. They try to avoid 
  using other spells, as they do not want the 
  PCs to realize they are something other than 
  lizard men. The rakshasas do not want to con- 
  front the PCs at this point, as they are hopeful 
  the PCs will attack the lizard men village. 
  No matter what the outcome of this en- 
  counter, the entire rakshasa party will now 
  know of the PCs' presence. 
  Rakshasa (2): AL LE; AC -4; MV 15; HD 7; hp 
  37,38; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/2-5; 
  SA Illusions, spells; SD +1 or better weapon 
  to hit; ML 15; XP 4,000 each. 
  14 
  
  Rakshasas have a form of ESP that allows 
  them to take the form of someone familiar to 
  their victims; they must drop the illusion 
  when they attack. They are only hit by weap- 
  ons of +1 magic or better, and weapons of less 
  than +3 inflict only half damage. A hit by a 
  blessed crossbow bolt will immediately kill a 
  rakshasa. They are immune to all spells lower 
  than 8th level. Their spells are cast at 7th level. 
  Rakshasa #1 wizard spells: Enlarge, grease, pro- 
  tectionfiom good, spider climb 
  Priest Spells: Cure light wounds, entangle, faerie 
  fire 
  Rakshasa #2 wizard spells: Dancing lights, pro- 
  tection from good, spook, ventriloquism, detect 
  inziisibility, invisibility, whispering wind, fly 
  Priest spells: Cure light zuounds x2, invisibility 
  to animals 
  G. Temple Ruins 
  Through the dense underbrush, you see 
  what you believe is a stone building-or 
  part of one anyway. The structure looks old 
  and in disrepair. Vines cling to the cracked 
  stone walls and crumbling columns. 
  If the PCs come closer, they can tell that the 
  building is immense. It is probably centuries 
  old, and it does not look inhabited. There is a 
  bog near it. It will be challenging for the PCs to 
  reach the building because of the bog, which is 
  6 feet deep. However, if they brave the terrain 
  and enter the building, refer to the half-page 
  map. Although large, the building, which was 
  once a temple, has only three rooms. 
  The temple was built centuries ago to a 
  long-forgotten snake god named Hisst. 
  1. Making your way through the bog you 
  reach the collapsing steps. Small lizards 
  as the front door. Only bits of rotted wood 
  hang from frames. Beyond the doors is 
  darkness. 
  2. Entering the building, (3 chill races up 
  and down your spines. It is cool in here, 
  unnaturally so it seems. This main room is 
  immense-and 
  empty. Not even the re- 
  mains of furniture can be seen. The walls 
  glisten with moisture and display worn 
  mosaics. The floor, too, seems to have pat- 
  terns and designs in it, and appears just as 
  wet as the rest of the room. 
  Hisst was a L N  god, and the very structure 
  of his temple radiates his alignment. PCs who 
  are not lawful neutral, neutral or neutral good 
  suffer a -2 penalty to all combat rolls and sav- 
  ing throws while inside. 
  To see the wall mosaics, the PCs have to 
  move farther into the room, which makes 
  them accessible to the gray ooze, which ini- 
  tially appears to be nothing more than glisten- 
  ing stone on the floor. 
  Gray ooze (3): AL N; AC 8; M.V 1; HD 3+3; hp 
  24,26,27; THACO 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-16; SA 
  Corrodes metal; SD Immune to spells and 
  fire- and cold-based attacks; Sz L (12'); ML 
  10; XI' 270 each. 
  If the PCs defeat the ooze and scrape it 
  away from the patterns on the floor, they find 
  a tiled image of a snake with ruby eyes coiled 
  about a crystal plate set into the floor. The 
  plate and tiled snake radiate magic. If the 
  plate is removed from the floor and/or the 
  ruby eyes of the snake pulled out, the dweo- 
  mer fades. Replacing the items will not restore 
  the magic. Further, taking the plate is consid- 
  ered an affront to the god Hisst. A PC who 
  
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  1 
  Temple Ruins 
  removes the plate will suffer a -1 penalty to all 
  combat rolls, saving throws, and ability checks 
  for 72 hours. 
  The plate, although crystal, is as strong as 
  metal. It is worth 800 gp. The ruby eyes are 
  worth 2,000 gp each. 
  The plate is an offering device to Hisst. Any 
  time a gem or piece of jewelry is placed on the 
  plate, the item disappears and the offerer is 
  allowed to ask a question of the god. The 
  magic still works, even though none of Hisst's 
  worshipers remain alive. 
  If one of the PCs places a gem or item of 
  jewelry on the plate, he or she hears inside 
  their head, "what question do you have of the 
  great and mighty Hisst?" Four such sacrifices 
  can be made each day, resulting in four an- 
  swers. Hisst replies to each question in a sen- 
  tence of no more than 12 words. The answers 
  are cryptic. For example, if the PCs ask where 
  the statue is, the god would reply something 
  like, "Surrounded by many with scaly hides, 
  who are far beneath it." 
  Hisst is aware of all activities in the swamp, 
  so careful questioning here could be beneficial 
  to the PCs. However, questioning should not 
  reveal an answer containing the word "rak- 
  shasa." Hisst would consider these creatures 
  "evil-spirit lizard men." 
  3. A soft glow pervades this room. No 
  doubt it is the luminous fungus and moss 
  growing on the walls that are responsible 
  for the light. Mosaics on the floor show 
  masses of writhing snakes, all coiled about 
  green-skinned men and women. In the cen- 
  ter of the room, on an altar, are bones. 
  The bones are not the remains of a sacrifice. 
  
  Rather, the last Hisst priest died in this room, 
  collapsing on the altar from starvation. He 
  refused to give up his religion. His spirit still 
  haunts this room, and he will communicate 
  with anv PC who comes within 1 foot of the 
  altar. His spirit is a unique form of undead, 
  described below. If a PC approaches the altar, 
  read the passage below. 
  You feel tingly all over-and 
  warm. It is a 
  pleasant sensation. A voice inside your 
  head speaks in friendly, relaxing tones. 
  "Hisst will care for you," the voice 
  relates. "Hisst cares for all those who walk 
  the wet, humid lands. Revel in Hisst's gen- 
  erosity. 
  "Fellow swamp dweller, do you know 
  the ways of Hisst?" 
  If a PC answers yes, the spirit of the priest 
  leaves him or her alone-not 
  wanting to ex- 
  pend energy on someone already converted. 
  However, if the PC answers no, the spirit 
  attacks. If more than one PC is within 1 yard 
  of the altar, the spirit attacks each in turn. To 
  attack, the spirit must rise from its bones as a 
  ghostly figure. This priest has chosen the form 
  of a striking snake. The spirit cannot move 
  more than 40 feet from the altar, nor can itpirit 
  be turned. 
  Fervent spirit (1): AL LN; AC -2; MV 12; HD 8; 
  hp 64; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg Nil or 1-10; 
  SA Spells; SD Hit only by +1 or better weap- 
  ons; Sz M (6' tall); MR 25%; ML 14; XI' 
  5,000. 
  Spells: charm person, enthrall, hold person, 
  ray of enfeeblement, suggestion, confusion, 
  forcecage, and demand 
  Each time the fervent spirit successfully 
  strikes a target, it releases one of its spell 
  effects. It can use each spell once during an 
  incarnation. If the spirit is being attacked, it 
  can strike and cause physical damage rather 
  than a spell effect. 
  The spirit's goal is to force the PC or PCs to 
  stay in this room, where he can expound for 
  all eternity on the teachings and blessings of 
  Hisst. To that end, the spirit's charms, com- 
  mands, and other spells will be to order the 
  affected character or characters to stay. 
  Killing a fervent spirit is only a temporary 
  matter, as the spirit will reform again in 
  another incarnation in 4d4 rounds to begin his 
  assault once more. The only way to put the 
  undead to rest is to reduce it to 0 hit points or 
  less and bury its bones. 
  A secret door from this room leads to the final 
  chamber of the temple. The door is not locked 
  or trapped and is easy to spot (+2) to all at- 
  tempts. However, because the stones have 
  shifted during the past man). decades, it will 
  require a combined Strength of 34 to open the 
  door. 
  4. The room beyond 
  that clings to the 
  the place feel gloomy 
  ously no one has entered this area in a very 
  long time. It is dark, and the black moss 
  The PCs will need a light Tource here. The 
  room is devoid of furnishings and creatures. 
  Characters searching for secrlet doors can find 
  a trap door in the floor. Opening the door 
  reveals a rotted wooden ladder that descends 
  into water. 
  The wooden ladder will not support more 
  than 60 pounds at one time. Anyone using the 
  ladder who weighs more than that will fall 20 
  feet into the water below, suffering ld6 points 
  of damage. After one fall, the ladder is broken. 
  The chamber below has 10 feet of stagnant 
  water in it. PCs braving the fetid water and 
  
  searching the bottom can find the priests’ 
  treasure in rotting chests: 11,300 cp, 2,400 sp, a 
  pearl necklace worth 1,200 gp, and a staff of the 
  serpent, ,adder, with 10 charges. 
  Characters who enter the stagnant water 
  are also subject to catching a disease because 
  of the germs and parasites. PCs in the water 
  must save vs. poison at a -2 penalty (in addi- 
  tion to any other penalties they might have 
  picked up in the temple) or they catch a debil- 
  itating disease. This disease slowly saps their 
  vitality; PCs SO affected suffer a temporary 
  loss of one point of Strength and Constitution 
  per day until a cure ,disease is cast on them. PCs 
  who reach 0 Strength and/or 0 Constitution 
  die. 
  There are no other chambers and nothing 
  else of value on this level. 
  H. Village of the Lizard Men 
  To reach the village of Fen, the PCs have to 
  cross the river. There are places where the 
  river is only 5 feet deep, so it is possible for 
  the PCs to simply ford it. 
  Refer to the map for the layout of the vil- 
  lage. The map includes only the major build- 
  ings; the thatched homes of the various lizard 
  men families surround these buildings and 
  are not detailed. The text below corresponds 
  to descriptions and contents of the important 
  buildings. 
  The village has a population of 168. How- 
  ever, because of the number of hunting and 
  fishing parties, only approximately 90 lizard 
  men will be in the village at any given time. 
  The village of Fen began more than 300 
  years ago when a group of lizard men decided 
  to create a settlement similar to the human 
  hamlets along the river. Tired of wandering, 
  they wanted a base from which to fish and 
  hunt. The original layout of Fen matched the 
  nearest human community, which no longer 
  exists. 
  Through the decades, the village expanded 
  and the buildings became mare elaborate and 
  sturdy-and 
  remained hidden from the hu- 
  man settlements. Though the lizard men 
  could tolerate humans, they had no desire to 
  associate with them. The ori,ginal settlers of 
  Fen considered humans too chaotic and un- 
  predictable. 
  As the village grew, the lizard men estab- 
  lished a form of government based on wis- 
  dom and goals rather than brawn. The rulers 
  were chosen by the adults in the community, 
  and they led until they were too old or their 
  plans began to harm the village. 
  Today, the lizard men of Blackweed Swamp 
  remain a relatively peaceful people, but they 
  are not tolerant of other races or creatures 
  which ruin their hunting and fishing or 
  threaten the village. They still avoid the hu- 
  mans, including the fishermen and trappers 
  from Chala. They do not believe the humans 
  hunt or fish wisely, taking in fish that are 
  spawning and trapping lizards that have not 
  reached maturity. 
  Of the 90+ lizard men present in the village 
  at any given time, the majority will be adults. 
  Use the following statistics. Note that these 
  lizard men have average and above average 
  intelligences. 
  Lizard men (50): AL N; AC 4; MV 6, Sw 12; 
  HD 2+1; hp 11 each; WAC0 19; #AT 1 or 3; 
  Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD 
  Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; XP 05 each. 
  These lizard men use shields and hurl 
  barbed darts (3 per round, 1d4. damage). In 
  addition, they carry clubs which cause 2d4 
  points of damage. 
  Ten of these lizard men act as sentries, 
  patrolling the outside of the village and keep- 
  ing the community safe. If any trespassers or 
  dangerous creatures are noticed, the sentries 
  blow horns, alerting the village. 
  
  Lizard men, young (29): AL N; AC 5; MV 6, 
  Sw 12; HD 2+1; hp 8 each; THACO 19; #AT 
  3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M 
  (4’-7’ tall); ML 14; XP 65 each. 
  The young lizard men will fight if the vil- 
  lage seems in jeopardy. They carry spears 
  which cause ld6 points of damage. 
  Lizard men patrol leaders (10): AL N; AC 4; 
  MV 6, Sw 12; HD 2+1; hp 17 each; THACO 
  19; #AT 1 or 3; Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1- 
  2/1-6; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; 
  XP 63 each. 
  The patrol leaders each carry a shield, long 
  sword and two spears. The throw their spears 
  before closing in to melee. 
  Lizard man subleader (1): AL N; AC 2; MV 6, 
  Sw 12; HD 4; hp 32; THACO 17; #AT 1 or 3; 
  Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD 
  Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; XI’ 120. 
  The lizard man subleader carries a long 
  sword +2, shield +2 and two spears. He throws 
  his spears at obvious spell casters before clos- 
  ing to melee. 
  Lizard man leader (1): AL N; 
  AC -1 (bracers 
  and shield); MV 6, Sw 3 2; HD 6; hp 42; 
  THACO 15; #AT 1 or 3; Drng by weapon or 
  1-2/1-2/16; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); 
  ML 14; XP 270. 
  The lizard man leader sta;ys out of melee if 
  possible. If forced to fight, however, he uses 
  the same tactics as his subleader. He wears 
  bracers of defense AC5, carries a shield +Z, and 
  uses a long sword +2, black dragon slayer. 
  19 
  
  Lizard man lesser shaman (1): AL N; AC 4; 
  MV 6, Sw 12; HD 3 (P3); hp 16; THACO 18; 
  #AT 1 or 3; Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; 
  SA Spells; SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; XP 
  175. 
  Spells: cure light wounds, entangle, charm person 
  or mavrrmal 
  This shaman carries a shield, spear +I, mace 
  +1, and barbed darts for throwing. In melee, 
  he casts entangle and charm person or mammal 
  before hurling darts and his spear and closing 
  for melee. 
  Lizard man greater shaman (1): AL N; AC 4; 
  MV 6, Sw 12; HD 5 (P5); hp 25; THACO 15; 
  #AT 1 or 3; Dmghy weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; 
  SA Spells; SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; XI? 
  650. 
  Spells: cornmand, cuw light wounds, faerie fire,. 
  hold person, heat metal, silence 15’ radius, cure 
  disease 
  The head shaman prefers to stay in the 
  background where he can cast spells. His pre- 
  ferred magical assault begins with silence, 15‘ 
  radius on an obvious spell caster, followed by 
  heat metal ton a fighter in armor’faeriefire on as 
  many enemies as possible and hold person and 
  command on a fighter. 
  Lizard man acolyte (1 >: AL N; AC 4; MV 6, Sw 
  12; HD 2 (Pl); 
  hp 12; THACO 18; #AT 1 or 3; 
  Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Spells; 
  SD Nil; Sz M (7’ tall); ML 14; XP 175. 
  Spells: CUYE light wounds x3 
  Spy (rakshasa in lizard man guise) (1): AL LE; 
  3; Dmg 1.-3 / 1-3 / 2-5; SA Illusions, spells; SD 
  +l or better weapon to hit; Sz M (7’); ML 15; 
  XP 4,000. 
  Wizard spells: dancing lights, protection from 
  good, spook, wall of fog 
  AC -4; MV 15; HD 7; hp 38; THACO 13; #AT 
  Priest Spells: curse, command, fneriefire 
  The rakshasa is a spy in the village, ac- 
  cepted as a newcomer desiring a home. He 
  has been posing as a budding shaman while 
  he spies for the rajah. His goal is to make sure 
  the lizard men fight any humans who come 
  from Chala and nearby communities. To that 
  end, he has been sowing seeds of discontent 
  with the village’s youths by suggesting that 
  the humans want to fight the lizard men and 
  eventually destroy the village. 
  If, during the course of the PCs’ time in the 
  village, there is a fight between the PCs and 
  the lizard men, the rakshasa will hide and 
  observe the outcome. 
  If the PCs kill the entire village of lizard 
  men, the rakshasa flees to inform the rajah 
  that the humans must be killed immediately 
  before they return to Chala. 
  If the lizard men kill the PCs, the rakshasa 
  spy is satisfied and notifies the rajah that one 
  more band of adventurers from Chala has 
  been eliminated. 
  If, however, the PCs talk with the lizard 
  men and learn they are not the cause of Chala’s 
  woes, the rakshasa spy leaves the village 
  immediately and reports to the rajah. There, 
  the rakshasas put into motion plans to kill the 
  PCs. Refer to the rakshasa section for more 
  information. 
  The rakshasa spy is convincing in his guise 
  as a lizard man. Virtually the only way the 
  PCs can locate him is by casting know align- 
  ment. This will only tell the PCs he is evil; it 
  will not reveal his true nature. If the spy 
  believes he is in jeopardy, he will use his abili- 
  ties in an attempt to escape. 
  Entering The Village 
  of Fen, read the following: 
  When the player characters near the village 
  20 
  
  Through the moss-draped trees you see a 
  village. It rests at the fork in the river. 
  Thatched buildings and some buildings 
  made of stone sit in the center of a clearing 
  in the swamp. Farther out from the clear- 
  ing you see smaller thatched buildings 
  along the bases of the trees. A few of the 
  thatched buildings are built in the trees 
  along the lowest branches. 
  Milling about the buildings in the clear- 
  ing are lizard men. You can see a few 
  dozen. Some of them are small for lizard 
  men, about 4 feet in height. Obviously chil- 
  dren, they scamper about playing a game. 
  In the middle of the clearing stands a totem. 
  It is the trunk of a large tree, and it has 
  lizard visages cut into it. Garish colors are 
  painted on the faces. What catches your 
  attention is what rests atop the totem-an 
  ornament of gold and silver. 
  The PCs will have to move closer to see 
  what the ornament is-the 
  statue of Tefnut. If 
  they get too close, the lizard men sentries are 
  alerted to the PCs’ presence and sound a 
  horn. If this happens, all the lizard men in the 
  village grab weapons and prepare for a possi- 
  ble confrontation. 
  Note, however, that the lizard men in the 
  village do not start such a confrontation. The 
  lizard men will not start a fight unless they 
  are pushed into it. 
  Determine what the PCs are doing. It is 
  possible they might decide to position them- 
  selves and attack. If this is the course they 
  take, the lizard men rally to protect the village 
  and fight to the death. 
  If the PCs attempt to enter the village peace- 
  fully, the lizard men allow them in-provided 
  the PCs keep their weapons sheathed. In this 
  case, the PCs will be escorted to the lizard 
  man leader. 
  Attacking the Villase 
  This could be a deadly move for the PCs. 
  While the lizard men are not their equals as 
  fighters or spell casters, they have consider- 
  able numbers on their side. 
  The first wave of lizard men to attack will 
  be the adults. If 20 or more of the adults fall, 
  the youths consider the village in jeopardy 
  and join the melee. 
  The shaman attempt to stay out of melee at 
  first, using their spells to help the lizard men 
  fighters. 
  The leader stays out of melee until the very 
  end. 
  If the PCs are defeated, the lizard men cap- 
  ture any survivors and release them, weapon- 
  less, into the heart of the svramp. The lizard 
  men tend to their wounded and return to life 
  as usual. 
  If the lizard men are defeated, the PCs are 
  free to search the main buildings and question 
  any surviving lizard men. Refer to the Lizard 
  Men Information section for what the PCs can 
  learn. 
  Keeping the Peace 
  If the PCs enter the village peacefully, they 
  are escorted by each building and past the 
  totem to the leader’s hut. If they speak lizard 
  man, they can pick up bits ‘2nd pieces of the 
  information presented in the Lizard Men Infor- 
  mation section. As the group passes the totem, 
  describe the statue of Tehut on top; now that 
  the PCs are closer they can identify the statue 
  as being made of platinum and gold. If the PCs 
  ask the lizard men escorts (about the statue, 
  they reply simply that it is a gift of their god. 
  If at any point while walking in the village 
  the PCs take the statue, the lizard men attack, 
  considering the PCs’ actions blasphemy. 
  Eventually, the PCs arc escorted to the 
  lizard man leader where they are given food, 
  
  Village of Fen 
  water and are allowed to rest and ask more 
  detailed questions. Refer to the leader’s build- 
  ing in the text below. 
  1. School: This large thatched building has a 
  wooden porch with three benches on it. It is 
  well maintained, and the trim around the win- 
  dows and ]doorway is painted a deep green. 
  Inside the building are several more benches, 
  evenly spaced. They face a large, ornately- 
  carved chair at the front of the room. 
  During the day, 20 of the lizard men youths 
  will be in this building. They are taught by 
  one of the oldest lizard men in the village. The 
  youths learn about the swamp and its crea- 
  tures, the history of Fen, and are taught the 
  rudiments of Common. Only the youths and a 
  few of the elders know the Common tongue, 
  as teaching it is a new practice. Most of the 
  adults speak only lizard man. 
  2. Armory: This building is made of stone and 
  wood, and has a thatched roof. It is well main- 
  tained, and has a sturdy wooden door. Two 
  lizard men are always stationed on the porch 
  of this building to make sure the village’s 
  youths do not get inside and play with the 
  weapons. The building has three small rooms. 
  The largest is where weapons and shields are 
  repaired, and there is frequently up to four 
  lizard men in here working on the arms. A 
  second room is for the storage of weapons in 
  good condition, and the third is for the stor- 
  age of shields. 
  There are a total of 230 spears, 180 clubs, 
  700 barbed darts, 10 long swords, 8 short 
  swords and 4 maces. In addition, there are 
  95 large wooden shields, 10 small wooden 
  shields, 12 large metal shields, and 3 small 
  metal shields. 
  
  3. Sup Hall: This building is similar in build- 
  ing materials to the armory. Large ferns grow 
  on either side of the building’s front door, 
  which is always open. The building has two 
  side doors and several windows. 
  Although most of the lizard men eat at 
  home with their families, many of the young 
  lizard men like to eat and socialize here. This 
  hall is also used for village meetings and reli- 
  gious activities. 
  Several large, ornately carved cedar tables 
  and benches fill the room. The tables are 
  clearly old, and the tops are worn and cov- 
  ered with small grooves made by the claws of 
  the lizard men. These tables once filled the 
  main room of the temple of Hisst. However, 
  decades ago lizard men appropriated them, 
  along with other furnishings. 
  At meal times there are 3d8 lizard men 
  here. Otherwise, only ld6 lizard men are pre- 
  sent. 
  4. Worship Hall: The exterior of this building 
  makes it stand out from the rest of the struc- 
  tures in the village. The hall is made of ebon- 
  wood, a charcoal black wood that only grows 
  far to the north of here. Decades ago stands of 
  ebonwood trees stood in Blackweed Swamp. 
  However, the Fen lizard men cut the trees 
  down and used them in the construction of 
  the hall. 
  Even the floor and roof of the hall are made 
  of ebonwood. When wet, which is often in the 
  swamp, the building shines like an onyx gem- 
  stone. 
  One of the lizard men shaman can be found 
  inside the hall at any given time paying 
  homage to the god Semuanya. In fact, the 
  acolyte sleeps in an area at the back of the 
  hall. 
  The furnishings are simple, yet elegant- 
  large chairs and polished wooden benches- 
  and all of them supplied by the temple of 
  Hisst. 
  A crudely painted image of the lizard men’s 
  god is on the floor of the hall. 
  If the PCs are not hostile to the lizard men, 
  and if it appears any of them are injured, they 
  will be brought to the temple and healed by 
  the shaman. Any PC so cured will be asked to 
  make a donation of a weapon or item of value 
  to the community. 
  5. Training Hall: This structure consists of sev- 
  eral posts, the trunks of long-dead ebonwood 
  trees, and a thatched roof stretched over them. 
  Inside, the village’s youths are taught how to 
  fight with their claws and teeth, how to use 
  swords, spears, and other weapons, and how 
  to defend themselves against various crea- 
  tures and men. 
  During the day, 2d12 youths and two patrol 
  leaders will be here. 
  If the PCs have been cordial to the lizard 
  men and stop at the hall, they will be asked to 
  give a fighting demonstration. The patrol 
  leaders ask two of the PCs tot fight each other 
  with the flats of their blades to demonstrate 
  human (or demihuman) combat techniques. If 
  the PCs do not comply, the youths hiss at 
  them and brand them cowards. 
  If the PCs agree, following their demonstra- 
  tions, one of the patrol leaders asks to fight 
  one of the PCs bare-handed. If a PC agrees and 
  wins, the students cheer and quickly accept 
  the PCs. If a PC refuses to participate, the stu- 
  dents hiss. The use of magic in any fight is 
  frowned on; PCs caught using magic will be 
  hissed at and shunned by the students and the 
  patrol leaders. 
  6. Lesser Shaman’s Hut: This is perhaps the 
  simplest structure in the village of Fen. It is no 
  more than a thatched, one-room hut. The 
  shaman elected to live modestly, taking over 
  the fisher’s storage and giving the fishermen 
  the abode he inherited. 
  There is a 50% chance the lesser shaman 
  23 
  
  will be here, unless the PCs already encoun- 
  tered him at the worship hall. 
  7. Greater Shaman’s Hut: One of the more 
  impressive homes in Fen, this lizard man’s 
  building is decorated on the outside with iron 
  candelabra, worn tapestries, and brass plates, 
  all hammered into the wooden walls. These 
  items were taken decades ago from the tem- 
  ple of Hisst, and the greater shaman at that 
  time decided to put some of the objects out- 
  side his hut as evidende that the lizard men’s 
  god Semuanya is greater. 
  The shaman’s greatest treasure is hidden 
  behind a false stone in the wall-his 
  beads of 
  divination. There are six beads in a small box. 
  Swallowing one is the equivalent of casting a 
  divination spell. 
  There is a 50% chance the greater shaman 
  will be here, unless the PCs already encoun- 
  tered him at the worship hall or leader’s 
  home. 
  8. Subleader’s Hut: Similar in size to the 
  greater shaman’s hut, this structure has the 
  skulls of animals ringing it. 
  There is only a 25% chance the subleader 
  will be here at any given time. He is usually 
  found at the leader’s home or the hunter’s 
  hall. 
  9. Totem: Perhaps the most impressive piece 
  of woodcraft in the village, the totem rises 20 
  feet above the marshy ground. 
  The faces of lizard men are carved into the 
  polished post and it is evident that parts of the 
  post are newer than others. Each visage, which 
  will not seem much different to the PCs, is the 
  face of a Fen leader. When the current leader 
  dies, his visage will be carved and placed on 
  top of the totem. There are currently 16 faces 
  in the totems. All of the faces have paint on 
  them, with the oldest faces at the bottom hav- 
  ing worn and cracked paint. 
  On top of the totem rests the gold and plat- 
  inum statue of Tefnut. When it was discov- 
  ered on top of the totem one morning, the 
  greater shaman convinced the leader and the 
  rest of the village that it was a gift from the 
  lizard men’s god and that it held some signifi- 
  cance that must be discovered. 
  The lizard men have not yet discovered that 
  significance. They will not allow the PCs to 
  take the statue unless the PCs can prove that 
  the lizard men’s god did not put it there. They 
  want to know just who put the statue on the 
  totem. That will likely mean the PCs will have 
  to uncover the rakshasas’ plot and share the 
  information with the lizard men of Fen. 
  If the PCs attempt to steal the statue and are 
  seen by any lizard men, the entire village 
  moves to attack. See the Village Population 
  section earlier. 
  24 
  
  10. Well: When Fen was built, the first settlers 
  constructed a sturdy stone well because the 
  human village they patterned Fen after had 
  one. 
  There is no bucket and rope for the well, 
  and it is filled with fetid marsh water. 
  11. Fisher’s Storage: Formerly the lesser 
  shaman’s home, this wooden and thatched 
  building with a hole in the roof contains a 
  variety of weighted nets and spears. This is the 
  equipment used by the lizard men assigned to 
  fish for the community. In the center of the 
  room is a stone oven where some of the fish 
  are smoked to keep longer. 
  12. Hunter’s Hall: Much more impressive on 
  the inside and out than the fisher’s storage, 
  the hunter’s hall is filled with the skulls of 
  animals. The floor of the building is covered 
  with the skins of jaguars and large lizards. 
  The wall opposite the entrance has the skin of 
  a young black dragon hanging on it. 
  At any given time there are ld10 lizard men 
  in here swapping amazing hunting stories. 
  If the PCs have been accepted by the lizard 
  men, and they come to this building, they will 
  be asked to share their own hunting stories. 
  The lizard men will not converse with them 
  unless the PCs comply. In turn, the lizard men 
  will relate their stories-which 
  are much 
  grander than the PCs’, regardless of whether 
  they are true. 
  13. Leader’s Home: A wooden porch circles 
  this building. Vines and mosses cling to the 
  walls, making it impossible to tell what the 
  building is made of without scraping the 
  plants away. 
  The building is made of wood and stone 
  and is the oldest one in Fen. It was originally 
  created as a meeting hall, and as the village 
  grew, it was passed into the hands of Fen’s 
  leader. Being invited to the building is con- 
  sidered an honor. 
  There is a 50% chance the leader will be 
  here at any given time. Otherwise, he is wan- 
  dering about Fen. If the leader is here, there is 
  a 25% chance the subleader and the greater 
  shaman will be here also. 
  The leader is middle-aged for a lizard man 
  and is a veteran fighter. He is wise, slow to 
  anger, and quick to defend the village and any 
  lizard men in it. 
  If the PCs have been cordial, he will agree 
  to meet with them on his porch. 
  Lizard Men Information 
  If the PCs did not act hostile toward the 
  lizard men, they can gain the following infor- 
  mation through questioning. 
  If the PCs attacked the village, won, and 
  question survivors, they will learn bits and 
  pieces of the following information. 
  The village of Fen has been at this juncture 
  of the Leal River for many generations. 
  During that time, the lizard men have never 
  started a fight against the human settle- 
  ments or against the goblins who lived in 
  the swamps decades ago. 
  However, the lizard men have no qualms 
  about attacking people who first attack 
  them or who menace the village or their 
  hunting and fishing. 
  Fen’s leader, subleader, and a few of the 
  patrol leaders spy on Chala from time to 
  time just to make sure the community is 
  staying peaceful. 
  Fen’s layout is based on a human commu- 
  nity the lizard men founders observed gen- 
  erations ago. 
  There are patches of living swamp (algoids) 
  and moving trees. These things are danger- 
  ous and should be avoided. The subleader 
  can show the PCs on their map the location 
  of these trees. 
  Fen residents accept the presence of hu- 
  25 
  
  mans near the swamp, but they do not think 
  humans know how to trap and fish prop- 
  erly. They consider the humans wasteful 
  and foolish. 
  A group of young Fen lizard men believe 
  the humans are to blame for the poor hunt- 
  ing in the swamp. Not only are they trap- 
  ping lizards that are immature, but they are 
  scaring away the larger game. These youths 
  wish the Fen leader would take some force- 
  ful action against the Chalans. 
  A few of the lizard men have witnessed 
  strange things in the swamp lately-lights 
  that dance just above the ground, then dis- 
  appear, and pairs of lizard men who avoid 
  Fen. 
  The pairs of lizard men have traveled north- 
  west and have avoided any attempts to talk 
  to Fen hunting parties. Perhaps if the hu- 
  mans of Chala have had some trouble with 
  lizard men, it is with that rogue band. 
  The small statue on top of the totem was 
  placed there as an omen by the lizard men's 
  god. 
  Nearly the entire community knows about 
  the ruined temple in the swamp. It was ded- 
  icated to some lowly human snake-god, 
  who was not as powerful as the lizard men's 
  god. The temple was in disrepair before Fen 
  was born. They will provide directions to 
  the ruins. 
  The greater shaman could perhaps help the 
  PCs. He has powerful magic at his control 
  and will use it to aid them in their quest-if 
  it means they will get out of the swamp 
  sooner and leave the lizard men alone. 
  There are dangerous creatures in the 
  swamp, including a dragon that breathes 
  flames (a pyrohydra.) The lizard men can 
  give precise directions to the "dragon." 
  If the PCs ask the greater shaman's help, he 
  explains that the magic he employs is indeed 
  powerful, and very costly. He returns to his 
  home, brings forth two of the bends ofdivina- 
  tion and offers to swallow them for the party 
  in exchange for a magical donation to him. 
  Do not go easy on the PCs here. The shaman 
  wants one permanent magical item for each 
  bead swallowed. He will not accept potions or 
  scrolls. If the PCs make the donation, he will 
  swallow the beads, or allow them to. 
  If the PCs are careful with their questions, 
  they could learn about their foes and how to 
  prepare to face them. 
  If the PCs have been cordial to the lizard 
  men in the village, they will be invited to stay 
  the night. They can sleep in the Sup Hall. The 
  lizard men want them to leave in the morn- 
  ing, as they believe it is not good for the youth 
  of the village to have too much contact with 
  humans. In the morning, the PCs will be 
  provided dried fish and fresh water and sent 
  2G 
  
  on their way. The 
  guides for the PCs. 
  1. Swamplight 
  There are severa 
  izard men will not act as 
  ”1”s marked on the DM’s 
  map. This is because the will 0’ wisps move 
  around between several locations. The PCs 
  can encounter the will 0’ wisps more than 
  once if the creatures are left alive following a 
  melee. The PCs should not encounter the 
  wisps more than three times. It is most appro- 
  priate to use these encounters at dusk or in 
  the evening. 
  The foliage thickens, blotting out the light 
  from the stars (or sun) overhead and throw- 
  ing the swamp into a murky gloom. 
  Peering through the heavy underbrush 
  you see the soft glow of three lights. It is 
  difficult to tell how far away they are. They 
  move along, roughly at eye level, and they 
  are bobbing slowly. After a few moments 
  you can tell they are moving away from 
  you. 
  If the PCs do not go to the lights (which are, 
  of course, the will 0’ wisps), the lights come to 
  them. 
  The will 0’ wisps work for the rakshasas in 
  an unusual agreement. The wisps keep tres- 
  passers from getting into rakshasa territory, 
  preferably by steering them to the lizard men, 
  and the rakshasas pay them with gold and 
  jewels. The will 0’ wisps are not entirely 
  happy with the arrangement, as they would 
  rather the rakshasas find another swamp to 
  live in. However, they believe working for the 
  evil spirits is safer than working against them. 
  If the trespassers do not follow the wisps to 
  the lizard men, or to the hydras if they already 
  have been to the village, the wisps attempt to 
  lead them into bogs or quicksand. If this fails, 
  the wisps attack. The will 0’ wisps believe 
  they are still fulfilling their bargain with the 
  rakshasas by keeping trespassers away. The 
  wisps prefer to kill any humans, taking what- 
  ever treasure they find and not worrying 
  about sharing it with the rakshasas. 
  Prior to any melee, the will 0’ wisps turn 
  out their lights, leaving themselves invisible. 
  Repositioning themselves, they attack in an 
  effort to gain surprise. 
  Will 0’ wisp (3): AL CE; AC .-8; MV F1 18 (A); 
  HD 9; hp 45,46,48; THACO 11; #AT 1; Dmg 
  2-16; SA Special; SD Special; MR Only the 
  spells maze, protection f r o m  evil and magic 
  missile effect a wisp; Sz S (2’); ML 17; XP 
  3,000 each. 
  If the wisps fight the PCs, ,after two rounds 
  one of the wisps breaks away from combat and 
  flies to warn the rakshasas that experienced 
  adventurers are in the swamp. This third wisp 
  is considered out of the rest of the combat. 
  If the PCs manage to bring the two remain- 
  ing wisps down to five hit points or less, the 
  will 0’ wisps beg for mercy, offering the PCs 
  treasure ”or something much more valuable.” 
  If the PCs agree, the wisps give them their 
  choice. If the PCs decide to take the treasure, 
  they receive a dagger +I, cloak of protection +I, 
  potion of rainbow hues, potion offlying, potion of 
  clairvoyance, black pearl bracelet worth 1,500 
  gp, jade bracelet worth 450 gp, and a small 
  velvet bag containing 30 gold pieces (the gold 
  pieces are very old and are worth double their 
  face value to a collector). 
  If the PCs ask for ”something much more 
  valuable,” the wisps tell them: 
  Lizard men are what you seek, if you are 
  searching for what brings woe to the 
  humans who live near the swamp. But 
  27 
  
  lizard men they are not. Your adversaries 
  are far more powerful than the man-lizards 
  that dwell in the village of Fen. Their skin 
  is but a mask. Your adversaries are evil 
  incarnate. 
  Kill them and you'll free the swamp. But 
  the killing shall not be an easy thing, and 
  you could be the ones who die. 
  Look to the grove of dead willows. They 
  are nearby. 
  The will 0' wisps will provide no more infor- 
  mation, no matter how persistent the PCs are. 
  The wisps fear the rakshasas and worry that 
  even giving that little bit of information could 
  spell their own doom. 
  If the wisps relayed information hinting at 
  the rakshasas' whereabouts, the PCs will not 
  encounter the wisps again. The wisps have 
  decided to leave for safer territory. 
  No matter the outcome of this encounter, 
  the rakshasas know about the PCs' presence 
  and will send a false lizard inen hunting 
  party, as detailed at letter "F," to lure the PCs 
  to the lizard men village or the hydras. If the 
  PCs already killed the false adventuring party 
  at F, use another party of the same strength, 
  but with a different selection of spells. 
  j. Headed For Danger 
  If the PCs did not attack the lizard men vil- 
  lage, and discovered the lizard inen were not 
  responsible for the raid on Chala, the rakshasa 
  spy or the false hunting party will try to lead 
  the PCs here. 
  Once close enough to rouse the hydra, the 
  rakshasas will use their abilities to escape, 
  leaving the PCs to deal with the monster. 
  28 
  
  It is also possible the PCs will discover the 
  hydra themselves, simply by wandering in 
  the swamp. 
  This hvdra begins with eight heads and can 
  attack with up to four of them against a single 
  foe. For every eight points of damage the 
  hydra suffers, one of its heads is assumed to 
  be cut off. For every head that is cut off, two 
  more grow to take its place, up to a maximum 
  of 12 total heads. The heads regrow in 1-4 
  rounds. The only way to avoid the regenera- 
  tion is to quickly burn the stump. Attacks 
  against this hydra’s body have no effect; all of 
  its heads must be cut off simultaneously to 
  kill the hvdra. 
  The creature’s combat tactics are simple- 
  fight to the death. 
  The hydra has no treasure, as it was taken 
  by the rakshasas weeks ago. 
  If the PCs search the hydra’s territory and 
  make a successful Tracking proficiency roll, 
  they discover lizard men tracks. A second 
  successful check indicates there were two 
  lizard men. 
  Lernaean hydra (1): AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 8; 
  hp 64; THACO 12; #AT 8; Dmg 1-10; SA 
  Extra heads; SD Extra heads; Sz G (30’ 
  long); ML 9; XP 3,000. 
  K. Double Danger 
  When the PCs survive the attack of the 
  hydra, the rakshasas become concerned that 
  the rajah’s plans could be dashed. They next 
  attempt to lead the PCs to the lair of some- 
  thing even worse. The rakshasas are certain 
  this will end the threat of the PCs without 
  dirtying their own claws to finish off the 
  heroes. 
  As in the other hydra encounter, it is possi- 
  ble the PCs will encounter these creatures 
  simply by wandering in Blackweed Swamp. 
  They may elect to come here if they heard of 
  the fire-breathing dragon from the lizard men 
  in Fen. 
  Hydra (1): AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 9; hp 72; 
  THACO 12; #AT 9; Dmg 1-10; SA Nil; SD 
  Nil; Sz G (30’ long); ML 10; XP 2,000. 
  This hydra has nine heads and can attack 
  with up to four of them against a single foe. 
  For every eight points of damage the hydra 
  suffers, one of its heads is assumed to be cut 
  off. Attacks against the hydra’s body have no 
  effect unless the damage inflicted is equal to 
  the creature’s original hit points; all of its 
  heads must be cut off at once to kill the hydra. 
  Pyrohydra (1): AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 8; hp 
  61; THACO 12; #AT 8; Dmg 1-10; SA Nil; SD 
  Nil; Sz G (30’ long) ML 10; XP 3,000. 
  This hydra has eight heads and can attack a 
  single foe with up to four of them. Each head 
  can breathe a gout of flame twice a day that is 
  5 feet wide and 20 feet long. The flame causes 
  8 points of damage (save vs. breath weapon 
  for half damage). Heads which breathe flame 
  cannot bite that round. For every eight points 
  of damage the hydra suffers, one of its heads is 
  assumed to be cut off. All of its heads must be 
  cut off to kill the hydra. All attacks against this 
  hydra’s body have no effect unless the dam- 
  age equals the creature’s original hit points. 
  If the PCs defeat the hydras and search 
  around their lair, they discover a wealth of 
  treasure. Taking it out of the swamp is 
  another matter, however, as there is a lot of it. 
  The treasure includes: 20,000 cp, 15,000 sp, a 
  shattered tiara worth 300 gp, a broken sil- 
  vered long sword with pearl:; in the pommel 
  worth 400 gp, a small box filled with three 
  vials (potion of healing, potion of clairaudience, 
  poison (class G ) ) ,  three scroll tubes (one 
  empty, one with the wizard spells magic mis- 
  sife,friends, unseen servant, and one with the 
  29 
  
  priest spells bless, protection from evil, magical 
  stone), a crossbow with silver inlaid designs 
  worth 300 gp, a dozen quarrels (three of them 
  quarrels +I), and a beautiful cherry wood long 
  bow worth 90 gp, a dozen arrows, (two of 
  them arrows +I). 
  There are no lizard men tracks immediately 
  next to the hydras’ lair. However, checking 
  farther away from the lair the PCs find more 
  lizard men tracks and the tracks of basilisks. 
  Finding the Rakshasas 
  Eventually, if the PCs put the clues together, 
  they will come close to the rakshasas’ terri- 
  tory. Of course, they might still believe they 
  are dealing only with lizard men, which could 
  be their downfall. 
  If the rakshasas know the PCs have learned 
  the Fen lizard men are innocent and that the 
  PCs could not be killed by the hydras and will 
  0’ wisps, they will deal with the adventurers 
  themselves. They begin by sending a party of 
  ”lizard men” to meet the PCs before the PCs 
  come upon the rakshasa lair. This is to protect 
  the rajah. Initially, these ”lizard men” act affa- 
  ble to the PCs, hoping to strike when the 
  heroes’ guard is down. 
  Rakshasas have a form of ESP that allows 
  them to take the form of someone familiar to 
  their victims; they must drop the illusion 
  when they attack. They are only hit by weap- 
  ons of +1 or better, and weapons of less than 
  +3 inflict only half damage. A hit by a blessed 
  crossbow bolt will immediately kill a rak- 
  shasa. They are immune to all spells lower 
  than 8th level. Their spells are cast at 7th level. 
  Two of the rakshasas have boots of varied 
  tracks. 
  The ”lizard men” begin their assault with 
  spells, including protection fYom good, hold per- 
  son,faeriefire and entangle. They continue their 
  assault, then close for melee. 
  If the rakshasas are victorious, the rajah will 
  continue with his plans to have the lizard men 
  and humans exterminate themselves; then he 
  will own the swamp. 
  If it appears the PCs will win the battle with 
  the rakshasas, two fight to the death while the 
  third attempts to escape to prepare the rajah. 
  Captured ”lizard men” reveal no information. 
  However, it should be obvious to the PCs 
  these are not lizard men. Using speak with dead 
  could confirm just what these creatures are 
  and reveal their plans for eliminating the 
  humans and lizard men. This information 
  should not come easily, as the dead rakshasas 
  will not want the rajah’s plans ruined. 
  Rakshasa (3): AL LE; AC -4; MV 15; HD 7; hp 
  35,38,42; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1- 
  3/2-5; SA Illusions, spells; SD +1 or better 
  weapon to hit; ML 15; XP 4,000 each. 
  Rakshasa #1 wizard spells: enlarge, grease, pro- 
  tectionfiorn good, spider climb 
  Priest Spells: cure light wounds, entangle, faerie 
  fire 
  Rakshasa #2 wizard spells: dancing lights, pro- 
  tection from good, spook, ventriloquism, detect 
  invisibility, invisibility, whispering wind, fly 
  Priest spells: cure light wounds x2, invisibility to 
  animals 
  Rakshasa #3 wizard spells: burning hands, color 
  spray, detect magic, magic missile, blur, fog 
  cloud, web, hold person, suggestion 
  Priest spells: entangle, pass without trace, protec- 
  tion from good 
  1. lair of the Rajah 
  If the PCs have followed the leads, or sim- 
  ply wandered to this spot, they will face the 
  two most powerful rakshasas in Blackweed 
  Swamp. If the PCs fought the three rakshasas 
  above, and one escaped to warn the ruhk and 
  rajah, the pair will be expecting guests. 
  This is a very deadly encounter, and if the 
  30 
  
  PCs are not careful and prepared, they could 
  easily die. 
  These spirits are crafty and will use their 
  magical items to their best effect and their 
  ESP power to pull a familiar form from the 
  PCs’ minds. No matter the form taken, the 
  rakshasas will appear convincing and will 
  attempt to lull the PCs into a false sense of 
  security, then striking when the moment is 
  right. They can use their illusion spells, such 
  as spectmlfouce, to help convince the PCs. Pos- 
  sible stories include: 
  The PCs’ friends were searching the swamp 
  for the lizard men. They haven’t found 
  them, but they’ve discovered living trees 
  and a hydra. 
  They were spirited here by some great 
  lizard man shaman. He seems to have aban- 
  doned them in the swamp to die. 
  They have no idea how they got here, and 
  they remember very little about the past 
  few days. 
  Other plausible stories can certainly be con- 
  cocted based on specific events that have 
  occurred thus far. 
  If the PCs seem to buy the NPCs’ stories, 
  the rakshasas wait for positioning and evalu- 
  ate the PCs’ strengths and we,aknesses. How- 
  ever, if the PCs do not seem to believe their 
  story, the rakshasas drop their guise immedi- 
  ately and begin casting spells. The rakshasas 
  think they have little to fear from the PCs 
  because the rakshasas are immune to most 
  spells. 
  As in other encounters, these rakshasas 
  appear as lizard men when in their real forms 
  -however, they are dressed im fine, brocade 
  robes sprinkled with ornate bead work. 
  
  Greater rakshasa, ruhk (1): AL LE; AC -5; MV 
  18; HD 8+16; hp 60; THACO 11; #AT 3; Dmg 
  1-6/1-6/2-10; SA Illusions; SD +2 or better 
  weapon to hit; ML 17; XP 7,000. 
  Magical items: dust of disappearance (2 uses), 
  spear +3, and a potion of giant control 
  Wizard spells: Audible glamer, chill touch, danc- 
  ing lights, ventriloquism, Melf’s acid arrow, 
  mirror image, summon swarm, lightning bolt, 
  spectral force 
  Priest spells: Cure light wounds, invisibility to 
  animals, pass without trace 
  Greater rakshasa, rajah (1): AL LE; AC -5; MV 
  18; HD 8+16; hp 73; THACO 11; #AT 3; Dmg 
  1-6/1-6/2-10; SA Illusions; SD +2 or better 
  weapon to hit; ML 17; XP 7,000. 
  Magical items: Robe of blending, javelin of light- 
  ning, and a potion offire breath 
  Wizard spells: Color spray, dancing lights, phan- 
  tasmal force, unseen servant, darkness 15’ 
  radius, detect invisibility, web, fly, spectral 
  force, fireball, improved invisibility, ice storm 
  Priest spells: Animal friendship, command, detect 
  magic, faeriefire, pas4 without trace, charm per- 
  son or mammal, heat metal, silence 15’ radius, 
  speak with animals, trip, cause disease, curse, 
  stone shape 
  The rakshasas have a form of ESP that al- 
  lows them to take the form of someone famil- 
  iar to their victims; they must drop the illusion 
  when they attack. They are only hit by weap- 
  ons of +2 or better, and weapons of less than 
  +4 inflict only half damage. A successful hit 
  by a blessed crossbow bolt will immediately 
  kill a rakshasa. 
  The ruhk casts his spells AT 9th level, the 
  rajah at 11th. Both are immune to all spells 
  lower than 8th level. 
  Spell Assault 
  The rajah begins by casting fireball on the 
  greatest number of PCs possible. He does not 
  care if the ruhk is caught in the effect, as the 
  ruhk is immune to the spell. This fireball 
  causes 11d6 points of damage, save for half. 
  At the same time the ruhk casts lightning bolt 
  on as many PCs as possible, for 9d6 points of 
  damage, save for half. 
  In subsequent rounds, the rajah casts ice 
  storm, heat metal, web and others as appropri- 
  ate; the ruhk casts summon swurm, Melf‘s acid 
  urrow and others. 
  If the PCs defeat the rakshasas, they can 
  search the area and find the lair, an under- 
  ground cave in the most stable ground they’ve 
  seen in the swamp. The rakshasas’ lair is filled 
  with the bones of human and lizard men vic- 
  tims, and treasure: 10,245 cp, 2,300 sp, a silver 
  necklace worth 800 gp, sapphire ring worth 
  1,400 gp, a brass belt buckle decorated with 
  black pearls and engraved with the words, ”I 
  Fight For Glory,” worth 850 gp, gold ring 
  worth 210 gp, gold ring of feather fulling, and a 
  phylactery of faithfulness. 
  Resolution 
  If the PCs return victorious to Chala, they will 
  be hailed as heroes. If the PCs regained the 
  statue, the people will cheer and begin mak- 
  ing plans to take gifts to the lizard men vil- 
  lage. The Chalans want to make peace with 
  their neighbors and apologize for any wrong 
  thoughts. 
  As promised, the PCs will be rewarded 
  with a share of the city’s profits. It is up to the 
  PCs if they want to accept the award. 
  32 
  
  Players' Map 
  &s 
  1. . 
  . :" 
  I 
  
  L 
  
  1 
  Ofitcial Game F 
  T h e  citv of Chala, nestled 
  banks of 
  the Leal river, has prospered for generations. 
  But now the city faces misfortune, pestilence, 
  and decay, because the icon which brought it 
  prosperity has been stolen. All the clues sug- 
  gest that the sacred object was carried into 
  the heart of nearby Blackweed Swamp. But 
  who, or what, would commit such a crime? 
  Whoever is responsible, the statue must be re- 
  covered, a t  any cost. 
  re heroes who can face the horrors 
  of the swamp and reclaim t h e  precious 
  statue? Are they clever enough to unravel a 
  scheme far more sinister than simple theft? 
  Or will they, like others before them, be lured into the clutches of some 
  terrible evil inhabiting the gloomy marsh and disappear forever? 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/AD&D 1e-2e, D&D, OD&D (TSR)/AD&D 2e (Selected Material)/AD&D 2e Adventures/GA2 Swamplight (2e).pdf